William Knickrehm 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 905-906

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

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WILLIAM KNICKREHM, a well known and prosperous farmer of Spink county, 
who, amidst reverses, has labored with a zeal and has accomplished the 
object for which he has been working since taking up his present 
vocation, is a native of Pennsylvania and was born in 1866. 

The father of our subject was born in Germany in 1829, and in his 
native country was a miller by trade, but since emigrating to America 
in 1848 has followed the calling of a farmer. He located in IIlinois 
and removed later to Pennsylvania, where his marriage occurred. The 
mother of our subject was born in Pennsylvania, of German descent. Her 
death occurred December 21, 1897. The family of eight children, who 
reached maturity, of which our subject was the second, was as follows: 
George, William, Mary, Anna, died May 8, 1897; Henry, Lizzie, Tillie 
and Ida. In 1877 the family removed to Wisconsin, where the father 
purchased eighty acres of land and engaged in farming for five years. 
The farm was well improved with a good set of buildings and an 
excellent orchard. 

Our subject received a good education and assisted his father on the 
farm, and removed with his parents to Dakota in 1882, locating on 
section 15, in Antelope township in Spink county. The father took a 
pre-emption, homestead and tree claim. They erected a 12 x 14-foot 
shanty, where they lived the first summer, and in the fall of 1882 the 
family moved to the homestead, where a more comfortable dwelling and a 
sod barn had been erected. Oxen served in the work on the farm, and the 
means for assisting in the work were very meager during the early 
times. No coal was obtainable in 1883 and they burned bad hay, etc. 
Crops were destroyed by hail in the same year, and in 1887 he suffered 
a partial loss by hail. In 1898 our subject purchased one hundred and 
sixty acres, and he now operates four hundred and eighty acres, about 
three hundred of which is under cultivation. Despite sickness in the 
family and other discouragements, he has made a success of his chosen 
vocation, and has a well-improved farm. 

Mr. Knickrehm has been constable for the past four or more years, and 
takes an active part in local matters for the upbuilding and 
development of his locality. He is a Republican in political views, and 
stands staunchly for the principles of his party. He is a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. 

William Knickrehm was married September 30, 1896, to Miss Hanna 
Johnsen, daughter of Peter and Maria Johnsen. They have one son. Harry.