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- BIOGRAPHY:
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nd/county/mcintosh/bios-5.htm#K1
JACOB KEMPF
One of the early pioneers of McIntosh County was Jacob Kempf. He was born in Beresina, South Russia, on November 6, 1857, and was united in marriage to Karoline Martz, by Rev. Bingo. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kempf adhered to the Lutheran faith.
Many of their friends had set sail for America, from where reports came of fertile farm lands upon which homesteads could be founded. With this in view they too, left for the land of promise and free land. When they reached Menno, S. D., they found most of the good land already taken and decided to go farther north, and in 1885, they came to McIntosh County. The trip from Menno was made by ox team and took twenty-two days. It was a hard trip but with the promise of a new home and better years, their burden was lightened. Mr. Kempf filed an a homestead ten miles southeast of Ashley. With the help of the family a sod house was constructed and with a small amount of farming equipment, consisting of a team of oxen, a wagon, a plow, a mower and one cow, he began his farming. Not having much seed very little was planted the first year, which perhaps was far the best as there was little or no rain and the grain did not mature. This left the family in poor circumstance and in order to earn a living and provide the barest necessities for his family, he and his children picked bones from the prairie. These had to be hauled to Ellendale about 40 miles away, this being their nearest trading town, but it meant money to buy what was actually needed. It took three days to make the round trip but it did not seem so long because with the money received from the sale of the bones, flour, sugar and coffee were purchased for the family.
Mr. and Mrs. Kempf were the parents of eight children, all of whom are living, namely; Jacob, Mattias and Mrs. Hanna Nagel, all of Ashley; Gottlieb, living on the homestead; John, farming near Ashley; Mike, Deputy State Treasurer, Bismarck, N. D.; Karolina Thurn and Emilia Bauman of Ashley.
Mr. Kempf passed away in 1932, and is buried at Ashley. His wife Mrs. Kempf, resides in Ashley.
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