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 42

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 42

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January 13, 1877, Mr. Mohr was married to Miss Katie Dibben, a native of Holstein, born near Edlock, a daughter of Hans and Dora (Stelling) Dibben. From this union eight chil- dren were born, whose names are as follows: Annis, Alvena, Edmond, Christian, Louis, Lillie, Walter and George.

In 1904, our subject bought ten acres of land in section six, township twenty-seven, range two, near Osmond, where he now lives. He and his family are members of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Mohr votes the democratic ticket, and affiliates with the Modern Woodmen of America. He has served his county in the office of road overseer, which he filled to the entire satisfaction of his people.

HON. CHARLES W. HUNTER.

Charles W. Hunter, one of the well-known residents of Howard county, Nebraska, for his extensive business interests, and the fact of hav- ing been one of the most potent factors in the development of that region, has a valuable estate in Fairdale precinct. He was elected a member of the state legislature in the fall of 1900 on the fusion tieket, and served his district in a credit- able manner during two terms.

Mr. Hunter was born in Washington county, Ohio, September 3, 1851. When he was about eight months old, the family, consisting of father, mother, two sisters and himself, moved into Clark county, Missouri, where two more sons were born to his parents. The father died there in the fall of 1860, and the mother in February, 1882. Of the family are now living Charles, two sisters and one brother. Mr. Hunter remained in Clark county until he was thirty-three years of age, then came to Howard county, landing in the region on March 21, 1884, accompanied by his wife and two children. He at once purchased a tract of land on section seventeen, township six- teen, range ten, from the B. & M. R'y Co., and this has been his home constantly up to the pres- ent time. He has built up a fine farm, supplied with substantial buildings of all kinds, good or- chard and considerable small fruit, including quite a number of cherry trees in good bearing condition. He owns, in all, four hundred and eighty acres, all of choice tableland, and engages in grain and stock raising.

Mr. Hunter was united in marriage, October 28, 1880, to Ellen M. Jenkins, who was a native of Jackson county, Ohio, and lived with her par- ents in Clarke county, Missouri, at the time of her marriage. They have had three children :

Harry H., who died September 8, 1899; Rose M., living at home, and Minta, wife of Fred Layher, mother of two children, the family living on a farm in this county.

In years gone by, Mr. Hunter has been prom- inently connected with educational matters in his locality, and has devoted much of his time and influence to the upbuilding of his county and state. Although he has never been an office- seeker, he finally gave in to the urging of his many friends in political life, and with the result of receiving the election to the legislature by a very large majority.

For the past ten years Mr. Hunter has been shipper for the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Associa- tion, a local organization which handles live stock only, and ships direct to the commission firms. This association has been a great benefit to the farmers of the county, and made them thousands of dollars.

WILLIAM H. CARSON.

One of the most active citizens of Valley coun- ty, Nebraska, in educational, business and polit- ical circles, is William H. Carson, a real estate dealer, living at Ord. Mr. Carson was born at Ma- rion, Linn county, Iowa, January. 4, 1863, the youngest of four children born to Joseph and Phoebe (Vaughn) Carson, who were parents of three sons and one daughter. The father died in Bedford, Iowa, in April, 1894, at the age of eighty-six years, and the mother now lives at Bedford with her daughter, Mrs. A. J. Sowers, being in her ninetieth year. One son, Lee I. Carson, lives at Tama, Iowa, and another, Orville S. Carson, died at Bedford in March, 1904.

Mr. Carson lived in his native county until his nineteenth year, and graduated from the high school at Marion in his seventeenth year, after which he attended Coe College at Cedar Rapids, completing a three-year course in two years. Upon leaving college, he went to Tama, Iowa, and engaged in the lumber business in company with his father and brother. In 1885, the lumber business was disposed of, and William H. Carson removed to Valley county, and Octo- ber 15, 1885, to North Loup, being accompanied by his mother and father. They purchased a farm ten miles south of Ord, and carried on ag- ricultural operations there until 1893, in the spring of which year the parents returned to Iowa, and William H. Carson, with his family, came to Ord.

Mr. Carson was married, January 29, 1890, at the home of her parents in Mira Valley, to Miss Elizabeth Bell, a native of Illinois. The Bell family came to Valley county in the spring of 1885. Three children have blessed this union : Glenn, Ralph and Leigh, all born in Valley coun- ty, and all at home. Mr. Carson and the others of the family are popular in social circles.

