Additional Notes of Spering Kresge

Historical Sketch of the Spering Kresge Family

In 1877 Spering & Ellen Freyman Kresge came to Kansas from Eastern Pennsylvania. They brought with them their one-year-old son Roland.

Prior to 1864, Peter Kresge, an older brother of Spering, had come to Kansas and settled in Ottawa County in order to avoid involvement in the Civil War. To cover is move, and obscure his identity; he changed the spelling of his name to Kresky.

When Spering and Ellen came to Kansas, they spent most of the first year living in a "dug-out" with the Peter Kresky family near what is now known as the Pawnee Gap school site (the building has recently been razed). This arrangement continued only until Spering contracted for a quarter section of land in the Pawnee Gap territory of Ottawa County. On this, at a choice location, he built an early day sandstone house. Here he farmed for many years; here he and Ellen raised their family of eleven children. He prided himself on his skill of tilling the soil and the measure of conservation he exercised in land use, much of which he had learned in the hill country of Pennsylvania. Fourteen acres of this land were set aside to be maintained as virgin soil and remained undisturbed until 1907.

Because the spelling of the family name had been changed by his brother, when he came to Kansas, Spering followed the pattern using the name Spering Kresky. Consequently the name Kresge & Kresky may be found in records and documents, but refer to the same family.

Not only was Spering a farmer, but also he was an educator. He received a college education in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, after which he taught two years in that vicinity. In Ottawa County, Kansas, he taught school during the winter terms at Ohio Grove and Roy districts, a total of twenty-two years. He and his wife, Ellen, saw to it that their children had good educational opportunities. Six of their eleven children were teachers; others were successful in farming, in business, and in military service.

Spering and Ellen were active in the religious life of the rural community and in the Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. He was Sunday School Superintendent for many years in the Ohio Grove Church and later in the Minneapolis Church. In the early days, he often conducted funeral services, delivered eulogies, and presided at graveside ceremonies. Often, his services went beyond the religious aspects. His team of horses and wagon on occasion would haul the casket to the graveside; the "lines" from his harness would be used to lower the casket into the grave. In short, he administered all the rites of burials.

In later years, he moved from the farm and took up life on Spruce Street in Minneapolis. After his death, his wife Ellen continued to live in this home until her death in 1932. It must be said that Ellen loved the Kansas plains, made a good home for her children, and never longed to go back to Pennsylvania. Ellen and Spering left a heritage of courage, fortitude, steadfastness, and exemplary Christian living for all who came after them, their children, neighbors and friends. Fond memories of their lives continue among all that knew and loved them.