By Audrey Posten

A man with ancestral ties to Guttenberg has written a book detailing the German immigrant experience of coming to—and making a home in—the mid-19th century United States.

Through “Bold as a Bear: The German Quest for the Iowa Prairie,” John Heithoff traces his ancestors’ journey across the Atlantic to Guttenberg, and later the prairies of Carroll County.

A retired attorney who now lives in Nebraska, he feels it’s a journey other families, in Guttenberg and beyond, will relate to. 

“Our story has been uncovered so deeply, and that’s why there’s a book about it, but it could be your family story,” he shared. “It captures the time and situation of one family that is shared by many.”

Heithoff became interested in his family’s history around 30 years ago. At the time, a relative was diving deep into the background on his father’s side, even enlisting the help of a German researcher.  

“There was also help from many family members,” Heithoff recalled. “I was interacting with her and writing for land records, on a mission of exploring more. My sister was also key; we both share a fascination for this.”

Finding information was more difficult then, he noted. The extensive online resources of today weren’t yet widely available.

“Now, there is financial support all over to put records online,” Heithoff said.

Around 15 years ago, after discovering the online record of the steamship his ancestors traveled on from Germany to New Orleans, the idea of a book began to develop.

“I thought, ‘This should be written up correctly,’” Heithoff said. “After years of doing this as a hobby and casual research, I had a treasure trove of information. I just couldn’t let it go.”

He began working on “Bold as a Bear” in earnest in 2022, while semi-retired. It took all of 2025 to wrap it up. Now, the book is available on Amazon—and ready for a wider audience.

According to Heithoff, his ancestor, Bernard Heithoff, sailed from Germany in 1853 in the company of the Nieland family. One of its members was Catherine, who became his wife once the Nielands settled on the open prairie southwest of Guttenberg.

The steamship ride was horrific, with many passengers—including members of the Nieland family—dying of cholera on the more-than-six-week trip.

The family was attracted to Guttenberg by the Western Settlement Society based in Cincinnati, Ohio, whose purpose was to settle the Midwest and western United States. Agents in Germany directed and coordinated people. 

Guttenberg history states that, in 1844, the society purchased 300 acres to the north, and 160 acres to the south, of the Prairie la Porte plat, and the next year acquired the plat as well. Five German families arrived in March 1845, the most determined of an original band of 200 souls. The town had grown to nearly 300 people by 1851, and to more than 1,500 by 1856. Only a few residents were not German immigrants.

Heithoff said this mass migration helped spur Iowa statehood.

The Nielands originally settled near what is now St. Mary’s Cemetery.

“[The family] donated the original home site to the church to build the cemetery,” Heithoff said.

Heithoff’s ancestors remained in Guttenberg for around two decades before making their way to the prairies of Carroll County. However, two generations later, the author’s grandfather found himself back in the river town. He married a Frommelt, whose family operated a button factory, and bought a farm. The poor farming economy of the 1920s prompted them to return to Carroll County, though.

“My grandfather farmed near Guttenberg, where my father was born, which is included in the book,” Heithoff said. “Although the Heithoff name is more known in Carroll County, Nieland and Frommelt are familiar names in Guttenberg.”

In between his ancestors’ stories, Heithoff builds in history about where they lived and what the world and country were like at that time.

“Bold as a Bear” also references Elkader, the Turkey River and Dubuque. There are Civil War era back stories, details about farming the islands near Guttenberg and the process of becoming a citizen at the courthouse in Elkader.

“There are so many side stories in this book because I tried to step outside my family and ask what’s something I’d want to know,” Heithoff said. “This book is crammed with details that emerged.”

At the time, acknowledged Heithoff, “I didn’t know how to write a novel size book, so I grabbed everything I could to put in a story. I was always trying to add more details. That’s where the experience of law school and being a lawyer helped. You know how to research. I really filled in the story line along the way with interesting information.” 

Heithoff said the websites Find a Grave and FamilyEducation.com were valuable resources. Find a Grave confirmed names and important dates, while Family education fleshed out family surname information.

“They are compiled in all their variations, and you can see if you find the origin. I’m hoping the book becomes a resource because I go way back to peasant farming days. That’s an origin story for many people,” he shared.

A common misconception is people should start on Ancestry.com when researching their family genealogy, said Heithoff. He found it to be hit or miss.

Instead, he advises people to do their own research. 

“Dig in the weeds and find stuff. Double check dates. There’s even a site with the passenger lists of all the immigrant passenger ships, even though you would have to have more narrowed info about when your ancestors came over,” he explained.

The title of the book “Bold as a Bear” relates to the name of Bernard, Heihoff’s ancestor. Translated from German, it means “bold as a bear.”

“That had to be the title because I knew how difficult it was to leave your home. He adopted that attitude for the journey, and I thought it was a bold and impactful title,” Heithoff said.

Now, Heithoff hopes the book will be bold and impactful to others. He’d love to forge connections in Guttenberg, a community he visited a couple of times in his youth.

“I want to return,” he said. “I’m 74 years old now, and what I want to do in my retirement is spread this story. What better thing than to get out a story people can relate to.” 

“It’s everybody’s story,” he added. “I’m just lucky to have family who helped put it together. It’s a compilation of everybody’s efforts. I thought I had the responsibility to put it together.”

Find more information at www.boldasabear.com.