The Lammers Family History
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The history of the Lammers family dates back to 1850, when Anton’s father John W. Lammers came to America as an orphan from Hanover, Germany at the age of 19. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to learn the cooper trade "barrel making." It was here he met his first wife Susanna Adelheit (Grigamire) Meyer and their first child was born. They traveled to New Vienne, Iowa where they farmed for 6-7 years. They came to Cedar County on July 5,1861 at the encouragement of joining other pioneer families. On arrival, they had four children, a yoke of oxen, a wagon, a few items of furniture, some wheat seed and $32.00. During his first year, he purchased 160 acres near St. Helena and homesteaded and additional 160 acres. The family lived in a dugout already on the farm, Susanna died in childbirth, along with her twins in 1863. John hired the neighbor girl, Mary Stratman who was 16, to help raise the five children at home. Mary had immigrated from Germany at 14. They later married. Mary and John went on to have 15 children, plus three that died in infancy. Of John's 23 children, most of the children remained in Cedar County to live, and many of those continue to farm today. Overall, the Lammers family makes up one of the largest family relationships in Cedar County.
During his lifetime, John started the Lammers Ranch and become the largest cattle rancher in northeast Nebraska. John started lumberyards in Hartington and Bloomfield and became president of the First National Bank in Hartington. He died the wealthiest man north of Omaha.
John’s son A.K. (Anton Kasper) who went to college to study business, came back to Hartington to work in his father’s lumber business and eventually took over the lumber yard in Hartington until his death in 1944 at the age of 73. His wife Clara passed away ten years late in 1954. Together they had four daughters named Aurelia, Gertrude, Dolores and Kathryn.
The Lammers two-story Victorian style home and carriage barn was built in 1900 by Henry Stuckenhoff who also helped construct the Cedar County Courthouse and a number of other buildings in Hartington. The Lammers family moved into the home the following year in 1901. At that time, their home was the farthest home to the west in Hartington and around the home they raised alfalfa and other crops. There were many fruit and walnut trees around the house as well as a large strawberry patch and many grape vines. In 1915, a larger dining room was added to the home as well as two additional bedrooms. The house then had a total of fifteen rooms and Clara went about doing a lot of family entertaining in her large house which she loved. With the expanded dining room, she purchased a table with six large leaves and when fully expanded, it could seat 24 guests for a meal and entertaining.