The Roggows were an early family of pioneers. Frederick Wilhelm Joachim Roggow, born October 22, 1842, and his wife Henrietta Conklefitz were born in Germany. They were the parents of four daughters: Amelia Allstadt, Martha Rautenberg, Anna Sump and Henrietta Moerike, and three sons: William, Fred, and Herman. Henrietta desired to come to the United States with her family because of all the drunkenness in Germany. Fire had destroyed their home and belongings and Henrietta thought the time right to sail to America and build a new home. However, it took some planning and cajoling to persuade the reluctant Frederick to agree. The insurance from the fire loss was used to defray the expense of the tickets for the entire family to sail to the new land. Frederick was still reluctant, but he was finally convinced there were great opportunities to be had in the U. S. Once on-board ship he could not turn back.
The Roggow family settled near Norfolk, Neb. In the year 1881. Frederick farmed and augmented his income by working as a carpenter in his locality. However, he had heard rumors of the new land to be opened to settlers in Gregory County and was not satisfied to stay in Nebraska. In 1902 Frederick and his two sons, Fred E. and Herman, pulled up stakes and moved to Fairfax, S. D. Henrietta would not leave her comfortable hearth in Norfolk for this wild untamed west. Two years later Frederick W. J. Roggow met his accidental death on October 22, 1904, in Fairfax, S. D. His sons, Fred E. and Herman, drew homesteads in the Lucas area.
William Roggow, the third son of Frederick W. J. and Henrietta Roggow was born January 17, 1872, at Dauber, Germany, a province of Pomerania. He was nine years old when he sailed with his parents to America and settled neat Norfolk, Neb. He herded cows and worked on his father’s farm. When he became of age his father set him up on a farm nearby. In 1892 he married a neighbor girl, Miss Anna Schultz. Anna Elizabeth Schultz was born at Beaver Dam, Wisc. On April 24, 1974, to Gottfried and Regina Hershell Schultz. The family moved to Nebraska where Regina Schultz died when Anna was three years old. Later Anna’s father remarried. Anna, it was said, was of a quiet nature and kind spirit, a very religious person devoted to her family. She had brown eyes and hair and her stature was five feet two inches.
William and Anna Roggow resided on farms near Newman Grove and Hoskins, Neb. They were the parents of six living children: Gertrude Klein, Elsie Meyers, Marie Hiedt, Willie Godfrey, Alvina and Leonard Louis.
In 1911 the William Roggow family moved to a farm two miles east of Lucas, S. D. In 1938 they purchased a house east of Herrick and moved it to a new site on the west quarter of their land. They remodeled and enlarged the house and constructed a new barn and chicken house. August 24, 1948, Anna Schultz Roggow died here. Three years later William Roggow died on October 22, 1951, the month and date of his father’s birth and death.
Willie Godfrey Roggow was the eldest son of William and Anna Roggow, born March 31, 1900 at Lindsay, Neb. He was 11 years of age when his family came to their Lucas area farm. Here they lived through many pioneer hardships such as having to haul household and drinking water a long distance and going to bed in the long cold winter days to keep warm and conserve fuel. The family traveled by horse and wagon or buggy. The three quarters of land were farmed with horses and small machinery. Willie attended school one mile east of Lucas. There were 40 pupils in an overcrowded schoolroom where eight grades were taught.
Willie G. Roggow was married in 1925 to Ione King of Merrill, Iowa, a teacher in the Lucas area. Ione was born March 6, 1904 to Warren J. King and Birdeon Lydia Poyzer of Adaville, Iowa. Warren was a homesteader’s son. Warren was born on a homestead north of Sioux City, Iowa claimed by his parents, Oliver, and Olive Ann Heaton King. Oliver King had been a Civil War veteran from Morrison, Illinois. Birdeon Lydia Poyzer was born at Strawberry Point, Iowa to Charles and Lydia Poyzer. Birdeon was a teacher in the Adaville schools and was also the organist, the vocalist, and a Sunday school teacher in the church.
Willie and Ione Roggow moved to the William Roggow farm east of Lucas. William gave the farm to his son, Willie. Willie in turn, invested in the farm due to debt contracted through the drought, grasshoppers, and depression years. Six of Willie and Ione’s children were born on the farm. A move was made to the William Roggow farmstead and their daughter Darlis was born there. Willie and Ione farmed, raised, and educated their family and they prospered.
