USA > Nebraska > Buffalo County > Buffalo County, Nebraska, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 26
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To Mr. and Mrs. Henline were born four children: Bernie F., who is cashier of the Commercial Bank at Gibbon; Vernie T., who is more commonly known as "Judge" and who operates a ranch at Buda and is also engaged in the live stock business; Lulu B., the wife of J. W. McKearney, of Kearney ; and Beulah J. The wife and mother passed away January 13, 1914, her death being deeply regretted not only by her immediate family, but also by many friends. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and lived a life in consistent har- mony with her professions. Mr. Henline also belongs to the Methodist church and he is likewise identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he is a republican where national issues are involved, but does not hold himself bound by party ties and in his political activities frequently fol- lows an independent course. Those who know him esteem him for his sterling worth. He fearlessly expresses his honest convictions, his position never being an equivocal one, and his influence is always given on the side of progress, im- provement, justice and truth.
O. O. OLSON.
O. O. Olson, who is successfully engaged in stock raising in Platte township, was born in Galesburg, Illinois, on the Ist of March, 1876, a son of Otto and Hattie (Ackerson) Olson, both natives of Sweden, whence they emigrated to the United States in 1866. They lived in Illinois until 1878, in which year they went to Phelps county, Nebraska, but subsequently removed to Cuming county, and there the father passed away, although the mother is still living. They were the parents of eight children, of whom seven survive.
O. O. Olson assisted in the operation of the homestead until he was twenty- three years of age and then assumed charge of the farm work. As the years passed he saved his money carefully and at length purchased three hundred acres of good land on sections 12, 13 and 14, Platte township. He is now living, however, upon a farm on sections 10 and II belonging to his wife, and he specializes in the raising of high grade horses, mules, cattle and hogs. His well
MR. AND MRS. O. O. OLSON
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directed activities yield him a good return and he is ranked among the substantial men of his locality.
In 1889 Mr. Olson was married to Miss Anna Hanson, who was born in Wisconsin and is a daughter of Nels and Emelia Hanson, now residents of Kear- ney. Mr. and Mrs. Olson have six children, namely: Loring, Violet, Esther, Gilbert, Oren and Gladys.
The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church and take a commendable interest in its varied lines of activity. Mr. Olson is a republican in politics and for the last ten years has served on the school board. Fraternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge at Gibbon, in which he has filled a number of the chairs, and to the Modern Woodmen of America. His success is the result of Energy and sound judgment, and in gaining individual prosperity he has also promoted the agricultural interests of his township.
BARTA KASE.
Barta Kase, who for many years has resided in Ravenna, has built up a large and gratifying patronage and derives a substantial profit from his boot and shoe business. He has been established in business in Ravenna longer than any other merchant of the town and has contributed in no small degree to its development along commercial lines. His birth occurred in Kolovec, in the province of Pil- sen, Bohemia, on the 24th of August, 1861, and his parents were Paul and Eva (Kroulek) Kase, likewise natives of Bohemia. The father engaged in farming and also devoted considerable attention to the stock business and met with grati- fying success in both occupations. He passed away on the 25th of December, 1914, and his wife died in 1901.
Barta Kase attended the village schools and when fifteen years of age was apprenticed to a shoemaker, his parents paying two hundred dollars for his instruction in the trade. In November, 1879, he emigrated to America and made his way to the middle west, locating at West Point, Nebraska. After working as a farm hand for a year he removed to Omaha and as he was a skilled cornet player found employment in an orchestra. Subsequently he traveled with the Sells Brothers' show as a musician and during that time met Joseph Bohac, also a musician, in connection with whom he later organized and managed a small concert band in Omaha. After four years they removed to Lincoln and conducted a band there until February, 1886, when they decided to turn their attention to business pursuits. Mr. Bohac was a harnessmaker by trade and as the Burlington Railroad was letting contracts at that time for grading the extension of their lines from Grand Island to Broken Bow the young men decided that there would be excellent business opportunities near the construction camps. They erected a small shop on the Smith place on Beaver creek and began to make and repair harness. As soon as the grading outfits came they had all the work that they could do and after the road was completed they continued in business, having in the meantime built up a permanent trade in the county. In 1891 Mr. Kase sold his interest in that business and in the same year established a shoe store in Ravenna, which had grown up at the point which he and Mr.
