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The fifth (last) child of John Henry Nieland and Anna Maria Elisabeth Osterholt. (John Henry, John Henry, Joannes Daniel, Joannes Bernardus, Johann Daniel Nieland, Berndt Nilandt, Earliest Nieland) The following is an excerpt from David Nieland's book, Stammbaum der Familie Nieland "John Henry Nieland's youngest son, Henry Nieland, was born January 18, 1852, in Südlohn. His sister Mary Ann, Mrs. Gerhard Boes, wrote to her family telling of the greatness of America. In one of her letters she wrote telling that meat was placed on the table and a person could eat all he wanted. Partly from reading those letters, partly the coming of the Franco-Prussian War and partly through the urging of his father, he left the University of Vienna and decided to emigrate to America. He walked to Holland, took a boat to England, and then sailed by steamship from Liverpool to New York. The trip to America was quite an event. The boat started to leak and all the able-bodied men had to man pumps while the leak was being fixed. It was a memorable trip for a seventeen-year-old boy. The cost of the trip from Liverpool to New York was eighty dollars and from New York to New Vienna, five dollars. He came in the fall after the harvest in Germany, and arrived in time to help with the corn harvest in Iowa. On the train trip from New York he thought the corn tassels were the grain. After working in Dubuque County for three years he settled on a farm in Sac County in 1869. The farm was located about eight miles northwest of Breda. Here he built a small shed for his horses and slept in the loft. His comforts were few. Ham and butter were kept in a stone jar and placed in a cool spring for refrigeration. Rattlesnakes, at this time, were found in Sac and Carroll County. Some farmers believed that hogs helped to clear the farms of snakes, so Henry kept hogs for food and possible protection.
About 1884, Henry Nieland and his family moved to a farm one mile west and about two miles north of Breda where they resided until 1927 when they moved into the town of Breda. Like other pioneers, Henry saw death many times. His first wife died in 1883, and his son George of milk fever, soon after. Catherine, a daughter, died about 1889 of brain fever and another son, Henry, died in 1931. His second wife passed on in 1933, lastly his daughter, Rose in 1935. Henry, for many years, held the honor of being the oldest resident of Breda and Carroll County. Always an active man for his advanced age, he is remembered for his large garden, card games with his neighbors, and his great love of literature. While still on the farm, he stayed up one cold winter night reading. The next day the neighbors investigated, thinking someone was sick, and found he had burned all the wood in the house, even the kindling. He celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday in St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll, January 1947, having undergone major surgery. After a rapid recovery he was soon back doing his usual daily tasks. He lived to see his daughter, Mrs. Ferdinand Steinkamp, celebrate her Golden Wedding. His death came peacefully and quietly late Sunday night, August 28, 1949. He was the last of a family of five children and left about 175 descendants at the time of his death." Research notes on John Henry Nieland: John Henry Nieland was born on 18 January 1852 and baptized on 19 January 1852 at Südlohn, Westphalia, Prussia. He married Anna Berning, daughter of John Gerhard Berning and Maria Anna Hatting, on 15 June 1875 at Breda, Carroll County, Iowa. After his first wife died, John Henry married Anna Köster, daughter of Hermann Bernard Köster and Margaretha Maria Krümpelmann, on 8 January 1884 at Breda, Carroll County, Iowa. He was also known as Henry. He emigrated in 1869. He is said to have walked to Holland, taken a ship to England, then sailed from Liverpool to Boston or New York, arriving in the United States in the fall. Passenger records list his arrival at Boston, Massachusetts on August 21, 1869, on the SS Tarifa. "Henrick" Nieland is listed as a 17 year-old laborer who arrived single. The Tarifa was a large ship, with about 650 passengers, most from England, Ireland and Scotland. About 140 of the passengers were German. He worked for three years in the area around New Vienna, Dubuque County, Iowa. He appeared on the Federal census of 1870 at Dubuque County, Iowa. Henry (18) is enumerated in New Wine Township with Henry ?????kamp and his wife Josephine and their 2 children. He is listed as 18 years old, working as a farm laborer and his birthplace is Prussia. He appeared on the Federal census of 1880 at Sac County, Iowa. Henry (28) is a farmer living in the Viola enumeration district. He was born is Prussia, with both parents born in Prussia. He is living with his wife Annie (26) born in Iowa, both parents born in Prussia and their three children: Henry (4), Mary (2) and Frank (6/12)). He lived about 1884 at a farm near Breda, Carroll, Iowa (2 miles north of town).
