About Us
The Wirth century farm has been privately own since 1887. Phil Wirth, current shepherd, took over the farm in the 1970's. He has been sheep farming since the 1980's. A family business being passed down through generations, Phil's daughter Michelle now helps with the process of sheep farming.
In 2010 Phil started the grass-fed natural farming. The current flock size is 10 ewes. The sheep are on a rotation of 7 acres of land.
In 2010 Phil started the grass-fed natural farming. The current flock size is 10 ewes. The sheep are on a rotation of 7 acres of land.
History
WIRTH FAMILY HISTORY
The following information has been received from Madonna Wirth, who is the second cousin of Clara Wirth Risdal and granddaughter of Frederick Wirth who was Peter’s brother. She had complied and secured the Wirth history over a period of time and has so graciously passed it on to our family.
The name Wirth was recorded somewhere around 1300 or a bit later. Those records were destroyed many years ago when a fire swept through the old State House in Bavaria, Germany. It is not known if it was Bundenthal or not, but that is the city of our ancestors. The name Wirth is quite old, as far as known records state. While there are not any actual records to prove statements, the following are true as far as correct information was gathered.
The family of Wirth was located in Bundethal, Bavaria, Germany. A good authority states that the name of Wirth was recorded in the same location from some 650 years, so you can see the family name has come down for a number of centuries and the family was considered quite prominent in the past ages.
Bernhardt Wirth
Starting with the Bernhardt Wirth on the chart, it is not know of when he was born or died (in fact there is so little information of him that it does no good for the records). All that is known is that he had a brother Joseph, who was a member of the French Army under General Lafayette, who came over to help General George Washington in the fight to free our country from England. Many Germans served under Lafayette as his army was composed of volunteers and came from several nations. No records were available of this Joseph Wirth to tell us if he was killed in war, returned to Germany, or remained here after the war. But we know there are numerous Wirth families in the east, but it was not traced back far enough to know it they are directly connected with our ancestors. This is a fairly accurate record from 1775. Bernhardt Wirth had three sons and three daughters: (sons) Joseph, John(our direct ancestor), Frederick, (daughters) Frances, Margaret, and Catherine. Frances married a Leininger, Margaret married a Smith, and Catherine married a Keller. All had families.
John Wirth, son of Bernhardt.
It is not known of his birth, marriage, or death dates. All that has been gathered is that he spent considerable time in coal mines, and met his death in a coal mine accident. He had four sons and one daughter: John, Joseph (our direct ancestor), Jacob, Bernhardt, and Frances. Joseph, Jacob, and Bernhardt came to America.
Peter Wirth, son of Joseph Wirth, son of John Wirth, son of Bernhardt.
Son of Joseph Wirth and Odella Mutdaht, was born January 26, 1858 in Bundenthal Rheine, Phalz, Bavaria, Bayern, Germany.
The family decided to immigrate to the United States of America with their family of three sons: John, Frederick, and Peter (our ancestor). They left Germany August 16, 1865. They left the seaport of Harve, France in a sailing vessel which at that time was considered the largest sailing ship on the Atlantic Ocean. It took 4 days to make the trip. They arrived in New York on September 29, 1865. The father, Joseph, passed away the same night and was buried there. On November 1, 1865, the family went to Chicago, Illinois. On November 5, Odella and her three sons went to Geneseo, Illinois where relatives took care of the family. Odella passed away June 17, 1866 at Geneseo, Illinois. Peter, Frederick, and John lived in Geneseo with relatives until Auguast 17 1869, when they moved to Story County, Iowa. Peter was 11 years of age, the youngest of the three brothers, with John being the oldest. The three brothers lived together and worked on the farms until they were old enough to purchase farms, which each did and settled in Lafayette Township, Story County, Iowa.
Peter lived on the first farm he purchased, until his death on April 4, 1931. He also purchased a farm in Boone County, Iowa which upon death of his wife, both properties became an estate. The Story County farm was purchased by the youngest son, Edward and his wife Arlene; their youngest son Phillip Wirth currently owns the land today. The Boone County farm was purchased by Clara and her husband, who as of 1978 owned the land.
Our father, Peter married Amelia Agnes Baldus on February 5 1896. Amelia was the daughter of Theodore Baldus, who also migrated with his father, Christian, from Germany in 1852. Our grandfather came to Story County, Iowa in 1855, bought farmland and lived in Iowa until his death. The Wirth and Baldus families were of the Catholic faith. The Wirth family contributed much to the religious settlement in rural Ames, northwest of Gilbert, Iowa, which is called Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church. It originally consisted of a church, school, and convent. Today there is a church and religious building in which religious classes are held weekly. This was all possible because of a generous gift of Uncle John Wirth, who willed, at his death, forty acres of land and his residence.
