When I run into a surname that was also once in Manning, I try to find out if they are connected to Manning. I'm so fortunate to have Connie, daughter of Marian (Ohrt) who graduated from MHS in 1942, and niece of Shirley (Ohrt) Reid MHS 1950...as Connie searches the Internet for obituaries and other information about Manning people of the past.
She find obituaries but many times there is NO mention of Manning, so then I have to try to find clues in my database to see if the person we found, originally lived in Manning.

Recently I ran into the Loptien name. We found some obituaries and information on the web but I wasn't sure if they were originally in Manning.
Here is one of the places I started which is my Manning Schools records.
Now I need to give a little background as to how/why I have this information.
When I started working on the Manning Schools history book project I organized various groups of volunteers to help me in various areas of history.
I don't recall all of the volunteers at this time but Marilyn Hansen, Vic & Donna Schwiesow, Carol Hagedorn, Judy Lee, and others would go out to the high school office several times a week and go through the official student school record books to transcribe names and the years they attended Manning schools. Their efforts have provided me with so many ways to work on Manning's history way beyond just the aspects of the school history.

I have the names of the graduates and those who were former students in spreadsheet database files but I had not scanned the sheets that have the years each student attended, so I spent a whole day scanning them.

Loptien is a surname I recently ran across and here are the years Loptien children attended Manning Schools and helped me confirm the obituaries we found were of those students.

Now most people probably couldn't care less but having delved so deeply into Manning's history for decades, I'm intrigued with every name I can connect to our past...in a way that probably no one else can do for a community.

When you scroll through the PDF file, pay close attention to the tedious work it took to go through the various school record books and then mark down each year the Loptien name showed up.
I wish now I had documented how long these volunteers sat in the school office to do this but it was several weeks.
Another major challenge I have is determining the correct spelling of a name. Sometimes it takes years to find enough sources to confirm the correct spelling and other times the spelling variations began when the family immigrated to the US and then later may have changed the spelling...but most of the time the names were simply misspelled or phonetically spelled.
You'll see several versions of Loptien in this file.

Loptien students in Manning Schools

By comparing the names of the Loptien students, I was able to confirm these obituaries Connie found, that they were indeed the same family members who lived in Manning and later moved away, before graduating.

Below are the obits we found and you'll see the yellow highlighted information I added that connects and confirms they lived in Manning at one time.

Loptien mother

Rites Wednesday for Mrs. Fred Loptien, Schuyler Resident
Funeral services for Margaretha Loptien, 80, who died at her home here Sunday morning, April 27, 1947, will be at 2 p.m., Wednesday in St. John's Lutheran Church with Rev. Grant Van Boening officiating. The body will be taken from the Bideaux Funeral Home at 4 p.m. Tuesday, and will be at the Loptien home until 1:30 p.m., Wednesday when a prayer service will be held there. Burial is to be in the Schuyler Cemetery, Schuyler, Nebraska.

Pallbearers will be Carl Schmalle of North Bend, and Karl Zuelow Kermit Wagner, William Herling, Gus Hahn, and Everett Loscke, all of Schuyler.

Mrs. Loptien, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Martens, was born November 17, 1868, in Albersdorf, Germany. The family came to the United States when she was 14 years old and settled in Iowa. Following her marriage to Fred Loptien December 23, 1884, at Wheatland, Iowa, the couple lived there until 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Loptien came to Schuyler 30 years ago.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Dora Schindler and Mrs. Herman Linenburg, both of Schuyler; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Mr. Loptien died in 1935 and a daughter, Mrs. Wanda Haberman, died in 1927.
Fremont Tribune, April 29, 1947

These girls attended Manning Schools: Dora, Ida, Wanda, Elva, and Hazel Loptien
This name shows up until 1915 in Dave Kusel's database records.

Loptien father

FRED LOPTIEN
Fred Loptien, 74, a resident of Schuyler the past 18 years, passed away suddenly at the family residence late Wednesday forenoon, January 2, 1934.

Mr. Loptien had been in failing health since last summer and during the past two months his decline had been quite rapid. He was stricken with a severe heart attack at the Standard Oil station only a few days previous to his death, but rallied after a short time and was able to go home alone.

Mr. Loptien was born at Moline, Illinois, October 18, 1860. His marriage to Miss Margaret Martens took place at Wheatland, Iowa, December 23, 1883.

Surviving are the widow, two daughters, Mrs. Dora Schindler and Ida (Mrs. Herman) Linenburg, both of Schuyler, two brothers, Hugo Loptien of Denver, Colorado, and William Loptien of Ashland, Kentucky, two sisters, Mrs. Dora Starcken of Ainsley, Alabama, and Mrs. Clara McCraven of Heflin, Alabama, and seven grandchildren.

