General Notes

Notes for KLAAS C KRUGER:
K.C. Kruger, who successfully carries on farming on section 24, Colfax Township, is one of the worthy German citizens of Grundy County.  He was born in Ostfriesland, Hanover, June 9, 1842, and is a son of Christian and Neone (Soorholz) Kruger.  The father was a farmer by occupation.  In 1854, accompanied by his family, he crossed the Atlantic to America, and took up his residence in Stephenson County, Illinois.  But he was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, for his death occurred in 1856.  His wife survived him only until 1861. 

Our subject was a youth of twelve years when he came to the New World.  After his father's death he cared for his mother and her children.  September 2, 1861, he manifested his loyalty to his adopted country by entering her service for three years as a member of the Forty-sixth Illinois Infantry.  He served for three years and six months, being mustered out February 2,1864.  In July of the same year he re-enlisted as a carpenter, and continued with the boys in blue until honorably discharged April 3, 1865.  He participated in the battles of Ft. Henry, Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth and the siege of Vicksburg.  From Vicksburg he was sent, as a guard of the rebel prisoners, to Cairo, Illinois, and subsequently went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he was discharged on account of physical disability arising from typhus fever contracted while at Shiloh.

After the war Mr. Kruger resumed farming in Stephenson County, Illinois, where he continued his labors until 1870.  He was married May 25, 1866, to Miss Berendina Gronhagen.  Unto then have been nine children born, eight of who are yet living, namely: Rev Harm T., a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, in Butler County, Iowa; Christian, Henry, Nannie, Klass B., Gertie, Barney and Albert.

The year 1870 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Kruger and his family in Grundy County, Iowa.  They located upon a tract of wild prairie land, which he has since transformed into his present fine farm; in fact, he has made all of the improvements upon the place, and its buildings stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise.  The farm is two hundred and forty acres in extent, and the entire area is under a high state of cultivation.  The home, a comfortable and commodious frame residence, was erected in 1878.  In its rear there are food barns and outbuildings, and there in turn are surrounded by well tilled fields,  In connection with the cultivation of his land Mr. Kruger carries on stock-raising, and for the pas twelve years has made a specialty of Chester-White hogs.

Mr. Kruger has led a busy life, largely devoted to his business interests, yet he has found time to serve his fellow-townsmen in official positions.  For seven years, he was Justice of the Peace, for four years was Township Clerk, six years served as Township Assessor, and for two years was Constable.  He has several times been a delegate to the Democratic State Conventions, and has twice been a member of the County Democratic Central Committee.  The prompt and able manner in which he discharges his public duties has won him the high commendation of all concerned.  He and his family are all faithful members of the Presbyterian Church of Holland, and for twenty-two years he has been Clerk of the Board of Trustees.  An honorable, upright life well entitles him to representation in the volume.

Taken from Portraits and Biographical Records of Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, Iowa, 1894.