HERMAN and FRED SUEPKE

From 'Echoing Footsteps', published 1967, Powder River County Extension Homemakers Council

By Andrus Tyler

The C. F. Suepke family still lived in Germany when Herman was born there in 1851 and Fred in 1854. After the death of the mother, Henrietta (Olland) Suepke which occurred while she was on a sleigh riding party when a train struck the sleigh, the remaining Suepke family migrated to the United States, first settling in Wisconsin in 1866. Herman and Fred entered the interior decorating business in Chicago, Illinois. After Herman's health failed about the turn of the century and upon the advice of his doctor, they decided to come to Montana. There they purchased the James Davidson Estate ranch on Little Pumpkin Creek and resided there until Herman's death, July 18, 1904. Fred leased the land to Henning and Suepke (William Suepke was his brother) until he sold it to them in 1916. After leasing his ranching interest in 1904, Fred moved to Miles City and resumed interior decorating. In 1918 he moved to Seattle, Washington, where he died in 1926.