Individual Details

Wessel Berends Hanken

(9 Oct 1834 - 6 Nov 1906)

Wessely and Margaret (Hyen) Hanken, were natives of Germany and it was there that they were married. Not long afterward, in 1854, they decided to try their fortunes in the new world and upon their arrival went west to Dixon, Illinois, where they tarried for a short time only. The opportunities of Jones county, Iowa, having been brought favorably to their notice, they concluded to investigate it for themselves, making the journey by team as the meager railway facilities of that day necessitated. With them came William Hanken's grandfather and three of his uncles, thus constituting quite a little company of kindred adventurers. The grandfather and two of the sons bought eighty acres of land apiece, the three tracts all adjoining. Upon the farm they found a log house, built by the former owner, and here they lived for some years. To add to the difficulties of living, all the supplies had to be bought at Dubuque and hauled home. The grandfather, whose name was Nanna Hanken, here spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy-five. The father met with prosperity and at the time of his death, October 6, 1906, he was the possessor of a large farm, three hundred and eighty acres in extent. In his family were seven children, namely: Margaret, the wife of J. H. Eden; B. H., a resident, of Langworthy, Iowa; Dan, of Aurelia, Iowa; Gerhard, of Scotch Grove township, Jones county; John B., of Colorado; and Fred, of Langworthy, Iowa.






Events

Birth9 Oct 1834Germany, Ostfriesland, Wiesede
Marriage11 Apr 1858Germany, Ostfriesland, Reepsholt - Margaretha Mary Catharina Heyen
Census (family)12 Jul 1860Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Margaretha Mary Catharina Heyen
Census (family)21 Aug 1870Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Margaretha Mary Catharina Heyen
Census (family)1880Jones, Iowa, United States - Margaretha Mary Catharina Heyen
Census (family)1885Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States - Margaretha Mary Catharina Heyen
Census1895Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States
Census7 Jun 1900Lovell Township, Jones, Iowa, United States
Death6 Nov 1906Jones, Iowa, United States
Burial9 Nov 1906Wayne Township, Jones, Iowa, United States
Occupationinnkeeper (Gastwirt)

Families

SpouseMargaretha Mary Catharina Heyen (1834 - 1894)
ChildTaalke Margaret Hanken (1859 - 1922)
ChildBehrend Heinrich "Henry" Hanken (1860 - 1924)
ChildNannie Arend "Dan" Hanken (1862 - )
ChildGerhard Henry "Gerd" Hanken (1864 - 1935)
ChildJohann Behrend "John" Hanken (1866 - 1938)
ChildWilhelm Hermann "William" Hanken (1868 - 1933)
ChildFreidrich Arnold "Fred" Hanken (1876 - 1964)
FatherNanne Arends Hanken (1807 - 1886)
MotherTalka Margaretha Ocken (1803 - 1883)
SiblingArend Heinrich "Henry" Hanken (1831 - 1901)
SiblingJohann Berends Hanken (1840 - 1865)

Notes

Census (family)

11, 943, N. Hanken, 52 Male Farmer, 3500, 930, Hanover
Talka Hanken, 60, F, Hanover
Henry Hanken, 30, M, Farmer, Hanover
Wesel Hanken, 24, M, Farmer, Hanover
John Hanken, 19, M, Farmer, Hanover
Ocke Barands, 62 Male, Farmer, Hanover
912, 944, Johana Hanken, 23 female, - , 100, Hanover
Talka Hanken, 2 F, Illinois
Almario Hanken 1 F, Illinois
Hanken, 1/12, F, Iowa
Talka Hanken, 25 F, Hanover
Margaret Hanken 1 F, Iowa

Census (family)

9, 9, Hanken, A. H. (brother)
10, 10 Hunken, Nanna, 63, MW, Farmer, 3000, 200, Hanover
Talke, 67, FW, Keeping house, Hanover
11, 11 Hunken, Wesel, 33, MW, Farmer, 4000, 1500, Hanover
Margaret, 33, FW, Keeping house, Hanover
Henry, 9, MW, Iowa
Nanna, 8, MW, Iowa
Gerd, 6, MW, Iowa
John, 4, MW, Iowa
Willie, 2, MW, Iowa
Margaret, 12, FW, Iowa

Census (family)

Wessl B. HANKIN Self M Male W 45 HANOVER Farmer HANOVER HANOVER
Margretta HANKIN Wife M Female W 46 HANOVER Keeps House HANOVER HANOVER
Margretta HANKIN Dau S Female W 21 IA At Home HANOVER HANOVER
Henry B. HANKIN Son S Male W 19 IA At Home HANOVER HANOVER
Nansie HANKIN Son S Male W 17 IA At Home HANOVER HANOVER
Garret HANKINS Son S Male W 16 IA At Home HANOVER HANOVER
Jno. B. HANKIN Son S Male W 14 IA At Home HANOVER HANOVER
William HANKIN Son S Male W 12 IA At Home HANOVER HANOVER
Fred HANKIN Son S Male W 3 IA HANOVER HANOVER

Census (family)

29 75 76 Hanken Wesley B. 86 3 26 NE SE 50 M M Farmer Germany F F Voter 30 Hanken Margaret C. 50 F M Keeping House Germany F F
31 Hanken Margaret C. 23 F S House Keeper Jones Co., IA F F
1 Hanken Henry B. 22 M S Farmer Jones Co., IA F F Militia, Voter
2 Hanken Gerhart 19 M S Farmer Jones Co., IA F F Militia
3 Hanken John 17 M S Farmer Jones Co., IA F F
4 Hanken William H. 16 M S Jones Co., IA F F
5 Hanken Frederick 7 M Jones Co., IA F F
6 Hanken1 Namce ? 77 M W Germany F F Voter

Census

22 93 93 Hanken Wessel 60 M W Germany F F Farmer Lutheran
23 Hanken Willie 26 M S Iowa Jones F F " "
24 Hanken Fred 18 M S " " " " "
25 Zimmerman Nettie 19 F S " F F "
26 Hanken Margaret 59 F S Switzerland F F "

above separated only by the Shover family are these Hanken's.
6 91 91 Hanken Henry 62 M W Germany F F Farmer Lutheran
7 Hanken Henry 29 M W Iowa Jones F F " "
8 Hanken Nannie 21 M S " " " " "
9 Hanken Herman 19 M S " " " " "
10 Hanken Lena 22 F S " " " "
11 Hanken Johanna 16 F S " " " "
12 Hanken Carl 3 M S " N N "

Census

46, 47 Hanken, WB Head WM, Oct 1834, 65, Wd., M 40 yrs, Germany X3, 1858 42 Na, Farmer, Own free farm.
Wm. H. Son, WM, Mar 1868, 32, M 3 yrs, IA, Germ, Germ, Farm labor
Augusta, D-in-law, WF, Mar 1870, 30, M- 3, 2 child born & living, IA, Germ, Germ
Hannah, G-daughter, WF, Apr 1898, 2, S, IA, IA, IA
Wesley, G-son, WM, Aug 1899, 4/12, S, IA, IA, IA
Fred, Son, WM, Aug 1876, 23, Single, IA, Germ, Germ, Farm labor
Stadmueller, Hannah, Servant, WF, May 1876, 34, Single, IA, Germ, Germ, Servant
Berringer, Thos, Boarder, WM, Nov 1880, 19, Single, IA, IA, England, Farm labor

