Spearville Centennial
ACKERMAN
Joseph Ackerman and Barbara Brauch were married in Germany, at zu Britten Reihn Provinz Preuzen. Joseph was the son of a farmer.
Joseph and Barbara had a son on Oct. 27, 1865 and a daughter Mary born in 1867. They then came to America in 1869. They settled in Stepstone, Pendleton County, Kentucky on a farm. Children born to them in America were John, Katherine, Mathias, Joseph, Magdalene, Michael and Anna, Francis, Theodore Nickolas and Josephine.
Joseph passed away in 1899 at the age of 58. He was on the way to town when a neighbor noticed that he was not in the seat. The neighbor stopped the wagon and found Joseph was being dragged by the horse and trampled. It was not known whether he was caught in the reins and pulled forward in trying to restrin the horses. The horse was ill-tempered and was the only horse saved when the barn burned. Michael claims he was the one who put a sack over a young horse and led him out of the burning barn. The other horses all burned with the barn.
Peter, John and Frank each married and moved to Ford County. They each homesteaded and had families and reared them in this community.
Peter married Clara Besser and they had seven children. Peter taught school for two years and was president of the Mercantile store in Spearville. He then farmed south of Spearville. He passed away July 27, 1944 and his wife Clara died in March, 1960. Their seven children were Joseph who married Elsie Heiland. They have one son, Raymond. Both Joseph and Elsie are deceased. Josephine married Mahlon Ogden who is a farmer and they have four children. Matthew married Dorothy Holden and they have four children. Martha married Louis Werner who is a farmer in Colorado and they have four children. Andrew was killed in a car accident and later Anna married Louis Peintner who was a widow with seven children. They had three children. Theresa married Alphons Giessel who is a retired farmer and they have two daughters. Bernadine married Ernest Heiland, a farmer, and they have one son. George married Anna Werner and George is now retired.
John married Frances Chalk and followed Peter to Ford County where he farmed and raised ten children. He lived on a farm south of Spearville but in 1936 John retired and moved to Spearville. John passed away in July, 1946 and Frances passed away in August 1950. Their children were Catherine (Sister Mary Osmunda), Otillia (Sister Mary Denis), Mary (Sister Mary Perpetua) all of whom are members of the Adorers of the Most Precious Blood Convent in Wichita, Kansas. Peter married Anna Mae Nau, is a farmer and they have ten children. Charles married Elizabeth Schawe, is a retired farmer and they have five children. John walked six miles to Spearville to work at night would carry his groceries home from work.
Anthony married Magdalen Schawe, is a farmer, and they have seven children. Helen married William Temaat, who passed away December 25, 1968 and they have six children, one of whom is a priest (Very Reverend Msgr. Norbert Temaat). Alma married Albert Schawe, who is a farmer and they have five children. John married Susan Stanley and they have four children.
Frank followed Peter and John to Kansas and married Clara Fredelake in 1908. They had seven children, two of whom are deceased. Frank was a farmer until he retired and moved to Dodge City. Frank passed away on March 3, 1965 and Clara passed away March 13, 1948. Their children are Albert who married Bertha Droste and was a farmer until his death in 1965; they have four children. Henry is a farmer in Colorado and never married. Michael married Mary Drescher and they farmed until they moved to Dodge City because of Michael's health. They have four children. Edward was in World War II and lost his life there in January 1945. Elizabeth married Louis Gerritzen and he is a farmer and they have four children. Rose married Raymond Downey, who is a farmer near Stratton, Colorado and they have four children. Raymond married Elenor Ring, and Raymond is a farmer and they have eight children.