Bernard Knobbe

KNOBBE, TRANEL SCHROEDER, BENZKOFER

Posted By: Anita Henning (email)
Date: 11/14/2002 at 17:16:38

From The Breda News, 14 April 1921, p1; Vol 11, No. 48;
Breda, Carroll County, Iowa,
"HELPED NAME THE TOWN OF BREDA
Bernard Knobbe was born in Hanover, Germany, December 13, 1838. He emigrated to America with his parents when he was thirteen years old. He was the second oldest of five brothers and one sister. His mother became seasick and did not live long in America. His father never married again, claiming that he had one good wife and was content with her in memory. They located for some time at Sinsinawa, Wis., and at Mt Carmel and Menominee, Ill. At the time of the Civil War he owned some land in Allamakee county, Iowa, the extreme northeast county of that state. At the time the Indians broke out in the north he ran a threshing machine in that country, and when the Indians saw all the wagons coming across the country, they wondered what was going on. As he had sent a man to Lancaste, Mich., for repairs and the same had not returned, they told him that the Inidans were on the warpath. When that setting was threshed out they snagged the machine in some timber with eight good stout horses in three hours. When the battle had finished they worked three days to get the machine in the clear again. Mr Knobbe never feared the Indians in his various encounters with them; on the contary(sic), he was their dear frined, as they were of him.

Fifty-four years ago he and his father and brothers joined a body of men in Illinois in order to form a colony in Carroll county, Iowa. This settlement was called Mt. Carmel. One of his brothers, with Bernard, broke sod for two springs and wintered in Illinois. Fifty-two years ago he married Mary Tranel in Illinois. To this union were born seven children, five daughers and two sons. In the spring of his marriage five families from Illinois shipped out to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and moved out by land seventy-five miles west to Carroll county. They had much fun crossing the Des Moines river, their stock on a ferry boat, pulled by a rope, with jumping of animals on both sides and swimming in the water. All came on safely.

Some years went by, when at last the country began to be settled quickly. The Chicago & Northwestern railroad built out from the county-seat to Sioux City, Iowa. One of his brothers had several miles of contract on the line, working with several men and teams. When the railroad was completed they began to make provisions for forming another town. After some discussion Breda was decided as the name from Knobbe, Clemens and Brady. This town soon grew and now has the largest congregation in the county. Bernard had the honor of having the first child baptized in the congregation. His name was John and now reposes in that cemetery.

About eighteen years ago he bought land in Spearville and after some time moved here to retire, thus making Spearville his own choice. The deceased left as mourners his affectionate wife; his son, Henry, and daughter, Mrs. Frances Schroeder; Mrs. Christina Benzkofer of Wheaton, Minn; his brother John, of Breda, Iowa; the 26 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
--Spearville, (Kas.,) News."