| Summary: | until Daniel passed away. Christ, the son, bought the farm. They plowed with hand plows and seeded and reaped the grain by hand. They corraled the livestock at night for the manure which they used for fuel. Often time wild game was the only meat that graced their table, shot with a powder-loaded gun. Mr. Martel knew the art of meat cutting and often helped with butchering throughout the neighborhood. Mrs. Martel carded her own wool, then spun it into yarn on her spinning wheel for knitting the family stockings and mittens, as well as sewing their clothes by hand. Baking was mostly bread and that was done in a kiln. They had lived in Russia and had learned how to battle life on the prairies. Only one of the family, August, survives. He is 70 years old. JACOB G. DOCKTER HISTORY Jacob G. Dockter, son of Gottlieb and Magdalena (Benz) Dockter, was born September 15, 1901 in Neudorf, South Russia. He came with his parents and sister to the United States in 1902, homesteading on Section 24- 138-69 in Newbury Township. A few acres of sod were broken up and seeded each year by hand. The school- house was two and one-half miles away, a long distance to walk in cold winter months. On December 2, 1923, Jacob was married to Bertha Mayer in the Streeter Reformed Church. They farmed with his parents for a year. In the fall of 1924, they rented and farmed the Kneeland place, 1 I miles southwest of Medina, which they bought in 1925 and farmed for 31 years. In 1955 they rented the farm to their son, Marvin, and moved to Streeter. The Dockters remember both the good and bad times, fighting prairie fires, the dirty thirties when prices hit bottom .wheat 25<f, rye 90 and nothing for oats. No rain, no pasture, no feed for the cattle. They sold 13 head and received $104.00. Hogs taken to market weighing 50 to 80 lbs. were 500 each. Discouraged and beaten, these were taken home again. Mr. Dockter served on township and the school board in Newburg Township, was a Deacon for United Church of Christ, water commissioner, fire club, and Police Magistrate since retiring in Streeter. He does carpenter work in his spare time. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1973. The Dockters have five children: Marvin, Medina; Eldo, Everett, Wash.; Mrs. Roland (Alma) Ruff, Gackle; Selmer, St. Louis, Mo.; and Vernon, St. Peter, Minn. There are fourteen grandchildren. MAYNARD JABLONSKI FAMILY HISTORY Maynard Jablonski, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Jablonski, was born June 14, 1911 in Peterson Township, northwest of Medina. He married Iva Selig, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Selig, Jamestown, North Dakota, on June 17, 1941. They lived in Los Angeles, California for 4 years before returning to Medina. After farming for a number of years in Peterson Township, they built a home in Medina where they presently live. Maynard is engaged in trucking and farming. He is a member of the council of the English Lutheran Church of which they are members; is on the board of directors of the Medina Farmers Union Oil Co., Medina Community Credit Union and the Dakota Central R. T. A. Mr. and Mrs. Jablonski are the parents of two sons: Capt. John Jablonski, of the U.S. Air Force and his wife, Janice, live in Fairbanks, Alaska; Leo, his wife Sandra and son Jason, live in Mandan, N. D. MR. AND MRS. HENRY SIMMONS Henry Simmons, son of Jonas and Bessie Simmons, was born March 28, 1897 at Tenmile, West Virginia. His father d.ied at the age of 27, and his mother later married Calvin Howes. In 1906 the family moved to North Dakota living in the Sykeston, Carrington and Pettibone areas, finally settling down on a farm about twelve miles southwest of Medina. Amelia Martel, daughter of John and Rosina Martel, was born in a sod house on the family homestead, on October 2, 1906. She lived with her parents until November 24, 1927 when she married Henry Simmons at her parents' home. This couple were blessed with five children: Mrs. Merle (Rose) Kenny, reside in Bismarck, where Merle is a home builder; Arlis, married Barbara Mazigan, and they live in Bismarck, where he is employed by Mary College; Mrs. Gordon (Phyllis) Kemmet, live in Bismarck, where Gordon is employed by Northwestern Bell; Charles married Rose Marie Mayer, they live in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where he works for Ottertail Power Co.; Mrs. Dale (Betty) Siemer, Bismarck, where Dale is employed by H. & R. Block. There are nine grandchildren. After many years of hard work, Henry and Amelia decided to retire from farm life and bought a house in 117 Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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