The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-11-08

farm. In less than month Lincoln
was assassinated and the last sad
chapter of the sad war story written.
A year after the civil war Mr..
Raasch's parents with others at Ixonia
arranged to dispose OF their belong.
ings there and move to what was 10
be Norfolk. With this first colony
August Raasch came. driving team.
He had not intended to remain In
Norfolk but the ugly wound that he
had carried during the last years Of
the war had to be dressed from one
to six times day. So he stayed In
Norfolk with mother as a nurse.
Today after forty years OF ripened
experience Mr.. Raasch does not regret
that as young man the decree OF war
bound him to Norfolk Mr.. Raaseh
has lived the history Of Norfolk and
this section Of north Nebraska.
When that Wisconsin colony came
to Norfolk the county had not even
been surveyed into quarter sections.
The regular survey came in the fall
of 1866 after the first settlers had To-
Gated. IL was surveyor named Sharp
from Cunning county who was brought
up to Madison county to give the col.
onists their section lines. Stanton
county was surveyed and starting from
point where Ed Wagner now lives
this pioneer surveyor worked up the
| Northfork to the Pierce county line.
Then those Madison county pioneers
who We're to live to become listed
among the most substantial residents
of north Nebraska, drew lots and set
tied on their western homesteads. MIR.
Raasch's land was near his fathers
but there were too many bluffs.
Thereupon the son told the father TO
take the best OF the half section and
he himself In the spring of 1867 took
possession of the quarter where he
resides today, one mile west OF Nor
folk.
On June 10, 1858, Mr. Raasch was
appointed postmaster by Alexander w.
Randall. He held the office for nine
months, turning it over to Postmaster
Marsh. Financially the Office was not
remuneraive one. 1t was on July
3, 1868, on Friday morning at 10
o'clock, that the mail carrier arrived
for the first time in Norfolk
Mr.. Raasch was later elected ASSESS
or for two years, serving in 1872 and
1873.
Mr.. Raasch was later among those
who helped organize the county. He
was one of the first county commits
sioners for this district. Office holding
was no gold pit" in those early days
and Mr.. Raasch having been pioneer
postmaster and county commissioner
thereafter refused to heed the requests
of those over the county who would
have him placed in positions of public
trust.
On June 6, 1872 Mr.. Raasch was
married to Miss Maris Roehrke.
Standing together through good and
hard times they lived to see a great
country develop, their own affairs
prosper and to rear family of eleven
children, all living. Miss Sarah
| Raasch, the Oldest daughter, married
l.. Dommer and lives on North Thir-
teenth street a mile from the city.
Obed Raasch married Miss Blvina
Braasch daughter of Herman Braasoh,
and resides on the j. M Machmiller
farm one mile west Of Norfolk. Miss
Agnes Raasch is in the sales depart
ment OF the A. L. Killian store. Miss
| Ella Raasch is teacher in the st.
Paul German Lutheran parochiai
school north of the city. Martin
Raasch is in the Lutheran ministry
with charge at Leavenworth, Wash.
William Raasch looks after a farm of
his own. Ernest Raasch for three
place. Four of the younger children,
Leona, Hattie, Darius and Hugo, are
at the old parental home.
There's not a happier home in the
northwest than the Raasch home ON
a Sunday evening when all the chill
dren who are close by come home"
Ito play and sing. A recent picture Of
all the family gathered at home is
something in which Mr.. Raasch takes
very just pride.
August Raasch has done much in
the church affairs of this community
For twenty-five years he has been a
director or deacon in st. Paul Ev.
Lutheran church and for the last TWEEN
ty years he has been treasurer OF this
important Norfolk church organiza-
ton. And incidentally for the last
twenty years Mr.. Raasch has held an
office in his school district.
August Raasch has seen north Ne
braska in prosperity and adversely.
He has seen north Nebraska since she
has come to her own and he did battle
with the grasshoppers In the years
when they marred several summers.
For twenty-one years Mr.. Raasch
worked despite running wound, a
mark Of the war of the rebellion. Mr..
Raasch worked through all those years
because any pension was too email IN