Andrew Ballweg Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 1076-1079

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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ANDREW BALLWEG. Among the thrifty, industrious sons of the German 
fatherland, who have made comfortable homes for their families on the 
broad prairies of South Dakota within the past two decades, a prominent 
place is accorded Andrew Ballweg. He is a pioneer settler of Bath 
township, in Brown county, and his home on section 19 is one of the 
pleasant spots of that locality. 

Mr. Ballweg was born at Baden, Germany, November 28, 1846, and was the 
son of John J. and Tracy (Barberie) Ballweg, both natives of that 
country. His father was a weaver by trade, but when our subject was six 
years of age, in 1852, the family emigrated to America. Landing at New 
York, they at once proceeded to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, via Chicago, and 
from Milwaukee to Roxbury, Dane county, Wisconsin, a distance of one 
hundred and twenty-five miles the journey was made afoot, our subject 
being carried by his parents most of the distance. On their arrival in 
Dane county, the father pre-empted eighty acres of land in Roxbury 
township, and settled to agriculture, our subject assisting on the farm 
until thirteen years of age, when he was apprenticed for two years to 
learn the shoemaker's trade. After learning the business he worked at 
his trade for two years, and then enlisted, at the age of seventeen 
years, in 1863, in Company K, Second Wisconsin Infantry, and was at 
once ordered to the front. He joined the Army of the Potomac, and 
afterwards participated in the battles of the Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania, North Anne, Pedesta Church, Cold Harbor, Petersburg mine 
explosion, Weldon Railroad, first and second Hatches' Run, first and 
second Five Forks, and finally was at the surrender at Appomattox. He 
was neither captured nor wounded by the enemy during his long and 
perilous service, but was confined to the hospital with fever at 
Petersburg for two months. He was mustered out at Madison, Wisconsin, 
in 1865. 

After the service he worked at his shoemaking trade in Iowa, Minnesota 
and Wisconsin, in the last named state ten years, and May 17, 1881, 
went to South Dakota, crossing the Jim river at York's Ferry on that 
date. He located in Bath township, Brown county, where he filed a 
soldier's declaratory claim, and secured one hundred and seventy-seven 
acres of fine land on section 19, township 123, range 62. He at one 
erected a shanty, and then returned to Wisconsin for his family, which 
consisted of wife and four, children. Winter was approaching and he had 
a cash capital amounting to but thirty-five dollars, but he had a small 
stock of leather and tools of his trade, and with these he kept the 
family from want, making and repairing for the neighbors for a distance 
of sixteen miles, continuing this work until he could break land and 
secure a crop, which was not until the fall of 1883. In addition to his 
home farm he now rents two quarter-sections of land, and crops annually 
four hundred acres of wheat, thirty acres of oats, and fifteen acres of 
corn. He is interested to some extent in stock, and has sixteen head of 
horses and twenty-three head of cattle. He is the owner of. three 
valuable city lots in Aberdeen, and his career since landing in South 
Dakota has been very successful, due entirely to his push and energy. 

Mr. Ballweg was united in marriage June 18, 1872, with Elizabeth 
Wildenberg, daughter of Henry and Gertrude (Parr) Wildenberg, natives 
of Germany. Mrs. Ballweg was also born in Germany, and came to America 
with her parents when a girl. Mr. and Mrs. Ballweg have been the 
parents of ten children, seven of whom are now living, as follows: Anna 
K., now Mrs. Charles Weismantel, residing on a farm in Brown county; 
George H., married and also farming in Brown county; Peter J.; Frank 
M.; Andrew J.; Theodore M.; and Rose E. Mr. Ballweg has given his 
children the best education to be had in the public schools, and the 
parents and five last named children who reside at home form an 
intelligent and pleasant family group. The family are members of the 
Catholic church, and Mr. Ballweg holds membership in the Union 
Veteran's Union of Aberdeen. He has held the office of justice of the 
peace for eight years, and was a member of the town board six years, 
and chairman of the same two years. He cast his first vote for Abraham 
Lincoln, and adheres to the principles of the Republican party. 
Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Ballweg will be found on another page of this 
volume.