Property Dispute

Two buyers from out of state showed interest in buying the homestead, but Josef decided to keep it in the family and sold to Joe Jr. and Pearl. The relationship between buyer and seller was not good to begin with and only became worse as time went on.  Two lawsuits were filed by Josef over the matter; the first when Joe Jr. was married to Pearl, the second lawsuit mentioned below when Joe Jr. was married to Wilma.

Josef’s letter to Ina, dated July 20, 1935: “. . .Our trouble with Joe is far from being settled.  When Joe would not give us the back pay we filed suit for foreclousre, and instead of an answer his lawyer filed a demurrer, and when the matter came before the judge, he said that no demurrer could be filed in a foreclosure suit and gave Joe another 10 days to file an answer, and that is where the matter stands now.  His lawyer made the proposition to pay all the mortgage off if we pay the costs, and this we refused to do as the mortgage should have been all paid last year.  Our attorney told us that we have nothing to fear, Joe will either have to pay all of it or get off, and under the circumstances either one will suit us. . .”

(The undated Rainier Review article below should have correctly stated “Joe Jr. and Wilma”, “Jos. Hackenberg Sr. and wife Carrie”)

 

Rainier Review, February 28, 1930

Joseph Hackenberg Sr. and wife (Carrie) have sold their home farm of 160 acreas to Joseph Hackenberg Jr. and wife (Pearl).  The elder Hackenbergs reserve two acres where the house and buildings stand to be occupied by them for their natural life.  Mr. Hackenberg is declining in health, which made the sale a matter of necessity.

1929-Married Again

Journal Entries:
Married Carrie May 22, 1929 –

Otto left Oct 1929: Sold place to Joe Feb 26, 1930

1920 and 1921

The year 1921 brought tragedy with the suicide by hanging of the children’s beloved “Mamma” Dora on November 11th.  She had been in declining health and there are many 1920 – 1921 journal notations such as “Dora sick.  Did housework.”  Otto was 12 years old at the time and the only one still at home with his parents. Emma was married and close by in Rainier.  She often came out to check on her mother, or took Dora home with her for a few days.  Joe Jr. “left for good” according to Josef’s sendoff for 1919 and only occasionally back to visit, Rudy lived in Underwood, and Bill and Ina were both in California.
Josef’s end of the year journal summaries:

“Sendoff for the year 1920:  The year 1920, the year of worry, trouble and expenses, was financially fair, very wet in spring and fall.  Repaired fences extensively, seeded 25 acres to pasture, cut out part of north fencerow, lost much time through fire and wife’s sickness; bought 22 Victor records and a small drugstore (?).  Farewell rotten year 1920!”

“Sendoff for 1921:  The year 1921 has been the worst year since 1886 for me; financially poor, lost wife by death, much time and money through her sickness, in fact the last half was a time of worry and trouble.  Finished fencerow, bought wire and 8 Victor records.  Farewell rotten year 1921!”

“Sendoff for 1922:  The year 1922 has been one of the worst I have lived through.  Financially very poor, extreme in cold and drought, dust, smoke and fire.  All crops were good except summer grain, hay and pasture.  Lost heifer; lost shingle shed and much fence by fire.  Laid new floor, built granary; had many aggravations through gossiop;  joined Correspondence Club and corresponded with 20.  Farewell rotten year 1922.”

1902

Of note is Josef’s work on the foundation and floor of their family home.  Perhaps in the initial construction he had used whatever lumber was available to get the house finished and qualify for the deed to his claim.  Evidently he had no idea he would soon be making plans to build a new home located over the bank and closer to a more reliable source of water.

He continued to work on the county road and at various neighboring homesteads.  Work at home also continued: “Slashed, made shingles”, “bored stumps”, “cleared”.  Hay and grain crops were grown and harvested.

May 31: “Hoed potatoes, 3.2 o’clock p.m. Joseph born.” Note for August: “hot and smoky, much timber fire”.  And the weather didn’t help: “hellish hot”, “infernally hot”.

During the year there appeared to be a good harvest of berries, cherries, prunes, apples and pears.  He noted “roued with Dad” a couple of times, but did many chores there during the year.

“Went to Kilby’s about signboards”.  Then “cut out and painted fingerboards”, “lettered fingerboards”. 
“Sendoff for the year 1902.  The year 1902 (the year of worry) has been financially good, extreme in rain and fire.  Fine crops of hay, grain, fruit and vegetables were raised.  Slashed brush on 5 acres for pasture; cut down 20 snags, fenced clearing east of the house, cleared ½ acre of an acre; grubbed ½ of an acre, made shingleroad; took observing station, got rid of 6 acres of timber.”

