My Genealogy Hound

CHRISTIAN BROTHE was born in the city of Halle, Prussia, June 16, 1825. He attended school until fifteen years of age., when he was employed by an uncle, a grain dealer, with whom he remained until twenty years old, when he entered the regular army, in which he served until his discharge in 1848. In October, 1851, he was married, and the same year re-entered the army, and served a year and a half longer. He then established a swimming school, which he managed until 1865. In 1866 he came to America; remained in New York City three years, working at brick-making, and then went to Haverstraw, on the Hudson river, and was employed in a large calico factory until 1874, when he came to Nebraska, and, March 13, entered eighty acres in the southeast half of the southwest quarter of section 26, township 7, Range 14, to which he has since added, until he now owns four hundred and eighty acres, of which he has three hundred and eighty under cultivation in mixed crops. He also gives his attention to live stock, especially to hogs. His farm is improved with large bearing orchards and groves and commodious buildings. He has met with no absolute failure in his crops, although on one occasion his grain was damaged by hail to some extent, and for the first two years the grasshoppers made sad havoc with everything green, and then, indeed, he found it rather hard to make a living. He secured possession of two calves, however, which grew to be of use to him in plowing the land, etc., and thus he has progressed, until the sod house in which he lived the first nine years has given away to a fine frame dwelling, and he now stands in front rank of the wealthy and respected men of his country.

Gottlob Brothe, father of Christian, served in the Prussian army as sergeant in all its wars against Napoleon, and died in his native country at the age of eighty-five. He married Miss Caroline Saalmann, daughter of Gottlieb Saalman, and to this union were born seven sons and seven daughters. Christian being the fourth child. When the latter came to America he left his family behind him, but at the end of eighteen months had been enabled to save sufficient to send for his wife and living children. He was married in his native city to Henrietta Seydel, daughter of Gottlieb Seydel, who was a butcher and died in his native Prussia in 1867, at the age of eighty-four years. Henrietta, his wife, died in 1863, at the age of seventy-eight. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Christian Brothe four children have been born, two of whom died in the old country. Of the two still living, Hilda is married, and Kurt, the son, is living with his parents.

Mr. Brothe in politics is a democrat and has met with much popularity with his fellow-citizens. For two terms he has served as school director, he being an especially well educated man, having acquired a great portion of his knowledge by self-tuition and hard study during his long term of service in the Prussian army; he has also served one term as justice of the peace and is now serving his first term as township clerk. Although not an office-seeker, nor an aspirant to office, these positions which he has been placed in have been thrust upon him, and he has considered it to be his duty, as a good American citizen, to yield to the wishes of his fellow-townsmen and serve them when desired to do so. He has filled every position with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. His perfect knowledge of both the German and English languages makes him an especially valuable aid in the service of his adopted country, and his wonderful industry and enterprise make him equally valuable in the development of the section in which he has cast his lot.