Stahlecker-Weiss Family
by Clarine Stahlecker Fergus -- From the Kit Carson County History Book

 
    My grandfather, Gottlieb Stahlecker, was born in 1878 to Martin & Catherine (Juengling) Stahlecker.  They lived for a time in South Dakota before moving to the area north of Bethune, Colorado known as the German Settlement.  The parents had come from Russia in the 1800's but Gottlieb and his brothers and sisters were born in Nebraska and South Dakota.

     Sisters Minnie & Jakobine Weiss arrived as young ladies from Russia and immediately they were admired and courted by two of the Stahlecker brothers, Gottlieb and Fred.  The couples were married on August 24, 1902 in a double ceremony.  They then home steaded 1/4 mile apart; 6 miles north and 11/2 miles west of Bethune.  The purpose of living so close was advantgeous as they helped each other build their homes and farm buildings.  Some of the buildings and houses were built of adobe bricks which consisted of straw mixed with mud, dried into bricks and then built up into walls.  The outside walls were then stuccoed.  The original houses are still standing and still being lived in.

     Gottlieb & Minnie had 8 children, they were Otto, Clara, Gottlief, William, Emma, Bertha, John, and Anna.
Fred & Jakobine had 5 children.

     The children grew up together very closely.  They went to school and played and worked together.  All of the children, even the girls had to stay home from school and help with the farm work.  Some of them obtained 8 years of schooling, while others did not.

     Cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens were raised on the farm plus several kinds of crops and many garden crops were grown.  The Stahleckers were self-sustaining farmers with very little bought from town.  Fruit and Vegetables were canned.  Watermelons were pickled in salt brine and then eaten in the fall and winter.  It was a treat to eat grandmas' home-made bread spread with thick, rich cream and sprinkled with sugar.

      Lambs and beef were butchered and canned in jars.  Ham and bacon were preserved in barrels of salt brine and the sausages were smoked in the smoke house.

     The families first car was a Ford probably bought in 1913 or 1914.  Before then, they traveled everywhere in horse drawn wagons.
They were faithful in attending the German Lutheran Church 11 miles north of Bethune.  I remember a dust storm darkening the sky one Sunday before church was over.  We drove with the car lights on and got as far as my grandparents where grandma cooked dinner and we ate using the light of the kerosene lamps.

     Grandpa and grandma retired from farming in 1945 and moved to Loveland Colorado where they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  All 8 children were present along with 35 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.