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 190

Author: Alden Publishing Company
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : Alden Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1402


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 190


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Mr. Weigand has endured many hardships in the frontier. In 1873 or 1874 he lost his way in the open country during a blizzard and drove in it for fifteen miles before finding shelter in a distant neighbor's house; his finding the surveyor's stake and remembering the number, and recognizing a new board fence he had seen some weeks before, were his only guides to safety. On January 12, 1888, he was four miles from home getting timber on his homestead land. Though the storm was blinding, often freezing his eyes shut, he was able to follow the tracks his sleigh made in going to the timber, but he had to keep his eyes continu- ously on the ground. Mrs. Weigand had gone to the barn to look after a siek horse when the storm broke, hiding the house in the frozen mist; she returned safely by following a fence to within a few feet of her door, but the house could not be seen at even a few feet distant. When Mr. Weigand got back, he ran into cattle that had sought the shelter of his house. These he drove into the lot and saved them, finding them to be his brother-in-law's.


When the Weigands first eame, buffalo, deer, and antelope, were plentiful, as were the fur- bearing animals, beaver, otter, mink, foxes, musk- rats, and others, but they have long since been hunted out. The family lived bountifully on wild meat, game birds being as plentiful as sparrows are now. In 1862 there was an alarm of an In- dian uprising, and all the settlers sought refuge at St. James. Here they construeted earth works around the court house, Frank carrying water to the men at work. After a fortnight in arms the settlers returned to their homes, but for a long time great uneasiness was felt in the sparsely set- tled community. As a boy, Mr. Weigand played with the Wiseman children at St. James, the ones that were later massacred by the Indians, a bit of well-known local history in Cedar county.


Yankton in those days was the nearest market and consisted of two or three houses and stores. The elder Weigand's home was a "halfway" house he keeping travelers journeying between Yankton and Bazile Mills or other settlements in that vicinity. The river was the great publie highway in those days and steamboats were numerous. Old Captain Leech, from Sioux City, once visited the Weigand home, and reealled that he drove the stage between Fort Dodge and Sioux City, the day the Weigands came into the west.


Mr. Weigand is almost entirely self-taught, having less than three years in school. He at- tended one and one-half years at the German par- oehial sehool in Council Bluffs, and a few short terms in district sehools; he taught himself Eng- lish from papers and books. None stand higher


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in the community than Mr. Weigand and his family, and few remain of the hardy pioneers who came into the Nebraska wilderness nearly sixty years ago and were instrumental in making it one of the garden spots of a galaxy of states.


JOIIN M. CARSEN.


One of the prominent farmers of Stanton county, Nebraska, is the gentleman named above, who has for about twenty years been a resident of this section of the country. IIe is a gentleman of untiring energy and perseverance, and has done much to bring the 'community to its present high stage of development. He has a fine farm and comfortable home pleasantly located in section twenty-one.


Mr. Carsen is native-born American, first see- ing the light in Washington county, Virginia, in 1855. His parents were William and Margaret Carsen, the father being a native of the state of North Carolina, while the grandfather came direct from Ireland.


The greater part of the subscriber's life was spent in the east. Ile did not come to Nebraska until 1891, when he bought his present farm in Stanton county, where he has been located ever since. He has made extensive improvements upon the farm since purchasing it, and it is now a very valuable estate.


Coming as late as he did, Mr. Carsen can hard- ly be classed as one of the old settlers of the coun- ty, yet he has done much in the way of assist- ing in its development.


In 1876, the subscriber was united in marriage to Setha Wells, and twelve children have been born to them.


In 1910, he was again married, to Mrs. Marshall.


Mr. Carsen has been called to serve in a pub- lie capacity in the community in which he resides, having been elected school director and treasurer, which position he now holds.


JOSEPH W. BURKHEAD.


The present solid prosperity enjoyed in Ante- lope county, Nebraska, may be attributed largely to her pioneers. In the early days of her settle- ment when the only welcome tendered the stranger who settled there was a wilderness filled with wild beasts and Indians, little to encourage and much to discourage came to his lot, but those sturdy men who went to their new home with a determination to succeed and worked persistently and honestly, are now the prosperous and honored residents of their locality. The early settlers aided in bring- ing that wilderness to a high state of cultivation and civilization, and great credit is due them for their labor and influence.


