Clay Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties-William Gepner
Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890
WILLIAM GEPNER. The agricultural interests
of Bloom Township find a worthy
representative in Mr. Gepner, who owns
280 acres of improved land, on section 11, 120 of
which he homesteaded from the Government in
1871. After paying out the necessary money required
to secure this land he only had $5 left and
with this he purchased the necessaries of life for
which he had to pay a big price. He was then a
single man and kept batchelor's hall in a dugout,
having for his only companions his faithful dogs
and an old ox team who shared equally with him
his shelter and food.
From that modest beginning Mr. Gepner has constructed
one of the most beautiful homes in the
northwest corner of Clay County. It has taken
no small amount of hard labor, and hard cash likewise,
to bring the land to its present condition and
erect upon it the buildings required by the
enterprising agriculturist. Mr. Gepner has his farm
well stocked, has planted forest and fruit trees and
gathered about himself and his family all the comforts
of modern life. He is a native of Germany,
having been born in the city of Templeburg, Oct.
2, 1849, and lived there until sixteen years old,
when, emigrating to America, he settled in Cincinnati,
Ohio, where he drove a milk wagon four
years and laid up quite a little sum of money.
This, however, he lost in a broken bank and among
friends who deceived him. Therefore upon coming
to Kansas he was obliged to commence again
at the foot of the ladder.
The father of our subject was Karl Gepner, a carpenter
by trade, and who married Miss Louisa
Knout, who was born in South Germany. They
became the parents of five children and sailed for
America with their family in 1866, landing in Quebec,
Canada, after a seven weeks' voyage, on the
4th of July. They experienced a very stormy passage,
at one time expecting to go to the bottom
of the ocean. From Quebec, after a time they
came over into the States and lived in Cincinnati,
Ohio, until 1871. That year most of the family
came to Kansas. The father and sons took up a
homestead in Bloom Township, the former securing
eighty acres from which he constructed a comfortable
home and where his death occurred April 17,
1885, when he was seventy-two years old. He was
a member of the Presbyterian Church, in the organization
of which he assisted, and in politics, was
a stanch Republican. The wife and mother is still
living at the old homestead and is now seventy-seven
years of age. She and her husband had
lived together for the long period of forty-nine
3-ears and six months. She likewise is a member
of the Presbyterian Church.
The subject of this sketch was married in his
dugout Sept. 26, 1876, to Miss Lydia Petermyer (Petermeyer).
This lady was born in Gasconade County, Mo., in
April, 1857, and seven years after her marriage
died when twenty-six years old at the birth of her
fourth child. She likewise was a Presbyterian in
religion. Mr. Gepner in due time contracted a
second marriage in Bloom Township with Miss Malinda
Kink, a native of Canada, whose parents removed
to Illinois and died when their daughter.
Malinda, was a small child. She died eighteen
months after her wedding at the early age of nineteen
years and six months. She was of French
parentage and a member of the Catholic Church.
Of this union there was born one child, a son, Ludwig.
In due time, Sept. 14, 1887, Mr. Gepner was a
third time married to Miss Augusta Fieldbinder.
This lady was born in Germany and when sixteen
years old came with her parents to America. They
settled in Illinois and Miss Augusta came to Kansas
at the age of twenty-one years from Illinois.
Of this union there has been born one child, a son,
William J. The children of the first marriage of
Mr. Gepner were named respectively, Frederick
W., Fredina, Anna M., and Julius C., deceased
Mr. Gepner is a member of the Presbyterian
Church and a Republican in politics. His present
wife is a Lutheran in religion. For the first few
weeks after settling on his homestead Mr. Gepner
actually lived on the weed called "lambs quarter,"
boiled with a little meat for which he had to pay
a high price.