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.
FRED SANDBRINK, Ritzville, Washington,
is a stone mason by trade, but at present is engaged in farming three miles
north of the city just named. Born January 18, 1854, at Hanover,
Germany, he was the son of Fred and Mary (Boughman) Sandbrink, natives
of the same country as himself, where they have always been and still live.
Our subject was the third in point of age of a family of six, who, besides
himself, are: Clara, Henry, Lena, Mary and Katie.
Mr. Sandbrink received his early education
in Hustatte, Buer Kalis Molle, province of Hanover, and at the age of fourteen
he left school to engage in farm work, which he followed four years.
He then learned the stone mason's trade and followed it two years.
He also served two years in the imperial army. He then re-engaged
in working at his trade until 1880, when he came to America and located
in Nebraska. Here he lived six years, farming and plying his trade,
then came to Ritzville and filed on a homestead and a timber culture and
also purchased a quarter section of railroad land sixteen miles west of
Ritzville. He disposed of part of his land and came to his present
locality in 1898, and the following year bought four hundred and eighty
acres to which he has continued to add from time to time until he now owns
a section and a quarter, all fenced and well improved. He has the
finest of farm buildings and improvements, and raises as high as sixteen
thousand bushels of wheat in a season, besides a great quantity of other
cereals.
Fred Sandbrink was married to Margaret Bierman,
daughter of Christ and Mary (Vouheder) Bierman, native Germans, in 1880.
Mrs. Sandbrink has two sisters and two brothers, Lena, Henry, Louisa and
William.
To this union have been born five children:
William, deceased; Fred, at the head of the Sandbrink Piano House, of Spokane;
John, Henry and Charles, deceased.
Mr. Sandbrink is a determined and active Republican,
and a member of the Lutheran church.
He is one of the highly respected and substantial
farmers of Adams county.
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