Bals, Balz & Baltz
The History of the Family of Henry & Elizabeth Bals of Nebraska
From information compiled and edited by Gene Bals ©2004
|
The History of the Family of Henry & Elizabeth Bals of Nebraska From information compiled and edited by Gene Bals ©2004
|
|
OVERVIEW SITE MAP BALS NAME ANCESTORS FAMILY RICKERT HENRY & ELIZABETH IN
NEBRASKA Ferdinand SCHMERLECKE LUSEBRINK LOWER-SAXON
BAUERNHAUSES SOURCES
|
The Memories of Henry & Elizabeth by Delmer Patz
Grandpa often talked about his home in Germany located near Erwitte which is about 120 miles from Koln (Cologne). Very rich soil. He raised wheat, cotton, and corn which he stated did not produce like it does in USA. Most all of the out buildings are still standing. The house was rebuilt after a fire. (see History of Lusebrink Farm) There is a chapel on the farm with very interesting stations of the cross outside around the chapel. The King's highway (the principal road between Paris and Vienna) goes by the farm. Marie Antonette is said to have worshiped there at the chapel. He and his brother Ferdinand came to U.S. because every young man had to serve in the army and because the Farm would go to his oldest Brother. Grandmother (Elizabeth Rickert) worked as a housekeeper on the farm. She said very little about growing up in Germany. She had a sister Aunt Lena who had a leg amputated when she fell into a threshing machine. I understand that this they threshed in a barn in the winter and she was climbing around. By the way, Ferdinand was the Kaiser himself. Grandpa the opposite, very kind and loving. Ferdinand settled in Pierce. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HENRY & ELIZABETH BALS Written to honor and respect my wonderful Grandparents. I am the oldest of the Grandchildren. I visited Germany where they were born and lived before coming to the USA. I also lived on their farm in Loup City two different times. I am now 86 years old and will write from memory so please overlook any lapses in memory. Come with me as explore the Family Tree. Grandpa settled in Crete, Ne. It was a German community. He traveled back to Germany to marry Grandma (Elizabeth) only after he agreed to bring her back at least once. They went back with 2 sons, Theodore and Henry. He kept his promise. This time they brought back Tante Lena (the amputee). Everyone walked there, she could get around much better here. One must admire them for their undertaking. She talked incessantly. She was a great gal. She was a seamstress and would go to peoples homes and sew. I am sure you all remember the big yardage depts. She made all of the girls wedding dresses. Some of Grandpa's sayings about life: "The way you made your bed was the way you had to sleep in it, lumps and all." "The women should do the praying because the men worked hard in the fields." He had trouble with gas so he always said, "Rover go outside". He always had dogs or Rover shame. He would whistle through his false teeth, the dogs would come running. They would sit down in front of him. He would divide the table scraps in front of them. He would say "now" and they would eat. He made wine out of anything he could find. No money so he used honey instead of sugar. Everyone would get a taste, even a little for the kids. One day I came to the house and heard bang - bang. Grandpa was in the basement. I yelled down the steps: "What's going on?". I went down the steps; there he was, a bee bonnet over his head, gloves and jacket on, opening bottles of beer in a wash tub. He had bottled it too green so had to rework it. Several bottles blew up. He put a raw egg in his beer. He ate five times a day, always thin. When they had company, he would sit next to Grandma and pat her knee. If she stayed over night with one of the kids he would have tears in his eyes when she left. I never once heard them argue. I lived with them nearly three years. Grandma used to lecture a little bit: "If you can't feed your family, tie a know in it.". They were wonderful! CHILDREN Theodore married Ann Kempkes Henry married Ann Smejkal Ella married John Patz. Augusta (Gus) married Herman Witte Tillie married Fred Buntmeyer. Hedwig (Hattie) married Elmer Buntmeyer, Fred's brother. Herbert (Herb) married Bernice Watts. Alfred married Adelaide Envoldson. Carl married Hallie Elrod. They divorced. Thelma married Carl Miller. Times were extremely difficult, the economy hit rock bottom. Many times there was not enough food and no money. Banks closed, people lived in box cars. The county had no money. Banks foreclosed farms. Cattle were destroyed, too thin for food, they were starving. Roosevelt was elected President. The situation turned around. you know the rest. Wars, happy days, sad days, always looking forward. We have all been pioneers, haven't we. Mother organized a big famiy get together at Grandpa's farm in about 1928. Everyone was there. What a time was had by all. It was the last time when all were present. The history of the Bals Family is almost unbelievable: The following are excerpts from a letter by Delmer Patz to Gene Bals in 2003. I left Nebraska in 1935. Farming was not for me. I polished my thumb and reached San Diego, Calif. where my uncle lived: Conrad Nave who once lived in Crete on a small farm near the dam on the Blue River. He was a Carpenter. Do you recall that they dismantled two bridges in Loup City and moved them to Crete over the Blue? My Father died in 1921. Grandpa moved to Loup City in
1922.
(The foundation in the foreground is what remains of the "little house" mentioned above. Photo and note by author.) I remember that your Mother could not understand how we left wonderful Crete and moved to the clay hills with cat-steps in Loup City. She saw a spider web in the biffy , after that your Dad went with her to the biffy. I had to clear out the webs. Also, what a time when she needed milk of magnesia; held her nose, used sugar as a chaser. I told you about the bad episode. We were in Crete the first time Jerome left for Wisconsin to go to school. The suitcase packed just so from a list of needs sent by the monastery. A tag on the coat showing his destination. (Jerome left to attend St. John's School for the Deaf when he was about 9 years old.} And of coarse, who can forget the kolaches. You mentioned Tanta Yetta. Grandma went there to help at one of the births. She said that there was a tarp like an umbrella over the bed to ward off the rain leakage. Ferdinand was the Kaiser himself according to Grandma. When they came to Loup City liqour (time of prohibition), violins, horns, singing; quite a get together. I met Bill, their son gassed in WWI. Ted, who worked for us in Crete a short time. He later was a custodian of a lake which supplied water to San Diego. And Albertine. But there were many more children. By the way, we called her Aunt Getta. Got a chuckle out of your visit at the Rickert-Berkermeir farm. Can not tell you anything more (about) Anton except there was something about David City as you stated in your letter. I visited Granpa & Grandma on the farm in 1938, also was back in 1940 when they were living in a house near church owned and provided by Herb. Of coarse then came the war years so all of my information was second hand so to speak. Alfred farmed the home place until he died. I know so little of the Patz family history but Grandma said they came from Westphalia. Do you remember Grandma Patz, little, with a German accent living near church. Her saying "Yah, that's the way things go." I told you about the machine shops and the grainery built after
the barn burned
(Sketches at right by Delmer of the barn as he remembered it.)
|
|
This website was created by Gene Bals on September 13, 2004. |
Herb came
to Loup City. He was 16 and farmed for Mother after my Father's death.
We had a sale and moved to the little house on Grandpa's farm. 
down.
I believe the barn stalled 13 horses and over 20 cows. Huge hay loft with
an elevator, like in town, for the grain bins on second floor so to speak, and
corn cribs beneath. A drive thru for wagons to dump grain in the pit and
carried up-stairs.