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BELLWOOD FAMILIES
MR. and MRS. HENRY JACOB
One of the pioneers of Bellwood was Henry Jacob who arrived in Bellwood
with his parents, Carl Jacob and Francisca Zimmer Jacob, from Irmsdorf, Austria, March 23,
1878, at age eight.
Henry's father, Carl, was a farmer and grain buyer after his arrival in Bellwood. He was
manager of the first Farmer's Elevator in Bellwood and helped organize same.
As a boy, Henry herded cattle in the hills, fighting off many a rattlesnake. He enlisted
in the U.S. Infantry April 26, 1897, serving in the Philippine Islands during the Spanish
American War in Company E, Nebraska. After his discharge as a Quartermaster Sargeant, he
came home to Bellwood and married Nellie Elizabeth Hoshor at the Catholic Church.
Three sons were born to this union, Carl Henry, Henry Talbot and Jasper (now deceased),
all of whom grew to adulthood, married and made their homes in Bellwood.
Carl Henry married Sara E. McGarvey and their children are: James Francis; twins, Marvin
and Mervin, who died at birth; Elizabeth Dell, Henry Carlin and Dennis Bruce.
Henry Talbot married Lucille May Glasby and their children are: Nellie Ellen (now
deceased), Marie Ann.
Jasper married Dorothy Louise Regel. Their children are Marilyn Jean, Roger Jay, Sandra
Kaye, Kenneth Francis and Larry James.
Carl Henry, Henry Talbot and Marie Ann live in the Bellwood vicinity at this time.
The senior Henry Jacob died Jan. 4,1937, and along with his parents is buried in Bellwood
Cemetery.
MR. and MRS. FRANK JANICEK
Frank Janicek and Karolina (Hermethora) Janicek and their seven
children, the youngest six weeks old, came over from Austria in 1877. They settled in
Butler County, 11 miles north and four miles west of Shelby, on a farm. Ten years later
St. Joseph Church was built one and one-half miles south of the homestead. Their children
were all born in Austria.
Frank, Jr., the oldest son, married Anna Jaax and they had five children: Lucy married Gus
Zipper, John, Anna Tena married William Bruckner, Frank, and Gustie married Hubert Alt.
Alouisa married Alois Kosch and they had nine children: Herman married Loretta McGowen,
Anna married George Zeller and later Baltus Homung, William married Julia Hilger, Alois D.
"Louie" married Bertha Thielen and later Regina Messing, Rudolph died at the age
of 15 years, Henry married Angie Shields. Louisa "Liy" married George McGowen,
Charlotte married Frank Zimmer and Adolph married Minnie Schmid.
Wilmonia married Anton Hiemer and they had four sons and two daughters: Clementine married
a Hexton, Anna married Carl Wells, John married Edith Alt, Anton married Ellen Blevins,
Adolph, and Otto died in infancy.
John married Mary Thanel and they had three children: Rudolph, Frank and Anna, who married
Peter Beringer.
Christina married Frank Langhammer and they had four children: Frank, Jr. married Gertie
Miller, Arthur, Leo and Anna married a Harder.
Adolph married Lucy Seberger and had five children: Emma married Frank Schmid. Albert
married Helen Kirchner, Hattie married Peter Schmid, Leo married Loretta Schmit. Fredora
married Bob Swanson.
Rudolph married Justena Flaxell and six children were born to them. Lloyd died in infancy,
Camilla married Roy Grossnicklaus, Sylvester married Leona Sipes, Isabelle died at 10
years, Cyrus married Emma Nebosis and after her death is now married to Erma Romanek,
Verona married Harold Ebel.
The Janicek farm has been in the family since 1877. It was first owned by Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Janicek and family, next by Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Janicek and family, in 1923 by Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Janicek, in 1927 by Mr. and Mrs. Leo Janicek and sons and is now occupied
by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Janicek and family since 1963.
Josiah Jerome Judevine was born June 19, 1882, in New Hampshire. His
grandfather, Calvin, came from England before the Revolutionary War and settled in
Vermont, where Josiah's father, Joseph, was born.
In 1849, Josiah and Mary Ellen Hamilton were married and then moved to Wisconsin.
Returning home from a trip to Pikes Peak in 1859, Josiah passed through the Platte Valley
in Butler County, which eventually led to his locating here. In 1870, he and his family
settled on 160 acres in Savannah Township, section 22, the land value being estimated at
$30 per acre, and described as five acres grove, two hundred fruit trees and hay land.
During the next few years he made three trips to the Black Hills goldfields. Josiah died
on May 15, 1910, his wife having died six years prior.
Their son, Frederick Clinton, born in 1852 in Wisconsin, married Mary Elizabeth Paige in
1872. They purchased 80 acres of land on section 23 of Savannah Township, and in 1912
moved into Bellwood where Fred entered the hardware and furniture business. Their marriage
produced five children: Royal, Frank, Clifford, Ethel and Etta May. Mary died in 1918;
Fred died in 1931.
