1871 RIESE

In 1863: Martin and his family filed immigration papers, in Cottbus, Brandendurg, with the declared destination of “North America.”  They went to PEMBROKE, ONTARIO, CANADA, at the ages listed below. They possibly traveled with the SCHIEMENZ family of DRACHHAUSEN, who also immigrated to CANADA, that year.

 

1)          Martin RIESE, Sr. age 29, farmer, of Drachhausen

2)          Wife:  Anna SCHMELLICK  Riese, age 34 & children:

3)          Martin RIESE, Jr., 8, died in 1880, engaged at the time

4)          Marie RIESE, 6, marries Martin MEHLISCH Sr., he immigrates in 1881

5)          Christian RIESE, born on the ship, or upon arrival in CANADA, marries Wilhelmine ”Minnie” Shaper

6)          Maria BARTELL (AKA RIESE) 55, mother of Martin RIESE

 

Five years later, Martin and Anna had twins, while still in PEMBROKE, CANADA:

 

7)          Anna RIESE, b. 1868, who marries Martin MAHLOW Jr., he immigrates in 1884

8)          Matthew RIESE, b. 1868, does not marry

 

In the same year the twins were born, John SCHMELLICK (the brother of Anna Schmellick RIESE)  and his wife, Mary (GOSCHMANN) Schmellick and their son Christian; came to visit the RIESE family in CANADA; but they stay only a short time, before immigrating to STATE CENTER, IOWA, USA.

 

In April, 1871, the RIESE’S are counted in Canadian Census; but followed Anna’s brother, John SCHMELLICK,  apparently immigrating to the USA, within days of the census count.

 

They had been in CANADA for 8 years. Martin RIESE’S mother, Maria BARTELL may have died in CANADA as she does not seem to have come to IOWA.

 

Martin RIESE and Anna SCHMELLICK purchased a 240 acre property in MINERVA TOWNSHIP, MARSHALL CO, IA, on 8 June, 1871.  It was located 1 mile west and 1 ½ miles south of ST ANTHONY, IOWA.  It had first been sold by the federal government in April of 1855, and had changed hands 7 times, before RIESE purchased it. The legal description was:

 

The SE ¼ of the SE ¼ of section 7, (Minerva) Township 84 North, Range 21 West of the 5^th P.M.

AND

The W ½ of the SW ¼ of section 8, (Minerva) Township 84 North, Range 20 West of the 5^th P.M.

 

 

RIESE was following his brother-in-law, Johann SCHMELLICK, who was married to Marie GOSCHMANN, their young son, Christian SCHMELLICK, and RIESE’S friend August WOITOW; all of had been from DRACHHAUSEN and immigrated to PEMBROKE, ONTARIO, CANADA first, before going on to IOWA, in 1868 and 1869, after the end of the Civil War in the USA.

 

Martin RIESE became a US citizen in 1882.

 

On June 14, 1913, Martin RIESE leased this land to Fred HANNUSCH, for 5 years for $1080.  Martin RIESE would have been 80 years old at this time, so he was likely retiring. The lease was renewed to Fred HANNUSCH on March 26, 1919. On the 25 January 1922, Martin RIESE Sr. died at 89 years of age. This property remained in the RIESE family until it was sold August 3, 1942 to George B. Mager, who is presumed to be the grandchild of the original purchaser of property from the US government in 1855.

 

The lessee, Fred HANNUSCH was 21 when he immigrated with his family in 1893. He was oldest son of immigrant George HANNUSCH, of DRACHHAUSEN. Fred had married 2^nd generation, ½ Wendish, Anna KOCH in 1900, and they had 4 children who moved on the RIESE farm. The RIESE farm adjoined the original Martin MUSCHICK Sr. farm (Anna’s grandparents), sitting just south of it, and now owned by her uncle Martin MUSCHICK JR. It sat 1/2 mile south of her parent’s home, owned by the widow Caroline MUSCHICK KOCH, which was being farmed by Anna’s baby brother, Albert KOCH. It was thus, an ideal location for all the families concerned.

 

It is believed that Martin REISE returned to DRACHHAUSEN many times to bring back people who worked for him for one year and then were free to do as they pleased. In trade, Martin paid their passage to the USA. Ship records identify him re-entering the country in 1906, 1907, and 1913, accompanied by other Wends.  Martin MEHLISCH, Sr., who later married the “boss’s” daughter, Marie RIESE, 2 Nov 1882, was an immigrant who worked for RIESE.

 

Another immigrant from DRACHHAUSEN, Martin MAHLOW JR., traveled first through Canada, but went to the RIESE farm to work for Martin RIESE and then marry his youngest daughter, Anna RIESE, 18 August, 1887.                                                                 

 

On  June 6, 1879, Martin Riese, Sr.’s oldest son, Martin RIESE, Jr. bought the 160 acre farm, located in SHERMAN TOWNSHIP, STORY COUNTY,  known as:

 

The NE ¼ of section 26, in (Sherman) Township 84, Range 21 West of the 5the P.M.

 

This property was sold by the US government, for the first time in 1855 and had changed hands 6 times before Martin RIESE Jr. purchased it. Disaster struck less than two years later. Martin RIESE Jr., was 25 and engaged, when on March 27, 1881, he died of “Lung Fever,” commonly known today as pneumonia. Penicillin, which has since brought this killer under some control, was not available to the public until after World War II.

 

The heirs to the new farm were his parents, who inherited via an affidavit filed 3 months after of young Martin RIESE’S death on June 27, 1881.  On September 17, 1891, Martin RIESE Sr. and his wife “Annie” SCHMELLICK deeded the farm to their second oldest son, Christian RIESE, who was married to Wilhelmine, or “Minnie,” SCHAPER, and had 5 children by this time. It has been speculated by family descendents, but never proved, that Minnie had been previously engaged to Martin RIESE Jr.

 

This farm has stayed in the RIESE family, being passed to Christian’s youngest son and wife, Arthur and Lois Riese,  May 8 1937 and passed on to their three children, in 1969, prior to his death. The daughter Evelyn RIESE LUTZ and Helen RIESE BUNGE sold their portion to their brother, Arthur H. RIESE Jr. and his wife Ellen M. ALLIE RIESE.

 

Christan RIESE owned a variety of farms on the same stretch of road, including 120 acre farm, ¼ of a mile east, in the north ½ of section 25, and 160 acres in the west ½ of section 14, about 1 mile north; both farms were irregular in shape.  His land holding totaled at least 480 acres at one time. His wife, Minnie RIESE, owned 80 acres, also in NE ¼ of section 25, making their joint total 560 acres. This was a huge amount of land and may account for the number of people he brought over from DRACHHAUSEN (the need for man power) and why he leased his most northeast property, in Minerva Township, Marshall County to the HANNUSCH family (allowing him the convenience of staying closer to the largest grouping of his properties.)

 

There is no evidence that bachelor Matthew RIESE, known as “Pat,” a twin and youngest son of Martin RIESE Sr., ever owned property.

 

The name RIESE is spelled with many variations in Story County records, including: RIESE, REES and REESE.

 

(Revised May 17, 2008)