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 201

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 201

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Mr. ,Zimmerman and family are members of the Baptist church. In politics he is independent, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

NIELS M. MADSEN.

The gentleman named above, a prominent early settler of Dannebrog township, is well known and highly esteemed because of his industrious habits, by which he has built up a comfortable home and acquired a valuable estate. His farm is on section thirty-three, one and a half miles northwest of Dan- nebrog. He is a leading citizen in local and school affairs.

Niels M. Madsen was born in Denmark, on May 11, 1837, and grew up in that country. His young manhood was spent in farming, and after the man- ner of the people of his class and county. He was a hard worker and saved considerably from his la- bors and was thus enabled at last to come to America, from which place had came to him glow- ing accounts of the opportunities afforded the emi- grant to accumulate a competence. He left his na- tive land in 1878, spent two years in New Jersey and in 1880 proceeded westward locating in How- ard county, Nebraska. In coming to this country he was accompanied by his wife, who was formerly Johannah Larson, they having been married in 1876, and together they began the work of estab- lishing a home for themselves. Mr. Madsen filed on a homestead on arriving here, and this was their continuous residence until the spring of 1910 when he moved to Dannebrog village. He has added to his original farm considerably, and has improved all his land, also has fine farm buildings and equip- ment of every sort.

Mr. and Mrs. Madsen are the parents of five children, four now living, as follows: Mads Mad- sen, who is married and lives with his family in California ; Niels Madsen, also residing in that state; Louis C. Madsen, married and living in Cotesfield, engaged in the banking business, and Theodore Madsen, who is at home with our subject, assisting in the operation of the home farm.

JOHN M. KYES.

One of the best known and most prosperous re- tired farmers to be found in Merrick county, is Mr. John M. Kyes, of Central City. He is also to be numbered among the oldest settlers, having come to Merrick county in August, 1862. On Christmas day, two years later, he married Miss Viola Parker of New York state, and they enjoy the distinction of being the first couple married in that county.

Mr. Kyes, born in Oswego county, New York, on February 4, 1839, was the eldest of three chil- dren born to Russel and Nancy Colgrove Kyes. Mr. Kyes grew up to manhood in New York state and remained there until about 1855, when he went to Iowa. He remained there until the spring of 1860, when he again joined in the never-ceasing west- ward movement, going this time to Denver, Colo- rado. He remained here two years, prospecting for a time, afterwards driving on a stage line.

When he first came to Merrick county, Mr.

Kyes drove for the Western Stage company for about two years. A short time after his marriage, Mr. Kyes and wife moved to a farm south of Chap- man Station, which was their home for several years. About 1871. he took up a homestead of eighty acres on Prairie Creek, later purchasing three hundred and twenty acres adjoining. For many years, this place was the "old home place," but in 1900, Mr. Kyes decided to retire from ac- tive management of the farm, and removed to Cen tral City, where he purchased a comfortable home. where he still resides.

Mr. Kyes was instrumental in organizing his school district number twenty-three, and for four years served as treasurer of same. In many ways, Mr. and Mrs. Kyes have materially aided the pro- gress of education in this locality. As his been- said before, they are among the earlier settlers of Mer- rick county, and like all, have lived through the many discouragements incident to pioneer life on the Nebraska prairies. Indian troubles did not dis- may them, neither did drouth, blizzards nor grass- hopper plagues cause them to lose their courage. They are now enjoying their well-earned rest, after a life of toil.

Mr. and Mrs. Kyes have had ten children, seven of whom are living. The names of those still liv- ing are as follows: Mary L., Ella M., now Mrs. Eugene Wickham, of Furnas county, Anna, now Mrs. Willard Halsey of Nance county, Nebraska; Allie, now Mrs. Benjamin Lance of Chapman, Ne- braska; Russel J., and John H., and Jessie. The last two named are twins.

On account of their long residence in Merrick county, Mr. and Mrs. Kyes have had the oppor- tunity to gain many friends, and the family is widely and favorbly known.

WILLIAM DERIG.

The Dominion of Canada has contributed a high class of citizens to the state of Nebraska, and coming of a race that for centuries has held law and order the essential foundation of state, they are always found earnestly supporting the au- thority and recognized representatives of the people.

