USA > Kansas > Marshall County > History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions > Part 63
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Henry and Elizabeth Greiveldinger are the parents of eight children as follow: Peter, who is a farmer of Ford county, Kansas; Henry, a barber. of Hanover: Catherine Brychta, who resides in Logan township, where her husband is a farmer: Antone, who is a farmer of Herkimer township: John. a farmer of Washington county : Elizabeth Hebold, whose husband is a farmer of Logan township: Maggie Page, the wife of a farmer of Waterville town- ship and Joe, who is also a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Greiveldinger are earnest members of the Catholic church and have long been active in the social life
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of the township, where they have lived for so many years. Mr. and Mrs. Greiveldinger have rented their place to their son, Antone, and moved to a beautiful home which they own in Hanover, Kansas.
VENCEL MALICKY.
Among the well-known farmers and stockmen of Oketo township, Mar- shall county, who were born in foreign countries and came to the United States when but lads, is Vencel Malicky. the owner of three hundred and eighty-three acres of splendid land, and who was born in Bohemia on April 15. 1850, the son of Vencel and Wilhelmina ( Benbednor ) Malicky.
Vencel Malicky and his wife were natives of Bohemia and were educated in the schools of that country, grew to maturity and were later married. After their marriage they continued to live in Bohemia until 1865. when they decided to seek a home in the United States. On their arrival in this country they at once proceeded to Iowa, where they established their home on a farm. on which they lived and prospered until the time of their deaths some years ago. They were held in the highest regard and esteem in the community in which they lived. Their lives were active ones and they accomplished much in the new land, among strangers and amid new conditions. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the second born.
Vencel Malicky received his education in the schools of Bohemia and in the state of Iowa. He grew to manhood on the home farm in Washington county, Iowa, and assisted his father 'with the work on the home place. In 1875 he started farming for himself, his father having given him forty acres of land in Washington county, Iowa. He farmed this tract until 1880, when he moved to Nebraska, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Gage county. There he made many improvements and did much in the way of developing the farm, and made that place his home until 1885. He then sold out and invested in one hundred and sixty acres of government land in Oketo township, Marshall county. This was excellent land, but undeveloped and unimproved. being a part of the Indian Reservation of that section of the country. Here he built a fine frame house and has made many valuable improvements on the place, which he has since made his home. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising with much success. He
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keeps a fine lot of Shorthorn cattle and some splendid hogs, and is recognized as one of the successful and substantial men of the county.
In 1875 Mr. Malicky was united in marriage to Antonia Vesely who was born in Bohemia on June 2, 1855. She spent a part of her childhood in that country and at the age of nine years she came with her parents to the United States and settled with them in the state of Iowa, where she received her education and there grew to womanhood. To Mr. and Mrs. Malicky have been born the following children: Vencel, Anthony, John, Emma, Milton, Joseph, Charles, Frank, Rose, Stella, Tillie and Anna. Vencel is farming the home place : Anthony is a resident of Barston, Nebraska ; Emma Chadima is living in Nebraska : Joseph and Stella are now deceased; Charles, Rose and Anna are at home : Frank is a farmer in Nebraska, and Tillie is a graduate of the Oketo high school and is now taking a course in deaconess work at the National Training School of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Malicky with their family are active members of the Methodist Epis- copal church and have long been active in the social and the religious life of the district.
Politically, Mr. Malicky is identified with the Democratic party and has served in his present position as a member of the school board for the past thirty years. He has always taken keen interest in local affairs and has had much to do with the civic life of the township, of which he is one of the pro- gressive men. He is a stockholder of the co-operative store and the mills at Oketo.
A. B. S.A.ATHOFF.
It is a well-established principle, that wherever the native German has settled. he has for the most part made a success of his work, and this is especially true of those who have engaged in farming and stock raising. Among the number who have met with success in Marshall county, is A. B. Saathoff, who was born in Germany in 1844, and in that country was edu- cated and grew to manhood.
