USA > Nebraska > Compendium of history, reminiscence, and biography of Nebraska : containing a history of the state of Nebraska also a compendium of reminiscence and biography containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of Nebraska > Part 173
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Prior to her marriage, Mrs. Thomson was a teacher in the public schools of Nebraska, and for some time taught in the government Indian schools at Genoa, Nebraska. They have built and furnished one of the handsomest homes in the city, in which they live, and enjoy the friendship and esteem of all with whom they come in con- tact in a business or social way.
GEORGE A. CLARK.
George A. Clark is one of the oldest settlers in Merrick county and vicinity, and for many years has been one of the leading and prosperous agriculturists of this section. He came here dur- ing the early days of its settlement, and has be- come closely identified with the best interests of the community, where he has passed so many years of his career.
Mr. Clark is a son of Benjamin and Maria (Baxter) Clark, was born in Rochester, New York state, July 24, 1840, and was second of ten children, two brothers of whom, Oliver W. and William M., live in Central City, and the others being deceased, as are also the parents. In infancy Mr. Clark went with his people to Pennsyl- vania, living there until 1854, when the family moved to Illinois, where they followed farming.
On September 28, 1861, Mr. Clark enlisted in Company E, Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, serving until close of war, receiving his honorable discharge in December, 1865, at Springfield, Illinois. Mr. Clark participated in numerous battles, among which are the following named: At Winchester, under General Shields;
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he participated in recovering the retreat of General McClelland at Harrison's Landing, and was also in siege of Charleston, South Carolina. After a furlough, he re-enlisted, and went into Virginia, and was at Drury's Bluff under General Butler; he was at Richmond and Petersburg, and participated in the charge on Fort Gregg, and witnessed Lee's surrender. He participated in the grand review before Lincoln at Fredericks- burg, Virginia, and after the war he returned to Illinois, engaging in farming and the mercantile business.
On October 31, 1867, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Florence A. Strickler, of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have had two children born to them: Carroll E., married, has two children, and resides in Central City, Nebraska; and Lela B., wife of G. A. Rose, has six children, and also lives in Central City.
In April, 1871, Mr. Clark came to Merrick county, Nebraska, where he homesteaded one hun- dred and sixty acres in section eight, township fourteen, range six, which remained the home place until 1893, when he retired from the farm, moved into Central City, and purchased a good home, where they now reside. In 1903, Mr. Clark engaged in the hardware business, which he sold three years later.
Mr. Clark has been active in the upbuilding of his community, and in the early days helped to organize school district number eighteen, and served as director of same a number of years. He has also served on the city school board for six years.
Mr. and Mrs. Clark have passed through all the trying experiences and hardships incidental to pioneer life. They have been prosperous and successful, and are widely and favorably known.
B. Y. HIGH.
One of northeastern Nebraska's most success- ful merchants, Bert Y. High, has been a resident of the state since 1876.
He is a native of Pennsylvania, born at Read- ing, March 2, 1858. His parents, Reuben and Esther (Yoder) High, were both of old Pennsyl- vania families. The great grandfather was a Hessian, and settled in the Keystone state prob- ably after the Revolutionary war.
Mr. High was reared in Reading until eighteen years of age, when he came west to benefit his health, his family fearing tuberculosis. It was his intention to remain in the west only a short time, but the climate and the people and western institutions were too strong a lure for him. He did not return for even a visit until after five years, and never has he desired to return to remain.
Reaching Omaha, August 1, 1876, he remained a few days at the old Canfield House-later the Bailey-opposite Union Pacific headquarters, and
then went to West Point, and was employed in farm work until spring. Joining a wagon train to the Black Hills, he enjoyed life in the open for the rest of the season. There being but a few wagons in their party, not enough to go through the Indian country alone, they joined others they found in camp, near where Valentine now stands, waiting for recruits. Several more wagons com- ing on from the east in a few days making a train of twelve to fourteen wagons, enough to cope with hostile bands. There were five or six in the party starting from West Point, and their wagon being heavily loaded, only one was allowed to ride and drive, all taking turns at walking. Their team consisted of four yoke of oxen, and as the progress was slow, they were about forty days on the way to Deadwood, where they remained two or three months.
Though there were but two teams of them, they returned by way of the old trail to Sidney, pass- ing through the country of roving bands of Indians, who, fortunately, did them no violence. From Sidney they descended the Lodgepole creek to the Platte river, which they followed down to the city of North Platte, where they sold their outfit, and returned to West Point by rail. Shortly afterward, Mr. High secured a clerkship in a store in Columbus, and remained for two years, becoming familiar with merchandising, which was to be his life work.
