[page 3]
INTRODUCTION - . I
For several years I have thought that I should write down a
few things about Dad and Mother and their life in the San Luis
Valley and their involvment with the Alamosa River area. Along
with that I began to think about other things. One thing that
T always knew was that Dad and his brothers and sister were
born in South Dakota. I began to wonder where their :parents
came from before that and why they were in South Dakota. That
led me down some interesting paths. Some of those paths were
not always the right ones as we will see.
The search began in N.E. Iowa, where my Great Grandparents came
to from Germany. From there it led to N.W. Lowa where my Grand
Father had been.
In N.E. Towa were found graves of family members, and in N.W.
Iowa, were found records of marriages, births etc. Here also
were found various records of people with. the name of Bockhaus.
As you will see later this was very confusing to me, as I assumed
things that later turned out to be false.
After talking to relatives in Kansas and being put in touch with
Lester Boshart in Nebraska, things began to sort themselves
out. I found that I shouldnot be looking at the name Bockhaus,
but instead should be looking at the name Backhaus. As you will
see after reading this article, I made some rather confusing
searches.
As you read on, you will see dates etc. that do not always match
up. For instance the year of arrival from Germany is a little
confusing, but do not put much in this as a year or so either
way is really not that important at this time. You will see
two or three differant dates for my Grandparents marriage, and
T still do not know for sure which is right, but again it is not
that important for the sake of this article.
One thing that has come up,has been, did the folks arrive from
Germany and go thru Ellis Island My answer for that is no. All
information #s that they did arrive in New York, but at the time
of their arrival, either 1865 or 1866, they would have went
thru a place called Castle Garden. It has a rather interesting
history, including a fort in the war of 1812. It served as
immigration station for some 35 years from 1855 to 1890, and
saw some 8 million plus immigrants pass thru it. Ellis Island
opened Jan. 1, 1892 There was a temporary station used during
the time Castle Garden closed and Ellis Island opened. (Note,
thig information came from the NW Iowa Genealogical Soc. news
letter of Oct. 1998)

[page 4]
II
You will see some confusion about where the family came from
in Germany. In the article‘tthere are two differant towns listed,
and I am not sure which is correct. Also I recently received
some information which lists Liepzig as the birth place of
Granddad's older brother. As this was not in the Hannover
Provence at that time, I doubt if that is where they came to
america from. Some of the family may have been born there and
later moved to another area.
I found it rather interesting that during WW2, Francis was in
the Third Armored Div. and they fought some of the last battles
of the war just a few miles from Leipzig.
The first three sections deal with the family before Dad and
Mother came to Colorado.
Note - sorry for some mis spelled words. I changed typewriters
when I started this several years ago, and I have yet to teach
it to spell correctly. Some things I received from other sources
and I put them in as I received them, and I am not going to take
the blame for their spelling.
I have not determined when the spelling of the name was changed.
I wrote to the county court in Douglas Co. S&S. Dakota, and they
could find no record of it going thru court there. My guess is
that they just started spelling it with an 0 instead of an A.
T must assume that it was done before they left 5. Dakota. It
would have been a pretty simple matter in those days, not like
it would be today.
Since the above was written, a little new information about the
spelling of the name has shown up. I believe that the Grand
parents probably began spelling the last name Bockhaus as soon
as they were married. Of course the name on the homestead would
have been with the old spelling, There is information now
available on births“inS. Dakota before 1900. The only name that
so far shows up is Dad's brother Albert, and his name is listed
as Bockhaus, and the parents listed the same, As far as JI .
“know, all of their children were born Bockhaus. Why Dad and
his older brother do not show up, I don{t know. It might have —
something to do with it being a territory when they were born.
As to how accurate this- book is, I am sure that it is not 100%.
The informationiabout Dad and Mother's early years in the Valley,
I gathered most of it from old records that I found. The later
years, I got both from old records and from things a5 I remember
them. Therein might be a problem. I find that I don't always
remember things the same as others do. That leads me to think
that surely they are the ones that are wrong, but than again
haybe not.

[page 5]
INTRODUCTION ~- continued TIT
I believe for the most part the book is fairly accurate. I have
found some things that are not 100%, but believe for the purpose
of this information, it is nothing worth worrying about. I
have of course read and reread the book and must accept it as
pretty accurate.
ere are many things that are not in the book, but had to give
up as it was getting out of control, JI never intended for it
to get nearly this big.
The following lines were from the NE Washington Genealogical Soc.
and pretty well sums up the frustation some must feel at times.
"T started out calmly, tracing my tree, to see if I could find
the makings of me. And all that I had was great-grandfather's
name, not. knowing his wife or from where he came. I chased hin
across a long line of states, and came up with pages and pages
of dates. When all were put together, it made me forlorn, it
proved poor great-grandpa had never been born One day I was sure
the truth I had found, determined to turn this whole thing up
side down. I looked up the record of our dear Uncle John,
then I found him younger than his son, oh darn. Then when my
hopes were fast growing dim, I came across records that must
have been him. The facts I collected made me quite sad, dear
old great-grandfather was never a dad. I think someone is
pulling my leg, I am not sure at all I wasn’t hatched from an
egg. After hundreds of dollers I" we spent on my tree, I can't
help but wonder if I'm really me. (written by Joy Ross)
As I bring this effort to a close, I hope you enjoy reading
it, and it brings back memories to those of us that lived
some of it and for those of you that are new to some of the
information, I hope you learn things that you didn!t know.
Note, In the back of the book there is an indeS. It is by no
means complete, but might be of some help. You will notice
that most of the names refer back to the first three sections,
from there on more of it refers to locations etc.
One Last thing before this goes to be printed, for whatever it
is worth, I would like to dedicate this effort to the memory
of Louis and Emma Bockhaus. May they never be forgotten

[page 6]
PART ONE - THE IOWA CONNECTION
Thru various sources I had learned that my grandparents had
come over from Germany to the’ small town of Dorchester, Iowa,
around the end of the civil war. With that in mind Mavis and
I went to Dorchester in Sept. of 1994, When we arrived there,
we were taken at the beauty of the area, and also found that
the town probably hadn't changed much over the years. The
first thing we saw coming into town was the Methodist Church,
but could find no one around there, so went to the Post Office,
and asked if they had ever heard of the name Bockhaus. To
our surprise they had and began to think back. They said they
believed that the ones left there had all died some years back.
We were directed to the Methodist Cemetary, where we found the
graves of Henry and Dorothea Backhaus, who were my Greatgrand
parents. Beside them were the graves of Fred Bockhous and his
wife Frieda. Fred is a son of Henry and a brother of my
grandfather. Beside them are the graves of their three sons,
Frederick, Milton, and Ervin. We found out that none of the
boys ever married. There was a girl named Nettie who was
married to Earl Weber, and she is buried at Decoroh, Iowa.
They did not have any children.
At this point I will explain the differant spelling of the last
name. I had always been led to believe that the name had been
changed from Backhaus to Bockhaus. As you will notice there
was also a change to Bockhous. A far as I can tell Fred and
his family are the only one that used this spelling. Later
in the family history you will see one other spelling. You
will also notice that not all of the family changed the spelling.
After leaving Dorchester, we continued on across the state to
LeMars, where it was my understanding my grandfather had gone
later. We looked up cemetary records, marriage and bi¥fBh records
and found several recordings, including the marriage of my
grandparents. We also found several recordings of births, etc.
of the name Bockhaus, but at that time could not connect them.
One name stood out, and that was a birth to a}man named Adolph
Dulitz, and a woman named Catherina Bockhaus, who later we
found out was my grandfathers sister and her husband. It turn-
ed he was the Methodist Minister who performed the marriage
of my grandparents.
Thru several letters, etc., we found three Bockhaus names that
I decided must be related to my grandfather. There is a Henry
Bockhaus, who is buried at Hull, Iowa, a Frank Bockhaus who
died at Merrill, Iowa, in 1906. There is also a George Bockhaus
that I have no information on. I do know that Henry and
Frank were brothers, so I thought Henry was probably Henry Jr.,
but as you will see later they are not connected, at least as
far as I can tell, to my grandparents. I plan on looking into
this later, and if new information shows:up,it will be added.

[page 7]
PART ONE - continued
To further find out more about the Bockhaus family in Iowa
and to find out if more family had come over from Germany,
I had the church records in LeMars searched and found that
the Methodist church there does not have any of the old records.
I also wrote to the Methodist church in Dorchester and received
avery nice letter from a lady by the name of Edna Kumph, who
lives across the state line in Eitzen, Minn. It seems that
the church in Dorchester had been closed because there were
not enough people attending anymore to maintain it. (this was
in June of 1993) The church was purchased by a private party
and is now being maintained. During the title search they
found that.the land it sits on was sold by Henry and Dorothea
Backhaus in 1875. A copy of the title is included in this
writeup. She also enclosed a picture of Nettie Bockhous's
husband with his second wife, who at this date I believe is
still living, although in rather poor health. Earl Weber,
(Nettie's husband) I believe died in 1985. Earl donated 12
oak pews to the church in Dorchester in Nettie's name. Do not
know the date of this. Edna also told me that her husband
Walter Kumph was friends with Fred Bockhous's family and was
pallbearer at Frieda's funeral, and also at all 3 boys funerals.
Edna said that she used to always call Frieda Grandma Bockhaus.
I have seen this in other papers also, but cannot recall where.
This is just a brief summary of the tracking of the early family
history that was done just to get me up to date with the past.
At one time all of this and more was known by the family in
Kansas, but all of the older ones are gone, and I am so far out
of touch with the ones that are left, that we had to make a trip
back thexe this spring just to get to know them again. By living
so far away from Kansas, and not keeping in touch we have missed
out on family get togethers etc.
Later in this writeup I will go into more detail about the
family in Kansas, and how they cameto be in Kansas. I will also
give a brief history of Dad's brothers and sister, who for any-
one that remembers her, will remember her as quite an unforget—
able lady.

[page 8]
PART ONE - continued
In May of this year (1995) we were in Kansas for the first time
in many years and asked many questions about the family history.
During the course of conversation with Wilburt Penner, he told
of a second cousin by the name of Lester Boshart who lives in
Oneil, Nebraska. I contacted him and he sent a packet of in-
formation about the family. I am including this information
in this writeup, but will also make a summary of it.
My Greatgrandfather, Henry, was born in Germany in 1818. My
greatgrandmother, Dorothea Harms, was also born in Germany in
4820. (I do not know the date of their marriage) They lived
in the small village of Barum, in the Hanover Province, where
all of their children were born. They had 6 children, 3 boys,
and 3 girls. They were, Dora, born in 1843, Henry, born in
1847, Catherina, born in 1850, Mary, born in 1855, Fred, born
in 1857, and William, born in 1860. As you will notice the
name Henry appears, but is a@ifferant one then the one I traced
earlier. Willdam who was usually listed as William H. was my
Grandfather, and Henry was Lester Boshart's Grandfather.
In 1863 the two oldest children were sent to America to see if
they could earn enough money to bring the rest of the family
over. They were unable to earn enough money, so the family in
Germany borrowed the money from a tailor by the name of Schneider
and came over with him. They arrived in New York in July of
1865. From there they went by train to Dorchester, Iowa, where
they settled. By this time the oldest son Henry, who had been
in this country two years, and was now 18, enlisted in Bheyarmy.
He and his older sister had located near Madison, Wisconsin,
and he joined Co. H 51st Regiment of the Wisconsin Infantary.
Catherina married Adolph Dulitz when she was 17. Adolph later
became a German Methodist minister, and although the information
does not show it, he was minister in LeMars, Iowa during the
period of 1883-1885. The birth records show a son born to
them in LeMars in 1883, and he performed the marriage of my
Grandparents in 1885. William H moved to LeMars, I assume
around this time, and would assume that he went to that town
because of his sister. He worked at a hardware store there,
as far as I know. He also met his future wife there.
William H. married Emilie Falk according to the records:im LeMars
in Dec. of 1885, The history of his new wife can best be
told by a writeup done by their daughter Frances, and it is
included in this writeup. The date of their marriage does not
correspond, so I will stay with the record of their marriage
from the courthouse in LeMars.
Note —- Some information on this page and the following page /*
cleared up in later information in this section. As for thes,
of Wm. & Emilie's marriage, there are conflicting dates, so ;
not know for sure when they were married. :
é
Heat,

[page 9]
fT ONE - continued
Wm. and Emilie went to South
omesteaded 160 acres. I would
part of 1886, but
ctly after their marriage,
ota, where I assume they h
nk that it would have been in the early
not know this for sure.
y located approx. nine miles west of Parkston, in Douglas
aunty. The location is the N.E. 1/4 of Section # 2 Township
Range 62 W. All of their children were born there, as told
Aunt Frances's story. I remember dad telling about one of
3 younger brothers.asking him where he was born, and of course
Said South Dakota. His brother said, no you weren't, you
-e born in Dakota Territory, I was porn in South Dakota.
course this didn't set too well with dad, but he had to
mit his brother was right.
is my understanding that Gearge and Bertha Baum settled just
») the south of Wm. and Emilie. (Bertha was Emilie's sister.)
do not know if it joined their place or not, but would think
at maybe it did, as they stayed close all thru the years.
South Dakota winters
4903 Granddad had had all of the tough
some other place to
could take, and went south looking for
‘ttle. He went to New Mexico, and while there he was told of
ome property in Kansas that might be for sale. He went there
id found two places near Halstead. One was about nine miles
com town, the other was about three miles from town. There
‘as not much to decide there as Grandmother had told him before
> left, he had better not find another place nine miles from
swn. He bought the place close to town, and that became the
come place in Kansas. He sold the place in South Dakota for
"4000.00 and bought the place in Kansas for the same amount.
have only been to the area in South Dakota a couple of times,
ut I would say he made a good trade.
he Baum's also moved to Halstead, put do not have any information
bout them.
the story of the move is also told in the write up from Aunt
‘vances. The information about the price of the property is
‘rom my cousin Art BockHaus. He still has a copy of the bill
5£ sale from South Dakota, and also a copy of the deed to the
ome place in Halstead.
ave other information that
he land in sD
but
Note - Since the above was written Ih
~ will insert here. Granddad actually homesteaded t
in 1881, at which time he built a small house on the property,
decided that he would rather live in town and work in the hard-
ware store. After his marriage he moved back to the homestead.
George Baum homesteaded south of them and met Emilie's sister
there, and married her.
_eenigsaest
penn

[page 10]
PART ONE - continued - 1996 update
This page is some information that I have received since 1994 &
1995, when this part of the book was first written.
Mavis & I made a second trip to Dorchester this year, and have
some more information, some a little differant, and some that
just adds to what is already written.
First of all, in the past I had seen some informatiofabout the
trip from Germany, but did not know who the person was that had
written it, so was not sure of the accuracy. The information
was furnished to Frances Penner in 1975 by Anna Anderson of Decorah,
Towa. There was not much of it and I had no idea who Anna was.
I now have the complete letter and know who Anna was. She states
that the Bockhaus and Dehning families came over together in 1866.
This makes the 2 dates a year apart, so do not know for sure
which is right, but does not make that much differance. She also
states that they came from Dirsbuttel, Germany, instead of Barum.
Lester Boshart said that he believes this could be correct, and
that our Greatgrandmother was the one that was from Barum. As
for the Dehning family, I believe that is probably correct infor-
mation. While we were in Dorchester, we stopped at the Methodist }
church, or what used to be the church, and talked to the man that
now owns the building, and he put us in contact with one of the
Dehnings that still lives there, and he took us all aroun? the
area. He showed us where the Bockhaus family had lived, and
also the Dehning farms. He was very familiar with the family, .
and they had farmed side by side for close to 100 years, at which
time the last Bockhaus passed away, and the place was sold. I
asked who Anna Anderson was, and he said that it was his Aunt.
She was a grandaughter of the Dehnings that came over from
Germany. Dehnings alsetook us out to visit with Alvin and
Mildred Mohwinkle. Alvin's Aunt was married to Fred Bockhaus.
He had a few pictures of the Bockhaus family from years ago.
We spent a very interesting day in Dorchester, and met some very
nice people. Very friendly, very laid back for want of a better
word. It is a very differant life there than I am used to. I
asked if there was any law officers in town, and the answer
was, no but a deputy comeyby once in awhile Erem the next town.
When we arrived back at Dehnings farm, Mavis happened to look
towards the house, and was shocked to find they had not even ,
shut the door. Must not be a very high crime area. i
As for things we learned, I will start with the church.
The last service was held in the church June 27, 1993. The
property was sold, and we met the man that owns it today. I
failed to write down his name, but the building is in good
hands. He was planning on living there, but found a house in
town that suited him better, so the church is only used for
storage at present. The Methodists started holding church
in Dorchester in 1858 at various places. During the years
of 1874-1875 the present building was built and dedicated on
August 28, 1875, Services were held in the Dorchester community
for 135 years until this church was closed. 5