In 1868, at the age of twenty-four years, A. B. Saathoff left his home in Hanover and came to the United States. On his arrival in this country, he located at Livingston county, Illinois, where he engaged as a farm hand. There in 1870 he was united in marriage to Folcke Flessner, who was born in Hanover, Germany. in 1849. She grew to womanhood in her native
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country and in 1868 came to Illinois. After his marriage, Mr. Saathoff rented land in Illinois and engaged in agricultural work until 1883, when he came to Marshall county, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in Oketo township. He had but little money to pay for the tract and was given time to make his other payments. He had two good teams of mules and at once engaged in the task of developing and improving his farm. He and his wife worked with diligence, practicing the strictest economy, and they soon had their farm paid for. They continued to buy more land and became the owners of eight hundred acres, seven hundred and twenty-eight acres being in Oketo township and eighty acres in the state of Nebraska.
At the time Mr. and Mrs. Saathoff came to their farm they had a house with but three rooms, the house being but fourteen by eighteen feet. The house was the only building on the place and there was no building to shelter the stock. The house stood on the northwest corner of the place, and Mrs. Saathoff remembers well when the family would have breakfast in Kansas, dinner in Nebraska and return to Kansas for supper. Those days, while hard ones to the new settlers, were made happy with anticipations of a better home in the near future. They worked with a determination to accomplish their desired goal, and today Mr. Saathoff is recognized as one of the sub- stantial and successful farmers and large stock raisers of the county.
Mr. and Mrs. Saathoff are the parents of the following children: Ben. who lives two miles northwest of the home farm, where he is a farmer and stockman ; Margaret Gerdes lives one mile east of her father's home and there Mr. Gerdes is situated on a farm; Elsie is the wife of Wilke Tjaden, a farmer of Oketo township: Henry is farming in the township, being located on a part of his father's farm: John is at home; Fannie Ubben is a resident of Oketo township, where her husband is engaged in general farnı- ing: Annie Saathoff resides on a farm one-half mile north, but in the state of Nebraska; and Gertrude is at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Saathoff are active members of the Lutheran church and have always taken much interest in all church work, Mr. Saathoff having served for many years as a deacon and trustee of the local congregation. They have devoted their lives to the interests of their children and the good that they might do in the moral and educational development of the township.
Mr. Saathoff is identified with the Republican party. While he has not been an office seeker, he has been interested in the civic life of his home county and state. He is a firm believer in substantial public improvements
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and the election of the best men to administer public affairs. Being a man of sound judgment and having met with a marked degree of success in his own affairs, he is often consulted relative to the public affairs of his own community.
WILLIAM RIEKENBERG.
William Riekenberg, a successful farmer and stockman of Logan township, Marshall county, was born on the farm where he now lives on July 16, 1878, the son of Frederick and Mary (Pralle) Riekenberg, who were natives of Germany, the father having been born in 1843 and the mother in 1845. They were reared on a farm and received their education in the schools of the land of their birth.
In 1864, Frederick Riekenberg, on reaching the age of twenty-one years, left the scenes of his childhood and carly life and came to America. On landing in this country he proceeded at once to Illinois, where he worked for six months as a farm hand, when he came to Kansas, being among the early pioneers of this part of the state. He took a homestead of one hun- dred and sixty acres in section 8, Logan township. Marshall county. The land was undeveloped and unimproved and the neighbors were few and far apart. Hle at once began the task of developing and improving his new farm, and it was here that he lived for twenty-three years, meeting with much success in general farming and stock raising. He then moved to a farm of two hundred and forty acres in Washington county, that belonged to his wife. Here he continued his agricultural work and interest in stock- raising until 1910, when he retired from the more active duties of life and moved to Lanhan, Kansas, where he died in 1912. Mrs. Riekenberg died in 1887. Mr. Riekenberg was a man who took keen interest in local affairs and had much to do with the substantial development of the county. He served for some years as road boss, and was a member of the school board, two important positions in the early life of any community. Mr. and Mrs. Rickenberg were active members of the German Lutheran church and took much interest in the social life of the community in which they lived and where they were held in the highest regard. They were the parents of seven children as follow: Twins that died in infancy; Fred, a farmer of Wash- ington county; Sophia Helberg, whose husband is a farmer in Oklahoma : William; Henry, a successful farmer of Herkimer township. Marshall county, and Mary, who died at the age of one year.
