Histories

Johannes Weispfenning was born on June 26, 1856, in Dennewitz, Besarabia, South Russia. On December 8, 1878, Mr. Weispfenning was united in marriage to Anna Susanna Schneider, born on October 28, 1858, at Wittenberg, Bessarabia, South Russia.

In 1886, they set sail for the United States, aboard the ship "Saale", landing at New York, NY on October 25, 1886 with children Friedrick, aged 6 and Rebecca, aged 1-1/2. They settled at Tripp, SD, where they stayed until 1887, when they came to Ellendale, ND by train. From there they traveled by oxen and wagon, a distance of some 50 miles northwest of Ellendale, where Mr. Weispfenning filed on a homestead, which is now two miles north of Fredonia.

Their first house was a wagon box turned upside down until a house was built of sod and mud.

He broke up five acres of land with the oxen and a hand plow and seeded it to flax, his only crop that year. For the first two years, the living was made by gathering buffalo bones which he sold at Ellendale, ND, the nearest town.

Mr. and Mrs. Weispfenning retired from farming in 1919, but remained on the old homestead until they passed away. Mr. Weispfenning passed away on April 21, 1932 and Mrs. Weispfenning on July 25, 1932. Both were laid to rest in the Lutheran Cemetery north of Fredonia.

Twelve children were born to this union, of whom six were living in 1954. They are: Rebecca (Mrs. Christ Gumke) of Gackle, ND; Maria (Mrs. Solomon Miller) of Napolean, ND; Christian of Fredonia, ND; Justina (Mrs. Jake Rath) of Selby, SD; Magdalena (Mrs. Jake Hein) of Lodi, CA and Otto of Jamestown, ND.