[page 11]
PART ONE - continued
The building that is there today was built on Bockhaus land.
Inside the church are some really nice oak pews that were given
to the church in memory of Nettie Weber, by her husband. They
are really beautiful, and at present noone knows what will happen
to them.
As for the Bockhaus family in Dorchester, I found that all you
have to do is tell anyone there that you are a Bockhaus, and
you are already known. The home place there was almost right
in town. The house is long gone, and the county has a yard
therp,right along the road into town, The area‘isvery hilly
and the property starts in town, (where the church sits) and
follows up a little valley until you get on top of the hill.
There the area opens up into pretty large fields. There the
‘Bockhaus & Dehning land joins. The Dehnings lived on top of
the hill, in fact some of them still do.
Henry Bockhaus died in 1875, and as his son Fred was then 18,
I assume that he took over. After his death his sons continued
farming there until the last one passed away in 1962. The
oldest boy was also named Fred, and everyone called him Freddie.
Freddie farmed on another place by himself, while the other 2
boys stayed on the home place. Freddie was planning on getting
married when he had a heart attack. .
According to Dehning, Nettie had a pretty rough life until she
married. The old house had been destroyed by fire and the boys
built another one, but it was not very suitable for all of them
to live in, and it made it pretty rough on Nettie. After she
married Earl Weber, her life changed for the better fast. Every-~-
one says that he was a really nice person and he thought the
world of Nettie. According to the Dehnings, Earl & Nettie spent
a lot of time doing thingsfor other people. I talked to the
secratary at the Methodist church in Decorah, when we were looking
for Netties grave, and she said the same thing about Earl.
Erwin was the last boy to farm the home place, and he is really
not hard to find out about. Seems that he and his brother Milton
were well known around the area. Don't know if that is good or
bad. Erwin was a ww2 vet, and he had been shot up pretty bad
during the war. :
I -had assumed that we would make this one last trip to Dorchester
but after being there this time, I found that I am very attrackéd
to both the people and the area. It is some very pretty country.
So who knows, maybe we will be thru there again.

[page 12]
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[page 13]
PART ONE - continued
The following pages, (eleven) were furnished to me by Lester
Boshart. As you will notice at the top of the pages, some of
the information was furnished to him by others. Lester has
done a lot of research into the Backhaus family, and I am very
grateful for the information that he has given me, and also for
getting me on the right track. If it wasn't for him, there
is no telling what direction I would have went. As we already
know the family name was Backhaus, and as you will notice Wm.
carried that spelling when he homesteaded the property in South
Dakota.
Below is a photo of Lester taken in Sept. of 1998, when Mavis & IT
stopped by his place for a brief visit. He lives on a cattle
ranch north of O'Neil, Nebr. At the time of our visit he stated
that he had pretty well turned most of the ranch over to his
nephew, who lives close by.
(Lester's grandfather Henry was Wm.Bockhaus' brother)
Note - there is other information in this first section that I
have received from Lester also. He has been a great help with
any information that he has available. I must thank Wilbert
Penner for putting me in touch with Lester.

[page 14]
ane of RESEARCHER! Lester . shart
Please return to:
VATED 0, j Marjorie McKathnie
‘ (1474 48th Avenuc
_ Columbus, NE 68601 |
USE FULL GIVEN NAME BEFORE MARRIAGE
HESCENDANT GREAT GRANDFATHER ~ SPOUSE GREAT GRANDMOTHER
FHEL NAME! | pewey BACKHAUS FULL NAME! _ DOROTHEA HARMS .
CHILD OF: . CHILD OF: -
VATE OF RIRTH: 1818 DATE OF BIRTH: 1820
PLACE OF BIRTH! _ paNOVER GERMANY PLACE OF BIRTH: HANOVER GERMANY
HATE OF DEATH! — atic 9 1875. DATE OF DEATH: _ Aug 19 1906.
PLACE OF BURIAL! _ poRCHESTER IOWA: PLACE OF BURIAL: _ DORCHESTER LOWA ;
HATE ANG PLACE MARRIED: ‘BARUM GERMANY: _
CHTLDREN
tw eutl BIRTH DEA™
SERE NAME IN FULL DATE, CO., CITY. STATE | SPOUSE DATE IDA!
‘ 1843 HANOVER SARUM GERT OTTO eae cK a Beg
FEB 14 1847 BARUM GER AUGUSTA’ LAABS
L___DORA' BUCKENDAHL
pt DORA’
F
F
Le [ae fan ow [pa joe
'}_. CATHERINE AUG 20 1850 BARUM GER} ADOLPH DULITZ
Fi MARY JAN 3 1855  BARUM GER ! FRED BUBLITZ
Mi FRED 1857  BARUM GER {| FREDA:MOHWINKEL |
Mi WILLIAM HENRY AUG 31 1860 BARUM GER |! EMILIE FALK '
INTERESTING FACTS
rravious martiages, education, military service, travets, church, hobbies, ot
HENRY AND DOROTHEA WERE BORN IN GERMANY AND WERE MARRIED THERE, LIVED ir
BARUM GERMANY WHERE ALL THEIR CHILDREN WERE BORN, IN 1863 THEY SENT THEIR 2
OLDEST CHILDREN TO AMERICA TO EARN MONEY FOR THE REST OF THE FAMILY TO COMF
COVER ON. UNABLE TO EARN THE MONEY IN 1865 THEY BOWROWED THE MONEY FROM A |
TAYLOR BY THE NAME OF SCHNEIDER AND CAME OVER WITH HIM. THEY ARRIVED IN NEW
YORK IN JULY 1865, FROM THERE THEY CAME TO LOWA BY TRAIN AN SETTLED AT DOR=—
CHESTER, DORCHESTER 18 CLOSE TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND LOOKS MUCH LIKE !
GERMANY WHERE THEY CAME FROM. A LOT OF RERMANS SETTLED THERE. ANOTHER FAMI"
BY THE NAME BACKHAUS LIVE CLOSE TO THERE BUT COULD NOT FINE OUT HOW THEY AR
RELATED. /

[page 15]
NAME OF RESEARCHER:
DATE:
DESCENDANT
Please return to
Lester Boshart
HO 85 Box 19
O'Neill, NE 68762
USE FULL GIVEN NAME BEFORE MARRIAGE
SPOUSE
FULL NAME: Dora Backhaus oo FULL NAME? Otto Ebrick. __
CHILD OF:_Henry & Dorothea Backhaus CHILD OF: __
DATE OF BIRTH: 1843
DATE OF BIRTH: _
PLACE OF BIRTH: Hanover Germany ._-__ PLACE OF BIRTH:
DATE OF DEATH: __. _ DATE OF DEATH:
PLACE OF BURIAL: _ PLACE OF BURIAL: ee
DATE AND PLACE MARRIED: 1867 en a eee
CHILDREN
BIRTH MARRIED DEATH
SEX:__NAME IN FULL oo: DATE: CITY STATE 9: SPOUSE  _:_ DATE : DATE |
INTERESTING FACTS AND PHOTOS
Previous marriages, educatioa, Military service, travels, church, hobbies, etc,
I CAN NOT FINE NOTHING ON DORA
10

[page 16]
DESCENDANT GRANDFATHER SPOUSE GRANDMOTHER
FULL NAME?__Henry Backhaus _._.. FULL NAME:_Augusta Garoline Laabs :
CHILD OF:_Martin Dorothen Luedtke Laab
CHILD OF tHenry & Kate Harms Backhaus_ DATE OF BIRTH: _ Oct 3-1852 _ ;
PLACE OF BIRTH: Germany
DATE OF BIRTH: Feb 14-1847 _ DATE OF DEATH: Aug 18-1885
_ PLACE OF BURIAL: Independence lowa__
PLACE OF BIRTH: Hanover Germany ss FULL NAME:Anna Dore Buckendab] __
J CHILD OF :William & Dora Buckendabl _
DATE OF DEATH! March 17-1916 —=sss«éDATE: «OOF BIRTH: June 19-1862
PLACE OF BIRTH: _ Germany
PLACE OF BURIAL:Atkinson Nebraska DATE OF DEATH: Sept 28-1947
~——“~ PLACE OF BURIAL:Atkinson Nebraska
DATE AND PLACE MARRIED:Febr 19-1875 at Silver Creek Ridge, Iowa Allamakee Cov
Date AND PLACE MARRIED: July 12-1888 at O'Neill Nebraska Holt County =
CHILDREN OF HENRY AND AUGUSTA BACKHAUS
BIRTH DE
SEX:____NAME IN FULL: DATE CITY STATE : SPOUSE nie: DAUE:DA?
F :Marie Lydia
_m :George William _
CHILDREN OF HENRY AND DORA
- BIRTH DEA -
SEX: DATE CITY STATE :_ SPOUSE —____ ss DATE 3 DAT
MWiliiam 77-13-1880_Atkinson Nebr: Millie Bliss :”  T=i7-1¢)
“WiFrank ~~~ :3=7-1890 “Atkinson Nebr:_Eva Bradshaw "Us 7=2921%
_M :Lewis :8-29-1893 Atkinson Nebr: Rose Vrooman 7": 69-196,
WF :Gora 1-3-1896 Atkinson Nebr: George Thomson: T0s8-1',
Fo :Pearl 5-10-1965 Atkinson Nebr: ivan Winterstean :_ 3=7=10t
“¥ iHinnie ~~ :10-30-I900Atkinson Nebr: Edward Boshart "7" 2-26-1%
"M :Leroy ~~ 2-3-1905 Atkinson Nebr: Mildred Olson "Us" T=10-1"
Henury was born Hanover,Germany in a small town by the name of Barum,. Wher
he was 16 his parents sent him and his oldest sister to America to earn mone?)
so the rest of the family could come over. Thy located near Madison ,Wisconsi! |
On March 27,1865, then being eighteen of age he enlisted in CO.H Fifty-First
Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry, Unable to raise money here the family borrow(,
the money from a taylor by the name of Schneider who was comeing to this cot!
and came along with him. They arrived in New York in July 1865, At Borcheste.
in 1875 he married Augusta Caroline Laabs, They had three children named Mar:
Lydia,George William & Heinrick Arthur. She died Aug 1885 at Independence, lor ~
and is buried there. In 1886 Henry and his three children moved by train to
Atkinson Nebraska. Some time later Henrys sister and’ my grandmother Dora Buc:
endabl came to Atkinson. Dora homesteaded on some land’ south of Atkinson, In|
1888 Henry and Dora were married. They had seven children, William,Frank,Lew
Gora,Pearl,Minnie and Leroy, All have passed away.
Henry passed away in the Veterans Hospital at Hot Springs ,' South Dakota in
Dora passed away Sept, 28, 1947, Both are buried at Atkinson , Nebraska.
11

[page 17]
NAME OF RESEARCHER: WESLEY DULITZ . Please return to:
DATE: DEC 1991 Marjorie McKathnie
1474 48th Avenue
Columbus, NE 68601
USE FULL GIVEN NAME BEFORE MARRIAGE
DESCENDANT SPOUSE
FULL NAME: CATHERINE BACKHAUS. FULL NAME: _ADOLPH DULLTZ
CHILD OF: HENRY & DOROTHEA. BACKHAUS CHILD OF: _FRED ¢ BA
DATE OF BIRTH: _AUG 20, 1850 DATE OF BIRTH: _. 838
PLACE OF BIRTH: HANOVER GERMANY: PLACE OF BIRTH! BRANDENBURGEAST PRUSSIA
DATE OF DEATH: -_ JUNE 6, 1932 DATE OF DEATH: _MARCH 1, 1920
PLACE OF BURIAL: _MASON CITY, IOWA’ PLACE OF BURIAL: _MASON CITY, IOWA
DATE AND PLACE MARRIED: DEC 17, 18677
CHILDREN
. BIRTH DEATH
SEX: NAME_IN FULL ! DATE, CO., CITY, STATE ¢ SPOUSE DATE i DATE
Moi WILLIAM 11869 ‘ roe T1907
Ft LYDIA : 1876 : KUPPINGER 1963
Fo} FRANCIS : 1880 1 JAMES MUNSON ‘1975
M_i EDWARD + 1883 i +1926
M FRANK z * 1887 REDFIELD DAKOTA TERR. LOUISE ROEHRICH 1918:1976
F Helen : H
Bg GEORGE . 11891 11941
INTERESTING FACTS
Previous marriages, education, military service, travels, church, hobbies, etc.
Catherine came to this country when she was 15 years old with her parents and
family. Her oldest sister and brother were sent over ahead of them to earn
Money for fare over But was unable to do, The son ermlisted in a Wisconsin reg
ment and was no help. There was a tailor by the name of Schneidar who was goi
to this country: and borrow them the money to come along. fhey arrived im New
in July 1865, When they landed in New York she saw a row of sick children Lay
there waiting to be moved, They went to the next exit of the station. A famil
with many small children was ahead of them, Suddenly the mother fell over dea
That was not a very good luck at America before they set there foot_on the so
They came to Dorchester with debts to pay for their fare. On Dec. 17, 1867 sh
was married to Adolf Dulitz, She still owed a toilor $50,00 for her passage t
America, but worked in the fields to earn money to repay that debt, In 1873 h
husband becaine a minister of the German Methodist Church and they made there
home in southern Minn, in the vicinity of the famous Indian Massacre and duri
the 7 year grasshopper plague im that part of the country. Ia 1886 they were
transferred to Dakota Territory liveing at Redfield, Afrer this the family
moved to Iowa until Rev. Dulitz retired. In.1910 they; #6 Webster and in 1917
celebrated their golden wedding.
12

[page 18]
13
CATHERINE BACKEAUS DULITZ
ADOLPH DULITZ

[page 19]
NAME OF RESEARCHER: _ Lester Boshart oe Please return to!
DATE: i Marjorie NcKathnie
: 1474 48th Avenue
. Columbus, NE 68601
USE FULL GIVEN NAME BEFORE MARRIAGE |
DESCENDANT Great Aunt SPOUSE Great Uncle
FULL NAME! Mary Baeckhaus FULL NAME: Fredrick Bublitz
CHELD OF: Henry & Borothes Backhaus CHILD OF: Feter & Mary Recinke Bublitz
DATE OF BIRTH: Jan 3 1855 DATE OF BIRTH: | March
PLACE OF BIRTH: Barum, Hanover Germany PLACE OF BIRTH: Friebus Pomern Germany ~
DATE OF DEATH: Noy 13 1941 DATE OF DEATH! Feb 20
PLACE OF BURIAL: Pasadena California PLACE OF BURIAL: French Creek Ridge Cema
7 Lansing owa
NATE AND PLACE MARRIED: _March 8, 1893 at French Creek lowa
Mary age 38 ° Fredrick age
CILLLDREN .
. BIRTH | _ sODRATH
E DATE, CO., CITY, STATE DATE (DATE
SEX} NAME iN FULL SPOUSE
NO CHILDREN
a
A
3
8
fy ‘
6 4
‘ '
LU &
6 4
2 !
‘ f
4 £
‘ ‘a
2 L
1 e
i] é
A 8
8 iy
’ §
+ $
® ’
2 a
A e
i 1
' ’
: ‘
t ’
LJ 4.
‘ ’
$ 0
4
r
t
t
4
1’
4
t
2
one ed rd ee es
INTERESTING FACTS
Previous marriages, education, military service, travels, church, hobbies, etc.
Mary came to America with her parents from Germany when she was 10 years
old. She moved to California in December of 1913.
This is Marys niece
Marie Lydia Backhaus
Mekathnie er Emma
This pieture was :
taken in California Mary
Mary Backheus Bubli
14

