Casper Greb

Casper was born in Germany, February 7, 1831. We know nothing about his childhood nor when he came to America. His wife's name was Anna Elizabeth, and they had six children; Henry, Jack, Chris, Catherine, Will, and another daughter who died in childhood (name unknown). In 1881, Casper and his family came to Valley City, after living in Red Jacket, Michigan, and in Wisconsin. Catherine was born in Wisconsin.

In June of 1886, Casper bought the Northeast ΒΌ of Section 4 in Cuba Township and sold it to his son, Henry, in 1889. We do not know what Casper did before he farmed. He also owned a house in Valley City. Casper and his family were Lutherans, as were many of the other early German settlers in this area. They wanted to hear the doctrines of their church in their own language, so a traveling German Missionary conducted services at the home of Christ Paetow in 1882. Later, services were held in a schoolhouse and in 1888, the first constitution and by-laws of the German Lutheran Church were adopted. Casper served as a trustee for three years of this newly formed church. Many of Casper's descendants, six generations later, are members of this Church, now the Trinity Lutheran Church.

Casper and Anna's son, Will, moved to California where he was a fruit grower; it is not known whether he ever lived in Barnes County. Jack came here with his parents and married Louise Paetow; they moved to Oregon where he also was a fruit grower. Chris moved to Denver, Colorado and died in South Africa where he had gone to install machinery. Catherine married Adam Krug and they farmed in the Cuba area, raising 7 children. Henry married Elizabeth Schroeder and farmed in Cuba Township. They raised 7 children.

Casper passed away July 31, 1899, his wife preceding him in death in 1887.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 83