USA > Kansas > Marshall County > History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions > Part 65
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The ancestors of Ed. S. Henry were originally from Ohio and in an early day settled in the states of Illinois and Missouri, and thence to Els- worth, Kansas. Ed. S. and his brother, Ira, when young men engaged in farming in Washington county, and there Ira is still engaged in the work. Ed. S. later located at Kansas City, where he engaged in the commission and produce business for a number of years, when he established himself in the business in Chicago, Illinois, and was one of the first to use the candling pro- cess in the selection of eggs. He continued in the business during his life and met with much success. He and Mrs. Henry were the parents of two children, fra Edmond and Guy Morris, the latter having died at the age of fifteen years.
Ira Edmond Henry received his early education in a country school house in Washington county, Kansas, and experienced many of the early conditions of the early life on the plains. In 1892, at the age of nine years. he came to Summerfield, Marshall county, with his mother, who had after the death of his father married Samuel J. Grauer. Here he attended the public schools and later entered the University of Kansas, at Lawrence, in 1003. He took the course in pharmacy and completed his work in 1904 and became a registered pharmacist that year. During the time he was in the university he was a member of the baseball team, and was awarded a "K" in baseball and general athletics. After completing his education and receiving his certificate, he returned to Summerfield in June, 1904, and in
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IRA E. HENRY.
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July of that year he purchased a drug store which he conducted for seven years. He then purchased his present store in 1911, and a year later con- solidated it with the "Daisy Pharmacy Store," which he had purchased. His present store is known as the "Rexall Store" and is one of the most com- plete in this section of the county. He has an excellent room for his busi- ness, which is twenty-four by eighty feet, all of which is well stocked with up-to-date goods. In addition to his stock of drugs, he handles musical instruments for which he has a special room. He has the agency for the Edison, the Knaba, the Marshall and Wendell pianos, in all of which he has a well-established business. He has a stock, the value of which is eight thousand dollars, and carries a large stock of Rexall remedies, books, station- ery, Lowe Brothers high-standard paints, wall paper and toilet articles. He has two registered clerks and on Saturdays has extra help.
Ira Edmond Henry has by hard work risen to his present position in the business world. He began his active life with no financial backing, and before he was twenty-one years of age he had completed his college career and had established himself in the business world. He began his life as a clerk in a drug store at one dollar and fifty cents per week, for the first year. But he had the determination and push to own a store of his own. He bor- rowed the money when he made his purchase of the first drug store, all of which he has paid.
On September 2, 1908, Ira Edmond Henry was united in marriage to Florence Nightingale Hazels, of Washington county, Kansas, the daughter of George Nicol Hazels and wife. Her father was a native of Scotland and there received his education in the public schools and grew to manhood. At the age of twenty years he left his native land and came to America. On his arrival in the United States he came direct to Kansas and located on a farm in Washington county, where he died at the age of seventy-two years. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry has been born one child, Helen Davene, now a girl of five years. Mr. and Mrs. Henry are active members of the United Presby- terian church and are prominent in the social life of their home city, where they are held in the highest regard and esteem by all who know them.
Politically, Mr. Henry is identified with the Republican party, and has always taken a keen interest in local affairs, and is at present the efficient city clerk. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is the distributor of the "Indigent Vaccine" for St. Bridget and Richland townships and is local register of the births and deaths. He has always been much interested in the educational progress of the city
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and in adding to its beauty and growth. He had much to do with the seven- thousand-five-hundred-dollar addition to the school house. He won the five- dollar prize of Doctor Stephens for producing the best growth in five elm trees within a year.
KARL HOHN.
Of the well known farmers and stockmen of Balderson township, Mar- shall county, who were born in Germany may be mentioned Karl Hohn, who was born by Koelnam Rhein, on June 12. 1852. and is the son of John W. and Regina ( Ochm) Hohn.
