USA > Nebraska > Sarpy County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 6
USA > Nebraska > Saunders County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 6
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Benjamin Johnson, the grandfather of Rod- ney K., was a Revolutionary soldier and lived in Waldo county, Maine, where he died at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Andrew Johnson, the father, was a carpenter and joiner by trade. He was a native of Waldo county, as was his wife, Mary Ann Litle. In 1851 they moved west, locating in Delaware county, Ohio, but in 1854 they moved to Green county, Wisconsin. There they lived until 1865, when they moved to Saunders county, Nebraska. They reared the following children: Rodney K., of whom this sketch treats; Clarence T., who lives in Oak Creek precinct, Saunders county, and is one of the county commission- ers; Ellen M. (Throop), of Oak Creek pre- cinct ; Olive A. (White), of Lincoln, Nebraska; Charles B., who lives in Oak Creek precinct ; Edward L., a citizen of Valparaiso; Ermina (States), who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska; and Albert L., who lives in Crete, Saline county, Nebraska.
When the family first removed to Saunders county, Rodney K. Johnson and his father each took up a homestead. They began the journey from Wisconsin to Nebraska with a single horse and wagon, but just before reaching Council Bluffs the horse died, and they pro- ceeded westward afoot. The town of Valpa- raiso had been named and placed upon the map, but at that time not a single house marked the spot. It had been plotted and staked out in lots, but there were no buildings. The John- sons wished to locate where they could get good farm land and plenty of water, also
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IOGRAPHICAL RECORD
within easy reach of a market. After crossing the Platte River, which they found to be much smaller than they had expected, they started for the Oak Creek valley, where each took up a homestead, a portion of which is now the site of Valparaiso village. Their nearest neighbors were at that time eight miles to the south and ten miles to the north. The government trail was three miles north of them and the old Mormon trail about two miles to the southwest. They erected frame houses, the material for which was hauled from Rock Bluff, Nebraska, on the Missouri River, by ox teams. Andrew and Rodney K. Johnson made the sashes and frames for the first capitol building at Lincoln, Nebraska, hewing and sawing them out of the rough timber. Andrew was the first postmas- ter of Valparaiso, and the first postoffice was in his house for several years. He died at the age of seventy-five years. His wife still sur- vives, making her home with her children.
Rodney K. Johnson opened a store in his house when the Union Pacific Railroad was built through Valparaiso, and, in 1879, he built a store building of the size of 25 by 80 feet and two stories high. Five years later he doubled the capacity of the building, making it 48 by 80 feet and two stories high. He has conducted a store ever since he first started, with the exception of one year, having sold his interest in the store and having rebought it a year afterward. He carries a fine line of general merchandise, and has catered to the best class, with remarkable success. He has also been an extensive dealer in grain, and, in 1884, he built an elevator, with a capacity of 75,000 bushels.
He organized the first bank of the town and operated it for a period of twelve years. He built the first brick hotel there and operated that for two years, and was for twelve years its owner. He owned and published theValparaiso Avalanche for a number of years. He has been a great factor in the development of the town, and is esteemed by his fellow men as a man of great worth to the community.
In 1870 the subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Elvira L. Carter, and they are the parents of four children, as follows : Harry P., Estella, Emile and Edgar P. Harry P., born August 13, 1876, was graduated from the Valparaiso High School in 1890, and grad- uated from Lincoln Business College in 1892, since which time he has been associated in busi- ness with his father; Estella was born Septem- ber 5, 1878; Emile was born September 27, 1881; and Edgar P. was born May 22, 1886. Mr. Johnson served in the Union army throughout the Civil War ; he enlisted, in 1861, as a private with Company E, 5th Regiment, Wisconsin Vol. Inf., and was with the Army of the Potomac. He was wounded in the battle of Williamsburg, in 1862, and compelled to remain in the hospital for three months. His term of enlistment expired in 1864, and he re-enlisted in Company E, which was consoli- dated with Company B, of the same regiment, which served under General Cobb. Mr. John- son was successively promoted to be corporal, sergeant and second lieutenant. He is a mem- ber of Sherman Post, No. 64, G. A. R., and has held various offices. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, having passed
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through all the chairs. In political affiliations he is a Republican and has held a number of local offices.
W. HARRELL, a representative farm- er of Rock Creek precinct, Saunders county, Nebraska, was born in 1842, in Effingham county, Illinois, and is a son of Rev. Jethro and Effie (Noe) Harrell.