In 1879, he came to Knox county, and secured employment in the store of H. E. Bonesteel at Niobrara, remaining with the establishment, of which he later became manager, for twenty-four years. In 1903, having saved enough to go into business for himself, Mr. High came to Bloom- field, and opened a general store-dry goods, groceries and hardware-in which he has made a signal success. His genial disposition has made him agreeable alike to salesmen and customers, and whether one desires to buy or sell, he meets with the same cordial courtesy.
Mr. High was first married in Niobrara, Ne- braska, in 1881, to Miss Mary Diez, who was born in Germany, whence her father, Winzel Diez, emigrated to the states, and settled in Knox county, Nebraska. Two children were born to them: Lottie, wife of William McLaren, of Lin- coln, and Ralph, associated with his father in the store. The first Mrs. High died in 1892.
He was married a second time in Creighton, to Miss Irene Henderson, a daughter of Walter Henderson, born in Princeton, Illinois. Mr. Hen- derson, now deceased, was for a number of years county attorney of Knox county. Of this second marriage, one daughter was born: Alice.
Mr. High is a democrat in political views. He is high up in Masonic circles, holding member- ship in the blue lodge, chapter council and com- mandery at Bloomfield. He is also a member of the subordinate lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
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Mr. High was witness to the devastation wrought by the grasshoppers in 1876 and 1877. making it hard to secure his pay for work done on the farm near West Point. He located in Nio- brara prior to the great flood, and was present when the old town was moved to the new site, on higher ground. Although the water rose to nearly the height of the counters in the store, Mr. High and others remained at their posts. He has witnessed the development of Knox county from an open country to a fenced and highly cultivated farming region. In the early days, a journey from one point to another could be made in nearly a straight line.
Mr. High has traveled as far west as the Pacific coast, going to Portland at the time of the exposition there, visiting Salt Lake, Denver and other western towns on the trip.
None with the same opportunities has made a greater success than Mr. High. He knows the business of merchandising to its smallest details, and knows the art of selling and buying equally well. He speaks Indian, the Sioux tongue, fluently, and enjoys a large trade with the abori- ginee, as well as with the later comers to Nebraska soil.
AUGUST TIEDTKE.
For more than thirty years the above-named gentleman has been closely identified with the growth and development of Stanton county, Ne- braska, and is well known as a prosperous farmer and good citizen. His estate is located very pleasantly in section two, township twenty-two, range three, east, and is in every way a well- improved piece of land.
Mr. Tiedtke was born in Prussia, Germany, in 1846, and is the son of Matthew and Carrie Tiedtke. The father was a small farmer, and our subscriber remained at home, helping his parents, until he was considerably past his ma- jority.
In 1872, he left his native land for America, coming over on a slow-sailing vessel, as was the enstom, and coming to New Jersey. Immediately after landing in New York City, he remained in this state for over a year. He then went to Michi- gan, and stayed there for three years. From Michigan, Mr. Tiedtke came direct to Stanton county, Nebraska, in 1877, one of the years when the grasshoppers proved to be such a menace to the farmers. He came to Fremont first, and from there started to walk to hunt work. He hunted for work for four weeks before he finally "landed" the elusive job, by which time he. had beeome foot-sore and weary indeed.
He worked for a time, and then bought eighty aeres of fine land, which formed the nueleus of the immense estate, of which he is now proprie- tor. By dint of hard work, and by the exercise of considerable thrift and good management, he
succeeded in improving the original eighty, and also from time to time was enabled to add adjoin- ing lands, until now he is the owner of more than five hundred aeres of as fine farming land as one would wish to see:
In 1880, Mr. Tiedtke was united in marriage with Gusta Sasse, and later on, in 1896, some time after the death of his first wife, he was mar- ried to Miss Amelia Corneak. Five children have been born to him: Otto, Hattie and Ida, of his first family, and Edward and Arthur, of the sec- ond marriage.
W. H. CORMENY.
W. H. Cormeny, one of the best known resi- dents of Antelope county, Nebraska, has spent many years of his life in the pursuit of farming and has met with pronounced success in his chosen work, and owns a fine farm in the northeast quarter of section ten, township twenty-four, range seven. He has resided there during the past thirty-two years, and is classed among the prominent old settlers of that region. Mr. Cor- meny is a worthy citizen and a good neighbor. and richly deserves all the success which has come to him.