Mr. Burkhead is a native of Benton county, Iowa, born June 21, 1866. His father, George


Burkhead, was born in the state of Ohio, in 1840, and died in 1896; his mother, before marriage, was Miss Sarah Kessling. Mr. Burkhead came to Antelope county on December 4, 1884, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of fine land, on section thirteen, township twenty-three, range six, which he has improved to a great extent, and it is now a fine farm.


Mr. Burkhead was united in holy matrimony December 9, 1888, to Miss Elleanora Austin, born in 1872 in Green county, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Burkhead are the parents of three fine children, whose names are as follows: Ora, Alva, and Elsic, who is married to C. C. Jackson. Mrs. Burkhead was a native of Green county, Wisconsin, born in 1872.


Mr. and Mrs. Burkhead and 'family are highly esteemed and respected by all in their community, and enjoy the warm regard of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.


JOSEPH E. BRADBURN.


Joseph E. Bradburn and wife belong to two of the oldest families of Custer county, and enjoy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends. Mr. Bradburn is a native of Schuyler county, Mis- sonri, born July 20, 1859, the eldest child of Mart and Ruth (Montgomery) Bradburn, who were parents of five sons and one daughter. The mother died in Missouri and the father brought two ehil- dren to Custer county in 1884, being one of the original homesteaders there. He died Jannary 21, 1898, and of his children who survive, Joseph E. and Mrs. George Myers, of Broken Bow, are the only ones living in Custer county. Three sons live in Washington.


Mr. Bradburn lived in Missouri until attain- ing his eighteenth year, then moved to York coun- ty, Nebraska, and a year later went to Fort Lup- ton, Colorado, where he remained three years, and then removed to the state of Washington, and worked in the lumber woods there for a time. June 23, 1884, he seenred a homestead in north half of the northeast quarter of section twenty- eight and the south half of the southwest quarter of section thirty-three, township eighteen, range nineteen, where he engaged in farming and stock- raising. After living there ten years he pur- chased a farm near Merna, and in the spring of 1897 he and his family moved to their present farm on the northwest quarter of section seven, township seventeen, range nineteen, where he has a fine grain and stock farm of three hundred and twenty acres of land. He came to the county first in the early cattle days, but has in the last few years devoted much of his attention to grain and hog raising. IIc is a successful farmer and has a well-equipped and improved farm. In the earlier days of his residence he served as supervisor for two terms.


On April 28, 1884, Mr. Bradburn married Mary


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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.


J. Lawton, daughter of Jacob and Mary Lawton, the ceremony taking place in Bloomfield, Iowa. Her parents were original homesteaders of Custer county, where they located in 1887. Both died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bradburn, the father passing away in February, 1898, and the mother in August, 1907. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bradburn, of whom six sur- vive: Grace, Jessie, Wilbur, Ernest, Twila, and Marion, all members of the home cir- cle, and Clyde, deceased. The oldest daugh. ter, Grace, is a graduate of the Baptist col- lege at Grand Island and in 1911 accepted a position as instructor of science in the Shelton (Nebraska) high school. All the children were born in Custer county. The Bradburns are one of the best known families of their locality and have the respect and regard of a large number of friends.


JOHN B. SCHMITZ.


Johu B. Schmitz was a very early settler of Custer county and has always been much inter- ested in the development and upbuilding of cen- tral Nebraska. He was born in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, January 16, 1847, and is next to the youngest of the four children born to Henry and Gertrude (Krumhultz) Schmitz. He has two brothers in Wisconsin and one brother is deceased. The parents, natives of Germany, came to America in 1845, locating in Wisconsin, where the father died in 1852 and the mother in 1866. They were farming people and John B. Schmitz was reared to agricultural operations. He received his edu- cation in the country schools and as a young man engaged in farming on his own account.


On March 15, 1869, at Brookfield, Wisconsin, Mr. Schmitz was united in marriage with Ann Wardrobe, a native of Scotland, who came to Amer- ica in 1857. They continued to reside in Wisconsin for one vear, and in 1870 moved to Dane county, Wisconsin. until 1880, then with their five children, came to Fillmore county, Nebraska, remaining there four years, then came on to Custer county. Mr. Schmitz secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section thirty-three, township eighteen, range twenty-three, which is still the home place. He set at work at once to improve bis land and bring it under cultivation, and now has a well-equipped and productive es- tate. In 1909 he erected a fine modern farm resi- dence. which is one of the best in the neighborhood. In 1904 he homesteaded three-quarters of a section of land on sections eight and nine, township eighteen, range twentv-three, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. He has been active in local affairs, has heen director of school district number one hundred and ninety-five, and is rec- ognized as a public-spirited. enterprising citizen.


Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Schmitz. namely ; Anna. M., wife of Tule Ford lives in Rock county, Nebraska; Isabel B., wife of


Lew Fish, of Illinois, has four children; Agnes F., wife of William Smith, of West Table, has one child ; Gertrude C., wife of Riley Rice, of West Ta- ble, has two children ; Walter E., of Custer county ; Elizabeth J., Bryan Leonard, of Davenport, Iowa ; William C., of Custer county; John J., married and living on West Table, has one child; Laura A., wife of Carl Whitney, of West Table, has three children; Henry G. and Irene, now Mrs. Homer Beardsley resides in West Table. Alr. Schmitz had the usual experiences of frontier life during his early days in Custer county, and being one of the early settlers there, is well known. He has many friends and is representative of the best interests of his community. A picture of Mr. Schmitz and family will be found on an- other page of this volume.


GEORGE W. HOLMES.


George W. Holmes, whose name is familiar to nearly all the residents of Pierce county, is a worthy representative of the younger progressive farmer of northeastern Nebraska. His father was one of the earliest settlers in this county, coming with his family in 1880, and lived here until his death. Mr. Holmes resides in section eight, town- ship twenty-six, range three, where he has a nice home with excellent barns and outbuildings, and is higly respected and esteemed by his fellowmen and neighbors.


Mr. Holmes is a native of Dickinson county, Nebraska, born June 23, 1876, and is the son of George W., senior, and Mary (Sanford) Holmes, the father being born in Illinois in 1835. He died December 19, 1908, aged seventy-three years, and the mother died in August, 1905, aged sixty-nine years. The elder Holmes moved to Tama county, Iowa, in the early sixties, and later, with his fam- ily, drove through to Dickinson county, Nebraska, where he took up a homestead in 1870, residing there until 1880, at which time they came to Pierce county, Nebraska, and took up a tree claim in sec- tion eight, township twenty-six, range three, and pre-empted a quarter section, on which he erected a sod house; here they burned hay three or four years until coal could be conveniently procured. 1 !! !


On July 4, 1900, Mr. Holmes, our subject, was married to Miss Maggie Kerr, a native of Scotland, whose parents, John, and Jenette Kerr, came to America about 1893. To Mr. and Mrs. Holmes six children have been born, whose names are as fol- lows: Jeanette, Mary, Delilah, Bessie and Ber- nice, twins Arayins, and George Daniel. =


AIr, Holmes is prominent among the old, fam- ilies who were the early settlers of northeastern Ne- braska, and has, aided in the development and growth of this section. He is well and favorably known as a worthy citizen, He is a democrat, vot- ing a straight, ticket for that party. He is a mem- her of the Modern Woodmen of America and is also affiliated with the Odd Fellows. 140' 1100 .8770!


e


JOHN B. SCHMITZ AND FAMILY.


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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.


Mr. Holmes has cause to remember the blizzard of January 12, 1888. His brother came for him on a horse, and by following after a faithful old dog that came with him, they found their way home, chilled to the bone. While a boy, he had a bitter ยท experience while herding cattle on the prairie. A cyclonic storm, accompanied by hail, overtook him and pelted his body and arms until they were black and blue, and for several days were so sore he could hardly move them.


JAMES P. SCOTT.


The above gentleman is not only widely known throughout Howard county, but also in the entire central part of Nebraska having made his home in different sections since the early settlement of the state. His old homestead, which he has since sold, was one of the best improved and most fully equipped in Fairdale precinct, and is situated on the main road running north and west, all the travel to and from Grand Island being done on this highway. During the early days all grain, lumber and supplies of every kind were hauled over this same trail it being the most direct route through the county to the western country. Both Mr. Scott and his estimable wife are known far and near as the most generous and hospitable of people and have hundreds of friends in every walk of life. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of their marriage a party consisting of about forty fami- lies descended upon them with congratulations and words of good cheer bringing also many beautiful and suitable gifts to show the love and esteem in which they were held.


