- Article in the Commemorative Biographical Record
John Coenen, for over forty-five years and esteemed resident of De Pere township, Brown Count y and vicinity, where he ranks among the prosperous self-made agriculturists, is a native o f Holland , Born 10-28-1834. He is a son of Theodore Coenen, a farmer of that country, who had a family of nine childre n -- seven sons and two daughters of whom John was the third son and fourth child in the or der of birth. About 1848, seeing that hi s children could have better opportunities in the U nited States, Theodore Coenen sold his little property and sailed with his family from Rotter dam in a vessel bound for Philadelphia. They landed in that city after a voyage of Forty-eig ht day s, and then, their destination being Brown County, Wis. proceeded at once by rail to Al bany N.Y. thence via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and from there by the old steamer "Michigan " to Green Bay, Wis. where they landed early in June, 1848. Th e family was one of ten who m ade their home in a house in Shantytown, where, one week after their arrival Mr. Coenen secur ed work. For a short time they lived in De Pee, then but a small village, and next moved acr oss the river to a place alon g the Ashwaubenon pike, where they farmed for three years. The y then purchased forty acres in De Pere Township (where our subject now lives, which at tha t time was government land and claimed by an individual), paying the claimant one hundre d an d fifty dollars for his title and ten shillings and acre to the government. Twelve acres of t his tract had been "lumbered over," but remainder was yet in its primitive state, the only im provement thereon being a small three-roomed log house , where they lived for a time. Work wa s immediately begun on the farm, but money was scarce, and as the boys became old enough, the y worked for neighboring farmers, their wages usually being fifty cents a day. Mr. Coenen di ed on his far m in 1864, and was buried in Allouez township; his wife survived him until Octob er 23, 1885, when she passed away at the advanced age of eighty-six years, and was buried i n the Catholic cemetery at De Pere. After the father's death the sons con tinued to live on t he farm, working it together. The mother also had her residence there, living with he son Jo hn, at whose home she died. John Coenen attended the schooled of his native country, where he received all his education . When four teen years old he came with his parents to the United States, and here he was soo n put to work, assisting on the farm. The land was new, and during his boyhood he became tho roughly familiar with all the details and hardships incident to pionee r farm life in the open ing of a new country. On August 24, 1863, John Coenen was married in Little Chute, Wis. t o Miss Gertrude Reynen, who is also a native of Holland, Born September 25, 1840, daughter o f John Reynen; she came with her fathe r to the United States when she was ten years old, an d with the exception of a six-month residence in Green Bay, made her home in Little Chute, Wi s. until her marriage. Immediately after their marriage the young couple took up their ho m e on a farm with his parents and after the death of his father, and working for a while in pa rtnership with his brothers, John paid off the other heirs and became the owner of the homest ead. The place then comprised forty aces to which he ha s added from time to time, until he n ow owns 200 acres in De Pere and Rockland townships, all of which is the result of years of u ntiring industry and toil. He has been a hard worker from boyhood, and from a start of nothi ng has accumulate d a comfortable property, and placed himself in an enviable position among t he well-to-do farmers of his township. He has never speculated and his success shows what i t is possible for a man to accomplish by perseverance and honesty and determi nation to win . His children have been of great assistance to him, sons faithfully remaining on the home p lace and taking their share of the farm work. The farm is equipped with substantial outbuild ings, all erected by Mr.. Coenen, and in 188 3 he built a comfortable brick residence. Our sub ject has in his days, seen the entire surrounding country transformed from the sense forest t o beautiful, well-cultivated farms, and he himself has taken no small part in this importan t work . To Mr. and Mrs. Coenen were born children as follows; Theodore, a farmer of Wrightstown towns hip; Anton, assisting in the work on the home farm; Annie, Mrs. Henry Verhagen, of Freedom to wnship, Outagamie county; Martina, Mrs. Arnold Smith, als o of Freedom township; John, William , Henry and Mary, all living at home; and Hattie and another child died in infancy. The enti re family are members of St. Mary's Catholic Church, De Pere. In politics Mr. Coenen is a De mocrat, but no activ e party worker.
John was 14 when he came with his parents and the Vandehey's to America in 1848. His younge r brother married Hattie Vandehey, the younger sister of Peter Vandehey.
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1834 - 1916 (81 years)
Has 4 ancestors and more than 100 descendants in this family tree.
Immigration
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Coenen, Anna
