Title
JOSEPH F CHRISTEN FAMILY
Creator
Mrs. Mabel Moes
Coverage
TOWNSHIP 140N RANGE 93W
Text
JOSEPH F CHRISTEN FAMILY
Pioneer residents of Taylor were the Joseph F Christen family.
Joe was born in Sarnen, Switzerland on Mar. 22, 1869. When he was 14 years old, he came to Davenport, Iowa where his brother was operating a cheese factory. In 1888, he moved to Taylor and worked in the Foken cheese factory.
Two years later he filed on a homestead north of Taylor, and farmed until 1901 when he moved into Taylor to operate a general merchandise store. His trade area extended from the Elbow Woods Reservation in the north to the Heart River and Lefor in the south. He was well known from Bismarck to the Montana Line. Indians from Elbow Woods were his friends and were often invited to stay for dinner when they came to trade at the store. The Christen store sold everything; groceries, hardware, dry goods, shoes and even caskets. He drove a little red Maxwell car, one of the first cars in Taylor and around 1912 had a Ford agency in Taylor.
Joe Christen was a Taylor postmaster for a short time and also served on the town board for many years.
He was married to Lydia Brademeyer on May 15, 1894. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brademeyer who were also pioneers of Taylor. Lydia was born in Faribault, Minn. On Mar. 20, 1874 and came to North Dakota as a young girl to live on a farm north of Taylor.
The Christen family had three children — a son, Harry, who was killed in an automobile accident in June 1929, in California; a son — Chris, in St. Paul who passed away in April 1975 and a daughter, Mabel, (Mrs. John Moes) who lives in St. Paul, Minn.
The store was sold to the McMartins in 1943 and after a six-year stay in Portland, Ore., the Christens moved to St. Paul where they lived until the times of their deaths in 1954 and 1955. They were laid to rest in Taylor, among the people they served and helped for so many years while keeping a general store. They left many loving memories and like the little girl said: “Next to God, I love Joe Christen. He never takes our pennies.”
By Mrs. Mabel Moes
Pioneer residents of Taylor were the Joseph F Christen family.
Joe was born in Sarnen, Switzerland on Mar. 22, 1869. When he was 14 years old, he came to Davenport, Iowa where his brother was operating a cheese factory. In 1888, he moved to Taylor and worked in the Foken cheese factory.
Two years later he filed on a homestead north of Taylor, and farmed until 1901 when he moved into Taylor to operate a general merchandise store. His trade area extended from the Elbow Woods Reservation in the north to the Heart River and Lefor in the south. He was well known from Bismarck to the Montana Line. Indians from Elbow Woods were his friends and were often invited to stay for dinner when they came to trade at the store. The Christen store sold everything; groceries, hardware, dry goods, shoes and even caskets. He drove a little red Maxwell car, one of the first cars in Taylor and around 1912 had a Ford agency in Taylor.
Joe Christen was a Taylor postmaster for a short time and also served on the town board for many years.
He was married to Lydia Brademeyer on May 15, 1894. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brademeyer who were also pioneers of Taylor. Lydia was born in Faribault, Minn. On Mar. 20, 1874 and came to North Dakota as a young girl to live on a farm north of Taylor.
The Christen family had three children — a son, Harry, who was killed in an automobile accident in June 1929, in California; a son — Chris, in St. Paul who passed away in April 1975 and a daughter, Mabel, (Mrs. John Moes) who lives in St. Paul, Minn.
The store was sold to the McMartins in 1943 and after a six-year stay in Portland, Ore., the Christens moved to St. Paul where they lived until the times of their deaths in 1954 and 1955. They were laid to rest in Taylor, among the people they served and helped for so many years while keeping a general store. They left many loving memories and like the little girl said: “Next to God, I love Joe Christen. He never takes our pennies.”
By Mrs. Mabel Moes