James P. Scott was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, on April 5, 1844, and made that locality his home until he was eighteen years of age. He was the eldest in a family of three, and the only son, now the only surviving member of his immediate family. His parents Michael and Mary (McClimans) Scott were homesteaders in Howard county, the mother's death occurring here in September, 1901, and her husband following her in December of the same year.


In October, 1862, Mr. Scott settled in Henry county, Illinois, remained about one year, then moved to Rock Island county, that state, where he farmed up to 1869, at that time coming to Ne- hraska, his first location being in Colfax county. He spent one year on a farm near Columbus, then came on to Howard county, accompanied by his father, mother, a sister and her husband, who had joined him in Columbus a short time previously. The father filed on a claim on section twelve, town- ship eleven, range fifteen, which was our subject's home place until March, 1910. James also took up a homestead on the North Loup river bottom, near his father's location. Here he has passed through all the different Nebraska times, the lumber for his first dwelling being hanled by himself from Grand Island, in 1883, and as early as 1876 he had gone


to the same place for lumber to build a granary. They experienced the Indian scares, had consider- able bad luck in raising crops resulting from drouths, etc., but through all the discouragements incident to those days, never gave up hope but stock to the homestead until things begun to grow better, and has been well repaid for his patience ard labor.


Since taking up Howard county as a perma- nent residence, Mr. Scott has been prominent in public affairs, serving as county commissioner dur- ing 1894-95 and '96. He has also helped in every way possible to promote the general welfare, build up' the schools, etc., and for a number of years, was director and moderator of district number fifty.


Mr. Scott was married in Greeley county, Ne- braska, on March 18, 1882, to Charlotte Beck, who is a native of Pennsylvania and came to Greeley county with her parents, John and Wilhelmina (Beharne) Beck, three brothers and four sisters, in 1881, one sister remaining in Pennsylvania. Her father and mother are both deceased, the former having passed away January 19, 1891, and the lat- ter March 8, 1902. Their remaining children are settled in different sections of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have had four children, three now living, as follows: Albert M., Harry G., married and living on a farm in Logan precinct, Howard county ; and Grace W., who is living with her par- ents. Mr. Scott was numbered among the prosper- ous and successful farmers of his section.


In February, 1910, Mr. Scott sold his farm and bought a house in Elba, to which he and his wife and daughter moved March 14, 1910, and where they intend making their future home.


ALFRED E. WEDDEL.


Alfred E. Weddel, a self-made man, of upright character and recognized as a progressive and use- ful citizen of Valley county, although a newcomer to that region, has become identified with its best interests. Mr. Weddel was born in Mercer county, Illinois, February 23, 1861, the eldest of three chil- dren born to Joseph and Julia (Bugbee) Weddel, who had one son and two daughters. The father was born in Indiana in 1829 and the mother, a na- tive of Ohio, was born in 1841. Soon after the close of the war Mr. Weddel moved with his fam- ily to Boone county, Iowa, and a year later to Har- rison county, Missouri, where he lived three years and then settled in Nodaway county where he re- sided until 1887 when he came to Jefferson county. Nebraska, in October of that year. He and his son Alfred purchased an eighty-acre farm there and also had property in Steele City where they first resided. The mother died Jannary 6, 1892, and the father April 6, 1906, having made his home with his son after the mother's demise. All three children are now living. Alfred and Minnie in Valley county, and Cora, now Mrs. D. M. Quigley, of Hayes county, Nebraska.


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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.


When Alfred E. Weddel was about five years of age his parents moved from Illinois to lowa, and about one year later located in Missouri. He was reared on a farm there and attended a district school, remaining on the home farm until his mar- riage and in elose touch with the father until the time of the latter's death. The farm in Missouri and also the one in Nebraska were owned jointly by the two men. Alfred Weddel was married in Hopkins, Missouri, March 12, 1881, to Miss Hattie Wallace, who died in Nodaway county, September 11, 1887. Three children were born of this union, namely: Lora, wife of Persy Doe, of Omaha : Bessie, deceased; Charles, at home. Mr. Weddel brought his three children to Nebraska at the time his parents came and lived in Jefferson county until February 19, 1908, when he took possession of his grain and stoek farm of one hundred and sixty acres, comprising the southeast quarter of section fifteen, township seventeen, range sixteen, Valley county. He has greatly increased the value and productiveness of his farm since coming here and is recognized as a man of ability and energy. Until his father's death he remained on the home place and assisted in managing it, shouldering much of the responsibility of carrying on the work. From his early youth he had grown up to habits of self-reliance and was of great help and comfort to his father in attaining success as a farmer.


