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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.
JOHN W. BETZ came without means
to Lincoln county in 1892, and now has a valuable farm one and one-fourth
miles east of Mondovi, and a home containing all the modern improvements
and conveniences. He was born June 25, 1869, in Cass county, Illinois.
His father was a tailor by trade, born in Germany, an early immigrant to
Illinois, where, upon the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company
K, Thirty-third Illinois Regulars, commissioned a first sergeant, participated
in the siege of Vicksburg and in numerous lesser battles and skirmishes,
was several times wounded, and mustered out at the close of the war after
seeing four years of hard army service. He is a prominent member
of the G. A. R., and is now living a retired life in Spokane. His
name is John H. Betz; that of his wife is Sevilla Betz. She, too,
was born in Germany and came to Illinois at an early age and there was
married. They are seventy-six and sixty-six years of age, respectively.
The brothers and sisters of John W. Betz are:
George, Mondovi; Albert, Edward and Christian, of near Cheney; Anna, a
Cheney normal school graduate, now teaching in Cheney; and Mary, a graduate
of Stanford.
In the fall of 1882 our subject came with
his parents to Cheney, where he grew up on a farm, and came to Lincoln
county in 1892 and began farming on the place which is still his home.
He makes a specialty of grain farming and stock raising.
February 14, 1894, he was married to Rosana
Beem, a native of Mattoon, Illinois, the daughter of John T. and Elizabeth
(Daniels) Beem, natives of Illinois and Indiana. They are now living
near Tyler, Spokane county, and are parents of five children: Mrs. Betz,
Mrs. Nora Moreland, Nolan, Stella and Flora. With her parents Mrs.
Betz drove overland at an early age to Kansas, thence to Texas and back
to Kansas, and crossed the plains to Cheney in 1887, coming by team and
wagon. In 1902 with her husband she drove to Harney county, Oregon,
and returned, making in all several thousands of miles she has traveled
in a wagon.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Betz are members of the
Free Methodist church.
They are parents of five children: Alberta
G., Estella M., Mary B., John E. and Jennie S.
Mr. Betz can feel justly proud of the progress
he has made since starting life in his present locality, and for his handsome
home and his high standing among his neighbors he owes only himself, his
industry, brain, honesty and social and business integrity.
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