William Koch

William Koch and son Johannes came to Barnes County from Germany in 1884 and filed on Section 28 in Ashtabula Township. William was a landscaper in Germany and continued that work here as well as raising fruits and vegetables for sale, which he peddled with a horse and two wheeled cart.

Mr. Koch married a widow with two children from Kentucky. They had one son of their own, John H. Koch. John later became a minister in Washington and Oregon.

Johannes (or John) the first son of William, married a friend's widow, Augusta Bandit Luckow in 1892. She had come to America at the age of 16 alone. To this union were born eight children:

  1. Karl,

  2. Edward,

  3. Arthur,

  4. Dora,

  5. Helen,

  6. Clara,

  7. Katherine and

  8. John, Jr.

Johannes (or John) drowned in 1941 and Augusta died in 1940, as did Karl. Edward married Margaret Algeo. Arthur married Mattie Emery and then Frances Emery. Dora married Walter Emery, Jr. in 1922. Helen married Eugene Weller and Clara married Frank McNalley. Katherine married Richard Kunze. John married Rose Oettle.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 128