[page 20]
wi uk RESEARCHER! _ Lester Boshart _ Please rettirn to:
MATES Jan 1993 , Marjorie McKathni=
1474 48th Avenne
. Columbus, NE GROEN!
USE FULL GIVEN NAME BEFORE MARRIAGE |
AF ES CENDANT SPOUSE
PEER, NAMB! Fred .Backhaus FULL NAME! Freda Mohwinkel oe
'HILD OF ‘Henry&@Dorothea(harms )Backhaus CHILD OF ‘JurgenéDorothea(Oitzman Mohwinkel
SATE OF BIRTH! Oct 12, 1857 DATE OF BIRTH: Dec 11, 1877 ne ee
LACE F RIRTH! Barum,Hanover Germany PLACE OF BIRTH:
TE OOF DEATH! Jaw 15, 1925 BATE OF DEATH! Oct 28, 1946
‘TALE OF BURTAL! Dorchester Towa PLACE OF BURIAL: Dorchester Towa.
vATE AND PLACE MARRIED: Nov 8, 1900
LH ELOREN
. BIRTH DEATH
NAME_IN FULL =: DATE, CO., CITY, STATE.
NATE DATE .
SPOUSE
Earl Weber (19853)
Jon fow fom fae few fae tee nye n ten few fem
. INTERESTING FACTS
“:aviouw marriates, education, military service, travels, church, hobbies, atc.
Fred came to this country when he was 7 years old with his family. They came
by train to Dorchester Iowa, He spent his entire life liveing around Borcheste1
On Nov 8 1900 he married Freda Mohwinkel and had four childen. Nettie was the
only one to marry and they had no children,. Fred changed the spelling of his
last name to spell Bockhous,. WE visited with Alvin Mohwinkel who is a nephew oi
Freda and he took us to the cemetry .whepe they are all buried at the Methodist
cemetry at Dorchester. Both sets of my Grandparents are buried there to . The
Backhaus and the Buekendahl familys
i5

[page 21]
I Sect ne YR
dina.
te
y
i
Fal
Sp
FRED BOCKHAUS
16
FRED & FREDA BOCKHAUS WEDDING

[page 22]
NAME OF RESEARCHER: _ WILBERT PENNER
DATE: _auc 26 1991
.Please return to:
Marjorie McKathnie
1474 48th Avenue
Columbus, NE 68601
USE FULL GIVEN NAME BEFORE MARRIAGE
DESCENDANT
FULL NAME: WILLIAM HENRY BACKHAUS __
CHILD OF: HENRY=DORATHEA? HARMS BACKHAUS— CHILD OF pa
DATE OF BIRTH! _ ava 31 1860 __
PLACE OF BIRTH: _ BANOVER GERMANY
SPOUSE
DATE OF DEATH: _ 1937 97_
PLACE OF BURIAL: __warsTeap vansas  —__
DATE AND PLACE MARRIED:
DATE OF BIRTH:
PLACE OF BIRTH:
DATE OF DEATH:
FULL NAME: EMILTE AUGUSTA HENRTETTAS FAL’:
NST=EREDEKIKA CHAROTTE FALK
OCT 14 1864. ___
RHUNGQW=POMMERANTA GERMS’
-APRIL1928
LACE OF BURIAL: HALSTEAD KANSAS
CHILDREN |
; BIRTH peat |
SEX: NAME IN FULL 1 DATE, €CO., CITY. STATE SPOUSE DATE < DAT
H eu Ms
w
te La
1
t
8
1
2
t
L
1
f
2
1
5
i
H
4
e
8
INTERESTING FACTS
Pravious marriages, education, military service,
William came to this country when he was 5 years old with his family. They li.
around Dorchester Iowa, He homesteaded 9 miles west of Parkston South Dakota
and worked in a hardware store, On November 15, 1885 be married Emilie Falk tb
his brother inlaw the Rev Adolph Dulitz, Not likeing the cold in South Dakote'
they sold their farm and moved to Halstead Kansas in March 1903,.
17
travels, church,
4
t
hobbies, etc)

[page 23]
Dora:.Backhaus-Bhrick & ' Wm. & Emilie Bockhaus
Wm. H..brether & sister
ee Cs
18

[page 24]
Wa Hi
HENRY
19
ij

[page 25]
Above - Looking toward the town of Dorchester, Picture
is taken from the west side of the Church. Land to the
right of the picture was at one time Bockhaus property.
Below - The Post Office in Dorchester
20

[page 26]
Above ~ Picture taken from across the creek looking at the
Church. Dorchester lays to the left of the picture. The
valley in the center of the picture was Bockhaus land. The
house used to be in the area where the county gravel pile is.
Below - This picture shows the Bockhaus land on top of the
ridge above town.
The ridge in the background was considered
the end of Bockhaus land.

[page 27]
Above - More of the land on top of the ridge. Am not sure
if it was Bockhaus or Dehning land, as they joined together.
Below - Looking at Dehning property an) house. Still in
the family after 130 years.
22

[page 28]
Photo above shows the entrance to the Methodist cemetary
at Dorchester, Iowa
Below - in the foreground are the Bockhaus graves at Dor-
chester. The large one on the left is Henry & Dorothea,
next to them are the graves of Fred, and his wife Frieda,
and the 3 smaller stones are Fred, Milton, and Erwin.

[page 29]
Grave of Henry Backhaus
Dorchester,
Lowa
Photos taken Sept. 71994
Grave of Fred and Frieda
daughter in law of Henry
Bockhous -
Backhaus
Son and
1
j

[page 30]
25
Graves of the three sons ot Fred & Frieda
Bockhous Dorchester, Towa
Sept. 1994

[page 31]
Deaths ot fred Bock haus’ Children
Freddie = __ Milton Nettie
IN MEMORY oF 7 IN MEMORY MEMORY OF “4%
Frederick H. Bockhous Aiiton A. Bock .
aus
pate oF pinrs MRS. EARL WEB.
DATE CF.BIRTH | Oct. 16, 1906 i
January 19, 1902 ° i a”) .
. : DATE OF DEATH 6° . oo DORN
DATE OF DEATH June 26, 1961 _ January 5, 1905
June 25, 1950 DATE OF SERVICE DEPARTED THIS LIFE
DATE AND HOUR oF SERVICES Saturday, July 1, 2961 ,
Thursday, June 29, 1950 HELD AT
. “ » Dorchester Methodist Church |
HELD at : 2:00 p.m.
1 p.m. from Funeral Eome :
2 p.m. at Methodist Church } CYMAN
@orchester, towa) : Rev. Milton Beeman
PLACE OF INTERMENT
CLERGYNAN " tharties
a & x N : Dorchester Methedist
Hdward Meyer i ~ Cemetery
PLACE OF INTERMENT PALLEEARERS
- Lippe Donald Dehuin
M. E. Cemetery, Dorchester cp Alton Kumph
: Mabr Clarence Schutte
Martin Funeral Service
ose Martin Funeral Home
Milton Bockhaus
Rites Saturday,
Rites will be held at Dorchester _
{Methodist church at 2 o'clock
‘Saturday afternoon, July 1, for,
{Milton A. Bockhaus, who died at‘
é
Ervin
IN MEMORY OF
Ervin W. Bockhaus
Ba aterlo0 township home Mon- Octuber 28, 1908 August 25, 1965
DATE OF BIRTH . He was a son of Fred and Frie- Services From
December 14, 1914 in da Mohwinkle Bockhaus, and a
ue member of Dorchester Methodist
DATE OF DEATH church. A brother and a sister
February 16, 1962 who remain are Irvin Bockhaus i
5 of prchester and Mrs, Earl Webs Rev. David W. Ash
_ . er. Decorah. . -
DATE OF SERVICE Bockhaus, who was 55, was! , Zonorary Bearers
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1952 found dead in a cornfield by his
brother, Irvin. Sheriff Theo.|
HELD AT . Rumph and Dr. Alden F. Wiley,
Be:00 p. m. at St. John’s medical examiner, investigated
Methodist Church, Dorchester Tuesday and reported that death|
was due to natural causes. | Borold Deb
CLERGYMAN Chester Eri
Rev. Milton Beeman
PLACE OF INTERMENT
Dorchester Methodist Cemetery
ae

[page 32]
HEIRS LISTED IN THE ERVIN BOCKHOUS' ESTATE
1 Ben Bockhaus
2 Walter Bockhaus
3 Mrs. Frances Penner
4 Albert Bochaus
5 Mrs. Lydia(Dulitz)Kuppinger
6 Mrs. Helen(Dulitz)Graney
7 Frank Dulitz
8 Frances(Dulitz) Munson
9 Mrs: Emma(Backhaus)McKathnie
10 Lewis Backhaus
11 Leroy Backhaus
12 Minnie(Backhaus)Boshart
13 Cora(Backhaus) Thomson
14 Pearl(Backhaus)Wintersteen
15 Mrs. Romona(Backhaus)Blackman
(cousin once removed)
16 Theodore Backus
(once removed)
17 John W. Backus
(once removed)
18 Mrs. Caroline(Backhaus)Poessnecker
(once removed)
19 Mrs. Lenora(Backhaus)Porter
(once removed)
20 Ralph Bockhaus
(once removed
21 Francis Bockhaus
(once removed)
22 Virgil Bockhaus
(once removed)
27
Halstead, Kansas
Halstead, Kansas
Burton, Kansas
Newton, Kansas
Mason City, Iowa
Portland, Oregan
Webster, S.Dakota
cfo Frank Dulitz, Guardian
Atkinson, Neb.
Chamber, Neb.
O'Neill, Neb.
O'Neill, Neb.
Chambers, Neb.
Lincoln, Neb.
Milwaukee, WI
c/o Mrs. Wm. Backus
Atkinson, Neb.
Willow Grove, Penn.
Mount View, Alaska
Thermopolis, Wyo.
Monte Vista, Colo.
Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Monte Vista, Colo,

[page 33]
Above and below are photos of Nettie Bockhaus Weber grave.
Notice on the marker for all the graves, that Nettie's
name is spelled the same as the Kansas family. (and ours)
These graves are located in a church cemetary just out
of Decorah, Iowa. The area is named "Canoe Ridge" and it
is really a pretty place. (these photos taken in 1996)
At the time these pictures were taken, Earl's second wife
was still living, although in very poor health.
28

[page 34]
29
Above is the marker for the Dulitz family graves in
Mason City, Iowa.
Below is the marker for Catherina Bockhaus Dulitz. She
was a sister of Willaim H.
Buried in this same lot-iis, Rev. Adolph Dulitz, a son
William H. who died in 1907, another son Edward, who
died in 1920,(he was born in LeMars, Iowa) and a daughter
Helen Dulitz Graney, who died in 1984.
(Photos taken in 1996)

[page 35]
DLL INLOUINY, Poti CULL.
WARRANTY DEED.
Chit. AIM Dd ae on
Bnew aff Men By t these 3 i Resse, that lever
net Yea e,
= basofully Seized of said premises ; that sey a are - from inanbrane, 3 that.
right and leit authority to sell and convey the same; and _.
7 Counters & wHe
A.D, BLL, , before me...
in and for said Couniy,
fh. a to me personally known
. affixed to the above deed as grantor” and acknowledge? the same to be
personally came Lbs
to be the identical person whose namesdZ....
‘t..voluntary act and deed,
WITNESS my hand and
This is a copy of the deed to
one acre of ground that the
church in Dorchester sits on
dated july 21, 1875

[page 36]
gg Ayr P SBOSTEROE
Jongual ‘seam erist, Hour City, owe, = any apa ervera = va ==
t } 1 Full Nowe of Groom > 1 Age next Tivthaay | “T Father's Name
1 Ry wham affidavit, ifm : 2 Place of Residenee £9 Race ar Golor 9 Mother's Maiden Name
9 By whom eoosent to Mar my 8 Ovenpation |B Plnce of Birth 8 No. of Groom's Marriage
1
2
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: 2
: 1
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dated ys fopre,
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2h ve Wars gg Kew ARMA
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‘a bulia al a iy Rety s Cdinua »Crauale hex ke
8 Crcahseas <li 7 ! Mead
1 PLAAAL f DY Aa. A 4fites wo 1 Oe Years! 1 yi ON Magecer!
° OR dar Ey (1 Oh CR butary |
i "darn fs ELAS
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ne ee * Hes AAMAS, L
Vaden here. Athee ke
2 Deatln cd A ie
nA
a a a ee ner nc A “hf ca aes
o lx. whi hac

[page 37]
MARRIAGES. wg
2 Pu ime of Bride "1 Age next Birthday” 1 Father's Name
2 Maiden Nome, if 2 Widow » 2 Rave or Color 2 Mother's Maiden Name
3 Place of Residence 1 Place of Birth 3 No. of Bride's Marriage
1 Where and when Morried
% Witneswer 2 Date of Relarn
2 By whom Certified 2 When Registered
17% years Makes | 4
fg ah hing kes 2
Mtateeraciss 2 Kot AT Bagh tn.
aan _- i . y LLP SE
Ly af year A te. Aeneas | L
eos ren ! rbd SA Mase | . dineslk 18 a
: " Bhoeen als - fe Herne 3 haw. t ee ye te
| LL epesrreak Or Ba ee aes & 0 Ue Corn: iA J ftt Sd
Keira Adi cane leach Accor ta he Hire o aer 1 ‘
| 8 2
aaigeatrammsmmmme? SAG)
LG Sache i 1
LD cnleccte thes, on foe w-l. ete te. 2
Gravy 3 Pesah 2 o Lec Wary Deck 4274 Yb
ve Tere Sel | i Ls Be Uh
Arc y ON ayeer i. ig roms 2 Se bat Aispe we | Lat Ar PM ea ate 1
a shew’ e Sah | LJ
: ahve Nave Sag :
1 Af years) li Abeecéol Barthes Ahern ee 1
| 2 bar otete Comckyy EEL e Bil
| Mes | Silat. CM colfind. / te
j . a Ps, or .
1S Ohicese de
ae
lat Ke are te,
i i /6 year fe bie Gokusen!
i
i rtced Sado tl il, 185 6 a
| hicclew 1° Becef- | Flt f Oh. dain 2 /
i aE Elian g: yt
i ab {ifr bei 1
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1 YY » bs Melcher “9
i
1? blag ebhlficvouy | i joe bof wIe og
' eed thE
aSeicledcan | 3 net | 2 Sh aside Bivereel 2 ¢
| & A OME, Lawsh fer Celin INE Ciber
WA hn Chlews jist Ae Pee Sv :
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i Chee. at Ede OM
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! Cees flee Tdearanye pat Ae De co ua 1
18 Cathe, Blakes. Seb sé le 4
ded Le Oe. Cee rerstteg Td,
Mleceen lor
A ater Netcus eri it og yee) Mcada Hibiun “s
2 beobiia Lehier fort, | We LY ae we 9
1 bas
ete t
i
@ haan Se at 2 Vib s Pee Cecees 4?
Li | wt OA
4 ' WP ertuce, Ca elon Goudie or
: yours 1 :
1 Phord wre lee Ciinbekldky? ' 2) ‘Sahu he het’ , ist Ape} irceu che, 1 45

