Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 1074 - 1075

WILLIAM FALK, a prominent citizen of Eagle Township, lives on section 10, where he is actively engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He came to Sedgwick County in 1872, staid with his brother-in-law, Mr. J. M. Campbell, for nearly a year, and then went to Reno County, where he took up a homestead claim of eighty acres of land, and lived on it for four years. Subsequently he sold out and returned to Sedgwick County, where he bought his present place of Mr. E. P. Phelps. It consists of the northeast quarter of section 10, and the southeast quarter of section 3, the latter of which he purchased of the railroad company. This, by his industry and careful culture, he has made one of the most valuable farms in the vicinity. He has a fine herd of about fifty cattle, for which he finds a ready sale, principally in the home market; he has some good horses of common stock, and keeps nearly twenty Poland-China hogs. He has a fine orchard covering about three acres of land, comprising 100 apple trees, fifty plum trees, and the same number of peaches, pears, apricots, etc. A view of his homestead is given on an accompanying page.

             Mr. Falk was born in Richland County, Ohio, Aug. 25, 1848, and is a son of Albert and Catherine (Pheoff) Falk, natives of Germany. His father was reared as a farmer and followed that calling until his retirement from active life a few years before his death, which occurred in April, 1879. When young he emigrated from Germany to this country and settled in Ohio, and there he was married, his wife also coming from the Fatherland. They moved to Indiana in 1849, and there the father died, and the mother died in Indiana also, in the year 1858. He was a stanch Democrat in politics, and took an active interest in local affairs. To him and his estimable wife were born nine children, six boys and three girls, namely: Jacob, Joseph, Catherine, Susan, Mary, John, William, Peter and Henry, all of whom are living with the exception of Susan, who died in Indiana in 1868, aged twenty-five; she was a consistent Christian and a member of the Reformed Church.

             Mr. Falk, of this sketch, remained at home until he was twenty-one, receiving in the meantime a fair education in the district school. His father was a capable farmer, and gave him a good, practical training in that line, so that when he became of age he adopted that calling for his life work. He pursued it for two years in Wells County, Ind., and in 1872 came to Kansas, where he has since followed it with good pecuniary results. While a resident of Wells County he was employed in a sawmill for six months, and since coming to this State he has engaged at different times for eight seasons in operating a threshing-machine in Sedgwick, Reno and Harvey Counties. In 1873 he hired out to a threshing-machine company and worked for seventy-four days during that fall, being employed at different places between Hutchinson, Reno County, and Wichita, Sedgwick County. In 1874 he entered into a partnership with M. M. Biggs, and bought a threshing-machine, which they operated together for four years. Then Mr, Falk sold his share, but he soon after bought another machine and took in a third partner, Mr. W. L. Keller, and after continuing in the business two years, he disposed of his share in the machine and dissolved the partnership.

             Mr. Falk was married, Aug. 6, 1878, to Miss Margaret Emma Brenneman, who was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., Aug. 30, 1849. She was a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Whitehead) Brenneman, natives of Pennsylvania, where her father was engaged in farming prior to the war. The latter enlisted, in September, 1861, in Company F, 11th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and died in Annapolis the 25th of December following, at the age of fifty years, having been sick but eight hours. His wife died in McPherson County, Kan., Jan. 5, 1887, aged seventy-one. They had a family of thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Falk was the tenth child in order of birth; their record is as follows: Peter, Henry, Lewis, John, James, Barbara Anna, Campbell, Lucinda, William Bigler, Albert Walter, Dayton Magrew, Margaret, and Mary Jane, deceased. Peter enlisted in 1861, served his time out, and was killed in his first battle after re-enlistment, that of the Wilderness, in Virginia, May 14, 1864, being Corporal at that time, and having been in the service three years. Henry was also in the army; he now lives in Kansas City, Mo. Campbell was in the army.

            To our subject and his wife have been born two children: Cora Elizabeth, born May 17, 1879, and Harry, Dec. 1, 1883. Mrs. Falk is an active and influential member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Falk has taken a leading part in local affairs, as his sound common sense and his methodical business habits eminently qualify him for positions of trust in public life. In 1880 he was elected Township Trustee, serving for one year, and in the succeeding years was three times re-elected to that office, the last time for a term of three years; he finally resigned his position in May, 1887, having discharged its duties with signal ability and honor for nearly seven consecutive years. At present he is Treasurer of the Cemetery Association. Mr. Falk is a stanch supporter of Democratic doctrines, and takes a leading and active part in politics.

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