Anton Sparwasser, an industrious German farmer of Solomon township, is a fair representative of his thrifty and enterprising countrymen. Though Mr. Sparwasser is American born, the German largely predominates and he can scarcely speak the English language. Illinois is his native state, born in Monroe county, in 1847. His father was Anton Sparwasser and his mother before her marriage was Christine Kern, both natives of Nassau, Germany. They came to America in 1834, and settled in Monroe county, Illinois. The father died in the spring of 1877, and the mother the following autumn. Mr. Sparwasser is one of seven children, six of whom are living. They are all residents of Monroe county, Illinois, except himself.
Mr. Sparwasser came to Kansas in the autumn of 1890, with a capital of $2,500. He bought two hundred and sixty acres of land (the Turkeson homestead) for a consideration of $3,000, and built a house at a cost of $1,000; he also bought teams, farm implements, two cows and a few calves. The famous possibility of a Kansas farmer had been recited to him and Mr. Sparwasser had no hesitancy in becoming involved. He, with his sons, farmed one hundred and sixty acres of rented land in addition to his own and fortunately had a large yield of wheat and corn that year, which he fed to cattle and hogs and doubled his investment; another illustration of the hundreds of farmers who have done likewise.
Mr. Sparwasser has been married twice. He was married in 1871, to Anna Buck, who died, leaving four children, only one of whom is living, Caroline, wife of Phillip Ritzel, a farmer of Illinois. In 1878, he married Louisa Pape (a sister of Mrs. Berneking) their family consists of the following children: Henry, a bright and intelligent young man who has just attained his majority, is interested with his father in farming. He is a member of the Order of Woodmen, at Glasco. Herman, Fred, Anton, August, Emma, Lucy, Edward and Phillip, are the other members of the family.
Mr. Sparwasser is a Democrat, but cast his vote for McKinley. The family are members of the Lutheran church at Glasco.
Transcribed from E.F. Hollibaugh's Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc. [n.p., 1903] 919p. illus., ports. 28 cm.
