s/o Claus Jacob Claussen and Antje Katharina (Carstens) Claussen, both born in Schleswig-Holstein Germany, both buried in Ainsworth Cemetery, Ainsworth NE.

Witnesses to Herman's christening on November 13, 1864 were: Claus Friedrich Karstens, Jacob Claussen, and Diedrich Karstens. Herman and all siblings were christened at the Lutheran Church in Marne.

Herman immigrated from Schleswig-Holstein Germany to the USA in June 1881 when he was only 16 years old with his brother Detlef, Detlaf's wife, and Herman's sister, Margaret. His brother Pete had sent him money to come to America with, but he only had $.50 left in his pocket when he landed in Nebraska. His parents and other siblings followed later.

Passenger's Name: Herman Claussen
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Occupation: Laborer
Last Residence: Germany
Date of Arrival: Jun. 20, 1881
Final Destination: USA
Ship's Name: City Of Montreal
Manifest ID Number: 60548
Port of Embarkation: Liverpool

FROM CASTLE GARDEN
Name First-Last Occup. Age Sex Arrived Origin Ship
Herman Claussen Laborer 17 M 20 Jun 1881 Germany City Of Montreal

Herman met Eliza when she was 16 and selling homemade bread to the railroad workers at Princeton, Nebraska (Lancaster County). Among the workers was Herman Claussen. They were married by Minister Stockfelt, with witnesses Christian Phillips and Anna Marie Claussen.

Herman farmed a homestead in Ainsworth NE (Brown County). They bought 80 acres for $10 per acre and 40 acres of timber land. They lived in a sod house and it was there that the had their first child, Emma Claussen. They moved to Cass County IA in September 1895 by covered wagon and crossed the Missouri River by ferry. Wilhelm Christian Claussen was born in the covered wagon during this trip. Herman arrived in IA with $5.00, 5 kids and a mortgage of $150.00 on his wagon and horses. They were blessed with 7 more children, the last two being twin boys, Albert & Rudy.

1920 census - Franklin Township, Cass Co, IA
Herman Claussen,55,immig 1881,naturalized 1896,reads & writes
Lizzie, age 55, immig 1872, not naturalized
Carl, age 19
Olinda, age 14
Albert, age 13
Rudolph, age 13
(note children George, William, & Amelia are living on one side, Otto & family are on the other side).

They lived on a farm south of Wiota IA, Cass County. His wife, Lizzie, died January 2, 1929. Their granddaughter, Evelyn Baier King, recalled how they had to cut the fence wires to take her body to town on a sled over deep snow.

Herman married again on December 26, 1936 to Sarah Frances Carl Taylor, a widow in Atlantic IA. Herman cared for her for her last 2.5 years after she suffered a stroke.

He was a tall man and smoked a pipe. His grandchildren remember getting their first puff on a pipe from Grandpa.