BIOGRAPHIES OF OUR
MCINTOSH CO. ANCESTORS


Send your McIntosh Co. bios to ameagle01@hotmail.com
Bios must mention an area in McIntosh County, North Dakota


Mr. and Mrs. Johannes Ackermann


This bio is from the book "Spirit of Wishek, 1898-1948"

Early pioneer history cannot be complete without recording the names of some of the true early settlers who are now recalled in Wishek in memory only. Such pioneers were Johannes Ackermann and his wife Christina Hildenbrandt. Their forefathers had migrated from southwestern Germany near the Rhine River to Rohrbach, South Russia. Here Johannes was born in 1854, the son of Frederich Ackermann. He was married in 1873 and they established their home in Russia. There nine of their children were born and there also three of them were buried. In 1889 the couple with their six remaining children emigrated from Russia to America. They were in search of national freedom and of land. They homesteaded a few miles north of Wishek but at the time of their settlement, the nearest town was Eureka, S. D., forty miles away. The homestead was located in Logan County, section 22, township 133, range 71 west. A first necessity was shelter for the family. A house was built of sod and smeared with clay inside and out. This sufficed for several years till a stone house was erected. The first sorrow in the new country was the death of their two youngest children. Three more children were born in this prairie home, oneof which died while still a small child. Their nearest neighbors were the Christ Krein family, five miles away. Judging from today their life was one of dire hardships. Food was scarce and money very scarce. Marketing of buffalo bones was the only cash income until the first crops could be harvested. Long hazardous trips were with oxen. There was a constant fear of Indians. When a hail storm completely destroyed one year's grain crop, Mr. Ackermann decided to raise more livestock. From that time he always had a large herd of cattle and many horses ranging on the vast prairie. Early pioneers longed for a railroad through the territory. Mr. Ackermann, in his great desire to see the railroad, donated the rail right-of-way through the entire length of two quarters of land. An ambitious, hard worker, Johannes Ackermann carved a home out of the prairie and established each of his children. Those growing to adulthood were: Mrs.Catherine Lang, deceased; Peter Ackermann, Lodi, California; Mrs. Christina Hildenbrandt, Annamose, N. D.; Mrs. Mary Krein, Wishek; Mrs. Lydia Krein, deceased; and Fred Ackermann, Fargo, N. D. In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Ackermann left their farm and moved into their new home in Wishek. Mr. Ackermann operated a general store with his son, Peter, until 1920 when he retired from active business. In 1923 his wife died and ten years later he passed away. His death marked the passing of one of Wishek's pioneer patriarchs, a man respected and revered by the community, a man who had seen Wishek grow from a grass covered prairie to a city, and who had loved every part of that growth.

Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

John Bellon, Sr.


This bio is from the book "Lehr Golden Jubilee, 1898-1948"

John Bellon Sr. was born in the Krim South Russia, June 25th, 1862, and was married to Maria Bellon, nee Hildenbrand, who was born in South Russia Aug. 19, 1866. The came to the USA in the spring of 1894 as far as Kulm, N. Dak. the end of the railroad going west at that time. In the spring of the year they built a sod house on the N.E. 1/4 of Sec. 27, 132, 69 in McIntosh County, now known as the F.F. George place. They began farming with 2 horses and 2 oxen, and within a few years took up a homestead on the N.W. 1/4 Sec. 26, 133, 69 in Logan County, where they lived for many years raising cattle and both good and bad crops.

The nearest town then was Kulm, until the fall of 1898; so trips were few during the year. Grain was hauled to town in the fall when the family's food and clothing supply was taken care of. The long winter evenings were spent in doing hard work, as making baskets of willow or similar worthwhile projects. On Sundays, as many as there was room for on the sled or buggy, the family would go to church to worship.

Later when the Bellon family moved to Lehr, Mr. Bellon was in the cream buying business for several years. He was county assesor in Logan County for many years, was also on the Lehr School Board and the clerk of the Logan County school for many years. They had 15 children. The first five were born in Russia.

John H. Bellon, Lehr, N.D., postmaster; Edward Bellon, Jamestown, N.D., well digger, Paulina Schock, Streeter, N.D., died in 1924; August Bellon, Lansing, Mich., factory laborer; Sophia Bauer, Pablo Montana, husband, farmer; Theodore Bellon, deceased; Henry Bellon, Fort Peck, Mont., farmer; Alvina Leischner, Napoleon, N.D., husband, retired farmer; Victor Bellon, Hardin, Mont., laborer; Lydia Ketterling, Heil, N.D., husband, famer; Emanuel Bellon, Pablo, Mont., farmer; Emelia Schopp, Bismarck, N. D., husband, mechanic; Adam Bellon, Jamestown, N.D., farmer; Edwin Bellon, Pablo, Mont., farmer; Harold Bellon, Jamestown, N.D., farmer.

Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

Emanuel Hildenbrand


This bio is from the book "Lehr Golden Jubilee, 1898-1948"

Mr. Hildenbrand was born at Friedensfeld, South Russia, on October 11, 1870. The home of an older brother, Israel, already in North Dakota, and living about five miles northwest of Wishek, N. D., was his destination when leaving Russia. He got as far as Eureka, S. D., by train, and from there he made his way to his brother's home, where he remained until the spring of 1890. Mr. Hildenbrand filed on land about sixteen miles northeast of Ashley, where he made his home until he passed on to the Great Beyond in 1912. The Hildenbrand family had all the early hardships, common to early settlers. Their financial circumstances were not so good at that time and a walking plow, two oxen, a wagon and a mower were their early equipment, with which they tried to make a living. No seeder or thresher was available and all seeding had to be done by hand and what little crop was raised was pounded out by hand. With poor crops and low prices they did not prosper so well in those early years. They also, like many others, picked buffalo bones and trapped rabbits, which were hauled to Eureka, S. D., to be sold and the money used to buy food for the family. Mr. Hildenbrand was united in marriage to Elizabeth Konig, by Rev. August Klup, Pastor of the Baptist church, and to this union were born eleven children, all of whom are living, namely; Carl, born March 12, 1890, now farming in Canada; Barbara, born June 20, 1892, the wife of Reinhold Keller, and living at Merricourt, N. D.; Lydia, born June 8, 1894, the wife of Carl Olsen, and farming near Lehr, N. D.,; Carolena, born November 16, 1895, married to George Bollinger, and living at Wishek, N. D.; Martha, born June 5, 1897, the wife of Jacob Kegle, and living at Pollock, S. D.; Emanuel, born March 30, 1899, farming in Canada; John born June 12, 1900, employed by the "Soo Line" at Bismarck, N. D.; Edwin, born June 29, 1904, living at Bismarck, N. D.; Paulena, born October 19, 1906, the wife of Henry Eissinger, farming near Burnstad, N.D.; Hilda, born November 23, 1908, the wife of John Kegele, living on a farm in the state of Washington; Hugo, born August 19, 1910, living at Wishek, N.D.

Mr. Hildenbrand spent fifteen years of his life in McIntosh County farming, but decided in 1904 to throw his hat into the political ring and was elected Sheriff of McIntosh County in the fall election of 1904. He served the county well during 1905-06 and so efficiently in his first term, that the voters returned him to office again, and he held the office in 1907 and 1908 and again in 1908 and 1909. He was again elected to the office in 1910, and held office until his death in 1912. Mrs. Hildenbrand was remarried to Mr. Eissinger, and now makes her home at Bismarck, N.D.

Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

Friederich Hildenbrand


This bio is from the book "Lehr Golden Jubilee, 1898-1948"

Fred Hildenbrand was born on June 19, 1874 in Friedensfeld, South Russia, the son of Johann and Barbara Hildenbrand. At the age of twenty, he came to America in 1894 and settled at Kulm until May, 1897, when he and his young bride came to Lehr and took up a homestead about eleven miles southeast of town close to the farm on which Gotthold Schill presently resides.

Mr. Hildenbrand regrets the fact that he had little opportunity to attend public school. His education consists of one week of school, which he attended while working as a hired man at his brother Israel's farm, northwest of Wishek. In his day work was considered more important than education.

In 1895 at Kulm, Mr. Hildenbrand married Eva Schaffer, who passed away in middle age. The following children are now living: Mrs. Emma Dachtler, Lansing, Michigan; Edward Hildenbrand, working for the Fisher Body Shop, Lansing, Michigan; Edward Hildenbrand does plumbing work in Lansing, Michigan; Mrs. Helen Rosbosky lives at South Bend, Indiana; Mrs. Barbara Landseidel living at Lansing, Michigan; Mrs. Tillie George, living in Lansing, Michigan; Willie Hildenbrand does plumbing work at Grand Ledge, Michigan; Marvin Hildenbrand, works for the Fisher Body Shop and lives at Grand Ledge, Michigan; and Alvin Hildenbrand works for Fisher Body Works at Lansing, Michigan.

When Mr. Hildenbrand began farming, he had three horses and a hand plow plus a few other pieces of machinery. He had to dig his own well and also build a sod house but managed to afford a barn, 24 by 26 feet, built of lumber which he hauled from Kulm.

Mr. Hildenbrand relates an experience which is worth retelling here. It took place around March 15, 1901. Two children, Benjamin and Bertha, twins, were about to be born. Since no doctor was available, Mr. Hildenbrand had to drive about fifteen miles by horse and buggy to get a midwife. When he left home it looked like spring was here to stay. It was warm, the snow melting fast, lakes were filling with water, and the wild ducks had already come. By the time he returned home in the afternoon, the weather had changed. It turned colder and began to snow. The following day it turned into a blizzard which raged for three days. Cuts along the Soo Line Railroad filled so high with snow that part of it had to be shoveled out by hand before the rotary snow plow could even get through. Travel by team and sled proved to be almost impossible for quite a while.

