Fred Kapaun Biography


	This biography appears on page 1059 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				FRED KAPAUN. 

	Fred Kapaun is a worthy native son of South Dakota and a 
substantial agriculturist of his community, owning and operating a 
valuable farm on section 21, Clear Lake township, in Minnehaha county. 
His birth occurred in a sod house on the southwest quarter of that 
section, on the 2d of March, 1880, his parents being Ignatius and Rose 
(Pfifer) Kapaun, natives of Austria. The father emigrated to the United 
States and landed in New York about the time of the opening of the 
Civil war, while the mother crossed the ocean to this country about 
three years later. Their marriage Noms celebrated in Portage, 
Wisconsin. Ignatius Kapaun worked as a farmer and also in a sawmill 
until 1879, when he came to South Dakota, homesteading the southwest 
quarter of section 21, Clear Lake township, and also taking up a timber 
claim comprising the southeast quarter of section 20. Subsequently he 
purchased four quarter sections of land and turned these over to his 
sons. Joseph is now proprietor of the Palace Hotel at Montrose and 
Theodore, Henry, and Ludwig are all engaged in farming. 

	Fred Kapaun assisted his father in the work of the fields until 
he had attained his majority and then started out as an agriculturist 
on his own account, cultivating the home place. In 1907 he bought the 
property, which has since remained in his possession and in the 
operation of which he has been actively engaged to the present time. In 
1914 he augmented his holdings, purchasing the northwest quarter of 
section 16, Clear Lake township, and also a tract of forty acres at 
Ipswich, South Dakota. He has met with gratifying success in his 
undertakings as an agriculturist and is widely recognized as a 
progressive, representative and esteemed citizen of his community. 

	On the 1st of February, 1905, Mr. Kapaun was united in marriage 
to Miss Louise Ebersviller, a daughter of Nick and Mary (Krusche) 
Ebersviller. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Kapaun: Mildreth, Martha, John Joseph, Mary Elaine and Nina Dorothy. He 
gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is now 
ably\. serving in the. capacity of school treasurer, while formerly he 
held the office of constable. In religious faith he is a Catholic and 
is secretary of the St. Patrick's church at Montrose, which office he 
has held for the past three years. Fraternally he is identified with 
the Knights of Columbus. His entire life has been passed in the place 
of his nativity and he enjoys an enviable reputation as a substantial 
and enterprising young citizen.