USA > Nebraska > Sarpy County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 7
USA > Nebraska > Saunders County > Biographical record : this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Saunders and Sarpy Counties, Nebraska > Part 7
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Mr. Fiedler had $300 from his father to begin with. This, together with what money he had been able to save from his earnings, enabled him to purchase a home. In 1886 he bought 80 acres from "Joe" Clement at $20 an acre. This land included the east half of the southeast quarter of section 22. Four years later he also bought the 40-acre tract lying just
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BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
north of his first purchase. This land was also bought from Mr. Clement, and upon it he built his present comfortable and substantial house, barns, outbuildings, windmill, etc.
In 1894 Mr. Fiedler made an additional purchase, the Scharf farm of 80 acres being added to his possessions. This farm cost him $42 per acre and is the north half of the south- west quarter of section 22. In 1900 the Hakel farm of 80 acres was also acquired at a cost of $42.50 per acre, this being the south half of the southwest quarter of section 23. Mr. Fiedler is now the possessor of 280 acres of improved land, worth from $40 to $45 an acre. He has numerous orchards, which bear a good variety of choice fruit. Both he and his family worship at the Catholic church which was built at Weston in 1884 and is now in charge of Rev. Louis Kline. The children attend school in district No. 71. A picture of Mr. Fiedler's family is shown in connection with this biography, being pre- sented on a preceding page. The subject of this sketch is a man of admirable character and industrious habits. Success has attended his every effort, and he is now one of the substan- tial men of his county.
T. CRUZAN is a prosperous and highly respected farmer, residing near Valparaiso, Oak Creek pre- cinct, Saunders county, Nebraska, and he is also assessor of his precinct. He was born in September, 1854, in Ripley county, Indiana,
65 miles southeast of Indianapolis, and is a son of R. R. and Elizabeth (Sams) Cruzan. He is the oldest of seven children, namely: M. T., Lucinda, John L., W. J., Rachel M., James A., and Mary. Lucinda is the wife of John Scott, of Valparaiso, and they have three chil- dren : Lillie, James, and Esther. John L. is married and engaged in farming near North Loup, Nebraska; he has three children : Ira, Roy, and Edith. W. J. cultivates a farm six miles north of Valparaiso, and has four child- ren : Ethel, Arthur, Pearl, and Ora. Rachael M. is the wife of O. H.Embree, who is engaged in farming just east of Mr. Cruzan's farm; they have three daughters : Myrtle, Cora, and Vena. James A. lives at Thompson, Montana, is mar- ried and has one child, Alice. Mary, the young- est, is now Mrs. Elmer Emery, of Los Angeles, California; she has three children: Clarence, Olive, and Ray. Mr. Cruzan's father was a farmer and a cooper by trade.
M. T. Cruzan remained under the parental roof until he was seventeen years of age, when lie commenced to earn his own livelihood. He spent seven years in Livingston county, Mis- souri, and three years in Winneshiek county, Iowa, working by the month. In 1878 he set- tled in Cass county, Nebraska, driving through with a team of horses. He purchased a piece of land, on which he made a payment of $48, which, with the exception of 50 cents, was the extent of his means. He sold his place in 1883, and, upon going to Saunders county, he bought from S. W. Benepee the southwest quarter of section 28, township 13, range 5, which prop- erty was originally homesteaded by a Mr. Wil-
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liams. Mr. Benepee had set out seven or eight acres of all kinds of trees, erected a small house, and broken about 20 acres. The rest of the improvements were added by Mr. Cruzan. He has put out an orchard of two and one-half acres, consisting of apple, plum, and cherry trees, and, among the beautiful shade trees on his farm, one has a diameter of 20 inches. The size of the first barn was 16 by 28 feet, but Mr. Cruzan enlarged it to 24 by 36 feet. In 1899 he added a room, 16 by 22 feet, to the old house. Besides raising considerable grain he deals cx- tensively in stock, raising Poland-China hogs and Shorthorn cattle.
The subject of this sketch was married, in Iowa, in 1878, to Elizabeth B. Vance, and they have two children, Calla I. and Jesse V. In politics Mr. Cruzan is independent ; he is now serving his third consecutive term as assessor of Oak Creek precinct. He served six years as a member of the school board and fourteen years as road overseer. Religiously he is a member of the Christian church.
RS. ELLEN M. THROOP, widow of H. E. Throop, who died in July, 1897, owns a large farm in Oak Creek precinct, Saunders county, Nebraska, and personally superintends the work upon it. She possesses excellent judgment and good business ability, and success has attended her efforts on every hand.
