Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Witt, Gustav A. 1869 - 
************************************************
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 10, 2007, 7:11 pm

Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

GUSTAV A. WITT.

    Gustav A. Witt, one of Murray township's best-known and most progressive
farmers and the proprietor of one of the best-improved farms in that township,
is a native of Germany, but has been a resident of this country since he was
three years of age, and of Marshall county since 1893. He was born in Germany on
August 5, 1869, son of John A. and Augusta Witt, natives of the Fatherland, who
came to the United States with their family in 1873 and settled on a farm in
Richardson county, Nebraska, where they established a home and there remained
until 1908, then moving to Falls City. Augusta Witt died on February 1, 1916,
she then being seventy-two years, four months and twenty-six days old. They were
the parents of ten children, six of whom are still living. Of these the subject
of this sketch is the eldest, the others being as follow: Agnes, who married
George Mathews and lives in Nebraska; Henry, also of Nebraska; Frank, who
continues to live on the old home place in Richardson county, Nebraska; Mrs.
Bertha Myers, of Nebraska, and Ida, who lives in her father's home. The father
died on March 16, 1917, seventy-nine years six months and twenty-nine days old.

    As noted above, Gustav A. Witt was but little more than three years of age
when his parents came to this country and settled on a farm in Nebraska, and on
that pioneer farm he grew to manhood, receiving his schooling in the neighboring
schools. He retains distinct childhood recollections of the Indians, who still
were numerous in that part of the country and bands of whom often would stop and
camp on his father's farm. During his boyhood he spent much time herding cattle
on the open range and he grew up with a thorough familiarity of conditions on
the plains. He remained on the home farm, a valued assistant to his father in
the labors of developing and improving the same, until 1893, when he came down
into Kansas and bought the quarter section on which he is now living in section
22, of Murray township, this county, and proceeded to develop the same. Upon his
marriage in 1895 he established his home there and has ever since resided on
that farm, he and his family now being very pleasantly and very comfortably
situated. Mr. Witt is possessed of progressive ideas regarding agriculture and
now has one of the best-improved farms in that township. In 1910 he built a
modern eight-room house and in that same year also built a fine new barn,
thirty-six by forty feet. The other buildings on this admirable farm plant are
in keeping with the same and the place is equipped with numerous modern
appliances and conveniences for the most profitable and expeditious farming. The
place has quite a bit of natural timber on it, a very attractive feature of the
landscape thereabout. Mr. Witt has given considerable attention to the breeding
of Poland China hogs and the products of his pens have won first prizes at the
stock shows at Axtell. He also has a fine herd of Shorthorn cattle and has done
very well in his farming operations. Mr. Witt is a Democrat and has ever given a
good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has never been a seeker
after public office.

    In 1895 Gustav A. Witt was united in marriage to Sophia Hubner, who also was
born in Germany and who left her native land when a child with her parents, the
family coming to this country and settling in Richardson county, Nebraska, where
she grew to young womanhood and where she married Mr. Witt. To this union four
children have been born, Ella, Norman, Dayton (deceased) and Wilson. Mr. and
Mrs. Witt are members of the Presbyterian church and take a proper interest in
the various beneficences of the same, as well as in the general social
activities of the community in which they live, ever helpful factors in
promoting such movements as are designed to advance the common welfare thereabout.


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/witt414gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/

File size: 4.6 Kb