- AUGUST JAHNKE, who is now living retired in Seymour, Wisconsin, was for forty years prior to 1911 engaged in agricultural pursuits in Kewaunee and Outagamie counties. His birth occurred April 20, 1851, in Pommern, Germany, and he is a son of August and Mary (Rush) Jahnke, who were born and married in the Fatherland and came to the United States in 1867, bringing with them their four children: Fred, Albertine, August and William. Mr. Jahnke's father settled in Kewaunee county, Wisconsin, on eighty acres of land in the woods, where he built a log cabin and log barn, and later replaced these with good, substantial frame buildings. Selling this property in 1880, he moved close to the shores of Lake Michigan, where he bought 160 acres of land, erected a modern house and other buildings, and continued to carry on agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death, in 1889, when he had reached the age of eighty years. Mrs. Jahnke passed away when seventy-nine years of age, in 1887. August Jahnke, Sr., was much interested in the cause of education and it was in the first log schoolhouse of this section, erected by him and for which his sons helped haul the logs, that August Jahnke of this sketch was educated, but this primitive scoolhouse had since been replaced by a fine brick building. He remained at home, working on the farm, until he had attained the age of twenty-four years, at which time he began working on his own account, farming during the summer months and working on the drives during the winters, and spring being thus occupied for seven years. He then purchased 160 acres of wild land in Kewaunee county, on which was situated a log shanty and barn, but after he had improved and cultivated the property he built a large brick residence, and here he lived and followed general farming from 1873 to 1903, in which latter year he removed to Cicero township, Outagamie county and purchased an improved farm of 240 acres. Mr. Jahnke continued to carry on agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1911, when he retired from active pursuits and located in Seymour, where he has since resided. On November 15, 1874, Mr. Jahnke was married to Miss Anstena Quad, who was born in Germany, January 6, 1856, daughter of Fred and Fredericka (Provgnou) Quad, natives of Germany who came to the United States in 1850, bringing their three children, William, Caroline and Anstena. Another child, Augusta, had died in Germany, and after coming to this country they had five children, namely: Herman, Frank and August, deceased, and twins who died in infancy. Fred Quad was an early settler of Kewaunee county, where he first located on forty acres of wild land, but before his death he was the owner of 200 acres of some of the finest land in the county. He died in the fine residence he had built to replace the original log structure, in 1890, aged sixty-eight years, while his widow survived until 1906, being eighty-three years old at the time of her death. Mr. and Mrs. Jahnke have had ten children, of whom four are living, namely: Bertha, born December 25, 1880, was married in 1899 to William Pautz and they live in Manitowoc county; Matilda, born January 1, 1882, was married to Henry Pautz and also lives in Manitowoc county; Albert, born October 11; 1888, married Irene Ehde and lives on the Jahnke homestead in Cicero township; and August, born August 24, 1891, is living at home with his father. The children who are deceased were: Amelia, Hulda, John, Edward, Anna and an infant. In his political views Mr. Jahnke is a Republican, and while in Kewaunee county he served as chairman of the town board for two years, school clerk twelve years, and treasurer of the township of Montpelier one year. He was formerly secretary of the Kewaunee Fire Insurance Company, and is now a stockholder in the Seymour State Bank. Since March, 1911, he has conducted a garage in Seymour and also has three automobiles for livery purposes.
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1851 - 1929 (78 years)
1870 Census