A daughter, Wanda (Mrs. Jake) Haberman, passed away seven years ago.

Funeral rites will be conducted Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at St. John's Lutheran Church, the pastor, Rev. Henry Monnick, officiating. Burial will be made in the Schuyler Cemetery, Schuyler, Nebraska.
Schuyler Sun, January 3, 1935

These girls attended Manning Schools: Dora, Ida, Wanda, Elva, and Hazel Loptien
This name shows up until 1915 in Dave Kusel's database records.

Loptien children

Ida Linenburg
Services for Ida Linenburg, 87, of Schuyler, were this afternoon at St. John's Lutheran Church here. The Rev. Robert Carlson officiated.

Mrs. Linenburg died Saturday, February 18, 1978, in the Schuyler Hospital.

Daughter of Fred and Margaret (Martens) Loptien, she was born July 4, 1890, in Lake View, Iowa, and came to Schuyler in 1916.

The former Ida Loptien she married Herman Linenburg October 21, 1914, in Charter Oak, Iowa. He died March 10, 1977.

Survivors include daughters, Nadine Wacha and Inez Linenburg, both of Schuyler and Mrs. Dalton (Lorna) Moural of Fremont.

Burial was in Schuyler Cemetery, Schuyler, Nebraska.

Svoboda Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Fremont Tribune, February 21, 1978

She attended Manning, Iowa, Schools from 1900 through 1904.
These girls attended Manning Schools: Dora, Ida, Wanda, Elva, and Hazel Loptien
This name shows up until 1915 in Dave Kusel's database records.

This is the only Loptien obituary that mentions Manning and confirms the connections for me.

MRS. WANDA C. HABERMAN
Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Margaret (Martens) Loptien received the sad news Monday of the death of their daughter, Mrs. Wanda C. Haberman who passed away Monday morning, August 29, 1927, at 8 o'clock at the family residence in Fairmont. Mrs. Haberman had been ill three weeks with an attack of pneumonia. The remains were brought to Schuyler, Nebraska, Tuesday and funeral services held Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 at St. John's German Lutheran Church, the pastor, Rev. Karl Konig, officiating. Interment was made in Schuyler Cemetery, Schuyler, Nebraska.

Daughter of Fred and Margaretha (Martens) Loptien, she was born at Manning, Iowa, on May 25, 1895. She was 32 years, 3 months, and 4 days of age.

The surviving relatives are the husband, Jacob Herman Haberman, one daughter, Lois, two sons, Dale and Vern, the parents and two sisters, Mrs. Dora Schindler and Mrs. Herman Linenburg of Schuyler.

Mrs. Haberman was confirmed in the Lutheran Church in 1910 when, 15 years of age. She was a lady who was greatly beloved by her many friends. She lived a life consistent with the teachings of her chosen religious faith. The bereaved family and the sorrowing relatives have the sincere sympathy of their friends in the hour of their sore affliction.
Schuyler Sun, September 1, 1927

Wanda attended Manning, Iowa, Schools from 1902 through 1905
These girls attended Manning Schools: Dora, Ida, Wanda, Elva, and Hazel Loptien
This name shows up until 1915 in Dave Kusel's database records.

The next thing I did was to search my database to see if Loptien shows up in any file names.


Loptiens ice cream parlor 1910 in Manning
This picture came from the John Ansorge collection. He was pastor of Zion Lutheran Church for 50 years and was also an amateur photographer.
William F. Ohde told me that pastor taught him how to develope and take pictures.

TEUTONIA LODGE NO. 209, D. of R.:
was organized in 1892, in the German Odd Fellow Hall which was at this time situated over Reinholdt's store. The charter officers and members are: C.H. Reinholdt, N. G.; George Tank, V. G.; Henry Hoffmann, Secretary; John Hoffmann, Treasurer. Members,Mrs. Lena Hoffmann; Peter Dethlefs, Mrs. Anna Dethlefs, Mrs. Anna Reinholdt, Claus Grube, Mrs. Cathrina Grube, Louis Jansen and Mrs. Tina Jansen.
The object of the order is fraternal, social and benificial. It is composed only of members of the I. O. O. F. fraternity and their near relatives.
Their meet ing place is the German Odd Fellow hall. Their present officers are Margaretha Loptien, N.G.; Bertha Tank, V. G.; Margaretha Hoffmann, Sec'y; Lena Claussen, Per. Sec'y; Lena Hansen, Treas.
Their present membership is 21.

Manning School notes about the Loptien family members

Note that Fred Loptien was a school board member

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