George & Catherine Winker

George Francis Winker

Born: August 2, 1862 - Waupaca County, Wisconsin
Died: January 6, 1904 - De Smet, South Dakota
Parents: John Winker & Caroline Schultz
Catherine (Kate) Cecilia Calhoun Winker

Born: October 25, 1855 - Ontario, Canada
Died: February 13, 1932 - De Smet, South Dakota
Parents: Henry Calhoun and Mary Margaret O'Connor
Married: 6 Feb 1888, De Smet, Dakota Terr.

Children:

                       | Mary                    b. 11 Nov 1888   d.   
                       | John William            b. 01 Jun 1890   d. 05 Jan 1956 (Howard, SD)
George F. Winker  \    | George Francis (Frank)  b.    Oct 1891   d.        1918 (De Smet, SD)
      &            }---| Henry Joseph            b. 20 Feb 1893   d. 28 Jun 1963 (Portland, Oregon)
Catherine Winker  /    | Lewis Edward            b. 30 Aug 1894   d. 18 May 1949 (Little Falls, MN)
                       | James Thomas (Tom)      b. 06 Jul 1897   d.    Dec 1970 (Sioux Falls, SD)
                       | Bernard                 b. 19 Jun 1898   d.    Jun 1898 (Carthage SD)
                       | Burnetta                b. 19 Jun 1898   d. 02 Sep 1898 (Carthage SD)

The following is a re-write of excerpts from the book "Winker - Spaichengen" a history of the John and Martha Winker family, edited by Rose Mary Feldhaus and Cecelia Halter. © 1979 by Rose Mary Feldhaus. Published by Pine Hill Press, Freeman, SD.

George Winker was born in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, on August 2, 1862. His parents were John and Caroline Winker.
He came to South Dakota in 1884 with his half-brother August Schultz (Caroline's son from her first marriage). In 1887 George applied for and received a timber claim of 160 acres in Grafton township, Miner County, near Carthage, South Dakota.
Katherine Cecilia Calhoun¹ was born in Ontario province, Canada, October 25, 1865². Her parents were Mary Margaret O'Connor, who was born in Ireland, and Henry Calhoun, who was born in New York state. Katherine Calhoun came to Mathews township near DeSmet, South Dakota, around 1881-1883 with her parents.
George Winker and Katherine (Kate) Calhoun were married at the Catholic Church in De Smet in February 1888. They had eight children: Mary, born November 11, 1888; John William, born June 1, 1890; George Francis (Frank) born October 1891; Henry, born February 20, 1893; Lewis Edward, born August 30, 1894; James Thomas (Tom), born July 6, 1896. Twins Bernard and Catherine Burnetta, born June 19, 1898 did not live long -- Bernard died shortly after birth, Burnetta died in September of that year.
In 1902 George sold his land in Miner County and purchased 240 acres in Mathews township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota, twelve miles south of De Smet. The family built a new house on that property.
George Winker was also a well-driller. On January 6, 1904, he was carrying dynamite from the warm kitchen to the cold outside. The sudden temperature change apparently caused the dynamite to explode and he was killed instantly. Katharine died February 13, 1932. They are buried at St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery, De Smet, South Dakota.

The first name is spelled "Katherine" in the book, but other records such as the Marriage Certificate and Death Certificate show the spelling as "Catherine".
The actual year of Kate's birth is uncertain. Going by various census records, she was born in 1855, 1856, or 1858. Her death certificate gives her birth date as October 25, 1855, and indicates she was "76 years, 3 months, 19 days".

Children:
Mary - Little is known about Mary. She was apparently married to Felix Arndt and had two daughters by him, Mary (b. abt. 1906) and Beatrice (b. abt. 1908). Mary Arndt, single head of the family, and her two daughters are listed on the 1920 Federal Census living in De Smet, SD, along with her mother, Kate Winker. She is mentioned in the obituary of her mother in 1932 which lists her as "Mrs. Mary Pool of Sioux Falls". There is a record of a land sale to a Maria Winker in Jackson County, South Dakota, recorded in 1907, but it is unknown if it is the same person.
John - John remained in the Howard, SD, area, married Martha Feuerstein, and they raised 13 children. He made his living as a farmer. Much of his story has been preserved in the book "Winker - Spaichengen - A History of the John and Martha Winker Family", edited by Rose Mary Feldhaus and Cecelia Halter.
Frank - (George Francis) Married Mary Frances Beese on July 14, 1917 in De Smet, South Dakota. Died in 1918 and is buried in the Catholic cemetery in De Smet. Mary moved to Oregon with her brother, John Thomas Beese, and his family in about 1937. John was married to Leona Feuerstein on 17 January 1917. Leona was the youngest sister of Martha (wife of John Winker) and Cecelia (wife of Lewis Winker).
Henry - Married Frances "Gay" Barrows in South Dakota. Moved to Portland, Oregon. They had at least one son, also named Henry Joseph (b. 30 July 1918, SD; d. 22 April 1993, Portland OR). Henry died in Oregon in 1963, but is believed buried in the De Smet cemetery. Frances died in 1972 and is buried in the De Smet cemetery.
Lewis - Married Cecelia Feuerstein, sister of John's wife Martha. Moved to Randall, Minnesota. MORE HERE.
Tom - (James Thomas) Lived in Sioux Falls, SD. Married Ethel Anderson of Valley Springs, SD. He died in Sioux Falls in 1970.
Bernard and Burnetta - Twins born in 1898. Bernard apparently died within hours after birth, Burnetta died at age 10 weeks. Burnetta is buried in Howard, SD. It is not known where Bernard is buried.
St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery is just to the east of the main De Smet Cemetery. The De Smet cemetery gets many visitors each year as it is the final resting place of the Ingalls family, whose struggles on the frontier were chronicled in Little Town on the Prairie and other books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
George Winker is buried near the road in a grave segregated from the rest of the cemetery as he was not Catholic. Catherine's stone is near the second road leading to the cemetery. Frank Winker (1891-1918) is buried just a few feet away from Catherine.

Obituaries and grave markers

*Photos courtesy of Rose Mary Feldhaus.*
	George Francis Winker August 2, 1862 - January 6, 1904
	Family portrait, approx. 1897. Front row: Henry and Lewis Back Row: John, George (seated), Mary, Katharine, Thomas (being held), Frank.
	George Winker Homestead, Miner County, South Dakota. circa 1898. Close up of people in photo (1000x300 pixels)
	New house, Mathews township, Kingsbury County, South Dakota. circa 1903.
	The back of the photo says: Calhoun Catherine Winker Mary Kildee Hannah O'Connor Mary Elizabeth Calhoun married Patrick Kildee and they lived in Kingsbury County near De Smet, SD. Hannah Calhoun married Charles O'Connor and they lived in Kingsbury County and Minnehaha County, SD.

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