Benjamin Franklin Krause

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KRAUSE is a native of Kansas, one of the young and progressive business men who grew up and imbibed the spirit of the western prairies and has made a place of usefulness for himself as a factor in the official and commercial life of Rush County. He is now cashier of the LaCrosse State Bank.

Mr. Krause was born in Barton County, Kansas, on the family homestead, March 27, 1880. His father is the venerable Leonard M. Krause of LaCrosse, a Kansas pioneer whose history is recited somewhat at length on other pages.

Though his father was a farmer, Mr. Krause had little association with farm life as a boy, since when he was nine years of age his parents moved to Great Bend. He attended high school there, later the Great Bend Normal, and left school to go in the grain business at Otis, Kansas. He has lived in Rush County since 1897, and in 1902 was elected district clerk. He filled that place two years as successor of B. E. Mirick. In 1904 he was chosen to another county office as county clerk, succeeding W. J. Hayes. He was twice re-elected and retired after a capable and efficient service of six years. He declined to become a candidate for a fourth term, deciding that private affairs required his attention. When he left the courthouse he went into the LaCrosse State Bank and has been one of its executive officers responsible for its steady growth and financial prestige.

The LaCrosse State Bank was organized in 1905. Those chiefly concerned in promoting it were Peter Brack of Olmitz, C. M. Brack of Otis; B. M. Rothweiler of Bison, and James Johnson, A. J. Bellport, W. H. Ferguson and S. I. Hale of LaCrosse. At first the capital stock was $16,000, but has subsequently been raised to $32,000. The bank now has surplus of $4,000, its outstanding loans aggregate $230,000, and the deposits, which more than any other item reflects the prosperity of the community and the confidence reposed in the bank, are $245,000. The present executive officers are: Peter Brack, president; James Johnson, vice president; B. F. Krause, cashier; and W. F. Obenhaus, assistant cashier. Besides these executive officers the directors are: J. Peter Gillig, of Bison; C. M. Brack, of Otis; and Jennie E. Ferguson, Andrew Wilson, Sr., A. D. Wilson and Joseph Herman.

Mr. Krause has been a resident of LaCrosse since January, 1903. Besides his active part in the business affairs he has contributed to the improvement of the town and has erected one of its finest homes. He is also a director and treasurer of the LaCrosse Grain and Live Stock Association. His political support has been given to the democratic party in national and state affairs, his first presidential vote having been cast for Bryan. He is a member of no secret fraternity, and though not a church member believes in and encourages church enterprise.

On January 5, 1903, in Rush County, Mr. Krause married Miss Susie Kerbs. Mrs. Krause is one of the family of five daughters and one son of Henry and Susie (Spielman) Kerbs, of Otis, Kansas. Mr. Kerbs was a native of a German Province in Russia and was a pioneer settler of Rush County. Mr. and Mrs. Krause have two children: Lester and Ruthetta.

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