Joseph J. Weber

JOSEPH J. WEBER. One of the most widely known, numerous and useful families in Russell County is that of Weber. One of them is Joseph J. Weber, a successful lumber merchant at Dorrance. He is one of fourteen children, and nothing but good accounts have been heard of all of them.

Joseph J. Weber was born in Russell County October 12, 1886. His father, N. Weber, is still living twelve miles south of Dorrance at the little Town of Dubuque, a merchant and farm owner there. He was born in the Duchy of Luxemburg in 1858. When a young man he came to the United States, settled in Iowa in 1879, was married at Dubuque in that state, and in 1880 brought his family to Russell County, Kansas, settling in the community now known as Dubuque. He has been one of the influential and successful men of that community, served on the school board, is a democrat in politics and a member of the Catholic Church. In Iowa he married Mary Erthum, who was born in that state in 1859.

A brief record of the fourteen children of Nicholas Weber follows: John, the oldest, is president of the Weber-Freeman Milling Company, a distributing and milling business at Salina, Kansas; H. W. Weber, a bank cashier at Wilson, Kansas; Nick W., manager of a hardware store at Wilson; Anna, wife of Joseph Manns, a farmer in Barton County, Kansas; Joseph J., who is the fifth in order of age; Leo, one of several brothers now in the United States Army, his post of duty being at San Antonio, Texas; Mary, employed in a bank at Wilson, Kansas; Vera, wife of Dr. Leo Turgeon, a physician at Wilson; P. N., who works in his father's store at Dubuque, Kansas; Paul and Matt, both of whom are in the United States Army and have been on the firing line in France during 1918; Frances and Emma, both attending school at Salina, and Frank, the youngest, still at home.

Joseph J. Weber received his education in the public schools of Dubuque, Kansas, and at the age of eighteen went to work in a lumber yard. Practically all his experience has been in the lumber business and he now handles the Dorrance business of Weber & Company. This company has lumber yards at Sharon Springs, Wallace, Victoria, Dorrance, Wilson, Black Wolf, Kanopolis and Salina, Kansas.

Mr. Weber is a young business man always interested in the welfare of his community, is a member of the City Council, is township clerk and a member of the school board of Dorrance. He is a democrat, a member of the Catholic Church, and a third degree Knight of Columbus of Salina Council. He married at Dorrance in 1909 Miss Jessie Crabtree, daughter of John A. and Clara (Keck) Crabtree, both now deceased. Her father was formerly a hardware merchant at Dorrance. Mr. and Mrs. Weber have three children: Genevieve, born May 23, 1910; Bernice, born December 25, 1912; and June, born January 16, 1918.

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