WILLIAM RIEKENBERG AND FAMILY.
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William Riekenberg received his education in the schools of Logan township and grew to manhood on the home farm, and early in life became impressed with the independent life of the farmer. At the age of twenty- two years he rented the home farm of his father, three months later his father-in-law purchased the place and gave it to him and his wife, and here they have continued to make their home. Mr. Riekenberg has met with success in general farming and stock raising. He is interested in the breed- ing and the raising of high-grade Hereford cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs, of each of which he raises many head. In 1905 Mr. and Mrs. Riekenberg built a substantial two-story, eight-room house, modern in all respects. The farm has also been improved with a fine large barn and other good build- ings that have added to the value of the place.
In 1901, William Riekenberg was united in marriage to Sophia Licht, the daughter of William and Mary ( Krueger) Licht, natives of Germany. Mr. Licht was born in 1834 and his future wife was born seven years later. They received their education in the schools of that country and were reared on a farm. In 1867 they came to the United States. While living in Ger- many, Mr. Licht engaged in general farming, and on coming to this country. he located on a farm in Illinois, where he remained for two years, after whichi he came to Kansas, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Washington county. This farm he developed and improved and here he engaged in farming and stock raising until the time of his death in 1906, and here the widow now resides. Mr. Licht was for many years recognized as one of the prominent and influential men of Washington county, where he took much interest in all local affairs. He was progressive in all things, believed in substantial public improvements, and was a strong advo- cate of good roads and the best schools. He and his wife having been edu- cated in the best schools of their native land, they realized and appreciated their value in the growth and development of any district. Mr. Licht was identified with the Republican party, but was not partisan and used his influence toward the advancement of those principles that tended toward the better development of his county and state. He and Mrs. Licht were the parents of seven children as follow: Mary Wallenberg, of Washington county, where her husband is a successful farmer; William, on the home place : Henry and Dora, twins, who died in infancy: Elizabeth died at the age of two years ; Sophia, the wife of William Riekenberg, and Anna Holle, whose husband is a well-known farmer of Logan township.
Sophia (Licht) Rickenberg was born in Washington county, Kansas, on October 26, 1879. She was educated in the local schools and reared on
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the home farm, where she resided until her marriage. She and William Riekenberg are the parents of three children as follow: Alphons, born on March 8, 1903: Herbert, December 4. 1906, and Ralph, April 21, 1909. They are active members of the Lutheran church and prominent in the social life of the township. Mr. Riekenberg is independent in politics and has served for a number of years as a member of the school board.
WILLIAM BOMMER.
.Among the successful and prominent farmers and stockmen of Oketo township. Marshall county, is William Bommer, who was born in Freeport. Illinois, March 10, 1860. the son of Henry and Christena Bommer, natives of Germany.
Henry and Christena Bommer were born in the years 1823 and 1828. respectively. They received their education in the schools of their native land and there they grew up and were later married. After their marriage they established their home in Germany, where they continued to live for some years. They later decided to come to America, and on their arrival in this country they first located in the state of Illinois, where they remained for a time and then removed to Iowa, and later to Kansas. In 1879 they settled four miles north of Marysville. Marshall county, and later moved to Oketo township, where they purchased the farm now owned by J. W. Gib- son. This place they developed and improved and here they lived for a number of years.