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Bohac had chosen for the location of their harness shop. He has since continued in the boot and shoe business and has the only store dealing exclusively in shoes in the town. He carries a large and diversified stock of high grade footwear and his thorough knowledge of everything pertaining to the making of shoes has been of great advantage to him as a merchant. He is one of the most pros- perous business men of Ravenna and in addition to owning the building in which his store is located has erected a commodious residence for himself and has also built each of his children a home.
Mr. Kase was married in May, 1884, to Miss Annie Maly, a daughter of John and Magdalena Maly, natives of Bohemia, who settled in Saunders county, Nebraska, in 1867. They took up a homestead eight miles from Wahoo and lived thereon for many years. At length, however, they retired and removed to Ravenna, where the father passed away in 1897 and where the mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Kase had three children. Joseph, who was born in August, 1885, died in the same year. Joseph, second of the name, whose birth occurred on the 22d of October, 1886, was the first male child born in Ravenna. He is now engaged in railroading and resides in Ravenna. Bessie, who was born in April, 1888, is the wife of John Chandler, manager of the telephone company at Loup City, Nebraska.
Mr. Kase supports the republican party at the polls and along fraternal lines is connected with the Knights of Pythias. His religious faith is that of the Roman Catholic church. He has never ceased to give a great deal of attention to music and is still at the head of the Ravenna band, which he and Mr. Boliac organized and which has done much to promote an interest in music in the town. As he located here before the town was thought of he has witnessed its entire development and takes justifiable pride in the fact that he has done much to promote its advancement along various lines of activity.
GEORGE MILLER.
George Miller is a fine type of a self-made man-a man who is not dis- heartened by a lack of unusual opportunity but who resolutely makes the best of conditions as they are and through enterprise and good judgment eventually wins success. He has at all times depended upon his own resources and is now one of the wealthy men of Buffalo county, owning seventeen hundred and eighty- four acres of fine land in the county. He resides in Elm Creek township and has brought all of his land to a high state of cultivation.
Mr. Miller was born in Delaware county, New York, on the 9th of February, 1841, a son of William and Fanny (Hicks) Miller, also natives of the Empire state. They removed to Iowa when our subject was but a small child and two years later went to Missouri, where they resided until the Civil war, at which time removal was made to Jones county, Iowa. There the mother passed away, but the father died in Audubon county, that state.
George Miller was reared upon the home farm in Missouri and when sixteen years of age began freighting across the plains, making several trips to Mexico and subsequently going to Wyoming. While there he worked for contractors
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who were freighting for the government and while in their employ drove six yoke of oxen, there often being twenty-five teams in a train, and he met with many interesting experiences in those pioneer days. In August, 1871, he removed to Buffalo county, Nebraska, and purchased a timber claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Elm Creek township. For the first year he lived in a dugout but at the end of that time built his present home. In a comparatively short time he had his land under cultivation and was receiving a gratifying income therefrom. As soon as he had accumulated sufficient capital he invested in more land and gradually has added to his holdings until he now owns ten hundred and fifty-four acres in a body in Elm Creek township and seven hundred and thirty acres in Logan township. In managing his business affairs he has manifested a progressive spirit and a well founded faith in the agricultural future of the county, and the wisdom of his course has been vindicated as he is now financially independent.
Mr. Miller was married, in Jones county, Iowa, to Miss Angela Cohoon, a native of that county, who passed away on the 29th of August, 1912. For six years previous to this the family had resided in Arkansas for the benefit of her health. She was the mother of nine children, namely: Alma, at home; Howard, who is married and resides on land belonging to his father; Archie, who is also farming land belonging to his father and is married; Bert, who is operating some of his father's land and is married; Kate, the wife of Harry Skinner, of Pueblo, Colorado; Georgia, the wife of John Loibl, of Elm Creek; Roy, who is operating his father's farm in Logan township and is married; and Harry and Dolly, both of whom died in infancy.
