Firestien Family
Peter Firestien (1869-1937) and Sophia (Yost) Firestien (1873-1929) (pictured on the right) and their sons, Conrad (1895-1976) and Louis (1898-1966), immigrated to Colorado as part of the group known as the "Germans from Russia" in 1899. The 1900 census placed them in Globeville, Colorado, a north-central Denver settlement that many Germans from Russia called home when first arriving in the U.S. Obituary records placed them in Eaton, Colorado, around 1903 and in the Windsor and Bracewell area as early as 1911. A 1917 Greeley City and Rural Directory confirmed they were living on the property currently known as the Von Trotha-Firestien Farm. The Germans from Russia were known for their work in the sugar beet fields and it is quite possible the sugar beet boom brought the family to the area.
A wood frame house once stood to the west of the current stucco farmhouse and this is where Peter and Sophia lived and raised their six children; Conrad and Louis, who were born in Russia, and George, Henry, John and Mary who were born in the U.S. Peter and his sons all farmed for Bode and Claude, the Von Trotha brothers.
Peter's oldest son, Conrad, married Mabel Sitzman (1899-1990) in 1922. They were married on the farm and had six children who all grew up on the "home place". Their children were Wallace, Wynona, Wilbert "Chuck", David, Shirley and Gerald. All of the children were born in the stucco farm house except for the youngest, Gerald.
Conrad originally farmed with his father, Peter. After marrying and living on a nearby farm, possibly near Severance, he and Mabel returned to the home farm and he took over the farming and feeding operations.
Conrad's sons farmed with him for many years. His oldest son, Wallace, was killed in action on Okinawa in 1945. Conrad's next oldest son, Chuck, was hesitant to marry, as his brother, Wallace, had been engaged when he was killed. Eventually, he did marry Ruth Brug in 1952. Conrad told the Von Trotha brothers, "Chuck's getting married and he needs a house". The brothers responded by moving a house in from an adjacent property. After returning from the Army, Chuck and Ruth lived in the house for over 50 years, raising their two children, Roger and Judy there. Ruth still lives in the house today.
Conrad's youngest son, Gerald "Jerry", and Conrad's grandson, Mark, still farm the 40 acres of farmland. The Firestien family has lived on and farmed the Von Trotha-Firestien Farm at Bracewell for at least the last 93 years, from 1917 to present day.
Links: Germans from Russia