2024 #52Ancestors #Week5 - Influencer

To say that this week's topic has been daunting is an understatement.

My great-grandfather Peter Winkel wasn't known to me, although I met him as a toddler before his death. When I was expecting my son, I decided that he would be named after two of my great-grandfathers, and I believe I made a great choice. My grandmother (Pete's daughter) told me she was delighted.

My step-father was close to his grandfather Pete (that's a tale for another day) and has told me many stories about him, including about Pete's work at the Farmer's Co-op, and his later loss of the job. I knew that Pete was on the side of the farmer (he wrote to the newspaper frequently with both letters to the paper and poems on his views). I found so many newspaper articles about his involvement in this and other organizations, however, that I may just tell the story through the articles themselves. Some of the letters and poems I've seen in the past I'm still trying to find.

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Dick Winkel has given up his job at the Wassenaar’s lumberyard and intends to go to Canada. His brother Pete will take his place in the yard. - Nieuwsblad March 1909. This was one year prior to Pete's marriage. He was twenty-six and had fund his vocation.

Board of Supervisors Meet - Bills Allowed - Peter Winkel board of health and review 11 00 11 00 - Alton Democrat Sept 1911. I'm not sure what these codes mean as posted in the newspaper but assume that Pete was given some sort of budget.

Peter Winkel, manager of our Farmer’s lumber yard, made a business trip to the county seat last Tuesday - Alton Democrat Dec 1917. Within 8 years, but at an unknown date Pete had become manager.

Several ads circa 1915 - 1930 addressing the Co-ops shareholders appeared encouraging all to purchase cement while rates were cheap and to notify him at once if their dividend checks had not been recieved. Peter Winkel, Manager

Peter Winkel was appointed permanent trustee in place of J.P. Schut, in the trusteeship of the Gerrit J. Van de Berg property and his bond fixed at $15,000.00 - Ireton Ledger Jan 1927. Per later articles outlining management and staff, it seems Schut was effectively Pete's boss. I have to look into who Van de Berg is, as he doesn't appear to have been a relative, possibly an associate.

Mr. Milo Reno, president of the Iowa Farmer’s Union has invited Mr. Peter Winkel, manager of the Farmers Union Stock Yards Commission Company at Sioux City, Iowa, to be present at the Public School auditorium at Sioux Center, IA, Thursday night at eight o’clock, Feb 13, 1930, for the purpose of discussing in detail the situation relative to the affairs of said commission company. All interested are requested to be present - Volksvriend Feb 13, 1930. A harbinger of dealings to come between the two men, it seems. A large crowd was reported to have attended the first known public meeting of the two men.

When Peter Winkel, former manager of the Farmer Co-operative society at Sioux Center, attempted to question Mr. Reno about certain points in the latter’s report, Reno’s supporters shouted him down. P. E. DeVries, Sioux County Supervisor-elect, was the only member of the opposition to which the convention listened, and he was permitted to finish his talk without disturbance. Sept 25, 1931. With no real way to know, this seems a bit like a verbal brawl. To have been a fly on the wall, decades before my own birth.

Peter Winkel, manager of the Farmers Union Commission Co. of Sioux City, will give a talk on Cooperative Marketing. F.H. Everson, president of the So. Dak. Farmers Union, will be the main speaker. Mr. Everson has been a member of the So. Dak. legislature for several years and is expected to discuss the farm problem intelligently. - Sioux Center News May 1932 This was at the annual Farmers Union Picnic, held despite being almost three years into the Depression.

At a recent meeting of the board of directors of the Farmers Union Livestock Commission company of Sioux City, a resolution was adopted asking Peter Winkel to resign as manager.

Before accepting the position as manager of the above company, Mr. Winkel was manager of the Farmers Cooperative Society at Sioux Center and resigned as such to accept the Sioux City job. As manager of the Sioux City company he was very successful and also made dividends for the Sioux City concern.

