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The first Schuetzenfest King and Queen were crowned in 1896

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BOW VALLEY — A lot has changed in the 125 years since Bow Valley hosted its first Schuetzenfest celebration,

Area farmers went from tilling up a 20-acre plot of land with a horse and plow to farming several sections or more at a time with a monstrous 48-row corn planter.

Settlers here burned wood or anything else they could find to heat their homes to fight off the cold Nebraska winters, while today gas or electric HVAC systems not only keep our homes toasty warm in the winter time, but nice and cool in the heat of the summer.

A couple of things have not changed, though.

The Noeckers, Thoenes, Sudbecks, Arenses and all their friends, relatives and neighbors still enjoy getting together every few years and showing off their German heritage.

They will all gather again this year at the Bow Valley Ballroom for a 125th anniversary celebration of the Bow Valley Schuetzenfest July 31 and Aug. 1.

A schedule of events for the two-day celebration can be found inside this week's Cedar County News. A list of the shooters who are hoping to be crowned as the 2021 Schuetzenfest King and Queen can also be found inside.

There have been more than 26 sets of Kings and Queens crowned during past Schuetzenfest events.

Not surprisingly, the Noecker and Thoene families have the most representatives in this elite group.

What follows is a near complete listing of Bow Valley Schuetzenfest Kings and Queens of the past. Anyone that can help fill in the blanks is asked to contact a member of the Bow Valley Park Association.

1896

Frank and Elizabeth Thoene

• Frank - Son of Frank Sr. and Ottillia (Arens) Thoene

• Elizabeth (Noecker) - Daughter of John Sr. and Josephine (Heimes) Noecker

Children

• Leona & John Dreesen

• Lucy & Casper Promes

• Fred & Pearl (Doering)

• Katie

• Albert & Irene (Kramer)

• Ida & Joe Uhing

• Mary & John Cash

• Lawrence & Agatha (Frank)

• Rudolph

1899

Frank and Mary Leise

• Frank – Son of Franz and Mary (Imoehl) Leise

• Mary (Stallman) – Daughter of Louis and

Helene Stallman (?)

Children

• Louis & Helen (Schulte)

• Richard & Marie (Murphy)

• Victor

• Francis Victor & Angela (Jansen)

• Erma & Harold Schulte

• Marie Ann & Arthur Vornhagen

1901

Frank Rabe and Elizabeth Tigges

• Frank – Son of Frank and Gertrude (Frigge) Rabe

• Elizabeth Tigges (Wife to Joe Schroeder) Daughter of John and Mary (Arens) Tigges

• First wife of Frank was Mary Schroeder (widowed)

• Second wife, Theresia (Tracy) Schulte

Children

• Paul Willibalt

• Ella Ann Wiberg

• Flora

• John

• Frances Munson

• Anthony

• Maria Rosa Tillman

1902

Henry Jr and Elizabeth (Heimes) Lange

• Henry Jr – Son of Henry Sr and Christina (Foecke) Lange

• Elizabeth – Daughter of Anton and Josephine (Fehling) Heimes

Children

• Victoria & Theodore Artz

• Wendline & Edna (Johnson)

• Elizabeth L.

• Alma & Hugo Stratman

• Marlin & Caroline (Hausman)

• Henrietta & Alphonse Burbach

• Christine & Clarence Weinandt

1904

Louis and Emma (Leise) Hochstein

• Louis – Son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Foerster) Hochstein

• Emma – Daughter of Franz and Maria (Bange) Leise

Children

• Victor & Lucina (Wolff)

• Clarence

1905

John A and

Kathryn (Bonertz) Thoene

• John A – Son of Frank A and Ottillia (Arens) Thoene

• Kathryn – Daughter of Michael and Catharine (Schoenburn) Bonertz

Children

• John Jr. & Rose (Uhing)

• Clifford & Betty (Englund) / Celestine (Westermark)

• Alton & Dolores (Steinhauser)

• Charlie & Ruth (Raymond)

1907

Herman and Lizzie (Pinkelman) Marx

• Herman - Son of Werner and Agnes (Lenzen) Marx

• Lizzie – Daughter of August and Mary (Weissen) Pinkelman

Children

• Raymond and Bernice (Hassman)

• Joseph and Anna (?)

1909

Ludwig Ewing Sr

1910

Joe and Mary (Bonertz) Sudbeck

• Joe – Son of Frank and Magdalena (Lange) Sudbeck

• Mary – Daughter of Michael and Catherine (Schoenburn) Bonertz

Children

• Alvina & Alphonse Uhing

• Adrian

1914

Joe and Louisa Marie (Arens) Hochstein

• Joe – Son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Foerster) Hochstein

• Louisa Marie – Daughter of Frank and Louisa Arens

Children

• Rudolph & Mary (Suing)

• Leonard Frank & Irene (Smith)

• Edward & Ida (Meyer)

• Harry & Clara (Becker)

• Marie & Courtland Peck

• Emma & Roland Haffner

• Ernest

• Raymond & Mary (Versteey)

• Veronica “Verne” Brian

• Derne

1905

John A and

Kathryn (Bonertz) Thoene

• John A – Son of Frank A and Ottillia (Arens) Thoene

• Kathryn – Daughter of Michael and Catharine (Schoenburn) Bonertz

Children

• John Jr. & Rose (Uhing)

• Clifford & Betty (Englund) / Celestine (Westermark)

• Alton & Dolores (Steinhauser)

• Charlie & Ruth (Raymond)

1916

John and

Leona (Thoene) Dreesen

• John – Son of ?

