Harmen Jan te Selle Farm in Firth Nebraska – aerial view 1956

The Herman John Te Selle (1888-1963) and Jennie Vandewege (1895-1982) farm in 1956. This farm was originally owned by Herman’s father, Harmen Jan te Selle(1844-1919).
(Photo source: Connie Te Selle Robinson, granddaughter of Herman and Jennie Te Selle.)

Comment from Norma Te Selle Prophet: “The elder brother of Herman John Te Selle [1844-1919, aka Harmen Jan te Selle], named John Henry Te Selle [1838-1921, aka Jan Hendrik te Selle], arrived in Nebraska in 1870. [Brother] Herman John came shortly afterwards, possibly in 1871, but [I] do not know the exact date at time of preparing this picture panel. Information obtained from the U.S. Land Office, Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1958, showed that, “On March 23, 1870, E 1/2 (East one-half), Section 22, Range 7, Township 7, 80 acres, was entered by Hiram Montgomery,” and on “February 5, 1872, Hiram D. Montgomery and his wife Emily were the grantor and H. J. Teselle, the grantee.” (The name Te Selle was misspelled twice. Once as “Teselle” and another as “Tesselle”.)

Around 1959, two of my aunts, Helena “Lena” Te Selle Obbink and Harmina “Minnie” Te Selle Dietz wrote that “Montgomery was dissatisfied with Nebraska so he moved back to Missouri.”

This farm remained in the Te Selle family until Herman John (1888-1963) and his wife, Jennie, moved to Firth [sometime in the 1950’s].

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All of Harmen Jan te Selle’s children, except Dela (1868-1900), were born on this Firth, Nebraska farm, and all of them were raised there. When Harmen Jan decided to move into Firth around 1913, most of the older children had already left the farm and had farms of their own. About the same time, son Herman John had just gotten married to Jennie Vandewege, so Harmen Jan gave the farmhouse and some acreage to them to live in. Some of the other younger sons also received some of Harmen Jan’s acreage to start their own farms.