Henry & Lucy..Written by: Doris (Wagner) Fernau, daughter of Otto W. Wagner & Alma Martens
Grandfather Henry Wagner Sr.
Henry Wagner, eldest child of Otto and Elizabeth Wagner, was born September 16, 1865 at Newhall, Iowa. He had five sisters and two brothers. Grandfather came to Boyd County on April 23, 1890 and homesteaded five miles north and west of Bristow, Nebraska, on the farm where Douglas Johnson now lives. His first home was a sod house, later on he built a frame house. He was united in marriage to Lucy Classen April 7, 1894 at Butte, Nebraska. Five children were born to this union, four born here on the homestead. Otto W. was born Jan. 4, 1895 and died Oct. 30, 1972. Luella Viola was born March 29, 1897 and died May 17, 1982. Jacob was born October 26, 1899 and died July 1, 1994. Henry Jr. was born Aug. 15, 1902 and died April 18, 1999. William Jennings was born Dec. 6, 1908 and died Sept. 27, 1993.
Around 1903, he rented the homestead to a neighbor, Roy Galbraith, and moved to Bristow, Nebraska in a house behind the lumber yard. Here the four older children started school. After a short time living in town he decided he didn't like town life so he bought another farm one half mile west of Bristow, the Oscar Danielson farm. It was on this land that the town of Bristow originated, a small store and a post office. When the railroad came through in 1902 the mail route was discontinued and the town site moved farther east to the present location His youngest son William Jennings was born there Dec. 6, 1908. He was named after William Jennings Bryan, then Governor of Nebraska. The building site on the farm was moved farther east to the present location. He knew how to do carpenter work and he built two houses in Bristow and helped with work on other buildings. The boys tell of hauling sand from the creek with a team of horses and wagon to make the cement for foundations for buildings in Bristow. The lumber was hauled from Fort Randall several miles north. The boys also learned the Carpenter trade, Henry Jr. and William later building several homes in Valentine, Nebraska. On the creek farm, as it was called, they milked cows and raised hogs. They would take the milk to the cheese factory in Bristow located north of the present lumber yard, and they took the whey home for their hogs. In 1912 grandfather moved back to his homestead and with the help of his sons continued to operate both farms. When his oldest son Otto married in 1922 he built a new house on the creek place for him to live in. In 1923 he bought some Indian land about 12 miles south of Mission, South Dakota. Here sons Henry and Jacob lived, later Otto and family and Luella and husband Axel Anderson bought land close by. Hard times came with the drought and grasshoppers and Otto and family moved back to Boyd County in 1934. Jacob moved back to live with the folks when Henry Jr. got married.
Grandmother and grandfather and Uncle Bill were then living on the creek place having moved back there in 1936. Grandmother passed away August 3, 1941. He continued to live there with his son Jake until his death Dec. 27, 1953 at Lynch, Nebraska. In spite of his advanced age he was very active and helped with the farm work until the very day he was taken ill. He was a proud man and always wore his hat and suit when he came to visit. He was a grandpa us grandchildren adored and will never forget.
Grandmother Lucy Classen was born July 9, 1868 in Germany, in the province of Hanover. Her father was killed in a fishing boat accident at an early age and the mother Lucke, was left with six children. The two older children, Timmien and Anna worked three years to earn money to bring the family from Germany to Nebraska. Grandmother came to this country in 1883 at the age of 15. The family settled in Hastings, Nebraska. She came to Boyd County in 1892, making the trip with the horse and buggy. Her brother Andrew came with her. Her brothers Timmien and George were already living here. Her two sisters Anne Toedter and Helen Johnson remained in Hastings, Nebraska. Their mother Lucke lived among her children and is buried at Spencer, Nebraska by her son George. She was born March 16, 1838 and died Jan. 28, 1911. Timmien married Margaretha Wagner, grandfather's sister. Timmien died in 1927. Margaretha married in 1892 at O'Neill, Nebraska and died in 1932. George married Mary Schwartz who was born February 20, 1870 and died March 9, 1956. Andrew married Tracie Schwartz. Lucy (grandmother) married Henry Wagner April 7, 1894 and passed away August 31, 1941 at the age of 73. I was lucky to live close to her during my growing up days during 1934 to 1941, so I got to see her quite often then and even got to stay with her once in a while. She was a happy person always singing as she worked. She was always busy, mostly in the kitchen. She would let us help her with whatever she was doing. We especially liked to punch down the home made bread after it had risen. She left us with many fond memories.