Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 724 - 725

AUGUST GRANTZ, a native of the now Prussian Province of Holstein, was born Jan. 16, 1840, when this grand division belonged to Denmark, and consequently considers himself a Dane. He left his native country in his youth, and coming to the "land of great possibilities," has realized the promises which it has always held out to the hand of industry, and is now one of the well-to-do farmer citizens of Park Township. His property lies on section 7, and embraces land which he has brought to a good state of cultivation, and upon which he has erected a good set of frame buildings. By the men of his county Mr. Grant is ranked as a skillful farmer and a praiseworthy citizen, and is creditably filling his niche in the building up and the progress of Park Township.

             Our subject was born Jan. 16, 1840, and is the son of August and Helena Grantz, the mother now a resident of Moline, Ill., and the father deceased. The parents of our subject emigrated to America when August was in the eleventh year of his age, locating first in Davenport, Iowa, thence removing to LeClaire, in the same State, and from there to Moline, Ill., where the boy remained with his mother until reaching his majority. He was early in life taught those habits of industry and self-reliance which have contributed so largely to his later success. The father died the year after coming to this country, and our subject when thirteen years old began learning the butcher's trade, which he followed, with the exception of the time spent in the army, until coming to this State.

             Mr. Grantz, in September, 1861, enlisted as a Union soldier in Company E, 2d Iowa Cavalry, in which he served out his time, and re-enlisted in the fall of 1863 with the same regiment as a Commissary Sergeant, which position he held until the close of the war. He was in the field during the progress of some of its most important battles, was at Iuka, Corinth and Nashville, and with his comrades met the enemy in various other minor engagements and skirmishes. He received his honorable discharge in September, 1865, and returning to his old haunts in Rock Island County, Ill., was married on the 20th of November following to Miss Charlotte Wandschneider, a native of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg, and born Oct. 21, 1842.

             Mrs. Grantz is the daughter of Ferdinand and Sophia Wandschneider, the latter of whom died when her daughter Charlotte was an infant. In 1850, when eight years of age, she came with her father and other members of the family to the United States. They made their way directly to Davenport, Iowa, where they resided about six years, thence removed to LeClaire, that State, and finally to Rock Island County, Ill. In the latter county Mrs. G. was reared to womanhood, receiving a limited education, and assisting in all needful household duties. She continued with her father until her marriage, the wedding ceremony being performed under the home roof.

             The children of our subject and his wife, four in number, were born as follows: Helena, Oct. 16, 1866; Ida L., Aug. 8, 1868; Mary, Jan. 7, 1871, and Hugo A., Oct. 16, 1881. Mr. Grantz came to this county with his family in 1875, first locating in Wichita, where he conducted a meat-market. With genuine German industry and prudence, he has amassed a good property, being now the owner of 320 acres of fertile land, from which, by the assistance of his estimable and devoted wife, he has built up a homestead second to none in this section of country.

             Mr. and Mrs. G. are members in good standing of the Lutheran Church, and number their friends by the score in the land of their adoption. Our subject, as an old soldier, belongs to the G. A. R. at Clearwater, in this State, and uniformly votes the Democratic ticket. He may be properly classed among the self-made men of Southern Kansas, who, by the exercise of their own industry and perseverance, have not only gained for themselves a home and a competence, but have materially assisted in the progress and development of the country around them.

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