In 1936, Mr. and Mrs. Hildenbrand retired in Lehr. Mrs. Hildenbrand (second wife) passed away in 1941. He remarried later. At present he is janitor of the Baptist Church.

Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

Israel Hildenbrand/Hildebrandt


Click here to view WPA Old Settler Questionnaire


After viewing the biography questionnaire for Israel Hildebrandt,
please use your BACK option to return to this page.



Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

Karl Hildenbrand


This bio is from the book "Lehr Diamond Jubilee, 1898-1948"

Karl Hildenbrand, the twin brother of Fred, was born on June 19, 1874 at Friedensfeld, South Russia, the parents being John and Barbara Hildenbrand. The father passed away in Russia and the mother became anxious to move to the United States before her sons would be drafted in military service in the Russian army. The escape was made during the black of night with the aid of a Jewish friend.

Mr. Hildenbrand came to Lehr and located on his homestead twelve miles south east. Gottlieb Strobel is the present owner of the farm. Mr. Hildenbrand began his farming operations with very few pieces of machinery and no money. He took for his bride, Mary Bauman and the happy union was blessed with the following seven children: Barbara, now Mrs. Emanuel Schwab, British Columbia, Can; John Hildenbrand, Alberta Canada, farmer; Amalia, now Mrs. Fred Morlock, Egeland, N.D.; Fred Hildenbrand, farmer, Alberta, Can.; Bertha, now Mrs. John Knoblich, Carrington, N.D.;; Louise, now Mrs. Fred Knoblich, living on farm 15 miles southeast of Lehr, N.D.; and Harold Hildenbrand, farming at Medina, N.D. Soon after the birth of the last child the mother passed away leaving the farmer on the farm with seven small children.

In 1917, Karl Hildenbrand married a second wife, Mrs. Karolina Strobel (nee Schilling). Her husband had passed away in Montana, leaving her with the following children: Ludwig Strobel, Fallon, Montana, farmer; Paulina Strobel, now, Mrs. Art Iszler, Monango, N.D.; Lydia Strobel, not Mrs. Christ Mayer, Venturia, N.D.; Bertha Strobel, now Mrs. Charles Knoblich, Ashley, N.D.;and Gottlieb Strobel now farming on the homestead of Karl Hildenbrand, twelve miles southeast of Lehr. To this second marriage the additional children: Katie, now Mrs. Walter Beck, on a dairy farm, Lodi, California; Irene, now Mrs. Jacob Roesler, Lafollette, Ca; Helen, now Mrs. Christ Harr, Lansing, Michigan; Marvin and Ervin Hildenbrand, twins, and veterans of World War II at Stockton, California and Lansing Michigan respectively, and Ruby, now Mrs. Alvin Johnson, Lansing, Michigan. Mrs. Hildenbrand says it was a great responsibility being mother to so many children and coming from more than one home. At one time when her sister was staying with them for a time, there were twenty-two people in the home. It took as much as 3,000 pounds of flour a year to bake th bread. Often she had to bake three times a week and fourteen loaves at one baking. The bread never got dry before it was all eaten up. Things did not go too well, as many times their crop was destroyed by hail, drought and heat, but they never lost faith in Almighty God. He always provided when they could not help themselves.

Karl Hildenbrand died on September 25th, 1935. Mrs. Hildenbrand stayed on the farm with her children and continued farming until the fall of 1941. She experienced further hard times. At one time she had no flour and no income to speak of, so she could only bu flour in 25 lb quantities. Although cares were many, she never lost faith in herself and her children.

In the fall of 1941, she retired and was married to Fred Hildenbrand, twin brother of her former husband on September 5, 1941. They both have been accustomed to work all their lives and even old age they feel they must work.

Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob J. Landsiedel


This bio is from the book "Ashley Diamond Jubilee, 1888-1963"

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Landsiedel were early emigrants from Russia. Mr. Landsiedel was born in Russia and Mrs. Landsiedel in Germany. In 1898, they came to America where they settled in the Tripp, South Dakota area. After a few years there they came north to McIntosh County, North Dakota and filed on land northeast of Ashley. The left the farm in 1908, selling it to their son Jacob and established a home in Ashley. Evidently they enjoyed pioneer life, for in 1917 they took up a homestead in Canada, moved there and developed a good farm. Mr. Landsiedel died in 1924. His wife preceded him, passing away in 1919.

