Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Claeys, Constand 1870 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 3, 2007, 1:18 am Author: Emma E. Forter CONSTAND CLAEYS. Constand Claeys, one of the well-known and prominent men of Marysville township, Marshall county, was born in Belgium, on April 9, 1870, the son of Celestine and Caroline (Cambrell) Claeys. Celestine and Caroline Claeys were natives of Belgium and there received their education, grew to maturity and were later married. After their marriage they established their home in Belgium and there they spent the rest of their lives. The father was born in 1834 and the mother in 1838, the former died in the land where he was born on January 16, 1915, and the mother died in the land of her nativity in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Claeys were devout members of the Catholic church and prominent in the local society of their home community. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom died in infancy; the four now living are Florman, Lena, Constand and Celina. Florman lives at Axtell, Kansas; he is a farmer and stockman; Lena Von De Rostine is a resident of Atchinson, Illinois, where Mr. Von De Rostine is engaged in farming and stock raising: Constand is the subject of this sketch and Celina Busie is still a resident of the home country. Constand Claeys received his education in the schools of Belgium. He immigrated to the United States in April, 1889. Following his arrival in this country he started in to work for himself and sought employment in a brick yard, after he had located at Beatrice, Nebraska. Here he remained for ten years, when he came to Marshall county, in 1900, and here he started a yard of his own at Marysville, which he operated until 1911. He then disposed of his business and rented a farm near Marysville, where he lived for four years, after which he rented one hundred and sixty acres, near his former location, and here is still living. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, being particularly interested in the breeding and the raising of Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs, and is now preparing to raise a high grade of Hampshire hogs. In 1899 Constand Claeys was united in marriage to Antonia Peter, the daughter of Walter and Barbara (Shoemaker) Peter. Mr. and Mrs. Peter were natives of Switzerland and there received their education, grew up and were later married. The father was born in 1847 an^ tne mother in 1849. While living in his native land Mr. Peter was employed at all kinds of work, especially at the building of brick ovens in residences. He and his wife continued to live in their native land until 1883, when they came to the United States and established their home on a rented farm in Nebraska, where they lived until 1905, when they took a homestead in South Dakota. The wife and mother died in 1887. After a residence of some eighteen months in South Dakota, Mr. Peters returned to Switzerland on a visit and there he died. He and Mrs. Peters were devout members of the Catholic church and highly respected people. Mr. Peter was an active member of the Democratic party and always took much interest in local affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Peters were the parents of the following children: Antonia, Arnold, Fredia, Walter, Louise, Warner, Lena, Ralph, Amelia and Barbara. Antonia is the wife of Constand Claeys; Arnold, a carpenter, is a resident of the state of Iowa; Freda Moshell resides at Lincoln, Nebraska, her husband being a traveling man; Walter is engaged in farming on the old homestead in South Dakota; Louise Misery lives in South Dakota, and is now a widow, her husband, who was a telegraph operator, died some years ago; Warner is a farmer in South Dakota; Lena Kemper lives in Nebraska, where her husband is a carpenter; Ralph is a carpenter in Iowa; Amelia Kennedy resides at Dorchester, Nebraska, where Mr. Kennedy is engaged in the carpenter work and as a contractor, and Barbara Hire, who was the second born of the family, is the wife of Mr. Hire, who lives at Franklin, Nebraska, and is one of the farmers and stock men of that section. Antonia (Peter) Claeys was born in Switzerland on March 4, 1872, and was reared in a village and received her education in one of the schools of that country. At the age of eleven years she came to the United States with her parents, and with them located on a farm in Nebraska. There she grew to womanhood and was later married. She and her husband, Mr. Claeys were for long years devout members of the Catholic church, and Mrs. Claeys was an active member of the altar society until the time of her death in 1905. She was a woman who was held in the highest regard and at her death the community lost one who was ever ready and willing to assist in trouble and in sickness. She and Mr. Claeys were the parents of the following children: Louis, born on November 6, 1899; Agnes, December 10, 1900; Susana, Semtember [sic] 11, 1903; and Barbara, February 21, 1905. These children are now all at home with the father and all have been confirmed in the church of their father and mother. With their father, they are held in high regard by the people of the district in which they live and where they take an active interest in the social life as well as the religious life of their church. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions by Emma E. Forter Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/claeys379gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb