Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Vol. 2.
Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 33.
 
STEPHEN HEMSHORN
 
     One of the prosperous farmers and stock raisers in Marion county is Stephen
Hemshorn, whose farm lies in sections 32 and 33, township 5, range 1 west, near
Mt. Angel. The prosperity which has attended his efforts here has not been
attained through any element of luck, but solely through determined and
persistent efforts, backed by a thorough knowledge of his business and the
exercise of sound judgment in all of his affairs. Mr. Hemshorn was born July 6,
1866, in Ennegerloh, Westphalia, Germany, and is a son of William and Katrina
(Dagehues) Hemshorn, both of whom were natives and lifelong residents of
Westphalia, the mother being forty-five years old at the time of her death and
the father dying when seventy-three years old. They left five living children,
three of whom came to America, namely: Katharine, who is now in a
hospital-convent in Europe; Bernard, who has never married and lives with his
brother Stephen : John, who remains in Germany, and is married and has ten
children; Stephen, of this sketch; Annie, who became the wife of Bernard
Westoff, who died in 1911, leaving three children, all of whom are living in the
northwest.
 
     Stephen Hemshorn was educated in the public schools and in an agricultural
college in Germany and alter coming to the United States, at the age of
twenty-two years, attended the public schools. After living awhile in Kansas and
Portland, he came to the Willamette valley in 1891 and located on a tract of
fine land between Mt. Angel and Gervais, where he owns two hundred and
eighty-five acres, the greater part of which lies on section 33. He has cleared
all of the land and now has a valuable farm, on which he raises wheat, oats,
potatoes and onions, devoting about five acres to onions from 1904 to 1920,
during which period he was never annoyed with onion smut. While his biggest
crops are onions and potatoes, he has also raised fine crops of oats and wheat,
the latter running at times as high as forty bushels to the acre. Mr. Hemshorn
also devotes considerable attention to the raising of live stock, having nine
good milk cows and fattening about forty hogs. Since 1904 he has been engaged in
raising Percheron horses and has been very successful, his horses having taken
prizes at all shows where they have been exhibited, the awards running from red
ribbons to silver cups. He has also raised and. exhibited Holstein cattle for
several years, always with success, the cattle being exhibited in the names of
his children, while the horses were shown under his name. He also keeps a herd
of thoroughbred Chester White hogs. He has shown great energy, leaving nothing
undone which could contribute to the successful operation of his farm and doing
well whatever he has undertaken, so that he deserves the high reputation which
he enjoys in farming circles.
 
     In 1906, at Mt. Angel. Mr. Hemshorn was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth Vekele, who is of Austrian descent, and to them have been born six
children: Alphonsine, who was born September 20, 1908, and is a student in the
pharmacy school of the Oregon Agricultural College, at Corvallis; Werner, born
November 7, 1909, a student at Mt. Angel; Hugo, born October 23, 1911, also a
student at Mt. Angel; Arthur, born October 24, 1913, now in school; Eugenia,
born January 29, 1916; and Marie, born January 19, 1922. Mr. Hemshorn is a man
of fine public spirit, being greatly interested in the prosperity and welfare of
his community, and is well liked by his neighbors and fellowmen, being regarded
as one of the leading residents of his locality.

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2016 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.