betzg
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
GEORGE H. BETZ is a farmer residing
one half mile east of Mondovi. He was born April 11, 1867, in Cass
county, Illinois, the son of John H. and Sebilla Betz, a sketch of whose
lives, together with those of his brothers and sisters, is incorporated
with that of his brother, John W., which appears elsewhere in this history.
Prior to coming west in 1882, the boyhood
of George Betz was spent for the most part in the common schools of his
native state. He came to Cheney with his parents and attended the
Cheney Academy, thus gaining a good working education. He came to
Lincoln county in the spring of 1892, and entered a timber culture; then
sold it, and bought the improvements on his present farm, upon which he
filed a homestead right.
George H. Betz was married March 8, 1897, to Louisa
Kik, a native of South Dakota, the daughter of David and Louisa Kik.
Both her parents were natives of Germany, and crossed the plains to California
while Mrs. Betz was a child. They came from California to Walla Walla,
where the mother died, the father later coming to Rock Creek, Lincoln county,
where he was an early pioneer. Mrs. Betz has two brothers, David
and Charles, and one sister, Mrs. Emma Maurer. Besides these she
has one half brother and three half sisters, William, Maimie, Lillie and
Anna.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Betz are members of the
United Brethren church at Mondovi.
Mr. Betz owns two hundred and forty acres
of the best land in the Big Bend, and has it all in the highest state of
cultivation, and improved in the most modern and elaborate style.
Besides having all manner of agricultural implements, his buildings and
farm furnishings the marvels of neatness and convenience. His house
is a modern eight room brick structure, containing in every room hot and
cold water piped from a reservoir which is kept supplied by a windmill
and pump. Besides furnishing power to pump water, the windmill is
employed to run a chop and feed mill, wood saw and emery wheel, and furnishes
power for a complete blacksmith and repair shop. His barn also is
supplied with water from the reservoir. He came to the country practically
without means and settled on raw land, improving it to its present state
by his own unaided efforts.
BACK