USA > Kansas > Marshall County > History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions > Part 79
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99
On March 19, 1891. Ed. W. Ringen was united in marriage to Anna Heiserman. who was born at Lincoln. Illinois, on November 30, 1868, the daughter of Fred and Mary ( Hund) Heiserman. The father of Mrs.
833
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
Ringen was a native of Germany, having been born in that country on Janu- ary 25, 1834. It was there that he received his education in the public schools and there he continued to live until he was twenty-one years of age, when he left the land of his nativity and came to the United States. In 1855 he came to this country and at once established himself as a farm hand in the state of Illinois. There he married Mary Hund, who was born in 1847. Some years after their marriage they came to Kansas, with horses and wagon and established themselves on a homestead of eighty acres of land in Rich- land township, Kansas. This farm was later developed and improved and here Mr. Heiserman engaged in general farming and stock raising for many years, with much success. He soon became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land and was one of the prominent men of the township. On that farm his wife died in 1908. They were the parents of the following children : Henry, of Liberty, Kansas ; William, now a farmer of Oklahoma; Jacob, of Norton county, Kansas: George, a successful farmer of Marshall county; John, of Oklahoma: Fred, of Smith county, Charles, a farmer of Richland township; Albert, on the home farm: Walter, a farmer of Mar- shall county ; Anna: Rosa, the wife of William Ringen; Lillie, the wife of John Wagner, of Richland township, and Edward, of Oketo township. Mr. and Mrs. Heiserman were ever prominent in the social life of the community, and were active in the moral and educational development of the township, and were among the highly respected people of the district.
To Ed. W. and Anna Ringen have been born the following children: Herbert Duncan, now deceased; Walter, born on October 24, 1892, and Cora born on January 4, 1895. Walter is a graduate of the State Agricultural School and thoroughly versed in the art of scientific farming. Mr. and Mrs. Ringen are active members of the German Lutheran church and are prom- inent in the social and the religious life of the county. Politically, Mr. Ringen is identified with the Republican party and has ever taken a keen interest in all local affairs, and is regarded as one of the progressive and substantial men of the township. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the American Hereford Cattle Breeders Association.
During their early lives, both Mr. and Mrs. Ringen experienced many of the hardships common to the children of the pioneer families. Mrs. Ringen, being the eldest girl in the family, had much of the household duties to perform, and her task was no easy proposition. Their educational advan- tages were limited, and even when in school they scarcely ever attended more than two or three days a week. As boy and girl, in their respective homes,
(53)
834
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
they learned well how to do the work both in the house and on the farm. After their marriage they applied themselves to the task of getting a home and making it one of the best in the district. They have always taken much interest in the educational development, and their children are having the advantages of the best training the schools afford. Many labor-saving devices are installed in their home. and the washing, churning and the pump- ing of the water is all done by machinery. The house is a splendid one and has every modern convenience and is nicely located. The barns are com- plete and modern in every particular, and are arranged in the most systematic way possible.
Mr. Ringen's cattie are among the best in this section of the state. "Rocky Boy", the head of the herd. he obtained from Vermillion, and is a beautiful animal. Mr. Ringen exhibited him at the Royal Stock Show at Kansas City when he was five years old. in 1913. He is the sire of "Rocky Bob No. 565081", an animal in which the owner has the greatest confidence for future greatness. "Plumber" is another noted sire on the place. and was obtained in Nebraska. In addition to the sires. Mr. Ringen has some sixty cows on the farm.
JOSEPH A. SEDLACEK.
Joseph A. Sedlacek, one of the well-known and successful business men of Bremen, Marshall county, where he conducts an extensive business in hard- ware, furniture, automobiles and musical instruments, was born in Bohemia on June 21, 1853. the son of John and Katherine ( Pecenka) Sedlacek.
John and Katherine Sedlacek were also natives of Bohemia, the former having been born in 1802 and the latter in 1821. They were reared on the farm and received the educational advantages of excellent schools. After completing his education, John Sedlacek engaged in farming until 1874, when he retired from active life, but lived on the home place. In 1878 he came to the United States to visit his son. Joseph A. Sedlacek, and remained in this country two years, when he returned to his native land and died on the home farm in January, 1889; his wife died in 1878. Mr. Sedlacek, before his mar- riage to Katherine Pecenka, had been married to Anna Jenik, who was born in 1794 and died at the birth of her son. John, who lived to be forty years of age. She was a highly educated woman.