William Derig, successful farmer and mail car- rier, is of these. He was born in the city of St. Johns, New Brunswick, May 22, 1859. In 1865 his father emigrated to the United States, and lo- cated in Kane county, Illinois, near Geneva and St. Charles. In 1870 he removed to Wisconsin, and here, in the great woods, William Derig grew to manhood, following lumbering in its various phases until coming to Nebraska in 1889. For fourteen years he was engaged in felling timber, rafting, dealing in logs, running saw mills, and in all other branches in the lumber industry. During these days, many were the dangers and discomforts of rafting. In the Wisconsin river were many rapids and falls, and to successfully ride them required

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

skill, strength, and fortitude. Of these, the Jen- nie Bull, and the Big and Little Bull Falls were notable. Occasionally ladies were ambitious of dis- tinguishing themselves by going with a raft over the falls, usually resulting in a soaking and a ruffled temper. One winter, when about fifteen, Mr. Derig was engaged in rafting on this stream, and for a period of over thirty days did not know the feeling of dry clothing, being soaked more or less with the iey water for that length of time.

In March, 1889, Mr. Derig came to Holt county, Nebraska, and bought land near the Niobrara, near Chelsea, in Holt county, where he lived until the opening of the reservation in Boyd county to white settlement. In September, 1891, he filed on a homestead two miles south of Butte, on which he proved up and then sold, investing the proceeds in a quarter section adjoining the county seat to the south. The land is beautifully situated and com- prises within its boundaries two of the buttes from which the town takes its name. It is fertile, and although Mr. Derig had not been familiar with farming operations prior to coming west, he has become a successful farmer and stock raiser. Since 1896, he has been in the rural mail service, travel- ing two hundred miles per week, which makes his aggregate mileage in the service upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand miles.

Mr. Derig is a son of James and Hannah (Mc- Govern) Derig, the father, a native of Ireland, who came to Canada when sixteen years old at- tained the age of eighty-eight years; while the mother, born in Canada, attained the same unusual span of life.

Mr. Derig was married in Wausau, Wisconsin, July 28, 1882, to Miss Jennie O'Neal, who was also a Canadian by birth, a daughter of Phelam and Ann O'Neal. Four children were born to them, three of whom are living. They are: Geraldine, who is the wife of Ross Carmichael and lives five miles southwest of Butte; and Geneveve and Wil- netta.'

Mr. Derig fraternizes with the Masons, the Mod- ern Woodmen, and the Brotherhood of American Yoemen, and, with his wife, is a member of the Or- der of the Eastern Star.

Like most early settlers, Mr. Derig has experi- enced life in a sod house, his first dwelling in Boyd county ; and, like others, he found it a most com- fortable habitation, but later built a good frame house. He burned corn but one winter, although prices for farm products were very low. He sold one thousand two hundred bushels of wheat one season at twenty-eight cents per bushel, and the purchaser probably made little at that. The com- ing of the railroads made conditions better, and now, with the modern methods and fast trains, they take the products of the Nebraska farmer to the seaport and to the markets of the world with facility and ease. 1

Like Mr. Derig, those who came early to the west and endured the privations of the frontier

have prospered far beyond those who have re- mained in more physical comfort in the east.

JAMES N. BAKER. (Deceased.)

James N. Baker, son of Hiram and Martha (Gatty) Baker, was born in Virgil, New York, July 22, 1834.

In February, 1857, Mr. Baker was joined in holy wedlock to Miss Martha Brown, also of New York state, who for many years had been a teacher there. Directly after their marriage they went to Jowa, engaging in farming until 1878 when they came to Boone county, Nebraska, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres and timber-claimed one hundred and sity acres adjoining, on timber creek. This place remained the home until 1879 when Mr. Baker retired from farm life and moved to Cedar Rapids, purchasing a good home where he lived until the time of his death December 31, 1906, survived by his wife and six children : Mabel HI., who is married to D. C. Stafford, and lives in Omaha; Frank N., is married, has three children and resides in Lincoln, Nebraska ; M. S., is married, has six children and lives in Lincoln; Mary M., is married to C. L. Judd, has one son, and resides in Cedar Rapids; Mattie J., is married to K. O. Hess, has three children and lives in Riverton, Iowa; and William H., who is married, has two children, and lives in the state of Wyoming.

Mr. Baker was one of the earlier settlers, alive to the best interests of his county and state, and helpful in many ways in his community. In the early days he was for many years a member of his school board, the Baker school bearing his name.