John W. and Regina Oehm were also natives of Germany, in which country they were educated and were later married. John W. Hohn was born in 1827 and his wife in 1828. After their marriage they continued to make their home in Germany until 1869, when they came to the United States. John W. Hohn was reared on a farm and engaged in that work in his native land. and when he came to Marshall county. he continued in that work. He purchased the farm where his son. Karl. now lives and made all the improvements, including the stone house and barn. The stone for these structures he quarried from his farm. He developed the farm and became one of the substantial farmers of the township. Mr. Hohn con- tinned to live on the old home place until 1890, when he returned to his native land, where he died in 1900. The wife and mother died on October 18. 1804.
John W. and Regina Hohn were active members of the Evangelical church and took much interest in all the services of the church and were prominent in the social life of the township. They were the parents of the following children: Karl. Bertha and Amelia. Bertha is the wife of C. Schaeer, of Superior. Nebraska, and Amelia was the wife of D. Breunsbach. Her death occurred some years ago.
Karl Hohn was educated in Germany and remained there until he was seventeen years of age. He came with his parents to America and located in Balderson township. Marshall county, and here he entered school but was unable to attend longer than eighteen days. Being the eldest child he was in a position to assist his father in the cultivation of the farm, and remained with him until he returned to Germany. Karl Hohn then purchased the farm and since that time has been engaged in general farming and stock raising. He experienced many of the hardships of the early pioneer; yet
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with the determination to succeed he is now one of the substantial men of the township. He sold corn at thirteen cents per bushel, and has even hauled it to Marysville, when it was a task to get rid of it at any price. He has taken wheat to Frankfort, Kansas, twenty-five miles distant, and sold it for thirty-five cents per bushel. To make this trip he would start at eleven o'clock at night, so as to be at the market early in the morning. Those were most trying times, and a load of wheat would bring but a few dollars.
The first house on the place, built by his father, was of logs, the timber being obtained from the home farm. In 1880 the present stone house was erected. It required many days of hard work for the father and son to quarry the stone, dress and place them in the building. The placing of the stone in the building was left to Karl Hohn, and the evidence of his good work is seen in the splendid condition of the building today. There were many Indians in the county at the time the family made their settlement there, yet they were always friendly to the Hohn family. Many times, when in the woods or fields about his work, or on the hillside picking berries, Karl Hohn would meet a band of Indians, and while he was many times fright- ened, he was never in any way hurt. He has been driven from the berry patch by them, with the claim that the berries belonged to them and later he became aware that it was all a joke. These little incidents had much to do with cementing the friendship of the red men and the whites in this section of the state.
On November 15, 1880. Karl Hohn was united in marriage to Amelia Bruensbach, who was born on September 12, 1862, in the state of Illinois, and later came to Kansas, where she died on February 15, 1901. She was a member of the Evangelical church. To that union the following children were born: Lena, Bertha, Amelia. Emil, Emma, Anna and Rudy. Lena Rohtenberger is now a resident of Balderson township, where her husband is a farmer: Bertha is the wife of John Grauer, a resident of Marysville : · Amelia is the wife of Frank Kratch, of Balderson ; Emma Zeibach resides near Steel City, Nebraska, and Anna Rudy are at home with the father.
Karl Hohn is an active member of the Evangelical church and is prom- inent in the social life of the township. He has always taken much interest in the services of the church and is one of the highly respected men of the community. Politically, he is identified with the Republican party and has had much to do with the civic life of the township and served for a number of years as treasurer. He is a strong advocate of better schools and good roads. On January 12, 1910, Mr. Hohn married for his second wife, Mrs. Sophia Kratch. a daughter of Fritz and Kathrin (Freese) Meier, of Mis-
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souri, where they were farming people, both being now deceased. Mrs. Hohn. by her first marriage, was the mother of the following children : Frank, Rudolph, Alma and Fred, all of whom are married and living in Balderson township, this county.
STERLING KECK.
Sterling Keck, one of the prominent residents of Summerfield, Mar- shall county, and now living a retired life, was born in Claiborne county, Tennessee, on September 9, 1845. the son of Philip and Rachel (Goin) Keck.
