Note: death date taken from tombstone

1st obituary: Printed in the Sept. 20, 1916 Pilot, Blair, Nebraska

Mrs. Sophie Sprick, widow of the late Henry Sprick, one of the first women settlers of Washington county, died at her home in Fontanelle last Tuesday eve at 9:25, following a stroke of paralysis early that morning. The funeral was held at the Lutheran church in Fontanelle, of which she was an active member, on Friday at one o’clock, following a short service at the residence. Burial was made in the Fontanelle cemetery by the side of her husband, who died nine years ago. Sophia Wilkening was born in Westphalia, Germany, May 30, 1835. When a young girl she came to America with her parents, who located in Quincy, Ill. She was married to Henry Sprick March 30, 1857, and they immediately set out with a part of home seekers from Quincy in an ox wagon. They crossed the plains of Iowa and eastern Nebraska and located at Fontanelle that summer. Mr. and Mrs. Sprick were among the first settlers of that vicinity and took an active part in the affairs that concerned the little colony, many of whom lived to see that section of the country develop into one of the richest agricultural districts in the west. Of the ten children born to Mr. and Mr. Sprick, seven survive. They are: Mrs. Christian Sick, Sterling; Henry Sprick, Quincy, Ill.; Mrs. Carl Krueger, Atchison, Kansas; Mrs. Edward Niebaum and A.W. Sprick, Fontanelle; Mrs. Geo. Roth, Quincy, Ill.; Mrs. Otto Langhorst, Fontanelle.

2nd obituary: Printed in Vol. XX, Sept. 8, 1916 Enterprise, Blair, Nebraska

A GOOD WOMAN GONE

Mrs. Sophie Sprick Answers Last Summons

Mrs. Sophie Sprick, widow of Henry Sprick, who died a number of years ago, died last Tuesday night at her home at Fontanelle from an attack of paralysis, aged 79 years.

The Spricks were pioneers of Washington county and Nebraska settling at Fontanelle in 1857, and were as well-known in this part of Nebraska as any family that has ever lived here, Mr. Sprick having represented this county in the legislature a number of times and Washington and Burt counties in the state senate.

Mrs. Sprick was born in Germany, came to America when very young and at Quincy, Ill., was married to Mr. Sprick. They came to Nebraska in a covered wagon drawn by ox-team and on this trip their honeymoon was spent. They settled at Fontanelle with the original colony. There Mr. Sprick grew wealthy. He came to own several thousand acres of the best land in Nebraska. Since his death Mrs. Sprick has continued to occupy the conspicuous family home, with her son Albert and wife who have made living a comfort to her in her declining years.

FindaGrave memorial 127669420

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~