[page 38]
COMRADE BACKHAUS of EDWARD LENOx POST G.AR
Passes AWAY at SOLDIER'S HOME
The death of Henry Sackhaus, an old soldier and member of
Edward Lenox Pest, occured at Battle Mountain Sanitarium, Hot
Springs, SD. last Friday. Deceased had been in poor health
for sem time and for the past year has been under the care and
treatment at the Home made and provided for the 61d Soldier's
seclining years.
The bedy was accompanied home Saturday by his son AsH. Backhens
who was called to Hot Springs from his hone at Pierces
He’ Backhaus was borm in léepsig Germany, Febre 14, 1847.
At the age of sixteen he cams to America and lecated near
Madison Visconsin. On March 27, 1865, then being @ighteen
years of e he enlisted in Co. H. fifty-first regiment. of
wisconsin antry. ‘His service was under Captain Rufus S.
Alien, in the year 1887 he came to Holt County, where he .
has gince lived. He ‘has been e pioneer and an upright citizen,
adding his part to buliding of the great west. ;
He was 69 years, lmonth and 3 deys old, Surviving relatives are:
two brothers, three sisters, a devoted wife and nine children.
One son George died some years age. ;
N ¥
Y
. at Holp-creeks . we
The last sad rites were held in the Methédist church in Atkinson,
Sunday afternoon and ithe body laid to rest in Woodlawn cemetery.
The church was Filled to it's capacity with sympathizing friends
and neighbors.e A ; ,
Rey, HeE. Wells conducted the service and brought a message of
comfort to the bereaved family, The G.A.Re Pos$ and the WeR.C.
wero in attendance in a body. The little group of veterans who
followed Comrade Backhaus to his last resting place remind us
that the ranks are thin and that that noble array of the Grand
Army of the Republic has almost passed from view. Soon the
tender memory of their bravery and the service they wrought 7
will alone remaine > i
Henry Backhaus was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
( This. was copied-from an Atkinson Graphic dated March 24, 1916)

[page 39]
Above is a photo of Ernst Karl Gottfried Falk - Father
of Emile Falk Bockhaus - Born Sept. 11, 1821 at Rhunow
Pommerania, Germany. Died in 1908. Believe that he is
buried in Canada, as some of the family went there and
he followed in 1902.
There are some Falks buried at LeMars, Iowa, but have
not been there as yet to check them out. One that is
buried there is a son of Ernst's, William, also looks
as though William's wife, and possibly a daughter of
their's, as the lot and block numbers are the same
for all three. There are some other Falks buried there,
but do not know if they are related.
There are some Falks listed in the phone book in Sioux
Falls, SD, and I wrote to one of them, but never received
a reply, so do not know if they are any relation or not.
34

[page 40]
Below are photos of Falk graves in LeMars, Iowa, taken in Sept.
1998. WillkdAm is abrother of Emilie Falk Bockhaus, and Bertha
Baum. After I took the pictures, I noticed that his name and
his wife's name were the same as William and Emilie Bockhaus.
Did not look for other Falk graves in the same cemetary. Did
not have a location, and do not know that they are any relation.
35

[page 41]
application for his homestead in S. Dakota. Notice that it,
was Dakota Territory at that time, Also note that he was still
using the old spelling of his last name. (Backhaus) |
HOMESTEAD.
_ of Section
Range G2. containing GL acres.
ate may
wo

[page 42]
[APFIDAYIT.]
i having filed my y application, Ff; ae ae for an entry, yt under
Section No. 2289, Revised Statutes of the United States, do solemnly yo swear -
BM Leet
settlement and cultivation ; ; that said entry is made for rey own exelusive
benefit, andl not directly or indirectly for the benefit or Use 2 of omy. other ,
person or persons whonsoever ; and that I have not heretofore had the benefit
of the homestead lows.
Aater of the Lund Office.
Norz.—If this affidavit be acknowledged before the Clerk @’the Court, as provided for by Sec. 2204, U.S. Revised Statutes,
the Homestead party must expressly state herein that he or some member of his family is residing upon the land applied fur, and that
bona fide improvement and settlement have been made, He must also state why he is unable to spear at the Land Office,
oy

[page 43]
[4188] ae
Receiver's Duplicate Receipt No. SOLE. , : ‘Application No. SGV a
. . °
HOMESTEAD,
RECELYED of
Of kL ES
being the amount of fee a: compensation of Register ant Receiver for the
LZ
v
entry of Lf 22702 of Section...
Township 2... rn of Range
Novre.—It is ‘required of the homestead settler that he shall reside upon and cultivate the land a
entry for # period of five years from the time of filing the affidavit, being also the date of entry. An.
more than six months worke a forfeiture of the claim. Further, within, two years from the expirat f
file proof of his actual settlement and cultivation, failing to do which, hia entry will be ‘canceled, Tf.
remain five years on his tract, he can, at any time after six months, pay for it with cash or land w:
settlement and cultivation from date of filing affidavit to the time of payment. . - , :
) Settler “does ‘not wish ‘to
te, tpon making proof of;

[page 44]
CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION, met Press aud Dakutsian Legal Bisaks, Yuukton. Dakota.
TERRITORY ©F AKOTA,
L<O_ fuudictal Qistel
.. day of_ Sy = g oe in
nd el personaily appeared
CO om Presiding Judge of the District
for the district aforesaid, Litlvana....
ang a Mm -( phons above the-age-of- boat sand applied in
open court to be admitted to become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America, pursuan :
he DotA :
the several acts of congress heretofore passed dn that subject. And the said Atk
_.baving therenpon produced to the Cours record testimony
owing that he had heretofore reported himeclf and filed his declaration of his intention to become a
of said several. acts of congress, and the Court
shi
citizen of the United States, according to the proyisi
being satisfied, as well we oath of the said
ag from jhe testimony of Lid:
the said Mehl tr Ah.
and under the jurisdiction of the United States for at least five years last past, and at least one year last
past within the Turritory of Dakota, aud that during the whole of that time be has behaved himself as
attached to the principles contained in the Constitution of the United
who are known to be citizens of be United States, that
has resided within the limits
aman of good moral character,
Slates, and well disposed ta the good 77, well being aud | eee of-the,same ; and two years and
i AREY -Au¢-t  veporied himself
apwards having elapsed since the said x ME
and Sled his declaration of intention as aforesaid —.p—emsmmenrannnn wa
twas Ordered, That the sid LLCO Aaca 6 Ok
be permitted to take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and the usual oath
whereby ho renounced all allegiance and § elity to every, foreign Prince, Pytentate, State or Sovereignty
whatever, and more particularly to. via
io was heretofore 9, subject, sp said oath having been admiuiste
Ve hua Beeced |
to the said
ithe etn | it was ordered by the Court
that the said_. rt be admitted
to ail and singular the rights, privileges and immunities of a naturalized citizen of the United States, and
that the same be certified by the Clerk of this Court, undgr the seal of said Court, whichis’ done
accordingly.
Jit Westinrowy, That the foregoing is a true copy of '
taken [rom the record of the proceedings of the Court aforesaid, I
Sppperioe my oame hereunto and affix the Seal of, the Gourt at
Aoi sy £4, this. 27.8 day of, defuse —
es year of our Lord one thousand cight hundred and eighty

[page 45]
[4—348.}
NO. 1-HOMBESTEHAD.
of Section N0...Rercocnoil Powaship (Af ee a of Range No. Aa 5th P. U,
hereby give notice of my tatention to make final proof toestadlish my claim to the land above described
and that I expect to prove my residence and cultivation before the Judge, or in his absence dzfore the
Clerk of the Distri a: a a4 2 voce COUULY, Dakota Perritory,
. 188-at Lado CMs
by two of the — witnesses: :
Sf
| . (Signature of Cluimant.)
, aut € Oftice a V ccaiz. 4 tra aot
vo Cetera ben
Notice of the above application will be published in the.............. Adee
printed at. Ata Ma. Upto L, tebe hese.
whichT hereby designate as the newspaper publishzd nearest the land described in said application.
hb 1g bra lena
Norxice To CLartanr,—Give time and place of proving up and title of the officer before whom proofis made: aleo give names and nostotiice
address of four neighbors, two of whom must appear as your witnesses. At least the first given uame of claimant and Witnesses must be atated
ft
da fal . (Press aud Dekotainn Print Yankton.)
. 40
LOR rnrninnin nnn County, Dakota,
SR nn ce meer te et ee ene ee teen

[page 46]
Eerritory of Dakota,
COUNTY OF acs tec.
qoake 9fin. BUPDON
a ome pouty “Dskow,.
ramaber}
Allan Ba ckhans fmndarchis “homestead” en=')
riheloteTand.d-and sou th
poise iesentin le 2
will... a day of...
143
PROOF OF PUBLICATION.
ee 0
oa
doves and say that I am the publisher; (o¢ foreman) of
the . Bade aA oe
paper published at.. lnk a
County, Dakota, that the ‘annexed Proat Notice was pub-
cia weekly
lished in said newspaper for six consecutive times, not in
a supplement, but in the regular and entire issue of overy
number of the paper during the period and time of publi- |
eation, and that said notice was first published in the
aed and last in the issae
ebed and sworn to before ma this “2 ane -
day ol ARTA
. Registér, do hereby certify that a notice, a
me
printed copy of which is hereto attached, was by me posted in a conspicuous place iu my office for a
period of thirty days, as required by act of March 3d, 1879, I having fixst posted snid notice on the

[page 47]
ot ~ HOMESTEAD, PREEMPTION AND COMMUTATION. PROOF
oe TESTIMONY OF CLAIMANT...
oe
Fulland Specificanswers must be given to each Question. Evasive Answers will be Fatal to
the Proof
*%
ne Loeatt hea ci an wt Claimant, being duly sworn, testifies as follows :
Question 1.—What is your correct name, your age and oseupation? It employed by any person, state by whom.
Ques. 2.<W7 yt is your postolties address? ,
: Ques, 3.—Are you the identical person who made pre-emption filing No
fe 1
ot pa Nand office on the day ot ~fbmak,
“<
aot homestend entry NAO ot
Ques. 4-- Where did you live bafore settling on this land, and what was your occupation?
Ques. 5—Are you a citizen of the United States, or have you declared your inteation to become such? Lon
: (In ease the party is of foreign birth, a copy ot hie declaration of intention to become a citizen or fall naturalization
cortifiente, officially ceriatied, must be Bled with the case. ‘The latter ia only required in final homestead entries.)
- Ques 6—Are you interested in any other entry or filing than the ove upon which you now aeek to make proof? : v
, hue FED. ae <220 ~~
Ques, 7—-Huuve you ever made a pre-emption filing for any other tract of land, or made any other homestead entry ot”
filing or entry of any kind? (Answer each queation separately, describing the land, and state what disposition you made of
your claim.)
“TT
Quea. 8—Is your
way for trade and businesa?
pfocent claim a eer an incorporated town or saldéted site Of a city or town, or used in any <
i age
Ans. Bh.
Ques 9—What is the character of the land? Te it timber, mountainous, prairie, grazing, or ordinary agricultural land?
State ita kind and quulity, and for what purpose it is most valnable. : .
Ques. 10—Is the land valuuble for coal, iron. 7 yk
discovered thereon, or 18 any coul or mineral known to be contained therein?
minerals of any kind on the land? If ao, describe what they are,
Ques. IIIf the land ig timber laud, state the kind, quality, and amount of timber thereon at date of initiating your
claim, the amount stil! standing, how much ins been cut and removed, and by whom, and whether the sams hne bean disposed
of, and to whom; aleo whether any other person than yourself has any interest in the timber, and if ao, what kind of interest?
a

[page 48]
2
Ques. 12—If the land is need for grazing purposes, state how and by whom is isso, used, and whether it ix within &
atook range or fence or other enclosnre, aud who owne or controls the range or euciosare.
en. 13—-When did you firat make an actua)personal settlement on
settfement, aud the charaster and value of the improvements you then placed upon the land.
Ques 14—Wus thé'lnnd oncusied by any otber person when you made such settlement? If so, atute who lived the
and bow you obtained possession.
Ane! —. ed
Ques, 15—When did yout actually move on this Jand nnd commence living permanently thereon ?
Ques 1d—Where hes been your actual personal residence and home during the whole time since the date of this fling o%
Quea 17--Hus yont residence on the Ind now elnimad been actual or constructive, continuons or af intervala? Explai
what you mean by actual continuous residence.
i
Qnes 18—Have you resided or boarded eleewhere than an this land since commencing your residence thereon? Ef a
atate when and where, how often, and far how long?
Ques 19—Whare have you voted since establishing residence on this land, and where did you last vote, and how lo
fave you voted there? i
Ques 20—ATow many times have you been absent from said iract since you commenced actual residence thereon? @
the dates when such absence commenced and terminated, and the cause therefor.
2 you a family, and of whom does your family consist?
j Oe A ee
Ques 22-—Has your tqhily resided with you on this elaim? It eo, etafe when they moved on the land, how lovg ¢ /
have lived there, and whether they actually reside there still
. -
te
Ques 23~Ii your family has een absent any part of the time since moving ox the land, state the cnuses for and
- dates whou each abssnce commenced and terminated, 8 .
Ques 4—Whon and by whom wae your house built? oe habitable at all seasons of the yeur?

[page 49]
at
3
4
Ques 25—Did you and sour family live in said house during eli of each or any winter ainos the date of filin,
entry? It not, state the duration and canaes of each abesnce, your Ng or
wf ee ss
Ques 26—It your tamBy hes not lived with you on thia claim since the date of your Gilling or entry, atate the causes
therefor, where did they reside, and where are they now living?
th Ques 47—-Do you own any other residefice houss than the ore now on your claim? If so, state where, and who ocenpies
e seme,
Aon (L009 a Ore
Quen 28—Desoribe fully the house on this claim, giving value thereof; also desoribe fully ali other improvements thereon
of whatever kind, giving the value of each and total value of all improvementa,
2 me tee lS Vere ere Cy
Ga
corr hho
Vie DBrasee (reH ante Coil lira wc VEAL 1, —~ aed fos
Ques 29—What farm implements do you own, and nse on this claim? State kind and number, and how long you have
owned the -
ee NEG, ee nny
kind.
Ant
Ques 3!— stat what articles of ‘turnitare of every kind you keep and uge
yeu Rave bad them there. :
Quea 32—-Hnve you any personal pro, erty or live st#ek of any kind efsewhere thon on thie claim?
name, end state where the asme is kept.
Ques $4—How many acres baye you put in crop sach year, and bow mnoh did you raise? State the prfount in bushels
of each Pa tagiore iow Coe
AUG. Ln wp pe a es aa t/a a nn ae
CEEOL YS re — ZS ae
: 6B aatet. Cnr Ie phan Pe Kea? ty, Lee 4 CEPA oe FO
Ques 36—Do You carry/on any trade, profession, or business sisewhere than on this Innd? It sa, hot bifsinesa
you have been engaged in while claiming this land, where it was carried on, and the distance from your claim.
an’ PEF _e O_o
Ques 37—If you have been emsloyed in working for othere away from this claim sinee yon established residence
thereon, state when, where, and for whom, ia what occupation or capacity, Low long you Lave so worked, and where you
staid an:l lived during that time.
L Lawtone)
Ques 30—-What domestic animals and live stookAfo you own and keep on this claim? State kidd LEE
Ques ipfiave you the jand in thie year: or is 1: prepared for cropping the coming suason? How much.of the land
is so cropped or prepared? 7, Bw ky VEC PT
ea ol te g
nen pr

[page 50]
(4-196.)
HOMESTEAD. .
Laud Office at Tanne !
it is herel Video. That, Ee to bn. pfovisions i. Sec ii) No. 2291, “Le. Statutes yo the
United States, LMM Aare VU Med (ha he RAI has
made payment in full jor Mae LT i (May aor, One’ | boom ane, IB,
of Section No. have _(3 a) aeseeneeeene, 1% Township No. (Ns
| Range woh baby Lara (2) Yank of tre
Meridian —_.—---_ __--______-__-----_-—, coniainin ge ane
: ¥
How, therstor, be it kaowa, yp presentation of his .Cextificgte..
GENERAL LAND OFFICE, the said | itoms . ( , LARLY /
haa be entitled to a Patent for the Tract of Land above described. 7
Haag baa hab
Register,
(7632—23 BL.) -
Lo vues free we tee 6.
47

[page 51]
(DELMONT NE}
6370 1 NE
g
-— naa reso
1
$4 99
{7 100 N
> IT ag N
4808
Nish 25!
Pa 807
2) 906
4895
PARKSTON 8 Mi.
PARKER 51 Mi.
HON,

[page 52]
eet es ies =
ABOVE - king west the south
Wm. Bockhaus homesteaded in 1882.
(1199)
BELOW —- Looking NW from the east line of the homestead. The
buildings in the background belong to the man that owns the
property. His Dad bought it soon after my grandparents moved,
and later became the property of their son who still owns it.
There are no buildings on the property.

