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 38

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 38

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

FREDERICK WEBER.

The above named gentleman was one of the most prominent and successful farmers of Wayne county, Nebraska, until his removal to Randolph, Cedar county. He is an old soldier, having been a private in Company K, Thirty-eighth New Jer- sey. He enlisted in 1864, and served for ten months. He is a man of patriotic spirit, untiring energy and active mind, and has done his full share towards developing the matchless resources of this section, where he has made his home for so many years. He has a wide acquaintance and an enviable reputation. A portrait of Mr. Weber will be found on another page.

175

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

Mr. Weber is a native of New Jersey, born in 1847. He spent his early life in that state, and, after attaining his manhood years, enlisted in the army. After he was mustered out of service, he returned to New Jersey, where he remained until 1877.

At this time he decided to go west, where the country was newer and land cheaper, and where greater opportunities awaited the young man. He came first to Mills county, Nebraska, and lived in this locality for seven years. He then came to Wayne county, and took up a home- stead.

Conditions of living were then entirely dif- ferent from now in the same locality. Deer and antelope were plentiful at that time, with an occasional elk during the first few years of his residence. Prairie fires, however, were a con- stant peril to the settler, and the subscriber had several times been compelled to fight fires in order to save his own farm buildings. But, although he has met with the reverses common to the life of the pioneer, yet he has every reason to be proud of the results which are the outcome of his labors. He has an exceptionally fine farm, and comfortable home, with a thrifty orchard comprising six acres, as well as a valuable grove all of his own planting.

In 1867, Mr. Weber was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Taylor, and nine children have been born to them: Della, now Mrs. Burlington Cunningham, of Bloomfield; Tilton, formerly a farmer and business man of Randolph, met with an automobile accident, April 26, 1910, which caused his death; John; Mary, now Mrs. J. H. Young, also of Bloomfield; Lillie, married to J. D. Lumdson, of Peters, Nebraska; Elizabeth, the wife of Walter H. Weber, she dying in 1907; Anna, now Mrs. Harry Hunt; Euphenia, now Mrs. H. L. Sherwood, of South Dakota; Caroline, now Mrs. H. F. Taylor, of Randolph.

EDWARD GAST.

The man whose name heads this personal his- tory is one of the pioneers of this region, and is classed among the leading old settlers of his locality. He has watched the growth and pro- gress of Pierce county, Nebraska, from its early settlement. Mr. Gast resides in the northwest quarter of section twenty-seven, township twen- ty-seven, range four.

Mr. Gast is a native of the village of Briesen, West Prussia, his birth occurring August 14, 1850. He grew to manhood there, and followed the occupation of farming, his father owning a farm of four hundred and eighty acres, an unus- nal holding in that country. He spent three years of his life in the German army, 1871 to 1874, inclusive, being called into service after the Franco-Prussian war. John Gast, the father, was born in 1813, and died in 1874. The mother,

Caroline (Formazien) Gast, was born in 1822, and attained the age of eighty-five years and six months.

When Mr. Gast left Germany for America, he sailed from Hamburg, March 13, 1884, and spent sixteen days on the sea, going through the terrible storm of March 22, 1884, landing in New York. Mr. Gast lived in Cass county, Nebraska, two months, coming thence to Pierce county, when he bought the farm on which he now re- sides. He lost crops twice by hail, and in 1894 lost everything by drought.

Our subject has been twice married, the first time in 1885 to Miss Hannah Fisher, the result of this union being five children, who are named as follows: Ernest, Richard, Elsie, Gustave and Lena. The two older sons are married, and op- erate farms of their own. His second marriage occurred in 1895 to Miss A. Guse, one son, Walter, being born to them.

Mr. Gast is a member of the German Luther- an church, and is independent in politics, cast- ing his vote for the best man.

WALTER F. HILL.

The gentleman above mentioned is one of the popular pioneers of Howard county, bears an excellent reputation as a patriotic citizen and successful business man, and is one of the lead- ers in local affairs in that city. Although at present retired from active lahor, and residing in one of the handsome homes in St. Paul, he was for many years intimately identified with the agricultural interests of the county, and has been a potent factor in its development.

