Our family tradition states that he was born on the ship while they were coming from Germany, but close enough to the USA territorial waters that he did not need to be naturalized. All of their Tiedeman grandchildren remember the story exactly like this. In the 1880 census his occupation is listed as "store keeper". In the Iowa State Census for 1885 he appears with his wife and three children, living on Grant Street, Parkersburg, Iowa. He is employed as a dry goods merchant, and was born in New York. The Iowa State Census for 1895 Grundy County, has this entry: "William Mahanke, age 44, male, married, born in New York, father and mother foreign born, farmer, (member of the) Congregational (church). Wife Carrie, age 39, female, married, born in New York, father and mother both native born, keeping house, Methodist. Lizzie, age 15, female, born in Grundy County, Iowa (nothing else is checked). Clarence, age 12, male, born in Butler County, Iowa. Priscilla Needham, age 78, female, widow, born in Penn., father and mother both native born, retired home keeper, Methodist." (Priscilla was Carrie's mother.) William Henry Mahanke, Sr. was always called "Billy" by his family.
His obituary from the Parkersburg "Eclipse" is as follows:
"W. H. Mahanke, 90, former local resident died Thursday evening in a Sioux City hospital where he had been a patient for three weeks. Mr. Mahanke was born September 24, 1850, on a ship, as his parents were coming to this country from Ostfriesland, Germany. The family first located in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Milwaukee. Still later they came here where they became identified with the building of the town and surrounding countryside. On July 21, 1872, he was united in marriage with Caroline Ann Burdick at Sheridan, Nebr. Four children, three boys and one daughter were born to them. One son, Cecil died about one year of age [sic], and the daughter, Mrs. May Tiedeman died a few years ago. After the marriage the couple moved to Parkersburg where Mr. Mahanke operated a general store for five years before taking up farming nearby. He retired from farming in 1897 and moved into Parkersburg. They remained there until 12 years ago when they moved to Sioux City. Mr. Mahanke had been a Mason for 60 years, holding a membership in Compass lodge 239, A. F. & A. M., Parkersburg. Surviving are his wife and two sons, W. H. Mahanke, Jr., of Watertown, S. Dak., and Clarence A. Mahanke of Westfield, New Jersey. One brother H. F. Mahanke of this place and two sisters, Mrs. Mary McGee of Long Beach, Calif., and Mrs. Tillie Smidt of Denver, Colorado. There are also seventeen grandchildren. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon in the Westcott, Doughty and Chandler chapel, conducted by Rev. A. B. Schwertz, pastor of the Trinity Lutheran church. Internment was in Floyd cemetery at Sioux City."
His obituary from the Parkersburg "Eclipse" is as follows:
"W. H. Mahanke, 90, former local resident died Thursday evening in a Sioux City hospital where he had been a patient for three weeks. Mr. Mahanke was born September 24, 1850, on a ship, as his parents were coming to this country from Ostfriesland, Germany. The family first located in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Milwaukee. Still later they came here where they became identified with the building of the town and surrounding countryside. On July 21, 1872, he was united in marriage with Caroline Ann Burdick at Sheridan, Nebr. Four children, three boys and one daughter were born to them. One son, Cecil died about one year of age [sic], and the daughter, Mrs. May Tiedeman died a few years ago. After the marriage the couple moved to Parkersburg where Mr. Mahanke operated a general store for five years before taking up farming nearby. He retired from farming in 1897 and moved into Parkersburg. They remained there until 12 years ago when they moved to Sioux City. Mr. Mahanke had been a Mason for 60 years, holding a membership in Compass lodge 239, A. F. & A. M., Parkersburg. Surviving are his wife and two sons, W. H. Mahanke, Jr., of Watertown, S. Dak., and Clarence A. Mahanke of Westfield, New Jersey. One brother H. F. Mahanke of this place and two sisters, Mrs. Mary McGee of Long Beach, Calif., and Mrs. Tillie Smidt of Denver, Colorado. There are also seventeen grandchildren. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon in the Westcott, Doughty and Chandler chapel, conducted by Rev. A. B. Schwertz, pastor of the Trinity Lutheran church. Internment was in Floyd cemetery at Sioux City."
