Frank Starke (1866-1938) was born in Phoenix, Michigan, near the Phoenix Copper mines. In 1878, at the age of twelve, he came with his parents, Herman and Pauline (Krause) Starke, to Worthington (Valley City), Barnes County, North Dakota. He and his sister, Theresa, helped to break up the prairie land with a wooden Norwegian plow; Frank held the plow and Theresa drove the two yoke of oxen. While they were working, two men driving a team of horses on a buggy, stopped to watch them and asked their names. In the fall of 1879, they received a package containing a book of poems from the John Deere Company, the first poem in the book dedicated to the barefoot boy and girl driving oxen, breaking the prairie land.
Frank Starke married Lena Cook, daughter of Frank and Gertrude (Falerius) Cook, at St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Valley City in 1892. Lena Cook (1873) was born at Central Mines, Michigan, and at the age of five years came with her parents and two brothers to Dakota Territory in 1878. She and her brother, John, walked to Valley City where they went to school in the summer and later to the Heimes school which was built in the District. The Starkes moved to their own home, Northwest ΒΌ of Section 12140-58, acquired from William Weiser, brother of J. S. Weiser. They later bought another 160 acres. Frank Starke, like his father Herman, was a lover of fine horses and was pleased to furnish the dapple grays for the Russell-Miller Occident Flour Delivery wagon in all parades.
Frank retired from the Farm to Valley City after thirty years of hard work and rented the farm to John E. Clancy, his son-in-law. Two daughters were born to this couple; Gertrude and Frances - Mrs. John E. Clancy. Mrs. Lena Starke was a member of St. Catherine's Church and the Altar Society, the Pioneer Club and the Pioneer Daughters Club. She was honored to be one of the "Diamond Lils" when Barnes County celebrated their Diamond Jubilee in 1964.
Gertrude Starke attended the rural school just across the road from their home. Hattie McPherson Heimes was the first teacher. She completed the 8th grade at the Ritchie School in Valley City, then took the popular two-year commercial or business course then offered at the State Teachers College in Valley City. Her first job was cashier at one of the larger department stores in Valley City, known as the Right Price Mercantile Company. She held the job as cashier for fifteen years, or until it burned to the ground. However, it was not over a month when Mr. Lee, Secretary at the State Teachers College, came to her and asked if she would not like to come and work at the College business office. She was thrilled and happy, but more, she was afraid that she could not handle the job. She tried and with hard work she made it and was there nineteen years, when she resigned, thinking that was long enough. After that she went into the insurance business up town at the Middlewest Building where she is to date. She helped her mother until her mother passed away at the age of 95.
Gertrude's activities are the Catholic Church, Pioneer Daughters, Homemakers Club, Barnes County Homemakers Chorus.
Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 233