Mrs. Baker is still living in the Cedar Rapids home surrounded by a large circle of friends.

ANDY HOPKINS.

Perseverance and integrity are the stepping stones by which many men have reached success. but of the early settlers in the west these charac- teristics were required in a greater measure than usually falls to the men of a more settled region. Andy Hopkins, an agriculturist of prominence in Antelope couny, Nebraska, resides in Blaine pre- cinct, and is one of those substantial citizens whose integrity and industry, thrift and economy have added so much to the material wealth and growth of Nebraska.

Mr. Hopkins is a native of Lafayette county, Wisconsin, born August 22, 1865, and is the son of Amos and Thankfull (Otiska) Hopkins, the father being a native of New York, and the mother of Pennsylvania. From Wisconsin, our subject with his parents moved to Illinois, where they re- mained six months, and in 1868, they came to Ne- braska where they could get land cheaper. Mr. Hopkins' brother had previously taken up a home- stead, it being the first homestead taken up in An-

MR. AND MRS. OLE JOHNSON.

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

telope county, and Mr. Hopkins with his parents lived with this brother during the winter, when they took up a homestead in section five, township twenty-six, range five, (Bernett township) on which they built a log house, and lived here ten years. Their home was the stopping place for many comning to Nebraska in the early days, and it was known as the Half Way House.

April 16, 1884, Mr. Hopkins was married to Miss Minnie Nelson fourteen children have been born to them, as follows: Emma, Clyde, Andy, Hazel, Ernest, Harry, Edith, Ivan, Myrtle, Viola, and Harold. John deceased in 1902; Josie, de- ceased in 1892 and Willard, 1897.

Mr. Hopkinns had many hardships in starting out for himself, and among other experiences went through the hailstorm of 1895, losing his entire crops, and in 1894 the hot winds killed all of his crops. In 1907, Mr. Hopkins bought his present home of two hundred and forty acres, and it is a well improved farm and known as the Frisbee hometead. Here our subject and his family reside and enjoy the respect and esteem of all who know them.

ALBERT R. DOWNING, M. D.

Dr. Albert R Downing, of Merna, is one of the best known physicians of Custer county and has one of the largest practices in his profession in central Nebraska. He is a native of Camp Point, Illinois, born July 27, 1861, third of the children of William and Mary (Bates) Downing, who were parents of three sons and two daughters. One brother of Dr. Downing, Joseph, is also a physi- cian and surgeon, and lives at Rising City, Nebraska.

Dr. Downing was educated in the common schools of Camp Point, and in his seventeenth year began a college course at Lincoln, Illinois, remain- ing there two years, after which he spent one year in college at Valparaiso, Indiana. He later stud- ied medicine at Quincy and graduated from the Quincy (Illinoi) Medical College March 10, 1886, after which he located in Waco, Nebraska, for the practice of his profession. In 1895 he left Waco and came to Merna, and is now the oldest practi- tioner of that town. He has built up a splendid practice through his ability and standing in his profession, and this extends over a large field.

Dr. Downing was married in Waco, April 11, 1888, to Miss Emma Stickler, daughter of Joseph W. and Nancy Stickyer, pioneer residents of Waco, who came to Nebraska in 1876, and two children have been born of their union, William, born in the town of Henderson, York county, now sixteen years of age, and Howard, who has reached the age of fourteen years, both young men of promise. Dr. Downing and his wife are well and favorably known in educational and social circles and he is a member of the state and county medical societies, in which he has taken a prominent part. He served some years ago as county physician of Custer coun-

ty. Mrs. Downing's mother and two of her sisters reside in York; her brother George B., is now pas- tor of the Presbyterian church of Ansley, Nebras- ka, and another brother, T. J. Strickler, is presi- dent of the state conference of the Methodist Pro- testant church and lives in Kansas City.

OLE JOHNSON.

Ole Johnson, now living retired from active life in Broken Bow, Nebraska, has long been a resident of Custer county and was the first settler in Round Valley, where for many years he was a successful grain and stock farmer. Mr. Johnson is a native of Norway, born January 15, 1845, the eldest of sev- en children. He has two brothers in Wisconsin, a sister in Wisconsin, and others of the family still live in Norway. When nine years of age Mr. John- son came to America with relatives, who located in Dane county, Wisconsin. He received his educa- tion in the public schools of that state and on Jan- uary 20, 1863, at Winona, Minnesota, enlisted in Company D, Third Minnesota Infantry, in which he served to the close of the war, and received his discharge at Fort Snelling, September 2, 1865. The most important battles in which he participated were the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Lit- tle Rock, Arkansas. He also took part in many minor engagements and skirmishes and won a creditable record.