Mrs. Throop was born in Maine in 1843 and is a daughter of Andrew and Mary A. (Litle)
Johnson. Her father, familiarly known as "Uncle Andy" Johnson, was the first white set- tler in Oak Creek precinct, locating just west of Valparaiso, on October 5, 1865. He married Mary A. Litle, and ten children blessed their home, namely : Rodney K., a record of whose life appears elsewhere in this work; Ellen M., the subject hereof ; Olive (White), of Lin- coln, Nebraska; Clarence T., who lives near Valparaiso, Nebraska, and is at present county commissioner ; Charles, a farmer of Oak Creek precinct ; Edward, who is a clerk for his broth- er, R. K .; Minnie (States) ; Byron; Jessie (Fremont), and Albert Litle, superintendent of the Crete Mills, Crete, Nebraska.
Ellen M. Johnson was married in the spring of 1863 at Magnolia, Wisconsin, to H. E. Throop, who was born May 26, 1830, and was a son of Daniel Throop. He had a brother, Simeon Throop, who was an early settler of Saunders county, and for many years conducted a large nursery business near Valparaiso. Mr. and Mrs. Throop lived in Albany, Wisconsin, until the fall of 1865, when they removed to Geneseo, Henry county, Illinois. The next spring they followed her father to Saunders county, Nebraska. and, in 1866, secured 160 acres with college scrip, the northeast quarter of section 34, township 13, range 5. Mr. Throop homesteaded the 80 acres directly west, and then bought a timber claim of 40 acres, making 280 acres in all. They had sufficient money to last until the first crop was harvested, and lived with Mr. Johnson, at Valparaiso, un- til Mr. Throop erected a small frame house, 14 by 18 feet, a little west of the present residence.
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He also built a straw shed and a sod hen house, and, during the first summer, broke the sod. He also set out large groves of trees, one, of cottonwoods, west of the house, and one, of maples, to the north. He put out a fine orchard of several acres, of a large variety of fruit. A very valuable feature of the property is the presence of ten or twelve strong springs, fur- nishing a bountiful supply of pure water. Some of them are located high enough to force water by means of pipes to the second story of the house, and also to the stable and stock yard. The farm has always been devoted to extensive stock raising, and, since her husband's death, Mrs. Throop has continued the same line of operations in a most able manner. She has a nephew living with her, who does the work upon the farm. The present large and beautiful home was erected in 1885, it being full two stories high and 30 feet square, besides having a comfortable kitchen.
The subject of this sketch and her husband were parents of the following children : Frank E., Elmer E., Willard, Nellie and Minnie E. Frank E., who is identified with railroad work as yardmaster, married Mary Conley, in Chi- cago, in 1888, and they have a son, Harold. Elmer E., a railroad conductor, of Portland, Oregon, was the first male child born in the precinct, his birth occurring in a covered wagon. He married May McLannahan, of Portland, and they have a daughter, Beatrice. Willard, a farmer near Valparaiso, married Bertha Conley, and they have five children, namely : Ellen, Ruth, Howard, Henrietta and a small baby. Nellie (Magee), whose husband
is a clothing merchant at Seneca, Kansas, has two children, Harold and Ethel. Minnie E. is attending Wesleyan University. In religious views Mrs. Throop is a Methodist. Politically Mr. Throop was an advocate of the principles of the Populist party.
RED MILLER, the popular and ac- commodating proprietor of the Morse Bluff Hotel, is one of the leading citizens of Saunders county, Nebraska. He arose from a humble beginning to the more affluent walks in life, and is now the owner of valuable real estate in Omaha and Morse Bluff.
Mr. Miller is a native of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and a son of Hans and Annie (Stul- tenburg) Miller, both deceased. When a lad of eleven years, Fred left his native land, com- ing to the United States. He located at Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. There he remained three years and then moved to Omaha, where he worked in the saloon business three and a half years, and then started in the same line for him- self. He continued in the saloon business for five years, and then sold out to conduct the Gettleman Brewing Company's place in Omaha, where he stayed three years.
Mr. Miller then conceived the idea of build- ing a hotel, moved to Morse Bluff, and erected the present spacious hotel building. He is just the man for that line of business. He is polite and approachable and his hotel has a reputation not only in Saunders county, but with trading men all over the state.
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Mr. Miller owns lots 9, 10, 11 and 12 in block 1, Morse Bluff, on which his hotel and orchard are situated. He also owns lot 3 in Steppers Place, addition to Omaha. He has three brothers, John, Henry, and William, and one sister, Cecilia, who married Henry Stafen, of Washington county. They all reside in Nebraska.
