oppela
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.
ADAM OPPEL is a son of the fatherland,
whence came so many of the most thrifty and substantial citizens of the
United States. He was born in Bavaria on January 17, 1855, the son
of George and Mary (Degen) Oppel, natives of Germany. The public
schools of Germany contributed the educational training that our subject
received and he was a faithful and an obedient son under the parental roof,
until twenty-one yeas of age, at which time he enlisted in the regular
army and served for three years. It was 1882, that he left the environments
of his home land and came to the United States, seeking for better fields
of activity. For about four years, he resided in Minnesota and in
1887, came to Ellensburg, Washington, where he was engaged in a brewery
for one year. It was in 1888, that he finally came to Douglas county
and selected a homestead two miles north from Southside, where we find
him at the present time. He has bought another quarter section and
devotes the whole estate to the production of small grains of which he
raises abundant crops. The place is supplied with an abundance of
pure spring water, good residence, barns, outbuildings, orchard and so
forth and is one of the comfortable and valuable rural abodes of the county.
Mr. Oppel has the following brothers and sisters, John, Mordz, Mary, Koony,
Margaret and Katherine, all living in Germany.
On January 15, 1889, Mr. Oppel married Miss
Elsie Roberts. Her parents, Matthew and Suzie (Hilgen) Roberts, were
natives of Luxumburg, Germany. Mrs. Oppel was born in Luxumburg on
September 12, 1860 and has five brothers, Matthew, Nicholas, Michael, Burnhardt,
and Martin. On April 4, 1899 at the family home in Douglas county,
Mrs. Oppel was called to pass to the realities of another world.
She left the following named children: George, born on October 29, 1889;
Michael S., born on October 19, 1897, and Adam S., born on March 11, 1899
and died in August, 1900. All natives of this county.
Mr. Oppel is a good reliable man and loyal
citizen and one of the industrious makers of the section. He is entitled
to receive the approval and esteem of all who know him.
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