Thomas Ableidinger

Thomas Ableidinger was born 21 Dec 1884 in Wisconsin. 21 Dec 1884 in Family Home Eau Galle Twp, Dunn Co WI. to Casper Ableidinger & Johanna Bauer. Tom thought his birthday was Dec 24th until he applied for Social Security. His daughter, Lucille remembers celebrating his birthday on Christmas Eve up until she was a teenager (Social Security began in 1935). He homesteaded south of Rhame, Bowman County, North Dakota. Homestead Land was filed in 1907 - NE Qtr of Sec 22 T131 N/R104 W of the 5th Principal Meridian - Adalaide Township, Bowman Co ND 160 acres. In April 1908, he shipped his horses and machinery from Kensal ND, arriving on the 15th of April when he started breaking up his homestead. The horses and machinery were shipped by train as the train tracks had just been laid through Bowman. He had lumber shipped down from Dickinson to build a 12x14 foot shack - The shipping charges were $50 for hauling. One large room was built out of this, very plain, just the 2x4's as this was the building used while he was batching. This homestead shack is the same building that was on the farm where the family lived and was used as a bunkhouse. the family farm in Harding County, South Dakota was the Homestead Land of his wife before they were married. Thomas married Mary Elizabeth 'Mayme' Radle 21 Apr 1913 at St Charles Catholic in Bowman, Bowman County, North Dakota. He passed away 20 Aug 1969 at Benedictine Nursing Home, Mt Angel, Marion County, Oregon (near his daughter, Luella) of Leukemia & Emphysema at age 84. Funeral services were held on 25 Aug 1969 at St Charles Catholic, bowman ND and he is buried at St Charles Cemetery, Bowman. Tom had the Ableidinger temper. He enjoyed News, playing cards, church activities - Very social/Saturdays in town were very important to him. Played the harmonica, entertaining his family at home. Loved to dance. Tom was a square dance caller during the homestead days at Karinan. His brother, Ambrose, was also a square dance caller in Kensal. No one knows if they learned to call dances together. He was the first person in Bowman to be stricken with typhoid fever in 1907. He was found lying out in the sun and a man built a tent over him. Dr J B Mann was the physician on the case and the townspeople took turns caring for him and others that had contacted the disease. The real estate man at that time gave up his shack to be used as a hospital." "Tom will be remembered as a very hard worker, always with a pipe in his mouth."