USA > Nebraska > Sarpy County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 17
USA > Nebraska > Saunders County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 17
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Walter Crinklaw was united in marriage with Helen Graham, a daughter of James and Helen (Brown) Graham, both natives of Glas- gow, Scotland. His marriage was sol- emnized at London, Canada, whither the bride's parents had previously immigrated. Eleven children were the result of the union, namely: Helen, James G., Anna, Walter F., Jeanette S., Emily B., Andrew B., Mary Hattie (deceased), Jolın A., George L., and Minnie, who died young.
Helen Crinklaw married A. P. Kempton. They have five children, namely: Pearl (de- ceased), Myrtle, Mabel, Walter, and Lloyd. James G. Crinklaw is now a resident of Ante- lope, Nebraska. He married Marian Smith, and has five children. Their names are: Ida, Howard, Nellie (deceased), Walter, and Bur- ton. Anna Crinklaw married George Fletcher. They have six children living-David, Lila, George, Archie, Harold, and Winifred L. They lost a son in infancy.
Walter F. Crinklaw was born in London, Canada, in 1855. He accompanied his parents to the vicinity of Belvidere, Illinois, when four years old. Subsequently they removed to Omaha, and thence went to Saunders county,
Nebraska. When twenty-three years old, Wal- ter F. went to Antelope county, Nebraska, where he took up a homestead of 160 acres. He improved it and lived upon it for nine years. Selling it at a good profit, he returned home and was presented with 80 acres by his father. This tract included the southwest corner of sec- tion 20. On it he has built a handsome resi- dence, barns, corn-cribs, etc., and set out or- chards and shade trees. He now has one of the finest homes in that locality. He married Estella M. Smith.
Jeanette S. Crinklaw married George A. Orme, of Colon, Nebraska. Two children bless their home-Mabel and Hattie Ruth. Emily B. Crinklaw married John Carson. They have four children, namely: Hazel, Jessie, Harry, and the baby. Andrew B. Crinklaw married Pearl Soule. One son, Clark, is the offspring of their union. John A. Crinklaw married Nellie Ly- bolt, and they have a daughter, Bernice. They live upon 80 acres of the homestead farm.
George L. Crinklaw was born at the old homestead in Marietta precinct in 1872. He enjoyed exceptional educational advantages. He was then presented with 80 acres of his father's farm, in addition to which he purchased 40 acres. He now has one of the finest and best improved farms in Marietta precinct. He married Eunice Manners, a daughter of Joseph Manners, of Wahoo. They have one son- Willis Raymond. Mrs. Crinklaw, wife of the subject hereof, died November 20, 1892.
In 1895 the subject hereof withdrew from active business pursuits and went to Colon, Nebraska, sharing liis money and lands with
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his children. He gave each child 80 acres of land, or its equivalent in money. Since then he has been living in peaceful retirement, con- scious of having performed his duty well. "Long may he live" is the wish of his numer- ous children, grandchildren, and hosts of friends.
ILLIAM R. CAMPBELL is post- master at Mead, Saunders county, Nebraska. He was commissioned to his present trust in April, 1898, succeeding Katie F. Kane.
The postoffice at Mead was established in 1876 and was called Alvin for some time. It occupied a part of the ticket office at Saun- ders station, as it was then called. There proved to be another station in the state called Alvin and the one at Saunders station was changed to Mead. This change took place in 1877. The first postmaster was Joseph Sturdevant, who was succeeded by Charles Os- tenburg. The latter was relieved by Delos Kearns, who in turn was succeeded by Katie F. Kane, who was succeeded by Mr. Camp- bell.
Mead has but two mails per day but they are large. The present office is located in the Kearns building and contains upward of 300 boxes. One deputy is allowed and that position is filled at the present time by Alvin Jefferson.
Mr. Campbell was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, in 1849. His father, James Campbell, removed to Wisconsin when William R. was but nine years old, so the
latter was practically reared in that state upon his father's farm. In 1870 he began his career in the capacity of a school teacher and followed that honorable profession until 1898, when he accepted his present position as post- master at Mead. Previous to this he had taught some time in Colfax and Lancaster counties, afterward at Malmo, still later in Mariposa precinct, and last in Mead.
