USA > Nebraska > Sarpy County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 3
USA > Nebraska > Saunders County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 3
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Mr. Sander is a hustling and wide-awake business man, and his courteous manners and good business traits commend him to all with whom he comes in contact.
The subject of this brief sketch was married in 1894 to Pauline Zimmerman, a daughter of Gottlob (deceased) and Katherine ( Elsasser ) Zimmerman, and to them has been born one child-Marie, aged three years. Mr. Sander is a member of the Sarpy Lodge, I. O. O. F., and of the Royal Arcanum.
ILLIAM L. WILLIAMS, an ex- tensive land owner of Sarpy county, Nebraska, successfully carried on farming for many years, but since 1892 he has been retired from active life, a respite of which he is well deserving after so many years of in- cessant labor. He was born September 22, 1835-his birthplace being in Delaware county,
Ohio-and he is a son of David and Elizabeth (Lewis) Williams, both of whom are now deceased.
Until he was eighteen years of age, the sub- ject hereof worked during the summer months on his father's farm, while during the winters he improved his spare time by attending the district schools. After that he started to learn the trade of a carpenter, and when he moved to Johnson county, Iowa, he followed that trade in connection with farming for a period of ten years. He then left Iowa, and going to Omaha, Nebraska, he there pursued his trade for two years, after which he located in Sarpy county, and has since become one of its most esteemed and respected citizens. At first he followed his trade for two years, during which time he assisted in putting up the first frame house in Papillion, but subsequently he betook himself to farming, and purchased 120 acres in Fairview precinct. Farming and stock rais- ing were his chief pursuits, and, as the country was new, he met with considerable difficulty, but, by reason of a determination to succeed his efforts were eventually crowned with suc- cess. He lived in a small house, 16 by 24 feet in dimensions, and after dwelling on his first purchase for three and one-half years, he traded it for 160 acres of land in section 12, township 13, range II. Having good success, he was afterward enabled to buy 160 acres in section 13, township 13, range II, and his home resi- dence in section 27. township 14, range 12. He has a fine home, and his farms are highly improved, as a result of his own toil. He is widely known throughout his adopted county
WALTER FLEMING.
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as a conscientious and upright farmer and a good citizen.
April 2, 1873, Mr. Williams was joined in marriage with Zoa Jarvis, of Canada, a daughter of John Jarvis, and to this union the following children have been born : Mary, aged twenty-six years; and Lillie, aged twenty years. In 1891 Mr. Williams moved to Papillion, where he erected his present fine home, and since 1892 he has been enjoying the pleasures of a well earned fortune. His present home is surrounded by a fine orchard of apple, plum, peach and cherry trees.
ALTER FLEMING, of Morse Bluff, Saunders county, Nebraska, president of the Morse Bluff Bank, was born near London, Canada, December 12, 1842. He is a son of Robert and Christina (Beattie) Fleming, the former deceased, the latter now living in Saunders county.
Like most boys of the neighborhood, he worked on his father's farm while attending the public school. After leaving the district schools he took a course in a commercial college. He worked on his father's farm until 1868, when he moved to Saunders county. He took up a homestead, entered a quarter section of land and immediately engaged in farming. Not being overburdened with money, he put up a cottonwood shanty and had a dug-out for a barn. Two years afterward he put up a 10 by 12 foot house, in which he lived until 1883, when he built his present residence. He now has one of the finest farms and orchards in Saunders
county. Over 400 apple, pear, and cherry trees, now in full bearing, present a beauti- ful sight. His property consists of the south half of the northeast quarter of section 4, the southeast quarter of section 4, the northwest quarter of section 10 and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 9,-480 acres in all.
In October, 1872, Mr. Fleming married Julia Wheeler, of Iowa. Mrs. Fleming is a daughter of William and Sarah (Ballard) Wheeler. They have nine children, as follows : Ada M., born February 5, 1874; Agnes M. (deceased), born October 25, 1875; Thomas M., born February 6, 1877; Ethel M. (de- ceased), born November 16, 1878; Edna B. (deceased), born August 19, 1880; Lizzie A. (deceased), born November 23, 1882; Sarah E. (deceased), born May 26, 1884; Walter G., born April 16, 1887; and Robert H., born No- vember 7, 1888.
Mr. Fleming is a Republican in politics, and filled the position of county superintendent of schools in 1871 and 1872, and was county com- missioner in 1884, 1885 and 1886. He is president of the bank at Morse Bluff, and a member of Doric Lodge, No. 76, K. of P. A portrait of Mr. Fleming, executed from a re- cent photograph, is presented on a foregoing page.
