From a typed history given by Fred Laroy Ward, written by someone in 1981: "Aaron Klumpnaar lived in Amsterdam Holland with five children. After the mother died the father remarried. The eldest child was Aaron Jr. the next William (Wilhelm). When he was 12 his step mother spanked his baby sister, and Wm. Upset, run away taking a brother Garett, and Peter and little sister Minnie to the docks and boarded an American freighter hiding among large bales. When they docked in New York the captain turned them over to the City Children's shelter. The name was changed to Clumpner. "Wm. being 12 went to work for a New York paper. He told about the thrill it was to replace their wooden shoes with leather ones. He kept the shoes his sister had worn and later family members remembered seeing them. "His brother Peter remained a bachelor going to North Dakota to work in grain elevators. Garett married and had three children. Peter - died young, Dan lived in Superior, Dollie - died young. "Little Minnie had a college education in the east and married Aaron Hageman and moved to Big Spring, Wi. They had two children: Evart hageman and Minnie Hageman. Minnie married Aris Vanderbuilt, and had two sons. Wm. and Andrew Vanderbuilt. "Wm. and Eveline moved to Necedah, Wi., When the children were in their teens they moved to Prairie Farm, Wi. First living in what had been the Methodist Parsonage. Later bought a farm on the edge of town. The farm was 40 acres, and they made a space in the corner of the farm to the village cemetery. It is still there and the road to the cemetery goes right past the house. The sons went to work for the Wis. Lumber Co. "Laura Francis and Gus Best, then a widower with 7 children and they had three of their own. They built a large 21 room home at the edge of town on the River. It is still there today 1981. Gus died of diabetes. "In that cemetery are Laura and Gus. Wm. and Eveline, Sarah Ward Best Eveline's sister. "In the Big Spring Cemetery are the Hageman's and Vanderbuilts along with most of the Wards, John Best, and the Landts. "I have a note that William Clumpner came to U.S. in 1848."
Contributor: DebVSatterleeMcLachlan (48021149)