A recollection from Clara Wirth Risdal 1978
The following information has been received from Madonna Wirth, who is the second cousin of Clara Wirth Risdal and granddaughter of Frederick Wirth who was Peter’s brother. She had complied and secured the Wirth history over a period of time and has so graciously passed it on to our family.
The name Wirth was recorded somewhere around 1300 or a bit later. Those records were destroyed many years ago when a fire swept through the old State House in Bavaria, Germany. It is not known if it was Bundenthal or not, but that is the city of our ancestors. The name Wirth is quite old, as far as known records state. While there are not any actual records to prove statements, the following are true as far as correct information was gathered.
The family of Wirth was located in Bundethal, Bavaria, Germany. A good authority states that the name of Wirth was recorded in the same location from some 650 years, so you can see the family name has come down for a number of centuries and the family was considered quite prominent in the past ages.
Bernhardt Wirth
Starting with the Bernhardt Wirth on the chart, it is not know of when he was born or died (in fact there is so little information of him that it does no good for the records). All that is known is that he had a brother Joseph, who was a member of the French Army under General Lafayette, who came over to help General George Washington in the fight to free our country from England. Many Germans served under Lafayette as his army was composed of volunteers and came from several nations. No records were available of this Joseph Wirth to tell us if he was killed in war, returned to Germany, or remained here after the war. But we know there are numerous Wirth families in the east, but it was not traced back far enough to know it they are directly connected with our ancestors. This is a fairly accurate record from 1775. Bernhardt Wirth had three sons and three daughters: (sons) Joseph, John(our direct ancestor), Frederick, (daughters) Frances, Margaret, and Catherine. Frances married a Leininger, Margaret married a Smith, and Catherine married a Keller. All had families.
John Wirth, son of Bernhardt.
It is not known of his birth, marriage, or death dates. All that has been gathered is that he spent considerable time in coal mines, and met his death in a coal mine accident. He had four sons and one daughter: John, Joseph (our direct ancestor), Jacob, Bernhardt, and Frances. Joseph, Jacob, and Bernhardt came to America.
Peter Wirth, son of Joseph Wirth, son of John Wirth, son of Bernhardt.
Son of Joseph Wirth and Odella Mutdaht, was born January 26, 1858 in Bundenthal Rheine, Phalz, Bavaria, Bayern, Germany.
The family decided to immigrate to the United States of America with their family of three sons: John, Frederick, and Peter (our ancestor). They left Germany August 16, 1865. They left the seaport of Harve, France in a sailing vessel which at that time was considered the largest sailing ship on the Atlantic Ocean. It took 4 days to make the trip. They arrived in New York on September 29, 1865. The father, Joseph, passed away the same night and was buried there. On November 1, 1865, the family went to Chicago, Illinois. On November 5, Odella and her three sons went to Geneseo, Illinois where relatives took care of the family. Odella passed away June 17, 1866 at Geneseo, Illinois. Peter, Frederick, and John lived in Geneseo with relatives until Auguast 17 1869, when they moved to Story County, Iowa. Peter was 11 years of age, the youngest of the three brothers, with John being the oldest. The three brothers lived together and worked on the farms until they were old enough to purchase farms, which each did and settled in Lafayette Township, Story County, Iowa.
Peter lived on the first farm he purchased, until his death on April 4, 1931. He also purchased a farm in Boone County, Iowa which upon death of his wife, both properties became an estate. The Story County farm was purchased by the youngest son, Edward and his wife Arlene; their youngest son Phillip Wirth currently owns the land today. The Boone County farm was purchased by Clara and her husband, who as of 1978 owned the land.
Our father, Peter married Amelia Agnes Baldus on February 5 1896. Amelia was the daughter of Theodore Baldus, who also migrated with his father, Christian, from Germany in 1852. Our grandfather came to Story County, Iowa in 1855, bought farmland and lived in Iowa until his death. The Wirth and Baldus families were of the Catholic faith. The Wirth family contributed much to the religious settlement in rural Ames, northwest of Gilbert, Iowa, which is called Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church. It originally consisted of a church, school, and convent. Today there is a church and religious building in which religious classes are held weekly. This was all possible because of a generous gift of Uncle John Wirth, who willed, at his death, forty acres of land and his residence.
A recollection from Clara Wirth Risdal 1978