OHN A. BOSTROM, one of the progres- sive citizens of Saunders county, Ne- braska, is extensively engaged in farm- ing and stock raising in Mariposa precinct.
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BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Mr. Bostrom was born in Sweden, in 1853, and is a son of Olof and Anna (Bruse) Bo- strom, who had six children as follows : Emma, Peter, Olof E., John A., the subject hereof, Gustaf, and Josephine. Emma is the wife of Adolph Pollack, lives near Colon, Saun- ders county, and has one child, Alma (Larson), of Omaha. Peter married Minnie Pollack, who died in 1895, leaving three sons and one daughter, namely: Herman, Hjalma, Hul- dah, and Axel. They all reside with their father on his homestead on the north half of the southeast quarter of section 24, township 15, range 6. Olof E., who homesteaded in section 18, township 15, range 7, was inter- ested in a store at Malmo, and is now deceased. John A. is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. Gustaf lives on the old homestead, and also owns 40 acres in the southwest quar- ter of the southwest quarter of section 19, township 15, range 7. He married Hannah Peterson, by whom he has seven children : Alphine, Edith, Oscar, Alma, Emily, Amy, and a small baby. Josephine, deceased, was the wife of Gustaf Breddenberg, of Malmo, and left two children, Emfrid and Ernest.
Olof Bostrom, father of the subject hereof, came to America with his family in 1868, and at an early day located in Saunders county, Nebraska. He was entirely without means when he began, but grew to be one of the most prosperous farmers in his community.
John A. Bostrom was reared and mentally trained in his native country, and came to America in 1868, with his parents. His first work was upon the farm homesteaded by his
father in Saunders county, and now owned by his brother Gustaf. While still at home, he purchased railroad land, the south half of the northwest quarter of section 25, township 15, range 6-and afterward bought the 40 acres north of that property. In 1889, he purchased the east half of the northeast quar- ter of section 26, township 15, range 6. He first built a house, 14 by 22 feet, one and a half stories, and to this he has since built an addi- tion. His first barn, 16 by 26 feet, was built in 1883. Subsequently a cattle shed was built, 12 by 16 feet, and a double corn crib, 26 by 40 feet. He first planted cottonwood and willow trees along the boundary line of the place, and they are now full grown. He has a number of black walnut trees, and an orchard of about 200 fruit trees. He has 65 acres in pasture, and has been engaged in raising stock, making a specialty of Hereford cattle and Poland China hogs. lle is a firm believer in thoroughbred stock, and has none but high grade upon his farm. He has a fine thoroughbred bull, weigh- ing 1,800 pounds, and has sold several young bulls to prominent farmers in his vicinity. The water for the place is furnished by a 65- foot well, equipped with a windmill. Mr. Bostrom is a modern farmer in every sense of the word and what he has gained in the world is the result of his individual efforts, as he received no assistance whatever in starting life on his own account.
On November 18, 1881, Mr. Bostrom was united in marriage with Ida Thobroe, a daugh- ter of Olof and Oleanna (Larson) Thobroe, who came from Norway with her parents in
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1869, Mr. Thobroe taking a homestead in Pohocco precinct, Saunders county. Mrs. Bostrom is one of eight children, as follows : Louis, deceased, who was a druggist, of Lara- mie City, Wyoming; Margaret, of Laramie City, Wyoming; Henry, who is on the board of trade at Bloomington, Illinois; Jennie, of Omaha; Mary, of San Diego, California; Ida ; Anna, of Salt Lake City ; and Bertha, of Lara- mie City. The subject of this sketch had eight children, five of whom are living : Mabel, aged seventeen years, Arvid, Annette, Henry, and Emma. In politics Mr. Bostrom is a Populist. He is a member of the Swedish Cov- enant, or Mission, church, whose edifice was built about 1875.
OHN LARSON, one of the successful and highly respected farmers of Saun- ders county, Nebraska, is a native of Sweden, and was born in 1834, a son of Jacob Larson. He received his intellectual training in his native land, and came to America in 1868. He settled 100 miles west of Omaha, and worked on the Union Pacific Railroad. In the spring of 1869 he went to Missouri, where he worked for five months. He then took a place which had been pre-empted by another, in Nebraska, the farm containing 80 acres, which was located as follows : Southwest quar- ter of northeast quarter, and northwest quarter of southeast quarter of section 32, township 15, range 6. His first building was a dug-out, 12 by 14 feet. In 1873 he was married to Katie
Carlson. He set out trees on the west line and about the buildings, and, in 1882, built a com- fortable house. In 1893 he erected a large stable and granary. He has two wells 35 feet deep. The creek, which gives a fine supply of water, is fringed with heavy timber, which fur- nishes plenty of fuel the year round.