Mr. Campbell married Mary Ostenburg, a daughter of C. Ostenburg. C. Ostenburg is one of Mead's most esteemed citizens and suc- cessful business men. He was born in Ger- many in 1821, and is a son of Theodore Ostenburg. The younger Ostenburg came to America in 1847, settling in Wisconsin, where he was engaged in farming for a number of years. He subsequently started a store at Blue Mounds, which he conducted quite suc- cessfully for eight years. He then sold his store and went to Mead, Nebraska. In 1877 he built the first store in Mead. This was a small affair on the corner of Mine and Fourth streets-its dimensions being 20 by 26 feet. In 1883 its length was extended to 60 feet and it now contains a large and well-assorted stock of general merchandise. In 1890 Mr. Ostenburg's son was admitted to partnership. The elder Ostenburg built a handsome modern residence in 1877 on the opposite corner of his land, which was purchased from Mr. Will- iams. Mr. Ostenburg married Caroline Jully. She died in 1894, aged seventy-six years. Twelve children blessed this union, as follows : Charles, who died in infancy; Otto, Charles, Ernest, Emma, John, Mary, William (de-
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ceased), Thomas, Annie (deceased), George (deceased), and Henry. Mr. and Mrs. Camp- bell have no children of their own. They are well known and esteemed throughout the com- munity.
O. LINDAU is a prosperous and representative farmer of Saunders · county, Nebraska, and his many ac- quaintances throughout the county know him to be a man of his word, perfectly honest and upright in all his business transactions. He has had a lease of the Robert Campbell estate ever since 1887 and has put on nearly all the improvements. He was born in the southern part of Sweden in 1855, and is a son of Olaf and Jennie (Streed) Pierson. He is the old- est of a family of four children, of whom Olive and Lena both live in Sweden, and Mr. Lin- dau's brother is known as Pier O. Stearnberg. P. O. Lindau, as well as his father and brother, spent many years in the army, and in that connection he and his brother changed their names because of the many similar ones on the rolls.
Mr. Lindau left Sweden in 1881 and upon arriving in the United States he at once went to Saunders county, Nebraska, where he spent the first three years working out. In 1884 he rented the farm owned by Mr. Erikson, which is two miles east of his present one, but the next two years he rented Mr. Banta's farm. In 1887 he leased the Campbell es- tate, which was homesteaded by Robert Camp- bell, who is a soldier ; it is located on the north-
west quarter of section 26. He erected the present barn, planted trees and has made nearly all of the improvements. He has good ma- chinery and horses and enjoys a reputation among his fellow citizens as a good, conscien- tious and straightforward neighbor and citi- zen.
The subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Annie Pierson, a daughter of Pier Okason, and they have a family of seven children as follows: Olga, Emma, Arthur, Arlas, Minnie, Joseph and Mandy. Mr. Lin- dau and his family are members of the Swed- ish Baptist church of Weston.
OUIS LAUDENSCHLAGER, who is of sturdy German extraction, is numbered among the prominent and substantial farmers of Saunders county, Nebraska, where he is the owner of a fine farm located in Chap- man precinct. He was born in Germany in 1835 and is a son of Louis and Elizabeth Lau- denschlager.
In 1865 the subject hereof, with his family of two children, came to the United States and engaged in farming at Pekin, Illinois, for a period of ten years. In 1875 he located in Cass county, Nebraska, where he continued the same independent vocation for nine years. In 1884 he moved to Saunders county, purchased of Mr. Jasper the northwest quarter of section 25 for $20 per acre, this property having been home- steaded by Mr. Reigenball. The old house is now used as a granary, as in 1885 he erected a
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new house, and in 1894 enlarged it to its pres- ent size. In 1896 he put up his present fine barn, which is 40 by 44 feet in dimensions, and he also made other improvements in the way of building corn-cribs. In 1888 he purchased 80 acres,-the northwest half of the south- west quarter of section 24, from Mr. Fletcher, and the small buildings on that farm he moved to his present place. He has set out a fine or- chard and many shade trees, especially on the northwest side of the house, which shield it from the cold winter winds. He has about five acres in an orchard, containing all kinds of trees. He has an abundance of pure water, having a good well near the house, while near the barn there is a fine spring. The subject hereof has a wide acquaintance throughout the vicinity, and is considered a successful and up- to-date farmer.
Mr. Laudenschlager was united in wedlock with Mary Petermann, who is also a native of Germany, and they have a family of twelve children: Adam, Lizzie, George, William, Clara, Louisa, Jake, Annie, John, Lena, Ella, and Louie. Adam, born in Ger- many, ' married Sarah Burnell, and has five children - Jessie, Bertha, Lillian, Gracie, and Flora. Lizzie, who was also born in Germany, is the wife of John Fas- spender, of Cass county, Nebraska, and has three children-Gertie, Florence, and Leo. George, a native of Illinois, lives with his brother Adam. William is single and engaged in farming six miles east of the home place. Clara is the wife of George Baxter, of Omaha, Nebraska. Louisa lives in California. Jake
was born in Cass county, Nebraska. Annie is a bright young lady, also a native of Cass coun- ty. John assists his brother Adam in farming, Lena is a native of Saunders county, in which Ella and Louie were also born. Mr. Lauden- schlager is a solid Democrat in politics, while in religious views he belongs to the Lutheran church.