The Farmers Unions of Nebraska, S. Dakota, Minnesota and the Farmers Cooperative Society of Sioux Center compose the membership of the Sioux City company. The last two have furnished more than half of the business done by the concern and they have protested against the firing of Mr. Winkel, being well satisfied with his management. Mr. Winkel was never very strong for the Milo Reno regime and this may have been the cause for his unceremonious dismissal. - Boyden Reporter Nov 23, 1933. Regime, huh?

Farmers to Meet Saturday - Sioux Center will be the scene of one more episode in the removal of Milo Reno from power among the farmers of Iowa. The members of the Co-op Society are going to meet for the purpose of starting a new commission house in Sioux City. It has always been a sore point with Reno that he has nothing to say about the business of the Farmers Union Commission house in Sioux City. The large profits that Pete Winkel made seemed to spur his interest and finally did he get his finger in. And when he did, Peter Winkel was forced to resign. The Farmers Co-op Society of Sioux Center and the Progressive Farmers Union of Iowa each have one-sixth interest in the commission house as far as control goes. But they really have more than fifty percent interest because between the two of them because between the two of them they supply 59 percent of the business. These two groups have always backed Peter Winkel and fought Reno. Now that Reno is dictating the policies of the commission house they are going to withdraw their business and start a new commission firm to handle their business. Peter WInkel will no doubt be chosen to head the new firm.

The fear that these two groups of farmers have of Reno control is entirely justified. It seems as if everything that Reno touches just sours and dies. The commission house in Chicago, several insurance companies in Iowa, the Farmers Union of Iowa and now even the Holiday movement, all have been blighted by the presence of Reno. Each one of them has been a failure and all have failed because Milo Reno mismanaged them. - Sioux Center News Nov 23, 1933

PETER WINKEL WILL MANAGE NEW COMMISSION FIRM -

A new commission firm, to be called the Progressive Cooperative Livestock Agency, was originated here Saturday at a meeting of stockholders of the Farmers Cooperative Society and the Members of the Progressive Farmers Union.

Martin Moeller, president of the Cooperative society presided at the meeting which was held at the school house and attended by some 200 farmers. The new firm will open an office in the Livestock Exchange building, Sioux City on December first, under the management of Peter Winkel, former manager of the Farmers Union Commission Co.

The new commission firm owes its origin to dissatisfaction with the policies of the Farmer’s Union Commission Co., who recently dismissed Mr. Winkel in spite of his outstanding success as manager. The majority of the directors of the company are Farmer’s Holiday men and opposed to paying a patronage dividend, wishing to use the profits for organization …. - a policy to which Manager Winkel and the Sioux Center directors were opposed. - Sioux Center Times - Alton Democrat Dec 1, 1933. There was no time for paint to dry on the resignation.

$100,000.00

We have the above … available for lease to good cattle and

Sheep feeders.

Six percent interest and no other charges.

We are now able to give you excellent financial service along with

Good selling service and good sized patronage dividends.

PROGRESSIVE FARMERS CO-OP COMMISSION

Stock Yards, Sioux City, Iowa

Phone 87200 Peter Winkel, Manager

Alton Democrat April 13, 1934

Progressive Farmers Union Organizes Insurance Company - Local Man Elected Secretary-Treasurer -

At a meeting of officers of the Progressive Farmer’s Union of Iowa held at Des Moines last Friday the Progressive Mutual Automobile Insurance Association was organized. The company was created for the purpose of furnishing various types of automobile insurance at cost. Standards have been set so high that policies written will be as good as the best and at a lower rate, according to the newly elected officers of the company.

Ralph Sutherlin was elected president of the Progressive Mutual Automobile Insurance Assoc. Carl Wilken, Vice-president, C.A. Punt of Sioux Center, secretary-treasurer; Peter Winkel, Ass’t secretary-treasurer; Henry Brossmle, director; F. W. Bolte, director, and Albert Lohff was elected general manager. The Company will have ... a temporary office at Sioux City under direction of Peter Winkel. Sioux Center News June 13, 1935

REVIEW OF SIOUX CENTER CO-OPS - Gas & Oil - Co-Op Founded in 1924 -

The Co-op Gas and Oil Co. of Sioux Center, now one of the … successful and largest of it’s kind, was organized in 1924, and opened for business in July.