Royal married Kate Richwein; they had one son, Everett. After Kate's death, he married
Mabel Carpenter. Their daughter, Arnola DeMuth, resides in Bellwood. Royal died in July,
1959, Mabel having died on March 6,1928.
Arnola's marriage to Sylvester DeMuth produced six children: Dianne, Jacquelyne, Sharon,
Mary Pat, Daniel and Barbara. Mary Pat, her husband Joseph G. Romshek, and their family
are residents of Bellwood.
-Mrs. Joe Romshek
Of the firm of Royce & Kellogg, dealers in grain, lumber, etc., at
Bellwood. This gentleman is also one of the early settlers of Butler County, who came to
Nebraska in 1869, and located in Butler County, on Section 18, Town 16, Range 2 east,
where he took up a homestead in Savannah Precinct. Mr. Kellogg had crossed the State as
early as 1860, en route for Pike's Peak. He resided on his homestead improving his farm up
to 1880, when the village of Bellwood was started, then he moved there and started in his
present business. He has served as Assessor and Justice of the Peace of his precinct, and
is now Notary Public. He was born in Cortland County, N. Y., February 5, 1839. He was a
soldier in the late war, enlisting in Company K, One Hundred and Twenty-third Volunteer
Infantry, in 1862, but was discharged on account of failing health after a little over one
year's service.
John J. Kirchner was born in Cechan, Austria, in 1868. He migrated to the
U.S. when he was 11 years old and lived with his family northwest of Bellwood in the first
farm home east of Leonard 's present home.
He married Sophia F. Knezinger in 1897. She was the daughter of Joseph and Adelhied
Kreizinger. They homesteaded the farm, where Audrey Kreizinger still lives, in 1881.
Sophia was born in 1877. Their first home was the first farm east of the Clear Creek
bridge, on the River Road.
Later they moved to the Frank Bock farm (as we knew it). After having each year's crops
drowned by excess water for five years, they moved to higher ground. This was the Dr.
McNally farm, one mile west of District 13 school.
To this union four children were born. Joseph J. now of Alliance, Helen K. Janicek who
lives in Kimball, Augusta (Gussie) Wilson and Charlotte Hiller, both of Bellwood.
John became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1914. John and Sophia retired in 1921 and
moved to Bellwood. In 1927 John was elected manager of the newly organized Co-op Oil Co.
He was a member of the Bellwood band for 30 years.
Reinhardt was born in Paderborn, Germany. His father was Joseph Koenig.
Joseph's occupation in Germany was driving the Catholic priests to various destinations in
a horse drawn coach. Paderborn was so named because so many boys born in the community
became priests. Reirhardt came to the U.S. and lived in Detroit, Michigan where he worked
in the copper mines. He then went to Australia around by South America to hunt for gold.
He and a few others made the journey in a small sailboat and it took them 105 days to get
there. He then returned to Germany. While there he married Magdolena Munsterman. She was
born Jan. 6, 1841 and died Nov. 3, 1892. They came to America in 1869 and went to
Michigan. They homesteaded in Nebraska on June 15, 1877. Their homestead was in Butler
County on section 8 of Alexis Township. The land is now owned by Allen Hanner. Reinhardt's
main occupation was raising livestock. Children born to this union were: Henry, William,
Mary Koenig Waibel, Charles and Clementine Koenig Vanderwark. After Reinhardt's first wife
died he married Anna Nebosis on Nov. 2, 1894. Twin daughters were born to them on Feb.25,
1897. They are Anna Koenig Francis and Lucy Koenig Selzer.
MR. and MRS. ADOLPH C. KOSCH
Adolph C. Kosch, son of Alois and Aluisa (Janicek) Kosch, born 1895 at a
farm east of Bellwood. In 1917 he married Minnie E. Schmid, daughter of Robert and Sophia
(Zwiener) Schmid.
A. C. started repairing cars and selling Fords from a small garage north of the Kosch home
in Bellwood at age 14. At first the business was called Kosch Brothers because Adolph was
too young to have the business in his own name. He changed to the Dodge-Plymouth line of
cars in 1912 and sold and repaired cars at the garage he built uptown until 1963 when the
garage was sold to the Bellwood Fire Department. He was active in many organizations
including the Town Board, School Board, Fire Department, American Legion and St. Peter's
Church Board. He strived constantly to make Bellwood a better place for everyone. Some of
his able employees over the years included Fay Smith and Ulysses Young. A. C. Kosch passed
away on June 8, 1978.
Minnie F. Kosch. born June 9, 1896. While a young girl, she had been church organist at
St. Joseph's Parish for several years. After her marriage she was organist and choir
director at St. Peter's Parish for over 61 years.
Minnie was also active in the Bellwood's Federated Women's Club, Legion Auxiliary and St.
Peter's Altar Society, all of Bellwood.
Adolph and Minnie had one child, a daughter Verleen, born March 11, 1922. She is married
to David Kinsman of Columbus, Nebr., and they now reside in Phoenix, Ariz. They have seven
children and five grandchildren.