On January 1, 1893, Mr. Weddel was married at Steele City, Nebraska, to Miss Carrie Witte- kind, daughter of Nicholas and Temperance (Kuhns) Wittekind being the sixth of their eight children, and the fifth now surviving. Her father, a native of Germany, died October 11, 1893. and her mother, who was born in Adams county. Illinois, died in 1891. Mrs. Weddel and her sister. Mrs. John Swett, of Jefferson county, are the only ones of the family which came to the state in 1885, now in Nebraska. Two children have been born to Mr. Weddel and wife, Harold D. and Cecil A., both at home. The family worship with the Bap- tists ; in political views Mr. Weddel is independent of party lines and fraternizes with the Modern Woodmen of America.


In Missouri the Weddel family occupied a log house and at that time a few deer were to be seen in the state.


O. S. CHRISTIAN.


O. S. Christian who lives on section thirty- three, township twenty-two, range one, west, Madi- son county, Nebraska, is among the men who came to the state in the early seventies, and has lived for the past thirty-six years in Madison county, where he is known as a substantial citizen and a progressive agriculturist. He has passed through all the early Nebraska times, and has done mueh in the way of helping in the advancement of his region, incidentally building up for himself a com. fortable home and good farm.


Mr. Christian is a native of the state of .Indi- ana, born in Owen county, and was reared and eduated there; he is a son of Daniel and Mary (Criss) Christian the parents dying when our sub- ject was a young lad, his father in 1860 when the lad was but ten years of age, and the mother in . 1858 when he was eight years old. Mr. Christian was born on a farm, and his associations from the first being with agricultural interests, it is natural, therefore, that he should be a farmer, and that he should find success in life's endeavors in the till- ing of the soil.


In 1874 Mr. Christian came west to farm for himself, settling in Nebraska, and in 1892 came to Madison county, where he bought the John Payne homestead and improved same. In those early days he suffered many losses and hardships, as did so many of the hardy sons of the western fron- tier, and as late as 1894 lost all his crops for that vear through the hot winds, which were caused by the long drouth.


Mr. Christian was united in marriage in 1875 to Miss Mary Scott. and Mr. and Mrs. Christian have had seven children born to them, named as follows : Lula, wife of Mr. William MeVitty, has two children; Ernest, Ethel, Daisy, Everett, Alvin, and Morris. They are a fine family and enjoy the respect and esteem of a large eirele of friends.


ANDREW SIERBECK.


Andrew Sherbeck, now living retired from farm life at Ansley, Nebraska, has been successful in his operations through energy and industry, and has always taken an active interest in public af- fairs in his adopted country. He is a native of Sweden, born February 23, 1847, fifth in the fam- ily of eight children born to his parents. Ilis father died about 1875 and his mother about 1890, both in Sweden, and of their children who survive, those besides Andrew are: one son in Illinois, two daughters in Kansas, and one daughter in North Dakota.


In 1870 Andrew Sherbeck came to America, having received his education in his native eoun- try. He proceeded to Illinois and worked on a farm there nine years, then removed to lowa, where he purchased his first farm, of eighty acres of land. On February 22, 1883, he was married in the town of Servence, Donovan county, Kansas, to Rosetta Marple, who was born in Sheffield, Illi- nois, and they began housekeeping on his Iowa farm. However, he was ambitious for larger op- portunities than were offered in that state, and in the spring of 1889 brought his wife and two chil- dren to Nebraska, which has since been their home He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Custer county and lived there for many years, developing a good farm and engaging in the stock business extensively. Ile had keen business insight. and good judgment in his management of his


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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.


estate and was able to add to his land until now he owns seven hundred acres of farm and stock land. He is a stockholder and director of the First National Bank, of Ansley, and interested in vari- ons other business projects. He has always been fond of travel and has gone over much of the United States, and is one of the best-known men in the county. In 1906 he retired from his farm and moved to Ansley, where he owns considerable pro- perty.




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