My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES F. PRIBBERNOW is a representative of a well known and prominent family of Southeastern Kansas and is actively identified with farming and stock raising interests in this portion of the state. He was born in Prussia, February 13, 1853, a son of Christian and Sophia (Busz) Pribbernow, also natives of the same country, in whose family were seven children, namely: William; August, wife of William Stange; Charles F.; Helena, of Chetopa, Kansas, the wife of John Ritter; Amelia, wife of Fred Hussman, of Coffey county, Kansas; Bertha, wife of William Lassman, of Humboldt, Kansas, and Hulda, wife of Martin Henrichs, of Humboldt, this state.

Our subject spent the first fourteen years of his life in the fatherland and acquired his education in its public schools. In 1867 his parents, with their children, came to the United States, sailing from Bremen to New York, where they landed in due time. From the east they made their way to Lawrence, Kansas, and thence by wagon to Woodson county. They were following in the path of Gotlieb Hartwig, who had formerly lived in the neighborhood of the Pribbernows in Prussia and had preceded them on their emigration to the New World. On reaching their destination the father purchased the farm upon which the family yet reside and there he successfully carried on agricultural pursuits until his life’s labors were needed in death, in 1889, when he was seventy-six years of age. His wife preceded him for a few years passing away in 1876. Mr. Pribbernow of this review has always remained upon the old homestead, assisting in the work of the farm, and is a practical, progressive agriculturist. The family own altogether fourteen hundred acres of valuable land and in the pastures have hundreds of head of cattle, horses and hogs. The Pribbernow farm is one of the best in the county, improved with all modern accessories, good building, well kept fences and machinery, while the fields yield golden harvests in return for the care and labor bestowed upon them.

On the 5th of June, 1884, Mr. Pribbernow was united in marriage to Miss Mary, daughter of Charles Ostermeier, who was one of the pioneers of Woodson county, where he located in 1859. His wife bore the maiden name of Catherine Stange and they had two children. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Pribbernow has been blessed with five children: William, Augusta, Henry, Charles and Louisa, and the family circle yet remains unbroken. Our subject has always been a Republican in his political affiliations, following in the footsteps of his honored father, who in early life was a Democrat, but at the inception of the Republican party joined its ranks. For fifteen years he has served as a member of the school board, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend. He has been the nominee for township treasurer and for county commissioner and lacked only six votes of being elected to the latter office, although he was opposed by a fusion ticket. The large vote which he polled indicated his personal popularity among his friends and neighbors and the confidence they reposed in him. He belongs to a family prominent and honored and bears worthily the untarnished name.