|
The below was digested from McHenry County: Its History and Its People, 1885-1985 and also further researched by Mike Peterson.
Included in the children of German immigrants Johann (John) and Carolina Kitzman were three sons who at one time or another lived in McHenry County; Fred, John and August.  Fred was born on 3 January 1841 in Prussia and immigrated to America with his parents in 1852.
Fred married Wilhelminia Werner about 1866 either in Wisconsin or Minnesota. She was the daughter of Johann and Karoline Krienke Werner. Fred and Wilhelminia's first child, Emma was born in Minnesota. By 1883 the family was in North Dakota where their last child, Michael was born. Fred and Wilhelminia had seven children; Emma, Ida, Fred, Hulda, Minnie, Albert, and Michael.
Fred was granted a land patent in Township, Range 76, Section 23 on 28 September 1893 and another at Township 159, Range 76, Section 25 on 11 November 1896.
Michael. Michael Julius born 3 July 1883. Mike, a farm owner and operator, lived his entire life on the homestead until 1958 when they moved to Willow City. On 30 January 1910 Mike and Clara Schilling were married in Loganville, Sauk County, Wisconsin, the Rev. F. W. Schilling, a Lutheran pastor and father of Clara, performed the ceremny. They had two children, Maurice, J., McHenry County farmer, and Ruth (Mrs. Ole Johnson) social worker, retired and residing in Palm Coast, Florida [1985]. Mike attended the Towner and Willow City
Schools and Minnesota Business College in Minneapolis. As a federal government employee (1935-50), he was supervisor of the McHenry County Farm Credit Association. He earlier served as Secretary-treasurer of the Willow City Farm Loan Association (1932-35); Director of the Merchants Bank (1912-33); Chairman, Willow City Farmers Elevator, 15 years; chairman, McHenry County Farmers Union, 4 years; member, Democratic State Committee (1954-55); Assessor Willow Creek Township (1914-35); Chairman Willow Creek Lutheran Congregation; Director, Willow City and McHenry County Band 25 years. In 1955 Mike was listed in the North Dakota State Historical Society's "Who's Who For North Dakota." Mike died on 9 March 1964. Clara Rosina was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on 24 December 1878. She was a governess in Chicago. She came to North Dakota to visit her sister, Ida and brother-in-law Julius Timian of Deep. She remained to clerk in Hall's Merchantile Stores in Upham and Willow City. Upon her marriage she resided with Mike for the remainder of his life. Following Mike's death in 1964 she was a resident of the Haaland Home in Rugby until her death on
10 July 1972.
Wilhelmina's Burial, Tombstone Photo Emma's Burial Ida's Burial, Tombstone Photo Fred's Burial, Tombstone Photo Hulda's Burial Minnie's Burial, Tombstone Photos Albert's Burial, Tombstone Photos Michael's Burial, Marriage Photo, Tombstone Photo John Kitzman was born on 5 December 1854 at Princeton, Green Lake County, Wisconsin. John came to Dakota Territory in 1883 when he helped drive a herd of cattle from Pembina County to the vicinity of Rocklake, Towner County. At that time he visited the area where Willow City, Bottineau County was established and that summer squatted on some land there. He returned to Minnesota in the fall of 1884.
While still in Minnesota he married Othelia "Ottille" Missall of Blue Earth, Faribault County, Minnesota on 21 February 1885 in Faribault County. Ottille was the daughter of Johann L. and Augusta Werner Missall. At least two daughters from John and Ottille's marriage were Ella and Clara.
On 7 June 1885 he filed a claim on his homestead in North Dakota. After working at Cavalier, Pembina County during the threshing season of 1885, Mr. Kitzman and his bride proceeded to their homestead stopping overnight in Dunseith, Rolette County which was largely a "tent town". John filed a homestead in Township 159, Range 76, overlapping Sections 1 and 12 what was patented to him on 29 January 1891. He later, on 20 January 1903, received a patent for Township 160, Range 82, Section 24 in Bottineau County. The first home of the Kitzmans, the one that sheltered them in the late fall of 1885, was a dugout with a roof partly of sod. The young couple lived in this dugout while he worked at construction of a log house. The dugout later became the stable. In the summer of 1886 he went to Cavalier to earn money while his wife remained alone on the claim. Before his return a severe snowstorm came and the pioneer wife had to walk a mile for willow wood which was their only fuel. Their first child, Ella, was born on the claim. Ella has the distinction of being the first child born in what is now Willow Creek Township.
In 1888 the prospects for a crop looked good but a July frost was blamed for crop failure. Then came a period of dry years. Drought forced them to leave their home in 1891. They returned in 1896 and brought with them some livestock and machinery. Then followed a few years of bumper crops. In the meantime, their second daughter, Clara, was born.
Indians were numerous in the country at that time and as the Kitzmans traveled to their new home they found the Indians curious as to their intentions. One night their camp was watched all night by Indians on horseback. One reason Kitzmans saw so many Indians during their early years on the homestead five miles west and two miles north of Willow City was because an Indian Trail led between their house and stable. Often, the Indian travelers stopped and asked for food. Many antelope, deer and wolves were found in the Willow Creek
area at that period, so it was a hunting ground for the Indians.
Ella C. lived all her life in the immediate area and died on 20 October 1961 and is buried with her parents.
Clara Otilla married Richard Fulwiler and there was one son, Vernon. Clara was widowed at an early age and remained in the immediate area and died in 1971 and is buried with her parents.
