Kienow Family History and Heritage

We were married on October 1, 1901. Weddings were quite simple back then. They often took place at the parsonage or home rather than in the church. Just the witnesses and perhaps a few others at the wedding and then more relatives and friends for a small reception after.

Our first child was born in 1902 and we named him Myron but his nickname was “Pat”.

I was working at the flour mill when my father was killed by a fall from a train in 1903. He had hitched a ride on the train to come to the mill to see me but lost his grip and fell to his death. My father had become a Naturalized Citizen of the United States in 1900. Since I was born in Germany I had to go through the same process and completed the requirements and became a Naturalized Citizen on January 8, 1913.

After ten years our family was outgrowing our house on First Street and Irving Avenue and we looked around for more room. I always wanted to have my own little farm and we found a place on Prairie Avenue with 7 acres of land and a house. The purchase price was $3,000. It was a stretch for us to make such a bold step. With our family now totaling 7 children we would be able to raise most of our own food. In the years that followed we purchased an additional 8 acres, built a barn and added on to the house. In 1928 we even had electricity installed and in 1950 we had city water for the first time. Everyone in the family had to do their part in supporting the family. Even the youngest could help with weeding in the garden, feeding the animals and harvesting the crops. “If any would not work, neither should they eat” was clearly understood.