Rev. Jethro Harrell was a licensed minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was an early settler of Illinois, locating in that state in 1841. By his first marriage he had five children, one now a resident of Illinois, one in Indiana, and three deceased. He sub- sequently married Effie Noe, and they became parents of six children, as follows: Jacob, William, J. W., Sarah J., F. H., and George. Jacob owns and lives upon the old homestead of 320 acres. William is a farmer of Effingham county, Illinois. J. W. is the subject hereof. Sarah J. (Parkhurst), whose husband is a live stock commissioner of South Omaha, has two children living. F. H. came with J. W. Harrell to Saunders county, Nebraska, and homesteaded in 1870. He later sold out and engaged in the hardware business at Staplehurst, Seward county, Ne- braska. He now lives at Fort Scott, Kansas, and has two children-Brick and Pearl. George died in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Harrell both died in Illinois.
J. W. Harrell worked on his father's farm until 1864, when he was married. He was then engaged in farming on his own account
for five years and in 1869, with his wife, one child and his brother, F. H., drove 600 miles from Illinois to Saunders county, Ne- braska. He pitched his tent for a week near his present home, and filed a claim on a quarter section of land, homesteading the west half of the northwest quarter of section 14, town- ship 13, range 6. By filing on the entire quarter he was enabled to hold one of the 80-acre tracts for his brother until he became of age a few months later. They built a dug-out some distance north of the present home, and then, owing to a failure of what he supposed to be a spring, built a sod house on the site of the present home, using poles for rafters, which they obtained from the natural timber along Rock Creek, which ran through the south end of the farm. A little later he built a straw stable south of the house. One of the three horses with which he left Illinois was drowned in the creek during one of their first nights in the county. J. W. and F. H. Harrell broke the land and continued together for seven or eight years. In 1879 the former purchased the 80 acres of the latter, at $5 per acre, the latter having previously bought an adjoining 80 acres. In 1873 J. W. Harrell hauled the lumber from Ashland for his first frame house, 14 by 18 feet in dimensions. In 1873 he set out an orchard north of the house, but thinking it destroyed by hail he set out cotton- woods on the same ground. The fruit trees then began shooting up, and he cut down the cottonwoods, and now has a fine orchard of two acres, consisting of apples, peaches and pears. He set out a row of maples, which are
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now large trees, and also some pines, in the front yard. In 1892 Mr. Harrell built his present home, of pretty design, which in size is equivalent to 32 feet square, with 18 feet posts, at a cost of $2,000. His present spacious barn, 40 by 44 feet, with four granaries inside and room for 12 horses, was built in 1887, together with other outbuildings. He has a good tubular well 65 feet deep, and eight acres of wild prairie grass near the house. His home is finished throughout in hard pine, and, to- gether with the beautiful grounds, is one of the largest and best farm homes in the precinct. He secured the seed for his first crop of wheat from Mr. Jamison, and in 1870 also worked for R. K. Johnson. He has always been very successful in his work and is one of the worthy and reliable citizens of the community.
In 1864 he was united in marriage with Clarissa Keefer, a daughter of Benjamin F. Keefer. She has a brother, W. G. Keefer, who at one time conducted a harness shop in Wahoo. W. G. Keefer had six children-Charles, a professional musician in Omaha ; Myrtle, a mail clerk in the South Omaha postoffice; Susan; Forest, deceased; Hallie V., and Earl. The subject hereof and his wife have three children -Amy V., H. S. and W. O. Amy V. was born in Illinois and died in Rock Creek, Ne- braska, in 1892. H. S., who has rented his father's farm since 1894, married Annie Scan- lon, whose parents are early settlers of Saunders county, and now live near Ceresco. W. O., who lives one mile east of his father's residence, commenced attending the Fremont Normal School when seventeen years old, and subse-
quently graduated from that institution and taught school for four years. He married Linda V. Kiser, a daughter of Rev. Mr. Kiser, and they have two children-Fern and William John. The subject of this sketch is a Populist in his political affiliations. He and his worthy wife are strong advocates of rural free mail delivery. He has served thirteen years on the school board and has been road supervisor. He is a Methodist and assisted in building the church near his home.
HARLES PERRY, a prominent farmer of Cedar Bluffs, Saunders county, Ne- braska, is a son of Jeremiah and Mary Ann (Hobbs) Perry, both deceased. He is a native of Bedfordshire, England, and was born February 7, 1849.