Ottille's Burial, Tombstone Pictures Ella's Burial, Tombstone Pictures Clara's Burial, Tombstone Pictures - Obituary August Kitzman was born on 7 September 1857 in Wisconsin. In 1860 the family was in Mecann Township, Marquette County, Wisconsin and it is here where it is assumed August was born. By 1870 the family was living in Farmington, Olmsted County in Minnesota and then by 1880 they were in Oronoco in Olmsted County.
On 24 July 1881 in Elgin, Wabasha County, Minnesota, August and Augusta Julia Radke were married. She was the daughter of Julius and Ernestine Teske Radke. August and Augusta had five known children; Ida, Arthur Lawrence, Benjamin, Edwin, and Alfred. Ida was born in Minnesota and the others after the family arrival in North Dakota.
To determine their arrival in North Dakota, the family is not in the 1885 Dakota Territory and Arthur was born on 22 May 1886. August received land patents in McHenry County for Township 158, Range 76, Sections 13 and 14 on 18 December 1889; Section 24 on 19 March 1890; and Township 158, Range 79, Section 5 on 19 March 1908.
August was badly hurt while hauling a load of lumber for a new barn and died from the accident on 30 August 1904. Augusta died on 9 March 1933.
On 13 and 14 July 1985 a family reunion was held in Upham with 165 descendants of August and Augusta Kitzman in attendance.
Ida. Ida married Fred B. McCabe, one of fourteen children of James and Frances Beach McCabe. Ida was born on 4 April 1882, at Elgin, Minnesota. Ida and Fred were married on 19 December 1906 in Minot. They had children: 1] Frances, a daughter who died at the age of 9 in 1929; 2] Sadie, (Mrs. George Livingston) had two daughters; George died in 1980, then Sadie married Fred Calvin, they live [1985] in Mesa, Arizona; 3] Lorene, (Mrs. George Helvey), who died in 1974; 4] Chester, married Anne Larson, they have one daughter and three sons and live [1985] at Granville; 5] Myrl, (Mrs. James Farr) has two sons and lives [1985] at Kelliher, Minnesota; 6] Ruby, (Mrs. Russell Boutilier) has one son and lives [1985] at Granville; and 7] Arlene McCabe is [1985] a Food Supervisor at Steven Square Nursing Home in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ida died in July 1946. Fred sold the home in Granville and lived with his children until his death in April, 1966.
Benjamin J. J.. Bennie as he was known, was born 27 April 1883 in Willow Creek Township. He lived with his parents a few years and then moved to Upham where he took over the job as mail carrier. He was mail carrier for twenty-two years through some bad winters. He had a covered rig for winter use. When he got part way through his route he would change horses; as he needed two teams for the route. He would leave town at eight in the morning and get back around four o'clock in the afternoon. He also drove a Model T and later a Model A
Ford. At Kramer, Bottineau County, he married Magdelena (Lena) Wittmayer [Sister to his brother Edwin's wife, Emelia] on Thanksgiving Day, 28 November 1912 and they became the parents of five children: 1] Donna (Mrs. Lester Gulbranson) and 2] Adeline, (Mrs. Arvade Gulbranson) both of Seattle [1985]; 3] Viola (Mrs. Joe Knudsvig); 4] Floyd; and 5] Carol (Mrs. Owen Podall) all of Upham [1985]. Bennie had a large garden every year which he enjoyed very much. He also loved to hunt and trap. He was accidently killed on the morning of 18 September 1933 as he prepared to go to work. He had cranked the car and opened the door to get in when his gun fell and discharged, striking him in the heart killing him instantly. Mrs. Kitzman went to the garage to see why he had not gone to work and found him lying on the ground, with the motor was still running. He was forty-five years old at the time of his death. Lena lived to be eighty-eight years old and passed away on 21 April 1979.
Edwin. Edwin married Emelia Wittmayer [Sister to his brother Bennie's wife, Lena]. Since 1930 when they purchased the James Doud farm there have been four generations of Kitzmans to live on the farm. Four sons, Maynard, Clayton, Virgil, and Dewey, and one daughter, Lila (Thompson) grew up there.
Virgil continued farming in the second generation. He married Wilma (Thorn) and four more children were raised there: John; Jean (Mrs. Danny Brandt); Carol (Mrs. Tim Debele); and Emily. Now farming is the third generation, John and his wife Wanda (Brandt) who live on the farmstead with their fourth generation of Kitzmans, Shawn and Shannon.
Alfred. Alfred Emil Mike was born in Willow Creek Township in 1894. In the early 1900's he moved with his family to Little Deep Township where his mother had homesteaded. In November, 1915 he married Anna Gayelina Wahl and they lived in Little Deep Township all their lives. Seven children were born to them: 1] Anna; 2] Arville (1916) now of Deering [1985]; 3] Norman (1917) deceased; 4] Clayton (1919) deceased; 5] Stanley (1923) now of Newburg [1985]; 6] Ethel (1926) now [1985] Mrs. Mike Walter of Minot; 7] Harvey (1928) of Upham [1985]; and 8] Elaine (1932) Mrs. Willis Glinzof Newburg [1985]. There are eighteen grandchildren and twenty-eight great grandchildren who are descendants of this couple. Anna was on the school board and was a charter member of the Little Deep Club, an old club in the township that is still [1985] alive. They are both buried in the Little Deep Cemetery. Anna died in February, 1950 in a
Minneapolis hospital and Alfred died in April, 1965 in Minot.
Augusta's Burial, Tombstone Picture, Family Photo - Obituary Ida's Burial, Tombstone Pictures Arthur's Burial, Tombstone Pictures Benjamin's Burial, Tombstone Pictures Edwin's Burial, Tombstone Pictures Alfred's Burial, Tombstone Pictures
|
||