Mr. Miller has been a member of the Methodist church for many years and takes a commendable interest in its work. His wife was likewise identified with that church. He votes the democratic ticket but has never sought public office. His observation has convinced him of the great evil wrought by the liquor traffic and he is a stalwart worker in the cause of temperance. Although he is a man of wealth and has reached the age at which many retire he is still a hard worker and finds much satisfaction in activity.
J. W. FRANK, M. D.
Dr. J. W. Frank has resided in Elm Creek for thirty years and was for many years a leading physician and surgeon but is now practically retired. His birth occurred in Marysville, Ohio, on the 12th of January, 1841. His parents were W. H. and Rachel (Wolford) Frank, both likewise natives of Ohio. In 1856 they removed with their family to Henry county, Iowa, and in 1883 became resi- dents of Kearney, Nebraska, where both passed away. The father was by trade a carpenter and joiner.
J. W. Frank passed his boyhood in Ohio and Iowa and received his general education in the common schools. On the 3d of October, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fourth Iowa Cavalry, for three years and while with his command fought in several important engagements, such as the battles of Memphis and Meridian and the siege of Vicksburg. He was on board the Maria going from
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St. Louis to Memphis when the ship was blown up on the IIth of December, 1864, and he received terrible injuries, his legs being broken in five places. He was sent to a hospital at St. Louis, where he remained until discharged in July, 1864. He has never fully recovered from the effects of his injuries.
After his discharge from the hospital Dr. Frank returned to Henry county, Iowa, and, having determined on the practice of medicine as a life work, entered the Keokuk Medical College, from which he received the M. D. degree on the completion of the course. He then located in Mahaska county, Iowa, for prac- tice and remained there until 1883, when he came to Nebraska. For two years he was located in Phelps county, just south of Elm Creek, to which town he removed in 1885. He has since resided there and until three years ago was very active in practice. At that time he removed his office to his home, expect- ing to retire, but as his old patients still call him he has never given up his prac- tice. He has won a gratifying measure of success in his chosen profession, due to his careful preparation, his close study of the cases intrusted to him and his wide reading, which has kept him in touch with the advance in medical science. He owns a good farm in Elm Creek township and derives therefrom a gratifying financial return.
Dr. Frank was married in Mahaska county, Iowa, to Miss Martha Frances Johnson, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Samuel and Frances (Gillogly) Johnson, who were also born in that state, whence they removed to Mahaska county, Iowa, during the Civil war. Six children have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Frank, namely : Lena, the wife of Mark Jones, a merchant of Elm Creek; Myrtle, who married Albert Calhoun, of Kearney; Josie, the wife of Hugh Graham, a resident of Montana; Mina, who married Fred Shumaker, of Elm Creek; Jessie, at home; and Joseph Vern, who resides on his father's farm. There are also fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Dr. Frank casts his ballot in support of the men and measures of the republi- can party and a number of years ago served as a member of the city council and of the school board and also held other local offices. He holds membership in the Grand Army post at Kearney and finds much pleasure in associating with his comrades of the '60s. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Both are widely and favorably known and their worth is indicated by the fact that those who have been brought into closest contact with them are their warmest friends.
WYMAN S. CLAPP.
Important business interests claim the attention of Wyman S. Clapp, who is active in the control and management of the Kearney Telephone Company as its secretary and treasurer and also of the Lake Kearney Ice Company, of which he is one of the principal stockholders. His residence in this state covers a period of twenty-seven years, during which time he has not only won a creditable and enviable position in business circles but has also taken an active part in public affairs relating to municipal conditions. Of New England nativity, he was born
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WYMAN S. CLAPP
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at Deerfield, Franklin county, Massachusetts, October 30, 1862, a son of Thomas G. and Hannah (Ball) Clapp.