At the close of the war Mr. Johnson engaged in farming in Minnesota, and he was married at Faribault, that state, May 20, 1870, to Carrie Chel- son, also of Norwegian birth, who had been brought to America an infant and reared in the state of Wisconsin. She now has two brothers and two sis- ters in Minnesota, and another sister, Mrs. John A. Taylor, lives in Berwyn, Nebraska. In June. 1880, Mr. Johnson came with his wife and four children to Custer county and took up a timber claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section twenty-seven, township nineteen, range nineteen, in Round Valley, later securing a home- stead of the same size adjoining. He lived on this place, improving it and adding to his holdings from time to time, until he now owns four hundred and eighty acres of land which is well improved and equipped and considered one of the best farms in the neighborhood. He was an energetic and sue- cessful operator and in 1908 was able to retire from farm life and move to Broken Bow, where he pur- chased a comfortable residence. He helped to organ- ize school district number sity-six and served on the board of same. He is a progressive citizen, intelli- gently interested in local issues and events, and closely identified with the development of his town, county and state. Ile is a self-made man in the strict sense of the word and is held in general re- spect and esteem by all who know him. He has passed through a most interesting period of Ne- braska's history and has made the most of his op- portunities along various lines.

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Mr. Johnson and wife have had nine children, namely : Peter C., of Round Valley, has three chil- dren; Julius C., also of Round Valley, has four children ; Henry G., is at home; Clemmie, wife of Adolph Ellingson, of Round Valley, has six chil- dren ; Annie, wife of Edward Oleson, of Round Valley, has five children; Minnie, wife of Ole Chelson, lives in Broken Bow; Clara and Steven O. are at home ; one son died in infancy. A picture of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson will be found on another page.

CHARLES ALDEN MUNGER.

Charles A. Munger, a progressive and enter- prising farmer of Pierce county, Nebraska, is one of the very earliest settlers of this regon. He re- sides on his pleasant farm in section thirty, town- ship twenty-seven, range four, where he has suc- ceeded in building up one of the valuable estates of the locality, and is considered one of the substan- tial agriculturists of the community.

Mr. Munger was born November 10, 1854, in Rock Island county, Wisconsin, and is the son of George and Mary (Farnsworth) Munger, the father being born in New York, and died in 1894 at the advanced age of eighty-two years; and the mother was born in Vermont January 18, 1824, and lives with our subject.

Charles A. Munger lived in Wisconsin twenty. five years. He came to Pierce county, Nebraska, coming by rail to Norfolk and driving from there to where he located a farm September 4, 1879, mov- ing on the place in February, 1880. He had the house framed ready to put together in Wisconsin, and erected it himself. His family came in May, 1880. Mr. Munger has gone through all the hard- ships and privations endured by the early pioneers of this western country in its first days of settle- ment, among other experiences his crops being de- stroyed by hail in 1890. He got only fifty bushels of corn from one hundred acres. In the hailstorm of June 10, 1880, his house was blown eight feet off its foundation. Mr. Munger was luckily at home at the time of the blizzard of October, 1880. A daughter was at school during the blizzard of Jan- uary 12, 1888, and remained all night. For two or three years after coming to Nebraska, the family burned hay, but burned but little corn. Mr. Mun- ger hauled some wood from Bazile creek and some from the Elkhorn river, each twenty miles from home.

Mr. Munger was united in marriage to Miss Laura Lane, November 7, 1875, and to this union have been born five children, whose names are as follows: Winnie, who lives in Pierce county, mar- ried Gilbert Staley and has five children ; Minnie, who lives in Antelope county, married William Crippen and has one child; Pearl, who lives in An- telope county, married Frank Young and has two children ; Vernon ad Alta.

Mr. Munger has three hundred and twenty acres

of good land, half of which is in Antelope county He is a member of the Woodmen lodge, and is in- dependent in politics. He and his family are high- ly estecmed and respected in the community in which they live.

CARL I .. PETERSEN.

