The Life and Times of Willibald and Elisabeth (Wiesner) Schulte
30-MAY-1850 Willibald D. Schulte, the youngest of 5 children of Heinrich Schulte-Göbel and Josepha gt. Vogelheim Gockel, born in Selkentrop, Hochsauerland in Westfalen, Germany. His siblings are Franz Anton, August, Maria Elisabeth and Maria Walburga.
27-NOV-1856 Elisabeth Wiesner (sp. Wisner in U.S.) born in Dormecke, Hochsauerland, Westfalen, 5 miles northwest of Selkentrop. Her parents are Conrad Wiesner and Elisabeth Stappert.
08-NOV-1858 Heinrich Schulte-Göbel, Willibald's father, dies.
27-JUN1860 Wiesner family arrives Baltimore, MD on SS Uhland and travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to work in the Houghton County, MI copper mines.
Fall-1865 Wiesner and other Hochsauerland, Germany families establish Bow Valley. Civil War in the U.S.
06-DEC-1870 Willibald arrives at Castle Garden Immigration Center (now Battery Park in Lower Manhattan) New York aboard the SS Minnesota which came via Liverpool and Queenstown England. He is listed on the passenger list next to Anton Hesse who was a friend from Burbecke, a village 4 miles west of Selkentrop. Franco Prussian War in Europe.
24-DEC-1870 Anton Hesse and Willibald Schulte cross the Missouri river at Yankton, SD and walk to the home of Joe Hochstein, south of St. Helena, NE. Joe Hochstein was from Burbecke, Anton's village.
02-FEB-1871 Willibald files 1st papers in St. Helena, NE applying for naturalization as a U.S. citizen.
11-APR-1871 Willibald homesteads 160 acres, 2.5 miles SE of Bow Valley and adjacent to that of Anton Hesse and Johann Noecker. The homestead was in Twnsp 32-Range 2E-Sect 32 SE1/4 of SE1/4 (40 ac) and 32N-2E-Sect 33 SW1/4 of SW1/4 (40 ac) and 31N-2E-Sect 4 N1/2 of NW1/4 (80 ac). The application cost $14.00 and Willibald had 5 years to "prove up" the homestead.
20-FEB-1873 William Arens and others purchase 80 acres in S1/2 of SE1/4 of Section 25 to establish Bow Valley church.
08-JUN-1875 Conrad Wisner (Wiesener), father of Willibald's fiancé Elisabeth Wisner, dies.
23-AUG-1875 Marriage license issued to Willibald D. Schulte and Elisabeth Wisner in St. Helena.
07-SEP-1875 Willibald D. Schulte and Elisabeth Wisner marry in St. Helena. Witnesses are Anton Hesse and Agnes Eickhoff.
01-NOV-1875 First SS Peter and Paul church dedicated in Bow Valley. Willibald is instrumental in its construction.
19-JUN-1876 Willibald receives naturalization papers and becomes U.S. citizen.
30-SEP-1876 1st child Mary Ann born. She dies 09-OCT-1876.
11-JUN-1877 Willibald pays $4.00 to file an affadavit indicating completion of their homestead in Twnsp 32-Range 2E-Sect 32 SE1/4 of SE1/4 and 32N-2E-Sect 33 SW1/4 of SW1/4 and 31N-2E-Sect 4 N1/2 of NW1/4. He and Elisabeth had made improvements including: a 16'x18' log house w/ a 9'x18' addition having 2 doors and 4 windows, "a good comfortable house to live in." He further testified that he resided in this house from the 10th or 15th of July, 1871 and had plowed and cultivated 30 acres, fenced 40 acres; constructed a granary, 2 stables and a cattle yard; dug a well, built a hog pen and planted 260 forest trees.
01-NOV-1877 Father Frederick Uhing is first resident pastor of SS Peter & Paul Church in Bow Valley.
05-JAN-1878 2nd child, Willibald, Jr. born.
