Marshall-Mitchell County KS Archives Biographies.....Vanamburg, John D. 1861 - ************************************************ 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 18, 2007, 6:50 pm Author: Emma E. Forter (1917) JOHN D. VANAMBURG. John D. Vanamburg, of Elm Creek township, Marshall county, where he is a well-known farmer and a breeder of high-grade poultry, was born in Grundy county, Illinois, on August 3, 1861, and is the son of Graham and Martha (Turner) Vanamburg. Graham and Martha Vanamburg were natives of the state of New York, where the father was born on August 20, 1820. They later established their home in the state of Illinois, where they lived for some years. In 1876 they decided to establish their home in Kansas, and on October 20 of that year they landed in Elm Creek township, Marshall county. After a year the family moved to Wells township, and soon after that they moved to Mitchell county, where Mr. Vanamburg engaged in general farming until the time of his death on September 22, 1901. To Mr. and Mrs. Vanamburg were born the following children: Gardner, Henry, Katherine, Anna, Mary, Homer, Jane, Philip, Lurinda, William, Sarah and John D. Gardner, who was a soldier of the Civil War, is now a resident of Marysville; Henry is a resident of Jewell county, Kansas; Katherine is deceased; Anna died in infancy; Mary became the wife of W. C. Barrett and died some years ago; Philip, also a soldier of the Civil War, is now deceased, as are Homer Jane and Sarah; Lurinda is the wife of H. Effland and they reside at Victor, Kansas, and William lives in Smith county, Kansas. Mrs. Vanamburg, who was born on August 2, 1815, died on December 24, 1879. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and took much interest in all religious work, and was a woman who was universally beloved by all who knew her. John D. Vanamburg, the youngest of the family, was fifteen years of age when his parents left their home in Illinois and came to Kansas. He attended school in the state of Illinois, and completed his education in the schools of Wells township, Marshall county. He later went to Mitchell county, Kansas, with his parents, where he lived until 1885, when he returned to Marshall county. For a number of years he worked as a farm hand and learned the trade of stone mason at Oketo, and for eleven years engaged in that work. In 1896 he rented a farm in Rock township and engaged in farming until 1904, when he purchased his present home farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Elm Creek township. He started life a poor boy and during his early life he assisted his father in a financial way. After assuming possession of his present farm, he remodeled his house, making it more modern and complete, and has also erected a splendid barn, forty by sixty feet. He has beautified and improved the place with a fine orchard and many beautiful shade trees, and today his farm home is one of the ideal places of the township. In 1914 he bought another one hundred and sixty acres and his farm now consists of three hundred and twenty acres. On July 3, 1884, John D. Vanamburg was united in marriage to Augusta Kloxin, who was born in Germany on November 22, 1868, and is the daughter of John and Louise (Hawkins) Kloxin. She spent her girlhood in the family home near Pomerania, and in 1879, at the age of eleven years, she came with her parents to America. They located in Center township, Marshall county, where the parents lived for a number of years, before moving to Marysville, where they now live. They are the parents of eleven children and are among the highly respected people of the county. To Mr. and Mrs. Vanamburg the following children have been born: Mabel, Eva, Elsie, Nellie, Benjamin, Alice, Christena, William, Daniel, Kenneth and Myrtle. Mabel, now thirty-one years of age, was married in February, 1903, to Mr. Gordon, of St. Joe, Missouri, and they are the parents of four children, three of whom are now living; Eva, twenty-nine years of age, is the wife of Mr. Duckworth, and they are the parents of three children; Elsie died in infancy; Nellie, twenty-five years of age, is the wife of A. McNew, of Elm Creek township, and they are the parents of one child; Benjamin, at home, is twenty-three years of age; Alice, twenty years of age, is the wife of Mr. Shell, of Elm Creek township, and is the mother of one child; Christena is seventeen years of age; William, fourteen; Daniel, thirteen; Kenneth, ten, and Myrtle, eight years of age. The family is a most interesting one and all take the greatest interest in the home life. Mr. and Mrs. Vanamburg are active members of the Baptist church, taking much interest in all church work, and have long been prominent in the social and the religious life of the community. They have always shown much interest in the growth of the educational system of the township, and their influence and best efforts have been exerted in the promotion of those enterprises that would tend to the betterment of the community in general. They have been progressive, hard-working and economical people, who by their own efforts have made good in their work. Mr. Vanamburg is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and is one of the hustlers of the local lodge. In 1912 Mr. Vanamburg engaged in the poultry business to a large extent and has met with much success, shipping his chickens to many of the states of the Union. He is also a successful general farmer and breeder and raiser of fine horses, cattle and hogs. 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/vanambur441gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb