The Kaack family came from Bornhoved, Holstein, Germany, which is between Neumunster and the Kiel Canal. Johann Kaack married Sophia Stolden whose mother was also a Kaak (spelled this way). Johann and Sophia and 6 children immigrated to the USA in May, 1896. They arrived in NYC on May 18, 1896. They came aboard the ship the "Prussia." Their daughter Anna and Otto Gerstenkorn were married and had one child. She was pregnant with their second child Otto Ferdinand when they came to America in 1892. They had wanted their second child born in America. Otto was born Dec 12, 1892 in Iowa.

Johann was head of parks department, trees, and plants. Magdalena (his daughter) often went with him to work. She learned how to test soil and care for plants. Magdalena was a tomboy. (This was told me by Gloria Walden Chenault)

Richard Franz Gustav Sy started the first Sunday school in Nashua, Iowa. He was a baker and started a bakery in Nashua and in Texas when they moved there.

Elise was "midwife" and was in attendance at many births around Euclid, MN. She had beautiful handwriting and was an artist. We have some of her pencil drawings. She made many beautiful quilts. Elise had been housekeeping for her brother Henreich after he moved to Belgrade, MN. When he married Ida Glauvitz, she went back to Nashua, IA. She lived in town with a sister. The sister's friend living next door had an eligible brother. So they got Elise and Gottlieb Langle together. Gottlieb and Elise were probably citizens as when living in Iowa, Gottlieb served on a jury. A wife and children became citizens when the husband/father became a citizen. They had 6 children, 3 of whom survived childhood. Martha died at age 3 of meningitis. Otto died at 2 of indigestion from eating too much fresh bread. Maria later died at 7 months of indigestion. Sophia Klorr was their governess while Elise helped in the fields. Gottlieb and Elise moved to MN because they were disturbed by anti-German feelings in Iowa. They were harassed and called names, snubbed, and not treated very nice, except for people of the same nationality. They liked to speak in their native language. They didn't buy enough war bonds or help enough with the war effort to satisfy some people. (I've read about these practices in history books.) So they decided to sell their small farm and move to Northern MN. Gottlieb had become acquainted with young men by the name of Spear, whose sister was married to a local doctor. They told him that it wasn't like that in MN. Arrangements were made to ship a carload of furniture and one of livestock-2 horses, 3 cows, 2 heifers, and some farm machinery on an immigrant train. On an immigrant train you were assigned 2 cars. You had to have at least 2 horses and 4 cows to be considered an immigrant. Then you paid a portion of the regular price. (I have never found out an amount.) Livestock was to be unloaded after traveling 24 hours and to be left unloaded for 8 hours before reloading. Gottlieb was told that if he had extra cash, he could get it arranged to go straight through. He was then told in St. Paul that they were scheduled on the Fargo ND train with the 24 hours up in Perham, MN and an 8-hour layover there. But with cash in the right hands, they were switched to the Winnepeg, Manitoba train and didn't have a layover and came straight through to Euclid. Elise, Fred, and Elizabeth stopped for a visit in Belgrade. Gottlieb and Paul rode in the caboose. Langle cousins rode with the animals and cared for them.

Magdalena was a midwife and artist, too. (I have copies of some of her drawings.) Magdalena and Herman Weiss moved to Texas. He had been hurt in IA and had health problems. The doctor advised a move to a drier climate. This is why the farming was left to her. In TX she would analyze soil and figure out what was needed to enrich the soil. She always had better crops and animals than anyone. Farmers came to her for advice or else they disliked it that a woman knew more than a man.

Gottlieb and Elise adopted a son James from the orphanage at Waverly, IA. He ran away when he was 15. Magdalena and Herman adopted Ruth and Albert. Albert was Herman's brother.

Laura Kaack Johnson told me that Anna Kaack Gerstenkorn made Ida Glauvitz wedding dress. It was blue trimmed with blue lace. It was hung on a hanger at Ida's home and got knocked down. The dog made a bed and slept on it. Henry and Ida were married at Anna and Otto Gerstenkorn's home. Henreich wrote poetry. (I have 2 of his poems.)

Marie and Ernest Bahlmann farmed. She was an accomplished seamstress. She would travel by horse and buggy to make wedding dresses. Johann and Sophia purchased 40 acres from Elise and Gottlieb and lived on that place until their deaths. Marie and Ernest married Nov 10,1915 at the Kaack home and made their home there. The young couple was planning to spend their wedding night in the bed that was the one that Johann ordinarily slept in--but when Johann was ready for bed after the celebration, he went to bed in his own bed and the bride and groom had to find another bed to sleep in. He was 75 years old then. A small room was built for Johann and Sophia by the big house. It had a kitchen and bedroom in it. They lived in this "little house" and Marie and Ernest had the main house. It was the custom at that time that the aged parents were cared for in the home by the children. Johann died in 1921 of heart failure. Sophia died in 1929 of a stroke.

Compiled by: Pauline Seward