The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-08-19
The Oldest Nebraska Woman.


TO The News; The announcement
through the state papers that Mrs.
Susanna Parish of Seward. is the old.
est living woman in the state OF Ne.
braska Is slightly Inaccurate. A re.
markable centenarian is Mrs. Dora
Harstick of Cunning county. who is
without doubt the Oldest woman in
the state, she having celebrated her
lOlst birthday on March 25, last. At
the age of 101 this remarkable pio.
neer walks two or three miles to the
Catholic church, OF which she has al.
ways been devoted member, per.
forming the task with cheerfulness
and vigor. And Mrs. Harstick has
not been a dollhouse flower, protected
from the blasts of the world outside,
nor has her path been strewn with
roses. She Is pioneer Of the state,
came here when this region was a
wilderness and took her share OF the
burden Of the days when the founda.
tons were laid for the great common.
wealth OF Nebraska. Mrs. Harstick
was born March 20, 1909, at Stein.
burek, Hanover, Germany. For near.
ly fifty years she resided in the father.
land, married, and together with her
husband and children pursued the
even tenor Of life. The spirit of un.
rest, however, and the lure of the
west 80 common to the German peo-
pie OF that generation impelled the
little family to seek their fortunes in
the land across the sea, and in the
year 1854 they landed on the shores
OF America with their small posses
sions. The first settlement made by
this family was at Dubuque, Ia, where
they resided until the year 1860.
At this time, hearing wonderful
stories of the fertility and golden
promise of the new territory of Ne.
braska, Mr.. and Mrs. Harstick journ.
eyed to this state. They settled at
what was at that time the outpost
of civilization, locating on the virgin
prairie in what is now st. Charles
township, Cunning county, conceded
at this time to be one of the wealth.
lest and most highly improved town
ships of farm land in the state of Ne
braska. This family was almost the
first settlers of this township and
during the first twenty years follow.
ing their settlement they took a lead.
ing part in the building of churches
schools and the general improvement
of their new home. They were among
the few faithful ones, who, feeling
the need of spiritual instruction built
the now historic church of st. Anthony
in ST. Charles township, the first
church built north of the Platte river
in Nebraska, which was replaced
three years ago by a fine, new brick
structure. For many years this strug
Cling congregation was unable to Sc
cure regular ministration, but was
compelled to depend upon the occa
sional visits of missionary clergymen.
Among the men who braved the dan
gers of hunger, flood and Indian foes
to serve few families in this parish
was the late Father Dexacher of Oma
ha, noted missionary priest.
The father, Henry Harstick, died il
the year 1880, leaving Mrs. HarsticR
whom are now aged men and women
Besides her three surviving children
Mrs. Harstick is the grandmother o.
twenty-five and the great-grandmothel
of over fifty children, her descendants
numbering a little over 100 souls
Among the grandchildren is William
H. Harstick the present county clerl
of Cunning county. She is in full
possession of her mental faculties a:
well as possessiong unimpaired physi
cal strength To all appearances she
bids fair to live for many years long
err She makes her home with one
of her grandchildren near the ole
homestead, where she has spent owe
fifty years of happy life. She oC
cupies her time principally in knit
ting and spinning for her numerous
descendants. She is in excellen
health, in fact, better than when sh,
celebrated her Tooth birthday. TIL,
only thing indicating her extreme ag
is slight dimnes of vision.