CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA -  F. Reifenrath takes Cedar Co. Record.
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Cedar County News 1-2-1930 
 
F. Reifenrath takes Cedar Co. Record.

Has lived on farm near Wynot nearly 53 years; old homestead.

	Nosing a year, a month and three days ahead of his neighbor Joe 
Wuebben, Fred P. Reifenrath living eight miles east of Wynot now holds 
the record for longest time residence of any Cedar County farm. Mr. 
Reifenrath has been the same place since his birth January 17, 1877. Mr. 
Wuebben whose record is also a lifetime one; falls short since his birthday 
was not until the following year, on February 20th. 

	The old Reifenrath farm, located on East Bow Creek, was homesteaded 
by Gerlock Reifenrath and his wife the former Miss Mary Schmidt, in the 
early ‘70’s shortly after their coming to the United States from Germany. 
Fred, who later inherited the farm, recalls that there were many hardships 
to be borne by his parents, among them the flood which covered the whole farm.

	“I remember only that we children were taken in a boat over open 
water and left wrapped in quilts on the ice.” He says. It was the labor that 
came after in bringing the farm back to its best state, that has impressed 
him. 

	And Gerlock Reifenrath was ambitious, hard-working, through. The 
original seen-room log cottage which he was built with the aid of his 
neighbors is the same house, except for outside siding and inside lathing and 
plastering, which houses three of his children after more than 50 years. The 
original homestead had grown to 160 acres before his death in 1896.

	Since Fred inherited the “homeplace” changes have come because of the 
river. Eight or nine years ago it went on a rampage and cut in badly, coming 
up to within only 30 rods of the house, and discouraging the erection of the 
more modern buildings. Floods in the spring and fall have made the land hard 
to work but the three remaining of their father’s homestead keep on, working 
much as he did during those pioneer days.

	With Fred and his brother August, and his sister, Miss Clara who keeps 
house for them. Another brother, John farms near St. James, while Frank is 
located at Fredericksburg, Texas, Miss Elizabeth Reifenrath is living in Omaha 
and Mrs. Joe Imoehl is in St. James.