JOHANNA
(BAKER) SPECHT.
The subject of this sketch is the widow of John
Specht, Sr.,
who was born in Byron*, Germany, in 1807. He came to the United
States, landing in New York City in the year 1832, where he remained
but a short time. He left New York for Dubuque, Iowa, where he
remained for five years, working at his trade, that of a carpenter,
and he had the honor of building the first frame house in Dubuque.
From here he removed to Peru Township where he took up one thousand
and three hundred aces of land and settled down. He remained in this
place until his death, which occurred October 24, 1866, when he had
reached the age of fifty-eight years. He left property consisting of
one thousand and three hundred acres of land in Peru Township and
lands in Minnesota, also the only ferry line between Specht's
Ferry, Potosia, and
Dubuque. The land was divided among his family, and the ferry line is
now owned by his widow.
John
Specht, Sr.,
was the most prominent man in Peru Township, and was widely known for
his generosity. There were no schools in those days and he hired a
private teacher to educate his children, who were named as follows:
Edward;
Herman,
deceased; Caline;
Werner,
deceased; Mary,
Henry
and John,
Jr.
Johanna
Specht,
our subject, is a native of Germany, and was born in Hanover about
1814. She is the daughter of Fred
[Baker**]
and Johanna
Benson,
who were also natives of Hanover, Germany. To this union were born
two children, Caline
Baker
Swear
and our subject, Johanna.
John,.Jr.,
the youngest of the children of John
and Johanna Specht,
was born in Peru Township, March 15,, 1851, and was united in
marriage with Miss
Ida May Roberts,
of Dubuque, Iowa, on November 1, 1883. To them have been born two
children, Sarah,
Alline
and John.
Mrs.
Specht is
the daughter of Henry
and Anna
(Bonham)
Roberts,
the former born in Iowa, and the latter in Illinois; they were the
parents of seven children. The parents were of Scotch and Welsh
ancestry. The father is dead, and the mother lives in Tacoma, Wash.
Mr.
Specht
left the parental roof when he had reached his majority, and having
purchased a boat engaged in business for himself until 1891, when he
sold the boat and became pilot and captain of his mother's boat, the
"Teal," which runs between Specht's Ferry, Potosia, and
Dubuque. He resides in Dubuque and is the owner of one hundred and
seventy-five acres of choice farm land and other real estate.
Our
subject is the possessor of one hundred and fifty acres of land, the
ferry line and other personal property, and she lives in the building
which was put up about forty-three years ago. The homestead is called
Specht's Landing. She is an exemplary member of the Presbyterian
Church, and her son John
is a member of the Congregational Church; politically, he is a
Republican and an ardent advocate of the party of reform. He has
never been troubled by aspirations for political office, but as a
true and loyal citizen, is ever ready to lend a helping hand in
matters of public enterprise and improvement.
* I think that this may be a corruption of "Bayern" --the German word for Bavaria. (jerry specht)
** I have added the bracketed "Baker". It doesn't make sense that the parents of "Johanna Baker Specht" and "Caline Baker Swear" would be "Fred and Johanna Benson". (jerry specht)