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One of the first families to come to Cedar County was the H. B. Suing.
Mr.. Suing was born in Oldenburg, Germany Sept. 11, 1820. Come to the United
States in 1850 and located in Baltimore. Where he stayed for nine years. Here
he met his future wife Miss Magdelina Koch, who was born in Frankfort, Germany
August 24, 1828 and grew to womanhood there.
In company with her sister she sailed for America, landing at Baltimore,
strangers in a strange land. While the two girls 21 and 22 years of age, sat
frightened and weeping in the waiting room, a milkman walked through the room,
and seeing them in trouble, offered his help. By means of his assistance, they
found employment, and remained in the city for several years. It was here that
the deceased met and married Bernard Suing on April 10, 1853. They continued to
make their home there for a few years until like many other young people. they
learned of the advantages of the West, and came to Dubuque, Iowa, afterward
moving to New Vienna, they remained until 1861. Then with a company of seven
other families they planned and determined to take advantage of the government
homestead law, and set out for the then almost unexplored West. When the
company, consisting of the Abel, Lammers, Klug, Weisler, Kohl, Wubben, Gerhard
Arens and Suing families had come as far as Omaha, they met a man from St
Helena, John Becker, and he persuaded them to seek for no better land than they
could find in Cedar County. And so they all set out in their wagons drawn by ox
teams, and arrived here and settled near St Helena in July 3, 1861.
The Suings started to build their log house 18 X 24, which they had
completed but not roofed when winter came on, and so they used the canvas off
the wagons for roofing.
Mr. and Mrs. Suing lived on the homestead until 1892 when they moved to
Hartington. After the death of her husband in 1894, Mrs. Suing kept her own home
until 1898, when ill health caused her to break up housekeeping and go to live
with her sons and daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Suing raised 10 children: John, Henry B., Mrs. Peter Dreesen,
Mrs. John I. Becker, Joe, F. I., Mrs. Matt Dreesen, Mrs. F. M. Goeden, A. F., and
Steven C.
Five of the children were teachers. Three boys A. F., Steven and Frank,
and two girls, Maude and Anne.
Mrs. Suing died at Hartington in 1918.
(N.B. the spelling, grammar and writing style are transcribed as they
are in the original book)
History of Cedar County, Nebraska (1937)
Transcribed
and Contributed by: Amy
Robbins-Tjaden
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