The first officers were Neal Mouw, president; P.E. Vermeer, treas.; H.E. deVries, sec’y. The directors were Neal Mouw, H.E. deVries, C. Schelling, J.P. Schutt, Wm. Rons, M.T. Moeller, P.E. Vermeer, P. Winkel, R. Bartels. These men were the prime movers in the organization. The late H.E. DeVries was especially active in the organization.

John Boeyink has been the manager from the beginning. The original staff is pretty much intact and the success of the Coop is owing in good measure to their loyalty and ability. Steve Campagne was assistant manager at that time. Andrew Nattinga the present assistant was assistant trucker then. Fred Overlander started with the Co-op in 1924 and has been on the job ever since. - Sioux Center News Jan 30, 1936

Franken, Frank Punt and Pete Winkel of Sioux City left Monday afternoon for Des Moines on insurance business. - Sioux Center News Jan 1938

ANNUAL MEETING OF COOPERATIVE GAS AND OIL CO. MONDAY JANUARY 24

The 14th annual meeting of the Cooperative Gas and Oil Company will be held next Monday afternoon starting at one o’clock in the Sierperda skating rink. Cards were sent out to all members last Friday morning and according to John Boeyink there will be a record crowd if the weather remains as good as it was early this week. At this meeting the annual report will be read, new officers elected, and interest and dividend checks handed out to patrons.

The Gas and Oil Company was organized in the summer of 1924. The first officers were Neal Mouw, president; J.P. Schutt, vice-president; H.E. DeVries, secretary; P.E. Vermeer, treasurer. The directors were C. Schelling, Wm. Rons, M.T. Moeller, Pete Winkel and Ralph Bartels. John Boeyink, the present manager, was also the first manager and two others of the original staff are still with the company, Andrew Nettinga and Fred Overlander. Other employees for the company are: Henry Mulder station assistant; James Hollander, service man; P.W. Mouw, W. Obbink, and Orville Buffington as truck drivers for country delivery; and Mabel Eggink as assistant bookkeeper.

The company has done a total business in its 13 ½ years of close to $2 Million. The dividends paid back to patrons during this time is near $175,000. - SIOUX CENTER JAN 20, 1938

CO-OPERATIVE GAS & OIL COMPANY ORGANIZED IN 1924 - The Co-operative Gas and Oil Co. was organized and began its first day of business on August 12, 1924. The first officers were: Neal Mouw, Pres.; J.P. Schut, Vice-Pres.; H.E. DeVries, secretary, and P.E. Vermeer, treasurer. First Board - 1924 - The first directors of the organization were C. Schelling, Wm. Rons, M.T. Moeller, Peter Winkel and Ralph Bartels. (original buildings owned by G. J. Schut) - Sioux Center News July 31, 1941

Bought Out Nick Wassenaar - Peter Winkel Manager - The farmers bought out Nick Wassenaar in 1912 to establish a lumber yard and Pete Winkel was the first manager of the lumber yard, followed by George Reimersma. … - Sioux Center News July 31, 1941

He organized and managed the Progressive Farmer’s Cooperative Commission Firm and was manager of that concern until his retirement in 1958.

As Dad has said, Pete was always an advocate for the farmer, and by extension for the working man. I definitely will spend at least a small amount of time looking into what became of Mr. Reno, but it's clear to me from the light that all of these articles ad the stories I've heard in the past that Pete was more than just an influencer in his community. He had principles that were consistent. And while reflecting on my grandmother's view of him as perhaps larger than life ... well, the man was six foot five, so perhaps this assisted in his ability to influence. With four children and fourteen grandchildren, his influence has been shared widely.