HANS STOLTENBERG

We were certainly sorry on Saturday to lear of the death of our long time friend, Hans Stoltenberg, on February 2, 1922. Our first collection of him was on June 10, 1871 when as a Methodist minister we were asked to perform a double wedding in the old pioneer house of Thomas Bailey, that later burned down, and stood where the two story house now stands nearly opposite our present Ft. Calhoun post office. The two couples were Hans Stoltenberg and his wife and Hans Schwager and wife, with John Sierk and wife as witnesses. Of the little group of six, only two remain today, Mrs. Stoltenberg and Mrs. Hans Schwager of Los Angeles, Calif. and in all those years we have been fast friends. We never visited his home, but once when some years ago the late Nicholas Rix took us out to the farm on a family anniversary, but he often called on us when in town, and when we sometimes met him occasionally in other places he always had a smile and a hearty handshake for us, and when last year the pair had their golden wedding at the home of his son-in-law, Gus Lage, Mr. Lage came for me and they showed me how proud they were of the little souvenir book we gave them on their wedding day that we used on this occasion, and was photographed later, held in the hand of the aged woman, and only last Saturday their son, Henry, brought me three large pictures taken on that occasion which we have been showing our visitors, and as near as we can count, there were 22, all members of the family, in the group of sons and daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, and younger ones, we being the only outsider in the group.

He had been a hard working, industrious farmer, who had brought up his family as good, useful children that he was very proud of. Had he lived until March 28 he would have been 92 years old. His surviving helpmate is past 80. In all the years we have known him we have never heard an unkind word against him.

The funeral was held at 2 p.m. at Ponca Creek Lutheran church, at which his son-in-law, Rev. Erk, had been pastor in former years. The body was brought to Ft. Calhoun cemetery to be placed near his brother, Paul Stoltenberg and wife. W.H.Woods

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

Find a Grave Memorial #18176747