Jacob Landsiedel was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Landsiedel. He was born May 8, 1874 and his wife, Elizabeth, was born July 15, 1877. In 1900, with a month old baby son they started for the "new country" and after many days of travel the reached Tripp, South Dakota where his father was located. There was no land available for homesteading, but Mr. Landsiedel secured work on the section and remained in Tripp for about two years. At that time, he took his family to McIntosh County, North Dakota and filed on land near his father's claim about thirteen miles northeast of Ashley. A sod house was built and the task of improving the prairie farmland was accomplished without the help of much machinery. In 1908 he bought his father's place and moved there. In 1915 Mrs. Landsiedel died at the age of 38. Mr. Landsiedel continued farming and kept his home. In 1916 he married Elizabeth Wolf. They moved to Ashley in 1936. He died in 1939 and she makes her home in Ashley at the present time.

Jacob J. Landsiedel is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Landsiedel and was born in Russia June 22, 1900. Before he was a year old he had made the long journey from Russia to America and thence on to Tripp, South Dakota. When his parents moved to North Dakota in 1902 he accompanied them to their new home northeast of Ashley. He grew up on the homestead and helped along with the work and learned to farm. He can tell many interesting happenings of the early days. Fortunately, they had several near-by neighbors with whom they visited when not too busy with their work, thus they did not get too lonely. One neighbor lived but one-half mile away.

Good progress had been made in McIntosh County since the first settlers cam in the early 1880's. The slow oxen used for farm work had been replaced by horses and better machinery was available. Mr. Landsiedel remembers well the old walking plows and the threshing machines, also the horse-drawn buggy which transported them to school, church, and town. Most of the crops raised were wheat, flax, and barley and many had good herds of cattle. One occasion he remembers is a prairie fire which came from the direction of Lehr, North Dakota. The prairies and farm land were covered with dry grass and weeds, making good fuel for a fire. It came toward their home which was a sod house and burned right over the house, doing no harm. Fire-breaks has been plowed around the haystacks but the fire jumped them and some hay was destroyed. Nearly all farmers had good gardens and raised their yearly supply of potatoes, carrots, cabbage, etc. Vegetables were not on sale in the stores at that time. Many had root cellars where the winter supplies were stored. About the only fruit through the winter was apples. In the fall theres were often shipped in carload lots and people went to the train and bought them by the barrel. There were no refrigerated cars then so supplies which were brought before freeze-up time had to last through the winter. When warm weather came, oranges, lemons and bananas were frequently available for those who wished to buy them. The first school which Mr. Landsiedel attended was located about two miles from his home. Their first car was bought in 1925 and was a Model T Ford.

After Mr. Landsiedel's parents moved to Ashley in 1936, he continued to live on the farm. He was the third generation to operate that farm.

In 1938 he married Emelia Schilling, born June 10, 1917 in McIntosh County, daughter of John and Christina, nee Schlepp, Schilling. The church which they attended was the Rosenfield. Here they continued to worship until about 1946 when the church was closed. This was necessary because during the drought years of the 1930's so many families had been forced to give up their land and had moved away. There were too few left to support the church, so it was closed. The family then drove to Ashley and joined the Baptist church, and are still members there. The old church building was moved away, but the cemetery remains. Mr. Landsiedel's parents are buried there.

Mr. Landsiedel will always remember the winter of 1943 when the snow was so deep and heavy, and the flood conditions which followed in the spring. One nice day in March the sun came out bright and very warm. The snow started to melt and before nightfall the sloughs had filled to overflowing and the farm yard and buildings flooded, except for the house and one granary. The house cellar was full, though as much as possible was removed. Time was too short and so much damage caused. The cattle had to be moved from the barn, also the ten new calves. Where to put them was the next question. The cows were left outside. They were used to being milked in the barn and didn't like this new procedure. The calves were put in the granary which was the only available place. With all this water around the real hardship was that there was no water to drink. The well along with everything else was under water. This was the first time since they lived on the place that any such flood has occurred. Finally things settled back to normal and living and work went on as usual. In the fall they moved to, and later bought, another farm nearby. Mr. Landsiedel served as a school board member for twelve years. For many years Mrs. Landsiedel had extra work too, as she furnished room and board and did laundry for the teacher. For these services she received $15.00 per month at first and later somewhat more. At one time, school was conducted in the Landsiedel home.

In 1959, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob J. Landsiedel built a modern home in Ashley and reside there at the present time. They continue to operate their farm. They have four daughters: Mavis, married to Marvin Schock, Violet, married to Bruce Frisch, Luella married to Duane Schauer, and Gaylene, living at home. They have three grandchildren: Twila Schock, Neal Frisch and Shannon Schauer.

Submitted by Kathy K. Clark
ameagle01@hotmail.com

Return To McIntosh County, ND Homepage



There have been-- Counter--visitors to this page since February 3, 2001
This site was last updated on August 2, 2001

The information on these pages is meant for personal genealogical and historical research
only and is not intended for commercial use of any type.

Copyright © February, 2001 by Kathy K. Clark