Carl Wittenberg

Carl Wittenberg (1849-1921) was born May 25, 1849 in Belgard, Hinter Pommern, Germany. He _was a basket maker by trade. He was an only child. He married Emelia Schulz in Germany. Life in Germany was not very happy, they and their relatives heard about the many opportunities to be found in the United States. They longed for a home of their own, religious freedom and an opportunity to work to earn these things. Carl and Emelia Wittenberg suffered many hardships. One of the first tragedies was the death of their infant son. He died while on their voyage to the United States and was buried at sea.

A few relatives had come a couple of years earlier to see how to go about making a claim and start setting up a new home. A well and a shack had to be built to prove up their claim. The first land that he claimed was Northwest ¼ Section  32 township 141 range 57. One stormy day it was destroyed by wind. Circumstances dictated that Carl come to help Wm. Schulz, Sr. with his farming. Eventually he took over Southwest ¼ Section  20 township 141 range 57.

The Carl Wittenbergs had ten children, four of which grew to womanhood and manhood:

  1. Lena married John Werner of Burlington, North Dakota. They had three children, Robert, Martha and Elmer;

  2. Alma married John Salzmann, they raised one daughter Bertha;

  3. Robert married Anna Schmidt. They had six children, Lillian, Ralph, Albert, Carl, Robert Jr. and Esther;

  4. Minnie married John Werner of Minot. They had three children, Ralph, Melvin and Evelyn.

Mr. Wittenberg was interested in religious training for his children. He was one of the first Sunday School Superintendents at Salem Church, but as soon as a German Lutheran Church was organized he joined it. He purchased a reed organ and taught his daughter Minnie to play hymns for church services.

Life in their new country had many hardships, among them being the death of their kinfolk. There is a cemetery plot on the family farm. His wife died in April 1911. His son Robert took over the farming. The farmstead was on the bank of Toulack Lake in Noltimier township section 20. From 1912 to 1921 he lived with his son Robert in the summer and the winter months with his daughter Minnie in Minot, North Dakota.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 272