part of town which is now the Ray Groninger home. A daughter, Hattie, then married Otto Eyl, a son of Herman Eyl. One of Pastor Oetting's sons also became a minister. This was Rev. Waldemar J. Oetting who held a pastorate at Madison for many years. Upon retiring, he also made Battle Creek his home. He and Mrs. Oetting remain active in community affairs.

About 1910, the Ferdinand Wisch family came from Cuming County to buy the H. R. Lyman 480 acre farm southwest of Battle Creek.

About the same time, the John Unkel family also came from Cuming County and bought a farm south of Battle Creek which adjoins the homestead of "Ponca George" St. Clair in Highland Precinct. Later Mr. Unkel sold this farm and bought the Fred Fuerst farm east of town which is now owned by his son Albert Unkel and occupied by his grandson Melvin Unkel.

The Hoffman family, Fred, Sr., and his brother, George, came about 1890. Fred married Minnie Prauner, daughter of John Prauner, one of the first settlers on the Battle Creek and George married a daughter of Heinrich Aldag. Sisters of George and Fred Hoffman were Mrs. Herman Rinke., Sr., and Mrs. Amelia Reeker. Mrs. Reeker's son Fred purchased a farm west of Battle Creek and this is now the home of her grandson Harry Reeker. A son of Fred Reeker, E. L. Reeker, was for many years county judge and later a practicing attorney in Norfolk.

Another early settler who should be mentioned is Henry Massman. He too came too late to homestead land but in 1884 purchased the Ike Kost farm being the SE1/4 of Section 1 in Highland Precinct and also the SW1/4 in Section 1 in Highland Precinct. Mr. Massman was for years a member of the public school district board, followed by his son Frank and then still later, and still representing the family on the school board, is Alvin Massman, the grandson. It would be interesting to count the number of years and time of the Massmans in this important public service. With the Massman family came Charles Schroeder, a nephew of Mrs. Massman. He married Anna Lucht, a daughter of the first white woman to settle on the Battle Creek. Mr. Schroeder bought land in Section 5, Highland Precinct and was quite prominent in developing the country. The Henry Massman's children were: John Henry Massman who married Johanna Warnke; a daughter who married Mr. Cutkoskey, a Lutheran parochial school teacher, and Frank who married Millie Christiansan, now a resident of Norfolk.

The Mike Warnke's were homesteaders in Valley Precinct north of Battle Creek where the Leonard Rakowsky family now live. The Warnke children were: Ida (Mrs. Gus Langhoop)' Mary (Mrs. Herman Werner); Emma (Mrs. Charles Werner); Johanna (Mrs. Henry Massman, Jr.); Gus who married Emma Lindeman; Lena (Mrs. Fred Scheerger); and Bernhard who married Edith Hintz.

Chas. Heggemeyer came from Missouri. He married Katie Praeuner, a daughter of Carl Praeuner. They bought the farm

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