Hutchinson County - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Christian Aisenbrey

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Christian Aisenbrey, born January 30, 1857, in southern Russia, was postmaster of Menno, Hutchinson County, South Dakota. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1874 with his parents, Andrew J. and Elizabeth (Bentz) Aisenbrey, who settled in Dakota Territory. Christian worked on the family farm before marrying Christiana Keck in 1877 and establishing his own homestead. He later moved to Menno, where he served as county treasurer and became a successful furniture and undertaking business owner. Appointed postmaster in 1898, Aisenbrey was a dedicated Republican and active in the German Reformed Church.

Biography of David D. Wipf

David D. Wipf (b. 1872, Southern Russia) was a prominent figure in Hutchinson County, South Dakota, serving as county auditor and editor of the *Olivet Leader*. The son of David and Katherina (Stahl) Wipf, he immigrated to Dakota Territory with his family in 1879. Raised on a homestead near Freeman, he taught school before becoming deputy treasurer and later county auditor in 1901. In 1903, he co-purchased the *Olivet Leader*, becoming its editor. Wipf was active in local Republican politics, Masonic organizations, and the Mennonite church. He married Katharina Wipf in 1891, and they had two children.

Biography of A. D. Long

A. D. Long (b. 1858, Delaware County, Iowa) served as county judge of Hutchinson County and was a prominent real estate figure in South Dakota. After completing law studies at the University of Iowa in 1881, he practiced law in Iowa before relocating to South Dakota in 1884, where he engaged in real estate, insurance, and cattle breeding. In 1898, he settled in Tripp, focusing on real estate and insurance. A committed Republican, he was elected county judge in 1900 and re-elected unopposed in 1902. Long married Caroline B. Carpenter in 1890, and they raised four children: Wade, Ruby, Irving, and Gertrude.

Biography of Theodore A. Schliessmann

Theodore A. Schliessmann (b. 1866, Portage City, Wisconsin) was a successful merchant and co-owner of Schliessmann Brothers, a prominent general merchandise business in Tripp, South Dakota. After moving to Bon Homme County with his family in 1879, Schliessmann helped manage the family farm until 1891, when he partnered with his brother Otto to establish their mercantile firm. The business, originally including their mother, has flourished under their leadership. Both brothers are active Democrats and devout Catholics, with Theodore serving as a church trustee. He married Catherine Rath in 1893, and they have three children: William, Mildred, and Irene.

Biography of Christian Friederich

Christian Friederich (b. 1854, southern Russia) was a successful banker and early settler in Tripp, Hutchinson County, South Dakota. After emigrating in 1876, he homesteaded near Tripp and farmed for a decade before moving to the newly founded town in 1886. Initially opening a shoe and harness shop, Friederich transitioned into hog and grain trading, then expanded into hardware and general merchandise. In 1903, he acquired the Tripp State Bank, focusing on its management. A committed Republican and active Lutheran, Friederich married Christina Vetter in 1875, and they raised six children together: Christiana, George, Edward, Carl, Lydia, and Leonora.

Biography of Christian Rempfer

Christian Rempfer (b. 1859, southern Russia) was a successful businessman and state legislator from Parkston, South Dakota. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1880, he settled in Hutchinson County in 1885, initially focusing on farming before transitioning to business. In 1895, Rempfer established a thriving agricultural implement business in Parkston, later shifting to grain trading and co-founding the South Dakota Grain Company. An active Republican, he served two terms in the state legislature, starting in 1900. Rempfer married Christina Krin in 1883, and they raised four children, with the family playing a prominent role in local Baptist church activities.

Biography of Charles H. Lugg

Charles H. Lugg (b. 1862, Geneva, Minnesota) served as the superintendent of schools in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. Raised in Freeborn County, Minnesota, he began teaching at 19 after attending high school in Albert Lea and further studies at Valparaiso’s Northern Indiana Normal School. Lugg held various educational roles, including superintendent in Olivet and Parkston, before being elected county superintendent in 1902. A committed Republican and Presbyterian elder, he was active in community and fraternal organizations. In 1894, he married Mary A. Parrott, with whom he had two daughters, Laura and Esther.

Biography of Charles Zehnpfening

Charles Zehnpfening (b. 1868, Madison, Wisconsin) was a prominent business figure in Parkston, South Dakota, known for his work in the grain industry. After relocating to Hutchinson County with his family in 1880, he later acquired and farmed land before transitioning to the grain business in 1895, forming a successful partnership in Parkston. An active member of the Catholic Church, Zehnpfening was also engaged in civic affairs, serving on the local board of education. He married Anna M. Puetz in 1889, and they raised six children together: Dora, Herbert, Frank, Clara, Fred, and Carl.