Mr. Clapp was reared upon a farm and attended the public schools in early youth, passing through consecutive grades to his graduation from the Deerfield high school. He continued his studies during his last year in high school under trying circumstances. He had to work on the farm during the day, master his lessons at night and twice a week he would go to Deerfield to recite, but he kept up with his class and the resolution and spirit of ambition which he displayed at that time have remained characteristics of his later life. He continued to work at farm labor until he reached the age of twenty-three years, when he entered the employ of H. D. Watson, proprietor of a Greenfield publishing house, as bookkeeper. In February, 1890, he came west for Mr. Watson, who had pre- ceded him and had established a real estate business in Kearney. Here he entered Mr. Watson's office as bookkeeper and confidential man and continued with him in that capacity until 1898 but two years before began in the fire insurance business in a small way. In 1898 he purchased the business of Sher- wood & Baldwin, one of the old fire and accident insurance agencies of Kearney, and since that time has been recognized as one of the leading representatives of insurance interests in Kearney and this part of the state. He has extended the scope of his activities to include life insurance and he also handles surety bonds and has added real estate dealing to his other lines. About 1893 he became a stockholder of the Home Telephone Company, which in 1905 was merged into the Kearney Telephone Company. Of the former he was secretary and treasurer and after its consolidation with the latter he continued in the same official position and is acting in that capacity at the present time. He is likewise the principal stockholder of the Lake Kearney Ice Company, which is conducting a business of large and gratifying proportions. His varied interests are extensive and important, bringing him prominently before the public as a foremost repre- sentative of commercial and financial activity.
In November, 1888, Mr. Clapp was married to Miss Agnes T. Wait, of Green- field, Massachusetts. He is prominently and widely known through his fra- ternal relations and is especially active in Masonic circles. He belongs to the blue lodge and chapter at Kearney, the consistory at Hastings, in which he has taken the thirty-second degree, and the council at Lexington. He has served as high priest at Kearney Chapter, No. 23, R. A. M., and as eminent commander of Mount Hebron Commandery, No. 2, K. T. He was appointed grand captain of the guard of the Grand Commandery of Nebraska in 1910; was grand warden in IQI1; grand standard bearer in 1912; was elected grand junior warden in 1913 ; became grand senior warden in 1914 and in 1915 was elected to his pres- ent position, that of grand captain general. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In politics he is an earnest democrat where national issues are involved but casts an independent local ballot, supporting men and measures rather than party. For six years he served as a member of the city council, during which time he was a member of the finance committee and for the greater part of that time was its chairman. He also acted as president of the city council and he exercised his official preroga- tives in support of many plans and measures for the public good. His work resulted beneficially for the city and the worth of his labors was acknowledged
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by all fair-minded men. Mr. Clapp has made steady advancement in his business career, progressing step by step and gaining at every point a broader outlook and wider opportunities.
H. HENRY RASMUSSEN.
Among the men who are ranked as important factors in the commercial life of Ravenna is H. Henry Rasmussen, the proprietor of a well stocked grocery store. His birth occurred in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on the 24th of August, 1861, and he is a son of Lawrence and Gondeline (Friede) Rasmussen, likewise natives of that country. The father followed the occupation of farming and lived on Sylt island in the North Sea, which was a popular summer resort. One night in the winter of 1869 he and several others went across the ice to the mainland for the mail and he never returned, having broken through the ice and been drowned. Subsequently they found his body, which was taken home for burial. His wife passed away in 1868.