Walter F. Hill was born in Medina county, Ohio, on January 8, 1843, and at about the age of fourteen, engaged in the saw-mill business with his father and two brothers, continuing in the work for a number of years. At the begin- ning of the civil war, he enlisted for six months, but on account of an accident, was unable to serve until 1864, when he entered the army in August, serving in Company D, One Hundred and Seventy-eighth Ohio Regiment of Infantry, and took part in some of the principal engage- ments toward the close of the war, among them being the battle of Stone River, Tennessee, be- sides different skirmishes. He received an honor- able discharge on May 18, 1865, at Nashville, Tennessee, having several months previous re- ceived injuries which resulted in his confinement in a hospital for three months.

After leaving the army, Mr. Hill returned to his home in Ohio, and worked at railroading for about one year and a half, then began farm- ing, and was successful in the work, continuing at it all the time he remained in Ohio, which was up to 1873.

On March 20, 1870, he was married to Weltha A. Boham, a native of Portage county, Ohio, who was a teacher in the public schools in that vicin-

176

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

ity for a number of years. They came to Ne- braska in the spring of 1873, locating in Howard county, where Mr. Hill homesteaded one hun- dred and sixty acres on section twenty-two, township fourteen, range ten, and proved up on the land. He later purchased another quarter in the same section, and succeeded in develop- ing a fine stock and grain farm. He afterwards added to his acreage until he owned in all about four hundred acres, all of which he has now dis- posed of.

A short time ago, Mr. Hill retired from active farming, and bought a fine residence in St. Paul, where himself and wife are popular members of their social circle. Mr. Hill was one of the prin- cipal organizers of school district number eleven, and for about twenty years served as its director and treasurer. Mr. and Mrs. Hill were among the earliest families to settle in this part of Howard county, and have passed through all the various stages of its development, becoming widely known through their aid in furthering in every way possible the best interests of their locality. Mr. Hill has a brother living in St. Paul, also one brother who lives in Ohio, and Mrs. Hill has a brother living in Kansas, another in Iowa, and a sister, who still makes Ohio her permanent home.

FRANK S. KULL.

Frank S. Kull, who takes a leading part as an agriculturist and stock raiser in the affairs of Valley county, Nebraska, where he possesses many broad acres of land, resides on section thirteen, township nineteen, range fourteen.

Mr. Kull was born in Walworth county, Wis- consin, February 3, 1868, and was ninth of ten children in the family of John and Margaret (Runkle) Kull, who had five sons and five daugh- ters. The parents are both deceased. Four brothers and three sisters are still living, but our subject is the only one residing in Nebraska.

Frank grew up in Wisconsin on the farm, and in his tweny-first year, the fall of 1889, he came to Valley county to look over the land, and in February of 1890, closed the purchase of the northwest quarter of section thirteen, town- ship nineteen, range fourteen, and moved to his new home in the same month. He now has a fine grain and stock farm, which is well improved with good buildings, etc., and has a five-acre orchard set out, which is in a promising condition.

Mr. Kull has had some state troop exper- ience, having enlisted in the Nebraska National Guards, which was called into active service during the Sioux Indian uprising; and he was also a member of the state militia for six years.

On March 4, 1891, Mr. Kull was married to Miss Alice Lewis at the parents' home, Miss Lewis being born near Kankakee, Illinois. The Lewis family came to Valley county from Illinois in 1888, and were of the older Valley county

families. The father, Henry F. Lewis, was born in Ohio, and died on his way home from Cali- fornia in 1905, and Mrs. Henry Lewis now. resides in Ord.

Mr. and Mrs. Kull have one child, Edwin, who was born in 1893. They are widely known, and have the respect and esteem of many friends. Mr. and Mrs. Kull have enjoyed several seasons of extensive travel down the coast and through the south.

Mr. Kull is a wide-awake young man, and passed through the hard Nebraska years of 1893 and 1894, but stuck to it, and added to his land holdings until now he owns thirteen hun- dred and seventy-five acres of Valley county land.

He has made a success of farming and stock raising, and is considered one of the prominent young men of Valley county. He has had much to do toward the upbuilding of the country's prosperity for the past twenty years.

The discouragements of the early days were many. Hail ruined his crop in 1893, the follow- ing season drought burned everything, and 1895 was little better, he having raised no corn, and the small crop of oats he harvested could be sold for only nine cents when hauled to market.

In politics, Mr. Kull is independent.

