MR. AND MRS. JOHN HERTLEIN by Fred Hertlein (1967)

    John Hertlein was born in Dottenheim, Bavaria, Germany in 1862. He was a miller by trade. In 1886 he came to Canada and was employed by the C.P.R. in the years 1886 to 1888 In the summers he helped build the railroad from Foxwarren to Churchbridge. In 1888 he took up a homestead on 22-21-31, near Langenburg, Saskatchewan.

    The first few years he had no seeder so all his grain was broadcast by hand. He usually got up early in the morning about three o'clock when the weather was calm and broadcast his grain until seven o'clock. Then he came home for breakfast. After breakfast he would harrow the grain he had broadcasted.

    In 1891 he married Augusta Draheimt who was born in Germany in 1874 and came to Canada with her parents in June, 1884. The family resided in Winnipeg until the fall of 1886 when they moved to Langenburg, Saskatchewan.

    John Hertlein's first home was built of rails with a sod roof and their stable was built of sods. Drinking water was hauled on a stone-boat in a barrel from a neighbour. He hauled his fire-wood all the way from the Assiniboine valley as the surrounding country was all bare prairie at that time. Eggs were cheap. Once he took thirty dozen eggs to Millwood as time was not valuable and he could get one cent a dozen more for them there than in Langenburg. With the extra proceeds John was able to buy a large plug of tobacco. Butter was worth a few cents a pound. They used unsalted butter to grease their machinery.

    Because of the scarcity of wood and water, the Hertleins left Langenburg and moved in 1898 with their two sons Fred and Charles to a farm in the Minniska district. This farm bought from David Radaway for $200 cash, was the north-west quarter of 14-21-27. Here some more pioneer years were spent in hard work. The land was cleared of its surplus bush with no modern machinery to help. All their family except their youngest boy got their schooling in the old Minniska school.

    In 1919 John Hertlein and his wife and family, George, Lawrence, Ida and Ernest morred to a farm in the Freefield district, leaving their two oldest sons, Fred and Charles who took over their farm in the Minniska district.

    John Hertlein died in the fall of 1934. His daughter Ida, Mrs. Gordon Stinson, predeceased him in the spring of 1931 leaving behind her husband and infant daughter Joan. Joan, Mrs. John Williams resides in Scarborough, Ontario. Mrs. Hertlein later moved to Inglis and passed away in December, 1951. Fred and his wife live in Russell. They have three daughters Irene, Mrs. Donald Mc Leod, Donnie, Mrs. Ralph Tibbatts, and Margaret, Mrs. Roy Cusitar, Charlie Hertlein and his wife live in Russell. George Hertlein died at Swan River in the fall of 1953. Lawrence Hertlein and his wife have three daughters Ivy, Mrs. Frank Parkhouse and Twila, Mrs. Steve Brunyansky, and Starlet. Ernest Hertlein and his wife live in Calgary, Alberta.  Their only son, Wiley, and his wife also live in Clgary.

    Mr. and Mrs. John Hertlein are buried in the Freefield South Cementery, Inlis.

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