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Hermann Otten Dannemann
Born March 28, 1861


Hermann Otten Dannemann, one of the substantial German farmers and dairymen of Wayne township, was born in Wiese der Meer am wichmund, Oestfriesland, Germany, March 28, 1861, and is a son of Otten John and Trienchs Marie (Behrends) Dannemann. The mother has passed away, but Mr. Dannemann, who was a farmer during his active life, is still living in the land of his birth, although he has attained to the advanced age of ninety. Five children were born to him and his wife. They are: Gerd. Trienchs, Hermann, Marie and Etta, all of whom save Hermann, the subject of this sketch, are living in Germany.
Hermann Otten Dannemann was reared upon the home farm on which he lived until he was twenty years of age, when he decided to come to the United States. In 1881 he reached Illinois, where he secured employment on a farm by the month and the next year he rented land on which he worked. He afterward went to Nebraska, where he toiled as a laborer and they came to Jones county. For two years he worked for others by the month and then farmed with his father-in-law, for an equal period in Wayne township. By that time he had saved up enough money to enable him to purchase part of his present farm in this township. He invested first in two hundred and fifteen acres, to which he added from time to time, as opportunity presented itself, until now he owns four hundred acres on sections 27, 28, 34, and 35. It is all in one tract, however. Since Mr. Dannemann has obtained possession of the land he has greatly improved it, having erected large, substantial buildings, of fine construction and modern in every respect, exhibiting in many ways the progressive ideas of their owner. In addition to the general farming Mr. Dannemann has engaged extensively in the raising and feeding of stock and in the dairy business. He milks from thirty to forty cows daily and disposes of his cream to the Co-operative Creamery Company of Amber, of which he was a director for two, years.
In Jones County, October 14, 1886, Mr. Dannemann married Miss Frances Bodeker. She was born in Hepols, Oestfriesland, Germany, November 8, 1861, but was only four years old when her parents brought her to Iowa. Nine children have been born of this union: John Otto, Katie Marie, Anna Catherine, Otto Johnson, Maggie Marie, Trienchs Marie, Etta Elizabeth, Emma Mathilda and Gerd Otten. The second child died in infancy, but the others are all living at home. The family is members of the Wayne township German Lutheran church, and take part in all of its social and religious life. Politically Mr. Dannemann is a democrat, that having been the party whose platform appealed most strongly to him when he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. For the last four years he has been one of the trustees of the township, which has benefited in no small degree through his direction of its affairs for he is a man of principle, who has learned the secret of success in so far as his own private affairs are concerned and has not been chary in giving of his time and energy for promoting the welfare of those who belong to the little community in which he lives. He is also particularly interested in the village of Amber for he owns a house within its borders, a fact which is but another indication of his ability to seize a good opportunity when it presents itself, for property is now on the rise and Mr. Dannemann may think in the near future that he is justified in retiring from active life.

Source: History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 593.

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