This is a collection of short biographical sketches submitted by individuals with a link to the Researcher. You are invited to send appropriate sketches of early Atchison County residents for inclusion on this page

 
 

Atchison County Kansas Bio Sketches 

CARL LUDWIG BECKMAN

Successful as an agriculturist and again achieving success as a livestock buyer and shipper is a summary of the life and accomplishments of CARL LUDWIG BECKMAN, one of the best known and progressive citizens of Effingham, Kan. Mr. Beckman's livestock operations involve the buying and shipping of over fifty carloads of livestock yearly. In addition to his business dealings, he looks after his fine farm of 200 acres in Benton Township.

Mr. Beckman was born April 2, 1861 in Quincy, Ill. As the name indicates he is the son of German parents, his father William Beckman, having been born in Germany in 1830 and was unfortunately killed by a stroke of lightning in Burlington, Iowa in 1863. William Beckman removed his family to Burlington, Iowa in about 1862. The four children born to this couple were: William, a resident of Parnell, Atchison, County, Kansas; Mrs. Hannah BUHRMASTER, living on a farm in Benton Township; Minnie and Carl Ludwig, with whom this review is directly concerned. The mother of these children later married Henry VOLLMER, a farmer in Iowa, who gave her and the children a good home and left his widow well provided for. Mrs. Vollmer, mother of C.L. resides at Mediapolis, Iowa.

When Carl was twenty years of age he left the farm in Iowa and came to Kansas in 1881 and in partnership with his brother, William, rented a farm near Effingham for thirteen years, dissolving partnership in 1894. Through purchase and by inheritance, on his wife's part, Mr. Beckman and his wife came into possession of 200 acres of land in 1894 upon which they resided until 1908. In that year they bought a small farm of thirty-five acres, one mile west of Effingham, upon which they resided for three years and then made a permanent home in Effingham. Since 1908 Mr. Beckman has been engaged in the buying and shipping of livestock with Robert M. THOMAS as a partner in the enterprise and has been very successful in this business, being an accurate judge of livestock and keeping abreast of market conditions.

He was married in 1894 to Miss Lebeldine GERSBACH, born in Atchison County in 1863, a daughter of Samuel and Catherine Gersbach, both of whom were natives of Germany, and after emigrating from their native country to America, settled in Atchison County as early as 1854 and were among the earliest pioneers of Kansas. Mr. Gersbach preempted land and built up a fine farm which is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Beckman. Two children were born of this marriage: Rosa, aged twenty years and a student in the Atchison County high school, class of 1916; and Pearl, aged seventeen also a student in the high school, class of 1916.

Mr. Beckman is a Republican in politics and takes an interest in the civic and political affairs of his hometown and county. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodman. Mrs. Beckman and daughters are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mtr. Beckman is a stockholder of the Farmers' Mercantile Association of Effingham and is generally found in the forefront of all undertakings which are intended for the betterment and progress of conditions in his home city.



Taken from:

History of Atchison County, Kansas

by Sheffield Ingalls - 1916



Submitted by:

Clemi Higley Blackburn, July 2001







Return to Atchison County Page

Background and KSGenWeb logo were designed and are copyrighted by
Tom & Carolyn Ward
for the limited use of the KSGenWeb Project.
Permission is granted for use only on an official KSGenWeb page.
The USGenWeb Logo was designed by Linda Cole.

Last updated 7/18/2001


mirror sites
www.usgenweb.net
www.usgenweb.org