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Submitted: 6/19/10 • Approved: 6/19/10 • Last Updated: 2/17/13 • R152043-G0-S3
Henry Kieckhafer
Born: 3 January 1834 Germany
Died: 12 January 1888 Pierce County Nebraska
Spouse: Mary Kieckhafer
Story from "Pioneer Trails" - "Echoes of the Past" - A History of Pierce County Nebraska
FATHER AND SON FREEZE TO DEATH
The blizzard brought tragedy to the little home of Henry Kieckhaefer, located twelve miles northwest of Pierce, who had come to Pierce County from Germany in 1881. At the first warning of the storm the older Kieckhaefer and fourteen year old Robert started out to get the cattle home. An older son, Herman, who had gone in a different direction made his way with difficulty to the little home, where, with his mother and one sister, they anxiously waited for the return of the father and Robert. When the storm had abated it was Herman's sad duty to be the first to touch their lifeless forms frozen stark and stiff on the open prairie. They were found about two miles from their home three days later by a neighbor, William Holmes.
The cold following the blizzard was intense. Livestock were found frozen in a standing position on the prairie. Great mountains of snow covered sheds, livestock and human beings.
Contributed on 6/19/10
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Record #: 152043