Edward Tenge Biography


	This biography appears on pages 883-884 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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				EDWARD TENGE. 

	Edward Tenge, a retired merchant of Yankton, who for a long 
period occupied a most creditable position in commercial circles of the 
city as a dealer in furniture, was born at Hildersheim, Hanover, 
Germany, on the 27th of November, 1849. His father, Franz Tenge, was 
for many years an officer in the- German cavalry and his father was a 
man of prominence in that country. The mother of Edward Tenge bore the 
maiden name of Charlotte Lohse and was a woman of unusual intellectual 
force and ability. She lived to the remarkable old age of ninety-three 
years and by her marriage became the mother of three children, of whom 
Edward is the second in order of birth. His brother, Fred Tenge, is now 
a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

	In the public schools of his native country while spending his 
boyhood days under the parental roof Edward Tenge pursued his education 
and afterward entered the employ of the North German Lloyd Steamship 
Company, with which he was connected for a year and a half. In 1869 he 
came to America, settling in New York city, where he found employment 
in a grocery store, while later he was with a sugar-refining 
establishment, there continuing until April, 1876. Hearing and heeding 
the call of the west, he arrived in that month in Yankton and secured a 
position with J. R. Sanborn in the furniture business. His capability, 
energy and trustworthiness won him the goodwill and confidence of his 
employer, who admitted him to a partnership in 1892. Their relation 
continued with mutual pleasure and profit until 1900, when Mr. Tenge 
became sole proprietor of the furniture and undertaking business, which 
he conducted with growing success until 1910, when he sold out to his 
son, William S. Tenge, who still continues the business. In the 
meantime he had built up a patronage of substantial proportions and 
derived therefrom a good annual profit. He enjoyed an unassailable 
reputation for business integrity as well as enterprise and thus he had 
no difficulty in retaining patrons. 

	On the 26th of June, 1873, Mr. Tenge was united in marriage to 
Miss Bertha Eckert, a native of Germany, and they became the parents of 
five children, of whom four are yet hiving: Tessie, now the wife of 
George A. Pardoe, of Fargo, North Dakota; Carrie, the deceased wife of 
Clarence Hall, of Wagner, South Dakota; Emily, the wife of S. C. Hicks, 
of St. Paul, Minnesota; and William S., living in Yankton and now at 
the head of the business established by his father. 

	The religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church, 
to which Mr. and Mrs. Tenge belong. His political endorsement is given 
to the republican party where national issues are involved, but he 
casts an independent local ballot, on such occasions considering only 
the capability of the candidate for the duties of the office without 
regard to party affiliations. He is the secretary, treasurer and 
superintendent of the Yankton Cemetery Association and has been 
connected with other projects of a public and semi-public character. 
Fraternally he is a Mason of high rank and has been a member of that 
order for twenty years. He has taken the thirty-second degree in the 
Scottish Rite, has crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of 
the Mystic Shrine and has held many offices, including that of grand 
master of the grand lodge of South Dakota in 1902 and 1903 and that of 
master of St. John's Lodge, No. 1, two terms. 

	His is a creditable record in the various walks of life in which 
he has been active. He has never had occasion to regret his 
determination to seek a home in the new world, for here he found 
favorable business conditions which he has improved. It was soon 
recognized that he was straightforward in all of his dealings and that 
his word was to be thoroughly relied upon. Men knew that they could 
trust him to do what he promised and his close application, strict 
attention to business and laudable ambition brought him to the place 
which he occupies today as one of the prosperous and highly respected 
citizens of Yankton. While connected with its mercantile interests he 
worked incessantly without a vacation and now his friends rejoice that 
he has leisure to participate in those interests which are a matter of 
enjoyment and recreation to him. Everywhere he is spoken of in terms of 
high esteem and that his life has been used to good advantage finds 
tangible evidence in the real estate in Yankton which he owns and in 
the warm regard entertained for him by those who know him.