Albert Ebel (b. 1873) was a notable farmer in Arago Precinct, Richardson County, Nebraska. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, he was the son of German immigrant Henry Ebel and Swiss-born Elizabeth Kohler, both pioneers of Richardson County. Albert grew up on the family farm in Jefferson Precinct, later acquiring a 200-acre farm in Arago in 1907. A Republican, he served as precinct treasurer, clerk, and school board member. In 1899, he married Mary Hunker, and they had five children. The Ebels were active members of the Lutheran church and their local community.
Albert Ebel, one of the substantial farmers of the precinct of Arago in this county, owner of a fine farm of two hundred acres in section 16 of that precinct and former clerk and former treasurer of his home precinct, was born at St. Joseph, Missouri, August 15, 1873, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Kohler) Ebel, who became pioneers of Richardson county and here spent their last days.
Henry Ebel was a native of Germany, born in the town of Grabow, February 5, 1844, and grew to manhood in his native land, there learning the trade of carpenter and remaining there until he had attained his majority, when, in 1865, he came to the United States and proceeded on out to the then Territory of Nebraska and settled in this county, later going to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he began working at his trade, and where he was married on October 22, 1872, to Elizabeth Kohler, a native of the Republic of Switzerland, born on April 5, 1851, who had accompanied her parents to this country, the family settling at St. Joseph. In the meantime Henry Ebel had entered a small tract of land in the precinct of Jefferson, this county, and after awhile returned here and for a time made his home on that farm, later moving to Atchison, Kansas, where he worked at his trade for three years, at the end of which time he returned to his farm in this county and settled down to improve and develop the sane, and here he spent the remainder of his life, becoming one of the substantial farmers of that part of the county. He died on December 13, 1911, and his widow survived him but one day more than seven months, her death occurring on July 14, 1912. They were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first-born, the others being as follow: Charles, a farmer in Brown county, Kansas; Mrs. Lizzie Caston, of Jefferson precinct, this county; Mrs. Lena Hartman, of the precinct of Rulo; Mrs. Henrietta Zimmerman, of Jefferson precinct, and Henry, who is farming with his brother, Charles, in Kansas.
Reared on the home farm in Jefferson precinct, Albert Ebel received his schooling in the local schools and from the days of his boyhood was a valued aid to his father in the labors of developing and improving the home place and has continued farming ever since, now the owner of a fine farm of two hundred acres in section 16 of the precinct of Arago, which he bought in 1907 and on which he since has made his home, he and his family being very comfortably situated there. In addition to his general farming Mr. Ebel gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock and is doing very well in his operations. Politically, he is a Republican and for fifteen years has been a member of the school board. He also served for two years as precinct treasurer and three years as clerk of the precinct and in other ways has done his part in the public service of the community in which he has lived since the days of his boyhood.
On February 9, 1899, Albert Ebel was united in marriage to Mary Hunker, who was born in Osborne county, Kansas, September 10, 1873, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Meier) Hunker, who became residents of Richardson county in 1877 and here spent the remainder of their lives. Jacob Hunker was born in Wittenburg, Germany, October 12, 1837, and in 1867 came to this country and located at Horton, Kansas, in the vicinity of which place he began farming and where, in 1868, he married Mary Meier, who was born at Glallfelden, in Zurich, Switzerland, December 24, 1850. Not long after his marriage Jacob Hunker moved to Osborne county, Kansas, and there remained until he came to this county and here established his home in 1877, becoming a substantial farmer in the precinct of Arago, where he remained until his retirement from the farm and removal to Falls City, where his last days were spent, his death occurring there on February 14, 1915. His wife had died many years before, her death occurring on December 18, 1880, a little more than three years after the family settled in this county.
To Albert and Mary (Hunker) Ebel five children have been born, Amos, Walter, Louis, Elsie and Alma. Mr. and Mrs. Ebel are members of the Lutheran church and take a proper part in church work as well as in the general social activities of the community in which they live.
Source
Edwards, Lewis C., History of Richardson County, Nebraska : Its People, Industries and Institutions, Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen, 1917.