Mr. Cormeny was born in 1853, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, the home of ex-President James Buchanan, where our subject's father, Samuel, ran a hotel, for thirty years. Mr. Cor- meny is the son of Samuel and Margaret (Stew- art) Cormeny, the father being a native of New York state, and the mother a native of Pennsyl- vania. His grandfather was a native of Germany. Our subject's oldest brother, G. W., served in the Civil war, enlisting in the One Hundred and Twenty-second Pennsylvania Regiment, and par- ticipated in several battles all through the south.
In 1872, Mr. Cormeny came west, where oppor- tunities were greater, and settled in Omaha, where he remained six years. While in Omaha, he was employed as a printer in the office of the "Morn- ing Herald," and later in the office of the "Bee." He then bought a team, and drove to Antelope county, Nebraska, where he took up the home- stead he now lives on, which is in northeast quar- ter, section ten, township twenty-four, range seven, and known as the Pleasant Grove Farm. Mr. Cormeny first built a sod house on this land. which he lived in, and "batched" it for six years.
July 4, 1888, Mr. Cormeny was united in mar- riage to Miss Florence Simmons. Mr. and Mrs. Cormeny are the parents of a family of three children, whose names are as follows: Aliee, married to John Udey, and has one child; Cora, wife of Mr. E. Curtright, and daughter, May. Mr. and Mrs. Cormeny and family enjoy the respect and esteem of all who know them, and their friends are many.
Mr. Cormeny is a popular and respected citi- zen, as his record shows him to be. He has
SODDY RESIDENCE 1878
TOWNSHIP.
FORMER FRAME RESIDENCE IN GERANIUM
0
X
X
-
"WILLOW BANK FARM," RESIDENCE OF JOHN S. WHEELER.
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
always taken an active part in public affairs, and has served his constituents and fellow townspeo- ple faithfully and well in the different capacities of county supervisor of the seventh district for four years, has held every township office, and at the present writing is serving as township clerk.
BURKHARDT J. KAELIN.
The Kaelin family has long been held in high esteem in Custer connty, and Burkhardt Kaelin, whose name heads this sketch, is a self-made man, who began life on his own account in early youth. He was born in Switzerland, April 26, 1865, the eldest child of Joseph and Mary Kaelin, who had two sons and three daughters. The father and mother, with their three children- Burkhardt, George and Lizzie-came to America in the spring of 1872, sailing from Havre, France, and first located in New York City, where the father was employed as a finisher and adjuster of the assembled machines by the Singer Manu- facturing Company. They then moved to New Jersey, where they spent a few years, and in 1877 removed to Jo Daviess county, Illinois, locating two miles east of Elizabeth, where the father engaged in carpentry.
In September, 1886, Burkhardt Kaelin came from Illinois to Custer county, Nebraska. He had worked at farming since his thirteenth year, and, upon coming west, took up a homestead on the east half of the southeast quarter of section one, township fifteen, range eighteen, of Custer coun- ty. In 1892, he purchased a farm in section eleven of the same township, and, two years later, moved onto the tract. The home place is located on the northeast quarter of the section. He has three hundred and twenty acres of land in his farm. He has lived on this place since purchasing it, and, with the exception of two years spent in Otoe county, he has been a resident of Custer county since 1886, and is known as one of the younger homesteaders, who have made a perman. ent home in central Nebraska. He is a progress- ive and useful citizen, and has made a success of his farming. He has a well-improved and equipped farm, with a large number of cattle and hogs, and raises a large amount of grain. A very complete system of waterworks is one of the notable features of the place. He has a comfort- able home, and has many warm friends in his community. He passed through many hardships and trials in his early years there, and has been successful only through perseverance and untir- ing industry.
Mr. Kaelin was married at Ansley, Nebraska, November 20, 1890, to Miss Blanche Reed, dauglı- ter of Stephanas and Ann Elizabeth (Morris) Reed. Her father came to Otoe county, Nebraska, about 1867, and was there married in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Reed live in Syracuse, Nebraska, although they still own their original homestead,
which is now operated by a son. Mr. Kaelin and wife have two children, Reed B. and Vera Marie.
