CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - JOSEPH WILLENBRING

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CCN – 12-9-1915

Aged Pioneer Passes

Grand Old Settler Goes to His Reward

            Joseph Willenbring, one of the pioneers of Cedar County, 
died at the home of his sons Anton Willenbring, about two miles west 
of the village of Fordyce, on Friday, Dec. 3, aged 79 years.

            Joseph Willenbring was born in Steinfeld, Oldenburg, Germany 
on the 20th of March, 1836 and on November 24, 1866, he was married at 
the place of his birth to Elizabeth Buschelman, who departed this life 
on the old homestead in this county January 27, 1908.

            In the spring of 1871, Mr. Willenbring came to America with 
his wife and two daughters, Agnes and Anna, settling at St. Helena. For 
a short time he and his family made their home in St. James. In the same 
year Mr. Willenbring filed on a homestead which has been his home 
continually from that time. He was the third white settler on what was 
then known as the “Center Bow”, and to the north, south and west of his 
claim, the country was wilderness, the only settlements being near St. 
Helena, St. James and the few settlers at Bow Valley.

            When Joseph Willenbring  landed in Cedar co. he only had 43 
cents in goods’ but with the determination characteristic of his race, he 
faced the hardships and privations of the wilderness with undaunted 
courage and lived to see the fruits of his toil and a hardhips yield a 
thousand fold. He was one of the builders of Cedar county.

            Mr. Willenbring was not only one of the pioneers of the county 
who contributed more than his share to build up this magnificient commonwealth, 
but was a man of exceptional high character, and the vast vast throng of 
people who gathered from all parts of the county to pay their last respect 
to his memory attested the high esteem  in which he was held. He loved his 
fellow man, wronged no one, and was every ready to five that he might 
lighten the burden of others. NO grander and nobler character ever lived 
that Joseph Willenbring. He leave surviving him five daughters, Mrs. Stephen 
Stevens, Mrs. Frank Lammers, Mrs. Joseph Lammers, Mrs. Frank Hoesing, and Mrs. 
Ignatz Lammers and two sons, Henry Willenbring and Anton Willenbring, all 
living in this county, excepting Henry who lives near Crofton in Knox county.

            The funeral was held Monday from the Constance Catholic Church, 
of which he has been an exemplary member, the choir under the direction of 
Miss Veronica Radke rendering the requim mass which was celebrated by Rev. C. 
Breitkopf. The attendance taxed the capacity of the church. The interment was 
in the Constance cemetery.