11-MAR-1878 Willibald and Elisabeth purchase 160 acres (NE1/4 of Section 30 Twnsp 32N-Range 2E) for $340. This is the 2nd Schulte home (now owned by Jeff Kathol, north of the Bow Valley Hall). It was about 1/2 mile west of his mother-in-law's (Mrs. Conrad Wiesner) homestead. [ref. Cedar County Records, Book 4, page 200].
18-NOV-1878 Willibald and Elisabeth sell their original homestead for $600 to Carl and Mary Riibe (Charles Riibe was a Civil War veteran). The Warranty Deed indicates Willibald had a mortgage of $300 on this land.
25-SEP-1879 3rd child, Conrad, born.
05-JUN-1880 U.S. Census shows children Willibald Jr. and Conrad, and a boarder named Mary Wiebelhaus age 11, living in the Willibald Schulte household in Precinct 5. Families living nearby are Frank Heger, John Heuschen, Henry Bruening, Henry Thoene, John Bruening.
11-SEP-1881 4th child, John Joseph, born.
15-APR-1883 5th child, August John, born.
21-JAN-1884 Willibald purchases a "lot" for $375 [ref. Cedar County Records, Book 8, page 153].
03-MAR-1884 Willibald's mother-in-law, Elisabeth Stappert Wisner dies.
06-JUN-1885 NE Census shows Willibald and Elizabeth w/3 sons, 2 hired hands, and owning:
160 acres of land from which included:30 acres of corn yielded 1000 bushels (in 1884) 30 acres of oats yielded 800 bushels 9 acres of wheat yielded 117 bushels1/4 acre of potatoes yielded 50 bushels 25 acres of meadow 3 acres of woodlot 40 acres of uncropped landlivestock: 12 milk cows; 25 other cows; 100 hogs; 170 chickensIn 1884 he reportedly sold 150 gallons of milk and 500 pounds of butter, and bought 35 cows.Note - compared to statistics from the other farmers in Precinct 5, he was the largest farmer.07-SEP-1885 6th child, Frank Anton, born.
06-SEP-1887 7th child, Theresia Maria, born.
07-SEP-1889 Willibald acquires 160 acres, adjacent to existing farm, through Timber Culture Act for $4.00. Purchase recorded 23-APR-1891 by U.S. Land Office. Land located in Twnsp 32N-Range 2E Section 30 N½ of SE¼, the NE¼ of SW¼, and SE¼ of NW¼. Included is land now owned by Don and Laurie Schulte.
07-JUN-1890 8th child, Robert, born.
15-AUG-1891 Willibald applies for U.S. Passport for unspecified 3 mo. of foreign travel. Passport was to be delivered to Holy Family Church in Rochester, NY. It is unknown why Rochester, NY or whether he ever traveled under this passport.
13-JUN-1892 9th child, Anton John, born.
13-July-1894 10th child, Leo John, born. First gasoline powered cars introduced in the U.S.
1896 Willibald Schulte and John Noecker organize the first "Schützenfest" in Bow Valley.
1896 and 1897 Willibald rents 180 acres near original homestead in Section 5 of 31N-02E.
28-JAN-1897 Willibald purchases 11 acres for $350 from Conrad Wisner, Jr. This parcel is part of Elisabeth Wisner's (Willibald's mother-in-law) estate. He also buys 23 acres from Werner Marx for $330 at the same location. These are in Township 32N-Range 2E, at the mouth of Bow Creek at the Missouri River.
10-FEB-1898 11th child, Paul Conrad, born.
1899 Cedar County Plat Book shows Willibald owning 448 acres in Bow Valley area plus 34 acres near mouth of Bow Creek at the Missouri River. [ref. 1899 Cedar County Plat Book].
1900 Willibald and Elisabeth continue residing in Precint 5 with 10 children age 2 (Paul) to 22 (Will).
03-JAN-1903 Willibald purchases 240 acres (W½ of NE¼ and all of NW¼ of Section 23) in what is now Wynot, for $10,200 from Mary F. Van family. Transactions related to this purchase, but not clear as to the exact nature, are:
Mortgage to Frank Hochstein for $38,612; mechanics lien to A.K. Lammers for $5,162Land transactions for $47,556 and $39,447 with the Phoenix Life Ins. Co.[ref. Cedar County Records, Book 37, page 62]1903 Willibald travels to the Panhandle of Texas to investigate purchasing land in what is now Nazareth, TX area. Wright Brothers fly first powered airplane.
