VINCENT AND MARY [MARSHALL] SCHREIER
Vincent Schreier, born in Bohemia on April 6, 1858, came to America
in 1866 with his parents. They landed in Baltimore, Maryland, and
later moved to Chicago, Illinois, where they lived 3 ˝ years. In
1870 he came with his parents and brothers to Knox County where the
family located on a homestead on Steele Creek, near Pischelville.
The family settled on the wide open prairie to make a home, and they
were first to turn over sod on many acres of virgin soil. The
nearest town was Niobrara with no railroad in the county. Supplies
were drawn from Sioux City to this point and grain and produce
marketed at Niobrara.
[pg 389 PHOTO two photos: Vincent Schreier Mary [Marshall]
Schreier]
When he was 22 years of age, Vincent Schreier filed on a homestead
near the home place and through industriousness and thrift acquired
considerable land until he owned over 2,000 acres at the time of his
demise. On September 11, 1880, he married Mary (Marie) Marshall, who
was born at Krivoklat, Bohemia, on September 18, 1857. She came to
America in 1866 with her parents, Ignatz and Christina Marshall,
landing in Baltimore. They later moved to Chicago, Illinois,
residing there until 1870 when they moved to Knox County and
established a homestead west of Niobrara on the Pischelville bottom.
There she grew to womanhood. She came to this location with her
parents and several brothers and lived in a log cabin. At first the
windows were only covered with cowhide or other available skins to
keep out the wind and rain. The Sioux Indians lived across the river
in Dakota Territory and they would come to their cabin and frighten
her many, many times. They would try to tear the skins off the
windows. Vera Treinies Meyer recalls her grandmother telling her as
a child how she whitewashed her kitchen to make it lighter and
cleaner (they used lime before they had paint). One day a group of
young Indian braves came to the cabin demanding coffee. She was home
alone, and being frightened of the trouble they might cause,
proceeded to make the coffee for them. When it was finished, instead
of drinking the coffee they threw it or poured it on her freshly
cleaned cabin walls, dancing, singing, and laughing as though it
were the most fun they had ever had. She and her family quite often
watched and listened to the Indians with their mirrored or shiny
headdress, etc., as they performed their pow-wows across the river.
In the winter, Marie would take in snow through the windows to melt
for water to use in the home.
Vincent and Mary had six children: Victor, Otto, Albina, Hilda,
Louise, and Elsie.
Victor Schreier was born in 1881 and married Rose Kurka January 2,
1907, at Pischelville. They had no children. He died in 1960 and is
buried in the Riverside Cemetery, Verdigre.
Otto Schreier was born in 1884 and died ten years later. He is
buried in the Pischelville Cemetery.
Albina Schreier, born in 1885, married Ernest Kurka on January 2,
1907, at Pischelville. Their children were Martha Maude Kurka, born
December 11, 1909, and Esther Lucille Kurka, born March 24, 1918.
Albina died in 1975 and is buried at Pischelville.
Hilda Schreier, born 1887, married Denzil Dungan on June 2, 1926, at
Butte. They had no children. She died in 1964 and is buried at
Pischelville.
Louise Schreier (1889-1978) married August F. Treinies on July 28,
1920, in O’Neill. Their daughters are Elva LaVeda Treinies, born
living, and Vera Marie Treinies, born living.
Louise is buried at Pischelville.
Elsie Schreier was born in 1900 and married Mitch Pugh. She married
Ralph Yager on July 27, 1944, at Neligh. She has one adopted
daughter, LaVonne Pugh, born living. Elsie Yager resides in
Verdigre.
Vincent Schreier purchased the general merchandise store at
Knoxville, Nebraska, which housed the U. S. Post Office and
telephone switchboard, in 1905. He took in the produce and drayed
the merchandise from Verdigre, Nebraska, by team and wagon until his
death in 1919. After an exchange of quite a few proprietors, the old
store building burned completely in 1930. A smaller store was built
and operated until 1941 when it was sold and moved a few miles
northwest to be used as a home.
Grandfather Vincent Schreier donated land for the Knoxville School
District No. 37. The first school was organized and built of sod in
1882.
Pages
389, 390
