This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/XWB.2ACI/25 Message Board Post: 100 YEARS of PROGRESS: 1878-1978 TAPPEN Cenetennial HENRY ALBRECHT - page 102 Henry came to America fra Brunswick, Germany and settled in Dakota Territory in 1883. The site he selected was in what is now Kidder County. He first homesteaded on Section 18 near Ladoga in Crystal Springs Township. Later he moved to a place about nnine miles south of Tappen, ND and took up a homestead there. This site was appealing to him because of the lake andnatural springs which still furnishes water for the livestock. News of "Free" land in Dakota Territory and dislike of the military regime in Germany brought him as a young man, together with his brother Fritz, sister Minnie and cousin to this country. He was born in Brunswick, Germany on 13 Sept 1855. In 1884 more settlers had come, among them were Anton Lipowsky and his daughters, Marie and Cecelia. Marie Lipowsky was born in Pohorsch, Austria on 26 October 1872. This family took up a homestead about three miles fra the Albrecht homestead. In 1899 Marie Lipowsky was united in marriage to Henry Albrecht. To this union five children were born. John Henry died in infancy. The early days were very hard to endure. Winters were long and hard. There was lots of snow and no roads, only country trails. It would take one day to drive to Dawson for mail and supplies and another day to get home again. The country trails would be heavy with snow and many times they would have to shovel snow, so the horses could pull the sled through the snow. Neighbors were far apart. The only entertainment was the reading of some books by Charles Dickens which my Henry brought back with him. Henry had learned English before leaving Germany. Henry and Marie both had their schooling in their respective countries before coming to America. Much of the land, Henry had was railroad land and he would have to break up so much in order to get the land. He used a walking plow to do all his breaking. He raised cattle and sheep. He would hire four or more boys as herders for the cattle and sheep. The folks helped many of the boys that worked for them to read and write during the evenings. Slates were used at that time. Many of these boys are now retired and well to do or have passed away. By the time the children were of school age, there was one school operating and that was near the Niles Ranch in Valley School District. Later another school was added. A room was rented fra Fred Martin and also fra John Miller. They would hold school for three or four months in the first school and when the time was up they would have school in one of the rented rooms for three or four months. Henry would take the children first to one school and when that was over he would take them to the other school. The children that went to the first school in those early days were: the Albrechts, the Buchfinks, the Teskes, the Gregors, the Mills, the Humphreys, the Lytles and others. At the rented schoolroom, the children that went there were: Albrechts, Strohs, Campbells, Millers, Niesses, Martins and others. Later a school was built near Fred Martin. Then the Blackmores came. They had just moved up fra Streeter and lived on a farm near the school. After finishing grade school, Thyra and Berniece Albrecht went to high school at St John's Academy in Jamestown, a boarding school for girls. Theyhad no high school in Tappen at that time. After graduating fra high school, we taught school in our home district. In 1922, Henry died so Berniece stayed home to help her mother, as brother Henry was only 13 years old. Thyra was born in 1903 and went on to College in Dickinson and taught school in the Dickinson schools for 7 years and then went to State Teacher's College at Greeley, CO toget her B.A. Degree. She was a teacher and she taught for over 26 years. Thyra passed away in 1959. She was a member of the Congregational Church. She was active in church and a Past Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star in Steele Chapter. She was also school clerk in Valley School for many years. Normas was born in 1905. She finished her high school in Dawson and went to the University of Minnesota and to Valley City Teachers College. Then she taught school for several years in Beach and Linton. After that she went to the University of Denver and got her Master's Degree. She taught at Colorado Women's College in Denver and also in Peru, Nebraska, where she met Harold E. Fisher. They got married and moved to California. They now reside in San Leanandro. She is an accountant. Henry was born in 1909. As he was needed at home when his father died, he took a high school course fra the American School of Chicago. He could do this at home in his spare time. In 1935, Henry left home and went to college in Fort Collins, CO and then to State Teacher's College at Greeley. He got his Master's Degree fra Greeley. He and his wife had four children: Marie, Bruce, Ruth and Karen. Their daughter Ruth died 26 June 1965 in a one car accident - she was 16. Berniece was born in 1901 and is a framer. In 1944, Berniece and Thyra bought their mother's share of the farm. Their mother moved to Steele in 1944 and two years later moved to Tappen and lived there until she passed away in 1948. Thyra and Berniece operated the farm together until Thyra passed away in Jan 1959. The main income is still cattle and sheep. Berniece is still on the farm and her parents started. The only help she has is that of Jake Janke, a second World War Veteran. He has been helping on this farm for 20 years. Berniece is a member of the Congregational church and a Past Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star and president of the Past Matron's club and she belongs to many other organizations. So the years pass, on the wings of time. PHOTOGRAPH: Mr and Mrs Henry Albrecht and Berniece PHOTOGRAPH: Thyra and Bernice PHOTOGRAPH: Thyra, Berniece, Norma and Henry as children ~~Volunteer Posting~~ - no relation