OHN WOITA, of the firm of Kacirek & WVoita Bros., general merchants at Wes- ton, has been a resident of Saunders coun- ty, Nebraska, since 1872, and is justly regarded as one of the most enterprising and successful business men in the county.
Mr. Woita was born in Bohemia in 1858. He is a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Havel) Woita, and is one of a family of five sons and one daughter-namely, Joseph, John, Phoebe, Jacob, James, and Charles. Joseph is in the saloon business at Weston. He also owns a 120-acre farm in Saunders county. Phoebe married Joseph Maly, and now resides in Okla- homa. James is a business partner of John, and a brief sketch of his life is included in this writing. Jacob owns an 80-acre farm, which he cultivates together with Joseph's farm. Charles, the youngest son, conducts the home farm, upon which, in a separate house of their own, the aged parents dwell. The father is now seventy-four years old, and the mother is aged sixty-five years.
The Woita family came to America in 1872, when John was fourteen years of age. The
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father homesteaded 80 acres in section 34, township 15, range 5, in Saunders county, Ne- braska. The first building erected was a dug- out with a shingle roof, the shingles having been hauled from Lincoln. Soon after build- ing this house, a straw barn was made, also a sod chicken-house and corn-crib. Two acres of land were set out in shade trees. In 1890 orchards of apple, cherry and plum trees were planted, and grapes and other small fruits were set out.
When the elder Mr. Woita arrived in Saun- ders county he was just sixty-four dollars in debt, and had a family to support. Now he and his entire family are well supplied with this | world's goods. They are rugged and healthy people, but in gaining their start were obliged to endure many hardships. The father was a stonemason, and upon first locating in Saunders county he walked to Lincoln and obtained work on the penitentiary building, which was then in process of erection. He received $5 per day for his work. In this way he obtained his start in the new country.
Upon locating in Nebraska, the Woita family knew but one man, and that was Peter Kastl. Wheat was raised mainly at first, and the land yielded from 15 to 23 bushels per acre. The nearest market was Fremont, and a toll of 50 cents per load was demanded before one gained entrance to the city. There were no springs upon the land where the Woitas settled, water being secured by digging shallow wells. Now that the soil is cultivated, the surface water is constantly used up, and water can only be obtained at a depth of 180 feet. When the
family settled there the nearest postoffice was twelve miles distant and was called Linwood.
In 1877 John Woita purchased 120 acres of railroad land at $7 per acre. He still owns this farm, which is now valued at $45 an acre. He erected suitable and substantial buildings and planted large orchards. He was joined in marriage with Mary Pospisil, whose father took up a homestead claim in close proximity to the Woita homestead. The Pospisil family have lived in America for thirty-six years. Mrs. Woita was born in Bohemia in 1860 and was four years old upon coming to America. Mr. and Mrs. Woita have seven children-five daughters and two sons. Their names are : Mary, Fannie, Agnes, Emma, Frank, Tony, and Josie, the baby, all of whom are still at home.
John Woita carried on agricultural pursuits until 1895. He then purchased Mr. Hagen- buck's interest in the general merchandise store of Kacirek, Woita & Co. The firm name was then changed to Kacirek & Woita Bros., and still continues thus. They carry a stock valued at eighteen or twenty thousand dollars, and do quite an extensive business. Besides owning an interest in the store building, Mr. Woita still owns his own farm, which he rents, and has a handsome town residence and three lots in Weston.
The subject of this sketch is a member of the Catholic Workmen. While on the farm he served as treasurer of the town board for nine years. He helped in scraping dirt when the town of Weston was laid out, and is now serv- ing as secretary of the same town. He is very
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popular in his locality and is justly proud of his own success and that of his family.
James Kacirek, senior member of the firm of Kacirek & Woita Bros., was born in Bohemia in 1860. He is a son of Frank and Catherine (Schejbal) Kacirek, and is the eldest of three children. He has one sister, Mrs. An- ton Chapek, and one brother, John, who mar- ried a Miss Wise and lives in Oklahoma,-he has two sons living, having lost a daughter, Victoria.
Mr. Kacirek came to America and went west to Saunders county, Nebraska, June 9, 1880. He worked out by the month as a farm hand for different people in the vicinity of Weston for three years. He then worked three months on the section. His parents came to America in 1881 and bought 80 acres of land in New- man precinct, where they are now spending their declining years.
