Krause family history

In 1940 Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Krause bought the John Warne 300-acre farm, and the George Van Vleet 240-acre farm that became the 540-acre Krause farm (site #54, 55 & 56) in Winfield Township. Charles Krause owned a 10,000 acre F Quarter Circle Ranch in Roggen, Colorado, a 400-cow ranch. Cattle from his ranch were fed on the Krause feedlots. Krause died on his ranch, September 1949.

Curtis Brigham and his son Charles J. Brigham rented and operated the Krause farm. It was a livestock feeder farm - 250 laying hens, 300 lambs, two feedlots for 260 cattle (in later years there were up to 430 cattle) and three milking cows. In the fields there was a rotation of corn, oats and hay.

On March 1, 1949, Curtis Brigham hired Robert C. and Gertrude C. Geltz to work on the farm and they raised their five children: Lillian, Robert, Marion, Marshal and Darlene (the oldest grandchild was born in 1959 on site #56 also). The address of the farm (site #56) was Rural Route #2, Box 838, West Chicago. It was in Winfield Township, had a Batavia telephone number, Warrenville grade school and church and Naperville high school.

Curtis Brigham died on the Krause farm, April 1949, and his son, Charles J. Brigham, was the man Robert C. and Gertrude C. Geltz worked for on the Krause farm. Henry and Tillie Borneman lived with and worked for Charles J. Brigham and Matt Molitor lived in the stone house (site #54) and worked for Charles J. Brigham. Borneman died in 1962 and Brigham died on the Krause farm December 1967 and Phill Miller rented the Krause farm in 1968. Bob and Gertrude left the farm in November 1968 and moved to Oswego, Illinois.

Robert C. and Gertrude C. Geltz Family attend the Fermilab Farm Family Picnic annually.

Click on individual photographs for more information.

Farm families