John Giese 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, 1898. Pages 436-437

	Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999.

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JOHN GIESE is an honored resident of Watertown, Codington county, South 
Dakota, where he is living, retired from active business, in a 
comfortable home that is the center of true and generous hospitality.  
He is one of the oldest settlers of Codington county, formerly being 
one of its most successful farmers, and is enjoying the fruits of his 
labor.

Mr. Giese was born in Germany, June 15, 1846, and came to America at 
the age of eighteen years.  He first settled in Sauk county, Wisconsin, 
with his parents, and remained there until 1866, when he was united in 
marriage to Miss Albertina Gehrke, also a native of Germany.  He then 
located on a farm of his own of one hundred and twenty acres, but soon 
after sold out and bought a one hundred and sixty-acre farm in the same 
county.  This he made his home until 1879, when he moved his family to 
Codington county, South Dakota, and located on a farm eight miles north 
of where Watertown now stands.  Mr. Giese is a man of excellent ability 
and understands thoroughly the details of his occupation.  He has 
improved his farm and conducted it in such a way that it has produced 
him a very comfortable fortune, and he has added to his original 
homestead until he now owns 1,680 acres of land, which he has divided 
into four farms.  In 1893, he rented his farms and moved to the city of 
Watertown where he has since lived in practical retirement.

Mr. Giese is one of the early settlers of Codington county and has been 
identified with the growth and development of the same by aiding, in 
his energetic manner, all projects tending to improve its status or 
enhance its growth.  In 1882 he was elected county commissioner and 
served in that capacity two terms and was also chairman of the county 
board two years.  Politically he is a stalwart Republican, and is also 
a member of the Lutheran church.

Mr. and Mrs. Giese are the parents of five children, of whom we have 
the following record:  Louisa, wife of Herman Buchold, of Codington 
county.  August, of Codington county.  Anna Fountain, of West Superior.  
Amanda and Henry, both living at home.