HENRY KOHNKE

Sacramento County

Biographies

HENRY KOHNKE

HENRY KOHNKE.--Widely known among the most experienced of Sacramento County sheep-men, Henry Kohnke, who lives about eight miles east of Galt, on the Galt Road, is also favorably known as a man who has attained success. Like many another progressive agriculturists in California, Mr. Kohnke was born in Germany, seeing light for the first time at Neuhaus, in the kingdom of Hanover, on May 28, 1862. His father was John Kohnke, a laborer, who lived to be seventy-five years of age; and his mother was Miss Adelheidt Krohnke, before her marriage, and she passed away when in her forty-eighth year. She was the devoted mother of seven children, the eldest being John Otto, and after him Jurgen, Katherine, Claus, Henry, the subject of our story, and Peter, who is deceased, and Peter.

Henry attended the grammar schools of Germany, and in 1881 came out to the United States when he was still in his teens, and he worked for wages for a year in Denver. Then he spent two years in helping to build the Oregon Short Line through Idaho and Southern Oregon from Corvallis to Eukrena Bay; and after that, coming into San Joaquin County, California, he joined the Woods Bros., at Roberts Island, and worked for them for ten years.

Then he went to Terminous and leased 200 acres for two years, and next he superintended the Newell Ranch at the same place for four years. Having concluded that engagement, he returned to the 200 acres, and cultivated the same for another year. Then he made a trip to Iowa, where he worked on a farm for the balance of the year; and upon returning to California he came to Acampo and purchased twenty acres two miles north of Lodi, on Cherokee Lane. He set out vines and otherwise developed the land, and built a comfortable home and the necessary farm buildings, installed a four-inch pump and a ten-horse-power motor on the Acampo place, and was there for about twelve years.

In the autumn of 1917, Mr. Kohnke came to Galt Road, and purchased 560 acres on Dry Creek, about eight miles east of Galt, which he made into a sheep ranch, bringing 300 head of sheep there; the ranch being locally known as the old West place. He has succeeded, not only for himself but in helping others. As a Republican, he has done what he could to elevate the standards of citizenship and to effect such improved laws as conserve trade and protect investments; and at present he is a school trustee of the Brown district, being a warm advocate of the public schools.

At Lodi, on December 28, 1904, Henry Kohnke and Miss Alwine Andresen were married, the bride being a native of Schleswig-Holstein, where she was born at Isle Fohr, the daughter of John and Anna Andresen. In 1901, the family came to the United States and to Lodi, and here the mother died, at the age of seventy-one, while the father returned to his native country, and died there at the age of seventy-six. Alwine was one of five children. The eldest, Lawrence, is deceased, and so is Matilda. The others are Hans and Lena, and Mrs. Kohnke, who was christened Alwine. She was educated in Germany, where she had an excellent training; and now, as enthusiastic an American by adoption as may anywhere be found, she finds happiness in seeing the progress of her five children - Anita, Alwine, Otto, John and Amanda - at the Brown district school. Mr. Kohnke is an Odd Fellow and a Rebekah, of the Lodi lodges, and Mrs. Kohnke also belongs to the last named fraternal order, in which she shares her husband’s popularity.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Page 915. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.