Jeremiah Perry was a farmer, and young Perry attended the public schools and worked on his father's farm. In 1868 he and his brother left England and came to the United States, settling in Nebraska. The family fol- lowed them one year later. His father took up a homestead of 80 acres, pre-empted another 80 acres, and afterward purchased still another 80 acres.
Charles Perry worked for his father three years, and then bought the southeast quarter of section 23 and the south half of the south- west quarter of section 24. On his newly acquired estate he immediately built a fine house, barn, corn cribs, etc. He engaged in farming and stock raising, keeping on his farm
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about 200 head of cattle, 200 head of hogs and about 15 horses.
In 1872 he returned to England, and married Annie Hawtin, a resident of Northampton. Her father was George Hawtin, who has been deceased for fifteen years. Her mother, Mary (Holwell) Hawtin, died about twelve years ago. Mrs. Perry has four brothers, William, George, Harry, and Fred-all living in Eng- land-and three sisters, Mrs. Percy Murray and Mrs. Fred Cloud, living in England, and Mrs. William Paddock, who resides in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. and Mrs. Perry have one daughter, Flor- ence, living, aged twenty-two years, and Mary Ann, deceased. In politics Mr. Perry is a Republican. Mrs. Perry is a member of the Presbyterian church.
ILLIAM BOWEN, deceased, was one of the most respected and up-to- date farmers in Saunders county, Ne- braska, where he located in 1880, and his death, which occurred February 16, 1900, was deeply deplored by his many friends and acquaintances throughout the county, who knew him to be a good neighbor and citizen and a kind and loving father and husband. He was born in Caermar- thenshire, Wales, in 1835, and there he was reared and received his mental training. In 1880 he came to the United States with his fam- ily, located in Saunders county, and bought from John Thomas 160 acres of farming land at a cost of $15 per acre. The land is
the southeast quarter of section 18, township 14, range 6. He also purchased from the Union Pacific Railroad Company 80 acres,- the west half of the southwest quarter of section 17. The 160-acre tract had been home- steaded by Mr. Thomas; it contained but few improvements. He set out a great many trees, especially along the railroad, and near the house he planted a large grove of willows and cotton- woods. On the premises was a small house, which he remodeled into the present handsome and commodious structure, which is well fur- nished. In place of the old barn, which had a straw roof, he built the present substantial structure, which is 28 feet square and 16 feet high. Across the road he built a cattle barn, in 1892, which measures 60 feet in length 14 feet in width and 12 feet in height. He also built a large granary and hog sheds for feeding pur- poses. A good well is near the house, and in all respects the farm is one of the best improved in the county. Mr. Bowen was considered by all who knew him as an enterprising and suc- cessful farmer.
Mr. Bowen was joined in marriage with Mary Jones, who was also a native of Caermar- thensi ire, Wales, and to them were born the following children : Thomas, Elizabeth, David, Esther, Samuel, Hugh, Andrew M., Benjamin and Edith. Thomas, the eldest, is a locomo- tive engineer on the Santa Fe Railroad and lives in New Mexico; he married a Miss Rallard, by whom he has two children - Leone and William. Elizabeth is the wife of J. H. Miller, a brake- man on the Santa Fe Railroad, also residing in
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New Mexico. She has two children-Truman and William. David is single, and is an engi- neer in the elevator at Weston. Esther is the wife of Joseph Edwards, a farmer in Kansas, and they have five children-Jonathan, Josie, Willie, Marie and Edward. Samuel is a pas- senger brakeman on the Santa Fe Railroad in New Mexico. Hugh is deceased. Andrew M. has been in charge of the homestead since the death of his father. Benjamin, aged twenty- one years, also works on the farm. Edith, the youngest, lives at home. Mr. Bowen was a school director in his community and took an active part in the promotion of its general wel- fare.
A. LUNDQUIST, a progressive farmer living four miles southwest of Valparaiso, Nebraska, was born twelve (Swedish) miles from Gothenburg, in the southern part of Sweden, in 1833. He is a son of Andrus and Mary Johnson, both of whom died in Sweden. They had four chil- dren, all of whom came to this country, namely : F. A., the subject hereof; Calus, who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska; Chiarles, who died at Lin- coln in 1872, and Frederick, who died in Cali- fornia. The children all took the name of an uncle, Mr. Lundquist, upon arriving in this country.
