Robert Henry Verkins 2 3 4 5
- Born: 27 January 1896, Minnesota 2 3 4 5
- Marriage (1): Elsie Bertha Papenfuss on 19 February 1921 in Red Wing, MN 1
- Died: 17 December 1968, Minneapolis, MN at age 72 5
- Buried: After 17 December 1968, Minneapolis, MN 1 5
 General Notes:
(Source: Lorinda Farkas <lorindafarkas@yahoo.com>)
Robert H. Verkins was my grandfather, I lived across the back yard from Bob & Elsie growing up.
The story goes: Henry [Henry Verkins] was a blacksmith by day and musician by night, training all three children to play multiple instruments such as clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano, & violin. I was handed down stories of them playing in various weddings and other parties throughout the southern Minnesota river valley area. That is how Robert met Elsie, and I suppose the same for his siblings. He became fairly well off acquiring much rental real estate. I also have Henry's and Louise's original marriage certificate.
Both Robert and Sylvester served in WWI.
Olga married Roy Zimdars in Winona.
Sylvester married and went to live in Manitowoc, WI having a son Daniel who married Marion and lived in Milwaukee. (I think) I know they are dead now but I did get some info from her at one time.
Robert Henry Verkins married Elsie Bertha Papenfuss in Red Wing, MN in Feb 1920. A few years later he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, incurable in those days. He claimed he contracted it overseas but never got compensated. He was advised to move to a higher climate. They moved to Colorado Springs and took an outdoor job driving a milk wagon. Elsie was in the hospital having Wayne Robert Verkins April 3, 1925 when Robert was run over by his own team of horses and wound up at the same hospital. The crash of the stock market took their house he built so they came back to Minnesota. A small inheritance from Henry gave them a chance to buy an old church at auction to be torn down. As they lived in a home made camper they had used lumber to build an apartment building at 2876 Highway 88 in Minneapolis. Robert was a jack of all trades plus inventor. The depression left my grandparents the ability to make a lot out of very little. He built motor scooters, invented and patented push button radios among other things. They built a fine house re-using lumber and the nails they pulled from it. He hand crafted the cabinets and woodwork. Robert died of a massive heart attack the day after shoveling snow on December 17, 1968. Elsie died on September 17, 1987, they are buried in Hillside Cemetery across highway 88 from the Saint Anthony shopping center. Wayne is also there next to them, he died June 1994 of the same lymphoma cancer as Elsie.
Bob & Elsie built a second apartment house in 1955 and in 1960 divided a parcel of land for only child Wayne Robert Verkins and his growing family, which I was the firstborn, Lorinda Marie Verkins.
Wayne Married Mildred Marie Salo on Dec 17, 1949 in Minneapolis after his stint in WWII.
Lorinda Marie Verkins b. April 11, 1951 Minneapolis
married Dec. 6, 1980 in West Allis, Wisconsin to Kalman Farkas (b. May 21, 1940 - d. July 30, 1992)
Son Kyle Adri Farkas was born in Anoka, Minnesota Sept 25, 1981 He has 2 children by Victoria Renee Weglarz in Indianapolis.
Son Kory Miles Farkas was born Milwaukee April 3, 1983 married Amanda Renee Trent in Plymouth, Indiana.
Meryl Rhea Verkins b. Sept 12, 1952 married Terry Lynn Besco 1975 Minneapolis. Now divorced.
Daughter Jaime Lynn Besco was born in Denver Nov 3, 1977 She married and had 2 children in Maple Grove, Minnesota
Daughter Kristin Besco was born in Minneapolis April 3, 1981
Robert Wayne Verkins was born Minneapolis December 19, 1953, never married. Also had aortic aneurysm repaired Oct. 2003. Interesting. He is currently in Sun City West, Arizona living with our mother.
Melanie May Verkins was born Minneapolis August 21, 1960, Married David Trolongo in Calif.
They have 2 children.
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Born in Winona, MN to Henry August Verkins and Louise Sophie Possin. He enlisted in the Army in the First World War and served in France and Italy. He returned to Elroy, WI where he worked in a tire shop. He then married Elsie Bertha Papenfuss on 19 Feb 1921 in Red Wing, MN. He was diagnosed with TB and advised to move to a higher climate. They then moved to Pueblo, CO where he took a job driving a milk wagon. He got run over by his own team of horses and milk wagon, so he was in the hospital with broken ribs while Elsie was delivering their son Wayne.
They built a house in Pueblo but lost it during the depression so they returned to MN and started over in St. Anthony Village. Bob was handy with inventing whatever would make life easier. He built an economical 3 wheeled car, patented the first push button radio, built a wide gas powered lawn mower with a grass catcher, two "moto-scooters", automatic closet lights, and numerous other ingenious ideas. He died of a massive heart attack while shoveling snow a few days before Christmas in 1968.
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Noted events in his life were:
• He appeared on the 1900 US Census in Winona, MN on 1 June 1900. 2
1900 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 205, Dwelling 1, Family 1
Winona, Winona County, Minnesota
404 Mankato Avenue; home rented
Robert H. Verkins..Son..Jan 1896..4..MN
(Living with parents and paternal grandfather.)
.
• He appeared on the 1910 US Census in Winona, MN on 15 April 1910. 3
1910 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 200, Family 11, Roll 729
Winona, Winona County, Minnesota
214 East Third Street; Home rented
Robert Virkins..Son..14..MN
(Living with parents.)
.
• Photo: Abt 1915. This is a photo of Robert in his Army uniform.
• He appeared on the 1920 US Census in Winona, MN on 3 January 1920. 4
1920 US Census
Sheet 3B, District 201, Family 69, Roll 865, Ward 1
Winona, Winona County, Minnesota
401 West Fourth Street; home owned, with mortgage
Robert H. Verkins..Son...23..MN..Musician, Orchestra
(Living with parents.)
.
• He was buried after 17 December 1968 in the Hillside Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.
Find A Grave Memorial #116065331
. 5
Robert married Elsie Bertha Papenfuss, daughter of Albert August Papenfuss and Matilda Kinstler, on 19 February 1921 in Red Wing, MN.1 (Elsie Bertha Papenfuss was born on 17 May 1900 in , Winona County, MN,6 died on 17 September 1987 in Minneapolis, MN 1 6 and was buried after 17 September 1987 in Minneapolis, MN 1 6.)
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