Jacob Blanz

JACOB BLANZ. - Numbered among the sturdy, energetic and successful farmers of Wyandotte county, is Jacob Blanz, of Bonner Springs, who thoroughly understands the vocation which he is following and is carrying it on with both pleasure and profit. He was born November 11, 1861, in Wurtemberg, Germany, where he grew to manhood. His father, John F. Blanz, was born in Germany, and is there still, engaged in agricultural pursuits. He makes a specialty of growing a fine quality of grapes, and is noted as a manufacturer of wines of the highest grade. He married Gustina Schmitgall, who died on the home farm in Germany in 1906.

One of a family of six children, Jacob Blanz remained at home until about thirty years of age, in the meantime serving ten months in the German army. Immigrating to the United States in 1892, he located in Wyandotte county, Kansas, and for several years was employed in the packing houses. Investing his accumulations in land after he had saved a sufficient sum to warrant him in so doing, Mr. Blanz bought his present farm of eighty acres, a part of which he devotes to the raising of wheat, the remainder being either used for pasturing cattle or for the growing of timber.

Mr. Blanz married, in April, 1902, Elizabeth Zuehlke, who came with her parents to this country in 1892, the same year that Mr. Blanz did, and lived for a while in Iowa, from there coming to Kansas City, Missouri, with her father, who is still a resident of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Blanz have three small children, namely: Bertha Elizabeth, Flora Katy and John Frederick. Politically Mr. Blanz uniformly casts his vote in favor of the Democratic party.