THE JOHN BALLEWEG FAMILY
On a beautiful day in September, the 23rd to be exact, in the year
1924 at Sacred Heart Church in Pueblo, Colorado, John Balleweg of
Walnut and Rose Webb of Winnetoon were married. But that’s ahead of
our history.
John, the youngest child in a family of six children of Richard Emil
Balleweg and Mary Gertrude (Richling) Balleweg, was born August 6,
1893, at Walnut, Nebraska. (All six are now deceased except John).
His mother was the daughter of Lorenz Richling and Agnes (Diex)
Richling. Lorenz was appointed postmaster at the Verdigris Bridge
Post Office February 7, 1881. On September 2, 1891, the post office
was changed to the Richling Post Office. Lorenze remained postmaster
at Richling, Nebraska, until May 24, 1895, when the post office was
discontinued.
Pg 198 Photo
John’s father, Richard, was born in Germany October 2, 1845. He came
to America in 1865 and worked in Ohio for four years. He then took
up a homestead four miles north of Winnetoon. Shortly after, he
married Mary Gertrude Richling, and to this union the six children
were born. After living on this homestead for a number of years,
they moved to and built on his wife’s homestead at Walnut where he
resided until his death in 1917. His wife preceded him in death in
1896. The history of Richard’s parents lies in Baden, Germany. He
was an orphan having been raised in a family of ten cousins.
Rose Webb, the second youngest of a family of ten of Jesse David
Webb and Elnora May (Worden) Webb, was born February 18, 1903, at
Winnetoon. (All ten are now deceased except Rose and Luella.)
John and his sister Clara took over the farm (their mother’s
homestead at Walnut) when Richard could no longer be actively
engaged in farming, though he lived there until he died in 1917.
After Richard’s death Clara went to California. John rented the farm
and became a businessman in Verdigre. He ran a pool hall with slot
machines in the Winnetoon Café where Rose worked. So as the song
went, “Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland,” the children later
changed it to “Johnny Balleweg Found a Rose in Winnetoon.”
So now the John Balleweg history starts. John, after his marriage,
sold his Verdigre business to devote his future to farming,
returning to the Walnut homestead. By now the farm was known as the
Balleweg farm.
Four of their children were born there. Mary Jane, Dativa, Raynelda
and Vincent Paul. The three oldest attended Cottonwood Grove School,
District 26 (now known as the Sukup school).
Then the depression set in, times were hard, rains didn’t come,
crops didn’t grow as they were devoured year after year by
grasshoppers.
All this took its toll on the farm and the family and in March of
1940 the family moved five miles west of Creighton. During these
years also the maternal grandparents died, Grandma Webb in 1928 and
Grandpa Webb in 1935.)
John left the Walnut farm with a heavy heart as he knew he was
leaving behind his history and many years of toil. The children were
to realize years later what family history was there. In September
of 1986, Dataiva went back through history as she walked again her
childhood memories on the Walnut farm. Going back there to her was
“like coming home.” In one afternoon she renewed years of memories
and left, grateful that her childhood home is still in good hands
and well cared for.
At Creighton Veronica Mildred was born. The children attended Alcott
School, District 21, and then later St. Ludgers in Creighton.
The family moved in March of 1943 to Plainview. Here Jacquelyn Rose
was born. By this time Mary Jane and Dativa were working in Omaha.
All the children are married now except Dative who, in 1952, entered
the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are
21 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. They celebrated their
Golden Wedding in 1974. One daughter, Mary Jane, died in 1973 of
cancer. She was 47 and left seven children ages 19-8.
John and Rose retired from the farm in October of 1969. They enjoyed
nine years in town before John suffered a stroke on April 28, 1978.
They are now both in the Dakota Nursing Home. John is 93 and Rose is
83. Both are mentally alert, remembering names and families, and
enjoy company.
And history goes on…..
-Submitted by Dativa Balleweg.
Pages 197, 198