Willie G. Roggow died September 24, 1963. He had lived and farmed in the Lucas community for 52 years. Willie and Ione Roggow were the parents of seven children: Vilas married Amy Wetzler, children Dwight, Marlene and Shaunda; Calvin married Mary Smith, children Lowell, Carla and twins Beth and Brian; Darrel married Naomi Parrish, children Douglas, Lynnae, Kerry and Tammy; Stanley married Shirley Holmgren, daughter Shirleen; Avis married Dwaine Swift, a son David; Larry married Donna Snow, sons Brent and Chad; and Darlis married Hugh Townsend, a daughter Heidi.
Fred Ernest Roggow was born January 26, 1882, in Madison County, Norfolk, Nebraska to Frederick Wilhelm Joachim Roggow (1842-1904) and Henrietta Conklefitz, who with their son, William, had immigrated from Germany to Hoskins, Nebraska in 1881. He was a carpenter by trade but was inclined to agricultural pursuits.
Frederick W. J. Roggow had heard rumors of Gregory County being expanded from Bonesteel to Tripp County. Henrietta would not even consider leaving Nebraska. She stayed behind with her son William while her husband and two sons, Fred and Herman departed for Fairfax, S. D. in 1902. October 22, 1904, his birthday, Frederick W. J. fell from his horse as she stumbled. He died instantly because of a broken neck. Fred and Herman remained in Fairfax and in 1904 drew homesteads in the Lucas area.
Fred E. had married Emma Krieger of Hoskins, Nebraska; they became the parents of three sons, George, Ewald, and Robert. Emma would not leave Hoskins for this new western prairie and the hard life it offered; so they separated.
Grandmother Henrietta Roggow cared for her three young grandsons, but when Robert was three years old, they moved up to Fairfax to live with Fred E. on her quarter of land near Fairfax. She returned to Norfolk in 1912. Fred had been married in 1908, thus he and his new wife took the boys. Grandmother Roggow died accidentally shortly after her return to Norfolk.
Fred had drawn a claim, the NW1/4 of Section 23, Turney Twp. His brother, Herman had drawn his claim by the river west of the Faust land. After proving up, Fred was married to Nathalie Deering in 1908. Nathalie was born January 224, 1892 in Odessa, Russia to Gottlieb and Catherine (Meckle) Deering. The Deering family had immigrated to America in 1j900,m settling at Naper, Nebraska, but in 1902 the family transferred Fairfax, S. D. Nathalie had 4 brothers, Rine, John, Frank and Albert: four sisters, Clara Roggow, Kate Delzer, Ella Corner and Rose Rutherford. The Deering family had moved to the Lucas area at the time of the opening and settled on the N1/2S1/2 of Section 33, Turney Twp.
Fred and Nathalie made their home in a homesteader’s shack on his homestead near Lucas. Nathalie was 16 years of age when she was married to Fred E. Roggow. She made a home for the three young sons of her husband’s first marriage, George, Ewald, and Robert. Nathalie and Fred became the parents of five sons, Sam, Woodrow, Emil, Lawrence, and Dan, one daughter Lorena.
In 1912 Fred E. purchased a 4-hole corn sheller the “Appleton” made in Appleton, Wisconsin. It was horse-drawn, powered by eight horses. This was a rare machine in those days. He did custom work for neighbors – being paid one cent per bushel, 100 bushels $1.00. Nevertheless, he made money at that rate. The sheller and the horsepower were two separate units, each unit moved by two horses. When the sheller was set up, the power shaft for the power drive was hooked to the sheller. A man stood in the center of the unit, with a whip to force the 8 horses hitched to the drive power to keep moving in a circle. The sheller was used for custom work until 1917.
Fred farmed and raised livestock on his homestead on the Sully Flats, but prior to his death, Jun3 17, 1946, the family was occupying the Cagley place on Sully Island. They cut timber and sawed it in their sawmill, making board lengths of lumber which they sold. Nathalie lives on top the ridge of Missouri River and keeps house for her stepson Ewald.
