Golden Wedding for Pioneers: Mr. and Mrs. Anton Senger Observe Event Monday, October 30

"Golden Wedding for Pioneers: Mr. and Mrs. Anton Senger Observe Event Monday, October 30." Emmons County Record, November 1946.

The first event that day was a Nuptial Mass at St. Anthony Church in Linton, at which time the honored couple repeated their marital vows. The celebrant of the Mass was their nephew, Rev. Ralph Eisenzimmer of Mandan. Other priests who took part were Rev. John Martin and Rev. Michael Spegele as deacon and subdeacon, respectively. At this service Mr. and Mrs. Senger had the pleasure of having all their children, grandchildren and great grand children present.

Later that day a family dinner was served to the members of the family at the Senger home. Their six daughters and two sons, as well as the 45 grandchildren and five great grandchildren were all present for the festivities.

Mr. and Mrs. Senger are pioneers of Emmons County, both having come to the Hague vicinity in the spring of 1886 with their parents, while still young people. Mr. Senger was 14 years of age at the time and Mrs. Senger was 11. They resided in that vicinity until the time of their marriage in St. John’s Church near Zeeland, one of the first churches in Logan, Emmons or McIntosh counties. The date of their marriage was October 29, 1894. At that time they moved to a point 12 miles east of Linton along Beaver Creek to settle and establish a homestead claim. They lived at this farm until 1925 when they moved to Linton.

When Mr. and Mrs. Senger came to America, she late in 1885, and he the following spring, they came to Ipswich, S.D., with their parents. Ipswich was then the last station on the railroad line. Those people who went beyond that point did so by means of teams. When Mr. Senger’s family started towards the site of their homestead claim, they went across country, there being no established trails. The journey from Ipswich to Hague was made in four days. The caravan was made up of six cows, a span of oxen and a wagon on which was loaded all their belongings. When they reached their destination there was no house or other buildings and they had to make their own home on reaching the site.

Mr. Senger tells that in 1887 some members of the family made a trip to Ipswich to get supplies and do some trading. This trip was made with the ox team and took nine days from the time they left until their return. In the entire journey they did not see any fences to hinder their travel. The streams that had to be crossed were forded, there being no bridges. Only trails were from one sod house to another, these places being anywhere from 10 to 20 miles apart.

When the Sengers settled along Beaver Creek after their marriage, there were only a few other persons in the vicinity, most of these having been there only a short time.

Mr. Senger helped with the work of building the St. John’s Church five miles north of Zeeland in 1889. For this project he hauled rocks for the foundation, a distance of about 15 miles, with ox team. Each trip required two days. Father Bernhart of Fort Yates was one of the men instrumental in the erection of this church, he having visited among the settlers a few times in 1888. This building still stands and is now used as a school. A new church stands near by.

During his years on the farm east of Linton Mr. Senger was active as member of various town and school boards. He was one of the first to help organize Dakem township which at the time comprised what is now four townships, Dakem, Wells, Marie and Omio. He was treasurer of the town board for many years as well as being assessor for a time.

Among the other experiences Mr. Senger recalled as we talked with him was the fact that at the time his parents settled near Hague there were no schools in the country and he, having had only a few years’ schooling in Russia before coming to America, taught his brothers and sisters in the evenings. The books that were used were some that the family had taken along from the old country. Later he helped in the organization of some of the early Emmons county schools.

The Senger children all reside in the State. They are Mrs. Joe Kelsch, Mrs. Valentine Kelsch, John Senger, Anton Senger, and Mrs. Joe Roehrich, all of Linton, Mrs. Anton Richter of Napoleon, Mrs. Joe Ibach of Strasburg, and Mrs. John M. Baumgartner of Fargo.

Among the others who were present Monday were Mr. Senger’s brothers and their wives, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Senger, Strasburg; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Senger, Hague; Mr. and Mrs. Christ Senger, Strasburg; Mr. and Mrs. John Senger, Linton; Mr. and Mrs. Ludwig Senger, Linton; and his sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Schimdt of Strasburg. Mrs. Senger’s brothers, Joe, Peter and Rochus Eisenzimmer and her sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Scherr, all of Balta, N.D., were also present.

One four generations picture was taken at the event last week. On this photo are Mr. and Mrs. Senger, their daughter, Mrs. Joe Kelsch, her daughter, Mrs. Paul Schumaker and little daughter Palma.