F. A. Lundquist came to the United States and located in the state of Nebraska in 1872. He worked in Lincoln for some time, and, in 1873, settled in Saunders county, Nebraska, where, in March of the following year, he
homesteaded the south half of the northwest quarter of section 30, township 13, range 5. He broke 50 acres and built a small house which is still utilized on the place. After making many improvements he sold the place, in 1882, to Mr. Creathbaum (who still resides there), and subsequently purchased the southeast quarter of the same section from Mr. Vandermark, who had set out a few trees and broken about 50 acres. This was the extent of the improvements upon the place, and, as there was no house, he rented a building of Mr. Vandermark for his family, who had come on from Lincoln, in May, 1875. They lived there while his present house was being built, the dimensions of the main part of which are 16 by 26 feet, with an addition 16 feet square. At that time he had six horses and about fifteen or twenty head of cattle. His only neighbors were Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nichol and George Lawton. He got along with straw sheds for stables up to 1885, when he built his present spacious barn. His granary, 22 by 30 feet, with an 18-foot corn-crib attached, was built two years after the erection of his house. He has an excellent grove on each side of the house, and one and a half acres of orchard, all of which are his own improvements. His farm is well fenced and in excellent condition throughout, bespeaking the enterprising and progressive spirit of its owner. Mr. Lundquist is extensively engaged in raising stock and grain, and is one of the well-to-do men of his locality. He is well known and popular, and is a very active man for the age of three score and seven years.
The subject of this sketch was united in mar-
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riage with Charlotte Johnson, a daughter of John Johnson, and six children were born to them in Sweden and two in America, as fol- lows: Sanfred, who is married and has two daughters ; Charles ; Clara (Lindholm) ; Emma (Pierson), who lives near Raymond, Lancaster county, Nebraska; Augusta (Gustang), who lives near Malcolm; Hilda, Albert and Annie. The three last named are living at home. Charles, the second child born to his parents, died when an infant.
G. S. LAMBERT, who has been promi- nently identified with the growth and development of Rock Creek pre- cinct for almost a quarter of a century, is a very successful farmer in that precinct, in addition to which he has served in various schools as instructor. He has shown marked ability in that line, being well educated and gifted with a most valuable talent of imparting knowledge to others.
Mr. Lambert was born near Shellsburg, Ben- ton County, Iowa, in 1854, and is a son of Sherebiah and Louisa (Smith) Lambert. His father, who was an early settler of Iowa, now lives in Washington, his wife having died sev- eral years ago. They were parents of five children, as follows: Ann (Kesling), whose husband is a farmer of Antelope county, Ne- braska; G. S., the subject hereof; D. A., who also lives in Antelope county, Nebraska ; U. M., who lives in Oregon, and one who died in in- fancy.
G. S. Lambert worked upon his father's farm in Benton county, Iowa, until he was seventeen years old, in the meantime obtaining as much country schooling as possible. He then spent two years in town, at the high school, after which he taught there until 1873, when he re- moved to Saunders county, Nebraska. He taught school in the winter and farmed during the summer months, until his marriage, in 1876. Prior to this he had purchased railroad land in Saunders county-the north half of the northeast quarter of section 23, township 13, range 6-from Mr. Clay, who had patented the same, but had made no improvements. Mr. Lambert broke the sod and made many im- provements, but did not build upon the land until 1885, in the meantime renting various houses. In 1883 he bought an adjoining tract of 40 acres, making a good farm of I20 acres. In 1885 he built what is now the south part of the house, 14 feet square, and later built an addition, 14 by 22 feet, also making it a story and a half high. He built a barn, 24 by 32 feet, with 12-foot posts, and also erected other necessary outbuildings. He has a fine grove of ash, elm, box elder and cotton- wood trees, and an orchard of over two acres of fruit trees of various kinds. For the past thirteen years he has farmed during the sum- mer and taught school during the winter, his services being very much in demand. He is ably assisted by two sons on the farm, which, including some rented property, now comprises . 240 acres ; 15 acres are in hay, 30 acres in pas- ture and the remainder is cultivated, his prin- cipal crop being corn. Mr. Lambert began in
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a very small way and with limited capital, and what he possesses today represents the labor of an industrious and well-spent life.
In 1876 the subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Nancy Bennett, and they have three children, all at home: Nettie, Frank M. and John E. In politics Mr. Lambert is a Pop- ulist, and serves as a member of the school board and as justice of the peace. He served two terms as assessor-in 1884 and in 1893. He is a really a Baptist in religious faith, but has been associated actively with the Method- ists in assisting materially to build the church of that denomination near his farm, on section 22. It was built in 1886, by the voluntary aid of the farmers, who expended both labor and money to that end, receiving no outside help from any church board. It has a seating capac- ity of 150. Mr. Lambert has been a Sunday school superintendent for the last twenty years. He is now president of the county Sunday school association.
