Brown County Biographies
From "The Annals of Brown County", Grant Harrington, 1903
Jacob J. Weltmer.
In 1856 Kansas had no law to
legalize marriages and so pioneer
Jacob J. Weltmer and Elizabeth
Belk, daughter of the pioneer John
Belk, left their cabins on the Walnut
and went to Buchanan county Missouri and were married. The journey was made with an ox team, the
fashionable method of
transportation in that day. Mr. Weltmer's
claim was near Padonia in what is
now Hamlin township. Here they
lived until 1863 when they moved to
their present farm three miles west
and one half mile north of Hiawatha. Mr. Weltmer was born
near Harrisburg, Pa., May 30, 1833.
In 1851 he came to Missouri with his
parents who located about twenty
miles from St. Joseph. In 1855 he
walked to Brown county and took
up his claim. Mrs. Weltmer was
born in Kentucky in 1835 and came
to Missouri when quite young. To
them have been born seven children
five of whom are living. They are,
William W. of West Portland, Oregon, John D. present county clerk of
Brown county, Lewis O., Charles H.
and Mrs. J. H. Wiskerson, all of
Brown county. Mr. Weltmer has
been treasurer of school district No.
2 for nearly half a century and has
always taken a warm interest in educational efforts. He is a strong
Republican and has been a delegate
to a great many of his party conventions. In 1867 he was elected county commissioner, without opposition
serving in this capacity for a term of
three years. He is a Mason having
belonged to Hiawatha Lodge No. 35
since 1863. Both Mr. and. Mrs. Weltmer
and their entire family are members
of the Christian Church. Mr. Weltmer remembers when Dr. Parker
started the Brown County Union in
1861. He was present when the first
paper was taken off the press and
carried this copy away with him
and for a number of years preserved
it as a curiosity. Mr. and Mrs.
Weltmer have been through all the
trials and hardships incidental to a
pioneer life In Kansas. They are
honored and respected by all who
know them and have the satisfaction
of seeing their children grow up
honored and respected and successful members of the community
which they helped to found.
Return to
Brown Co. KHHP
|
This website created Jan. 11, 2012 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
|