[page 53]
ABOVE - Looking west from approx. the center of the property.
The trees in the background are just west of the property.
Taken in 1998
BELOW - Looking south along the west fence of the property.
50

[page 54]
Looking east along main street, Parkston, South Dakota
Sept. 1994
Looking west along main street, Parkston, South Dakota
51
i

[page 55]
The following 20 pages are a copy of an article written by
Frances Penner. I have inserted it here because in it is a
very good description of life in South Dakota in the late
1800S As you can tell from the article, life was not easy.
Of course as the children were growing up, they didn't know
that it was that bad as that is all they knew.
When Mavis and I visited the area in Sept. of 1998, I tried to
imagine what it must have been like before cars and paved roads.
The place they lived is still kind of out in the sticks, but
with paved roads close by, it is not so bad. Parkston is still
a small town, but is a nice town. Of course now with cars and
paved road, Mitchell is not that far away, time wise.
In the article She tells about the death of their brother Bill.
I have mentioned this farther in this article, and will have
some comments about that subject. As you will see Bill was
a very important part of Dad's léfe when he first moved to
colorado.
52
i

[page 57]
The following is a copy of an article written by Frances Penner;
When I was small, we did not have radios or TV. No cars, and no
electricity. But we did not miss those things because we did not
know what it was like to have them. My mother and father both
liked to read and many evenings my mother would read to us or may
be tell of her life in the old country, or the years she spent
in Iowa before she and Dad were married and-then moved to a home-
stead in South Dakota in 1885. Her stories were interesting to
me and I hope will be to my children, grandchildren, and great
grandchildren because they are true and maybe you will realize
how much courage and faith it took for them to leave their home-
dand, cross the ocean and settle in a new country and make new
friends.
A long time ago in the province of Pommerania in Germany in a
little town called Rhunow lived a family named Falk. The father
was Ernst Falk. He was born Sept 11, 1824. His first wife died
and left him with a little girl,Augusta Caroline. His second
wife was Frederieka V8bks. She was born Nov. 26, 1828. The
father was a tall’ man and his wife was very small. He worked for
the rich landowners and groomed their horses. On May 7, 1858,
they had a son Wilhelm Fredrick Herman, On Oct. 21, 1862, another
son was born, Franz Herman. Then on Oct. 14, 1864, they had a
little sister, Emilie Augusta Henrietta. When she was two years
-old another little sister, Wilhelmina Caroline Ernestine, was -
born March 4, 1867. Then on Dec. 24, 1869, another girl joined
the family named Bertha Augusta Wilhelmina Ernestina. When Bertha
was ten years old the mother became very sick. The doctor did
not know what to do and the mother died in 1879. When Emilie
came to Halstead, she told Dr. Hertzler the symptoms her mother
had. .He said he was sure that she died of a ruptured appendix.
When the mother died they had dressed her in a black dress, a
white petticoat underneath, a little of the white lace could be
seen after she was laid ott. They put her on a pallet of straw
in the attic where it was cool until a casket was provided for
the funeral. The attic was a storage place for all their linens
and dried fruit, etc., plus their long linen handwoven table-
cloths used on special occasions such as weddings or funerals.
Sometime after the mother had died Emilie had sent the little
sister Bertha to the attic to get something. When Bertha got up
there she thought she saw her mother alive again standing there
throwing straw over her head. She said she even saw the white
lace of her mother's petticoat. Screaming she came downstairs
to tell what she had seen. When Emilie went up to investigate
there was no one there. Later they found out it was a neighbor
lady who was up there stealing all their good table linens. She
threw straw over her face so Bertha would not recognize her. The
house was built for four families with a big central chimney.
Beside the chiminey was a crawl space where a small person could
squeeze through. This neighbor was the only one small enough to
get through that space. Bertha said she even saw the white lace
on her petticoat. .
53

[page 58]
Emilie and Wilhelmina had all the house work to do and go to the
pasture to get the cows and milk them which was women's work.One
family had all boys so. some of the boys had to do the milking.
Emilie fell in love with one of the boys. His name was August
Luebke. But her brothers teased her so much for falling in love
with a boy who had to do women's work that in time the romance
seemed to cool. After they had married someone else they lived
as neighbors for nearly twenty years.
The older brother Wilhelm wanted to see America so he migrated
with some friends and found work around LeMars, Iowa. In 1882
the father and younger son and the three girls came to America.
They came lower class by boat and then by train to LeMars, Iowa.
The conductor on the train on the last part of the trip was a
Mr. Williams who took an interest in the poor immirants who be-
sides their luggage carried a chamber pot with them. Mr Williams
took the second girl, Minnie, into his home to work. His wife
was ailing and needed help. When Mrs. Williams died, Minnie took
care of the youngest girl, Mildred, and raised her. Later Mildred
took Minnie into her home in Glen Ellyn, Illinios, and she died
there in 1934. She had been engaged to a young man, Wm. Hanke.
He was in the U.S. Cavalry and fought in the Indian battle of
Wounded Knee where he was injured and was sent to Fort Riley,
Kansas, where he died. Minnie came to Fort Riley and took his
_ body back to Iowa to bury him. Minnie was a practical nirse and
for some time was nurse and companion to the mother of the pres.
of Sears Roebuck and Co. She was also a masseur and in later
years was a crossing watchman in Glen Ellyn for the Northwestern
Railroad.
Emilie found a job with the family of Hubst in LeMars. He was
co-owner of the hardware firm of Haas & Hubst. She had.a hard
time learning English. Instead of saying today she always said
heut today. One time they served watermelon to company and
when Emilie went to the kitchen to eat her piecé she ate it right
down to the hard green rind. Her boss came out and told her how
to eat it. They were very good to her and had a lot of patience
in teaching her American ways. She attended the Methodist Church
in LeMars, The minister was a Rev. Dulitz and Mrs, Dulitz had
an unmarried brother who also came to church. He worked in the
hardware store. Emilie often said she noticed the tall young
man because he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen, His name
was Wm. H. Bockhaus and on Nov. 15, 1885, Emilie and Wm. were
married by Rev. Dulitz. ‘They moved to a homestead nine miles
west of Parkston,S. Dakota. Wm. had homesteaded this in 1881
walking all the way from Yankston, S. Dakota, to stake his claim.
But he decided he would rather work in a hardware store than
farm. He had built a 2 room house before he went back to Iowa.
But Emilie wanted a home of her own and was willing to take the
hardships of a pioneer homestead wife, and hardships they were.
Emilie made a home for the younger sister, Bertha, when. she .
wasn't working in someone's home. Her father also stayed with
her until her brother Herman got married and then he stayed there
part-time. A young man named George Baum from Fon du Lac, Wisc.,
also took up a homestead nearby. He courted and married Bertha
Falk on Dec. 14, 1889.
54

[page 59]
Homesteading was hard work but all the families were the same.
Everyone had lots of babies and everyone was poor. No doctors
for many miles. Two neighbor women did most of the doctoring
and midwifery - Mrs. Skode and Mrs Bielaff. If one was going
to have a baby herself then the other one would come. On June
29, 1886, Will and Emilie had a baby boy, William Ernst. Father
Ernst Falk came to stay with them although Emilies brother
Herman had homesteaded only a half mile south and when he was
married to Agusta Maus, Father Falk stayed part-time with them.
Augusta was s0 very neat and particular that he wanted to stay
with Emilie but Will wasn't easy to get along with an older
person so he spent his time between the two places. On October
23, 1887, another little boy arrived, Louis Benjamine. Emilie
had to make over clothes. The only relative she had that sent
her clothes was Minnie, but Emilie was good at making over. One
time Minnie sent her a nice coat for winter. One day instead
of hanging it up she laid it on the couch. Above the couch was
the clock shelf. On the shelf they kept the necessary medicines
and disinfectants. One day Bertha was cleaning off the clock
shelf and accidently dropped the carbolic acid bottle on the -coat
and it ate a hole in the material. For several years Emilie
wore a patched coat to church. Carbolic acid was a household
Gisinfectant. Diluted with water it was used for cleansing
wounds.
On Nov. 4, 1890, another boy was born, Albert Henry (Abbie).
Then on Feb. 13, 1893. a fourth boy was born. He was such a big
boy - twelve pounds ~ that Emilie had a very hard birth and the
midwife did the best she could but Emilie got infection. When
she finally went to a doctor in Parkston He told her it was a
miracle she was alive because he was sure she had a case of blood
poisoning but was healthy enough to get over it. But she had no
more babies for five years. The doctor told her that having
such a hard birth the afterbirth was torn and either the midwife
didn't notice it or maybe didn't know what to do about it,A
doctor would have noticed it right away. So some was expelled
like it should have and nature had to take care of it
Now whenever Emilie went to town she was known as the woman with
four boys. Then someone told her there was a magic for having
girls so on Feb. 3, 1898, a thursday, when the three boys were
walking home from school little Bennie ran to tell them that that
morning they got a little sister. Everyone was so happy and they
named her Emma Franziska, but they learned there was a cousin
Emma in Nebraska and they admired Frances Williard so she became
Frances Emma. Willaim took complete care of the baby. Emilie
thought it was because he was so happy that it was a girl. He
really was afraid to have Emilie find out that the baby had de-
formed feet. They were similiar to club feet turned inward.
Emilie was a very smart and resourceful woman. She also had
a lot of faith and believed in the power of prayer. She knew
that a babies bones were soft and pliable. She told them to
bring her cotton, cardboard, scissors, needle and thread. She
proceeded to massage the little ankles and sewed little casts
55

