Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Stromer, John W. 1876 - 
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Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

JOHN W. STROMER.

    John W. Stromer, a well-known and prominent retired farmer of Home City,
Marshall county, was born in Adams county, Nebraska, on February 15, 1876, being
the son of Dirk and Johanna (Williams) Stromer.

    Dirk and Johanna (Williams) Stromer were born in Germany and there received
their education in the public schools and grew to maturity. The father was born
on October 13, 1845, and the mother on April 25, 1846. Dirk Stromer resided in
the fatherland until he was nineteen years of age, when he decided that he would
seek a home in free America. After his arrival in the United States he proceeded
to Illinois, where he located at Minonk, Woodford county, Illinois, where he
worked in a coal mine for two years. He then left the state of Illinois and
located in Nebraska, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in
Adams county. This he developed and improved and here he engaged in general
farming and stock raising, with much success until 1909, when he retired from
the active duties of farm life and moved to Hastings, Nebraska, where he died on
October 24, 1914. He accumulated enough to give his eight children each one
hundred and sixty acres of land.

    In Illinois, Dirk Stromer was united in marriage to Johanna Williams, who
with her sisters and brothers left their home in Germany and located in the
northern part of that state. For some years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs.
Stromer lived in Illinois, when they removed to Nebraska and there established
themselves on a farm. Mrs. Stromer is now living at Hastings, where she has a
beautiful home and is the owner of five hundred and twenty acres of splendid
land. Mr. and Mrs. Stromer were from early childhood members of the Lutheran
church, and Mrs. Stromer was one of the prominent communicants in the church of
her younger life. She died on October 4, 1916.

    John W. Stromer received his education in the common schools of Nebraska and
there grew to manhood on the home farm, where as a lad and young man he assisted
with the farm work soon becoming impressed with the independent life of the
tiller of the soil. He remained at home until 1897, when he decided to come to
Kansas, where he located in Marshall county and for a time worked as a farm hand
for his future father-in-law, William Arnast. He later rented land and engaged
in general farming and stock raising for himself. On his marriage on May 6,
1897, to Emma M. Arnast, who was born in Franklin township, Marshall county, on
March 20, 1877, and the daughter of William and Wilhelmena (Messall) Arnast, he
and his wife became the heirs of two hundred and forty acres of splendid land.

    William Arnast was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth Mateba, and
to this union two children were born, William and Albert. By his second wife,
Wilhelmena (Messall) Arnast four children were born as follow: Mrs. Endrulat, a
widow of Marysville, Kansas; Louis and Lucy, twins, are now deceased, and Emma
M., the wife of John W. Stromer. Mr. Arnast was born in Germany on February 28,
1837, and was there educated in the public schools and there he resided until he
was twenty-eight years of age, when he came to the United States. As a young man
in his native country he served in the army and saw some active service. On his
arrival in the United States he at once came to Kansas and located in Marshall
county., In 1868 he purchased land in section 28, Franklin township, and at once
built a cabin, in which all his children were born. This farm he developed and
improved and he engaged in general farming and stock raising with success, until
the time of his death in 1907. His wife, Wilhelmena (Messall) Arnast was born in
Germany on March 25, 1850, and there received her education in the public
schools and resided until she was seventeen years of age, when she came to the
United States and settled in Wisconsin, where she was later married. Her death
occurred on March 4, 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Arnast were active members of the German
Lutheran church and were among the organizers of the church in the township in
wrhich they lived.

    William Arnast was a man of much ability and met with much success in his
chosen work. At the time of his death he was the owner of six hundred and eighty
acres of the best land, all of which was under the highest state of cultivation
and well improved. When he first located on his pioneer farm, which was at that
time a wild prairie, he broke the tough sod and prepared the soil for planting
with a yoke of oxen. ^ The nearest place where he could get groceries for the
family use was at Atchison, and he had to go to Beatrice, Nebraska, to do his
milling. On the road home with his groceries and flour he was often met by a
band of Indians, with whom he had to share his provisions. During his early life
on the plains, he and his family experienced many of the hardships of pioneer
life. The breaking of the soil, the life in the rude cabin and the destruction
of the crops by the grasshoppers were among the many tribulations that they had
to encounter.

    To John and Emma M. Stromer have been born two children, Minnie, whose birth
occurred on January 26, 1903, and Edna, who was born on August 4, 1906. They are
active members of the German Lutheran church and have long been identified with
the moral and social development of the township in which they have lived for so
many years, and where they are held in the highest regard. Mr. and Mrs. Stromer
have spent active lives and they have accomplished much that is worthy of
emulation. They retired from the more active duties of life in 1914, but still
maintain their residence on the home farm.


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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