Death

Wessel B. Hanken
9 October 1834—6 November 1906
Mr. Wessel B. Hanken, an old and respected citizen of Lovell township, died at his home east of Monticello, last Tuesday evening the 6th, at 8 o'clock. Mr. Hanken had been in failing both physically and mentally for a year, but did not take to his bed until the Saturday before his death. He lapsed into a profound sleep and quietly passed into the great unknown, with out a tremor or a struggle. The funeral services will be held at St. Johns Lutheran Church at 11 o'clock Friday morning. The funeral discourse will be delivered by Rev. Wm. Schuetz. Mr. Hanken had been an important factor in the development of Jones county. He belonged to the pioneer band of those industrious Germans, who made the farms of this locality rich and productive. When he came here 48 years ago, the Eilers and the Matthiessens were the only German families living in this neighborhood. Mr. Hanken was not only a splendid, good farmer, but a fine financial manager as well. He helped all of his children to good Jones County farms, and left a comfortable estate in addition. He was honest to a fault, and his word was never questioned by those he did business. He was even-tempered and conservative, and in all respects a man who never failed in the respect of his neighbors.
The deceased was born in Wiesede, Hanover, Germany, October 9, 1834, and was married in April, on the 11th day, 1858, to Miss Margaret C. Heyen. In the fall of the same year, they came to Monticello, when it was a hamlet, and commenced the active and thifty life that brought them prosperity and contentment. On the 12 of February, 1894, Mrs. Hanken died. The deceased is survived by seven children, viz: Mrs.John H. Eden of Lovell Township; Henry Hanken of Langworthy; Nanne Hanken of Cherokee; Gerhard H. Hanken of Scotch Grove; John B. Hanken of Madison Township; William H. Hanken of Lovell Township; and Fred A. Hanken of Langworthy.
Submitted by: Steve Hanken.

Endnotes

1. Biography of William H. Hanken. From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 366. (IA GenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/bio/hankenwh.htm c2000).

2. 1895 Iowa State Census. Castle Grove Township PAGES 44-67 + 931 Monticello Township PAGES 463-490 Monticello City PAGES 494-515, PAGES 516-537 Scotch Grove PAGES 753-776 (transcribed by Joanne Wilken http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/census/census.htm 2002).

3. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1900 census.

4. Janssen, Ludwig, Erhard Schlte and Hans Rudolph Manger, compiler, Die Familien der Kirchengemeinde Reepsholt (Aurich: Ostfriesische Landschaft, 1982), p 466 #2460.

5. Biography of William H. Hanken. From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 366. (IA GenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/bio/hankenwh.htm c2000).

6. Hanken, Steve, "Iowa, Jones Co., genealogy" e-mail messages from () to Nancy Prouty, 2004-2008.

7. Janssen, Ludwig, Erhard Schlte and Hans Rudolph Manger, compiler, Die Familien der Kirchengemeinde Reepsholt (Aurich: Ostfriesische Landschaft, 1982), p 466 #2460.

8. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1860 > IOWA > JONES > MONTICELLO TWP Series: M653 Roll: 328 Page: 686 .

9. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1870 > Iowa > JONES > MONTICELLO TWP Series: M593 Roll: 401 Page: 127 .

10. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints., Transcription of the United States Federal Population Census - 1880 (http://www.familysearch.org/ Oct. 2002), p 302A.

11. 1885 State Census, Iowa, Jones Co. Ln=Line Number Dw=Dwelling number Fm=Family number Tw=Township Rn=Range Se=Section Loc=Location M=Marital status Fa=Father (Native/Foreign) Mo=Mother (Native/Foreign) (transcribed by Don Thomson for Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/census/85castle.htm 2002).

12. 1895 Iowa State Census. Castle Grove Township PAGES 44-67 + 931 Monticello Township PAGES 463-490 Monticello City PAGES 494-515, PAGES 516-537 Scotch Grove PAGES 753-776 (transcribed by Joanne Wilken http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/census/census.htm 2002).

13. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1900 > Iowa > JONES > LOVELL TWP Series: T623 Roll: 440 Page: 110.

14. Biography of William H. Hanken. From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 366. (IA GenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajones/bio/hankenwh.htm c2000).

15. St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Sand Hill/Monticello , Jones Co., Iowa GenWeb online [http://iowajones.org/churches/LuthStJohns.htm], accessed 2002 -2008.

16. Janssen, Ludwig, Erhard Schlte and Hans Rudolph Manger, compiler, Die Familien der Kirchengemeinde Reepsholt (Aurich: Ostfriesische Landschaft, 1982), p 466 #2456.