Old Settlers' Stories

by J. H. Kout

J. H. Kout was born April 1, 1860, in Fowler, Iowa. On April 22, 1897, he married Edith Margaret Hesebeck (August 1874-August 1937) at Sibley, Iowa. Mr. Kout died September 18, 1919. Both are buried in Ocheyedan cemetery.

According to the Standard Atlas of Osceola County, Iowa, published in 1911, J. H. Kout owned farms and farmland in Allison township (320 acres), Ocheyedan township (320 acres) and Horton township (320 acres). While many thought of J. H. Kout as a farmer, in reality, he and his brother, Dominick, were more known for being in the contracting business. In the same year that the town of Ocheyedan came into existence in 1884, the Kout brothers, Joseph and Dominick, put up a store building and filled it with a general stock of goods. This general store, along with three other general stores and a hardware store constituted the mercantile business of Ocheyedan in 1884-85. Around 1891, the Kout Bros. Sold the building and stock to R. J. O. McGowen, who continued to operate it as a general store. The Kout Bros. Were instrumental in the gradual growth of Ocheyedan. In 1892, they erected a very fine business house, which was a drug store, occupied by A. E. Smith. In the upper story of another finely furnished building built by Joseph and Dominick Kout, a Masonic lodge "a secret society" was organized.

Joseph Kout and Edith Hesebeck had two children: J. Hubert and Irene.

Hubert married Pearl Graves. He ran several businesses in Ocheyedan. At the time of his death in 1966, he was Ocheyedan's postmaster. Pearl was active in community affairs and spent several years as a library board member and librarian. She was an assistant post mistress.

Irene married Martin Kallsen. To this union were born four children. They are retired and live in Worthington, Minnesota.

-Transcribed by Roseanna Zehner



Osceola County Iowa Genealogy - The IAGenWeb Project