and sisters are as follows: Laura L., John W., Frank C., Eddie C., Mamie E. and Albert L. She is a lady of culture and education, and besides the usual instruction of the common schools she attended the Peru Normal School of this State for four years, fitting herself for the position of a teacher, and continuing to follow that profession with marked ability and success for thirteen terms. She has presented her husband with one child, who bears the name of Macy Bartlett.
   Mrs. Stillwell is a devout member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and is the recipient of the cordial respect and esteem of her fellow members, as she is indeed of that of the community so far as she is known. Our subject is a member of the School Board at Russell. and has held that position since 1888. He is a firm Republican, and is always ready to take his stand with the party. He is a man of intelligence and character, and esteemed throughout the community.

REDERICK PAAP. The career of the self-made man is finely illustrated in the subject of this sketch, who began life in America dependent upon his own resources, without means, stranger in a strange land. He is now one of the leading farmers and landowners of Berlin Precinct, holding a clear title to 1,360 acres, which he as transformed from a tract of wild prairie to a highly productive condition. The homestead occupied the southwest corner of section 15, and presents one of the most attractive spots in the landscape of that region, being embellished with fine buildings, a commodious and convenient residence, a substantial barn, and the pens and sheds required for the shelter of stock, of which the proprietor makes a specialty. Within, the home is presided over by a lady well educated, refined and hospitable, who has done her share toward the building up of the reputation of the family, and assisted in drawing around them hosts of friends.
   Our subject was born in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg, Aug. 31, 1839, and is the son of Frederick, Sr., and Mary (Scholtz) Paap, who were natives of the same place as their son. The paternal grandfather, Dedloff Paap, was a cooper by trade, but served in the German army during the war between France and Russia. On the mother's side grandfather John Schultz inclined more to the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, being for a number of years overseer of a farm. Both spent their entire lives in their native Germany.
   The father of our subject occupied himself as a gardener near his native town until 1857, then resolved to emigrate to America. He was accompanied by his wife and children on the voyage across the Atlantic, and for two years thereafter lived in Cleveland, Ohio. In the spring of 1859, coming to this county, he purchased eighty acres of land on section 15, Berlin Precinct, for which he paid the sum of $70, all the money he had in the world. He commenced in true pioneer fashion the development of the farm, and was prospered in his labors, building up a good homestead and surrounding himself with all the comforts of life. He doubled his original purchase, and there spent his last days, passing away Aug. 4, 1879, when sixty-nine years old. The mother is still living, making her home with her son William, in Berlin Precinct, and is now seventy-eight years of age. Their three children were named respectively; Frederick, our subject; William and Louisa. The two latter are residents of this precinct.
   Mr. Paap attended the common schools of his native town until a lad of fourteen years, in the meantime learning the art of gardening of his father. After leaving the day school he pursued his studies at an evening school four years longer. He came with his father to the United States when a youth of eighteen years, in 1857, making the voyage on a sailing-vessel, the "St. John," embarking at Hamburg and landing at New York six weeks and three days later. In the meantime they encountered several storms, and at one time the ship took fire, but fortunately this was arrested before very much damage was done.
   Young Paap landed a stranger in a strange land, not being acquainted with a soul in America and almost penniless. He made his way to Cleveland, Ohio, where for two years he employed himself at whatever he could find to do, sometimes by the

month and sometimes by the day. In 1859 he resolved to cross the Mississippi, made his way by rail to St. Louis, thence by steamboat to this county, landing in Nebraska City. He was fortunate in securing employment on a farm, and worked the first year for Dave Martin, receiving at the close in payment for his services $150. This seemed quite a goodly sum, as he had landed in Nebraska with $5.
   Our subject the second year of his residence in this county was employed at a hotel in Nebraska City. In 1862 he engaged in freighting to Denver, and later worked in John Bennett's mill, near Nebraska City; 1863 and 1864 found him freighting again, and later he was employed in a wholesale establishment at Nebraska City. His journeyings across the plains were invested with the usual dangers and hardships for those times, when the Indians looked upon the whites with very unfriendly eyes, and the traveler at no time felt secure either as regarded life or property. Mr. Paap, however, possessed a cool and temperate judgment, which enabled him to keep out of difficulty both with the rough white element of that region and with the Indians. During the early part of 1865 he was one of the company of home guards organized for mutual protection.
   The eighty acres of land which our subject now occupies as his homestead proper was purchased by him in the spring of 1860, but he did not make any attempt at improvement upon it until after his marriage. Then, fortified by the assistance and sympathy of a good wife, he put up a modest dwelling, and in true pioneer style began the improvement of his property. In breaking the soil the wife frequently drove the oxen, while Mr. Paap held the plow. After he had put in his first crop he began setting out fruit and shade trees, and has now fine groves and eleven acres planted with apple trees, and choice fruits of the smaller varieties. In adding to his landed area he has paid all the way from $7 to $25 per acre, but for none of it would he to-day take less than $35 per acre. This he has divided into six farms, each being supplied with groves, orchards, houses and barns. For the building of his present fine residence he was obliged to haul all the material from Nebraska City. It is handsomely finished and furnished, and supplied with all modern conveniences.
   Mr. Paap began at an early date his operations as a stock-raiser, and has been remarkably successful. He keeps none but good grades of animals, and his horses are especially fine, being draft animals of the Clydesdale stock. Of these he has seventeen head, besides a span of valuable mules. In his stock operations he utilizes 320 acres of his land, over which he has personal supervision, and rents the balance.
   The marriage of Frederick Paap and Miss Caroline Sturm was celebrated at the home of the bride, in Weeping Water, Feb. 2, 1864. Mrs. Paap was born in what was then the Province of Alsace, France, March 24, 1846, and received a careful education, becoming familiar with both the French and German languages. She accompanied her father's family to America when a young girl of thirteen years, in the spring of 1859. Her parents were Andrew and Madeline (Understock) Sturm, also natives of Alsace, and the father a prosperous farmer. The mother died in Germany in 1853. The family crossed the Atlantic on the sailing-vessel "Brockness," and not long after landing in New York City proceeded directly westward to Nebraska, locating in Cass County, where the father purchased 320 acres of land. Upon this he settled with his family, effected good improvements, and there spent the remainder of his life, his death taking place in April, 1874, at the age of seventy-three years. The children of the parental household, five in number, were named respectively: Magdalene, Andrew, Sarah, Caroline and Mary. The brother and the sisters of Mrs. Paap are residents of Nebraska. Her maternal grandfather served in the French army during the war between France and Germany, in 1812. Grandfather Sturm during his early manhood was the owner of a fine property, but for thirty-six years afterward was bedridden from incurable disease, the expense of which consumed the most of it.
   To. Mr. and Mrs. Paap there have been born five children, namely: Omar, Alexander, Albert, Medora and Lydia, the latter twins. The, eldest of these is twenty-four years of age, and the younger ones ten. They are being trained and educated in