1901 Bio - Knapp, Phebe Bivans, Larimer County, Colorado Transcribed by Marta Norton January 30, 2000 The Berthoud Bulletin Newspaper Saturday, September 7, 1901 (The following is a small portion of a big news article about Berthoud. I am only transcribing the bio part). In the following columns we are pleased to give the pictures and personal sketches of a number of the people who assisted in making this beautiful and prosperous county what it is: Mrs. Phebe Knapp Colorado is noted for the (unreadable) spirit of her people, especially her women. Woman suffrage is in effect and has been for the past eight years. However, it is not the principles of woman suffrage, in its political meaning that some of our women embrace. Especially is this true of the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Phebe Knapp. Mrs. Knapp gave little attention to politics, but she knows how to manage a farm and make money. Her life has been one of continual activity, and since her husband’s death twenty-seven years ago, she has supported herself and family. While she is not one of the real pioneers about Berthoud, she is a pioneer in the state, having crossed the plains with her family in 1867 and settled at Denver. Mrs. Knapp’s maiden name was Phebe Bivans. She was born May 14, 1840 in Franklin County, Ohio. At the age of sixteen years she came west with her parents to Marion County, Iowa, where she was married to Rudolph Bruner, October 7, 1858, Her children were all born in Iowa. They are Annie M., now Mrs. W.H. McCormick, wife of Berthoud’s prominent merchant, born September 26, 1860. Perlina E., now Mrs. E.T. Williamson, born November 28, 1863; Fleming R. Bruner, born September 16, 1865, and William W. Bruner, born October 3, 1871. The latter died February 11, 1872. In 1867 the family came by wagon to Denver, where Mr. Bruner followed the occupation of teamster. According to the custom of the time westward travels went in trains for protection from the Indians. At a point near the present site of Fort Morgan the train in crossing the Platte River did not strike the right place and the family came near to drowned. A man swam to the rescue and led the horses to the right ford and the crossing was then made safely. Mr. Bruner died October 2, 1874, leaving the family to Mrs. Knapp’s care and support. She came to Berthoud and bought her present farm two miles north of town in April 1889. It was then a practically unimproved piece of land, there being only a little shanty on the place. She planted an orchard, built a brick house later and made other needed improvements. The farm is now a pretty one and well repays her for her labor each year. Seldom has a farm hand been employed except during the plowing and planting season, and then again in harvest time, the crop being taken care of by Mrs. Knapp herself in the meantime. She irrigates it and does the other work. Besides this she keeps bees and each year sell many dollars worth of honey. With the exception of one year she managed and worked the farm, and with profit, too. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.