Our family tradition states that he was born on the ship while they were coming from Germany, but close enough to the USA territorial waters that he did not need to be naturalized. All of their Tiedeman grandchildren remember the story exactly like this. In the 1880 census his occupation is listed as "store keeper". In the Iowa State Census for 1885 he appears with his wife and three children, living on Grant Street, Parkersburg, Iowa. He is employed as a dry goods merchant, and was born in New York. The Iowa State Census for 1895 Grundy County, has this entry: "William Mahanke, age 44, male, married, born in New York, father and mother foreign born, farmer, (member of the) Congregational (church). Wife Carrie, age 39, female, married, born in New York, father and mother both native born, keeping house, Methodist. Lizzie, age 15, female, born in Grundy County, Iowa (nothing else is checked). Clarence, age 12, male, born in Butler County, Iowa. Priscilla Needham, age 78, female, widow, born in Penn., father and mother both native born, retired home keeper, Methodist." (Priscilla was Carrie's mother.) William Henry Mahanke, Sr. was always called "Billy" by his family.
His obituary from the Parkersburg "Eclipse" is as follows:
"W. H. Mahanke, 90, former local resident died Thursday evening in a Sioux City hospital where he had been a patient for three weeks. Mr. Mahanke was born September 24, 1850, on a ship, as his parents were coming to this country from Ostfriesland, Germany. The family first located in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Milwaukee. Still later they came here where they became identified with the building of the town and surrounding countryside. On July 21, 1872, he was united in marriage with Caroline Ann Burdick at Sheridan, Nebr. Four children, three boys and one daughter were born to them. One son, Cecil died about one year of age [sic], and the daughter, Mrs. May Tiedeman died a few years ago. After the marriage the couple moved to Parkersburg where Mr. Mahanke operated a general store for five years before taking up farming nearby. He retired from farming in 1897 and moved into Parkersburg. They remained there until 12 years ago when they moved to Sioux City. Mr. Mahanke had been a Mason for 60 years, holding a membership in Compass lodge 239, A. F. & A. M., Parkersburg. Surviving are his wife and two sons, W. H. Mahanke, Jr., of Watertown, S. Dak., and Clarence A. Mahanke of Westfield, New Jersey. One brother H. F. Mahanke of this place and two sisters, Mrs. Mary McGee of Long Beach, Calif., and Mrs. Tillie Smidt of Denver, Colorado. There are also seventeen grandchildren. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon in the Westcott, Doughty and Chandler chapel, conducted by Rev. A. B. Schwertz, pastor of the Trinity Lutheran church. Internment was in Floyd cemetery at Sioux City."
His obituary from the Parkersburg "Eclipse" is as follows:
"W. H. Mahanke, 90, former local resident died Thursday evening in a Sioux City hospital where he had been a patient for three weeks. Mr. Mahanke was born September 24, 1850, on a ship, as his parents were coming to this country from Ostfriesland, Germany. The family first located in Pennsylvania, and later moved to Milwaukee. Still later they came here where they became identified with the building of the town and surrounding countryside. On July 21, 1872, he was united in marriage with Caroline Ann Burdick at Sheridan, Nebr. Four children, three boys and one daughter were born to them. One son, Cecil died about one year of age [sic], and the daughter, Mrs. May Tiedeman died a few years ago. After the marriage the couple moved to Parkersburg where Mr. Mahanke operated a general store for five years before taking up farming nearby. He retired from farming in 1897 and moved into Parkersburg. They remained there until 12 years ago when they moved to Sioux City. Mr. Mahanke had been a Mason for 60 years, holding a membership in Compass lodge 239, A. F. & A. M., Parkersburg. Surviving are his wife and two sons, W. H. Mahanke, Jr., of Watertown, S. Dak., and Clarence A. Mahanke of Westfield, New Jersey. One brother H. F. Mahanke of this place and two sisters, Mrs. Mary McGee of Long Beach, Calif., and Mrs. Tillie Smidt of Denver, Colorado. There are also seventeen grandchildren. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon in the Westcott, Doughty and Chandler chapel, conducted by Rev. A. B. Schwertz, pastor of the Trinity Lutheran church. Internment was in Floyd cemetery at Sioux City."