1903-1910 Seven of Willibald and Elisabeth's children marry.
20-FEB-1903 Willibald D. Schulte and Wm. Schulte form the "General Implement Business in St. James, NE
[ref. Cedar County Records, Book 5, pages 103, 231].19-AUG-1903 Willibald grants a 99 year lease on 2 acres of land to the Bow Valley Schützenverein for $100 "only for the purposes of holding its meetings and celebrations".
23-NOV-1904 Dedication of present SS Peter & Paul Church in Bow Valley.
1906 Willibald says, in broken English, "Vynot call it Vynot", as he is frustrated with the arguing over the naming of what is today, Wynot, NE. Since he owns much of the townsite, the name is chosen.
16-JAN-1907 Willibald sells 81 acres to develop Wynot (part of NW¼ of Section 23) for $12,150 to Thomas N. Jones and J.S. Emerson.
18-APR-1907 Willibald sells 110 acres to further develop Wynot to the Phoenix Life Insurance Co. for $3000 and gives right of way (5 acres) to the Chicago and St. Paul M&O Railroad companies for $51.00. A number of smaller lots in Wynot are also sold by Willibald.
1907-1908 Willibald acquires land in Texas on which son Conrad homesteads. Sons Will, Conrad, August and Frank move to Texas. Will and August return to Nebraska a few years later. Henry Ford introduces the Model T.
1910 Willibald and Elisabeth remain in Precinct 5. He is 59 years old and had been married for 35 years
04-MAR-1911 Willibald sells 120 acres for $7,800 to Robert Schulte. This is the land now owned by Don and Laurie Schulte.
04-JUL-1912 Elisabeth Wisner Schulte dies.
19-AUG-1915 Willibald gives, via a Warranty Deed, the Bow Valley Schützenverein the two acres of land he had leased to them in 1903 [ref. Cedar County Records, Book 56, page 25].
1914-1918 World War I
14-FEB-1919 Son Leo discharged from U.S. Army.
06-MAR-1921 Willibald dies at age 70.
16-JAN-1922 Letter to Willibald from a niece in Germany states that "all the brothers and sister in Selkentrop have died". Unfortunately Willibald's German niece did not realize that he too had died.
30-JAN-1923 Willibald's last will & testimony lists the following property:
NE¼ of Section 30 (160 acres) N½ SE¼ of Section 30 except 2 acres in SE¼. (78 acres) 18 acres in SW¼ NW¼ of Section 29small tract in NE & NW corners of Sections 30 & 291939-1945, 1950-1953, 1962-73 World War II, Korean and Vietnam Wars, resp. have a number of Willibald and Elisabeth Schulte descendants serve.
AUG-1990 First Willibald and Elisabeth Schulte Family Reunion has 280 people attend in Bow Valley, NE.
13-FEB-1993 Willibald's great-grandson, Dennis Schulte, finds the families of Willibald's brothers and sister in the villages of Selkentrop, Schmallenberg and Cobbenrode in Hochsauerland, Westfalen. Other Willibald Schulte descendants visit their ancestral home in subsequent years.
AUG-1995 Second Schulte Family Reunion, in Nazareth, TX, has attendance of over 330.
JUL-2000 Third Schulte Family Reunion is held in Bow Valley, NE with 332 people attending.
JUL-2005 Over 400 attend Fourth Schulte Family Reunion in Nazareth.
JUL-2010 Fifth Schulte family reunion in Bow Valley, over 300 people attend.
JUL-2015 Eleven descendants of Willibald's brother Franz from Germany included among about 400 people who attend Sixth Willibald and Elisabeth Schulte reunion in Nazareth. Those from Germany are approximately 4th and 5th cousins of American Schultes.
JUL-2021 A year late due to Covid-19, 285 Schulte descendants celebrate 150 years of Wilibald's homesteading in Bow Valley area and the 100-year anniversary of his 1921 death.
by Dennis Schulte