In 1897 Mr. Miller was united in marriage with Barbara Pabian. Mrs. Miller is a daugh- ter of John and Teresa Pabian, of Omaha. .
LOF BENGTSON, a native of Sweden, was born in 1850. He is one of the best known farmers in Saunders county and is known throughout this section of the state. He is a man of firm principles, an excel- lent citizen and a kind and charitable neighbor. His farmi is one of the most attractive in the county, and its neat and well kept appearance speaks emphatically for the thrift and good management of its owner.
Olof Bengtson's father and mother, Bengt and Cecelia Olson, had two other sons, one, P. B. Olson, a prominent man of Saunders county, who was born in 1853, and who owns 240 acres of land adjoining Mr. Bengtson's farm. For many years he was county treasurer and has always taken an active part in the affairs of the county, having served two terms as representative in the state legislature. John, the other son, lives in Illinois and is married to Tilda Abrahamson. They have two children, Eva and Oscar.
Mr. Bengtson came to America in 1868 and spent the first three months in Illinois and the following ten in Wisconsin. In the spring of 1869 he located in Omaha, where he worked for some time. In July, 1869, he settled in Saun- ders county, Nebraska, where he homesteaded the south half of the northwest quarter of sec- tion 34, township 15, range 6. Mr. Olin, Mr. Bengtson's neighbor just south, and Mr. Lund- burg came with Mr. Bengtson from Omaha. The only other house in that section was Nils Edlund's. Mr. Bengtson built a small dug-out in November, 1869, which stood a little south of his present residence. In 1872 he built a frame house, 18 by 22 feet. It is one of the oldest frame houses in the county, if not the oldest. Mr. Bengtson has made many improvements since first building it, having reshingled it and made it one and a half stories high. In 1880 he built a barn, granary and cribs, and in 1896 added several outbuildings. In 1880 he also bought 40 acres of railroad land at $8 per acre. This is the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 27. Mr. Bengtson has a very fine orchard, the first trees being planted in 1878, and he has added to them ever since. He takes great care of the trees and has one of the finest orchards in the county.
In 1876 the subject of this sketch married Louise Peterson, a daughter of Frederick Peter- son, and they are the parents of four children, namely : Hulda, deceased; Albert, deceased ; Amanda, who is sixteen years old and is at home; and Lyman, who also lives at home. Mr. Bengtson is a Populist in politics, and the family are members of the Lutheran church.
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Mr. Bengtson takes an active interest in educa- tional matters. He was school moderator for eight consecutive years, and was connected with the board when the new school was built. The family are well known throughout the county, and Mr. Bengtson is considered a man of the strictest integrity.
OUIS LICHTENBERG, now engaged in general farming and stock raising in Cedar precinct, Saunders county, Ne- braska, is a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Ger- many. He was born April 23, 1842, and is a son of Gustav Lichtenberg, who combined the occupations of farmer, miller and justice of the peace.
Louis Lichtenberg acquired his early educa- tion in his native place. At the age of nineteen years he took passage on board the ship "Mar- co Polo," which sailed for the United States, and landed in New York. He worked on a farm for a short time, and subsequently in a brewery, the work of which he was familiar with, as in the old country he had learned the trade. The trade there also included starch making, sugar making, and distilling.
In the dark days of 1862, when the ominous clouds of war hovered over the Union, the sub- ject hereof, then only twenty years old, showed his loyal spirit in the defence of his adopted country. He enlisted in the 8th Regiment, New York Volunteers, and six months later re-enlisted in the 29th Regiment, New York Volunteers, named at the time "The Old Gari-
baldi Guard." He was taken prisoner at Har- per's Ferry, and subsequently exchanged and sent to Chicago. There he worked in a brew- ery five years for Busch & Brand.
In 1867 Mr. Lichtenberg moved to Nebraska, took up a homestead and engaged in general farming and stock raising. Most of the time his farm is stocked with about 200 cattle, 200 hogs and about 20 horses. He has a fine grow- ing orchard of apple, cherry and plum trees. He was married in 1866 to Fredericka Scherer. They have reared eleven children, as follows: Mary (Ranslam), Gustav, Lena (Becker), Sophia (Ranslam), Annie, Rosa (Epsem), Lucy (Ranslam), Clara, Carl, Walter and Francis.
Party ties do not bind Mr. Lichtenberg in the discharge of his duty on election days. He is governed by principle, and supports the candi- date who, in his estimation, will serve the peo- ple's interests to the best advantage. Mr. Lich- tenberg is a member of the German Lutheran church.