• Leona – Daughter of Frank and Lizzie (Noecker)Thoene

Children

• John

• Irma & Bruno Bonertz

• Francis & Elsie Louise (Sandris)

• Leonard

1934

Joe and Mary Ann (Hengstebeck) Wiebelhaus

• Joe Wiebelhaus – Son of Anton and Josephine (Muelhaus) Wiebelhaus

• Mary Ann – Daughter of Johann and Maria Anna (Grebe) Hengstebeck

Children

• Walter & Eva B (Jackson)

• Hubert & Donna Jeanne (Gobel)

• Mary Jo & Marlon Smith

1935

Edmund Arens and Mary Arens (cousins)

• Edmund Arens – Son of Louis & Rose Mary (Sudbeck) Betty Ward

• Mary Arens became a nun, Siste Mary Jo

• Children of Edmund

• Edna & James Hand

• Kathryn & Lester Adolph

• Karen Baker

• DeeEtta & Donald Prentice

• John & Rosie

• Kenneth & Peggy

1936

John J and Amalia “Millie” (Lintz) Frigge

• John Frigge – Son of Joseph & Theresa (Fernholz) Frigge

• Amalia “Millie” - Daughter of Nikolaus & Susanna Lintz

Children

• Charles

• Marietta & Irving Hoffbauer

• Louise & Kenneth Wallace

• Sister Mariella

1937

Henry Arens and Monica Heime

• Henry Arens – Son of Frank & Matilda (Pick) Arens and married Marcella (Fisher)

• Monica –

• Children of Henry & Marcella

• Joyce Keel

• Mary & Roger Johnson

• Gloria & Doug Schroer

• Susan & Rick Robinson

• Helene & Ed Bottolfsen

• Doris & Duane Feilmeier

• Lynne Konz

• Charles & Jolene

• Stephen & Deb

1938

Pete and Margaret

(Wortmann) Becker

• Pete Becker – Son of Mr. & Mrs. Peter Becker

• Margaret – Daughter of Henry & Teresa (Noecker) Wortmann

Children

• Joseph & Romaine (Lange)

• Mary Stella & Jerome Kuehler

• Theresa and Tom Moser

1939

John and Mary (Wieseler) Kathol

• John Kathol – Son of William & Christine Kathol

• Mary – Daughter of Frank & Christina (Suing) Wieseler

Children

• Christine & Marvin Kruse

• Delores & Norman Sudbeck

• Mary Ann & Joseph Stastny

• Art & Maureen (Sudbeck)

1940

Paul and Pauline (Stappert) Noecker

• Paul Noecker – Son of John & Mary (Pinkelman) Noecker

• Pauline – Daughter of Frank & Mary (Arens) Stappert

Children

• Erma & Frank Promes

• Phyliss & Cyril Koch

• Ralph

1941

Alphonse and Margaret (Burbach) Wortmann

• Alphonse Wortmann – Son of Henry & Theresa (Noecker) Wortmann

• Margaret – Daughter of Mathias & Francis (Heimes) Burbach

Children

• Rita & Andrew Steffen

• Betty & Victor Nissen

• Roman & Wilma (Bruns)

• Ruth & Gerald Foxhoven

• Gloria & Chuck McDonald

• Ethel

1976

LaVerle and Karen (Kathol) Heimes

• LaVerle Heimes – Son of Leonard & Teresa (Boehmer) Heimes

• Karen – Daughter of Ivo & Bernadette (Jansen) Kathol

Children

• Janell & Pat Wortmann

• Bill & Darla (Janish)

• Bob & Michelle (Birger)

• Jane & Mat Sayler

• Mary

• Ashley

1996

Gary and Doris Hochstein

• Gary Hochstein – Son of Stephan & Thecla (Burbach) Hochstein

• Doris – Daughter of Leonard & Mary Jansen

Children

• Brenda & Doug Ketter

• Tina & Aaron Koch

• Sheila & Gayle Brummer

• Stacy & Courtney (Arens)

2000

Rick and Mary Pinkelman

• Rick Pinkelman – Son of Ed & Eleanor (Wortmann) Pinkelman

• Mary – Daughter of Don & Merna (Buschelman) Kollars

Children

• Trina & Jay Gilbertson

• Lana & Casey Gooby

• Clint & Shelly (Uhing)

• Peni R

• Erin & Steve Lopez

2005

Brian and Stephanie (Mannion) Lange

• Brian Lange – Son of Ed & Bernadette (Schroeder) Lange

• Stephanie – Daughter of James & Janet (Mannion) Hansen

Children

• Austin

• Justin

• Michaela

2010

Danni and Karen Thoene

• Danni Thoene – Son of John Jr. & Rose (Uhing) Thoene

• Karen – Daughter of Jerome & Doris (Haberman) Noecker

Children

• Wendy & Kris Krie

• Tommy & Jamie (Fisher)

• Dani & Jennie (Smith)

• Terry & Stacy (Peitz)

• Joey & Jamie (Keller)

• Cody & Kylie (Bakke)

• Jimmy

2015

Todd and Jean (Steffen) Wiebelhaus

• Todd Wiebelhaus – Son of Irvin & Chysantha (Kollars) Wiebelhaus

• Jean – Daughter of Orville & Pat (Fisher) Steffen

Children

• Chrys & Jody Koch

• Kayla & Tom Arens

• Cheryl & Austin Hunter

• Sheila

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