He appeared on the Federal census of 1910 at Carroll County, Iowa. Henry (58) is enumerated in Wheatland Township with his wife Anna (47) and children Willie (22), Ben (20), Rosa (15), Berth (13), Anna (10), Louis (8), Joseph (6) and Herman (3). He appeared on the Federal census of 1920 at Carroll County, Iowa. Henry (68) is enumerated on a farm in Wheatland Township with his wife Anna (47) and children Henry (43), Anna (20), Louis (18), Joseph (15) and Herman (13). They own their farm with no mortgage. Henry is listed as a German immigrant who arrived in 1869 and was naturalized in 1876. Anna is listed as a German immigrant who arrived in 1883 and was naturalized in 1884. The children were born in Iowa. He and Anna moved to Breda, Iowa in about 1927. He appeared on the Federal census of 1930 at Carroll County, Iowa. Henry (78) is enumerated living in Breda with his wife Anna (67). They own their home and do not have a radio. Henry is listed as a German immigrant who arrived in 1869 and is a naturalized citizen. Anna is also a German immigrant, who arrived in 1884 and is naturalized. Henry died on 28 August 1949 at Breda, Carroll County, Iowa, at age 97. He was buried at St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery, Breda, Carroll County, Iowa.
The first wife of John Henry Nieland (1852-1949) Anna Berning, daughter of John Gerhard Berning and Maria Anna Hatting, was born on 7 June 1854 at New Vienna, Dubuque County, Iowa. She appeared in the Federal census of 1860 at Delaware County, Iowa. Anna (6) is enumerated on a farm in Bremen Township with, "Garet Bauning" (44) and his wife Mary (42). The other children are Mary (7), "Garet" (5), Margaret (3) and "Harmon" (2). Their farm is valued at $1000 and they have $330 in personal property. Gerhard and Mary were born in Hanover and all the children were born in Iowa. She appeared in the Federal census of 1870 at Delaware County, Iowa. Anna (15) is enumerated on a farm in Bremen Township with G. Berning (55) and his wife Mary (55) and Mary (18 or 19), George (13), Simon (11) and Margaretha (9). Gerhard and Mary were born in Hanover and the children in Iowa. She moved to Breda with her family in about 1874. Her parents bought land from the Iowa Railroad Land Company in Wheatland Township, Carroll County, Iowa in 1876. The children of John Henry Nieland and Anna Berning all born at Sac, Iowa, were the following: 1) Henry Gerhard was born on 4 June 1876. He died
on 26 February 1931 at Breda, Carroll County, Iowa, at age 54. He
was buried at St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery, Breda, Carroll County,
Iowa. Anna Berning died on 30 October 1883 at Sac
County, Iowa, at age 29. She was buried at St. Bernard Catholic
Cemetery, Breda, Carroll County, Iowa.
The second wife of John Henry Nieland (1852-1949) Anna Marie Catherina Adelheid Köster, daughter of Hermann Bernard Köster and Margaretha Maria Krümpelmann, was born on 19 January 1863 at Dalvers bie Berge, (Kreis-Bersenbrück) Hanover. She was baptized 22 January 1863 in St. Servantius Catholic Church in Berge. Her godparents were Adelheid Köster, Catherine Adelheid Mohrmann Kohne and Gerhard Wilhelm Wessling. She immigrated about 1882, leaving her parents, a brother and two sisters in Germany. She traveled to America with a friend. Her brother William (Heinrich Wilhelm) later immigrated and settled in Carroll County, Iowa. She was living with her cousins about 1882 at Illinois. She was invited to move to Breda by other cousins. She changed her name from Köster to Koster when she moved to Breda from Illinois. Her brother also immigrated to Carroll County, changing his name from Köster to Koester. Anna may have suffered from rickets as a child. There is a family story that she did not walk until she was four years old. She had difficult pregnancies, especially with Rose, who was born in 1895. Mrs. Wubben, who lived on the farm just north of the Nieland place, took care of Rose after she was born, until Anna was recovered. Anna was recovering from surgery to remove a tumor and was doing "nicely" at home in June 1928.
6) Elizabeth was born on 18 October 1884. She died
on 13 March 1957 at age 72. She was also known as Sister Mary Florina,
FSPA. Anna Köster died on 1 May 1933 at Breda,
Carroll County, Iowa, at age 70. She was buried at St. Bernard Catholic
Cemetery, Breda, Carroll County, Iowa.
Bio updated 26 December 2005
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