To Henry and Christena Bommer were born the following children: William; Frank, who died in October, 1905, and Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Bommer were prominent in the social life of the community in which they lived and where they were held in the highest regard. They always took great interest in the affairs of the district and were active until the time of their deaths, the former having died in February, 1889, and the latter in August, 1914. Mr. Bommer, while he was not in any way an office seeker, took considerable interest in local affairs and was recognized as one of the prominent and influential men of the district. He was a man of exceptional ability and excellent judgment. He was a firm believer in the building of the best roads and the establishment and maintenance of the highest grade of schools, and he and his wife were ever influential in furthering the inter- ests of the township and the county. Mr. and Mrs. Bommer were active
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members of the Lutheran church and always took much interest in the services of the church. They devoted their lives to the interests of their family and the good that they might do in the home community and they made many friends throughout the county.
William Bommer received his education in the common schools of Illi- nois and Iowa and came with his parents to Marshall county in 1879. Here he worked as a farm hand at twelve dollars per month for several years. At the death of his father he received from the estate forty acres of excel- lent land, to which he later added eighty acres. The tract that he bought had been for a number of years a part of the county farm. It had no improve- ments, and Mr. Bommer at once erected a splendid house and outbuildings and planted many beautiful trees on the place. His home is one of the ideal country places in the county. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, meeting with much success. His farm is under the highest state of cultivation and he keeps the best stock. In addition to his large interest on the farm, he is the owner of stock in the Marietta Elevator Company.
William Bommer was united in marriage in 1884 to Mary Helms, who was born in Marshall county, in 1861 and died in 1890. She was the daugh- ter of William and Nancy (Hall) Helms, both of whom were natives of Nebraska. To this union two children were born, Clara and Charlotte. Clara is the wife of F. A. Craik, a resident of Washington county, Kansas, and they are the parents of five children; Charlotte, now deceased, was the wife of W. Wood. In 1905 William Bommer married Theresa Schmidler, a native of Marshall county, where she was born on February 9, 1871. Her parents were John and Catherine (Steinmetz) Schmidler. The father was born in Luxemburg, Germany, in 1837 and when two years of age came with his parents to the United States. They established their home in Wis- consin, where they lived for a number of years. It was there that the son, John, was born, educated, grew to manhood and was married to Catherine Steinmetz, who was born in Wisconsin in 1847, near Port Washington. The family continued to reside in that state until 1869, when they came to Kansas. The father had come to Marshall county in 1866. when he and Peter Scharman cut out the tunnel water course for the Hutchison mill. After the family came to the county they established their home on the old Marshall farm, which at that time was owned by Jacob Schmidler, the grand- father of Mrs. Bommer. On this farm the family resided for a number of years and engaged in general farming and stock raising. In 1876 the
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parents spent the winter in California, after which they returned to Kansas, and in 1881 removed to Oketo township, where they now reside.
To John and Catherine Schmidler have been born the following children : J. G., Theresa. Anna, Sophia, Lulu, Elsie, Agatha, John H. and Henry W. Theresa is the wife of William Bommer and resides in Oketo township: J. G. is the cashier of the State Bank of Marietta ; Anna died in the year 1915 : Sophia is the wife of 1. J. Adams, of Cleveland, Ohio: Lulu is the wife of A. R. Young, who is the city engineer of Topeka, Kansas: Elsie is a teacher in the schools of Blue Rapids, Kansas; Agatha is at home: John H. is a farmer, and resides two miles south of Oketo, and Henry H. is also a farmer of the township. Mr and Mrs. Schmidler have long been held in the greatest esteem by the people of their home community. For ten years before her marriage Mrs. Bommer taught school in Marshall county. She is a woman of excellent education and possessed of culture and refinement.
Mr. Bommer has always taken much interest in the civic life of the township. In 1887 he was elected township trustee and served in that capacity for eight years, giving general satisfaction. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
JEROME M. BRYCHTA.
Jerome MI. Brychta, a well-known and successful farmer of Logan town- ship. Marshall county, was born in this county on February 24, 1874. the son of John and Mary ( Marak) Brychta.