Mr. Larson also bought 80 acres of land of the railroad company in 1875 at $5 and $6 per acre. This land is the east half of the northwest quarter of section 5, township 14, range 6, all of which is extensively cultivated, but which contains no buildings.
Mr. Larson and his wife are the parents of three children, namely: Ida, now Mrs. John Wallis, who lives with her parents, and has two children, Florence and Violet; and Arthur and Dora, who are at home. Mr. Larson is a Populist in politics. The family attend the Baptist church. The subject of this sketch is very well known and is very popular among the Swedish people in the community.
LFRED ANDERSON, one of the earli- est settlers of Saunders county, Ne- braska, and a highly respected farmer of that section, is a native of Sweden, and was born in 1833, a son of Andrew Anderson. He grew to manhood and received his mental training in his native country. In the year 1868 Mr. Anderson came to America, and after spending a few days in Chicago went west, where he worked for some time on the B. & M. R. R. R.
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BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Mr. Anderson located in Saunders county in 1870, where he settled on the south half of the northwest quarter of section 30, township 15, range 6. Six years later he pre-empted the 80 acres just south of his claim, making his present farm 160 acres. His first house was of sod, 12 by 14 feet, and the barn was made of wood. To the barn he has added consider- ably, until it is now 64 by 26 feet. In 1882 he built a frame house, 26 by 24 feet, and in 1888 he lost the same by fire. Subsequently he built a smaller, though good, substantial house, and in 1898 he built several outbuild- ings, such as hog and cow sheds. The farm is well fenced in, and as Mr. Anderson is one of the best farmers in his section and takes great pride in the care and management of his farm, giving it all of his attention, he has just cause to be proud of the neat and attract- ive appearance which it presents. In 1885 he set out a fine grove which protects the north side of the buildings. He has fine wells and a good windmill. Becoming too old to work the farm himself, he has rented most of the land on shares to Oscar Headlund, who has lived in Saunders county since 1888.
Mr. Anderson was married in 1859, while in Sweden, and the children born to him in that country were: Theodore, born in 1860, now living with his family in Lincoln, Nebraska ; Albertina, now Mrs. Olson, of Wahoo; and Pauline, who married Mr. Sampson, a shoemaker of Lincoln. Mr. Ander- son was again married in September, 1888, to Mary Headlund. Three children came to Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, whose names and ages are
as follows: Wilhelmina, who is eleven years old; Gustaf, aged ten years; and Annie, aged eight years. The family attend the Lutheran church of Malmo, and are in school district No. 24.
J AMES A. REED was born in New Jer- sey, in 1853, and is a son of James S. and Eleanor (Vorhees) Reed. His father was a carpenter by trade and during the son's infancy moved to Wisconsin.
At the age of seven years young Reed ac- quired the rudiments of an education in the district schools of Winnebago county, Wiscon- sin, six miles north of Oshkosh. While going to school he employed himself during Satur- days and vacations at work on his father's farm. Thus he continued to study and work, until he attained his majority, which was in 1874.
In the same year Mr. Reed was united in marriage with Sarah Miracle, of Winnebago county. He began farming for himself, and cultivated on shares a farm with his father- in-law. The cheap, rich farming lands of the West had for some time attracted his atten- tion. He had a longing to own a farm of his own. In that new region he decided to cast his fortune. Accordingly, in 1879, he moved to Saunders county, Nebraska. There he purchased a school lease from M. S. Wollon, and afterward bought the land from the state. It comprises 80 acres, being the west half of the northwest quarter of section 36.
Mr. Reed has been an active citizen, putting
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his shoulder to the wheel when any movement is in progress calculated to advance the inter- ests of the community in which he lives. He is a Republican in politics, and, fraternally, a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Reed held the office of school director from 1879 to 1882.
ETER NYGREN, a farmer and gen- eral business man, well and favorably known in Saunders county, is a land owner in Mariposa precinct. In all things he is practical, never waiting for another to set the example, but always taking the lead and forcing his way to the front. When he arrived at Omaha, upon first coming to this country, he was indebted in the sum of $200, but, dis- couraging as his circumstances were, he set to work with light heart and willing hands, paid off his debts and grew to be one of the most prosperous men of his community.
