Aug 22,1935, The Frontier

Claus Storjohann died at his ranch home north west of this city last Thursday afternoon, after an illness of several months of ailment incident to old age, at the age of 83 years and 13 days. The funeral services were held at the farm home last Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev E E Dillon officiating and burial in the Cemetery at Phoenix, a short distance from his original home in that section. The funeral was largely attended, people coming for many miles to pay their last tribute to this rugged pioneer.

Claus Storjohann was born in Alvesloke, Barmstedt, Holstein, Germany, on Aug 2,1852. When a young man he came to the United States and for three years lived in Iowa, coming to Holt County from Minden, Iowa, in the spring of 1884 and settled on a farm near Phoenix, where he lived for several years, then he built a new home on another farm that he had acquired a couple miles east of the old homestead, where he resided up to the time of his death.

On Jan 24,1883, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Steenbock, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, who with seven children are left to mourn the death of a kind and affectionate husband and father. The children are: Henry and William at home, and August, who lives on the old home place near Phoenix; Mrs Emma Butzke of Dallas, SD; Mary Devall, Meek; Martha Johring, Red Bird; Rose Goeke, Atkinson. In addition he is survived by 38 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and one brother, Hans, of Spencer.

Mr Storjohann was one of the pioneers of the Phoenix neighborhood, moving into that section of the county fifty one years ago last spring, when there were very few settlers in that section of the county. He endured all the hardships and privations of the early days, when neighbors were few and far between. He went through the destructive blizzard of 1888 to the panicky times of the nineties, but through it all he never complained having sincere faith in the future of the section that he had chosen for a home. And that hope was realized for he had one of the most commodious farm homes in the county, with all modern conveniences, and one of the best improved farms in this section, of the state, at the time of his death.

He was reared in the Lutheran faith but in 1894 he joined the Church of God and was a faithful member of that faith up to the time of his death. For many years he had been known as Grandpa Storjohann and was beloved by all the members of his family as well as his neighbors and friends for his many fine traits of character and his liberality to those in distress. He was an outstanding citizen and his passing will be sincerely regreted by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.