Alfred and Marie Grohman Peck.

Margaret and Clarence Peters

   Margaret Meysenburg was born in the Luxembourg settlement east of Bellwood on Nov. 14, 1898. Clarence Peters was bom Nov. 29,1899 near David City. They were married in April, 1921 at Presentation Church, Bellwood. They both lived the rest of their lives in the Bellwood Community.
   The first 12 years of their married life was spent farming three miles east of Bellwood on one of J. J. Meysenburg's farms. During the depression in the 1930's they moved to Bellwood. Clarence then managed the north elevator and had various other jobs to support his large family.
   Nine children were born to Clarence and Margaret . Two sons, Louis and James, died in infancy. Honora, Delores, Phyllis, Paul, Mary Margaret, Don, and Rita all grew up in Bellwood.
   Clarence became ill with cancer and died July 18, 1938. Three months later the oldest daughter, Honora, died at age 16.
   The Peters family was always active in St. Peter's Catholic Church. Margaret was a member of the Altar Society and she and her children all sang in the church choir. The sons served Mass until they were grown.
   In the early 1940's Margaret obtained a job at the Bellwood Post Office. She advanced to Post Master, a position she held until retirement in 1968.

   Margaret enjoyed working for her church, community, and family activities. She was active until her death Dec. 28, 1975.
   Delores is married to Thomas McCawley and they live near Bellwood. They have eight children, Mike, Tom, Steve, Dan, Mary Lynn, Lori, and John. They also are grandparents of nine.
   Phyllis is married to Bill Douglass and lives in Las Vegas, Nev. They have two children, Bill and Debra, and one grandchild.
   Paul is married to Shirley Ackles and lives in David City. Six children were born to them, Bob, John (deceased), Jean, Ann, Mary Kay, and Mike.
   Mary Margaret is married to Gordon Zeller. They lived in the Bellwood community until moving to Columbus in 1980. They have four children, Terry, Becky, Mark, and Margaret. Don is married to Thelma Brandenburgh and lives in Bellwood. They have three children, Janet, Susan, and Jim. Rita is married to Sal Lopez and lives in Denver, Colo.
   Six children were born to them, Beth, Christopher (deceased), Tim, Jeff, Cathy, and Teri. They also have three grandchildren.

Clarence and Margaret Peters.

   Peter and Dena Phillips settled on a farm in 1885 in Savanah Township 2 miles north and 3 1/2 miles east of Bellwood. Charles Romshek is the present owner of the old Phillips farm. In 1917 the Phillips family purchased the farm that is now the home of their great-granddaughter, Bonnie Kobza.
   Peter was born July 4, 1851, in Luxembourg and died February 2, 1907, at his home. Dena Markus was born May 7, 1853 in Jackson County, Iowa, and died April 10, 1922 at David City. They were members of the Catholic Church and are buried at the St. Mary and Peters Cemetery, Bellwood.
   Peter Phillips and Dena Markus were married on February 11, 1874 at the Catholic Church in Lamont, Ia. They were the parents of four sons and five daughters. The sons were John, Nick, and Henry of Bellwood, and William of Bellevue, Ia. The daughters were Sister Solona of Milwaukee, Wis., Mrs. J. J. (Christine) Meysenburg of Bellwood, Mrs. Peter (Mary) Supancheck, Mrs. Albert (Catherine) Hilger of David City, and Mrs. Emerson Horton of Sioux City, Ia.
   Children of Peter and Dena Phillips: John Phillips, single; Christina, husband, J. J. Meysenburg; Nickolas, wife, Annie Meysenburg; Mary, husband, Peter Supan-

check; Catherine, husband, Albert Hilger; Martha, Sister Solona; Henry, wife, Elizabeth Aerts; William, wife, Elizabeth Gretchen; Anna, husband, Emerson Horton.
   Grandchildren: Christina and J. J. Meysenburg, Bellwood, Leo, Margaret, Francis, Paul, Harold, Camilla, and Hilda.
   Nickolas and Annie Meysenburg Phillips, Bellwood, Aloysius, George, Agnes, Wilfred, and Leonard.
   Mary and Peter Supancheek, David City, Everett, Irene, Elmer, Veronica, Anthony, Loretta, Lawrence, and Doris.
   Catherine and Albert Hilger, David City, Leonore, Bernard, Arnold, and Agnes.
   Henry and Elizabeth Phillips, David City, Sylvester, Anna Rose, Bernice, Lorraine, Eugene, Harold, and Betty.
   William and Elizabeth Phillips, Bellevue, Ia., Cecelia, Rachel, Delorse, Evelyn, Vivian, Jerold, and Donald.
   Bellwood fifth generation descendants of Peter and Dena Phillips are Janet, Susan, and Jim Peters, children of Donald Peters and grandchildren of Margaret Meysenburg Peters. Mike, Michelle, and Marc Hilger chfldren of Daniel Hilger and grandchildren of Bernard Hilger. Also, John, Robert, Edward, Martin, Julie, Thomas, Catherine and Anthony Kobza, children of Bonnie Kobza and grandchildren of Bernard Hilger.