Jolın Sedlacek later married Katherine Pecenka, and to that union nine children were born, of whom three are now living as follow: Frank and
S35
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
Wesley, of Bohemia, and Joseph. Mr. and Mrs. Sedlacek were devout men- bers of the Catholic church and were held in high regard. John Sedlacek was a man of much prominence and for five years was royal game warden of his district, a position of much moment. He was also a veterinary surgeon and had an extensive practice, throughout the territory. He was a strong advo- cate of the best schools and the highest class of public improvements.
Joseph A. Sedlacek had the advantages of good schools and supple- mented his primary education with three years in a school of practical educa- tion at Moravia. After completing his education he engaged in business for himself and in 1876 came to the United States. He spent nine months in this country and then returned to his native land, but the next year he returned to America, and located in Marshall county, Kansas, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 31, Logan township. This he developed and improved and engaged in general farming and stock raising for ten years, when he rented the farm and moved to. Bremen. When he located on his farm it was all wild prairie and the only improvements were a dugout and a well. He was in a position to make many needed improve- ments, as he landed in the county with over seventeen hundred dollars, which he brought from Bohemia. A frame house, good barn and corn crib were erected and in time many other valuable additions were made on the place, which, with the cost of land bought of Mr. Brennen, amounted to one thousand and twenty-five dollars.
When locating in Bremen, Mr. Sedlacek purchased two lots, on which he erected a two-story business block and residence at a cost of thirty-five liun- dred dollars. The upper floor of the business block he devoted to a public hall, and in the lower part he installed an up-to-date hardware business which he conducted with success until 1908, when the premises was destroyed by fire, his loss being several thousand dollars. The fire that destroyed his prop- erty also burned the greater part of the business section of the town. The year he had the fire he rebuilt, this time building a structure of brick, thirty- two by sixty-eight feet, and two stories, the upper story being devoted to a hall and four bed-rooms. The new building was in time completed at a cost of eight thousand five hundred dollars, and Mr. Sedlacek soon established his stock, valued at nine hundred dollars, which now stands at seven thousand five hundred dollars. In addition to his mercantile business, Mr. Sedlacek was for two terms justice of the peace and postmaster of the town from April 13, 1908, to January 1, 1915, when his son, who is associated with him in business, assumed the office.
Joseph A. Sedlacek was united in marriage on August 27, 1878, to Anna
-
836
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
Pecenka, the daughter of John and Anna (Flidr) Pecenka. John and Anna Pecenka were natives of Bohemia, where the former was born in 1825 and the latter in 1830. They received their education in good schools in their native land. After completing his education, John Pecenka engaged in·grist- milling in his native land and continued in that business until 1861. when he came to the United States. On his arrival in this country he and his family proceeded to Iowa, where the father rented a farm and engaged in general farming for eight years. He then came to Marshall county, where he home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres of land and at the same time pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres. With much hard work and strict economy he developed the farm and soon had it under a high state of cultivation, and here he engaged in general farming and stock raising until his death in 1902. For many years he was recognized as one of the substantial and progressive men of the township, where he and his family were among the prominent and respected residents. Before his marriage to Anna Pecenka, John Pecenka had been united in marriage to Kate Kasper, who died at the birth of her daughter and when her only son was two years of age.
.Anna (Pecenka) Sedlacek was born in Bohemia on January 15, 1857, and when four years of age came with her parents to the United States. She received her education in the public schools of Marshall county. Mr. and Mrs. Sedlacek are devout members of the Catholic church and have always taken a deep interest in the social and civic life of the community. To them have been born the following children : Anna and Emilie, who died in infancy. Anna was a graduate of the Marysville Modern Normal College and later clerked in one of the stores of her home town. Her death occurred when she was twenty-eight years of age. John J., who was born on May 7, 1890, in Marshall county, was reared in Bremen, Kansas, and graduated from the common schools and from St. Benedict's College at Atchison. Kansas, where he completed a four-year course of instruction in two years, receiving the degree of Master of Accounts, and was graduated in June, 1907. After completing his education he clerked for a time in one of the stores at Marys- ville, after which he came to Bremen, where he is now associated with his father in business, and is postmaster of that place.
