Individual Details
John Christoph Balster
(2 Dec 1869 - 23 Apr 1914)
J. C. Balster is one of the representative farmers of Scotch Grove township, his home place comprising one hundred and sixty acres, which is the old family homestead. He was born on this farm December 2, 1869, a son of Arend and Mary (Jacobs) Balster, who were natives of Hanover, Germany, whence they emigrated to the new world in 1854. After arriving in the new world they made their way to Michigan, where they lived for thirteen years, and in July, 1867, removed to Jones county and located on the farm on which our subject now makes his home. The father is a shipbuilder by trade and throughout much of his life has engaged in that work. Unto him and his wife were born five children, namely: George H., deceased; Mary, the wife of Johnson Poppey, of Jones county; Anna, who has also departed this life; Louise, the wife of Fred Plueger, of Jones county; and J. C. of this review. The mother passed away in 1895, but the father is still living and makes his home on the farm with his son J. C. He is highly respected in the community and has ever taken a deep interest in his adopted country and in this section of the state where he has so long made his home.
J. C. Balster, the immediate subject of this review, was educated in the common schools near his father's home and he assisted in the work of the farm during the periods of vacation. In early life he learned the blacksmith's trade and followed that pursuit for several years. He is now giving his attention to farming, making a specialty of stock raising, feeding horses, cattle and hogs, For the past sixteen years he has operated a threshing machine and in this connection has become widely known in various sections of the county. In all branches of his business he is meeting with success and is numbered among Jones county's most representative citizens.
Mr. Balster was married in January, 1892, to Miss Gecena Heyen, who was born in Germany and accompanied a brother to the new world in 1888. The family numbers three sons and four daughters, Arend, Mary, Anna, Robert, Louisa, Louis and Johanna. The parents are members of the Lutheran church, in the work of which they take an active part. Having spent his entire life in Jones county, Mr. Balster is not unknown to many of our readers and his worth as a citizen is widely acknowledged.
From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 517.
Ramona (Heiken) Mayer remembers that her Grandfather Chris sold cars which arrived in separate parts and were assembled in the building immediately north of the George Plueger farmstead. Her dad said that George Moenk helped assemble them. She has two pictures of the Balster family seated in these cars.
Events
Families
Spouse | Gesine Hinrika Heyen (1863 - 1954) |
Child | Arend Balster (1894 - 1976) |
Child | Mary Katherine Balster (1895 - 1964) |
Child | Anna Margaret Balster (1897 - 1936) |
Child | Robert Heike Balster (1900 - 1983) |
Child | Louise Gesina Balster (1902 - 1940) |
Child | Ludwig (Louis) Christopher Balster (1904 - 1920) |
Child | Johanna Helen Balster (1907 - 1937) |
Father | Arend Balster (1834 - 1922) |
Mother | Gesche Marie Jacobs (1830 - 1895) |
Sibling | George Henry Balster (1855 - 1908) |
Sibling | Etta Marie "Mary" Balster (1858 - 1937) |
Sibling | Helen Louise Balster (1863 - 1938) |
Sibling | Mary Balster (1866 - ) |
Sibling | Anna Margaret Balster (1861 - 1891) |
Notes
Marriage
Heyen Gesine Henrike Balster John Christopher 08 Jan 1893 Jones Co 3248 120 Scotch GroveHeyen Gesine Henrike
parents: Heyne Heike Wemers W Maria
Balster John Christopher
parents: Balsder Arend and Jacobs G Marie
Census
Christopher and Zena living with his parents.28 139 139 Arend Balster 62 M M Germany F F mechanic Lutherian
29 Mary Balster 65 F M " F F keeping house "
30 Christ Balster 26 M M Jones Iowa F F farmer "
31 Zena Balster 28 F M Germany F F keeping house "
Page #775
Ln Dw Fm Given Name Surname Age Sex M Birthplace Fa Mo Occupation Religion Other
1 Arend Balster 0 M Jones Iowa N F
2 Gerd Harms 20 M Germany F F laborer Lutherian
Census
104, 105 Balster, Chris Head, WM, Dec 1869, 30, Married 8 yrs, Iowa, Ger, Ger, Farmer, renting farmGesine, Wife, WF, Apr 1869, 31, M8, 3 child. born & living, Ger, Ger, Ger imm: 1890, 10 yrs., yes all to English
Arend, Son, WM, Dec, 1893, 6, Iowa, Iowa, Germany
Mary, Dau, WF, Oct, 1895, 4, Iowa, Iowa, Germany
Annie, Dau, WF, Oct 1897, 2, Iowa, Iowa, Germany
Arend, Father, WM, Dec, 1834, 65, Wd., Ger, Ger, Ger, 1854, 46, Na, Capitalist., yes all to English
Keaster, John, Servant, WM, May 1879, 21, Single, Ger, Ger, Ger, 1895 5 yrs, Pa Farm labor. yes all to English
Burial
Jones County Gravestone RecordsPage: 8
Name: John Christopher Balster
Birth Date: 02 Dec 1869
Death Date: 23 Apr 1914
Cemetery: St. John's
Town: Wayne
Endnotes
1. Corbitt, R. M., History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910.
(IA GenWeb Project.
2. Ramona (Heiken) Mayer, compiler, Heiken and related families (Iowa:, bet 1985 and 1992), Information from Edzards history and from Aunt Mary.
3. Jones Co. Iowa marriage books, online.
BOOK D 1877-1884 :: BOOK E 1884-1891 :: BOOK F 1891-1898 (USGenWeb
4. 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).
5. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1900 > Iowa > JONES > SCOTCH GROVE TWP Series: T623 Roll: 440 Page: 217.
6. Ramona (Heiken) Mayer, compiler, Heiken and related families (Iowa:, bet 1985 and 1992), Information from Edzards history and from Aunt Mary.
7. St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Sand Hill/Monticello , Jones Co., Iowa GenWeb online [http://iowajones.org/churches/LuthStJohns.htm], accessed 2002 -2008.
8. Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/ Copyright © 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries.), Iowa Cemetery Records.