Philip Keck was born in Pennsylvania and was the son of John and Anna ( Hansley) Keck, both of whom were natives of the state of Pennsyl- vania. and where the father was engaged in farming. John Keck was the son of Conrad Keck and wife, also natives of that state. The families later moved to Tennessee and there John Keck died in 1859. Philip Keck after moving to Tennessee became the owner of a large plantation consisting of over three hundred acres of land. It was there that he died in 1880 at the age of eighty-five years. Rachel ( Goin) Keck, the mother of Sterling Keck, was born in Tennessee in 1816. She was the daughter of Uriah Goin. She grew to womanhood in home state and there lived her life, her death having occurred some years ago.
Sterling Keck received his education in the common schools of his native state and there grew to manhood on the home plantation. At the age of seventeen years he enlisted in the Union army, and served in Battery B. First Tennessee Light Artillery, and saw much active service in and about Nicholasville, Kentucky. He was in the Twenty-third Army Corps and did good service for two and a half years. After the close of the war he returned to his home and engaged in teaching, and was for four years one of the suc- cessful teachers of his state. He then retired from the work as a teacher and engaged in farming on his tract of land for fifteen years. In 1879 he left Tennessee and went to Gage county, Nebraska, where he purchased eighty acres of land at twelve dollars per acre. He held this land for a time, when he traded it for land in Thomas county, Kansas. In 1890 he left Nebraska and came to Marshall county, where he purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in section 24, Balderson township. The place was partially developed and had some improvements. He later built a fine eight-room house and made other extensive improvements. Here he engaged
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in general farming and stock raising with much success for the next eighteen years, when in 1909 he retired from the active duties of farm life and moved to Summerfield. Here he has a beautiful modern house and six acres of land. The land is just across the line in Nebraska.
While actively engaged in farm work, Mr. Keck was an extensive raiser of cattle. and each year had ready for the market some two hundred head. He was the largest hog raiser in Balderson township. He was also a dealer in mules and each year he shipped large numbers of these animals to the various markets of the country. As a ·business man and farmer he demon- trated his ability to handle matters of large proportions.
Sterling Keck was twice married. His first wife was Harriet Har- man, whom he married on October 18, 1866. She was born in Tennessee in 1848 and died on July 13, 1908. To this union the following children have been born: Roxie Ann, Clarcie, Lucretia, Emeline, James William, Melvin, Belle, Josephine, Proctor, Bert, John, Eva, Iva and one that died in infancy. Roxie Ann is the wife of William Wymore, of Portland, Oregon, and to them have been born five children: Clarcie Brown lives in Montana, where Mr. Brown is engaged in farming; Lucretia, now deceased, was the wife of James McMahan; Emeline is the wife of L. McMahan and they reside in California; James William resides in Montana; Melvin is farming on the home placc; Belle is the wife of L. Vanortwick, a farmer of Richland township: Josephine Arnold resides in California; Proctor L. is a farmer of Richland township; Bert lives in California: John is a resident of Montana; Eva Fralin resides in Richland township, where Mr. Fralin is engaged in farming and Iva is now deceased.
In 1909 Mr. Keck was united in marriage to Mrs. Maggie Munday, who was born in Tennessee on May 27, 1881, where she grew to womanhood and was united in marriage to Oscar Munday, by whom she is the mother of two children, Nellie and Claud, both of whom are at home. Mrs. Keck is the daughter of William and Sallie ( Lane) Munday, natives of Tennessee.
Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Munday came to Marshall county and established their home in section 19, Richland township, in 1902. Oscar Munday engaged in general farming and stock raising for a number of years and met with much success, in his chosen work. He and his wife were among the prominent people of the community and were active in the social life of the district. Some years after the death of her husband, Mrs. Munday became the wife of Sterling Keck, and since their marriage have lived in their beautiful home in Summerfield.
At the time Sterling and Harriet Keck left Tennessee to establish a new
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home in Gage county, Nebraska, they were the parents of six girls and eight sons. With his wife and large family of children. Mr. Keck landed in Gage county with but twenty-five dollars in money. The long and difficult jour- ney was made with horses and covered wagons, and in the party that came at that time there were eight wagons and forty-two people. The trip occu- pied forty-two days, and was fraught with many hardships and dangers. The roads were but trails and there were few, if any, bridges spanning the creeks and rivers.
CONSTAND CLAEYS.
Constand Claeys, one of the well-known and prominent men of Marys- ville township, Marshall county, was born in Belgium on April 9. 1870. the son of Celestine and Caroline ( Cambrell) Claeys.
Celestine and Caroline Claeys were natives of Belgium and there re- ceived their education, grew to maturity and were later married. After their marriage they established their home in Belgium and there they spent the rest of their lives. The father was born in 1834 and the mother in 1838, the former died in the land where he was born on January 16, 1915, and the mother died in the land of her nativity in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Claeys were devout members of the Catholic church and prominent in the local society of their home community. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom died in infancy; the four now living are Florman. Lena. Constand and Celina. Florman lives at Axtell. Kansas; he is a farmer and stockman: Lena Von De Rostine is a resident of Atchinson, Illinois, where Mr. Von De Rostine is engaged in farming and stock rais- ing: Constand is the subject of this sketch and Celina Busie is still a resi- cent of the home country.
Constand Claeys received his education in the schools of Belgium. He immigrated to the United States in April, 1889. Following his arrival in this country he started in to work for himself and sought employment in a brick yard, after he had located at Beatrice, Nebraska. Here he remained for ten years, when he came to Marshall county. in 1900, and here he started a yard of his own at Marysville, which he operated until 1911. He then disposed of his business and rented a farm near Marysville, where he lived for four years, after which he rented one hundred and sixty acres, near his former location, and here is still living. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, being particularly interested in the breeding and the
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raising of Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs, and is now preparing to raise a high grade of Hampshire hogs.
In 1899 Constand Claeys was united in marriage to Antonia Peter, the daughter of Walter and Barbara (Shoemaker) Peter. Mr. and Mrs. Peter were natives of Switzerland and there received their education, grew up and were later married. The father was born in 1847 and the mother in 1849. While living in his native land Mr. Peter was employed at all kinds of work, especially at the building of brick ovens in residences. He and his wife continued to live in their native land until 1883, when they came to the United States and established their home on a rented farm in Nebraska, where they lived until 1905, when they took a homestead in South Dakota. The wife and mother died in 1887. After a residence of some eighteen months in South Dakota, Mr. Peters returned to Switzerland on a visit and there he died. He and Mrs. Peters were devout members of the Cath- olic church and highly respected people. Mr. Peter was an active member of the Democratic party and always took much interest in local affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Peters were the parents of the following children: Antonia, Ar- nold, Fredia, Walter, Louise, Warner, Lena, Ralph, Amelia and Barbara. Antonia is the wife of Constand Claeys; Arnold, a carpenter, is a resident of the state of Iowa; Freda Moshell resides at Lincoln, Nebraska, her hus- band being a traveling man: Walter is engaged in farming on the old home- stead in South Dakota: Louise Misery lives in South Dakota, and is now a widow, her husband, who was a telegraph operator, died some years ago; Warner is a farmer in South Dakota; Lena Kemper lives in Nebraska, where her husband is a carpenter : Ralph is a carpenter in Iowa; Amelia Kennedy resides at Dorchester, Nebraska, where Mr. Kennedy is engaged in the carpenter work and as a contractor, and Barbara Hire, who was the second born of the family, is the wife of Mr. Hire, who lives at Franklin, Nebraska, and is one of the farmers and stock men of that section.
Antonia (Peter) Claeys was born in Switzerland on March 4, 1872, and was reared in a village and received her education in one of the schools of that country. At the age of eleven years she came to the United States with her parents, and with them located on a farm in Nebraska. There she grew to womanhood and was later married. She and her husband, Mr. Claeys were for long years devout members of the Catholic church, and Mrs. Claeys was an active member of the altar society until the time of her death in 1905. She was a woman who was held in the highest regard and at her death the community lost one who was ever ready and willing to assist in trouble and in sickness. She and Mr. Claeys were the parents
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of the following children: Louis, born on November 6, 1899; Agnes, De- cember 10. 1900: Susana. Semtember 11, 1903; and Barbara, February 21, 1905. These children are now all at home with the father and all have been confirmed in the church of their father and mother. With their father, they are held in high regard by the people of the district in which they live and where they take an active interest in the social life as well as the re- ligious life of their church.