James Kacirek rented a farm near Weston in 1884, and remained upon it until 1888. He spent the following three years in the lumber business, in the employ of Louis Bredford. In 1891 he went into the general merchandise business in partnership with Anton Chapek and Willard Hagenbuck. A few months later James Woita purchased the interest of Mr. Chapek and the firm became Kacirek, Woita & Co. In 1896 Mr. Hagenbuck also retired from the firm, having sold his interest to John Woita. The firm name then became Kacirek & Woita Bros., and the partnership then formed still exists. Mr. Kacirek was joined in mar- riage with Phinnie Fiedler. They have three children-Joseph, aged twelve years; Mary,
aged ten years; and Edward, aged five years.
Mr. Kacirek is a member of the Roman Cath- olic church. He supports the Democratic party. He was formerly a member of the town board, and is now serving on the school board. He is also a member of the Catholic Workmen.
James J. Woita, junior member of the firm of Kacirek & Woita Bros., began his ca- reer in 1885 as clerk for James Kean in Weston. He then visited the farm for one month. Re- turning to Weston, he engaged as a clerk for Frank Hakel, for whom he worked nearly five years. He then resigned and accepted a sim- ilar but more lucrative situation with Chapek, Kacirek & Co. After working there a few months, however, he purchased the interest of Mr. Chapek, as before mentioned, and is still a member of that enterprising business firm.
James J. Woita married Tony Peterzelka, a daughter of Joseph Peterzelka. She is de- ceased and left two children-James J., Jr., and Helen. Mr. Woita owns two residences, one in East Weston, and the other in West Weston, where he lives. He is a native of Bohemia, where his birth occurred in 1868. He has had a great deal of experience at his present busi- ness, and adds very materially to the success of the firm with which he is connected.
R OBERT A. HEATON, proprietor of the Wahoo New Stock Yards, is one of the most influential and highly esteemed citizens of Wahoo, Saunders county, Nebraska. Mr. Heaton is a native of Lisbon,
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St. Lawrence county, New York, where his birth occurred May 3, 1850. He is a son of Daniel and Mary Ann (Moore) Heaton. His parents moved west, to York county, Nebras- ka, where his father followed farming until cut off by death in 1894, at the advanced age of seventy-one years.
Robert A. Heaton began his life's labor in the capacity of farm hand and subsequently followed teaming and lumbering. In 1872 he accompanied his parents west to Nebraska, set- tling some time later in Washington county, of this state. The first year their crops were totally destroyed by grasshoppers. Daniel Heaton decided at once to leave, but was finally persuaded to remain and try his luck again, while Robert A. left home in search of work to support the family. Crossing the Platte River, Mr. Heaton found everything in a flour- ishing condition. He soon obtained a situa- tion at Blair, Nebraska, where he ran a grain elevator. There it was that he obtained his start and gained an insight into buying grain.
In the fall of 1878 he purchased an interest in the business of Clark & Son, dealers in grain and lumber, at Blair. The new firm was known as Clark, Heaton & Company, with Fred R. Clark as senior member. In 1880 the same firm erected an elevator at Weston, Nebraska, and continued to carry on a large and prosperous business until 1888. Mr. Hea- ton was instrumental in also establishing a bank at Weston. This bank had a capital stock of $12,000 and the subject hereof served as its president until 1895. He then sold out both his interest in the bank and the grain ele-
vator and removed at once to Wahoo, intend- ing to retire from active business pursuits. Af- ter building a fine residence, his natural activ- ity of mind and body asserted itself and he again engaged in business.
He purchased 12 acres of the Stocking estate, where the old canning factory was for- merly located. Upon this site Mr. Heaton es- tablished what is now known as the Wahoo New Stock Yards. The Union Pacific Rail- road put in a spur track, and at the present time large shipments of cattle, sheep, hogs, grain and coal are made from that point.
Mr. Heaton was joined in marriage with Ellen Maher, a daughter of William Maher, of Blair, Nebraska. Three children blessed their union, namely: Minnie, William, and Helen. Mr. Heaton is virtually a self-made man. From a humble beginning he has risen to his present affluence. All this has been ac- complished by steady and well-directed effort on his part. He has served on the school board and in the city council. Mr. Heaton affiliates with the F. & A. M., Modern Wood- men of America, A. O. U. W., and K. of P.
OHN L. CHEEVER, a prominent coal dealer of Valparaiso, Nebraska, is a son of Warren Cheever, and was born in Wabash county, Indiana, March 16, 1845.