H. Henry Rasmussen was thus left an orphan when eight years of age but nevertheless he received good educational opportunities, completing a thorough common school course. When fifteen years of age he was bound out as a lock- smith's apprentice and after devoting three years to learning the trade worked thereat in Hamburg and elsewhere. When twenty-two years of age he emi- grated to the United States and for a year worked in a plumbers' supply factory in Chicago but at the end of that time went to Rock Island, Illinois, where he found employment in a locksmith's shop. After devoting a year to farm work he came to Nebraska in 1886 and became connected with a store at Syracuse. The following year he went to Nebraska City and devoted two years to clerk- ing in a general store there, after which he was similarly employed in Lincoln for three years. Desiring to go into business on his own account, he removed to Alva, Nebraska, and turned his attention to well drilling but met with a severe accident which incapacitated him for further work along that line. He again became connected with merchandising, securing a position as salesman in the Boston Store at Omaha. His ability led to his promotion and for seven years he had charge of an important department in the store. Not being satis- fied to work for others, he accordingly resigned his position and for a year had charge of the Singer Sewing Machine office at Harlan, Iowa, on a commis- sion basis. At the end of that time he reentered the Boston Store at Omaha, where he remained until 1902 .. He then accepted a position as manager of the C. J. Stevens mercantile business in Ravenna, where he remained for two years, or until the store was sold. At that time he bought a small stock of confec- tionery and enlarged the business as rapidly as his limited capital would permit. In time he added a full line of groceries and as the years have passed his trade has shown a steady growth, and he now has one of the leading groceries in Ravenna. He carries a large stock and has built up an enviable reputation for reasonable prices and fair dealing.
Mr. Rasmussen was married in Lincoln, in 1890, to Miss Mattie Copley, a daughter of John and Mary Copley, natives respectively of Ireland and Scotland.
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They came to America in young manhood and womanhood and for a time lived in New York, where the father engaged in farming. Subsequently he followed that occupation in Champaign county, Illinois, but in 1883 the family removed to Nebraska, locating near Unadilla, where the father bought a quarter section of land. He concentrated his energies upon the development of his farm and continued to follow agricultural pursuits until his demise, which occurred in 1900. His wife survives and resides with our subject. To Mr. and Mrs. Ras- mussen have been born four sons, John, Roy, Earl and Hugh.
Mr. Rasmussen supports the democratic party at the polls but has never taken a very active part in politics as his business affairs have required prac- tically his entire attention. His fraternal connections are with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, and in religion he is a Lutheran. He deserves much credit for what he has accomplished as a business man, for he has depended solely upon his own resources and through his sound judgment, careful attention to details and his strict adherence to high standards of busi- ness honor he has gained a gratifying measure of success. In addition to his store he owns his residence and is recognized as one of the substantial men of Ravenna. The same qualities which have enabled him to make a place for him- self in the business world have also gained him the respect and esteem of all who have been associated with him.
JOSEPH SMAHA.
Joseph Smaha, who for three decades has been engaged in the meat market business in Ravenna, was born at Neiarn, Bohemia, near the Bavarian border, on the 25th of November, 1863. His father, Joseph Smaha, was also a native of that country, but his mother, who bore the maiden name of Frances Her- mann, was German by birth. The father engaged in farming for some time but when our subject was two years of age removed to Domazlice, a city of about twenty thousand inhabitants, and there he became an innkeeper. Four years later a removal was made to the village of Meletice, where both parents resided until called by death. The demise of the father occurred on the 12th of Decem- ber, 1873, but the mother survived for many years, dying on the 30th of July, 1912, at the venerable age of eighty-seven years.
Joseph Smaha received his education in his native country and when four- teen years of age decided to try his fortune in the new world. He made the trip to the United States alone and had a narrow escape from death while on the voyage, as the ship collided with another vessel in a heavy fog in mid ocean. One of the ships sank but the passengers were transferred to the other vessel, which managed to reach New York in a crippled condition. Mr. Smaha made his way at once to Nebraska, joining his brother George at Omaha. After a short time he went to Wahoo, Saunders county, and for a year was employed as a hired hand there. He then returned to Omaha and after working in a packing house for three months entered a meat market there and learned the butcher's trade. In the fall of 1880 he went to David City, where his brother had estab- lished a market, but two years later our subject turned his attention to other
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