AYLOR VAIL RUTTER, one of the leading agriculturists of Chapman pre- cinct, Saunders county, Nebraska, where he owns a quarter section of highly improved farm land, has lived a most industrious and frugal life. Starting at the age of fourteen years, entirely without capital, he entered upon his work with a vim and energy not to be denied. He was always economical, not spend- ing his money like other boys, but laying it by, and, when enough had accumulated, carefully
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investing it and increasing it many times over. He is a shrewd and discriminating business man and has owned considerable property in Saun- ders county, which he invariably disposed of to good advantage.
Mr. Rutter was born near Searights, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1854, and is a son of John and Susan (Vail) Rutter. He has two sisters and one brother, as follows: Minerva (Rader), who lives near Piedmont, Greenwood county, Kansas; Eliza (May), who is now a widow and lives in Kansas ; and Henry, who is married and also lives in Kansas. Mr. Rutter worked upon his father's farm in Pennsylvania and lived in that state until he was fourteen years of age. His father started for Illinois in 1855, but met with death by drowning in the Allegheny River, shortly after leaving Browns- ville. His son, Taylor, was put out to work at an early age, and was raised by his grand- father until he was fourteen years old, when he went to Illinois and hired out to a farmer for a few months. He then went to Kansas, where his family had all located, his brother having first spent three years in Illinois. He was taken sick there, and, concluding that the Kansas cli- mate did not agree with him, he returned to Illinois and hired out for four years. He worked hard and saved his earnings, each year placing $125 out on interest. In this way he got a start and then rented a farm, which he operated with considerable success, raising three crops. He continued in La Salle county, Illinois, for many years, and in 1886 removed to Saunders county, Nebraska, having nine horses, three sets of harness, a wagon, buggy,
cultivator and plow, and about $800 in money. He first purchased 80 acres in Chapman pre- cinct-the south half of the northeast quarter of township 14, range 6-and set about culti- vating and improving the place, erecting build- ings, etc. He disposed of it to Joseph Jasa, and then purchased 40 acres in section I-the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter; 40 acres in Mariposa precinct, and 120 acres in section 2, township 14, range 6, paying $25 an acre for the 200 acres. He greatly improved the land, built a barn at a cost of $1,250, a crib for $100, a kitchen for $150, and then sold it, realizing well out of the transaction. He sold the 40 acres in Mariposa precinct to Mr. Peter- son, for $32.50 per acre; another 40 acres to Mr. Jasa, for $38.50 per acre, and the 120 acres in section 2 to Mr. Paulson, for $45.75 per acre. In 1894 he purchased the present farm, a quarter section adjoining Weston, at $50 per acre, from Mr. Youngstrom, one acre of it being occupied by the cemetery. He has expended $500 in improvements since, and has one of the best improved farms in the county. His wells are only 50 feet deep, but the water is especially fine, and he has an excellent system of waterworks on the farm. His place presents an attractive appearance with its handsome shade trees surrounding the house. He has his land mostly in grain, and is engaged in rais- ing fine horses. He is an excellent judge of horses and has some very fine animals, both draft horses and roadsters.
In 1877 Mr. Rutter was united in marriage with Ethel L. Redman, a daughter of Andrew Redman, an early settler of Illinois, and they
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had seven children, as follows: Nellie, de- ceased, who was born in 1882; Minnie, who is sixteen years of age; John, deceased; Ross, aged twelve years; Eva, aged ten years; Roy, aged eight years; and Clifford, who died in the fall of 1893. The two youngest boys are bright and active, and assist materially in doing the chores about the farm.
OHN W. O'KANE, at one time sheriff of Saunders county, and for many years one of the leading agriculturists of Stock- ing precinct, is now leading a retired life at Ithaca, Nebraska, where he has an elegant residence.
