John Pfeifer 1828-1907

PFEIFER, NUBER, CARR, FUNK

Posted By: Georgea Clinton (email)
Date: 4/20/2011 at 16:21:32

May 9, 1907 - Carroll Times - John Pfeifer, whose death on Tuesday, April 30th, we briefly mentioned last week, and whose funeral occurred from SS. Peter and Paul's church Friday forenoon, was 78 years, 8 months and 10 days old. He was born Aug. 20, 1828, in the vicinity of Trier, Rhine Province, Germany, and saw stormy times in his young manhood days.

He was drafted into the Prussian army as was customary in that county, although the service was so thoroughly repugnant to the inhabitants, so late under the milder French regime, that they spoke of the service only as "becoming a Prussian". It was in the stirring times of 1848, the brutal arrogance of the Prussian official drilling him broke the last thread of the young recruit's with difficulty curbed temper. With a dexterous move he flung the gun with fixed bayonette at the abusive one, the blade ripped a gaping wound in the officers face and he had to go to the hospital for repairs.

On the culprit's statement that the gun had been fairly shaken from his grasp, the young man was not then arrested, investigation to be made upon the officers recovery. The prospect of arrest and severe punishment determined young Pfeifer to desert. Without a pass he fled to the frontier. Aided by a shrewd young woman he found a "gensd 'arme" (mounted police) who passed him across the frontier without a pass. He escaped into France, thence to Italy, served in the Papal Guard for some years and arrived in America in 1856.

He reached the region of the upper Mississippi river below St. Paul, worked at carpentering at St. Paul, then a mere hamlet, and in 1858 was married to Miss Caroline Nuber. They decided to take up some of the government land in Sibley county, where they subsequently removed. Hardships of the severest kind followed. Living in the trackless wilderness meant privation and danger. As an instance of the difficulty of getting supplies may be mentioned that the settler took a basket of eggs to the nearest frontier store and found to chagrin that after a killing tramp, he was offered two (2) cents per dozen in trade — but not things he needed for his family, whisky rather.

He was compelled go to work to earn a little money and at the outbreak of the Civil war, went out as a government employee to aid in construction work for army purposes, and the wife and baby were thus left in the vast solitude with no neighbors for long distances. Then came the awful Indian outbreak of 1862. That flight harrowed the memories of the pioneers through their lives. One child of the Pfeifer family died on this journey and as few of the settlers were armed with anything but the implements used in their labor, it was only after they had received government muskets that they could think of making a stand.

After the Indians were subdued they returned to their homes where the Pfeifer family remained until 1875, when they removed by ox team to Shelby County, Iowa, the grasshopper plague driving them out. For the past few years Mr. and Mrs. Pfeifer have resided here at Carroll.

Besides the faithful wife there survive him his son, Matt of Oxnard, N.D., and Theresa, Mrs. John Carr, a daughter, of St. Paul, Minn. Six children preceded him, the infant mentioned above and two married daughters of 26 and 28 years respectfully, and a son aged 33. Both of the aforesaid children were at the funeral, also a nephew, Lorenz Funk, a niece, Cecelia Funk and another niece, Carrie Schnuettgen, all of Earling, Iowa. The Times joins the family's many friends in sincerest condolence.