Biography of Paul Wildermuth

Paul Wildermuth (b. 1862, Bessarabia, Russia) was a prominent merchant and civic leader in Tripp, South Dakota. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1884 with his wife, Magdalena Gebhard, he homesteaded in Campbell County before moving to Tripp in 1887. Initially a carpenter, Wildermuth later transitioned to the grain trade and then to retail, co-owning a successful mercantile business. A committed Republican, he served in the South Dakota legislature in 1898. Active in the Lutheran Church and local social life, he and Magdalena raised nine children, contributing to Tripp’s growth and community spirit.

Biography of Lewis A. Fox

Lewis A. Fox (b. 1874, Faribault County, Minnesota) was the editor and proprietor of the *Tripp Ledger* in Tripp, South Dakota. After learning the printing trade in Lake Preston, South Dakota, Fox acquired the *Tripp Ledger* in 1893, transforming it into a respected local newspaper. Active in Republican politics and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, he also served as justice of the peace for seven years. In 1898, he married Elsie E. Morris, with whom he had a daughter, Ruth. Fox’s family history includes deep military ties, with ancestors serving in conflicts from the War of 1812 to the Spanish-American War.

Biography of John Schamber

John Schamber, born on March 6, 1856, in the Crimean district of southern Russia, was a significant figure in South Dakota’s public and business sectors. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1874, he settled in Yankton County, where he and his family became early pioneers. Schamber initially worked on a farm before moving into the business sector, establishing himself as a leading merchant in Freeman. He later became involved in banking, founding the Exchange State Bank of Menno. A committed Republican, Schamber served as Hutchinson County Treasurer, a state senator, and ultimately, South Dakota State Treasurer. He was also active in his community and the Lutheran church. Schamber married Maria Kayser in 1881, and they had ten children.

Biography of John Doering

John Doering, born February 2, 1868, in southern Russia, became a prominent businessman in Parkston, Hutchinson County. Son of Gottlieb and Juliana (Lempke) Doering, he emigrated to America at age twelve. The family settled near Parkston after a year in Menno. Educated briefly in South Dakota, Doering married Louisa Eberhard in 1892 and established a grist mill in Parkston. He later transitioned to the grain business and agricultural implements. In 1897, he co-founded the South Dakota Grain Company, managing multiple grain elevators. A respected Republican and community leader, Doering owned significant land and served on Parkston’s city council.

Biography of John S. Mueller

John S. Mueller, a prominent businessman in Parkston, Hutchinson County, was born in southern Russia on March 24, 1870. His parents, Johann and Wilhelmina (Hass) Mueller, emigrated to America in May 1881, settling in South Dakota. Johann, a homesteader and pre-emption claimant, lived there until his death in 1898. John S. Mueller attended public schools and an academy in Scotland, South Dakota. After various employments, he served as deputy county treasurer and county auditor. In 1901, he became assistant cashier of Hutchinson County Bank, later co-founding Parkston Land and Implement Company. A Republican and Lutheran elder, he married Elizabeth C. Gall in 1892, and they had six children.

Biography of Rev. John J. Reiland

Rev. John J. Reiland, born May 9, 1868, in Luxembourg, was the pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Parkston, Hutchinson County. His family emigrated to Wabasha County, Minnesota, in 1869. After studying at St. Francis Seminary in Wisconsin and the Propaganda College in Rome, he was ordained at the Gregorian University on October 28, 1891. Father Reiland served in White Lake and Aberdeen before taking charge of Sacred Heart Church in Parkston in 1897. Under his leadership, a new church building was constructed, and the parish included a parochial school managed by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Biography of John M. Schaefer

John M. Schaefer, born on April 12, 1861, in southern Russia, was the treasurer of Hutchinson County and a prominent businessman in Tripp, South Dakota. His father, John M. Schaefer, born in Germany in 1814, moved to Russia at age fifteen. John M. Schaefer settled in Tripp in 1886, co-founding a general store with Gottlieb Doering. After selling his mercantile interests in 1901, he bought into the Mayer & Wildermuth business in 1903, forming Schaefer & Wildermuth. Elected county treasurer in 1900 and re-elected in 1902, he was a dedicated Republican and a Lutheran. He married Christina Doering in 1885, and they had six living children: Albert, Hulda, Amanda, Gustave, Edwin, and Ella.

Biography of Alvin M. Shaw

Alvin M. Shaw, who is incumbent of the responsible executive office of cashier of the Delmont State Bank, of Delmont, Douglas County, is recognized as one of the able young business men of the county, where he is held in high esteem and is personally popular. He was born on a farm in Joe Daviess County, Illinois, on the 3rd of February, 1876, being a son of Henry and Mary E. Shaw, of whose seven children four are living, namely: William H., who is cashier of the Hutchinson County Bank, at Parkston, this state; Ora P., who is a grain … Read more