Carl Kobler 1890s
Carl L. Kobler was born 2/15/1876 in Atalissa, Iowa. Carl married Elma Matilda Paxson on 5/1/1898. He died 7/19/1967 in Graham County Hospital in Hill City, KS. Buried in Penokee,KS Cemetery. Elma Paxson was born in Pleasant Plain, Iowa on 11/08/1877. Elma Paxson Kobler died 10/10/1960 in Hill City, KS and is buried in the Penokee Cemetery.
Carl & Elma Kobler Wedding 1898
Carl & Elma Kobler married 5/1/1898 & thought to be Eda & Will Higer married 4/12/1898
Carl and Elma were both school teachers at one time. They owned many acres along the Solomon River in Graham County Kansas. They built a large house there with stones cut by Carl’s father John F. Kobler. It had a full basement, first floor, second floor and full attic. Every room had window seats, and living and dining rooms had leaded glass insets. It was a
wonderful house for the children to grow up and many of the grandchildren were also lucky enough to also grow up there.
Carl Leo Kobler and Elma Paxson had the following children:
- Olive Kobler
- Leo Kobler
- Vera Marie Kobler
- Otto Kobler
- Raymond Kobler
Photos
Koblers in Coronet Band (early 1900s)
Carl & Elma Children 1907 – Marie Kobler (baby), Olive Kobler (back), Leo Kobler
Carl & Elma Kobler Children 1913
Back: Olive Kobler, Otto Kobler
Front: Marie Kobler, Raymond Kobler, Leo Kobler
Trip to San Francisco World’s Fair in 1915
One of the most memorable stories of the Carl and Elma Kobler family was the trip to the World’s fair in 1915. The details of this trip are described first hand in the Diary of Olive Kobler.
Front row second from left Wallace Steeples, second row third from left Otto Kobler, top row fourth drom left Leo Kobler
Carl & Elma Kobler Golden Wedding Anniversary
From Microfilm # 16699 – Hill City Times Apr 29, 1948 Graham County Library.
The original photo from the article:
Carl & Elma Kobler mid 1940s
Carl & Elma Kobler 60th Wedding Anniversary
Carl & Elma Kobler 60th Anniversary May 1, 1958
Carl and Elma Kobler headstones – Penokee, KS. cemetery.
Here is a newspaper editorial following the death of Carl Kobler.
They drove on the new Lincoln Highway during part of the trip. They left the farm near Penokee, Ks.on June 8,1915, and got stuck in the mud. It took them two and one-half hours to get the car free of the mud. They made it to Colby, Ks. at 8:00 that evening. This information came from the diary of Olive Kobler Steeples(age 16 at the time).
Ann, will you add more daily stuff on here as the trip advanced? I might add Marie and Otto had to sit on boxes for the trip. Leo got to sit in front with Granddad Kobler, and Olive sat with Grandmother on the backseat. Raymond sat on Grandmother’s lap. Marie and Otto did not like sitting on the boxes. Whenever they stopped Marie and Otto got out and ran around chasing each other.
Wed. June 9th Left Colby at 7:20. roads good to Brewster. Roads a fright to Goodland. Got there at noon……Stayed overnight at Flagler, arrived at 9:25 p.m.
Thurs. June 10 Left Flagler at 7:40. Got stuck again! fine roads to Peyton.. Grand view of Pikes Peak. Traveled 100 miles got to Peyton at 8:30 p.m. (Excerpts from Aunt Olive’s diary)
(I will try to scan in the diary—I will be writing forever otherwise) Will post until I figure how to scan in and post the diary.)
Uncle Raymond was in diapers! That couldn’t have been easy. No Pampers then!
I think it is a great idea to scan in the original diary. What better way to present the trip than via the first hand account in the author’s handwriting. Probably better for the trip to be a separate post anyway.
Ann, I would like to encourage you. I guess this is where the “seating arrangement” might be mentioned. Mom (Marie) told several times about how she and Uncle Otto had to sit on boxes all the way. She said Uncle Leo rode next to Granddad (to help, supposedly), Grandmother sat with Raymond on her lap in the back and Aunt Olive next to her. They all had “cushioned” seat while she and Uncle Otto had a hard wooden box to sit on. She said whenever they stopped she and Uncle Otto would get out of the car and run around chasing each other. They nearly drove Granddad crazy with that.
We were there and I remember what a big event it was. Golden Anniversaries were not common. Of course I thought they were quite old.
I believe their sixtieth was in Penokee. Jean thought the other couple was a cousin of Granddad, but I do not see the name of attendees that might fall in that category. They all seem to be neighbors names and immediate family.