Claude Julius Backen

Here’s what I have on Claude Julias Backen:

His father was John George Backen and he was born in either 1853 or 1845 in Holstein. His mother was Anne Marie Nagel and she was born in 1862.

Siblings are:
Carl Mordaunt (which is our great-grandfather) who was born in 1885 in McHenry, North Dakota and died in 1951 in Palacios, Texas.
Roy Earl who was born in 1897.
Edna Irene who was born in 1899.
And last came Claude himself in 1887.

Claude Julius Backen
Born: July 23, 1887 in Larrabee, Foster County, North Dakota
Died: Nov. 30 1945 in Los Angeles, California

(From a letter written on June 1, 1994 to Kieth and Ruby Backen from Don and Jeanette:)

“I was unable to get any information on Claud, other than that which Barbera and I could remember. Claude was a carpenter. He would build two or three houses a year, sell them and buy some lots, then take a long vacation – I think to visit his children. He would return and stay at our house. He built a living quarters behind our garage. During the war he traveled the coundery building military barracks. He passed away in 1947. “

There are portraits of Claude and his wife, another with Claude and Bertha when she was younger and a photograph of him when he’s older.

There’s also a “Pages from the Past” newspaper clipping. It was published on Mon. July 9, 1990 by Foster County Independent. It has a section that has a section that says 50 years ago, “Claude Backen, son of a former Juanita farm couple, spent last week visiting friends in Carrington and in the Juanita community. Mr. Backen has just published No. 1 of Volume 1 of a monthly magazine, “The Voice of Democracy” at Los Angeles, CA. This new magazine advocates a system of monetary reform. It centers around a depreciation charge of one per cent a month on all amounts of $1 and over. This depreciation charge would become due on a certain day, each month, and tax stamps would have to be affixed to the money to bring it up to par value. This, the magazine explains, would lead to more rapid circulation of money to avoid depreciation charges; and everyone would benefit by the increase in trade. The plan also involves tax exemption on real estate, up to a limit of 2,500, to promote the ownership of homes.

**Note added by Sarah
There is also a clipping that mentions Claude which would put him in Texas on Jan. 23, 1915.

-Article in Paper
Claude Backen went over to Vanderbuilt Monday morning to take charge of the lumber yard a few days for his brother, Carl, who was called over here by the death of his baby.