Joseph Lenz Biography This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography, including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 344-345 Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm JOSEPH LENZ. Among the early settlers of Beotia township in Spink county, who went to the country as a young man and lent his energies toward the upbuilding of that region, this gentleman is entitled to more than passing mention. He has not only gained for himself a comfortable income, but has assisted his parents in placing their property on a sound financial basis, and all through his unbounded energy and honest character. He has met with eminent success in the calling in which he has embarked, and is careful and methodical in his habits, and has made many friends by his push and ability. His model residence is in keeping with the other improvements and the entire farm bears evidence of comfort and prosperity. Mr. Lenz was born in Wisconsin in 1861. His parents were natives of Germany and emigrated to America soon after their marriage, and the father followed the calling of a farmer throughout his life. The grandfather on the paternal side died soon after the birth of our subject's father. The grandfather on the mother's side was a wealthy agriculturist of Germany. Our subject's father served in the Civil war during the last year of the struggle. The family moved to Iowa in 1876, and rented land where the father engaged in farming for seven years, but with little success. They removed to Dakota in the spring of 1881. Our subject and a companion went to the new land in the same year, starting in February and being delayed on account of washouts of bridges and heavy snows. The train service was slow and they shoveled snow three weeks or more before reaching their destination, and it was May 17th before they succeeded in getting the household goods onto the farm. Their first home was a half dugout and half sod shanty, and they had little machinery four horses, one cow, two calves and were twenty- three hundred dollars in debt. Our subject and his brother assisted in relieving their parents of this indebtedness, contributing to this end after leaving the home farm. Mr. Lenz remained with his parents until 1884, when he moved onto the homestead in Beotia township and began farming for himself. He built a fourteen by eighteen shanty, which has since been replaced by a two- story and basement residence, twenty-eight by thirty-two feet in measurement, and with the basement stoned up is one of the best to be found in the township, His complete set of buildings, including barn, granary, feed mill, etc., have been placed on the property with a view to convenience and comfort, and the latest improvements are to be found in the methods of operation on the farm. He is the possessor of six hundred and forty acres of land, five hundred and seventy acres of which is under cultivation, and the rest is pasture land. He has engaged in grain and cattle raising, and was one of the first men to do threshing in Beotia township, and has continued to do snore than any other farmer in the locality, adding to his competence by this branch of the work. When he located in Dakota there was not a building to be seen, no roads, and the nearest town was Watertown, seventy miles distant. Our subject was married in 1884 to Katie Schillinger, a native of Illinois, whose parents were natives of Baden, Germany. Four sons and one daughter have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lenz: Raymond, Edward, Bernhart, Engelbert and Leone. The family are members of the Catholic church, and are widely known and held in the highest esteem. Our subject is a Republican in political faith, but does not take an active part in politics. He is interested in the development of his community, and has aided efficiently in the upbuilding of the better interests for the welfare of the people. He is deserving of the high opinion of his associates, as a substantial member of the farming community in which he makes his home.