| Notes |
- BIOGRAPHY:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mtfallon/_fllplve1
JOHN AND KATHARINE ALLERDINGS
My father, John Allerdings, emigrated from Odessa, Russia, in 1906.
John, his parents, Fred and Elizabeth Allerdings, his five brothers,
two sisters, and his grandfather, George Allerdings, went first to
Germany. They sailed from a harbor town on the SS Kaiser William in
late October. Also on board were Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Wenz, friends of
theirs. They could take little with them when they left Russia, except
their clothing, and had to be examined for illness before they could
leave Germany. On the ocean voyage, they endured rough weather, sea
sickness, and the small quarters in the ship.
They arrived in New York on John's twentieth birthday, November 7,
1906. They spent three days at Ellis Island, where they were again
examined for illness. The family was finally allowed to leave after
Grandfather George Allerdings bribed an official.
The Allerdings family went by train to Artas, South Dakota. They
stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Fischer and aunt and uncle Jacob
and Katharine Schmidt for a week, then moved on to Eureka, South
Dakota. Fred Allerdings then rented some land and began farming.
In 1909, John and his brother Fred traveled to Montana to stake out
homestead claims near Plevna in the early spring. They returned to
South Dakota until they received notice their claims were accepted.
John's homestead was 13 miles south of Plevna, in Fallon County. At
the time, Plevna had a bank, grocery store, post office, grain
elevator, and lumberyard.
John and Fred had to file their claims in Miles City, Montana, because
there was no courthouse in Plevna or in nearby Baker. During these
early years, John needed a translator for all his business, since he
could not speak or read English. Fortunately, the owner of the Plevna
grocery store was able to help him.
On their second trip to Montana, their father, Fred, returned with
John and his brother and bought lumber for their houses. Brother Fred
also got two horses and a wagon. They stayed on the John Wenz
homestead, living underneath the wagon while they built their houses.
Many times they were awakened by howling coyotes, and in the mornings
they would find a light covering of snow on their blankets.
In late 1909, John returned to South Dakota once more, where he met
Katharine Schauer of Long Lake, South Dakota. They were married on
February 4, 1910. They returned to Plevna by train in the early
spring. Katharine and Mrs. Karl Hepperle rode in the coach, and John
rode in the boxcar with two horses, a single breaker plow, four cows,
two pigs, ten chickens, roosters, and a wagon and buggy. Theyr carried
with them their homesteading goods and supplies, including flour,
flax, wheat, barley, oats, canned meats and vegetables, cooking
utensils, beds and bedding, and some furniture.
In the spring of 1910, John and Fred each planted 50 acres of wheat
and barley. Fred led the horses, and John held the single breaker
plow. They sowed the seed by hand. Then they fenced in the crop with a
single strand of barbed wire. Roaming cowboys destroyed this first
crop by driving their cattle through it.
The homesteaders were often at odds with the cowboys and the
sheepherders, because of their conflicting interests. The homesteaders
wanted to fence in the land and farm it. The cowboys and sheepherders
wanted to keep the range open for grazing cattle and sheep.
Eventually, the federal government had to step in so the interests of
both sides could be served.
The homesteaders also had to contend with rattlesnakes. John would
come upon beds of them when he was checking his land. He would kill
them with whatever was handy: a stick whip, or gun. Occasionally the
horses would get bit when a snake got in the barn. The dog would bark
to warn that a snake was too close to the house or barn or the chicken
coop (where the snakes would eat the eggs).
In 1911, John purchased two more horses and planted another 50 acres
with his single breaker plow. He planted some land by hand and then
borrowed a drill to plant the rest. That year's crop was more
successful. John's father-in-law came to visit that year, and while he
was there he helped build a barn for the cattle and horses.
For the third crop in 1912, John and Fred bought a used drill for
seeding and a used header for cutting their crops. They had a neighbor
thresh the wheat and barley, or else hired a harvester crew which came
through from the south.
When they first began homesteading, John and Katharine got their water
from a deep running spring almost half a mile from the house. In 1912,
John and Fred dug a well, 42 feet deep. They dug it all in one day.
The well was located some distance from the house, also. Katharine
would carry water in buckets for cooking and washing. When he had
time, John filled 50 gallon barrels and then used a horse-drawn barge
to get the barrels to the house.