[page 60]
of cotton and cardboard around the feet so they would gradually
straighten out, which they did, but Emilie always had her wear
shoes to strengthen the ankles and she walked on straight feet
the rest of her life. When a bone specialist examined her feet
sixty years later he said, your mother must have beena very
wonderful woman because she did more than a doctor would have
known what to do. Then on July 25, 1901, Emilie had another
boy -- Walter George. She said she had forgotten to stay with
her recipe for girls.
The protestant homesteaders had srarted a Sunday School in the
country school. Sunday School was every Sunday but preaching
was only certain Sundays when a preacher was available or when
some babies were to be baptized or when there was a funeral.
The funerals were held in the home and.so were the baptismal
services. When Emilies brother Herman's wife' died she. left four
Little children - John, Louis, August (Euti), and Nora. A girl,
Minnie, had died of whooping cough. The Mother gave Nora to a
childless neighbor couple before she died. Herman soon married
a neighbor girl, Augusta Skode. She was only 18 years old. When
they had two little girls, little Euti was frail and when the
stepmother would set him on his little pottie outside he always
looked toward the cemetary and called his mother. When he died
the funeral was in the home and it was crowed. When the newest
_baby cried Emilie reached across the little casket and picked
her up which was a bad omen. The women said because of that
Alma the baby would never grow up but she lived to be past 70
years old.
There were many tragedies among the homesteaders. One family
named Liebswager had three little children..The father thought
the mother should help him with field work. Many wifes~did help
as much as possible. One woman did help even when her labor
pains started. The grain or hay had to be harvested. Winter
food for humans and animals was important. One day Mrs. Lieswager
came home and her three small children were nearly smothered in
a smoke filled sod house, but by getting them out in fresh air
they revived them. Several weeks later a neighbor came to get
Emilie and said they needed her at the Liebswagers. Three :
children had smothered to death. Emilie told him they had been -
revived and he said,"No, this time its true and they are dead.” :
So she got in the wagon and drove over with him. When she got
there three little bodies were strected out on the kitchen table.
Tt left such an impression on Emilie that she never let anyone
lay a baby on a table, which mothers often did to wrap them
in a shawl before going out in thr cold. Even after she had
grandchildren she never allowed anyone to do that. What had
happened this time was that the sod house door could be easily
opened from the outside by a latch but they needed the stove
poker to open the door from the inside. The biggest boy took
the poker outside to play and forgot and left it lay outside.
He came inside and put some cow chips into the stove and they
smoked and smoldered instead of burning. Soon the room was
full of choking smoke. He tried to open the door but without
the poker he couldn't get it open. When the mother came in from
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the field all three children were dead. The boy was by the
door, the baby in the cradle. They did not call an undertaker.
The neighbor women washed the little bodies and dressed them and
the neighbor men made the little caskets. They had a family of
six or seven after that. One time this mother had come along
with her husband when he came to see Wm. on some business.
Emilie had just baked coffee cakes and while visiting gave her
a piece. She just held it in her hand and when Emilie said,
don't you like it? she said, Oh yes, but I want to take it home
to the children so they can also taste it. Knowing Emilie she
probably sent a whole coffee cake home with her.
Fuel for heating and cooking was scarce on the prairie. Very
few trees but plenty of dried cow chips or buffalo chips. The
droppings from the animals when dry made good fuel. It was a
good idea to gather them just on your own land. When the two
older boys got big enough Willaim made a two wheeled cart for
‘them to pull and go out and gather chips. The wheels were made
of wood and weren't perfectly round. and after Will and Louie
were grown men they often spoke of that cart and how hard it was
to pull on bumpie wheels. Ptairie grass was plentiful so when
a hot fire was needed for baking bread Emilie would stuff an old
wash boiler with twists of prairie hay, then take the front lids
off the stove, upset the boiler of hay and the oven would get hot
enough to bake an oven full of bread and a big pan of buns.
Sometimes when they ran low on hay or snow had covered all the
chips and those in the shed were all gone they resorted to
burning corn. It was cheaper than coal which they couldn'tafford.
Everyone dressed warm in wool flannel shirts. Everyone had to
wear long underwear. Women all knitted sweaters & stockings and
caps. Anyone was an artist who could smooth down long under-
wear and put on long stockings so the leg looked smooth. If
you were careless it looked like a piece of sausage wrapped
around your leg.
Neighbors were anyone within driving distance. After Emilie
became acquainted with one of her neighbors, Mrs. Palmer, she
learned a very unusual story about her. Years before at a party
by the young people for miles around, a young man who was a
stranger to most of them got up and asked jokingly if there was
anyone who would like to get married. There was always someone
who would go along with a joke. This time an older batchler said
he would and when the young man asked who would marry him a
beautiful young woman said she would knowing it was a prank.
After the young man went thru the whole ceremony, he pronounced
them man and wife and then told them he was a minister and they
were legally married. It must have been before licenses were
required and seperations were unheard of so she stayed with him
and made him a good home and raised a family. Emilie often
expressed great admiration for this wonderful woman.
Church was in the school house and benches were the school desks.
When sermons got to long it was easy for children to put their
heads down on the desk tops and sleep. One of the Heidner boys
fell asleep during one of the sermons and started reaching around
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and finally said out loud, Teador wo ist mein kissen? Theodore
where is my pillow. Theodore was his brother and bed partner.
When sunday morning came the women and children got all dressed
for church when they got up except to put an everday dress on
because time went fast with breakfast and chores and driving to
church in either a wagon or spring wagon. So it didn't take long
for a last minute change to the Sunday clothes. Most-women wore
a shirt waist of blouse and a heavier and darker skirt with a
placket in the back which closed with hooks and eyes. In every
community there are some who think they are a little better than
the others. As one woman walked down the aisle she walked with
a sort of swag. This particular morning she dressed in a hurry
and as she pulled up her skirt part of her petticoat or underskirt
pulled up and part of it stuck out through the placket and as
she walked the part that stuck out wagged back and forth like a tail.
It took good management to keep a family healthy and well fed.
Everyone had gardens. Root crops grew well only one year. Will
and Emilie raised only one sack of potatoes. They had cabbage
or could buy it and make it into sauerkraut. Cucumbers were made
into pickles. Tomatoes were used as vegetables. Syrup buckets
were used for canning. After putting the hot cooked vegetables
or fruit in and the lids put on a sealing wax was melted and
poured around the edge of the lid. Emilie used the tomatoes as
fruit, too, by adding sugar and some lemon slices. Dried fruit
was bought in 25 ib. boxes such as raisens, prunes, apricots,
peaches, and pears. Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward put ont
a grocery catalogue. A square sweet cracker in big boxes was
also a luxury. Another luxury was jelly in small wooden buckets.
It always seemed to have a taste from the wooden bucket. Soda
crackers were bought in big wooden boxes. They raised their own
hogs so had hams, bacons, smoked sausages, lard, and some was put
in brine and later cooked with sauerkraut ox dried beans. Maybe
there was a beef too which could be butchered. Some was fried
down, brined or maybe hung in an outside building and frozen
and steaks ox roasts cut off as needed. They raised corn and
wheat and Will took some of the grain to Milltown where it was
ground into flour and corn meal. Milltown was a settlement of
Mennonites called Hutterites. They lived in colony houses.
The mill was powered by a big water wheel run by a stream running
through the colony. The little boys liked to go along because
there was good fishing in the river and they always had to stay
overnight. It was too far for the horses to make the trip in
one day. One time Albert cried and cried when it was time to
go to bed. He kept saying "Ick will nicht the Mennoniten schlafen."
"rT don't want to sleep with the Mennonites." No one thought then
that someday their sister would marry a Mennonite and live with
him for forty four years and also join the Mennonite church.
Tt was a different branch of the Mennonite church than those in
South Dakota.
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Christmas was always a big day. There was no money to buy store
toys, but Emilie was very good at making things. Some of the
homesteaders had relatives in Iowa or Wisconsin who would send
a box at christmas time. Will and Emilie had no one except —_..:
Minnie and she always remembered them. Wili's family paid no
attention to them even though his mother was still living. She
was poor, too. Christmas meant new clothes for the Christmas
program and homemade toys, especially stuffed animals. And always
there were figure cookies ~ horses, birds, stars, trees and bells.
One year Emilie had all the toys and cookies in a nice white
clean flour sack. Will had gone to-town and when he got home
he drove under a tree and standing on the sked hung the sack
as high as he could. The next morning the little boys found the
sack and when they got it down they ran to the house and told
their parents how they knew Santa Claus (Weihnachtsman) had hung
it there because they saw his sled tracks. Emilie often laughed
about it because in their excitement they never noticed that the
tracks ended where Will had left the sled when he unhitched the
horses and put them in the barn. One year Will had fastened a
string to a cow bell-upstairs..- While standing by the stove to
warm his back he pulled the string and they heard the bell up-
stairs where Emilie had put their gifts. By the time they got
upstairs Santa Claus was gone already but they found their gifts.
It didn't take expensive toys to make them happy. There never
. was a Christmas without a big batch of figure cookies. The only
decoration on them was colored sugars. Sometimes an egg white
was beaten stiff,some sugar beaten in and spread on the cookies
and then colored sugars shaken on. .These were special.
Wm. and Emilies homestead wasn't too far from the Rosebud INdian
Reservation-about forty miles. A couple of miles from their ;
home was a section of ground called the school section. Here the
Indians camped during the summer as they wandered around over the
country and in the neighborhood sometimes begging and sometimes
just taking. They were mostly Sioux. One day Emilie had baked
some bread and also a big pan of buns when an Indian buck came to
the door telling her he needed food for a sick papoose. Knowing
he just wanted white man's food she gave him some fresh buns
because she didn't have much else to give him. As soon as he got
back to camp and spead the word, four more buck came all with the
same stories -- need food, sick papooses. Often they had beautiful
bead work or moccasins to trade for food or chickens. Especially
did they like to trade for chickens. One day Emilie traded an
old hen for a beautiful beaded pincushion which after 75 years
is still in the family. The Indians roamed over the country
and on the prairies and dug for Indian turnips which were a.low
growing plant with small potato-like roots. These were also
found on Kansas prairies. If the homesteaders saw the Indians
coming they would often lock their doors and pull the shades and
pretend not to be at home. Once Emilie and Bertha saw them coming.
They locked the door and pulled the shades. Just as the Indians
walked past the window something happened and the shade flew up
with a bang. Emilie and Bertha were more scared than the Indians.
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One late summer as the currants were ripening in the ravine north
of the house, there were so many Emilie decided she would can
some for winter use. Only that meant a trip to town for she had
no more empty cans or jars. Luckily this was William's turn to
go to Parkston to get the mail for the neighbors and themselves.
They were running low on kerosene for the lamps. too. In a short
time Emilie had gotten the little boys ready and brought up a
basket of eggs from the celler which she would trade for groceries.
While she was waiting for Will to harness the horses and hitch
them to the wagon she packed some bread and slices of boiled ham
for their dinner. Then telling the dog Rover to mind the place
they were on their way to Parkston nine miles to the east. On
the way they noticed some of the neighbors were starting to mow
some prairie hay getting ready for the long winter ahead. They
admired some of the wheat stacks that were put up so straight and
round. Those that leaned a little were probably put up by a care-
less homesteader. The little boys watched for the birds that
flew out of the roadside grass. Some prairie chickens that
Whirred through the air and the rabbits that hopped along the
roadside were also interesting. It was like a picnic for the
boys and the shaking of the wagon made them hungry so they ate
lunch as soon as Will tied the horses to the hitching rack. The
town pump was near so everyone including the horses had a nice
cool drink. Will had business in the hardware store. Besides
the nails he needed he got icts of news. Emilie and the boys got
their supplies. Eggs had gone up in price. Instead of five
cents a dozen they were six cents so Emilie could buy some calico
and make each of the boys a shirt. They chose the red calico
with little black horseshoes on it.
Each neighbors mail was tied up with a piece of string that the
grocery man had given them so there would be no mixup. Mail was
the homesteaders only contact with the outside world and how they
treasured every letter. Some got a weekly or monthly paper and
some got a roll of papers from the old home in Wisc. or Iowa.
Soon they were on their way home. Horses always knew when they
weré on their way home. They trotted all the way. The little
boys had seen the grocery man put in some sticks of candy in the
grocery box, but Emilie said they could only have half a stick
each, but they were satisfied with that and spread their licks
far apart. Will told Emilie of the new neighbors from Wisconsin
moving in before winter, hoping they might come to their Sunday
School which they attended every Sunday in the little school
house. Good news too that there wouldbe_preaching next Sunday
and in the afternoon the newest babies would be baptized in the
different homes. Soon they were home but they wondered why Rover
didn't come to meet them. He wasn't even in the barn when Will
unhitched the horses. Still wondering, Will stopped at the
chicken house to feed the chickens and gather the eggs and check
on some setting hens. There were no setting hens and no eggs.
When he reported to Emilie they decided to look around and went
to the current patch. Bushes were stripped of currents but there
were many moccasin traks. Finding no one to barter with the
roving indians just helped themselves. Two days later Rover came
home, the fur all worn from his neck where he had tugged to get loose.
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Thereby the Indians didn't have dog soup but the hens and currents
never came back. They were gone for good.
January 12, 1886, started out as a nice warm winter day. The sun
was shining and many of the farmers decided to go to town for
supplies. No radios to tell them of any change in the weather.
First they had to harness the horses and hitch them to the wagon,
Horses didn' travel as fast as cars so getting to town took awhile.
Many didn't see the cloud coming so fast in the northwest while
they were in town. But by the time their supplies were loaded
and the horses hitched to the wagon or sled the blizzard was
nearly there. Most of them started home. It was such a blinding
blizzard that the drivers couldn't see the road so they just let
their horses lead the way. Some got out and followed fences until
they got to a house or shelter. Some upset their sleds and crawled
under and survived. Everyone had coats made of buffalo or cow
hides and also buffalo skin robes. Many did freeze to death.
The storm came up so quick and it was more like sleet than snow.
Uncle George said it was like little icicles and it was impossible
to face the storm and horses soon had their faces covered with
ice. Emilie's brother Herman was building a house for his young
bride about a 1/4 mile from their place. He had gone to work
there that morning but his bride stayed with Emilie. Will started
for the house when the storm got bad. He luckily ran into the
wash line post and followed the wash line to the house where one
"end was fastened. Herman wrapped a comfort around himself and
started walking and got lost. One place he kicked up an ash
pile so he knew he was near a house but he couldn't find the
house and was too bashful to call so he kept on walking. A Minister
from Wisc. was stranded at Herman Heidner's further down the road.
He had experienced storms before so he would go outdoors every
little bit and call just in case someone might be lost.- Herman heard
this call and answered and by calling back and forth and following
the call he was saved. Emilie often said Herman's young bride
took it so hard when her man didn't come home she knew he was
lost,
That storm took many human lives and much livestock. Nothing
could be done until it was over and the settlers went out to see
what they could find. Some were alive under their upset sleds.
Many weren't that lucky. The storm covered several states and
they had no warning and it came so guick.. Settlers depended on
previous experience. Without radios or telephones they were
on their own abd the day-started unusually mild for that time
of year.
Homes did not have central heating. Only the very rich had a
furnace in the basement which sent heat into every room through
ventilators or pipes. But on the homesteads or early homes,
bedrooms were not heated and there was nothing nicer than snuggling
down in a bed in the winter in which our mother had first put
some good warm flat irons wrapped in newspaper to warm where our
feet would be in the bed.
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Some beds had nice feather beds which were two pieces of ticking
the size of the bed sewed together like a sack and stuffed with
feathers from geese of ducks. A certain time of the year they
would molt of start losing their old feathers and grow new ones.
They were caught and all the feathers that came off easy were
pulled and put in the ticking. They said it didn't hurt but they
always did a lot of squawking anyway. Ina large family there
were never enough feather beds so big sacks were sewed from nice
white flour sacks which had been washed enough so the print was
all out, or maybe made from unbleached muslin. These were filled
with clean bright straw from the new straw stack. Or often after
the corn sheller had shelled the corn in the fall there were a
lot of soft inner shucks that were used in place of straw. Straw
sometimes would stick but shucks made the most noise. It was an
art to know just how much filling to put in these ticks. Every
morning these ticks were shaken up good and puffy before the
blankets and quilts of comforts were put on. To crawl into those
rustling beds at night was a luxury no modern child can imagine.
Will always was supposed to get up first and start the fire in
both the cook stove and heater. The night before some corn cobs
were put in to soak in a can of kerosene or coal oil. Then in
the morning some soaked cobs were put in either stove, a match
put to them, and slivers of shaved wood or kindling put on the
fire and soon it would begin to warm up. Coal oil was never poured
on the kindling. There might be a few embers from the night
before and it would form a gas and small explosion. "Can I dress
by the heater?" was often heard. One would have to turn around
several times while dressing or one side would bake and the other
side freeze. The cook stove oven door was opened to heat the
kitchen quicker or maybe some cold shoes were set near the stove
oxonthe oven door to warm up a little. Mittens always “found
their place there either to warm up before going out to do chores
or to dry after coming in from choring and getting wet from the
snow. The oven door was a good place to warm cold feet. A small
piece of wood laid nearly in the oven, pull up a chair and stick
your feet in and in a short time they were warm and dry. Mom
Emilie often had trouble getting a meal and dishes washed. The
big dish pan with water was put on the back of the stove and dishes
put in with a good sudsing of homemade soap. It kept the water
hot and with homemade lye soap it kept a scum from forming around
the sides of the pan. A string behind the stove dried the dish
towels. In winter a wood stove was wonderful but in summer it
was a differant story.
Whenever butter got scarce they used lard on their bread. Emilie
liked it especially on rye bread. After a slice was spread with
lard a little salt was shaken on. Will didn't like it. He thought
he had to have molasses. Every time they went to town the molasses
jug went along to be filled. It was a stone jug, one or two
gallOM size. Will liked to visit when he got to town so when he
got ready to go home he loaded everything except the molasses jug.
It was filled from a big wooden barrel that had a spigot. Emilie
often said it sure taught Will a lesson. For two weeks he had to
be satisfied with lard bread. No one went to town oftner than
every two weeks.
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[page 67]
Will liked to visit so if anyone drove in the yard the first
thing he did was go out, keep one foot on the ground and the other
one on one of the wheel spokes and there was no way for the
visitor to drive away without hurting Will or being rude. He
had no schooling or very little. He learned to read and write
when Emilie helped the boys with their school work in the evening.
He did a lot of reading as he got older but when he wrote he
spelled the words just like they sounded. No extra letters.
Evidently his mother didn't think schooling was necessary. It
was Emilie who wanted her children educated. Will thought all
you needed was to get by.
My dad Will was always cold when the Dakota winters came so he
wanted to go to a warmer climate. Mom said there were times when
she could hardly get a meal, he was huddied right in front of the
stove. Mom wanted to stay in Dakota. She had her own home and
she had nice neighbors, but Dad had a wandering foot. He was
never satisfied to stay in one place too long. Mom's brother Herman
Falk decided he could buy cheap land in Canada so he decided
to move to Alberta. Some of the other neighbors went to North
Dakota. So Dad and Uncle George Baum decided to come to Kansas
to look. Dad had been in Arkansas but for some reason didn't
like it. Then he went to Oklahoma and didn't like it there. The
evangelical minister there told them there was good land around
Halstead, Kansas, so they got in touch with the Evangelical minis-
“ter there and a Mr. John Bachman who was a sort of land agent.
They liked the land and bought. The railroads had land excursions
and land seekers could get special rates. After looking at several
farms Dad bought one from Mr. Linn northwest of town and uncle
George bought one from Mr. Stone southeast of town. While in
Halstead the Linn's had asked him to eat dinner with them. It
was winter and when Dad got home he told Mom they must be very
rich people because they had lettuce in the wintertime. He had
never heard of such a thing.
After they sold their Dakota farms a storm went through and the
farm had a lot of damage so the new owner sued Dad. A law suit
was the result. The folks moved to a neighbors place until they
could move to Kansas in the spring of 1903. Father Falk wanted
to come to Kansas with my Mother and Dad but Dad said no he didn't
want him. My Mother cried so hard when they came to say goodbye.
She never saw her father again. They went to Canada in April,
1902. He died in 1908. While we were living in the neighbor's
house, Dad sold some livestock and didn't want anything to happen
to that precious money so he put it in an empty baking powder
can, tied a twine string around the can and since there was a
cistern under the pantry of the house the other end of the string
was fastened on the lid of the cistern. A cistern was a big hole
in the ground with rock walls where excess water was stored from
the runoff of the roof. When the folks wanted to get the money
they pulled up the string and the can was gone. The constant
moving of the twine had unraveled it and they had a hard time
getting that floating can out of the water.
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/2
Mom always felt the lawyers were not fair to them so when they
were already in Parkston getting ready to get on the train, Mom
made one more trip to the lawyer's office. There she had the
satisfaction of telling him what she thought and taking her
diaper sachel hit lawyer Shaw across the face. .
Mom and Aunt Bertha had done a lot of baking to put in the big
lunch baskets. The neighbors had a farewell for them the even-
ing before they left and hospitable Mom served some of her bakery
lunch so they tried to replace some things from the store when
they got to town. Uncle George Baum and brother Will who was 17
went with the freight car in which they had their horses, cows,
chickens, household goods, some implements, and feed for all the
livestock besides food for the two men. In the passenger car
were'Momand Dad and their five other children. Aunt Bertha Baum
and their five children too. Evidently the children got restiess
attimes because there were some sharp words with other passengers
and even a fight among themselves. The children ranged from 16
years to 1 year. Stdépping in Kansas City the smaller children
were fascinated by the lunch counter, especially how they could
dry a stack of plates.
They got to Halstead March 15, 1903, in the morning. After being
on the train so long, as soon as they got out all except the
three littlest ran down the main street like a bunch of wild
indians. It was close to Easter so the store windows were quite
an attraction with Easter eggs and other Easter decorations.
The freight car didn't arrive until later in the day, but faith-
ful Evangelical church members were there to load up and take
things to the two homes. All I remember is riding on a lumber
wagon loaded with household things and Herman Bachman was. the
driver. The folks who had moved out of the house had scrubbed
the floors very clean but some neighbor boys had gotten in the
house and tracked mud all over the floors, and when Mom looked
close she found the corners and cracks alive with bedbugs. After
Mom got her family fed and got the beds ready she found her old
rocking chair which helped her weather many storms. She sat and
cried bitterly. A new home among strange people. But being a
true pioneer she did her best to adjust to her new surroundings.
She fought the bedbugs first. They had no insecticides. If they
got into the joints of the wooden beds a person didn't get much
of a night's sleep. Hot water or kerosene were the only remedies
they knew. The hot water ruined the finish on the wood and the
kerosene left a bad smell.
The folks went to the small Evangelical church. Some of the
members were Stamm's, Bachman's, Farber's, Holle, Baums, MesLange.
Shortly after they moved to their new home the whole church
came one evening for a housewarming. The church was located a
block east of the corner of Spruce and Third. Dad was a dyed-in-
the wool Methodist and every Sunday he managed to drive past the
German M.E. Church at the corner of Third and Santa Fe. After
a time the urge got too strong and he would stop and get off there
while the rest of the family went on. Mom always said a family
should not be divided so we all went to the M.E. church after a
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‘2?
year or so. C. Herman was the minister. Some of the German
Methodists were Ahren's, Barkemeyer's, Seiler's, Hoop's, Rodenberg's.
Warkentin's, Lohmeyer's, Meyer's, Krehbiel's, Seip's, Heyman's,
Boller's, Bauman's, Lehman's, Eyman's.
When Dad bought the place he asked Mr. Linn if the groung ever
flooded. Mr. Linn said no it never had. (The last big flood had
been in 1878) In 1903 it flooded some and a real flood came in
1904. Since some of the crops were lost, Mr. Linn did a decent
thing and Dad didn't have to pay interest on some of the money
Dad owed him.
The nearest neighbors were the A.J. Hassinger's. They originally
came from Penn. and still talked the Pennsylvania Dutch which was
easy for my folks to understand. She was a very neat housekeeper
and her big house was always very "souber" which was Dutch for
clean. They had a family of two grown sons and a daughter at
home, One son, Rob, was married and living in Kansas City. The
mother often talked of the son Jimmy who died when he was sixteen.
Carrie, the daughter, was married in 1905. My mother helped at
the wedding so I got to go too. First wedding I had been to and
they really had a beautiful wedding. An arch of real flowers and
candles had been built in the bay window. The minister told them
to step back a little and during the ceremony the wax dripped on
the bride's dress. She married Floyd Shafer. Charles later
married Kathryn Thomas. Ira was a bachler but several years
later married Lydia Kanth, a clerk in Lehman Bros. store. When
the Shafer's had a baby she came home to have it. Mrs. Hassinger
got my mother to come over and help. After everything was over
they noticed the baby had a birth mark on one side of her face.
They believed that applying the afterbirth would make the mark
disappear but my mother had everything cleaned up. They always
seemed to blame her for not delaying the clean up. “
Other neighbors were the Spaeters. They had three grown sons.
Several years later they had another son. Pete, the husband,
believed that men should dominate the women. Mon used to help
Annie, the mother, cook for threashers. She always had her
potatoes cooked by 10 a.m. She would drain them and put a
spoonful of lard on them, put the lid on and set them on the
back of the stove until noon. Her cookies were hard as rocks.
She wasn't a cook but a wonderful bread baker and she had a
heart of gold. Since Mom was one of her few friends she often
told her of the rough time she had. She worked for a prominent
Mennonite family on the farm and she was treated like a slave.
She had cut her thumb badly one time but had to keep up with the
work. When Mr. Spaeter wanted to marry her it was a release
from very hard work. The boys, Walter and Ed, often walked
over to our place evenings to play Flinch and later Rook. When
the river flooded the whole family came over and stayed a couple
of days until the water went down. Mr. Spaeter was a cousin of
the wealthy Linn's so they lived on a Linn farm as Jong as the
parents lived.
Another neighbor was the Androes family. They lived NE across
the river,
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There was a father and two sons and one daughter. Mr Androes
came over evenings. When he went home late he always whistled
especially when he crossed the bridge. He said it kept the
spirits or ghosts away.
Will's lived northeast of us. The father, John Will, liked to
read and so did my folks. The mother was busy having babies so
didn't have time to visit. When Mr. Will came over they would
sit up late and tell of happenings in Germany and of things they
had read in the German papers, Die Germania and Die Lincoln Frie
Press. Germania had a comedy column every week by Phillip Sauer-
ampher. We always waited for Mom to read it to us. I was told
to go to bed but my bedroom was over the kitchen and the floor
had a ventilator so some of the kitchen heat could come up to my
room. I made a lot of noise bouncing on the bed so they thought
I was in bed and then I laid on the floor with my head on the
opening and listened to those stories. Now I wonder how many
of those stories were true experiences and how many were fantasies.
I especially remember the stories of the caves in the old country
and the giant skeletons they said they found and if it might be
some of our ancestors since we were all so tall. Mr. Will liked
to joke about his big family and how he made believe he couldn't
milk so his wife did the milking. One evening in Dec. 1904 after
we had been gone a few days visiting relatives near Furley, Kansas,
Mr. Will came over and told my mother they had twin boys. He was
very proud of that so my mother said, “Aber jeder strassen bub
kann kinder machen es nimt ein kluger man sie nicht zu machen."
“Every strut boy can make children but it takes a smart man not
to make them.”
Many years later(1924) my youngest brother married the oldest
girl Marie. The old germans always calied ‘an older person onkel
or tante. I wouldn't call Mrs. Will tante because I said she
wasn't my aunt. After I was married to her nephew she told me,
"now you will have to call me tante because now I am your aunt."
Other neighbors were the Miller's who lived across the pasture
northwest of us. They were English old settlers who came to
Harvey County in 1870. When we came to Kansas the family consis-
ted of the oldman, Allen Miller, who claimed he was nearly 100
years old, his son, Albert, known to everyone as "ab", and the
old man's granddaughter who had been the child of the old man's
daughter. She had been Loretta Schoonover but was married to
Bill Libbart and everone knew her asTiny. Many wild stories
were told of the Miller family. Ab was a blacksmith and sharp-
ened all the plow shears for the neighbors. He also was a fidler.
During the day ~. could hear the ring of the plow shears being
hammered but quiet evenings we could hear the beautiful music
of his fiddle as he relaxed on the back steps of their cabin.
The house consisted of two rooms, one a living room, kitchen and
bedroom for the two men and a lean to for a bedroom for the young
couple. One night Ab came over carrying a lantern and woke up
my folks and asked them to stop 4 fight between the old man
Miller and the young. folks. My folks took their lantern and
wekéd-cback. with Ab. I don't know what the folks did but they
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put they restored peace. The old man started a fight because
he wanted the door open between the two rooms and the young folks
wanted privacy. There were two other Miller sons, Steve, who
was married and claimed to be on the police force in Wichita,
and Frank, who had been married and evidently had lived at
home. His mother did not like his wife and rumors were that she
poisoned the young woman and when the old lady was on her death
bed she was having hallucinations and perhaps her conscience was
bothering her and she kept screaming, “take her away." Hassinger's
were driving to church on Sunday morning and the road was a
quarter mile south and they said they could plainly hear her.
Frank Miller had also tried to molest the oldest daughter of Dr.
Hertzler and for that some men got together and tarred and feathered
him. The neighbors said he sat for days by the natural spring
which was on the place and tried to wash the tar off. Water
didn't work so finally a doctor from town, Dr. Miller, came
out and used something to get the tar off. Tiny often came to
‘visit my mother and my mother also sewed for her. When she
fitted some of the dresses on her she noticed her back was a
mass of scars. When my mother asked her what they came from she
said when she didn't want to do what the old man wanted he beat
her. The old man always carried a long walking stick.
One day when the folks had gone to town I was alone in the house.
The old man stood on the back porch and with his long stick
knocked on the kitchen door, When I opened it he had a small
bucket of sand plums. He said, "Sissy, here are some plums for
your mamma." I emptied the bucket for him and when my mother
got home she said, "I won't use the plums. That bucket was the
old man's pot." When the old man died in 1908, the neighbor men
put a screen door up. It was July and many flies and they kept
the body in the home. Neighbor women came every day and sat in
the yard. My mother and a neighbor sat all day. Every 15 minutes
they went in the house and put a fresh cloth on the old man's
face so it wouldn't discolor. The cloths were dipped in a pan
of soda water. The day of the funeral, neighbor men had provided
stumps with boards laid across for seats. The casket was placed
on two tressles or saw horses under a shade tree. A neighbor
brought a bouquet of sweet peas and my mother brought a bouquet
of zinnies. Unbelievable when cne:sees all the flowers at services
today: When bodies were kept in the home until service time,
neighbors or friends would come over to spend the night, usually
two couples. Coffee and cookies, sandwiches or rolis were left
on the kitchen table. Coffee stayed hot on the range. The
family could go to bed if they liked. It was called a wake or
watch. It was a nice gesture so the family wasn't alone with
their dead. The last watch I remember was in 1919 when my
brother Bill died.
Transportation was by horse and buggy or a team and spring wagon
or wagon. Many richer people had a surrey with a top or a.two-
seated top buggy or carriage. Like the top buggy which had one
seat it had side curtains which could be let down and fastened
when it rained or was cold. We only had a one-seated top buggy
and a spring wagon which had two seats and was much lighter than
67