Upon coming to Ord, Mr. Carson engaged in

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the fire insurance business, although at first he also worked at his trade of carpenter and builder, and in 1894 became connected with T. L. Hall in the general real estate and insurance business, in which he held an interest until 1898. Since that time Mr. Carson has carried on business on his own account, and is now one of the oldest real estate dealers in Ord in the number of years he has been engaged in the business. He has been largely instrumental in the development and settlement of Ord and Valley county, having handled extensive property interests, for non- residents as well as local customers. He is an active republican, and has served in various public offices. He has been constable of Ord township and Ord for seven years, served four years as city clerk, has been a member of the city council and of the school board. He is now sec- retary of the school board and secretary of the republican county committee, and during 1909, was secretary of the agricultural society. He is also township clerk of Ord township, and has given valuable service to his township and coun- ty in many ways, and is a progressive and enter- prising citizen, promoting every good measure, and mindful of the best interests of the public. He has been often solicited to make the race for higher offices; but, on account of his extensive business interests demanding attention, has re- fused to do so. He is a member of the Odd Fel- lows and the Woodmen of the World, and has served both orders as secretary.

GILBERT GUTRU.

Gilbert Gutru, a respected citizen of Newman Grove, Nebraska, is a gentleman of exceptional business ability, who has successfully operated various enterprises with which he has been as- sociated. For the past several years he has been engaged in the general hardware business, and is senior partner and general manager of the firm of Gutru & Juelson.

Gilbert Gutrn was born in Numedahl, Nor- way, on January 15, 1865, and was the sixth child born to Gulbrand and Ingeburg Gutru, who had a family of eight. Levi Gutru, whose sketch appears in this volume, is an older brother of our subject's, and the history of his younger years are practically the same, Levi coming to America in advance of the rest of the family, who settled in Wisconsin in 1873.

Gilbert helped work the home farm in Dane county until he was twenty years of age, then followed his brother Levi to Madison county, Nebraska; later went to Box Butte county, and homesteaded, remaining there for six years, fol- lowing farming and stock raising. He acquired a good farm of three hundred and twenty acres, and was one of the well-known pioneers of that section. About 1891, he came to Newman Grove, and started a flour mill, which business he car- ried on successfully for six years, then entered

the employ of A. E. Linn & Son, hardware mer- chants, remaining with that concern up to 1907, at which time he engaged in business for him- self, establishing a general hardware store under the firm name of Gutru & Juelson. They have a fine trade, and are fast becoming one of the leading houses in the town.

Mr. Gutru was married in Boone county, Nebraska, to Miss Mary Helena Evans, on Febru- ary 11, 1897. Mrs. Gutru comes of a fine old Boone county family, and is a very charming and accomplished woman. They have four liv- ing children: Ronald Ingemar, Margaret Hel- ena, Anna Lenora and Gilbert Ernest, all bright and interesting children, and all attending the local schools.

Mr. Gutru is a member of the town board, and, during his residence in Madison county, has always been active along all lines for the ad- vancement of his home county and state.

ROBERT JOHNSON.

Robert Johnson, one of the earlier pioneers of Valley county, Nebraska, has always sup- ported the cause of social and educational im- provement, and is considered one of the most progressive men in the county. He is very suc- cessful as a farmer and stockman, and he and his wife have- reared a large family to honorable man and womanhood.

Mr. Johnson was born in Oneida county, New York, June 24, 1837, the only child of Robert and Margaret (McKicvet) Johnson, the father a native of Connecticut, and the mother of Cana- da. The parents were married at Utica, New York, and both died in that state, the father in 1842 and the mother in 1839.

Mr. Johnson, left an orphan in early life, was reared by his grandfather in Herkimer county, New York, remaining there until his seventeenth year, when he removed to Yates county, in the same state, and five years later went to Lee county, Iowa. He engaged in farm work there and in Jasper county, lowa, remain- ing in the latter county until his removal to Ne- braska.

March 3, 1861, Mr. Johnson married Mrs. Mary E. Turck, formerly Mary Elizabeth Wat- son, also a native of New York, and they lived on a farm in Jasper couuty about seventeen years, having seven children born there. During the year prior to his marriage, Mr. Johnson crossed the plains to Colorado, going through the Great American Desert, and passing the place where the capital of Nebraska is now located. Soon after his return, he engaged in farming for himself. In the spring of 1878, he moved to Grand Island, Nebraska, where he was engaged in buying and selling horses, and in the fall of the same year, he traded a team for a farm in Hall county, where he removed with his family.

Mr. Johnson has lived on his present place,

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on section twenty-four, township seventeen, range fourteen, since 1882, and has since then made many improvements, and brought his land to a high state of cultivation. He has devoted much time and attention to the upbuilding and welfare of the county, and has won the esteem and regard of a large circle of friends. His children are married, and located in homes of their own, within the limits of the state of Ne- braska, and he and his wife now have a home without children, as when they began their mar- ried life. He is still actively engaged in farming. and is constantly increasing the value of his farm by improvement and cultivation.

Mr. Johnson's nine children are: George E., married and living in North Loup, has five chil- dren; Maggie, wife of Perry VanScoy, of Sher- man county, has three children; James W., of Sherman county, is married, and has three chil- dren; Fannie, wife of George Sample, lives in Valley county, and they have six children; Wal- ter is married, and lives in Ord; Frank, a mer- chant of North Loup, is married, and has one child; Charles E., is married, and has three chil- dren, and lives on land adjoining the home farm; Ernest is married, and lives across the road from his old home; Kate, wife of John Palser, of Val- ley county, has three children.