Grave

Photos taken on November 2nd, 2011 at the Green Mountain Cemetery in Rainier, Oregon.

Beloved Wife, Mother, Sister, Friend

Carol Ann McNeely

Nee Hackenberg

March 15, 1938

September 18, 2010

"...so Carrie won't be alone"

View of Cemetery from Carol's grave looking towards the Grange

Skyward view from Carol's grave

William Balod

1887 1975

She came, stayed and went in matchless grace

Ina Albertine Hackenberg Esquer

1895 Daughter 1996

Joseph Hackenberg

1859 Father 1942

Mother

Dora Hackenberg

Born August 31, 1868

Died November 11, 1921

Carol's stone adjacent to Carrie's:

In memory of

Carrie Hackenberg

Wilma L. Hackenberg

July 15, 1913

December 14, 2008

Joe Hackenberg

May 31, 1902

Aug 5, 1985

Joe's and Wilma's stones

Welcome to Doraville

This glimpse of the past lives of our ancestors is dedicated to Josef’s grandson Joe "Butch" and wife Luella, who own and live on Doraville homestead now known as Hackenberg Tree Farm. Joe and Luella are shown in a photo taken in 2005 in South Dakota.

. . . and in loving memory of Joe Jr. and Wilma Hackenberg.

“We clasp the hands of those that go before us, And the hands of those who come after us.” ~ Wendell Berry

INTRODUCTION: This little history shall give any future generations of this family Hackenberg knowledge of their ancestors, describing their character, birthplace, life and prominent movements with dates of year and months as far as possible. Many people of the United States know nothing about their parents, about ½ know nothing about their grandparents and hardly 1/10 know anything about their great-grandparents, because people move and mix more (more divorces) in the U.S. than in the well settled and stable countries of Europe. It will be divided as follows: 1) The history of the Hackenbergs in Europe, 2) The history of the Winchesters and, 3) The history of the Hackenbergs in Amerika. The present family Hackenberg in Oregon near Rainier has been founded by the marriage of Josef Hackenberg and Mrs. Dora Wells (Winchester) on the 3 of June 1891 in Rainier. It will certainly be interesting for our posterity to look back several centuries of family life in different generations, different conditions and countries. Hoping my few lines may satisfy I am one of your Dadies.

Josef Rudolf Hackenberg
South Beaver, March 8, 1896
* * *

As we ponder our rapidly changing computerized world in the 21^st century it is hard to visualize pioneer life at “South Beaver” over a hundred years ago when 36-year-old Josef Hackenberg sat at his desk, reached for his Ivy Leaf stationery, and with a firm hand wrote the “little history” of his European roots, and a brief sheet on the Winchesters. There is no evidence that he wrote a section on the Hackenbergs in America; however, it is known that his brother William lived in Wheeling,West Virginia.

On that cold March day in 1896 as Josef let his mind wander back to his homeland, he and his wife Dora had three young children [Rudy, William, and baby Ina] and were settled in their shingled home Josef described on final homestead documentation as built of “lumber, 18’ x 18’, 3 rooms and kitchen, 7 doors, 7 windows, and habitable at all seasons of the year.” The house, barn and other outbuildings were situated on a small creek flat adjacent to the neighboring Headlee property line and surrounded by young orchard trees just starting to produce. Josef had a lot to show for his past 10 years of hard work.

For Josef and his country neighbors in the 1890’s it was a time before Apiary Road and easy access to town. There were few roads, no automobiles, no electricity, and no telephones or a way to readily communicate with family and friends in Rainier or surrounding communities. Families were located by geographic designations such as “South Beaver Creek”, and homesteaders either walked or rode a horse on homestead trails through timber and windfalls to help one another, socialize, or procure provisions. Josef made many journal notations of “went to Rishers for flour”, or “went to Doan’s for butter”, etc.

The accomplishments of Josef’s generation of hardy pioneers, both men and women, are now mostly forgotten, their deeds and names lost in time. Through Josef’s journals, family letters, and newspaper articles we have a historical glimpse into a homesteader’s life in rural Oregon written by Josef himself. Nothing is said of the contributions of pioneer women like Josef’s wife Dora who had to manage pregnancy and birth with little or no medical attention; i.e., Josef’s journal entry the day of Joe Jr’s birth “May 31, 1902: Hoed potatoes, 3:20 p.m. Joseph born”. At times Dora and the children would be left isolated in the country when Josef was off for extended periods working in the logging camps, on the road crew, or pruning orchards.

“Mamma [Dora] did not like to shoot a rifle, but like other pioneer women could use it if she had to.” Daughter Ina, 1992