Demmer, Frank E. Family History

HISTORY OF MR. AND MRS. FRANK E. DEMMER

by Mrs. W. T. Bredthauer

Frank Ernest Demmer, son of John Henry Demmer and Amelia Dora Berghagan, was born Oct. 10, 1887 at Lutes, Nebr., Keya Paha County.

Other children in Mr. Demmer's family were: Ida, Clara, George, Jacob, Adam, Albert, Anna, Bertha, Eletts, Oscar and Otto.

Frank attended school at Burton, Nebr. and college at Freemont, Nebr.   In his youth he was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church. When he was 21, he homesteaded near Wewela, S.D.   He married Edith Kittelman at Rushville, Nebr. Aug. 5, 1914.

Edith was the daughter of Robert and Ernestine (Shrother) Kittelman. She was one of 13 children, born Aug. 12, 1895. Other children were:  Adolph, Reinhold, Bruce, Anna, Gustus, Moritz, Robert, Garhart, William, Paul, Pauline and Clara.  All were born on a farm near Alliance, Nebr.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Demmer ranched for a number of years near Colome, S.D. Here their first daughter, Vera Bredthauer, of Lusk, Wyo. was born Feb. 2, 1916.

Later they operated a meat market at Antioch, Nebr. Their second daughter, Bertha C. Hansen, Thermopolis, Wyo. was born here Aug. 12, 1918. They moved to Manville, Wyo. and operated a meat market and grocery store.    Later they moved to a farm near Keeline, Wyo. Here their son, John was born Aug. 29, 1926.  He now lives at Pomeroy, Wash.  When John was about a year old, they bought the Keeline Telephone Exchange and operated it for 20 years and the grocery store for six years.

In 1946 they moved to a farm three miles west of Manville, now owned by David Bredthauer. Demmers lived there until 1957 when they moved to Lusk because of ill health.

During the years at Keeline and Manville, Mr. Demmer served as justice of the peace. He was very active in the work of the Lutheran Church, serving as Sunday School Superintendent, teacher and elder.

Frank Demmer passed away March 4, 1961 and Edith, June 27, 1971. Both are buried in the Lusk Cemetery.

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