Mr. Kaelin's father came to Custer connty in the spring of 1889, and lives on his farm, three miles north of Ansley. The mother died in Janu- ary, 1908. Of their children, besides Burkhardt : George lives on section thirty-two, township six- teen, range eighteen; Lizzie (Mrs. Joe Dittmar) lives in Custer county ; Sophia (Mrs. John Gonge) lives on her father's place in Custer county ; Mary (Mrs. John Lanum) lives on a farm north- west of Ansley.
On coming to Custer county to join an uncle, who had preceded him, Mr. Kaelin did not know the railroad had been extended to Broken Bow, so purchased a ticket to Kearney, the supposed nearest point. Of his remaining five dollars, the most was paid for his stage ride to Broken Bow. After paying for his supper and lodging, he had barely enough left for a ticket to Ansley, having to go without breakfast, and reached Ansley with a lone nickel in his pocket. He secured work the first day, making hay in the vicinity, and has never been without money since. At the time of the blizzard of January 12, 1888, Mr. Kaelin was on the way to town, and had just passed his present farm when the storm struck. A bachelor owned the place then, to which he returned, and remained through the night with the hospitable owner, and next day resumed his journey, and returned home. Mr. Kaelin and family lived in sod houses until 1904, their first "soddy" being only ten by twelve feet in size, but big enough for comfort at the time. Mrs. Kaelin, a native of Nebraska, was born in a dugout, but the family, a few months after, moved into a more preten- tious dwelling.
JOHN S. WHEELER.
John S. Wheeler, one of the older residents of Valley county, Nebraska, is well known through- out that section, and is held in high esteem by his associates. He has acquired a valuable prop- erty through his industry and thrift, and has always done his full share in the bettering of conditions in his community. Mr. Wheeler resides on section thirteen, township twenty, range fifteen, where he and his family are sur- rounded in their pleasant home by a host of good friends and acquaintances.
John S. Wheeler, son of Chauncey and Kath- erine (Krautz) Wheeler, was born in Sullivan county, New York, March 19, 1854, the fourth in a family of six children. He has one sister residing in the state of New York, and a brother in Missouri. The parents are both deceased, their deaths having occurred in New York. The father attained the venerable age of eighty-six years, and probably would have reached the century mark had not an accident suddenly ended his career, he having been killed in a runaway in
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
1906. The mother died in 1871. The grand- father, Sylvester Wheeler, attained the age of ninety years, and his father, Amos Wheeler, died at the age of ninety-seven.
Mr. Wheeler received his education in his home schools, and later learned the printers' trade in the office of the Register at Liberty, New York. In June of 1878, he came to Valley county, Nebraska, walking the entire distance from Grand Island to St. Paul, where he worked for six weeks. He then came into Valley county, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land on section twenty-six, township nineteen, range sixteen, which was the home place for twenty-five years.
On July 22, 1884, Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss Ida Wheeler, of the state of New York, where her father, Ferdinand Wheel- er, is still living at the venerable age of eighty- seven years. He was a forty-niner, having made the trip to California by way of Cape Horn. After four years, he returned by way of the Isthmus from San Juan to Lake Nicaragua by pack train, and by water to Greytown, whence he sailed for New York, the entire trip consuming twenty-two days. He relates that rosewood and mahogany were used for building purposes as hard woods are used here today. Her mother died, November 2, 1906, she having also lived in New York the entire seventy-eight years of her life. The maternal grandmother, Frasier, came with her parents to Sullivan county from Ireland in 1808, making a home in what was then a wil- derness. Ferdinand Wheeler's grandmother, Comstock, attained the great age of one hundred and two years. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have had six children, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are : Arthur C., Lloyd F., Ferdinand B. and Merton C., all of whom reside at home.
In 1905, Mr. Wheeler purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section thirteen, town- ship twenty, range fifteen, which is now the home place, a well-improved stock and grain farm. He has passed through all the discouragements and trying experiences of frontier life, but has never lost faith in Nebraska resources and soil, and has been well repaid for his perseverance and faith. A view of "Willow Bank," the family residence, is shown on another page. For the first five years on his homestead, Mr. Wheeler lived in a "soddy," through the roof of which water dripped for days after a shower. Many a time he slept in a bed soaked with rain. It was in this "soddy" he and a man named Pierson lived the winter of the deep snow, and for six weeks were without flour, subsisting on corn they ground. Nor could they have procured flour had they been able to get to Ord, for the supply there had become exhausted before the roads could be opened and provisions freighted through. For the first few years, he worked during the sum- mer at St. Paul to earn enough to live six months
through the winter on his claim. He freighted from the Loup valley to Grand Island, making the trip in a week's time. He was employed in the grading of the railroad between Grand Island and St. Paul, a welcome opportunity to earn enough to sustain him until he could make final proof on his land. At the time of the blizzard of October, 1880, Mr. Wheeler was in the river bot- toms, getting wood, and made his way home by leading his team, and feeling his way between the ridges of the road with his foot. His children were at school when the fearful blizzard of Janu- ary 12, 1888, came on, and in bringing them home he also brought nearly all the other children with him, keeping them over night. In the cyclone of September, 1882, Mr. Wheeler lost his barn and a stack of grain, and in the drouth of 1894, lost all his crops. Deer were plentiful during the early years, sometimes running through the dooryard, and game birds were more plentiful than domestic fowl are now.