The Peter Phillips Family (early 1900's).

     Back row, left to right: John, Christina (husband-J. J. Meysenburg), Mary (husband-Peter Supancheck), Nick (wife-Annie Meysenburg), Catherine (husband-Albert Hilger), Martha (Sister Solona).
     Front row: Peter, William (wife-Elizabeth), Anna (husband-__ Horton), Henry (wife-Elizabeth Aerts), and Dena.

   Anton Rohrich (1816-1898) was married to Anna Gustave (1822-1904). They arrived in America in 1879 from Bavaria, Austria, with their chadren and families. Anton operated shoe repair shop where the Bellwood Car Wash now stands. Many times he would walk to Columbus and carry a roll of leather home over his back for use in his shop. Anna Rohrich, his granddaughter was his interpreter between his customers and himself.
   His son, Gustave Rohrich (1849-1938) and Theresa Volkman, his wife (1852-1934), settled on a small acreage of an Austrian Settlement west of Bellwood (farmed now by Arnold Dolezal), where they built a comfortable sod house. They had six children, three born in Austria and three in Nebraska. The children were Gustave, Bertha, Anna, Leopold, Robert and Minnie. Gustave changed his name from Rohrich to Raric in the early 1900's and was known in the Bellwood area that way.
   Gustave Raric (1871-1956) was married to Grace Neisner (1879-1958) November 14, 1905. They farmed in the Bellwood area all of their lives. They had five children, Jasper, Viola, Evalena, Bessie and Robert - all of them living but Jasper who passed away in 1969. Descendants of this family are Joyce Raric Summers, Joseph and Robert Swoboda, Robert Kasparek, Sharon Kasparek Varjecka, David Kasparek, Pamela Kasparek Warnok, Patricia Raric Mick and the late David Raric.
   Sixth generation of this family are Edward and Tammy Varejcka, Danny Wamok, Kathy and Jeremy Swoboda, Jene', Lyne', and Andre' Mick and Misty Raric.
   Chad Varejcka is of the 7th generation of the Anton and Anna Rohrich family.

   Joseph Romshek was born in Austria on March 19, 1863. He came to the United States by boat, working for a short time on a farm in Oklahoma, then he worked in the copper mines at Kalumet, Michigan. He finally arrived in Bellwood, Ne. in 1886.
   On November 14, 1893, he married Katherine Mais, daughter of Bernard and Elizabeth Mais, who operated a saloon and butcher shop on the corner where the Legion Hall is now. This family came from Jordan, Minnesota where Katie was born. After marriage, they lived on the farm where the Don Romshek family now lives.
   The first house and building were located one-half mile west of the present farm site. This house was moved to Bellwood and is the home of Fay and Mary Smith. The Romshek family then moved and lived on the farm where Ralph Romshek now lives, and then moved back to the present farm site of the Don Romshek family.
   Born to this union were four sons: Joseph, May 31, 1894 - 1959; George, April, 1899; Henry, July 5, 1901; John, died in infancy in 1911.

   Robert Schmid came to this country from Irmsdorf, Austria in 1874. He settled on land which is five miles west and two south of Bellwood. This land is still in the family being farmed by his grandson, Bernard Schmid. He met and married Sofia Zwiener who had come from Oberthomastorf, Austria with her parents and settled in the area. They had five boys and four girls, two of the boys died as babies. Sofia

The Robert Schmid Family

     Back row, left to right: Tallie S. Alt, Rudolph Schmid, Sophie S. Vetter, Emil Schmid, and Valarie S. Nicolas.
     Front row: Minnie S. Kosch, Robert Schmid, and Frank Schmid.