[page 72]
a wagon. The team Dad brought along from South Dakota and drove
most of the time was Jim and Frank. Jim was a grey horse and
Frank was a black. When driving, Jim was always a little ahead
of Frank. Mom's buggy horse was a white horse named Nellie.
The kids could also ride her.Flora was a mare that raised a pair
of colts, one of which, Bess, became the driving horse of the
older brothers when they had dates with girls. In the winter
a thoughtful master always carried horse blankets and when they
went to church or to town and horses stood by a hitching post
several hours they were covered with horse blankets. Many
churches had a row of sheds back of the church in which were
stalls for two horses. The north, east and west sides were
enclosed. My brothers parked their horses there while they
walked their girl home after services on Sunday evening. Usually
in front of the church was a small cement block with two or
three steps where the driver would drive alongside and the
ladies could step out of the buggy and step to the ground. Very
nice for the ladies who wore long dresses. The first ride I
had in a car was when a red touring car stopped a Harmony School
just at four o'clock and asked if anyone was going east. We all
piled in and rode for one-half mile. A thrill beyond imagination.
About 1910 after my folks were buying cars like Reo, Maxwell,
Studebakers and fords, I was hoping Dad would buy a bigger car
than a Ford which was called a Flivver or Tin Lizzie. But I was
happy when one Friday evening after high school in 1914 my
brother Bill came to take me home in a new Ford. When we went
to town with horses we had a mile of road which ran parallel to
the RR tracks. We always hoped there would be no train coming
because if there was one someone had to get out and hold the
horses bridle or they would rear up. When cars first traveled
the roads horses would act up and the driver had to hold the
horses reins. Sometimes the car owner would be courteous and
stop his car until the horses were past.
Saturday afternoon was the time to go to town to take in eggs and
trade for groceries or sell the butter Mom had made into one -
pound pats. When silent movies came to town some of us girls
always scared up enough money to go to the matinee on Saturday
afternoon. In the fall before cold weather it was time to make
a shopping trip to Newton. Some years it was the same day there
was a circus in Newton. Mom packed a lunch and we started early.
Horses didn't travel very fast and it was about 14 miles. About
three miles west of Newton along a hedge'rowwe all got out for
a rest stop. If there were public toilets in Newton we didn't
use them or didn't know where they were. Maybe we would sneak
in someones private one in their back yard. Dinner or lunch was
eaten wherever the horses were tied. A dish of ice cream was a
rare treat and so was a cone or soda pop. It was mainly a shopp-
ing trip. Kids needed shoes from McManus or Hanlins. Everone
needed underwear and socks or stockings. Mom needed material for
comforts. Either a new one made or an ‘old one had to be re-
covered, Material was needed for aprons, men's shirts, and blue
chambray for every day shirts was used while light colored mater-
ial was used for Sunday ones. One year Mom came home with 90
yards of material besides thread, etc. Sometimes dry goods
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[page 73]
(7
(material) was ordered from Montgomery Wards or Sears Roebuck.
They also had grocery catalogues, so prunes, raisins and other
Gried fruits were ordered in 25lb. wooden boxes. Also big sweet
crackers and a special cookie with pink frosting. Sometimes
jelly in a small wooden bucket was ordered and it seemed to have
a wooden taste, too. Soda crackers were bought in big: wooden
boxes the same size and shape as in later years held 30 dozen
eggs. Dad always finished a meal by putting crackers in his
coffee cup and adding sugar and milk or more coffee.
Peddlers came by with their horse and buggy and sold flavorings,
spices, medicines and salves. Mr. Lawrence, a cripple, also came.
He sold some new things like sago and tapioca. After buying a
certain amount he gave premiums like pretty dishes or cooking
utensils. Watkins, Rawleigh and McNess Companies also had pedd-
lers. Sometimes they would try and talk my mother onto letting
them stay overnight. They got lodging, supper and breakfast,
which was cheaper than going to town. Sometimes a peddler came
who sold yard goods and my mother liked to sew, so she always
bought some material.
When Dad had cattle to sell buyers came and bought and then would
drive them to town either walking or on horseback. They were driven
to stockyards in town and then picked up by freight train. Mr
Hunt was the local buyer in town. Some came from Wichita. Mr.
Ahrens drove through the country and bought live chickens and eggs
and sold them to the produce house in town then owned by Frizzell's.
One fall Dad saw an ad from Texas where he could get 100lbs. of
rice and he sent for it. My mother could fix rice in so many ways
like breakfast food, puddings, and soups and we never got tired
of it.
MAKING SOAP ~— All old grease or lard was hoarded only after it was
too rancid or oily that it couldn't be used for frying potatoes
or other things. Sometimes the cracklings were used. After enough
was saved the big iron kettle was set up outside and grease, lye
and water were put in and slowly cocked. Lye would dissolve the
cracklings and after the right length of boiling when the mixture
looked like thick honey it was poured in shallow wooden boxes
which had been lined with wet white rags. By the next day it was
hardened and then cut into big bars. If there was enough clean
white grease, soap was made without boiling it and citronella
was added which gave it a nice smell. The men used it for hand
washing and it was always used for dish washing. Detergents were
then unknown. Lava, castile and ivory were used for bathing.
Wash day was always Monday unless the weather was too bad. First
water had to be pumped by hand. The wash boiler was put on the
stove and filled. The washtub was put on a bench and half filled
with good warm water. Next you got the washboard and a bar of
homemade lye soap. The whitest clothes were first. They were
put on the ribbed part of the board, rubbed good with soap and
then rubbed up and down. Mom would say "rub the clothes, not your
hands" You soon learned that rubbing your hands on the board soon
rubbed a blister or some skin off your knuckles. The piece was
69