On August 27, 1913, John J. Sedlacek was united in marriage to Kathe- rine Jedlicka, the daughter of Frank and Ludmila (Hora) Jedlicka, who were natives of Bohemia and later settled in Washington county, Kansas, where they are now the owners of two hundred and forty acres of fine land and are among the prominent people of that section. Katherine (Jedlicka) Sedlacek was born in 1891 and received her education in the common schools.
837
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
She and Mr. Sedlacek are the parents of two children, John J., born on December 13, 1914, and Katherine M., born on February 16, 1916. The family are devout members of the Catholic church and active in the social life of the community.
JOSEPH B. WUESTER.
Joseph B. Wuester was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in the year 1858. In 1860 his parents came to Marshall county, Kansas, and located on a farm three miles north of Beattie, where he grew to manhood. In the year 1880 he was united in marriage to Miss Rosa R. Schwarz and remained on the farm until 1884, when they engaged in the general mercantile and grain business in Home City. Kansas, which they conducted for about twenty years. In 1904 he organized the State Bank of Home City where he has always enjoyed the confidence of the people and prospered in business.
To this union were born three children, William, who died at the age of five years; Joseph W. and Charlotte R. Harry, both of whom reside in Home City. Charlotte R. was born on August 24, 1885, and was married to S. C. Harry, January 3. 1909. To them was born one child, Audrey La-Nelle, March 23, 1914. Joseph W. was born on November 26, 1887; he was married to Ruby Haw, September 18. 1911. To them were born two children. Charlotte La-Verne, January 25, 1913, and Blanche, June 18, 1916.
JOHN W. DENLINGER.
The late John W. Denlinger, a well-known and substantial farmer of Marshall county, who died at his home in Rock township in 1915, was a native of the great Keystone state, but had lived in the West since the days of his childhood. He was born at Blair, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1854, a son of John and Margaret (Wort) Denlinger, natives of that same state, who moved to Iowa about 1860, where the subject of this memorial sketch grew to manhood and where he lived until 1893, when he came to Kansas and bought a farm in Center township, this county, where he made his home until March of 1901, when he moved to a farm that he had bought in Rock township the year before and on which he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on December 10, 1915. At
838
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
the time of his death Mr. Denlinger was the owner of four hundred and forty acres of land and was regarded as one of the best circumstanced men in that part of the county. He was a Democrat and had served the public for two terms as treasurer of Center township and for three terms as a member of the school board. He was a member of the Baptist church, as is his widow, and ever took a proper part in local good works. Mrs. Denlinger is the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres surrounding her pleasant home in Rock township and she and her family are very comfortably situated.
John W. Denlinger was twice married. It was while living in lowa that he was united in marriage to Ella Ford. who died on October 25, 1893. To that union five children were born, namely: John, deceased; George. deceased : Burt, who is a well-known farmer in Rock township, this county ; Mrs. Jessie Waite, of Axtun. Colorado, who died May 7. 1917, and Orval. who died on July 3. 1897. George Denlinger was frozen to death on January 13. 1888, during a fearful blizzard in Iowa. He and his brother. John, were on their way home from school when overtaken by the blizzard which cost George his life, while John was badly frozen, but was not past resuscitation when found by a search party. John Denlinger, who came to Marshall county with his father upon the latter's removal from Iowa, was killed by an accidental shot during a "wolf drive" in this county on Janu- ary 21, 1913. He left a widow and two small children, the youngest of whom was but an infant. The widow, who was born Emma Behrens. and her children were in a railway wreck at Randolph on October 16. 1915, when a car carrying sixty passengers went into Fancy creek, and the infant child of Mrs. Denlinger was drowned. Of the large number of persons drowned in that wreck the body of Mrs. Denlinger's baby was the only one not recovered from the water. Mrs. Denlinger was badly injured in the wreck, but recovered. She and her daughter, Venetia, make their home with the widow of her father-in-law on the Denlinger farm in Rock township.
