Title
A. W. TICKFER's FAMILY
Creator
Fern C. Tickfer
Coverage
TOWNSHIP 139N RANGE 96W
Text
A. W. TICKFER's FAMILY
One of the homesteaders to come to Stark Co. in the early 1900's was August William Tickfer with his wife and small son. Previously he had filed and proved up on a quarter section of land one and one-half miles east of Belfield.
Mr. Tickfer was born in Wilmington, Del. And as a young boy had moved to Wisconsin with his parents. Here he attended schools until his graduation from Normal School had prepared him for teaching. However, after his marriage in 1903 he operated a hardware store in Taylor, Wisc. Later he moved to St. Paul, Minn. Where he worked for Farewell Ozum Kirk and Company until he moved to settle in North Dakota.
His wife was the former Katherine Ruppert, daughter of Charles Ruppert and Mathilda Reuter of Waumandee, Wisc. Two children were born to this couple, a son Lester and a daughter Fern. Lester died in 1927 in Milwaukee, Wisc., while interning in dentistry at Marquette University. Fern still lives in Dickinson where she has spent 34 years as a teacher.
For the first few years on the homestead Mr. Tickfer taught in rural schools near his home until farming operations required his full time. After several years of farming and truck gardening, the Tickfers operated a dairy farm until Mr. Tickfer's death in 1934. During this time Mrs. Tickfer's delectable butter and freshly picked and washed garden produce and small fruits delivered in person by horse and buggy were one of the bonuses her customers of this by-gone era enjoyed.
Although the work was hard and the hours were long, these people and their rural neighbors for several miles around would periodically meet at one another's homes for dancing to the music of a violin, an organ, a piano, or — in the case of the Tickfer home, a player piano. The dancing continued until it was time for the midnight lunch. In those days no one was on a diet and there was an abundance of pies, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, etc. As the years passed, these dances lessened in number until they were discontinued. They had served their purpose.
After Mr. Tickfer's death Mrs. Tickfer moved to Dickinson to live with her daughter Fern. She died Dec. 26, 1970 — a brave, hard-working, God-fearing, generous woman devoted to her family. In return, she was greatly respected and dearly loved. She was one who never admitted defeat in spite of the leanest of years, but persevered to a successful end. “Where there's a will, there's a way,” she used to say. How true!
By Fern C. Tickfer
One of the homesteaders to come to Stark Co. in the early 1900's was August William Tickfer with his wife and small son. Previously he had filed and proved up on a quarter section of land one and one-half miles east of Belfield.
Mr. Tickfer was born in Wilmington, Del. And as a young boy had moved to Wisconsin with his parents. Here he attended schools until his graduation from Normal School had prepared him for teaching. However, after his marriage in 1903 he operated a hardware store in Taylor, Wisc. Later he moved to St. Paul, Minn. Where he worked for Farewell Ozum Kirk and Company until he moved to settle in North Dakota.
His wife was the former Katherine Ruppert, daughter of Charles Ruppert and Mathilda Reuter of Waumandee, Wisc. Two children were born to this couple, a son Lester and a daughter Fern. Lester died in 1927 in Milwaukee, Wisc., while interning in dentistry at Marquette University. Fern still lives in Dickinson where she has spent 34 years as a teacher.
For the first few years on the homestead Mr. Tickfer taught in rural schools near his home until farming operations required his full time. After several years of farming and truck gardening, the Tickfers operated a dairy farm until Mr. Tickfer's death in 1934. During this time Mrs. Tickfer's delectable butter and freshly picked and washed garden produce and small fruits delivered in person by horse and buggy were one of the bonuses her customers of this by-gone era enjoyed.
Although the work was hard and the hours were long, these people and their rural neighbors for several miles around would periodically meet at one another's homes for dancing to the music of a violin, an organ, a piano, or — in the case of the Tickfer home, a player piano. The dancing continued until it was time for the midnight lunch. In those days no one was on a diet and there was an abundance of pies, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, etc. As the years passed, these dances lessened in number until they were discontinued. They had served their purpose.
After Mr. Tickfer's death Mrs. Tickfer moved to Dickinson to live with her daughter Fern. She died Dec. 26, 1970 — a brave, hard-working, God-fearing, generous woman devoted to her family. In return, she was greatly respected and dearly loved. She was one who never admitted defeat in spite of the leanest of years, but persevered to a successful end. “Where there's a will, there's a way,” she used to say. How true!
By Fern C. Tickfer