Biographical History of Pottawattmie Co., IA

ENRY GITTENS, a farmer of Boomer Township, was born in Shropshire, England, November 27, 1821, a son of Watkin and Hannah (Edwards) Gittens, parents, also natives of the same shire. Watkin Gittens was born in March, 1800, brought up on a farm, and at the acre of twenty years married the affluent Lady Jane Edwards and engaged in the mercantile trade at West Bromwich, five miles from Birmingham. He accumulated a little fortune. His wife died in January, 1839, leaving one child, the subject of this sketch. He afterward married again.

Henry left home at the age of thirteen years, was employed on a farm, and was also wood-ranger for Earl of Dartmouth, Sandwell Hall. During this period, May 1, 1849, he married Miss Jane, daughter of William and Ann Walton, natives of England. In the Walton family were seven children: Jan, John, Ann, Catherine, James, William and Sarah. Mrs. Gittens was born January 29, 1820, and on reaching womanhood became house keeper for a man named Lee, a cabinet maker, while there at the age of twenty-eight years, she was married.

A few years afterward, February 15, 1853, Mr. Gittens emigrated to America, landing at New Orleans. Five weeks later he came on to Council Bluffs, landing here with only 50 cents in purse, and with a sick wife and child! Owing $3, he first paid this debt by selling a sack of flour which had brought from St. Louis. The first two years he followed agriculture on a farm in Paine's Hollow, and then took up 120 acres of land on section 34, which constitute a part of his present place, at the Government price of $1.25 per acre. On the money he borrowed to pay for the place he had to pay 40 to 60 percent. He built a large log house, 16 x 18 feet, and made the usual improvements. He also began raising sheep, but dogs and wolves consumed the profits. At present he has a total of 320 acres of land, 200 in cultivation. Being industrious and economical he has established a comfortable home, although he has suffered many hardships of pioneering. In 1875 he erected a brick house, thirty-eight feet square and two stories high.

The greater part of the last four years he has spent in taking care of his invalid wife, who died in March, 1889. There were the parents of six children, namely: Sara A., born in England, September 7, 1851, and is now the wife of Andrew C. Peterson, in Boomer Township; Catharine, born April 23, 1853, died in December following; Henry William, born September 20, 1855, now a resident of this county; Kate Walton, born February 4, 1857, and is now the wife of Lawrence H. Hanson, in this county Richard A., born July 8, 1858, and also a resident of this county; and James Watkin, born September 19, 1860, and a resident also of Pottawattamie County.

April 19, 1890, Mr. Gittens married Miss Martha Dahl, a daughter of Nels and Margaret (Nelson) Dahl, natives of Denmark, in whose family were the following named children: Louisa Maria, the wife of Gasper Clemenson, and residing in Denmark, a captain of a line of vessels; Emma Nicholina, wife of Shumaker Jacobson, in Denmark; Martha Christina was the next; James Andrew, in Council Bluffs; Bartel C. and Nelsena, both deceased; Olinda, a milliner of California, who died in Nevada Township while on her way to visit her sister, Mrs. Gittens; Caroline, wife of C. Nelson, and residing in Chicago. Mrs. Gittens was born March 28, 1842, and was reared at home, where her mother kept a millinery store. She thus acquired a taste for trimming hats, which business she has followed to some extent since coming here with her parents in 1874, when she located first at Ogden, Utah Territory, April 6. A year afterward they sold out their nice home there and came to Boomer Township, locating upon a farm. By the first marriage there has been one child born, which died young. Mrs. Gittens is a woman of great ability and has helped materially to win a fortune. She has two good pieces of property in Council Bluffs, where she made her home previous to the last marriage.

Mr. Gittens is a stanch Democrat, voting, however, for the best man in local elections, and taking an active interest in public affairs. He has occasionally been sent as a delegate to county and State conventions. He has been Justice of the Peace for Boomer Township for twenty-eight successive years, and Notary Public, and has held various other township offices. He was one of the men who organized Boomer Township in 1859. Was one of the appraisers of the right of way for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad through the county. He retains in his possession an interesting diary, which he kept for twenty years.

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This page last updated: Friday, 01-Jan-1999 08:53:37 MST.