On September 12. 1894. John W. Denlinger was united in marriage to Mrs. Lena ( Hildebrand) Oswald, widow of Andrew Oswald, whom she married in 1886 and who died in 1891, leaving two children. daughters both, Mrs. Anna Drennen, of Lenora, this state, and Mrs. Helen Blackney. of Center township, this county. Mrs. Denlinger was born at Hanover. Kansas, May 5, 1869, daughter of John and Dora (Brocker) Hildebrand. natives, respectively, of Germany and of the state of Iowa, the former of whom is still living, a successful retired farmer, now making his home at
839
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
Hanover. John Hildebrand remained in his native Fatherland until he was seventeen years of age, when, in 1855, he came to the United States and proceeded on out West to the then end of the railway line at St. Joseph, Missouri, whence he walked over into this part of Kansas and presently homesteaded a tract of land in Marshall county on which, after his marriage, he established his home and became quite successful as a farmer and stock- man, remaining there until his retirement and removal to Hanover, in the neighboring county of Washington. His wife, mother of Mrs. Denlinger, died in 1884. To John W. Denlingers' second union two children were born, Floyd and Alta, both of whom are at home with their mother. The Denlingers have a very pleasant home and have ever taken a proper part in the general social activities of the community in which they live, helpful in promoting all movements having to do with the advancement of the common welfare thereabout.
JONATHAN CRAVEN LEWIS.
Jonathan C. Lewis, one of Franklin township's best-known and most progressive farmers, clerk of that township and for years actively identified with the promotion of the best interests of that community, is a native son of Marshall county and has lived here all his life. He was born in a log cabin on a pioneer farm in section 26 of Franklin township, June 5, 1879, son of William and Maria (Bruitt) Lewis, pioneers of Marshall county, further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Lewis died in 1913.
Reared on the home farm in Franklin township, Jonathan C. Lewis received his schooling in the old school house in district No. 105 and remained at home, a valued assistant to his father and his brothers in the labors of developing and improving the home place, and remained at home until lie was twenty-one years of age, when he began working on his own account. taking employment as a farm hand at seventeen dollars a month, and was thus employed for five years, at the end of which time he married and rented a farm in Guittard township, on which he made his home for two years. He then. in 1907, rented the place on which he is now living, a part of the old home place. His father gave him eighty acres and he has continued to make his home there, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Some years ago Mr. Lewis built a new house, to which he is now making
840
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
an addition, which will increase the size to a nine-room house of two stories, with heating plant. He also built a barn on his place and his farm is well improved and skillfully cultivated. He now owns a full quarter of a section of land, is quite extensively engaged in the raising of Shorthorn cattle and is doing very well. Mr. Lewis is a Democrat and is now serving the public in the capacity of clerk of Franklin township, a position to which he was elected in 1913, and is giving his most thoughtful attention to the public business.
On March 22, 1905. Jonathan C. Lewis was united in marriage to Ottilie Hahn, who was born at St. Joseph, Missouri, April 24, 1880, daughter of George and Ottilie (Engler) Hahn, natives of Germany, who were the parents of fourteen children, of whom Mrs. Lewis was the fifth in order of birth and all of whom are living. George Hahn was born in Germany on May 2, 1839, and remained in his native land until he was twenty-four years of age, when he came to this country and settled at St. Joseph, Missouri, where he established himself in business. Ten years later he returned to the Fatherland and there married Ottilie Engler, who was born in Germany on January 21, 1865, and with his bride returned to St. Joseph, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1907. His widow is now living at Osawatomie, this state.
To Jonathan C. and Ottilie (Hahn) Lewis five children have been born, namely: Gladys, who was born on December 14, 1905; Beulah, October 20, 1907; Mildred, January 26, 1910: Herbert, October 9, 1912, and Esther, November 15. 1914. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis take a proper interest in the gen- eral social activities of their home community and are helpful in promoting all worthy causes thereabout.
THOMAS B. SMITH.
