Outagamie County, WI - Biography of Charles H. KESTING of Grand Chute Township 1854-

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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives
SUBJECT: Biography of Charles H. KESTING of Grand Chute Township 1854-
SUBMITTER: W. David Samuelsen
EMAIL: dsam@wasatch.com
DATE SUBMITTED: Apr 15, 1999
SURNAMES: KESTING, NEFF, EBNER, PALMER, BECKENSTRADER, ZINN, VAN OYEN, COLLAR
SOURCE: History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, page 603, 1911


BIOGRAPHY:
Charles H. KESTING

a representative citizen and good, practical farmer of Grand Chute township, Outagamie county, who is engaged in
general farming and dairying, was born in Troy, New York, April 15, 1854, and is a son of
Charles and Katharine (Neff) Kesting, the former of whom was born in Wittenberg, Germany, March 14, 1826, and
the latter at the same
place, July 27, 1827. Charles Kesting followed the trade of shoemaker in Germany until coming to the United States
in 1851, and after locating at Troy, New York, continued that business for about three years.
At the end of this time he came to Appleton, Wisconsin, where he followed his trade for about five years, and then
bought a farm in Center township, which was partly cleared. After three years he sold his land and moved into the city
of Appleton for one year, but eventually went back to farming, purchasing the farm which is now being operated by
Charles H. Kesting, and there he continued to live until his death in 1897. His widow, who survives him, make her
home with her son. They had a family of seven children, as follows: Charles H., two who died in infancy, Rosa, who
married Henry Ebner, a resident of Michigan; Mary, who married Dell Collar, residing in
Hortonville; Lottie, the wife of Charles Palmer of Elcho, Wisconsin, and Clara, who is deceased.

Charles H. Kesting attended the shcools of Appleton, and worked on the home farm for his father until his marriage,
at which time he bought the old homestead, on which he has operated ever since. He has
eighty acres in a high state of cultivation, and his carrying on general farming and dairying. Mr. Kesting was married
August 17, 1885, to Ida Beckenstrader, who was born in Appleton, October 31, 1862, daughter of Joseph and
Frederica (Zinn) Beckenstrader, natives of Germany, where they were born in 1826 and 1839, respectively.
On locating in Appleton, Mr. Beckenstrader followed the trade of cabinetmaker for several years, and then bought a
farm in Osborn township, which he continued to operate until his death in 1902, after which his widow moved to
Appleton, where she still resides. They were the parents of seven children: Mrs. Kesting, Olga, Arthur, Laura and
Bertha, who are all deceased, except the first named; Herman, who is residing in the State of Maryland, and Hattie,
who married Daniel Van Oyen, of Appleton. Mr. and Mrs. Kesting have had five children:
Adella, born August 9, 1886; Fred, born December 9, 1888; Herman, born April 21, 1893; leo, born January 26,
1896, and Lillie,
born May 15, 1902. Mr. Kesting is not connected with any religious organization. In political matters he is a
Republican.