John Brychta, the father of Jerome M., was the son of John and .Anna ( Chelopeaka) Brychta, who were natives of Bohemia and there received their education in the public schools, grew to maturity and were married. The father was born in 1783 and the mother in 1803. They were of the farming class and there the mother died in 1867. Seven years after the death of his wife, Jolin Brychta came to the United States in 1874 and made his home with his son. John, until his death some years later. They were the parents of two children as follow: Dora Cejp, born in 1836 and died at her home near Barnes, Kansas, in 1916, and John, Jr., born in Bohemia on January 9. 1839, and was educated in the schools of that country and grew to manhood. In 1865 he came to the United States and located on a farm in Iowa, which he rented for five years and engaged in general farm- ing and carpentering. He then came to Kansas, where he homesteaded eighty acres of land in Logan township, Marshall county, in section 18, and
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here he is still living with his son, Jerome M. He has long been associated with the Democratic party and has ever taken much interest in local affairs and is held in the highest regard. Mary ( Marak) Brychta was the daughter of Matt and Helen (Benes) Marak, who were natives of Bohemia, where the father was born in 1790 and the mother in 1804. They received their education in the schools of their native land and there resided for many years after their marriage, where Mr. Marak was engaged in farming. In Bohemia Mr. Marak died in 1862, and three years after his death the widow came to the United States, dying in Iowa in 1871. They were the parents of three children, Joseph, who died in Iowa: Mary, the mother of Jerome M. Brychta, and Helen Burns, whose husband is engaged in office work in Iowa. Mary Marak was born in Bohemia on September 7, 1842, and was there educated and married to John Brychta. In 1865 she and her husband decided to come to America. They were the parents of seven children, three of whom are now living: John, a teamster of Marysville: Jerome, the subject of this sketch, and Henry, shipping clerk with M. M. Johnson, of St. Joe. Missouri.
Jerome M. Brychta was reared on the home farm in Marshall county and here received his education in the public schools. He remained at home until he was eighteen years of age. when he started in business for himself. He served as an apprentice for two years in a blacksmith shop, after which he worked at the trade for two years when he rented his father's farm and engaged in general farming and stock raising until 1912. He then purchased the farm and has since made the place his home. He has two houses on the place, liis father and mother occupying one and he and his family the other. He and his family are members of the Catholic church and have long been active in the social life of the community. Mr. Brychta has always taken keen interest in local affairs and, as a Democrat, has served as township clerk and justice of the peace, as well as treasurer of the school board.
In 1901 Jerome M. Brychta was united in marriage to Catherine Greiveldinger. the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth ( Pirrott) Greiveldinger. who are prominent residents of Logan township, where Mr. Greiveldinger is a farmer. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Brychta were Christopher and Lena (Cinnon) Greiveldinger, who were natives of Germany, the grand- fatlier having been born in 1800 and the grandmother in 1806. They were educated in their native land and there grew to maturity. The grandfather was a man of much ability and was educated both in German and French, as well as English, his education in the latter tongue being received after
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coming to the United States in 1855. On landing in the United States he and his family established their home in Wisconsin on a farm, where the grandfather died in 1863, after which the grandmother moved to Kansas and died in Marshall county in 1888. There were thirteen children in the family, all of whom are now deceased with the exception of Henry. the father of Mrs. Brychta.
Henry Greiveldinger was born in Germany and there received his pri- mary education. completing his school work in America, where he came with his parents in 1855. He remained at home until the death of his father. when at the age of eighteen years he went to Michigan where he worked in the pine woods and in the saw-mills of the state, until 1870, when he came to Marshall county and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Logan township, where he has since made his home. He was united in marriage in 1872 to Elizabeth Pirrott. the daughter of Peter and Cath- erine ( Allair ) Pirrott, who were natives of France and Germany, respect- ively. Mr. and Mrs. Pirrott came to the United States and located in Mar- shall county in 1871. Here Mr. Pirrott homesteaded eighty acres of land and engaged in general farming for eight years when he sold the place to his son and made his home with his children until the time of his death in 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Pirrott were the parents of fourteen children, three of whom are still living as follow : Anthony, Catherine and Elizabeth, the wife of Henry Greiveldinger.
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