07/21/2026
For America’s 250th anniversary I will be showcasing pioneer families of Keith County.
John Henry Apolius was born in the village of Potolier, Germany, on October 30, 1862. His father, a farmer and laborer, died in 1872. His mother later remarried and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in the Keith County area. She died in July 1888.
In 1882, John left Germany for America, sailing from Bremerhaven and arriving in New York on May 1 after a voyage of approximately eleven days. From New York, he traveled west to Muscatine, Iowa, where one of his sisters lived. John made his home with her for about three years, working on the railroad and performing farm labor during the summer months.
He later moved to Seward County, Nebraska, where he farmed until the spring of 1892. On October 11, 1887, John married Emilie Miehlke. The couple became the parents of eight children, Lena, August, Emma, Marty, Emily, John, Theodore, and Christine.
John arrived in Keith County in 1893 and spent his first two years there living on his mother’s farm. He then took a 160 acre homestead of his own. His first crop was a failure, forcing him to seek other employment. For the next five or six years, John performed hard labor for the railroad while continuing his efforts to establish himself on the land.
Eventually, John relocated his farming operation closer to the valley, where rainfall and growing conditions were more favorable. In addition to farming, he began raising horses and cattle. Through years of hard work and expansion, his ranch eventually grew to approximately 1,200 acres.
John’s first home on the homestead was a sod house, and on August 19, 1907, a tornado destroyed his first barn and windmill.
During his years in Keith County, John was active in the Lutheran Church and was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He was also affiliated with the Republican Party.
Emilie passed away in 1946. John Henry Apolius survived her by several years and died in 1949.
Emil Apolius the brother of John, was born in Germany on April 5, 1867. At the age of sixteen, he immigrated to the United States in 1883. He spent his first five years in America living in Iowa before traveling west and settling on the family farm south of Roscoe in Perkins County, Nebraska.
Emil devoted his life to farming the land and continued his agricultural work there for many years. He had two children, a daughter, Ruth, and a son, Emil Jr. Emil passed away within months of his brother in 1949.
By Tomás England
I am still seeking photos of the Apolius brothers
