The Donat Seger Family - from "The Stuart Centennial"

Donatus Seger Family
Stuart Centennial, A One Hundred Year History of Stuart, Nebraska (1884-1984)
This publication and others about the Stuart Nebraska area and people are available for purchase from:The Stuart White Horse Museum

page 333 and 334
On Sept 26,1828, Donatus Seger was born in Friesenheim (Baden) Germany. He married Margaret Sontag (born 1830) of Luxemburg.

They left their homeland to come to America in 1851 settling in Chicago, Illinois. There Donatus and Margaret lived for 28 years. They had 6 children; Leopold (Oct 31,1856), Jennie (1865), Donatus (1867), Paul (May 21, 1869) and John H (Aug 1871). The last child Max, (1873) was born in Long Grove, Ill.

Leopold Seger was born in Chicago, the eldest son of Donatus and Margaret. In 1878 Leopold made a westward trek by covered wagon over the plains of Iowa and Nebraska with his parents, four brothers and one sister. They stopped in Omaha, Nebraska, where they worked in a meat market.

However, in just two years, the Seger family again traveled further west, looking for a place called Atkinson, Nebraska, where land was available for homesteading. Their well used covered wagon was drawn by a team of oxen with one cow being prodded along behind the wagon.

On April 1,1880 they came at last to a few buildings standing grey against the horizon. One son, Paul, was sent to inquire the whereabouts of Atkinson. To their surprise, they had finally arrived at their destination. The long, dusty trip over, the Segers homesteaded about 5 miles west and 1 mile north of the small Atkinson settlement. In just 2 years, 1882, this small town beginning was to become incorporated as a township.

Working hard to prove their homesteader’s deed, the Segers fought to tame the Nebraska soil. Some of the boys even helped friends on neighboring farms.

Margaret Sontag Seger died on Oct 28,1894, and was buried in the Atkinson Cemetery. Donatus then made his home with his son, Donatus, and wife, Josephine. He died Oct 27,1909, and was buried in the St Joseph Catholic Cem, Atkinson, Nebraska. Of him it was said, “He was a man who united sound sense with strong convictions, and a candid, outspoken temper, eminently fitted to mould the rude elements of pioneer society into form and consistency, and aid in raising a high standard of citizenship in our young and growing state.”

Continued:

1. John Leopold Seger - from "The Stuart Centennial"


2. The John "Jack" Seger Family - from "The Stuart Centennial"


3. The William James Seger Family - from "The Stuart Centennial"


4. The Max J Seger Family - from "The Stuart Centennial"