30, Humphrey township, Range 1 West. then the half brother and a few friends went with grandfather to the location of the homestead and built a sod house. In the center of the one large room they erected a French type brick stove with bricks they brought along. When grandma wanted to bake bread, they made a fire inside of the oven part and when it was hot, raked out all the coals and put the bread in to bake. My father always said it was the best bread he ever ate, so it must have turned out all right.
As far as we know, this was the only home they had at Humphrey until fifteen years later when they moved to Battle Creek. My grandparents were never happy on that "dry farm," as grandpa called it, they both missed not seeing running water.
Their first child was named Julia, married John Hall, who was for a number of years in the mercantile business with a partner, Fred Meincke in the old Thos. Dugher store.
Bertha married Vincent Zach, Sr., in Humphrey before the family moved to Battle Creek.
Joe (my father) married Mary Zimmerman as previously told.
Mary married Nathan Graves at Humphrey. They spent most of their lives on a farm north of Tilden, later retiring to Tilden.
Fred bought a farm near Verdigre where his sister Emma kept house for him until he met and married Tikolsky.
William, Jr., married Anna Weiser of Humphrey and thereafter lived on the old Dittrich farm until they retired to Norfolk in 1945. Their son Leo Dittrich now lives on the old Dittrich farm.
Franz lived in Knox County with his brother Fred.
Emma married Jim Brozek and spent most of their married life on a farm southwest of Battle Creek.
The youngest daughter, Louise, married and for years lived in Lander, Wyoming, finally moving to California.
—Lillian Bierman
THE CARRABINE FAMILY
The Timothy Carrabine family came to Madison County in 1869 taking a homestead northeast of the Broken Bridge between Battle Creek and Norfolk.
Timothy's grave is in the family plot in St. Patrick's Cemetery. His gravestone shows that he was born in 1810.
The Carrabine children were: Owen Carrabine, Tim Carrabine, Oscar, Kate, who married John Risk: Bridget married George Cartney; and Mary, who married Douglas Preece, parents of T. D. Preece. A son of Oscar Carrabine became a dentist and specialized in orthodontia (concerned with straightening irregular teeth). He practiced in New York City and was privileged to serve President Theodore Roosevelt's family for their dental needs.
Someone may wonder why the Carrabine family was a
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