O. H. TEXLEY.

O. H. Texley, one of the old settlers of the region where he chose his home in the early days, occupies a good home and valuable property in section twenty-eight, township twenty-one, range four, of Madison county, Nebraska. He has done his full share in the upbuilding of the locality, and is well and favorably known throughout that part of the state.

Mr. Texley is a native of Norway, born Janu- ary 10, 1833. He is a son of Hellick and Emma Texley, who were farmers in that country, and his boyhood was spent on the home place.

In 1868, Mr. Texley left his mother country and emigrated to America, embarking at Chris- tiana on a steamship, which landed at Quebec in July of that year, and he went directly to Dane county, Wisconsin. He remained in that place for two years, then came to Omaha, where he bargained for a team to bring him to Wisner, paying thirty dollars for the trip. From there he pushed on to Madison county, where he filed on a quarter-section in Shell Creek township, built a sod shanty, and begun as a pioneer.

For the first four years, everything he raised was destroyed by grasshoppers before the time for gathering, and this, together with other un- favorable conditions, made times very hard for the early settlers. Columbus was their market place in those days, and it was a distance of many miles from their home, often a dangerous trip on account of the severe storms, dangers from the Indians-who were sometimes hostile-and wild beasts, which were plentiful all over the plains

177

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

at that time. Another menace was from the prairie fires, which swept the region from time to time, and on many occasions he, together with his family and neighbors, was obliged to fight fires for days in order to save his possessions from destruction.

Mr. Texley was married in June, 1863, in Nor- way, to Miss Mary Thompson, a native of Nor- way, who was born March 1, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Texley have a family of seven children, namely : Hellick, Ole, Gilbert, Georgina, Emma, Anna and Mary.

GEORGE LEIBERT.

George Leibert, a progressive and successful young farmer and stockman of Custer county, has lived in the county since 1887, and has been identified with the best interests of his region. He was born in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, August 30, 1875, youngest of the nine children of An- drew and Lena (Hoop) Leibert. The father was born in Germany in 1820, and came to the United States in 1848, settling in Guilford township, Jo Daviess county. He was married in Illinois about 1855, to Lena Hoop, who came from Germany to the United States about 1851. In 1886, they moved from Illinois to Missouri, and the follow- ing year went on to Custer county, Nebraska. They lived on a rented farm until 1892, when he purchased the southwest quarter of section thirty-four, township twenty, range eighteen, and both he and his wife died on that farm, he Sep- tember 22, 1903, and she October 15, 1901. Of their nine children, six now survive: Henry, Fred and George, of Custer county; Charles, of Clinton, Iowa; Mrs. John Hess and Mrs. Henry Hess, of Jo Daviess county, Illinois. The father of these children was a veteran of the civil war, and was highly honored as an upright and sub- stantial citizen.

George Leibert accompanied his parents to Custer county in 1887, and remained with his father on the home farm until the latter's death. He was married in Adams county, Iowa, Decem- ber 25, 1901, to Elizabeth Cora Roach, daughter of John and Sarah Roach, who was born on a farm near Corning, Iowa. Her father died in Iowa in 1908, and her mother still resides in Corning. Her brothers, Clyde and James, reside in Custer county, Nebraska ; John, another brother, lives in Grand Island; Homer and Fred live in Corn- ing, Iowa, and her sister, Belle, is the wife of Fred Leibert, brother of George. Jolin Roach was a veteran of the civil war.

Mr. Leibert lives on and owns the original Custer county home farm of two hundred acres, a well equipped and stocked farm, one mile north of Sargent. It contains a comfortable residence, with pleasant surroundings, and has been occu- pied by the family continuously since 1892. Mr. Leibert is one of the well-known young farmers of Custer county, and lie and his wife are well known in social circles, having many friends. 7

They have three children: Ralph G., Ernest E. and Howard H., all at home. They also have in their home Lena A. Leibert, daughter of Mr. Leibert's brother, Nicholas, who is an orphan.

FRANK KEITER.

It is a noticeable fact that among the western states, a remarkably large percentage of the pros- perous farmers in almost every community are foreign born, but the greater part of these are men who came out here when the country was new, and by means of whose struggles and efforts the country has been built up and advanced to its present state. One of the leading farmers of Cedar county is Frank Keiter, who was born in West Farland, Germany, in 1847, the son of Frank and Louise Keiter.

