CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - OBITUARY OF Herman Witte ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== THE CEDAR COUNTY NEWS - January,17, 1929 MENOMINEE PIONEER PASSES AWAY FRIDAY Funeral services for Herman Witte held at Menominee Monday Herman Witte, who came to Cedar County in 1869, and who was one of the first trustees of the Menominee church, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank Tramp, Saturday morning about 10:00 after being confined to his bed four weeks. On February 8, Mr. Witte would have celebrated his ninety-first birthday. Mr. Witte was born at Munsterland, Dadeln, Germany on February 8, 1838. When he was seven years old he came to America with his mother, two brothers Henry and Bernard, and one sister, Theresa, who died on the vessel during the journey. His father had come to America the previous year to prepare a home in Ohio near Dayton for his family. When Mr. Witte was twelve years old his mother died and he, being the youngest, kept house for his father and brothers until he was the eighteen years old, when his father died. Then he began a period of travel that took him to the newly settled land of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and finally to the frontier of Nebraska. At the time of the Civil War he was in southern Illinois. Although he did not join the army his brothers did. Bernard died with yellow fever at Fort Donaldson and Henry at a soldier's home in Illinois. On April 5th, 1864, he was married to Miss Gertrude Rupiper at New Vienna, Dubuque county, Iowa. But In 1869 he and his wife came to Cedar county homesteading one and one-half miles east of Menominee. Mr. Witte was one of the first trustees of the Menominee parish and was active not only in the building of the church but also in all community activities. In 1914 Mr. and Mrs. Witte celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. In the following year, Mrs. Witte passed away. She was buried in the Menominee cemetery. After his wife's death Mr. Witte made his home with his daughters Mrs. Gertrude Kleinschmidt and Mrs. Frank Tramp. He was in good health despite his advanced age until two years ago, and he was not confined to bed until about four weeks ago. The surviving are eight of the twelve children, 43 grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. The sons are William and John J. at Carroll, Iowa; Bernard at Orient, SD; Herman at Omaha; and Peter of Menominee. The daughters are Mrs. Frank Tramp at Crofton; Mrs. Gertrude Kleinschmidt of near Fordyce; and Mrs. Charles Holzbauer of Carroll, Iowa. Funeral services were held Monday morning at Menominee. Rev. Fr. Klein of Beaver Creek officiated. The burial was in the Menominee cemetery by the side of Mrs. Witte. All the children were present except Herman and John who were unable to attend. A niece, Mrs. Frank Eich and a grandson, William Witte of Carroll, Iowa, and a grandson Henry Roth of Omaha, were also present, as were the large number of friends from all of the country. The pallbearers were grandsons Peter and Bernard Tramp, Harold and William Witte, Henry Roth and Alphonse Kleinschmidt.