Thomas B. Smith, now deceased, at one time one of the well-known and successful farmers of Murray township, Marshall county, was born in Banff, Scotland, on June 12, 1871, and was the son of John and Isabelle ( Metven ) Smith.
John and Isabelle Smith were also natives of Scotland and there received their education in the public schools, grew to maturity and were married. After their marriage they continued to live in the land of their nativity until 1883, when they decided to come to . America, where they might make a home
~
THOMAS B. SMITH AND FAMILY.
841
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
for themselves and those dependent upon them. On their arrival in the United States they located on a farm in Fremont county, Iowa, where they spent the remaining days of their lives and where they were among the prominent and highly respected people of the district.
Thomas B. Smith received much of his education in the schools of his native land and in Iowa. He first came to Kansas with William Mawhor in 1887 and assisted him in driving cattle to the state. Mr. Smith continued this work for several years, when he later established his home in Marshall county.
In 1898 Thomas B. Smith was united in marriage to Leah Mawhor, who was born in Iowa in 1874 and is the daughter of William and Martha (Songer) Mawhor, the former having been born in 1832 and died in 1901 and the latter was born in 1842 and died in 1887. Mr. Mawhor was a native of Ireland and his wife was born in Illinois. For many years before his death Mr. Mawhor was in poor health and went to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, where he died. They were the parents of the following children : Alice, Grace. Lealı. Samuel and May. Alice is now deceased and Grace and Samuel died in infancy: Leah is the widow of Thomas B. Smith and May is the wife of Roy Mason, of Beattie. By a former marriage Mr. Mawhor was the father of a son, Robert J., who now lives in Iowa.
After their marriage Thomas B. and Leah Smith established their home on a farm four and one-half miles southwest of Axtell, where they lived until 1902. when they moved to the present home farm, where Mrs. Smith now has three hundred and twenty acres of splendid land, all under high cultivation and well improved. The house is nicely located on a hill and is well protected by beautiful trees, and surrounded by a well-kept lawn. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were active members of the Presbyterian church and always took much interest in the religious life of the township. Politically. Mr. Smith was identified with the Republican party, yet he frequently voted for men, regardless of party affiliations. He was a great home man and took much pleasure in the company of his wife and children, and was a most affectionate husband and kind father. He and Mrs. Smith were the parents of the following children: Lawrence Darrell. who was born on April 27, 1899 : Leah Alice, June 5. 1901 : Howard Leverne, April 10, 1903, and Grace Leora, January 4, 1908. On July 15. 1914, while Mr. Smith was assisting a neighbor in threshing. he was killed by a stroke of lightning, at which time a horse was killed and several of the other workers shocked. It was a most peculiar circumstance. for there was but little indication of an electrical storm and there was but a small cloud in the sky. His death caused a gloom over
842
MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.
the entire community, for he was a man who was held in the highest regard and esteem by all who knew him.
Mr. Smith was a most progressive farmer and stockman and was recog- nized throughout the township as one of the substantial and successful men . of the county. His life was a most active one, and his untimely death cut short a useful career. He was a firm believer in intensive farming and the keeping of the best of stock, and his farm was one of the ideal places of the district and his stock received the best care and attention. He always took much interest in local affairs, and while he was not an office seeker, his advice was often sought in matters pertaining to the welfare of the township and the county, and there were few men whose judgment was more worthy of consideration.
JONATHAN C. PARTHEMER.
Jonathan C. Parthemer, one of the real pioneers of Marshall county, the proprietor of a well-improved farm of one hundred and forty acres in Wells township and one hundred and sixty acres in section 33 of Bigelow township and since pioneer days one of the best-known residents of that section of the county, is a native of the old Buckeye state, but has been a resident of Kansas since the days of his boyhood and has consequently been a witness to the development of this section since the days of the early set- tlement of this region. He was born in Union county, Ohio, March 28. 1854, son of J. S. and Maria (Clayton) Parthemer, natives, respectively. of Pennsylvania and of Ohio, both of Virginia parentage, who later moved to Iowa and thence to Kansas, becoming pioneers of Marshall county, where their last days were spent.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.