Alois Kosch was born in 1849 to John and Anna Geyerova Kosch at Irmsdorf,
Austria. He came to America first in about 1874. Then his parents and others in his family
came. The first purchase of land was in 1877 in his father's name John. This land is four
miles east and one south of Bellwood. The first house was across the road from the Arthur
Kosch old home. In 1881, Alois acquired land of his own and built the house Arthur had
before he built his new one. Alois married Aloisia Janieck, who came from Jechan, Austria
with her folks, Frank and Karolina Hermethova Janieck. They had nine children. One son
Rudolph, died at age 15. The oldest son, Herman, took over the farm after his dad died in
1910. He married Loretta McGowan. Herman and brothers built a house in Bellwood for their
mother. This is the Adolph Kosch house now. In 1915, Aloisia was struck by a car, walking
across the road to her home from church and was killed.
Herman's son Arthur took over after Herman retired. Arthur is still farming it now with
his three sons, Tom, Ken, and Jerry. This brings it to the 5th generation the land has
been in the Kosch family. Herman has five other children, Paul, Mary Alice (Sister
Clothcair), Imogene, and twins John and Catherine.
William married Julia Hilger, farmed at Shelby, had six children, Al, Leo, Wilhelm, Mary
Rose, Loyola, and Eugene.
Alois Jr. married Bertha Thelen, one daughter Tomona. Bertha died and he married Regina
Messing, had 12 children, three sets of twins. They were Maxine, Max, Harold, Howard,
Jerome, Elizabeth, Alois 3rd, Threasa, Dean, Donald, Delmer, and Jerold. Threasa, Jerome
and Dean died when children. They farmed at Shelby too.
Anna married George Zeller, farmed in Bellwood area and had three daughters, Lydia,
Roenna, and Evelyn. Roenna died at age 21. After George died, Anna married Baltus Hornung.
Henry married Angie Shields, farmed around David City and Kimball. They had four
daughters. Dorothy, Marcella, Elenore, and Betty.
Carpenter and farmer, at Bellwood, came to Nebraska in 1873, and first
located at Columbus where he worked at his trade, afterward taking up a homestead in
Butler County, on Section 28, Town 16, Range 1 east, in Alexis Precinct, which he started
to improve, also working at his trade at various places, and also at David City, where he
worked on the court house, which was the first building erected in the town. In 1880, he
moved to Bellwood, and has been connected there in erecting most of the principal
buildings in that town. He was born in Oswego County, N. Y., July 24, 1848.
ROHRICK - RARIC FAMILY
Anton Rotirich (1816-1898) was married to Anna Gustave (1822-1904). They
arrived in America in 1879 from Bavaria, Austria, with their children and families. Anton
operated shoe repair shop where the Bellwood Car Wash now stands. Many times he would walk
to Columbus and carry a roll of leather home over his back for use in his shop. Anna
Rohrich, his granddaughter was his interpreter between his customers and himself.
His son, Gustave Rohrich (1849-1938) and Theresa Volkman, his wife (1852-1934), settled on
a small acreage of an Austrian Settlement west of Bellwood (farmed now by Arnold Dolezal),
where they built a comfortable sod house. They had six children, three born in Austria and
three in Nebraska. The children were Gustave, Bertha, Anna, Leopold, Robert and Minnie.
Gustave changed his name from Rohrich to Raric in the early 1900's and was known in the
Bellwood area that way
Gustave Raric (1871-1956) was married to Grace Neisner (1879-1958) November 14, 1905. They
farmed in the Bellwood area all of their lives. They had five children, Jasper, Viola,
Evalena, Bessie and Robert - all of them living but Jasper who passed away in 1969.
Descendants of this family are Joyce Raric Summers, Joseph and Robert Swoboda, Robert
Kasparek, Sharon Kasparek Varjecka, David Kasparek, Pamela Kasparek Warnok, Patricia Raric
Mick and the late David Raric.
Sixth generation of this family are Edward and Tammy Varejcka, Danny Warnok, Kathy and
Jeremy Swoboda, Jene', Lyne', and Andre' Mick and Misty Raric.
Chad Varejcka is of the 7th generation of the Anton and Anna Rohrich family.
Joseph Romshek was born in Austria on March 19, 1863. He came to the
United States by boat, working for a short time on a farm in Oklahoma, then he worked in
the copper mines at Calumet, Michigan. He finally arrived in Bellwood, Ne. in 1886.
On November 14, 1893, he married Katherine Mais, daughter of Bernard and Elizabeth Mais,
who operated a saloon and butcher shop on the corner where the Legion Hall is now. This
family came from Jordan, Minnesota where Katie was born. After marriage, they lived on the
farm where the Don Romshek family now lives.
The first house and building were located one half mile west of the present farm site.
This house was moved to Bellwood and is the home of Fay and Mary Smith. The Romshek family
then moved and lived on the farm where Ralph Romshek now lives, and then moved back to the
present farm site of the Don Romshek family.
Born to this union were four sons: Joseph, May 31, 1894 -1959; George, April, 1899; Henry,
July 5, 1901; John, died in infancy in 1911.
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