A NTON POSPISIL is one of the influen- tial and well-to-do agriculturists of Saunders county, Nebraska, where he has resided since 1872. He has always occu- pied a prominent place among his fellow citi- zens, having served as assessor for the past twelve years, and also as justice of the peace. He was born in Bohemia, in 1859, and is a son of John and Mary (Dolezal) Pospisil, who had a family of seven children, of whom the first three were born in the northern part of Bohe-
mia. They were named as follows: John, de- ceased; Anton, the subject of this biography ; Mary; Frank, deceased; Annie, the wife of Frank Virgl and the mother of one child, Mary ; Fanny, who died in Omaha, Nebraska; and John, who is a druggist at Weston, Nebraska.
John and Mary (Dolezal) Pospisil came to this country in 1866, and, for the first three years, they lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but after that they moved to Omaha, where Mr. Pospisil worked in a quarry. In the spring of 1872, John Pospisil settled in Saunders county, Nebraska, where he homesteaded 80 acres in Elk precinct, and later bought 40 acres in Newman precinct. They first lived in a dug- out, which was located just south of their pres- ent barn, but when Mr. Pospisil purchased his 40 acres in Newman precinct he cut from the timber enough poles to build a barn large enough to shelter a pair of oxen, a cow and a calf. In 1885 Mr. Pospisil built the present barn, located across the road from his house, which he erected in 1883, and which is 16 by 26 feet.
The subject of this sketch has resided upon the home farm ever since he came to Saunders county, with the exception of two years, when he was about seventeen years of age, and worked out. He carries on general farming and stock raising, and is one of the up-to-date and progressive farmers of his county.
Anton Pospisil was joined in marriage with Mary Virgl, a daughter of Frank Virgl, and to them a family of nine children have been born, as follows: Mary, Wencel, Carrie, An-
MR. AND MRS. JAMES FIEDLER AND FAMILY.
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ton, Fannie, Theodore, Frank, Jacob, and Thomas, all of whom are well and living at home. Mr. Pospisil, as before mentioned, has served as assessor of Elk precinct for the past twelve years, and also holds the position of jus- tice of the peace. He served several years as a member of the board of election and as moder- ator of the school district.
J AMES FIEDLER, a prominent farmer who has attained success in Saunders county, Nebraska, is now one of the largest land owners in Chapman precinct. He was born in Bohemia and is a son of Benedict and Mary (Kadavy) Fiedler. His father was born in 1833 in Bohemia, near the line of Ger- many and in the vicinity of Prague. His mother is a daughter of Frank Kadavy, another prominent farmer of Chapman precinct.
In 1882 Benedict Fiedler came to America, bringing with him $1,300. He went to Saun- ders county, Nebraska, and purchased 80 acres of land from John Swoberty which is in the northwest quarter of section 27. James Fied- ler's parents still reside upon that farm, al- though their son, Paul, now has the manage- ment of it. They first built a small sod house, measuring 10 by 18 feet on the inside. They lived in that house nine years, and then built a frame house 16 feet by 30 feet in dimensions and 10 feet high. Previous to 1890 they used a straw barn, but afterward erected a frame barn, its size being 18 by 36 by 12 feet, with a loft for hay. Three children were born to this
worthy couple, as follows: James (this memoir's subject), Paul, and Frank. The last named, while still in the old country, married Annie Soukup, and they have three children, Mary, Laura, and Frank, Jr. Frank now re- sides on a farm in section 22, immediately ad- joining the farm of James.
James Fiedler accompanied his parents to Saunders county in 1882, and worked out for six years. In 1885, his marriage with Thony Novak was consummated. Mrs. Fiedler is a daughter of Joseph Novak, who took up a homestead claim on School creek, about one mile from Weston. Five children were born to the subject hereof and his worthy wife. Their names are Fannie, Eddie, Annie, Joseph, and Emma. The eldest is now about fifteen years old, and their ages range down to little Emma, who is still a babe. Eddie and Joseph, al- though quite young, are very helpful on the farm. They can drive teams and do any num- ber of small jobs for their father, who will ap- preciate their assistance more each year as they grow older. Mrs. Fiedler has an uncle, Mr. Cadavy, who purchased from Mr. Clement a farm near the home of her husband. Like most new comers, he first had only a sod house, but now has a group of very substantial buildings.
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