Ewald Roggow was a natural born musician. His career as a fiddle player was assured by instructions from Dan Muleherder in 1911. Dan had fiddled at many a hoedown in the old soddies. John Anhorn of Herrick taught him the Fish, Collins, and Ricketts Hornpipe, which were selections played for square dances. Harry Deering at the guitar, also Wm. Kemery and Lous Stone playing the fiddle assisted Ewald at dances. Ewald played for 50 years, and his favorite selections were “Over the Waves” and “Missouri Waltz”—the favorite of President harry Truman. He played for Phillip and Phyllis Pense’s first wedding dance held in a stone schoolhouse near the Pense location.
In 1933, George and Ewald piloted the Snake Creek ferry. The first ferry was built by Nick Oldham and sold to Alfred Johnson and Guy Federli. It w2as transferred to Jay Rogers. Later Jay and Elden McMullen became partners. They dissolved partnership and Elden became sole owner. Ewald sat on the pilothouse, George would tie the boat down after the apron or deck was in position. The ferry was in demand fog, rain, snow, day or night. The U.S. River Patrol checked the boat once a year. The lights, whistle, and motor had to be in A-1 condition. Ewald ferried Gusts Gnirk, and his Model T truck loaded with hogs across the river on his trip to Platte.
Jo Bissle sold his livery barn in Platte and his farm to tour the country in his medicine wagon, Watkins Medical Company. It was pulled by two horses. He was a frequent customer for the ferry operators. Old, covered wagons passed through Lucas on their way to distant homesteading lands.
Jack Faust owned a remuda of wild horses on his ranch in the Missouri Hills. He was in partnership with the Frank Faust, but sold out and moved to Sioux City, Iowa. Ewald purchased the horses for $6.00 a head but was compelled to build a corral to catch the broncos.
In 1940-41 the Lucas area suffered a cruel blizzard. Snow was so deep that only sleighs could be pulled on the roads or highways. Hay, grain, groceries, and other supplies were hauled by sleight. Deep physical scars on hands, feet and faces, as well as the heart are grim reminders in South Dakota of that infamous blizzard. Many perished, others lived to suffer loss of family, livestock and destroyed buildings.
Early, there were no telephones. An urgent message was sent by telegraph from the nearest railway depot. The telegraph was an apparatus to transmit code messages by electric currents in wires. The depot agent was able to decipher the coded message, referred to as the Morse Code. The system is still in use, but the telephone has overtaken it in popularity.
In 1915 Robert was 10 years old. John Moyer had just moved into his new blacksmith shop; he was repairing a threshing machine in the river hills that had separated from the puling power. John Moyer with his new power saw was sawing out the shaker pans. This was the first of its kind that Robert had ever seen. In his investigation, he edged too close, and his arm tangled with the saw blade, cutting a deep 6-inch gash above the elbow. His father, returning from the hills, drove up just as the accident took place. He drove him to Dr. Waterman at Burke, where the wound was dressed. As the horses were tired, Robert and his father checked in at the Burke Hotel for the night.
William and Tillie Habager, from Madison County, homesteaded north of Lucas. Frank and Edward Habager homesteaded in Tripp County north of ideal. Tillie never married. When the Roggow boys were small, she always had candy handy for the youngsters. However, Robert was older when his wagon, loaded with grain, broke down with a broken reach. He borrowed a wagon from Habagers to drive to town for repairs. It was dark when he returned, also dark in the workshop. He asked Tillie for matches. She replied, “Bob, if you are a boy, you should have a match.”
The Roggow children attended the Sunnyside school, and all grew up in the Lucas area. Fred Ernest Roggow was the father of nine children: George (1903) deceased; Ewald (1904); Robert (1905) married Ferne Rogers, children Violet, Ralph and Raymond; Sam married Isabel Irish, children Melvin, Marvin and Doris; Woodrow (1913) married June Anderson, children Bernita and Kenneth; Emil; Lawrence married Faye Slagel, children Gary, Barbara, Norma and Douglas; Dan married Stella Jan Sufficool, children Linda, Donna, Dale, Mavis, Sharon and Kathy; and Lorena married Fred Mowery, children Betty Lou, Dennis, Ivan and Lila.
(Source: Pages 276 – 278 “The Saga of Sully Flats” by Adeline Gnirk
Submitted by Gregory County History Researcher, Joe Thurstenson
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