Taken from Past and Present of Jasper County, Iowa  By James Baird Weaver Page 939

JOHN CLAUSSEN Claus John Claussen aged sixty six years was born in Swopsteadt Germany March 19 1844 his father being Hans Claussen a native of Germany who died in Jasper county Iowa on a farm at the advanced age of eighty six years his mother being also a native of Germany her maiden name being Margaret Block Claussen she dying in Germany at the age of thirty years Mr Claussen has only one full sister and no brother but as his father married twice after the death of his mother he has three half brothers and three half sisters all of whom reside in Jasper county The name of his sister is Christina Reincke and she is the widow of William Reincke residing in Carroll county Iowa The life history of Mr Claussen is most interesting He was but twenty one years of age when he came to America coming alone and landing  at New York From there he went to Davenport Iowa and engaged in the butcher business After a nine months stay in Davenport he came to Newton Iowa where he has since remained It was something near a year and a half after coming to Newton that Mr Claussen purchased the two and one half acres upon which his residence now stands Starting with very little he set resolutely to work at his trade of butcher and to this small purchase kept adding and adding until at one time he was one of the large land owners in the county owning over five hundred acres of land Subsequent reverses and misfortunes such as often overtake the most far sighted and resolute have lost him a considerable portion of this property but Mr Claussen is still well fixed and is as cheerful and undaunted as the day he first landed in Jasper county After Mr Claussen had secured a foothold in this county he sent money back to Germany with which to bring four brothers and sisters over here and at all times he was a considerate and dutiful son On October i 1868 Mr Claussen was married to Mary Klopping herself a native of Germany her father being Conrad Klopping and her mother Elizabeth Reinke Klopping also a native of Germany Mrs Claussen came with her parents to America when she was but eight years of age and recounts that the ship that carried them was an old sailing vessel which was driven by contrary winds far out of her course Eleven weeks they were upon the seas before they made port and when after their provisions were almost exhausted they came to land it was the port of New Orleans they entered instead of New York as was first intended Mrs Claussen states that much of their trouble came from the fact that their captain was making his first voyage to America and was inexperienced Even at the time of landing he would have run his ship aground upon a sand bar but for a pilot who came off from the shore and set them right Mrs Claussen's parents both died in Jasper county Iowa her father four years after coming to America her mother thirty six years after coming to this country Mrs Claussen is one of seven children of whom two besides herself are living Elizabeth Klopping a half sister Mrs Claussen's mother having been married twice resides in Newton is the widow of William Klopping deceased a cousin of Mrs Claussen upon her father's side Louise Myers widow of John Myers deceased is a full sister of Mrs Claussen and is seventy one years of age and resides in Newton Mrs Claussen has at all times been a loyal and cheerful companion and helpmate to her husband working with him to raise money with which to bring his brothers and sisters over to America from Germany and entering with spirit and sympathy into all his undertakings She remembers much of interest concerning the growth of the county and the changes that have come since 1853 when she came here There were only thirty houses here when she came and Sunday school was held in the old court house Land was sold at five dollars per acre and she saw the first court house in the county built Seven children have been born to Mr and Mrs Claussen six of whom are living Frederick aged forty one resides in Boone Iowa his wife's maiden name being May Woodard Leonora aged thirty nine years is the wife of the Rev W McMillan and resides in Eureka Illinois Arthur aged thirty seven is unmarried and lives at home Christopher aged thirty five years resides in Waterman state of Washington his wife's maiden name being Etta Bowker Henry of Moline Illinois Walter aged twenty nine resides in Newton his wife's maiden name being Maude Atkins Una Margaret died in infancy Besides farming Mr Claussen has always paid much attention to stock buying being still engaged in that business to a considerable extent He is and always has been a public spirited citizen giving liberally towards many public enterprises In politics he is a Republican Both he and his wife are members of the English Lutheran church