Carl L. Petersen, widely and favorably known as an active public spirited citizen of Howard coun- ty, Nebraska, is a man of broad experience, and one of the prominent early settlers of that section. For the past ten years he has been retired from active work, making his home in Dannebrog, where for three years he held the office of marshal of the town.

Mr. Petersen was born in the town of Nestved, Denmark, on July 12, 1841. At the age of twenty he entered the Danish army, becoming a member of the Seventh Regiment Infantry, Company three, and served up to August 12, 1864. He was married in his native country in 1868 to Christina Jensen, and the following year they came to America.

After landing in this country they went direct- ly to Wisconsin and remained for about two years, then came to Nebraska, locating in Grand Island, where Mr. Petersen engaged in the mercantile busi- ness which he carried on for about a year, then re- moved his interests to Dannebrog and operated his store at this place up to 1884, when he quit and purchased a farm near Dannebrog. This he de- voted to grain and stock raising and was very suc- cessful for fifteen years, building up a good home. About 1900 he again moved into Dannebrog, and has made his permanent home here since that time.

Mr. and Mrs. Petersen have had a family of five children four girls and one boy namely : Marle. Amy, Sophie, Elvira and Waldmier, the last men- tioned being deceased.

Mr. Petersen, while living on the farm, was coll- nected with the school board of district number sev- enteen, and held the position of postmaster at Dan- nebrog during 1882, 1883 and 1884. In this way he became familiar with all who lived in the vicin- ity and is one of the best known men of his county.

CHARLES S. BURDICK.

Charles S. Burdick, a substantial farmer and worthy citizen of Valley county, Nebraska, resides on section two, towsnhip nineteen, range fourteen. He and his father before him are pioneers of this locality and have materially assisted in its develop- ment and advancement.

Charles S. Burdick was born in Erie county, New York, July 28, 1878, and was second of four children in the family of Rouse and Eliza Burdick, who had four sons: George, Charles, Ray, and a son who died in infancy.

Rouse Burdick, wife and sons, George and Charles, came to Valley county, Nebraska, in the. spring of 1882 and homesteaded the southeast quar-

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ter of section two, township nineteen, range four- teen, and Charles Burdick, the subject of this sketch owns and resides on this original home farnı. Mr. Rouse Burdick died in Ord in December, 1894, survived by a widow and two children, Charles and Ray, both of whom live in Valley county. Mrs. Bur- dick, our subject's mother, remained a widow for some time, and then remarried and now resides in Ord, Valley county, and is now Mrs. S. G. Du- mound ; of this second marriage one child was born.

Charles S. Burdick, the principal subject of this sketch, grew up in Valley county from his fourth year, and the old homestead farm was his home during all the years of his residence here. He is a farm boy, receiving the usual educational advan- tages, and is now one of the successful young men of Valley county, having a fine grain and stock farın, and he makes a specialty of a good breed of hogs.

Mr. Burdick was married to Miss Lily Parks in Ord, Jannary 1, 1899; Miss Parks is of an old Val- ley county family, and was born in Valley county. A sketch of the Parks family appears on another page of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Burdick reside on their farm, and are well known among the younger people of Valley county, and enjoy the re- spect and esteem of a large circle of friends. They are progressive young people along all lines, giving their encouragement to all educational and pro- gressive propositions.

Mr. Burdick is a good citizen, and is active in everything pertaining to the progression of his home county and state.

ANDREW NAHRSTEDT.

To the men of perseverance and stalwart de- termination who went to Nebraska when it was yet undeveloped as an agricultural and commercial re- gion, the present prosperity enjoyed there is due. Among the early settlers of Madison county who have been intimately identified with its develop- ment and have gained enviable reputations as citi- zens, may be mentioned Andrew Nahrstedt. He re- sides on section thirteen, township twenty-two, range one, west, where he and his family are sur- rounded by a host of good friends and acquaint- ances.

Mr. Nahrstedt is a native of Canada, born Aug- ust 9, 1872, the son of Henry and Caroline (Bur- meister) Nahrstedt; his father dying in 1875, when our subject was but a small boy.

In 1876, he and his mother came to Madison county, Nebraska, where they took up a home- stead and a pre-emption claim and built a frame honse. Here the little family endured many hard- ships and privations; many times fought prairie fires to save their lives and home; and as late as 1894 the entire crops were destroyed by the hot winds that prevailed during the dronth of that year. In the first days of settlement Columbus was the nearest market place. Antelope and deer were

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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 201

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

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