JOHN F. WAGNER.
Among the successful farmers and stockmen of Richland township, Marshall county, may be included John F. Wagner, the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of splendid land, and at present operating three hundred and twenty acres, who was born in Franklin county, Indiana, on May 22, 1877, the son of Jacob and Eliza (Cruse) Wagner.
Jacob Wagner was a native of Germany, and there he received his education in the schools and grew to manhood. His early life was spent on a farm, and as a young man he decided that he would be a farmer. Feeling that he would have better opportunities to obtain a home and a farm he came to the United States and at once proceeded to Indiana, locat- ing in Franklin county. In that state he was married to Eliza Cruse, who was born in Indiana in 1840. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Wagner established their home in Franklin county, where they resided until 1880, when they came to Kansas. Here Mr. Wagner purchased a farm of two hundred and forty acres of splendid land, which is now owned by the son, Louis J. This farm he developed from the unbroken prairie into one of the model farms of the county. . After four years of active life on his new farm he died in 1884. The widow is now living a retired life at Summer- field. They were the parents of the following children: Harry. Louis J .. Charles P., John F., Edward and William C. Harry is deceased; Charles P. is a farmer and stockman in Richland township: William C. is a jeweler at Sapulpa. Oklahoma, and Edward is a resident of Summerfield.
Jacob Wagner was twice married. To the union before he married Eliza Cruse were born three children as follow: Todd, who is a resident of Des Moines, lowa : Katherine Mertes, a resident of California, and Addie Poffinbarger. who lives near Fairbury, Nebraska.
John F. Wagner was three years old when his parents left their home
MR. AND MRS. FRED HEISERMAN.
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in Indiana and came to Kansas. Here he received his education in the public schools and remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age. He then rented land where he engaged in general farming until 1907, when he purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 33, Richland township, where he has erected the best of modern buildings and today has one of the best country homes in the county. He is a progressive farmer and an excellent stockman, and his farm and stock show the results of care and attention.
John F. Wagner was united in marriage on February 24, 1903, to Lillie M. Heiserman, who was born in Marshall county on November 16, 1884, the daughter of Fred and Mary (Hunt) Heiserman. Mr. Heiserman was born in Germany on January 25, 1834, and is the son of Jacob Heiser- man and wife, who spent their lives in the fatherland. Fred Heiserman was reared in Germany and there received his education in the public schools. At the age of twenty-one years he came to America, On his arrival in the United States in 1855, he at once proceeded to Illinois, where he engaged as a farm hand for some years. There he was married to Mary Hunt, who was born in 1847 and died in 1906. In 1868 Mr. and Mrs. Heiserman came to Kansas, having made the journey with horses and wagon from the home in Illinois. They homesteaded eighty acres of land in Richland township, Marshall county, which they later developed and improved and in time became the owners of two hundred and forty acres of the best land. They were the parents of the following children : Henry, of Liberty, Nebraska; William, of Oklahoma: Jacob, of Norton county, Kansas; George, a well-known farmer of Balderson township, Marshall county; John, of Oklahoma; Fred, of Smith county, Kansas; Charles, of Richland township; Albert, on the home farm; Walter, a farmer of Marshall county ; Edward, of Balderson township; Anna, the wife of Ed Ringen, of Richland township, a prosperous farmer and stockman; Rose, the wife of William Ringen, a well-known farmer, and Lillie, the wife of John F. Wagner.
John F. and Lillie Wagner are among the prominent residents of Rich- land township and are held in high regard. They are the parents of two children, Clifford A. and Viola I. They take the keenest pleasure in their beautiful home with their children. and one of their greatest pleasures is the entertainment of their neighbors and their friends. Mrs. Wagner has spent her life in the county where she now lives, where she has ever taken much interest in church work and the social activities of the community.
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