Title
MR. AND MRS. PETER BOEHRNSEN
Creator
Yvonne Boehrnsen Bernardy
Coverage
TOWNSHIP 140N RANGE 93W
Text
MR. AND MRS. PETER BOEHRNSEN
Peter John Boehrnsen was born Feb. 24, 1894, on a farm near Chicago. The son of Hans H. and Hulda (Braasch) Boehrnsen, he was the fifth of 11 children who grew to adulthood; four others died in infancy. Both his father, who was of Danish descent, and his mother had immigrated with their families from Germany to the Chicago area, his father at the age of 14 and his mother when she was seven.
As a child, Peter also lived on farms near the small towns of Martinton and Papineau, Ill., where he attended grade school. Then, in 1907 the Papineau elevator operator, who had gone bankrupt, deeded Peter's father a piece of land near Steele, N.D., in payment for corn he had sold. His father then bought a place with buildings next to the land, and the family loaded machinery and other belongings on the train for the trip west.
Peter came to the Taylor area in 1912, at the age of 18. Two older brothers, Hans and Herman, and an older sister, Hulda Boehrnsen Sibbert, had come to the area earlier. The brothers were living on homesteads north of Gladstone and Taylor. Peter worked on area farms, the Tom Predaux farm north of Gladstone and the Sam Brand farm southwest of Taylor. During that time he met Sophie Muecke; they were married in Dickinson on Feb. 11, 1918.
Sophie was born on Aug. 23, 1894, and grew up on a farm four miles north of Gladstone to which her family had moved that year and where her brother Joe still lives. Both of her parents came to the U.S. from Germany in 1881. Her father, Robert Muecke, a cabinet maker, homesteaded on Sec. 22-140-94 north of Gladstone in 1882 and married her mother, Bertha Sattler (or Sadler), four years later. Sophie, the fifth of seven children, walked to Versippi School, a country school about one and one-half miles away.
Following their marriage, Pete and Sophie farmed 12 miles north of Taylor for two years and then moved to a farm west of Werner, where they lived in a small log house. Their first child, Clifford, was born there on Oct. 31, 1922.
In 1924 they bought a farm north of Taylor on Sec. 21, 22-141-93 on the Dunn County side of the StarkDunn border, where they lived for 20 years. Besides grain farming, they also had a herd of Holstein cattle as well as other livestock.
Two girls were added to the family during that time: Arlene was born on Mar. 31, 1934, and Yvonne on Jan. 6, 1938.
Pete was president of the school board of Ridgeway Dist. 15 from 1934-41. He also drove the school bus into Taylor for several years until 1944, when the family bought the former John Wecker farm northeast of Taylor on Sec. 28-140-93 and moved closer to town. In 1954 they moved into Taylor; and their daughter Arlene and her husband, Reuben Schneider, who were married in 1951, moved on the farm. Pete and Sophie later purchased additional farm and range land south and also east of town.
They were members of the Taylor United Church of Christ, and Sophie was a member of the Women's Guild.
After graduating from Taylor High School in 1940, Clifford married Florence Rynning. They had two daughters, Sandra (Brumfield) and Gale (Winn). In 1948, he was killed in a tractor accident while working on his farm near Werner.
Arlene and Reuben Schneider spent eight years on the farm near Taylor. They and their five children, Allan, Rhonda, Russell, Renee and Roxanne, now live in Salem, Ore. Yvonne marned Jack Bernardy in 1967; they, with their children, Peter and Winifred, presently are in Fargo.
Sophie died on May 20, 1961. After that time Pete spent winters in California and, since 1964, in Florida and came back to North Dakota and Oregon in the summers. He retired from farming about 1965. On March 22, 1976, he died suddenly at his place near Leesburg, Fla., at the age of 82.
By Yvonne Boehrnsen Bernardy
Peter John Boehrnsen was born Feb. 24, 1894, on a farm near Chicago. The son of Hans H. and Hulda (Braasch) Boehrnsen, he was the fifth of 11 children who grew to adulthood; four others died in infancy. Both his father, who was of Danish descent, and his mother had immigrated with their families from Germany to the Chicago area, his father at the age of 14 and his mother when she was seven.
As a child, Peter also lived on farms near the small towns of Martinton and Papineau, Ill., where he attended grade school. Then, in 1907 the Papineau elevator operator, who had gone bankrupt, deeded Peter's father a piece of land near Steele, N.D., in payment for corn he had sold. His father then bought a place with buildings next to the land, and the family loaded machinery and other belongings on the train for the trip west.
Peter came to the Taylor area in 1912, at the age of 18. Two older brothers, Hans and Herman, and an older sister, Hulda Boehrnsen Sibbert, had come to the area earlier. The brothers were living on homesteads north of Gladstone and Taylor. Peter worked on area farms, the Tom Predaux farm north of Gladstone and the Sam Brand farm southwest of Taylor. During that time he met Sophie Muecke; they were married in Dickinson on Feb. 11, 1918.
Sophie was born on Aug. 23, 1894, and grew up on a farm four miles north of Gladstone to which her family had moved that year and where her brother Joe still lives. Both of her parents came to the U.S. from Germany in 1881. Her father, Robert Muecke, a cabinet maker, homesteaded on Sec. 22-140-94 north of Gladstone in 1882 and married her mother, Bertha Sattler (or Sadler), four years later. Sophie, the fifth of seven children, walked to Versippi School, a country school about one and one-half miles away.
Following their marriage, Pete and Sophie farmed 12 miles north of Taylor for two years and then moved to a farm west of Werner, where they lived in a small log house. Their first child, Clifford, was born there on Oct. 31, 1922.
In 1924 they bought a farm north of Taylor on Sec. 21, 22-141-93 on the Dunn County side of the StarkDunn border, where they lived for 20 years. Besides grain farming, they also had a herd of Holstein cattle as well as other livestock.
Two girls were added to the family during that time: Arlene was born on Mar. 31, 1934, and Yvonne on Jan. 6, 1938.
Pete was president of the school board of Ridgeway Dist. 15 from 1934-41. He also drove the school bus into Taylor for several years until 1944, when the family bought the former John Wecker farm northeast of Taylor on Sec. 28-140-93 and moved closer to town. In 1954 they moved into Taylor; and their daughter Arlene and her husband, Reuben Schneider, who were married in 1951, moved on the farm. Pete and Sophie later purchased additional farm and range land south and also east of town.
They were members of the Taylor United Church of Christ, and Sophie was a member of the Women's Guild.
After graduating from Taylor High School in 1940, Clifford married Florence Rynning. They had two daughters, Sandra (Brumfield) and Gale (Winn). In 1948, he was killed in a tractor accident while working on his farm near Werner.
Arlene and Reuben Schneider spent eight years on the farm near Taylor. They and their five children, Allan, Rhonda, Russell, Renee and Roxanne, now live in Salem, Ore. Yvonne marned Jack Bernardy in 1967; they, with their children, Peter and Winifred, presently are in Fargo.
Sophie died on May 20, 1961. After that time Pete spent winters in California and, since 1964, in Florida and came back to North Dakota and Oregon in the summers. He retired from farming about 1965. On March 22, 1976, he died suddenly at his place near Leesburg, Fla., at the age of 82.
By Yvonne Boehrnsen Bernardy