| Notes |
- Some birth records list birth year as 1867.
1900 Census:South Dakota: Minnehaha: Humboldt:
Kieni, Henry W., head, white, male, born in Oct. 1868, age 31, married for seven years, born in Wisconsin, father and mother born in Switzerland, carpenter;
Hulda, wife, white, female, born in March, 1875, age 25, married for 7 years, has had 4 children with 2 of them living, born in Germany, father and mother born in Germany, came to the U.S. in 1884 and has been in the U.S. for 16 years,
Ella, daughter, white, female, born April 1895, 5 years old, single, born in South Dakota, father born in Wisconsin, mother born in Germany
Emma, daughter, white, female, born Mar. 1899, 1 year old, single, born in South Dakota, father born in Wisconsin, mother born in Germany.
Newspaper Article: Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) 28 Sep 1904, Wed.
"W. M. Morgan and Henry Kieni of Humboldt were before Judge Walts on the charge of conducting gambling devices in the form of a slot machine. The complaint in the case was made by State's Attorney Scott. Each man was fined $25 and costs which was paid."
1905 South Dakota census: H. W. Kieni, age 36, occupation: carpenter, born in Wisconsin, father and mother born in Germany, years in SD: 26; years in the US: 36.
1920 Census: South Dakota: Minnehaha: Humboldt:
Kiene, Henry W., Head, owns home, male, white, age 51, married, born in Wisconsin, father born in Switzerland, mother born in Switzerland, Controller
Kiene, Hulda A., wife, female, white, age 46, married, came to the U.S. in 1886, naturalized citizen, born in Germany, father born in Germany, mother born in Germany
Kiene Ella A., daughter, female, white, age 24, single, born in SD, father born in Wisconsin, mother born in Germany
Kiene Emma E., daughter, female, white, age 20, single, born in SD, father born in Wisonsin, mother born in Germany
Kiene Arthur H., son, male, white, age 17, single, born in SD, father born in Wisconsin, mother born in Germany
(NOTE: when looking at entry, spelling does look like it should be: Kieni)
1930 Census: South Dakota: Minnehaha: Humboldt:
Kieni, Henry W., owns, age 62, married, was 24 when he got married, born in Wisconsin, father born in Switzerland, mother born in Switzerland; is a contractor for buildings;
Hulda, his wife, age 56, married when she was 18, born in Germany, father and mother born in Germany, came to the US in 1884;
Arthur, their son, age 27, single, born in South Dakota, father born in Wisconsin, mother born in Germany, is a carpenter for buildings.
Newspaper article: Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) 28 Jun 1931, Sun:
"Henry Kieni of Humboldt was in Sioux Falls the past week and closed a deal whereby he will erect a cattle shed and some other buildings on the Woodlawn Dairy farm located near Sioux Falls. The work on the improvement will start at once."
According to the book, “Humboldt through 100 years”, Henry Kieni married Hulda Miller 11-22-1892. Hulda was born in Saxony, Germany in 1874. The couple farmed southwest of Humboldt after their marriage. They moved into Humboldt in 1899 where Henry was a carpenter until his death in 1936. Hulda died in 1967. They had 3 children, all now deceased: Arthur-1985, Emma-1987, and Ella-1969. Art was also a carpenter and built many homes and businesses in the area, including the addition on our farm house south of Humboldt.
Posted to a query on the SDGenWeb Minnehaha County page by Bill Even on Oct. 21, 1998:
“I talked to my father about Henry Kieni. He said that Henry’s nickname was “Spits” Kieni. He was known as quite a gambler, willing to bet on most anything. He built our neighbor Joe Kueter’s barn in the 1920s. When he was finished, he wanted to roll dice for the payment. Double or nothing. Joe turned him down. Henry and some of his friends use to ride the train to Hartford, SD about 7 miles east of Humboldt on Friday nights. They had a high stakes poker game in town and it wasn’t unusual for land, businesses and thousands of dollars to change hands every night. Henry owned the Hotel on Main Street in Humboldt. He lost it in a game of poker and won it back before the evening was over. Henry built a lean-to addition on our farm house in the early part of this century. Dad said it was a contract job for a fixed sum with my great-grandfather. When we re-shingled the house in the 1980s we found most of the roof was old used lumber, some of it apparently coming from the hog barn. Had to laugh at it. The whole family is buried in the Humboldt city cemetery. One item of interest in the burial plt is the listing of a third daughter named Emma Carter. Date of Birth listed as 1899 but with no date of death inscribed on the tombstone. Curious.”
From The Daily Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD, Tuesday, September 29, 1936:
“Henry W. Kieni’s Rites Thursday
Humboldt Contractor Dies After Year’s Illness--Lived there 37 Years”
“Humboldt, SD: Sept. 29--Final rites for Henry W. Kieni, Humboldt contractor and builder who died at his home in Humboldt Monday following a lingering illness will be held in the Congregational church of Humboldt at 2:30 p.m. Thursday with the Rev. W. W. Russell conducting. A short serviced will precede the rites at the church.
Stricken with illness at intervals during the past year, Mr. Kieni had been failing in health for the last two months.
Mr. Kieni was a pioneer resident of Humboldt having lived here for 37 years. He had been in the construction work in this city for the last 36 years.
Born in Kenosha, Wis., on October 8, 1867, Mr. Kieni lived in the Wisconsin city for 14 years, after which he moved to a farm near Humboldt.
On November 22, 1892 he married Miss Hulda Miller of Wall Lake. They moved to the town of Humboldt in 1899, occupying one of the first houses to be built in Humboldt. The following year he made his debut as contracor which later made him a well-known figure throughout southeaastern South Dakota. He was one of Humboldt’s first contractors.
His son, Arthur, later joined him in his work and together they organized Humboldt’s largest construction crew.
He is survived by his widow and three children, Arthur and Ella of Humboldt and Emma of Hollywood, Calif.”
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Connected Bloodlines
1868 - 1936 (67 years)
