Part 5: Ireton Cemetery Walk - Johanna (Haage) Marienau

This is the fifth part of the Ireton (Iowa) Cemetery Walk on June 6, 2009. Due to rain, the historical portrayals were moved to the Ireton Community Center. In this part, Ruth Holtkamp plays her grandmother, Johanna (Haage) Marienau.

Johanna Haage was born in Germany in 1863. She came to Plymouth County in spring, 1884 joining 2 sisters and a half-brother. Fred Marienau, born in Missouri in 1865, moved to Litchfield, Illinois while still a child. After his father's death in 1881, he moved to Plymouth County with his mother and siblings. Fred and Johanna were married in 1885 and moved to Ireton where Fred worked in a mercantile for 3 years. He then opened his own general store which he operated for 48 years.

Fred was very active in business and civic affairs. He served as Ireton's fire chief for more than 30 years, was on the Town Council for 20 years and served a term as mayor. Fred and Johanna were founding members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church where services were conducted in German until World War I. Johanna enjoyed socializing and visiting with her German friends in their native tongue.

Category:

Education

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• Ireton
• Iowa
• Reading
• Township
• Sioux
• County
• pioneers
• history
• cemetery
• walk
• Johanna
• Haage
• Fred
• Marienau