Johann Stahlecker was born in the village of Fredersdahl, Prussia on Dec. 17, 1843. His parents, Josias and Katrina (Koch) Stahlecker, soon after his birth, moved to Russia, where the government gave immigrants a tract of free land. Here he followed the life of a farmer until emigrating to America in 1873. Sailing from Hamburg, Germany, he landed in New York after a voyage of fifteen days, and came directly to Columbus, Nebraska. He rented farm land there for five years, then moving to South Dakota, he filed on a homestead in Hutchinson county. He lived there for fourteen years. In 1892, he sold the land and moved to Nebraska. He along with two brother-in-laws own two hardware and implement businesses in Naper, Nebraska and Herrick, South Dakota.

He was married in the old country, in the year 1863, to Miss Barbara Reuter, who is the mother of 11 living children, named as follows: Conrad, who lives on his farm north of Naper, Nebraska; Fredrika, wife of Ferdinand Klaudt; Gottlieb, who resides at Delmont, South Dakota; Josias, who rents a farm one mile west of Naper; Katrina, wife of Samuel Statsman, who is one of the partners in the hardware business, and runs the store in Naper; John has a farm two miles west of Naper; Barbara, who lives in Naper, where her husband, Claus Vogt, is engaged in the furniture business; Elizabeth is the wife of Karl Reichel, the third member of the hardware firm and who runs the Herrick, South Dakota branch of the business; Marie is married to John Blakkolb, who owns a grocery store in Naper; Dora and her husband, John Hauf, live on their homestead claim in Gregory, South Dakota; and Jacob clerks in the Naper store of his father's firm.
(from the book: Compendium of History, Reminiscence and Biography)

Johann passed away on July 29, 1924 at the age of 80 years. He was survived by six daughters, Frederika, Katharina, Barbara, Elizabeth, Mary and Dora; five sons, Conrad, Gottlieb, Josias, John II and Jacob.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Josias and Katrina Stahlecker; his wife, Barbara; and two sisters, Magdalena and Dorothea Stahlecker.

The descendants of John and Barbara (Reuter) Stahlecker include 11 children, 104 grandchildren, 244 great grandchildren, 505 great-great grandchildren and 243 great-great-great grandchildren.

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