[page 74]
rinsed off in water, wrung and put in the wash boiler to which
a bar of soap had been shaved. Clothes had to boil to get clean.
Wool and silk couldn't be boiled. A half of a broom handle sanded
smooth was used to stomp the clothes in the boiler and to lift
them out into a tub partly filled with cold water. By now all
the clothes had been rubbed and that tub was cleaned and nearly
filled with cold water to which a little bluing liquid had been
added to make the clothes whiter. A hand cranked wringer was
fastened between the tubs so when they came out of the last rinse
water and cranked through the wringer they were ready for the wash
line to dry. If you had close neighbors there was rivalry to see
who could get their clothes on the line first. In the country
that didn't bother us but in town women were accused of hanging
a clean sheet on the line first thing in the morning so she would
be first. As soon as breakfast was over the wash was started.
Dinner was a one-dish meal cooked on the back of the stove, such
as navy or lima beans or a casserole in the oven, for washing often
took until mid-afternoon if the family was large. Wo water was
wasted. Some was used to mop the kitchen floor, some for scrubbing
the front porch and maybe the board sidewalk. Some was used to
wash the pots or slop jars which were bedroom necessities in houses
without plumbing. Last but not least the last bucket of suds and
an old broom gave the outdoor toilet or privy a good scrubbing.
Wash day was a big day before modern conveniences were invented.
Finally a washing machine made things so easy. It was a big
wooden tub with a handle and a foot pedal. If you were clever
you could sit on a stool and keep the machine going with one hand
and foot and have a good story in the other hand. Latera fly
wheel on the machine and a small gasoline enging made washing a
luxury if the engine didn't stop and the kids Gidn't get too near
the whole outfit. But the most wonderful invention was the
machine run with electricity. -
The folks often visited on Sunday with another family and had
their dinner together. When they ate at our house the mother
invariably said, “Ess nur heut costs uns nichts." “Eat today
because it doesn't cost us anything." When we went to their
house for Sunday dinner the usual remark the mother made during
the meal was, "Ess nur nicht alles den margan ist wash tag."
"Just don't eat everytheig because tomorrow is wash day." Good
managers had enough cooked for Sunday dinner that they could have
reheated food for wash day dinner and the stove was hot anyway
with the wash boiler on the front of the stove.
We got our first telephone in about 1906. We were on a large
party line. Every house had a differant ring and we heard every-
one's ring. Ours was ~—- - —. We could and did listen in on
other folks conversations, especially if a young man would call
a girl to make a date. Some talked low german but we could make
out what they were talking about. Tf we wanted to talk to some-
one on another line we called the operator or central. One long
ring would get her. She would say “Number please" and we gave
her the number. Sometimes she said “that line is busy" or “did
they answer? I'll ring again". Before she dis connected the two’
lines she would say “Are you waiting" or “Are you through?" We
were the first ones on the line to get a crank type phonograph.
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[page 75]
Dad rigged up a stool with a box on top and either the neighbors
called or he called them and he cranked the phonograph and put
on a record with the horn right up to the mouthpiece of the
telephone. Some of the favorites were the.Uncle Josh readings
or Over the Waves Waltz.
It was hard to keep some things fresh in the summer. We had a
cave and celler but Dad decided to build an ice house. There were
lots of big cottonwood trees and a sawmill came and sawed them
into boards so there was lots of saw dust too. It was double
walled and the walls were filled with saw dust. When winter came
ice was heavy or thick on the river so they sawed chunks of ice
and packed them in saw dust in the ice house. It kept things
cool until July or August, and we had ice to make ice cream once
in awhile.
All cooking was done on the wood burning range in winter and
‘summer. There was a small kitchen called a summer kitchen where
cooking was done so it wouldn't heat the rest of the house and
where washing was done. When cooking was done in the summer it
was like if today you would have the heater going in 100 degree
weather. No electricity so no fans either. Finally Dad bought
a gasoline stove for cooking. It had two burners. Then later a
kerosene stove which had a detachable oven which really was wond-
erful. Then they got a small ice box and they sold ice in town.
A 50 or 100 1b. chunk was dropped in a compartment on top or in
a side door. Ours held 50 lbs. The ice was covered with news-
papers so it wouldn't melt so fast. Melted ice dripped into a
pan under the refrigerator or ice box. Too bad if you forgot to
empty the pan several times a day. Then you had a floor to mop.
My brother Bill graduated from Enterprise Normal Academy in the
spring of 1910 with high honors. He made the class speech and
the folks went to commencement. He came home when Ben and I had
the measles. Bill got them and was very sick. He was anxious to
work for the neighbors to earn money so he could go back to college
that fall and probably went to work before he should have. ‘Then
he got the mumps that winter. When he came home in the spring,
he told my mother he had consumption. Now we call it TB. She
just didn't want to believe it because there was not cure for it.
Then except maybe a higher dryer climate. Since brother Lou was
living in Colorado he went out there and worked at any job he
could find which was the worst thing he could do. Since then
they have discovered bed rest is the only cure. He heard of a
Goctor in California who had a sure cure so he went out there.
The doctor was a quack so he came home. Dad built hima special
outdoor bedroom so he would get plenty of fresh air and he did
not have to work, He died in 1919.
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[page 76]
Ro
Bill liked to drive the Model T only it had to be cranked. So
he and I ran the errands, trips to town, etc. I could crank it
and he could drive it. Dad heard of a starter that could be put
on and he got one. It worked and we were the envy for awhile
of other Model T owners. It was a lever operated by the driver
in the front. Some quick jerks by pulling the lever back and the
motor started. My brother thought I ought to drive, So I would
sometimes coming home from town. I did very weil on a straight
road but one time as I had to turn a sharp corner I forgot to
straighten the wheels and ran-into a hedge along the side of
the road. That ended my driving for several years.
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[page 77]
PART TWO - The family in Kansas
This will be some hi lites of the family in Kansas as far as
I know it. I do not have a great many details about the family
in Kansas, only what I have heard and a few facts from old
letters, etc. I do not have marriarge dates etc., so will
tell as best I can with the facts J have at this time. This
will not include Dad, as that will be a complete section by
itself.
As I stated earlier, the family moved from South Dakota to
Halstead in 1903. They had 160 acres in Kansas, which is the
same amount they had in $.D. The property is located from the
water tank in Halstead, 1 mile west, 1 mile north, and 1/2
mile west. At the date of this writing,(1995) there is nothing
left of the old buildings on the property. The property was
sold after Walters death and’all of the buildings were torn
down. The old house was in such bad condition that it was
burned down. It had been added onto thru the years and was
pretty much in disrepair.(This is according to Walter's son
Art)
Grandad farmed the place until sometime in the 1920s at which
time they moved into town. I would assume that he still was
active on the farm after that, but do not know for sure. He
was a very active person of many talents. He did various things
thru the years. In a létter dated Nov. 13, 1911 to Dad, he
describes a bridge he had just completed. He stated that he
used 61 sacks of cement, 6000# of crushed rock, and about 8
loads of sand.(this is no doubt wagon loads) The finished
bridge cost $70.00. A picture of this bridge is included in
this writeup. At the time of this writing,1995, the bridge is
still in use on the county road leading to the home place.
Grandmother died in 1928. I believe that she was out hanging
out clothes when she suffered a heart attack. According to
Art, Grandad use to go to Calif. in the winters to visit his
sister there. This would be his sister Mary, who lived in
Pasadena. Art said that he used to go to Chicago, he thought
to visit another sister. That would be Dora, who at this time
we have no information about. Grandmother's sister, Minnie,
was in the Chicago area, so it might have been to visit her
also. :
Grandad died in 1937. I do not have any of the details, but
I do remember when Dad got the call. I thought it was Grandad
Stein, as he was the only one I really knew. I remember Wm.H.
but do not remember much about him, as we very seldom saw him.
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[page 78]
PART TWO - continued
Dad had an older brother Bill(William E.) I do not know much
about him as he died in 1919, long before my time. I do know
through my memories of Dad telling about him, and from old
letters, that dad was very close to him, and as I think back
he suffered a great loss when Bill died. I do not believe that
dad ever really got completely over his death. There will be
a little more about himin this article, when we get into the
history of Dad and Mother in the San Luis Valley.
Albert H. Bockhaus, born in 1890, is probably the brother of
dad's that is clearest in all of our memories. He was by all
accounts, quite a character, He was in my opinion a mechanical
genious. He could build or fix anything. If my information
is correct, he went to work in the roundhouse of the Santa Fe
RR in Newton in March of 1911. I do not know how long he stayed
there. I have seen drawings etc. that he did while he was there
and they are amazing. I know that he did not stay with the
RR very many years, althoughiI believe he had worked up to a high
level of responsibility in a very short time. After leaving
the RR he went into business for himself, and I believe it was
on east 3rd st. in Newton. He later moved into a new shop
across the street, where he stayed for a number of years.
Sometime during the years Albert changed the spelling of his
last name to Bochaus.(this is the 4th spelling that I know of)
Albert married Bonnie Wertenberg, and they had 2 daughters,
Audrey and Dorothy. Dorothy died many years ago.
Albert sold his machine shop some time in the late 1940's, do
not know exactly the date. I do remember in 1949 we were there
and he was in the ornamental iron business, and had a trailer
park on west Broadway. While we were there, Dad was looking at
some equipment Albert had made and asked what it was for. Albert
said that he had wanted to move to Arkansas and raise peanuts,
but Bonnie had put a stop to that idea. He made a good living
out of the ornamental iron business,as he was good at it just
like every thing he built. He and Bonnie had problems getting
along together all thru the years, and after they had been
married nearly 50 years they divorced. After that it is my
understanding that things went down hill for him until his death.
Bonnie, I believe, lived to be close to 100 years of age.
Ben R. Bockhaus was born in 1893. I do not know much about
his early years, but do know that he was in World War I and
received damage to his health from gas that was used by the
Germans during that war. As far as I know he received a pension
for the rest of his life. He married Lena Wyes in 1925,and
they never had any children. At one time he owned land in Wyo.,
which he may have gotten thru a homestead, but this I am not sure.
Note- this was written before l received the Penner article, so
some of the information is a repeat. Also there is more info
about Bill in the Penner article.
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[page 79]
PART TWO - continued
Ben's land in Wyo. did have at least one oil well on it, which
he received money from thru the years. Some of the family went
to Wyo. and looked up the property in later years, and found
the location with the well marked"Bockhaus No. 1". I believe
that the property was disposed of after his death. As far as
I know, the land is located south of Gillette, near the little
town of Bill, Wyo.
Ben had a farm near Halstead all the years that I knew him. It
was a pretty laid back operation as I remember. He was always
very quiet and very gentle as I remember. After Lena died, Ben
stayed on the old place for a number of years. The last time
I remember seeing him was in 1961 while Dad and Mother were
-back there for the winter. Mavis and I used to fly back from
Denver and Ben would pick us up at tne airport in Wichita. I
always looked forward to a visit with Uncle Ben. At that time
he used to mention that he was seeing a .woman.that he thought
quite a bit of. He later married her, and from what some of the
family tells me, it was a disaster. He built a new house and
she wound up with the house and much more. From what I can
gather it pretty much ruined his life.
I must bring up something that one of the cousins once told me
about Ben's farming. He said that he used to take care of the
animals when Ben would be gone for a few days. He said that it
was differant. The animals were all spoiled. He tried to get
one of the horses thru a gate with no avail until he scratched
him under the belly. Soundspretty much standard operation for
Ben's animals. .
The only girl was Frances, born in 1898. She was always kind
of Dad's favorite. I have to say, she was kind of unforgetable.
She married Henry Penner, who I always thought was a very neat
guy. They made quite a couple. They had 3 children, Florence,
Wilbert, and Bob. Penner’ farmed near Burton, KS.(Close to Halstead)
Wilbert now lives on the Penners home place. He is retired from
Cessna Aircraft.
It was always an experience to stay at the Penners, Aunt Frances
always kept you entertained. You never had to worry about not
feeling at home there.
She must have been pretty much the same when she was growing up,
pecause I found a letter written to Bill.in 1912 when she was 14,
and she tells about Ben crying because a friend left, so she made
him a handerchief three inches square so it could wipe away his
tears. Poor fellow she adds. She goes on to say "he went down
to see Lena this evening, and I suppose she will pet him around
a bit". She signs off by saying "Iguess I did some fancy pen~
manship. I suppose it would take first prize at a fair or show".
75
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[page 80]
PART TWO - continued
Dad'd youngest brother Walter, was born in 1901. He was married
to Marie Will, amd they had 5 children. They were, Ruth, Art,
Mildred, Billy, and Betty. Billy was born in 1941, and suffered
with poor health all of his life. He died in 1982. Ruth was
married to Raymond Wall, and he suffered a heart attack and
passed away a few years ago. We saw Ruth in May of this year
(1995) and she is living in Newton, where she owns a fabric shop,
which she was in the process of selling out when we were there.
Art is still living in Halstead, but is in rather poor health.
t do not know much about Mildred, except that she is living in
Texas. Betty lives in Kansas City.
Walter lived on the home place until shortly before his death.
The last time I was out at the old home place he was living in
the old house. Don't know if he was still living in it or if
he had moved to the other house. The other house was moved there
years ago, and Art & Terry lived therewhen they were first married.
Marie passed away in 1954, and some time later Walter remarried.
I did not know his second wife, in fact I had forgotten that he
had remarried, until Art jogged my memory when we were back there.
Walter passed away in 1981, at the age of 80. The last few months
he stayed in town with Art & Terry. Shortly after his death the
home place was sold to settle the estate. I do not what became
of his wife after that. He was buried beside Marie in the
Halstead cemetary.
In summing up my memories of my Dad's family in Kansas, I would
have to rate them pretty high, As I think back over the years
I have very good memories of the family in Kansas ~
This will complete the family in Kansas, except for Dad and
Mother. She has not been discussed up to this point, but will
be a little later. Some of the family in Kansas will he
brought up from time to time in the foiks history.
NOTE - Art Bockhaus passed away October 15, 1998. He was the
one that I kept in touch with, although thru the years it seemed
that we kind of lost touch. JI am very glad that we made it
back there in 1995. We kind of got in touch again. The family
in Kansas is kind of fading away.
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[page 81]
Above - The Wm. H. Bockhaus family 1911 -L - R back row - William
E., Louis, Ben, Center, Wm. H., Emilie, Front - Walter, Albert,
and Frances.
Below - Ben Bockhaus and Lena, probably wedding pictures

[page 82]
Above - L - R Roy Simouson, Alvin Baum, Walter Bockhaus, Martha
Simouson, Lester Baum, Ben & Lena Bockhaus, Bonnie & Albert
Bochaus, Wm. H. & Emilie Bockhaus,George & Bertha Baum and
Nettie Baum taken in 1921
Below - L ~ R Back row, Ben & Walter Bockhaus, Albert Bochaus
holding Audrey, Henry Penner(Center) Lena Bockhaus, Bonnie
Bochaus, Wm. H. Bockhaus (front) Emilie Bockhaus, Marie Bockhaus
holding Ruth, and George Baum taken in 1925
78

[page 83]
Above - Waltez, Frances,
Wm. H., & Emilie Bockhaus Above - Albert, Bonnie,
and Audry Bochaus -
Right - Nettie
Bockhous from Iowa,
Albert Bochaus
- ¥ances Penner
‘Ben & Walter Bockhaus
i
1
i

[page 84]
Above - Frances Penner and
Bonnie Bochaus
Above - Henry & Frances Penner
Below - L - R Marie & Walter
Louis & Emma Bockhaus, Bonnie
and Albert Bochaus, Frances &
Henry Penner,
1994
Ben & Lena Bockhaus
—,