Mr. Wheeler is a prosperous man of affairs, and has always been interested in all pertaining to the welfare of his home county and state, and has creditably filled several offices. In 1893 and 1894, he served as supervisor for his township, was treasurer of his school district, number thirty-five, for sixteen years, and is now treasurer of school district number sixty-three. He is a populist in political faith, but votes for whom he considers the most reliable man, regardless of party name. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen at Ord.
CHRISTIAN LERUM.
Christian Lerum, retired farmer of Plain- view, Pierce county, Nebraska, and a highly esteemed old settler, first came to this state in 1872, reaching Plainview July 6, previous to which time he had spent some years in Wiscon- sin.
His birth occurred near Bergen, Norway, November 16, 1851. His parents, Christian and Annie Lerum, died when the boy was quite young. In company with an older brother and sister, he emigrated to America in 1860, embarking at Bergen in a sailship, the "Norgen." After a voyage of about five weeks, they landed at Que- bec, and came directly west to Dane county, Wisconsin, and shortly after to Buffalo county, Nebraska. Here the boy, Christian, worked at whatever his hands found to do, and as he grew older, secured work on farms, in the lumber woods, and rafting on the river, going as far south as Keokuk.
In the spring of 1872, he left Wisconsin for the west, driving through with oxen, and reach- ing Plainview the sixth of July, after some six or seven weeks on the road. For the first two years he carried the mail between Norfolk and Niobrara, making the round trip once a week.
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It was on one of these trips that Mr. Lerum had a hair-raising experience with the Indians. They had been reported as hostile, and a large party of them were camping on Dry creek. Mr. Lerum, on the way to Niobrara with the mail, took a south road along the bluffs to avoid passing so large a camp of the redskins. Imagine his feel- ings when he saw eight or ten of them mount their ponies, and come dashing across the bottom lands, surround him-and ask him for tobacco! Another uncomfortable experience was when a large mountain lion followed him for a distance, some twelve miles south of Niobrara. Although he was well armed, he was not looking for trouble, and was well content to let the creature alone if it did not come near enough to make an attack.
Mr. Lerum was married in Pierce county, Nebraska, to Miss Margaret Alexander, daughter of William and Anna (McWilliams) Alexander, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Soon after marriage, Mr. Lerum filed on a home- stead, and, later on, a timber claim, south of Plainview, on which he resided until 1906, when he retired from active farm work, and moved to town, where he owns a comfortable home.
To Mr. and Mrs. Lerum eight children were born, five of whom are living, named as follows: Ellen, wife of Doctor Nye, of Plainview ; William, farming in South Dakota; Christian, junior; Lillian, and Edward.
Mr. Lerum was reared in the Lutheran faith, and is a republican. He served as assessor in 1874, and one time, while returning from per- forming that duty near where Osmond now stands, he had a narrow escape from prairie fire. Seeing a badger on the prairie, he killed it, and had taken off the hide, when, on looking up, he dis- covered a prairie fire little over a furlong away. Mounting his horse, he ran him at top speed some six miles before he could get around the end of the blaze and escape to safety. The worst bliz- zard Mr. Lerum ever witnessed was that of April 14, 15 and 16, 1873, during which he remained in Pierce, abandoning his trip with the mail for that length of time. But frequently dur- ing his service as mail carrier and in later years, he was out in many violent winter storms. A snow during the winter of 1873 drifted so deeply over Bozzell creek that it formed a snow bridge firm enough for Mr. Lerum to cross while the water was running deep and swift below. Horses sometimes tramped down the snow that sifted into the hay-covered stables until it raised them up enough to get out through the roof. Cattle drift- ing with storms were sometimes found in the spring, twenty miles away, where they perished.
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