A Century of Eliza
Born near Wurttemburg, Germany in 1841, she left with her family before the revolution of 1848. She died in Nebraska in 1944 while members of her family were fighting a war against her home country. In between, she "led a life of feverish activity."
Heinrich & Caroline (Schukky or Schocke) Knapp welcomed Elizabeth, their first baby girl on May 15, 1841. Their two sons, Frederick and Lewis were still toddlers, and another son, Heinrich Ernst, was born a few years later. Because of the economic hardship and political unrest in Germany, Heinrich & Caroline made the decision to take their family to America. Eliza was just 4 years old when she spent eleven weeks sailing at sea in 1845. They passed port inspections in New York City, and traveled on to Scioto County, Ohio, where father "Henry" got work in the mines. Four more children were born in Ohio between 1848 and 1857 - Mary, Hannah, August and George.
On January 13, 1867 in Scioto County, Eliza became the wife of 34 year-old widower Henry Menke, as well as mother to his four children. At that time, Mary Ellen "Emma" was 9, John Frederich was 6, Henry Jr 3 and "Lizzie" was 1. Their own children started filling their home in 1868 with a daughter Ann Caroline. In 1869 a son, John, was born and died. A string of daughters started in 1870 with Mary, in 1872 Mathilde, 1874 Katharine, 1877 Eliza and in January of 1879, Rosa.
In 1878, Henry took a tour of western states and made the decision to move his family to Nebraska in the spring of 1879. Eliza's parents may have seen her for the last time that spring. Traveling by boat down the Ohio river to Cincinnati, then they boarded a train bound for Atchison, Kansas. From there likely by wagon, they headed northwest to Gage County. The family, minus the oldest daugher Emma who stayed with relatives in Ohio, settled on a farm two miles south and one mile west of Clatonia, in Section 33.
A son, George Edward, was the first to be born in Nebraska in 1881, followed by daughter Nettie in 1883, son Lewis who was born and died in 1885. At age 45, Eliza gave birth to her eleventh and final child, Charles Albert in 1886.
A lifelong Christian, Eliza had a pious upbringing in the United Brethren church with her parents. Her husband Henry was also devoutly religious and occasionally served as a local preacher. Prior to his death in 1915, Henry arranged his own funeral text and songs himself. "Together, they established a church in the home, where services were held." They were members of the German Methodist Church and later Eliza united with the Methodist Episcopal Church of Clatonia where she still held membership at her death.
Soon after getting settled in Clatonia, Eliza started planting flowers and vegetable gardens. Over the years, she became known for her beautiful gardens. She took a serious interest in their orchard, and she taught herself how to develop different species of fruits from seeds. Her fondness of birds and love of nature in general were a characteristic to be admired in her.
Eliza Menke is credited with having one of the first mechanical chick-incubators and brooders in her part of the country. Articles in several Nebraska newspapers in February of 1897 are touting the "latest thing in the chicken business is the electric incubator". The 1885 agriculture census shows Eliza had 110 chickens and 200 dozen eggs were produced in 1884. Those numbers likely increased around 1900. Eliza was also one of the earliest people in the area to operate a sorghum mill. She was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word, and as matriarch of the family was likely an inspiring roll model.
Education, science and religion were topics that were held in high regard in the Menke household. Henry Menke, Jr graduated from the Peru Normal and later the University of Chicago. He designed and patented a revolving fan in 1885. He also became an ordained Minister of the Gospel and preached in Iowa, Missouri and Michigan. Eliza's other step-son John Frederich ran a successful grocery business for over 30 years after he moved back to Portsmouth, Ohio. Eliza's son George Edward also became a U.S. Patent holder in 1912 for a railroad loading device, and later invented a corn sheller he called a "Little GEM" (his initials). Daughter Mathidle was a switchboard operator for the telephone company she and her husband ran.
With Eliza's large family, many big family reunions were held at her home. She was known for her hospitality and visitors were always well entertained. Besides her own children, she had many nieces and nephews in Nebraska, some nearby and others out west. Her sister Mary became Mrs John Boggs and they raised their family near Tobias. Another sister Hannah and her husband Conrad Smith were residents in Garden County. In 1988, 72 descendants of these three sisters gathered for a reunion in Firth.
The
Menke farm in Section 33 was home to Eliza until after her 90th
birthday and she celebrated her 100th birthday at the
place she helped build and knew for 62 years. She was able to live by
herself until after that milestone. In her final year and a half on
earth, as her health began to fail, the Anna Rohe Nursing home in
Lincoln became her home. Her strong heart kept going for 102 years, 8
months and 17 days, then beat for the last time on February 2, 1944.
Descendants of Eliza & Henry Menke are: Ann Caroline "Carrie" & Louis Kloepper; Mathilde & WilliamH Daubendiek; Katharine & John Henry Wayman; Eliza Jane & Richard Kiene; Rosa & Lewis Wayman; George E & Kathryn (Detmer) Menke; Nettie & Franklin Steinmeyer; Charles Albert & Charlotte "Lottie" (Roscoe) Menke and their many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a continuing line of generations to come. Eliza had outlived her husband, all of her siblings, her four step-children, five of her own children and eight grandchildren. The Menke farm was sold at auction on August 5, 1944 sixty-five plus years after Henry & Eliza first set foot on the land.
“Obituary,
Eliza Knapp Menke”, The Beatrice Times for Women, February 16,
1944 pg 1
