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.
JOHAN N. G. VEHRS, whose postoffice
address is Ritzville, and who lives on a farm three miles west from that
city, is a native of Germany, born March 6, 1868. He is the son of
Peter and Antge C. Vehrs, who came from their native country, Germany,
to America, in 1869 and located in Illinois and engaged in farming.
They came to Adams county and took a homestead where our subject now lives.
The father later purchased three quarter-sections of land from the railroad
company, making him the possessor in all of a complete section of choice
agricultural land. The father is now living at the age of seventy-two
years, but the mother passed away in 1899.
The subject of our sketch received a grammar
school education, and at the age of twenty-seven he assumed the management
of his father's farm, which he still retains. From time to time he
has purchased land for himself until they now own fourteen hundred and
forty acres and cultivates it all, raising as high as twenty-six thousand
bushels of wheat in a single season. He keeps on his farm thirty-two
head of draft horses.
In the year 1895 Mr. Vehrs was married to
Miss Margaret Clodius, a brief sketch of whose life is incorporated with
the sketch of her father, C. F. Clodius, which appears elsewhere in this
volume. To this union have been born four children, all now living,
Gretchen, Anna, Peter and Joseph.
Mr. Vehrs is a member of a family which originally
contained six children, only one of whom, besides himself, is now living,
Margaret Maud, now Mrs. J. Denakas, of Adams county.
In political matters, Mr. Vehrs is affiliated
with the Republican party, in the workings of which he takes a deep and
aggressive interest. He holds membership in the German Congregationalist
church.
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