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There were other deep springs on the land, where the animals got their
water. The cowboys would water their cattle at the springs, too.
Sometimes the cowboys would throw a homesteader into the deep water to
see if he could swim; that happened to John once. Another time, when
he was returning home, John was beaten up by two or three cowboys.
They held him upside down in the spring until he begged for mercy.
Occasionally during these early years, one of the sheepherders would
shoot one of the cowboys' cattle during the night, skin and dress it,
then divide the meat up among the homesteaders. John got a large
package from a sheepherder once. It turned out to be mostly bones, but
it did make good soup. John invited Mr. Gallimore, who was a
sheepherder, over for lunch. After that, Mr. Gallimore made sure John
had enough meat and bones.
John became a naturalized citizen on November 14, 1913. He received
his deed to the homestead in December of 1916, while Woodrow Wilson
was in office. The deed was witnessed by Philip and George Huber, and
the owner of the Plevna grocery store (Emil Ensee).
John and Katharine learned English from two homesteaders, Bill Eflek
and his wife. They moved out from Chicago in 1910 and homesteaded a
mile and a half south of the Allerding farm.
John and Katharine were successful homesteaders. By the time he
retired, John purchased a total of 1600 acres and leased 320, in
addition to the 320 acre homestead. He also purchased his farm
equipment over the years. In 1918, he purchased his own header for
harvesting, and in 1924 he purchased a thresher with a group of other
homesteaders. John bought his own tractor, a Fordson, in 1926.
John and Katharine had five children. One died in infancy, and Gustav
died in 1976. The surviving children are: Herbert, Emma, and Ida.
John bought his first Model T in 1920. The early Model T's were so
troublesome; they had to be cranked by hand or pushed down hill in
order to start. Because of the way the gas tank was situated in the
Model T's, they didn't go uphill very easily (not enough gas got
through the fuel line to the engine). So, John would turn the car
around, drive up the hill in reverse, then turn around at the top of
the hill. He remembers one trip to Eureka, South Dakota, which took
three days in the Model T with part of the journey in reverse.
Nevertheless, John bought another Model T in 1925.
Most of the farm buildings were erected during the late 1920s. John
built a barn in M5 and a three story farmhouse in 1927. Then came the
Dust Bowl and Depression years. John and Katharine survived the
Depression because he owned beef cattle, as well as 35 or 40 milk cows
and some chickens. He sold the cream and Katharine sold eggs in order
to make payments on the land and taxes. The children had to go out to
the pasture to milk the cows so they wouldn't lose their milk. They
hauled the milk back in 50 gallon barrels, and separated the cream by
hand turning a milk separator. They also had to feed the calves by
hand from a bucket. John's beef cattle were sold each autumn as
another source of income.
There were no churches in Plevna for the homesteaders, so they
worshipped in each others' homes. In 1917, the Baptist Church was
organized; the first church building was erected in 1919. John and
Katharine were baptized on June 13, 1920, and became members. Over the
years, John served in several capacities in the church: trustee,
treasurer, and deacon. Katharine served as treasurer of the ladies aid
organization and remained a member of the Baptist Church up until her
death in August of 1945.
Two years later, John moved to Plevna and semi-retired. In 1948, he
married Emilie Feiock. That year, he also sold the farm to his son,
Gustav. Gustav died in 1976, and his widow has since sold off parcels
of land so that it no longer remains in the John Allerdings
generations. Emilie died in 1952.
John moved to Ashley, North Dakota, in 1954, and there he married
Lydia Hildenbrandt. Lydia died in 1964.
Two years later, John moved to Bismarck, North Dakota,' and lived in
an apartment retirement home for ten years. He moved to Mill Valley,
California, to live with his daughter Ida and her family in 1976. He
moved with them to Vancouver, Washington, in 1979, and now lives in a
nursing home there. He celebrated his 97th birthday on March 28. 1984,
and is doing quite well at this time.
Photo THE JOHN AND KATHARINE ALLERDINGS FAMILY [Back] Gustav, Herbert,
Ida, and Emma [Front] John and Katharine
Photo John A llerdings Celebrating his 97th birthday on March 28, 1984
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1886 - 1985 (98 years)