Mr. Keiter remained in his native country until 1888, when he embarked on the steamship "Ider" at Bremen, bound for New York City. He had a well-defined plan in mind, and at once boarded a train for the west, where he had heard that land was cheap and plentiful. With the savings of a life-time, he purchased a quarter- section in section nineteen, township thirty-one, range one, Cedar county, Nebraska.

Many times Mr. Keiter and his wife have met with grievous discouragements in their western home. In 1894, the crops were an entire failure, owing to the hot winds, which fairly burned up everything in the ground, and in 1900, another heavy blow came, when a severe hailstorm de- stroyed all crops. However, they remained, and after each failure, began again the process of re- pairing the loss. They still reside on the old home farm, which has been improved in every way, so that it is one of the valuable farms in the county, now comprising four hundred acres.

In 1881, a few years before leaving Germany, Mr. Keiter was united in marriage to Miss Mary Kieser, and of this union ten children have been born: Frank; Joseph; Mary, now Mrs. Frank Oberiter, of Danber, Iowa; Henry, Katie, Charles, Clara, Annie, Emma and Vera.

Mr. and Mrs. Keiter and family are prominent factors in the social life of the community, and possess the respect of all who know them.

Mr. Keiter served the emperor of Germany four years as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian war, a member of the Sixteenth Regiment of Infantry, and saw active service in several hard- fought battles. The division in which he served, in one hour's time, was reduced from three thousand men to seven hundred, who were able to respond to roll call.

RUSSELL S. POWELL.

Among the prominent and successful farmers and ranchmen of Merrick county, Nebraska, and now citizen of Central City, we wish to mention the name of Russell S. Powell, who is well known

178

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

all over the surrounding country as a man of ability, industrious, and a citizen of true worth. Mr. Powell is a son of James E. and Mary (Carter) Powell, and is a native of New York state, born in Madison county, April 14, 1864. He was the fourth of seven children, and has five brothers and one sister in Nebraska. The mother lives in Riverdale, Nebraska, at the advanced age of seventy-four years. The father died, November 13, 1880, in Merrick county, Nebraska.

When three years of age, our subject went to Clinton county, Iowa, with his parents, where they lived two years, farming, and in September, 1870, the family came overland, in company with George D. Moore and family, to Merrick county, Nebraska, and the Powells homsteaded eighty acres, three and a half miles west of where Cen- tral City now stands. Russell Powell engaged in farming. On October 22, 1884, he was married to Miss Francis L. Prouty, who was born in Wis- consin, and who came with her parents to Ne- braska in 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Powell have had five children : Florence M., J. Edwin, Ray, Harold and Roy Elmer, all of whom reside under the par- ental roof, and an infant, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Elmer, all of whom reside under the paren- tal roof, and an infant, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Powell have passed through the early history of Merrick county, and are widely and favorably known. Mrs. Powell's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Prouty, live in Rogers, Arkansas, as do also one brother and two sisters. Two sisters reside in St. Louis, Missouri, and one is deceased.

In 1889, Mr. Powell assumed the management of the J. M. Chadwick feed and sale ranch, where he lived five years. He later, at various times, purchased three hundred acres of land in Merrick county. In March, 1910, he retired from the farm, moved to Central City, and purchased a good home, where he now lives. Mr. Powell served in the school board of district number eight for six years.

Mr. Powell is Past Grand and Past Chief Patriarch in the local Odd Fellows lodge, and is also a member of Masonic lodge and Modern Woodmen of America.

JOHN J. LENGER. (Deceased).

It was not always the poor of Europe that sought the shores of America-men who were impoverished in the crowded east, and came to the new world to improve their conditions-for the wealthy and cultured often found the name of liberty a guiding star, lighting their path to the west. Of such was the family of John J. Lenger. He was born in Bohemia, and came of a family of wealth and influence, receiving a superior education, and attained to the dignity of judge in the courts of his native country. A remote ancestor was a. German who settled in Bohemia, fell in love with a Cech maiden, and

for generations a German name has been handed down to their descendants.

