EAST OTTER TAIL COUNTY 1977, VOL 1

Page 47

AUGUST AND MARIE BECKMAN

        August and Marie Beckmann first came to Perham in April 1882 and there wasn�t much of a town then. In fact, when they looked out of the train window all they saw were the tents of an Indian village. They had been married in Whilhelmshaven Germany and came to America on their honeymoon. Her parents, the John Husens, had taken a homestead in Becker County and the Beckmann�s first children, a pair of twins, were born there. They were the first white children born in Spruce Grove Township, but they only lived a few months and were buried on the homestead

        One time while living on the claim there was a forest fire. It traveled quickly in the thick woods � much of it pine trees. They didn�t know what to do so they put their precious belongings into the well and ran. Suddenly they realized that the wild animals (deer, rabbits, etc) were running with them. They followed the animals until they got to the river and were safe. When they returned to their claim, their buildings were still there, though the fire had come to within a few feet of them.

        August Beckmann was a carpenter, not a farmer, so they left the claim and moved to Perham. When their first house there burned in 1903, he built a new home for the family near the old wagon factory. This house still stands. Other structures that he built include the dance hall at Grand View Heights and the house and barn for Ernest Koppert (Geo. Wilczek farm) in Perham Township. He also helped build the church building which is now Zion�s United Church of Christ in Perham and also the Loon Lake Lutheran Church near Vergas.

        About 1910 they built a home on the south shore of Devil�s Lake in Perham Township and the family lived there for many years. Their children were Emma, Louise, Bill, John, Marie, Clara, Minnie, Emil and Elsie (Mrs Albert Flatau).

EAST OTTER TAIL COUNTY, 1994 VOL. II

Page 59

ALBERT AND ELSIE FLATAU

        Albert Flatau was born on the Flatau homestead in Hobart Township in 1898 to Theodore Flatau (1865 � 1930) and Mina Dupslaff Flatau (1869-1898). When not needed for farm chores, Albert attended school at Dist. 233, the Flatau School. Elsie Beckmann was born in Perham 1900 to August Beckmann (1855 � 1917) and Marie Husen Beckmann (1864 � 1954). She attended school in Perham and at Dist. 233 and later in Linton, ND while staying with her sisters who lived there.

        They were married in 1919 at the Beckmann home on the South shore of Devil�s Lake near Perham. Except for one year (1927) when they lived near Portland, Oregon, they farmed all their married life. They lived on several farms Northwest of Perham, all of them near Devil�s Lake.

        They had four children: Violet, who married Walter Johnson and now lives in Port Angeles, WA; Rhoda was married to Verle Koehnen and lived at Lodi, CA, Rhoda passed away in 1985; Vernon, who married Lorraine Carrow and lives at Mahnomen, MN; and Rodney who married Marian Richter, and they live on the farm in Hobart Township.

        Albert and Elsie�s travels took them on many exciting adventures. In 1933 they and their good friends, Joe and Helen Krueger went to the World�s Fair in Chicago. Over the years they made many trips to the West and South Coast visiting relatives. They traveled with a WDAY tour group to Hawaii in 1959 and to Europe in 1961. In 1963 they drove to Alaska when the Alcan Highway was still a gravel road. They in 1977 they made another trip to Europe and visited Elsie�s cousins in Germany. They flew to Alaska for their granddaughter�s wedding in 1984. Albert died in 1986 and Elsie died in 1992. They are buried in the Flatau cemetery in Hobart Township.

Submitted by Marian Flatau.

MEMORIAL CEMETERY � OLD ZION EVANGELICAL CEMETERY

PERHAM TOWNSHIP � SECTION 5 W

Between US Hwy 10 and Co. Hwy 34 SW of Perham on Township Road 281

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