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Excerpted from "The Knobloch Family Record" dated 1973

THE WILHELM KNOBLOCH FAMILY

Wilhelm Martin Knobloch was born to Johann Christoph Dietrich Knobloch and Friedericke Weilbach, April 8, 1953 in Wurttemberg, Germany. Wilhelm was the oldest in a family of three children. He was reared to a life of honest industry on his father's farm. When he reached the age of twenty-one, he reported for duty in the German army.

Wilhelm married Friederike Nester, daughter of Johann Christoph Nester and Christine Regena Ringner. They owned fifteen acres of rich farm land in the Keckar Valley, which was in eight to ten different places. They lived in a nice village called Frankenbach, where mostly farmers lived. They raised barley, wheat, mangel beets (for feed), potatoes, sugar beets, and hay. They farmed with cows, which also produced the dairy products for the family use and also to sell. They also had a fruit orchard and sold some of its produce. Eight children were born to this union in Germany, namely: Emilie, Pauline, Emma, Dietrich, Ernst, Karoline, Willaim and Martha (who died when she was four months old). Emilie and Pauline attended the little village school. They were of Lutheran Faith.

Friederike's brother, Ernst Nester, in America, wrote them they should come to America because living conditions were better and there was no military service for their sons.  

They sold their farm and had a good auction sale. The money received from it was sent to Ernst Nester, who bought them a 160 acre farm at $21.50 an acre in Lyon County, Iowa. All of the belongings they took to America (bedding and clothes) were packed in a couple of trunks and some was strapped to the backs of the older children. They also brought big square nails with them so they could build when they got to America. The family was very sad when leaving their homeland the end of February, 1890. They rode the train three days from Heilbron, Germany to Antwerp, Belgium, where they boarded a ship called "Freesland." This included Father, Mother and seven children. Emilie, Pauline, Emma, Dietrich, Ernst, Karoline and William. They came by third class accomodations, and when they weren't too sick they had to work on the boat, such as washing dishes and so forth.  Dietrich and William were the only ones who didn't get sick. They were on the ocean eleven days and had to go through several storms. On March 15, 1890 they landed in New York. They took a train to Rock Valley, Iowa, where Ernst Nester met them and took them by box-wagon to their farm in Cleveland township, in Lyon County, Iowa.

They farmed here for three years and then moved across the road to a larger house but still farmed the other farm for seven more years. Eight children were born here, namely: Maria, August, Jacob, Martha, Lydia and Benjamin and two who died in infancy.

In the spring of 1900 they moved on to a half section they bought in Logan Township for $33.00 an acre. The last child, Emil, was born here.

They always did quite a bit of milking, which the girls helped with. The farming was all done by horses, which took lots of care. They always enjoyed having good horses around and raised lots of colts.

In the winters they de-horned cattle for other people. They always had a large garden and raised chickens, which they hatched themselves.

Though they knew the convenience of an automobile, they never owned one of their own. They took great pride in having good teams of horses and nice buggies.

Friederike took care of most of the farm business. She spent much of her time spinning and knitting.

They became acquainted with the Apostolic Christian church through Ernst Nester. Friederike became a member a year after they came to America.  They both were faithful attendants and good supporters of the church.

Wilhelm passed away March 3, 1926. Friederike then lived with her children, helping them out when she was able. She passed away March 27, 1936. Their final resting place is the Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery south of Lester, Iowa.

The Knobloch Family Record

Biography of Wilhelm Knobloch and Christine Friederike Nester

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