Mr. Nygren was born in Sweden, in 1844, and is a son of Nels and Eleanor Pearson. His father had a family of four sons and three daughters, all of the sons preceding their par- ents to this country, the latter coming in 1881. Nels Pearson died in 1884, and his widow returned to Sweden, where she died in 1898. The following children were born to them: Peter, the subject hereof; Nels, who lives in Valley county, Nebraska; Annie (Okason), who lives in Sweden; Chasty (Jolinson), who lives in Sweden; Marie (Bankson), who also lives in Sweden ; Hans, who was drowned while
bathing in a pond upon Peter Nygren's prop- erty; and John, who is married, and lives at Newman Grove. 1343281
The subject of this sketch has been shifting for himself since he was eight years old. At the age of seventeen years, he was appren- ticed to a millwright named Rosenquist, for four years, and being a very apt workman became a finished mechanic by the time he reached his majority. He changed his name to Nygren, the meaning of which is a new limb or shoot from a tree. He came to Amer- ica in 1868, and immediately located in Omaha, Nebraska. Having forgotten his certificate as a millwright, and being unable to talk English, he found it very difficult to obtain work at his trade. He worked in the harvest field and on the railroad, and afterward obtained employ- ment in railroad shops at $3.50 per day. He aided in the construction of the Omaha High School, and his expert workmanship was evi- denced when engaged in putting the mammoth spire of that building in place. He had a force of men under him, and under his directions was accomplished the difficult task of putting in place, 180 feet from the ground, the heavy wrought iron spire, whose weight was 800 pounds. In 1871 he homesteaded the north half of the southwest quarter of section 28, township 15, range 6, in Saunders county. His first building was part frame and part dug-out, and he also had a dug-out for horses. He made many improvements upon the place. and in the fall of 1871 set out a row of walnut trees, which are now bearing. In addition to his farming he followed his trade to some ex-
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BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
tent. In 1878 or 1879, while in Colfax county, building a mill, his home was burned, and he returned to find that his family had saved their clothing and the household goods. Leaving the family with a neighbor, he returned to Col- fax county, and completed the mill during the winter. In the spring he got twelve of his neighbors with teams to assist him, and hauled twelve loads of lumber from Fremont. Although a comparative stranger and having 110 money, the firm of Nye & Colson, of Fre- mont, took his word for the bill and let him have the lumber. He selected the site of the present structures on which to build, it being a broad knoll on the north end of his property, and there he built an L shaped house, the dimen- sions being 14 by 28 feet, 14 by 14 feet, and 14 feet high. His first frame barn burned in 1887, as the result of a cooker exploding. The cow sheds and other buildings which were burned were rebuilt at the same time. He has a great number of hives of bees (having started in 1882 with only two hives), and sells a large amount of honey. He has the only silo in use in his community, it being 25 feet deep. and air tight, keeping fodder fresh and green for spring use. He has a particularly fine tubular well, 153 feet deep, the water from which is drawn by a windmill. Surrounding the house is an excellent orchard of three acres of fruit trees, consisting mainly of apples, plums and cherries. To the west of the house is a fine fish pond, abounding in carp. In 1877 or 1878 he purchased 40 acres of railroad land west of his home property at $6 per acre, and in 1886 lie bought 80 acres just south of the
homestead of Mr. Rosenburg for $20 per acre. He has a herd of cows and heifers, and, as an experiment, has them herded out west on shares of one-half of the increase.
In 1865 Mr. Nygren was united in marriage with Ellen Olson, a daughter of Olof Rasmus- son, and they reared seven children: Emma M., Emily, Gusta, Hilma, Oscar, Oroph, and Axel. Emma M. is the wife of Charles Noreen, a farmer of Mariposa precinct, by whom she has three children, Elmer, Hilda, and Phemie. Emily is the wife of Axel Bearn, who lives near Wahoo, and has two children, Mabel and Robert. Gusta is the wife of G. Anderson, of Saunders county, and has two children, Roben and Herbert. Hilma is single, and lives in Omaha. Oscar is assisting in the work upon the farm. Oroph lives at home. Axel was but a month old when his mother died in 1888. In 1890 the subject of this sketch formed a second marriage, wedding Mrs. Mary Hokenson, a widow with three children, as follows: August, who works in an elevator at Malmo; Herman, living in Omaha; and Esther, who is at home. Mr. Nygren is a stanch Republican, and has served twelve years on the school board, the past two years as director in district No. 24; he has also been road overseer several terms. He is a faithful member of the Lutheran church, and an earnest temperance advocate. In addition to his farm work he has been identified with a number of business ventures, and is one of the most enter- prising men in his section of the county. He is a man of high character and esteemed by all.