Mr. O'Kane was born in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1841, and is a son of Daniel and Lucy (Johnson) Kane. He was reared in that county and in 1862 enlisted in the Union army, becoming a private in Company E, 92d Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served for two years and seven months, and while serving in Kilpatrick's cavalry at Powder Springs, Georgia, three balls struck him in the left thigh, thus incapacitating him for further duty. He saw much hard service, and always conducted himself in a soldierly manner, being ready to discharge his full duty, and more, when called upon. In 1869 he moved to Stocking precinct, Saunders county, Ne- braska, and homesteaded 80 acres-the west half of the southwest quarter of section 24. Upon this property was located a small board house, 12 by 16 feet in dimensions, and in 1870
he brought his family of eleven, in all, and lived in it until a larger house could be erected. He set out an orchard and grove of five acres, and greatly improved his property in every way. He purchased 80 acres of railroad land, adjoining his property on the south, in section 25, Stocking precinct, at $10 per acre, and 80 acres on the east. He then erected barns and a fine set of other outbuildings, and successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits for many years. He also bought and improved consider- able other property in the county, and had it all well stocked. In 1886 he was elected sheriff of Saunders county by the Democratic party, and served in a manner most satisfactory to his constituents for two years. Upon first locating in the county he was made school treasurer, and was the means of dividing the old district into the present four districts. He has served on the school board for many years, and also as constable, in which capacity he is now serving. In 1891 he practically retired from active business life, selling some of his land and renting the rest of it. He built his present large and handsome residence in Ithaca, in which he has since resided. He now con- ducts a boarding stable, and is quite successful in that enterprise.
Mr. O'Kane was united in marriage with Mrs. Esther Dodson, widow of Melvin Dodson, by whom she had two children-Clarence, and Millie R. Her union with Mr. O'Kane re- sulted in the birth of five children : Arthur Els- worth, who married Alice Granger, by whom he has one child, Hazel ; Frank Wesley ; Agnes, the wife of Dr. W. H. Atkinson, and mother of
MR. AND MRS. G. B. M. WILL AND FAMILY.
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one son, Earl; Edith, the wife of Bert Wills, by whom she had had two children, both of whom are dead; and Flora, who is unmarried and resides at home.
B. M. WILL, a prominent and enter- prising young business man of Valpa- raiso, Saunders county, Nebraska, is manager of the Searle & Chapin Lumbering Company, for which he has worked since 1891. He was born in Pomeroy, Ohio, May 30, 1861, and is a son of David and Kezia (Wandling) Will. He was the only child born of that union, and when but two years of age his mother died, and he went to live with his grandmother. When he was fourteen years of age his father married a Miss Radford, and the subject hereof returned home and lived there until he was twenty-two years old. As a result of his father's second union, seven children were born, those living being David; Maude; Clyde and Oderkirk.
At twenty years of age Mr. Will began teaching school, which he made his occupation for three years, but he afterward entered Nor- man University, at Lebanon, O., which was under the direction of Mr. Holbrook. He grad- uated from that institution in 1885 with high honors. He went through school without any assistance whatever from his father. Upon leaving school he went to Sutton, Nebraska, and taught four years in Clay and Thayer counties. For the following three years he was principal of the Liberty schools. As the county superintendent of Thayer county, Ne-
braska, he looked over certain timber lands in the interest of several teachers; eighteen of them took up claims, but the subject hereof is the only one who now holds a deed, as he in- vested the necessary capital for improvements. His property consists of the southwest quar- ter of section 30, township 24, range 56 west, and is located in the Sioux valley, four miles from the Platte River and a short distance from the Burlington & Missouri River Rail- road. As that part of the country is being rap- idly settled the land bids fair to become very valuable. December 19, 1891, Mr. Will lo- cated in Valparaiso, Nebraska, where he as- sumed the management of the S. K. Martin Lumbering Company, and continued to work for that company until August, 1899, when they sold out to Searle & Chapin, for whom our subject now works. He has made consider- able investments in real estate in Valparaiso, and now owns three blocks, valued at $2,500. He is a hustling and wide-awake business man, and his upright and honest business methods have gained him hosts of friends.
June 19, 1889, Mr. Will married Sarah K. . Headrick, the eldest daughter of John Head- rick, and they have three children : Mabel, born in 1890, and Joseph and Josephine, twins, born August 21, 1894. Mrs. Will comes from a family of eight children, namely : W. J., who is a jeweler at Sterling, Colorado; Robert L. and Joseph B., who are farmers near Alexan- dria, Nebraska; Mary L., who is the wife of Charles Bright, a farmer near Alexandria; Anna, the wife of Guy Crewdson; Mattie, and Hattie.
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In politics, the subject of this sketch is a Democrat; religiously he is a Methodist. In 1892 he joined Lodge No. 136, I. O. O. F., in which he has held all the chairs and is now warden. He was delegated to the grand lodge at Lincoln in 1895. He carried $3,000 insur- ance in Liberty Lodge No. 932, M. W. A., but in 1892 he transferred his membership to Lodge No. 1451. He and his wife carry policies of $2,500 each in the National Mutual Life of Minneapolis. A picture of Mr. Will's family is presented on a preceding page.
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