"An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties." Interstate Publishing Company, 1906. p. 709. FRED KIENS a farmer, a half mile north of Sedro-Woolley, has made a success of farming in Skagit county, at the same time winning by decrees the high respect and esteem of his neighbors and all those with whom he comes in contact. Mr. Kiens was born in Germany January 9, 1859, the son of Fred Kiens, a miner, who never left the Fatherland. The mother died when the subject of this sketch was two years of age. Fred Kiens received his early education in Germany, and after completing it remained on the parental farm until eighteen years of age, when he entered a steel factory. He was there for the next three years, leaving only to take up the military service incumbent on every able-bodied male citizen of Germany. After he had served the required number of years in the Kaiser's army he returned to the steel factory, determined to save money until he should have enough with which to come to America. Having realized his ambition in about six months, he crossed to the United States in 1883 and settled in Illinois, but after eight months there he came to Skagit county, arriving in April, 1884, and took up the land comprising his present home farm. He has since lived on this place, and has acquired another farm also, making his holdings at present aggregate 260 acres, eighty of which are under cultivation and producing the crops for which Skagit county is famous. In Seattle in 1885 Mr. Kiens married Miss Mary Teal, daughter of Bert Teal, a farmer of Germany. Mrs. Kiens was born in the old country in 1859 and received her education there. She had known her husband before he left Germany and when he was so situated as to justify marriage, the old acquaintance was renewed and she traveled across an ocean and a continent to be wed. Mr. and Mrs. Kiens are the parents of seven children, all born in Skagit county: Dena, Frank, Lizzie, John, Anna, Joseph and Mary. In fraternal connections Mr. Kiens is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men and in church membership a Catholic. While in politics he is a Republican generally, he is not bound so strictly by party ties as to overlook a good candidate on the opposing ticket. In addition to a few horses for farm purposes, Mr. Kiens keeps twenty-five head of cattle. He is recognized as one of the solid conservative farmers of the Sedro-Woolley section of Skagit county and he enjoys the full confidence of his neighbors. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in March 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.