Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",  published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

---

     MRS.  WILHELMINA H. KELBER is a native of Osswo Kreis Friedland, Prenszen, Germany, born February 27, 1857, the daughter of Christian and Wilhelmina (Kleinschmidt) Redetzke, both native Germans.  The parents lived and died in the country of their birth.
     Mrs. Kelber's father was twice married and was the father of nine children---three by his first and six by his second marriage.  Our subject was a daughter by the second marriage.  Until arriving at the age of eighteen years she lived where she was born, after which she removed to Berlin.  While in that city she was married to August Bogk, who departed this life during November, 1899, leaving the widow with two children.  Mrs. Bogk did dressmaking, which trade she mastered early in life, until coming to America in 1893.  She located first at Winona, Minnesota, where she worked at her trade five and one half years.  Eleven months after arriving there she married Henry Kelber, from whom she secured a divorce on April 9, 1900.  She came to Washington in 1898, and settled at Lind, where she worked at dressmaking and invested her savings in real estate.  She also filed a homestead in 1901 five miles north of Lind.  She made commutation proof in December, 1903, and removed to Lind where she has eight lots, a comfortable home, and some acre property.  Her land is all fenced, well improved and in cultivation.
     Mrs. Kelber has two children: Mrs. A. C. Jansen, a sketch of whose life is elsewhere printed; and George C., telegraph operator at Badger, who makes his home with his mother.
     Mrs. Kelber is a prominent member of the Royal Neighbors of America, having membership in the Lind lodge of that order, and her religious affiliations are with the Lutheran church.

BACK