Warren Cheever, father of John L., was a native of Massachusetts. In early manhood he moved to Jasper county, Indiana, and thence went to the state of Wisconsin, locating in
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Crawford county, where he lived for twenty years. In 1868 he sought a home in the West, locating on a homestead in Oak Creek pre- cinct, Saunders county, Nebraska. There he followed farming during the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy years.
Warren Cheever's wife was Harriet Vorse. She now resides in Valparaiso, aged eighty- four years. They reared ten children, namely : Warren, Jr .; Alonzo, who died in the engage- ment of Island No. 10; Albertus, Edward F., John L., Francis M., Ellen, Jane, George L., and James. Five of the boys served in the Civil War. Warren Cheever was an old- line Whig and cast his vote for Abraham Lin- coln.
John L. Cheever received his educational training in the schools of Wisconsin. In 1873 he moved west and located on a farm in Oak Creek precinct. He has made his home in that precinct ever since coming to Nebraska, al- though, at different times, he has had busi- ness interests outside of the state.
In 1868 Mr. Cheever started a grocery store and followed that line of business for two years, when he engaged in the coal trade, which he has pursued ever since. In politics he is an out-and-out Prohibitionist. In 1865 Mr. Cheever enlisted in the army. He entered Company E, 47th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry, and served until the close of the war. Dur- ing his time of service he was stationed in Tennessee under General Dudley.
Mr. Cheever chose for his bride Nellie J. Webb. a daughter of Peter Webb, of Craw- ford county, Wisconsin. Nine children blessed
this union. They are: Loren E., who is cap- tain of a company in the 36th U. S. Regiment, and is now in the Philippines ; Nellie M. (Hid- den), who has one child, Percy; George L., who married Maud Pecnovsky; Mahlon L., who married Mary Pike, and has two children, E. Dewey and J. Elwin; Rosa O .; Daisy; Bertha; Ruth; and Hazel.
ELVILLE W. STONE, M. D., late assistant surgeon of the United States Army, late surgeon of the Union Pacific Railroad, late surgeon general of Ne- braska, and late superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane at Hastings, Nebraska, is with- out doubt the oldest practicing physician in Wahoo, Saunders county. Nebraska. When he located in Wahoo, in January, 1877, there were only two physicians there-namely, Dr. R. B. Morton, now retired, and Dr. Isaac Soule, deceased. The population of Wahoo was then only about 300. There were no fences, and but few roads. When called upon to attend patients, Dr. Stone was frequently obliged to follow a trail, and ride long distances, as the country round about was practically unsettled. Game was abundant, and included antelope, coyotes, and gray wolves. The winters were exceedingly mild.
Dr. Stone was born in Delaware, Delaware county, Ohio. He is a son of Stephen W. and Emily (Moore) Stone. The subject hereof attended the public schools of his native city until he reached the age of sixteen years. His
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education was further advanced at Washing- ton, Iowa, and at the Wesleyan University, in Ohio. He subsequently began the study of medicine, commencing at the same time with David Kittle, who is now located in Kansas City.
Dr. Stone graduated from the medical de- partment of the State University of Iowa in March, 1861. In July of the same year he responded to his country's call for men and enlisted as a private in Company H, Seventh Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to be assistant surgeon of the regi- ment during the same year. After passing the required examination, he was made assistant surgeon in the regular army, serving as such from 1864 to 1869. For a time he was with General Grant, but was transferred in 1863 to the Army of the Cumberland, serving under General Rosecrans. He was in active service at the battles of Belmont, Fort Donelson, Shi- loh, Chickamauga, and participated in the siege of Chattanooga.
After the war was ended, Dr. Stone served in a hospital in Tennessee. He was trans- ferred afterward to headquarters at Omaha, Nebraska. He served in the Fourth United States Infantry under General Emery, with Colonel McAdi in command, and was sta- tioned along the frontier in 1866, 1867, 1868, and 1869, during the Red Cloud War.
Dr. Stone married Margaret Conn, of Keo- kuk, Iowa. Her father, John Conn, was a na- tive of the north of Ireland. Early in life he was an Irish linen weaver, but after coming to America he followed the trade of a stonema-
son. He died in 1885 at the home of Dr. Stone, at the age of ninety-nine years and three months. Dr. and Mrs. Stone have five children -- namely. Nina, Edwin W., Maude E., Elmer N., and Harry D. Nina Stone was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. She married C. W. Pierson, of Omaha. Edwin W. Stone was born in North Platte, Nebraska, and is now a medi- cal student. Maude E. Stone was born in Polk county, Nebraska. She married F. J. Tallant, of Clarinda, Iowa. Elmer N. Stone was also born in Polk county. He is an electrician at Wahoo. The youngest son, Harry D. Stone, is an accountant in Omaha.
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