Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Koeneke, Henry W. 1890 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 31, 2007, 5:29 pm

Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

HENRY W. KOENEKE.

    Among the well-known and successful business men of Marshall county, is
Henry W. Koeneke, the cashier of the Herkimer State Bank, since its organization
on August 2, 1909. This banking institution was opened for business on January
25, 1910, with the following board of directors: W. H. Koeneke, George J.
Hoerath, Henry W. Koeneke, Joseph Bluhm, J. G. Schmidler and E. R. Fulton. W. H.
Koeneke was selected as president of the institution; George J. Hoerath,
vice-president, and Henry W. Koeneke, cashier. The bank was capitalized with ten
thousand dollars, and now has a surplus of two thousand dollars and deposits of
over seventy-three thousand dollars. The management of the institution has been
successful, and by their business-like methods they have won the confidence and
respect of all. In May, 1913, on the death of W. H. Koeneke, the board elected
George J. Hoerath, president, and Joseph Bluhm, vice-president, and E. W.
Koeneke was selected as a member of the board of directors to fill the place of
his father, and in January, 1916, he was selected as assistant cashier of the bank.

    Henry W. Koeneke is the son of W. H. and Julia (Brockmeyer) Koeneke, and is
a native of this county. The father was born in Cook county, Illinois, on a farm
on July 15, 1852. He attended the common schools of that county for a time and
at the age of eight years, came with his parents to Kansas. They located on a
tract of wild land in Logan township, Marshall county, and here, on the wild and
unbroken prairie, they established their home, amid the most primitive
conditions. There were but few settlers in the immediate vicinity at that time
and the little family experienced many of the hardships of pioneer life. The
farm was developed and somewhat improved with primitive structures, and in time
they were in a position to look forward to better days. The farm was enlarged,
better and more modern buildings were erected, and their position became one of
substantial progress. As a young man W. H. Koeneke, in addition to his interests
on the farm, engaged in the lumber business, having associated himself with his
brother-in-law, William Winters, with whom he remained until 1888, when Mr.
Koeneke purchased the entire business, which he operated by himself. In addition
to the lumber trade the men also engaged in the buying and selling of grain,
which Mr. Koeneke continued. In 1888 he erected a large elevator at Bremen and
there did an extensive business in grain and lumber. In early life he foresaw
the future possibilities of Kansas land and became owner of over fourteen
hundred acres, which was in time placed under high cultivation and nicely improved.

    W. H. Koeneke was a most progressive man and possessed of much business
acumen. He was not at all satisfied with having a thing partially done, but he
wanted it done right. He and his wife were prominent in the work of the German
Lutheran church, and Mr. Koeneke was treasurer of the local society until his
death on May 25, 1913. He was a member of the Republican party and took the
greatest interest in the affairs of the township and the county. For many years
he was treasurer of the township, and served as a member of the school board. He
was a strong advocate of the best schools and good roads, and through his
influence both received much consideration.

    W. H. Koeneke was united in marriage in May, 1878, to Julia Brockmeyer, the
daughter of Frederick and Fredericka (Martin) Brockmeyer, both of whom were
natives of Germany and came to the United States in an early day, and for a time
located in Connecticut, but later came to Kansas at a time when the country for
the most part was one stretch of wild prairie. Here they established their home
on a farm in Hanover, where the father engaged in general farming, until the
time of his death. Julia (Brockmeyer) Koeneke, whose birth occurred on June 5,
1859, was the first child born to her parents after their arrival in Kansas.
Here she grew to womanhood and received her education in the local pioneer
schools. Her death occurred on May 17, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Koeneke were the
parents of eight children as follow: Sophia, E. W., Mary, Julia, Henry W.,
Martha and two that died in infancy. Sophia Kruse is a resident of Logan
township, where Mr. Kruse is a successful farmer and stockman; E. W. is
assistant cashier of the Herkimer State Bank and manager of the lumber yard at
that place; Mary Geyer is a resident of Waterville, Kansas, where her husband is
manager of the telephone system; Julia Harmann is a resident of Logan township,
where Mr. Harmann is a well-known and successful farmer of the district and
Martha is a student in the schools of Logan township.

    E. W. Koeneke was born in Marshall county, on February 22, 1884, and was
reared in the town of Herkimer and educated in the public schools, later
attending college at Midland for one year, after which he took a course at a
business college in St. Joe. After completing his education, at the age of
twenty-one years, he engaged in the flour-mill business with his father, at
Shady Bend, Kansas. After continuing in the business for three years he returned
to Herkimer and for two years engaged in general farming and stock raising. He
then purchased the elevator in Bremen, which he sold after six years. He then
purchased the lumber yard at Herkimer, which he still manages in connection with
his duties as assistant cashier of the bank.

    E. W. Koeneke was united in marriage on September 14, 1910, to Sophia
Scheibe, the daughter of John Henry and Minnie (Breneke) Scheibe, both of whom
were natives of Germany and there received their education in the public schools
and there lived until 1864, when they came to the United States, and were
married in Marshall county, in 1870. After coming to this country, Mr. Scheibe
located for one year in Illinois, after which he resided in Marshall county, for
six months, when for the next two and one-half years, he worked on a railroad
near Salt Lake, Utah. He then returned to Marshall county, where he homesteaded
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Walnut township. This farm he developed
and improved and here he engaged in general farming and stock raising, with much
success until the time of his death on August 29, 1906. Minnie (Breneke) Scheibe
was born on March 18, 1852, and after coming to the United States located in
Cook county, Illinois, where she lived until 1868, when she came to Marshall
county and was married two years later. Mr. and Mrs. Scheibe were for many years
active members of the German Lutheran church, and were among the organizers of
the local church at Afton, Kansas, and Mr. Scheibe was the first to be buried in
the cemetery there. They were the parents of the following children: Anna
Frohberg, of Afton, where her husband is a well-known farmer; the second child
died in infancy; Christina Berger lives at Afton, where Mr. Berger is a farmer:
Herman is also engaged in farming near Afton; Bertha Ludicke lives at Home City,
where Mr. Ludicke is engaged in the lumber business; Lena Draver lives on a farm
near Afton and her husband is engaged in general farming; Sophia is the wife of
E. W. Koeneke; Albert is a farmer near Afton and Alfred is on the home place.

    Sophia (Scheibe) Koeneke was born in Walnut township, Marshall county, on
March 25, 1885, and received her education in the local schools and was reared
on the home farm, where she lived until the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs.
Koeneke are the parents of one child, Minnie Julia, who was born on August 16,
1913. They are active members of the Lutheran church and are prominent in the
social and religious life of the town.

    Henry W. Koeneke was born in Marshall county, on February 27, 1890, and was
reared in Herkimer, where he received his elementary education in the public
schools, having completed the common-school course at the age of fourteen years.
He then attended Midland College for three years, after which he completed the
course in the Gard Business College at St. Joe. For some time after completing
his school work, he was engaged with his father on the farm. In September, 1909,
he was employed by the First National Bank at Marysville, where he remained
until 1910, when he assumed his duties as cashier of the Herkimer State Bank. He
is a young man of sterling worth and held in the highest regard by all.


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)


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