Josephine (Kaiser) Kemp (1855 - 1928)

Born 24 Oct 1855 in Godbrange, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Wife of Mathias Kemp — married 4 Oct 1875 in Le Mars, Plymouth, Iowa, United States

Died 22 Feb 1928 at age 72 in Le Mars, Plymouth, Iowa, United States

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Biography

Josephine was the daughter of Hobert Kaiser and Barbara Eilinger. She married Matthias Kemp on 4 OCT 1875 in Le Mars, Plymouth County, Iowa. They were the parents of 11 children in 1900, 9 living: Herbert, Peter, John, Katherine, Joseph, Clara, Mary Anna, Peter, Agnes, Margaret May, and Anna.

Le Mars Globe-Post - Thursday , February 23rd, 1928 - Mrs. Josephine Kemp, 72 year old Plymouth county pioneer, died in her home on Sixth Avenue N.E., Wednesday night, February 22, at 10:45 o'clock. Death was caused by pernicious anemia. The funeral will be held Saturday. Services will begin at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph's Catholic church in LeMars and the body will be interred in the Catholic cemetery here.

Mrs. Kemp is survived by the following children: H.B. Kemp, LeMars; Mrs. Katie Relstroffer, Marlon township; Joe J. Kemp, Oyens; Mrs. George Lucey, Union township; Mrs. I.H. Lieb, Iona, Minn.; Peter Kemp, Remsen; Mrs. Thomas Troutt, Iona, Minn.; Mrs. Nick Goetzinger, Le Mars; Miss Anna Kemp, who has been living with her mother.

Mrs. Kemp was a real pioneer of Plymouth county. She was one of the sturdy citizenry that broke up the original prairies and made them into farms amid the bitterest hardships. She was born October 24, 1854, in the village of Olm, grand duchy of Luxemburg. Her maiden name was Josephine Kaiser. When she was 13 years old her parents brought her and her sister to the United States, settling first at St. Donatus, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi river, a Luxemburger colony. In 1872 the Kaiser family came to Plymouth county, settling west of the Floyd river between LeMars and Merrill. As there were no boys in the family it fell to the lot of the young girl to do some of the hard work which ordinarily was done by men. She did it so successfully that she broke many acres of virgin prairie sod by the primitive means of the old ox team, the standard farm power of pioneer days. She developed such skill in this that she not only broke prairie sod for her father but for some of the neighbors as well.

In October, 1875, Miss Kaiser was married to Matt Kemp by Rev. Lenihan of Sioux City. The new church had not yet been built at the time and there was not even a resident pastor, Rev. Meis coming to LeMars some time after that. The wedding was held in the Gehlen home, which was equipped with a little chapel for the use of the 'early settlers. The following spring Mr. and Mrs. Kemp settled on the farm south of LeMars on which their son, H.B. Kemp now lives. They paid the highest price for this land that had been paid up to that time, $15 an acre. One reason for this high price was that there were some buildings on the farm which made it immediately habitable for the young couple. This place had a barn, the roof of which consisted of thatched prairie hay.

On this farm all of the children were born. Later Mr. Kemp bought the adjoining 80 acres, paying $35 an acre for this land. The adjoining 80 is now being farmed by John Deiterman. In 1907 the Kemp family came to LeMars, purchasing the house on Sixth Avenue S.E., then known as Park street. Mr. Kemp preceded his wife in death in 1907. Mrs. Kemp was a member of The Christian Mothers society of St. Joseph's church, of the Rosary society and the Ladies Aid society. Like most pioneer women, she was hardworking, patient, brave in the face of discouragement, and a model wife and mother. Although many of the other early settlers became discouraged and moved away during the grasshopper years and the years they were hailed out, Mrs. Kemp and her family stayed with their home, and by hard work, steady application and unfaltering faith earned the prosperity which came later to the settlers of northwest Iowa.

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137325709/josephine-kemp