Religious persecutions made life nearly in- tolerable in the old country when a new dynasty came into power, and the Lenger family, of the John Huss Lutheran faith, felt the onus of this persecution, and so strong became the desire for religious liberty that, foregoing all the prestige of wealth and position, our subject turned his back on his native land, and, accompanied by his family, set out for the new world in 1865. His wife, Katherine Dulesh, although of Bohemian birth, was of French and English ancestry. Her great grandfather, who was a wealthy member of the English gentry, had frowned upon his daughter's love for a young Frenchman who had visited England on matters of business, and, while seemingly acquiescing, the young couple made their plans, he going to Bohemia, where he had a comfortable estate, and the girl follow- ing soon after, their marriage taking place then. After some years, her father visited them, and, finding them so happy and comfortably situated, opened his heart and purse strings by buying them lands, etc., and departed, happy in the knowledge that his child was so contented and well settled in life. Mr. Dulesh afterward became governor of the province in which he lived in Bohemia, and lived to be one hundred and ten years old, dying on his own estate in that country.

Our subject was versed in all the arts and sciences, and included in his education was a thorough knowledge of forestry and surveying, the latter vocation standing him in good stead, as it furnished him a means of livelihood in Da- kota at a time when money was hard to get, and the farm failed to yield enough to pay for the seed needed the following year. On coming to America, his wife stipulated that they make the voyage in a steampship and Mr. Lenger accord- ingly engaged passage, but before time came to sail, the ship was disabled, and they had their passage money refunded, and were obliged to em- bark in a sailing vessel. On the voyage, terrific storms swept the sea, and all the masts of their vessel were carried overboard. Although dis- abled severely, they finally made port, after a rough trip, lasting sixteen weeks. On landing. they learned that the ship on which they had intended sailing had been lost at sea, with all on board perishing. Their own vessel had been given up as lost, and was so reported in the mar- itine journals.

Mr. Lenger first settled in Wisconsin, whither some friends had preceded him. Here, with the dust of monarchy scarcely brushed off his shoes, he was chosen spokesman of his race, and in the campaign of 1868, carried four or five townships in Manitowoc county, in which he made his home for a number of years. Some time was spent in Chicago, but he had not established himself in any business up to 1869, living on the money

179

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

brought from his home country, but finally, real- izing the necessity of choosing some occupation, came with his family to Yankton county, South Dakota, where he filed on a homestead, which he later relinquished, and acquired a tract of land situated on Beaver creek. Here he was soon appointed deputy county surveyor under Carl P. Meyer, and was later elected to fill the office as principal. While on a survey, near the James and Dakota rivers, several years later, his son- in-law, Donald Higbee, was drowned. The latter was an expert swimmer and athlete, having the distinction of saving fourteen lives in the memora- ble flood of 1881, but in swimming across the James river, in company with other members of the survey party, he struck a deep, cold eddy of the stream, and without a moment of warning, sank to the bottom.

After coming to Nebraska, Mr. Lenger and his family endured all the vicissitudes of pioneer life, but persevered through all, and won a large measure of success, where so many others had failed. His earthly career was ended, February 12, 1907, while Mrs. Lenger's demise occurred January 20, 1904. They left eight children, who are named as follows: John, landlord of the leading hotel of Winnetoon, who is an expert musician, and leader of many bands in this part of Nebraska, and now the leader of the Niobrara Northwestern Band, and who organized one of the first Indian bands in the United States from the Santee Sioux; Lucy, Mary, Anna, Frank H., Flora, Rosa and Harriet, all held in the highest esteem as prominent members of society in their respective communities, the last mentioned hav- ing been assistant superintendent of the Cook County Hospital at Chicago, and now lives in Omaha.

Mr. Lenger was a man of great mental acu- men, and his native refinement and love for the higher things of life, also his musical ability, have been transmitted to his children, all dis- playing the talent to a remarkable degree.

HON. JACOB N. CAMPBELL.

Jacob N. Campbell, one of the leading busi- ness men of Fullerton, Nebraska, is at the pres- ent time filling the position of manager of the Fullerton Milling Company in that thriving little city. He has been prominent in business circles for many years in different parts of the state of Nebraska.

Mr. Campbell was born in the northwestern part of Missouri, near the village of Watson, on March 31, 1865, and was the fourth child in the family of Archibald nd Nancy Campbell, who were the parents of nine. Jacob was reared on the home farm, and received his early education in the country schools, later attending the high school, and also the Nebraska State Normal School at Peru.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 38

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