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SAUNDERS AND SARPY COUNTIES
NDREW ROSLUND, an able business man and farmer of Saunders county, Nebraska, is also extensively en- gaged in the manufacture of brooms on his farm in Mariposa precinct, an enterprise in which he has met with great success. He began in a very small way, and each year has added to his business and increased his output until, in 1899, he manufactured as high as 15,000 brooms, valued at $2.25 per dozen.
Mr. Roslund was born in Smoland, in south- ern Sweden, forty-three (Swedish) miles south of Stockholm, in 1835, and is a son of John and Carrie (Anderson) Swanson. He is the oldest child and had one brother and three sisters, as follows: Magdalena, who died in Sweden; Swan, a resident of Sweden; Carrie (Anderson), of Polk county, Nebraska; and Annie, who married, and is living in Kansas.
The subject hereof was reared in Sweden, and there grew to manhood, learning the trade of a shoemaker. He came to America with his family in 1870, and located in Illinois, where he purchased a house for $80. He lived in this with his family for six years, and when he decided to move to Saunders county, Ne- braska, he was offered $35 for it. This he refused, but instead tore the building apart, and shipped the joists, sills, and floors in the bot- tom of a car in which his stock was loaded, thereby saving $75 when he built. He pur- chased 80 acres of railroad land-the west half of the northeast quarter of section 29, township 15, range 6-from the company agent at Fremont, for $6 per acre. He built on the site of his present residence, the dimensions
being 20 by 14 feet, with 12-foot posts. He bought 40 acres east, and 80 acres in section 20-the east half of the southwest quarter- from Henry Safstrom, in 1885. Subsequently he bought the south half of the northeast quar- ter of section 31, where his son, Henry, now lives. He also owns a quarter section of land in Oak Creek precinct, between Touhy and Valparaiso. He purchased considerable other land, which he disposed of to good advantage. When first locating in the county, he followed his trade as a shoemaker, and also repaired har- ness as well. He began raising broom corn, which he had handled and cultivated while in Illinois, and now has about 20 acres under cul- tivation. He began the manufacture of brooms in 1889, buying out a man named Carlyle, who was in that business, and who continued for a time in the employ of Mr. Roslund. From a comparatively small beginning has grown an extensive and money-making business, the output increasing each year until, in 1899, it reached the handsome total of 15,000 brooms. He buys the handles by the carload, has two large buildings devoted to the work, and em- ploys two skilled workmen during the season. He now rents a portion of his home farm and manages the remainder, employing a hand to do the work. He set out a fine grove of trees surrounding his house, whose dimensions are 32 by 36 feet, with 18-foot posts. It was built in 1892, and is one of the finest in that section. He also has a good orchard 'of five acres. There is a windmill midway between the house and shop, which conveys water by means of pipes to a large tank for watering cattle, and
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BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
everything is most conveniently arranged for successfully carrying on business.
In 1859, while living in Sweden, Mr. Ros- lund was united in marriage with Mary Mag- nusson, who is now sixty-nine years of age. They became the parents of the following chil- dren, the first four of whom were born in Sweden: Charles, Anna, Emma, Augusta, Henry, and Frank. Charles, of Polk county, Nebraska, married Anna Caroline Nelson, and has two children, Mabel and Gilbert; Anna lives at home; Emma (Safstrom) died in Saun- ders county, leaving three children, who make their home with the subject hereof, namely,- Edith, Mamie, and Arthur; Augusta is the wife of John Lees, of Polk county; Henry married Victoria Ockander, and lives on a near-by farm ; Frank is single and lives at home. Religiously, the family attends the Baptist church. In political affiliations Mr. Roslund is a Populist.
ENRY WEHNER, cashier of the Farmers & Merchants Bank at Cedar Bluffs, Saunders county, Nebraska, was born at Pekin, Illinois, in 1861. He is a son of John E. and Katherine (Seim) Wehner. His father was a distiller, and is engaged with the firm of J. & G. Herget Co., Limited, of Pekin.
Henry Wehner is the second of a family of seven children, who were named, respectively, Carrie, Henry, Elizabeth, Fred, Emma, Anna, and Mary. He was educated in the public and parochial schools in Pekin. He left school
at the age of sixteen years, and undertook farnı work, which he followed about one year. He then quit the farm and learned the iron-mold- ing trade, but his health not permitting a con- tinuance in this occupation, he abandoned it and moved to Chicago, where he pursued a course of study at Bryant & Stratton's Busi- ness College. He graduated, and received his diploma from that institution in the fall of 1882.
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