BARNEY STEVENS.

Although still in the prime of life, Barney Stevens is regarded as one of the old settlers of Cedar county, Nebraska, having been a continu- ous resident of that county since 1875, when his parents first moved there.

Mr. Stevens is a native of Hanover, Germany, where he was born in the year 1860. While he was still nothing but a baby, his parents decided to come to this country. Of course, they were compelled to take the usual long, monotonous trip in a sailing vessel, and after reaching New York City, came on at once to Iowa. They re- sided there only a short time, comparatively and in 1875, drove from Sioux City, Iowa, to Cedar county, Nebraska, where they bought a quarter- section of fine land, which was to be their home for the remainder of their days.

This was early in the history of the state, and the settlers were few and far between. Deer and antelope were still to be seen occasionally, as well as a few other wild animals not so harmless. They suffered the usual privations and hardships of the pioneer and had their battles with prairie fires and grasshoppers. They persevered in their efforts to make a comfortable home in the wilder- ness and succeeded.

Mr. Stevens was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Wubben in 1885, and four children have been born to them, all of whom are living: Mary T., Annie M., Stephan B., and Helen E.

For a number of years Mr. Stevens has owned the old home, and the farm has been well-improv-

ed and is one of the best in the locality. Both Mr. Stevens and his parents belonged to that great class of foreign-born citizens, whose char- acteristics of integrity and industry, thrift and economy have added so much to the material wealth and growth of Nebraska.

ENOCH AURAND.

Enoch Aurand, one of the leading farmers and old settlers of Merrick county Nebraska, has aided materially in the development of his region, and well merits the high standing he has gained as a citizen and progressive agricultur- ist.

Enoch Aurand, son of Jonathan and Rachel (Whitemure) Aurand, was born in Crawford county, Ohio, November 9, 1842, and was twelfth in a family of seventeen children, two brothers of whom reside in Ohio, one in Laport, Indiana, and one sister in Ohio. The parents are deceased, the father died in 1875, in Ohio, and the mother some years later in the same state. Our subject received his education in the home schools and later learned carpentering.

On February 26, 1864, Mr. Aurand enlisted in Company E, Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, which regiment was consolidated on January 30, 1865, with the Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry. He received his discharge in Wheeling, West Vir- ginia, July 27, 1865. During his service, Mr. Aurand participated in battles at Stevenson De- pot, near Winchester. He was a victim of ty- phoid fever and spent some time in the hospital. He was also held prisoner thirty-five days in Libby prison, being taken January 11, 1865, at Beverly, West Virginia.

After the war Mr. Aurand returned to Ohio, and on September 20, 1866, was married to Miss Ellen E. Walker, who was born in Ohio but had moved to Iowa. One child was born of this un- ion, Charles F., who died in infancy. Mrs. Aurand died March 15, 1868.

On December 8, 1870, Mr. Aurand was mar- ried to Hannah L. Hulit of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Aurand have had five children born to them: Lessie, who died at the age of five years; Stella, wife of Albert Schmutz, has four children and lives in Chapman; Lora, married and lives in Merrick county, has one pair of twins; Orva, who resides at home; and Effie, who also resides un- der the parental roof. Mrs. Aurand taught the first school in district number nine. Her father, Timothy Hulit, died in 1864, in Ohio, and the mother in 1881, in Fairbury, Nebraska. One brother resides in Oregon, a sister in Anthony, Kansas, and another in Fairbury, Nebraska.

In the spring of 1871 Mr. Aurand moved to Merrick county, Nebraska, where he homestead- ed one hundred and sixty acres in section twelve, township twelve, range eight, west, which has re- mained his home place since. It is a highly im- proved and well equipped farm. He has been

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prosperous and successful and owns three hun- dred and sixty acres of land, most of which is under cultivation. He has served on the board of his school district number nine for many years.

Mr. and Mrs. Aurand are among the earliest settlers of the county and have passed through all the trying experiences and discouragements of the frontier life and are widely and favorably known.

CARL F. W. PAUL.

Carl F. W. Paul, a retired farmer of Creigh- ton, has been a resident of Nebraska since 1880, on November thirteenth of that year settling on a farm in Dodge county, two miles from Fre- mont. He secured work with the firm of Morse & Hayman, and for nearly sixteen years was in charge of their house-moving business, a term of service that bespeaks his skill and integrity. In 1897, he bought a farm on the southeast quar- ter of section one, in the northeast corner of Antelope county, and moved to the tract on Feb- ruary 22. The farm lies adjoining Pierce county on the east, and is but half a mile south of the line of Knox county ; and is about six miles from Creighton and seven from Plainview, making it a most desirable location with good market towns quite near. Here Mr. Paul improved the farm with good buildings, planted forest trees and an orchard. In farming he was so successful in his management and methods that in 1906 he was able to retire on a competency. Removing to Creighton, he purchased a comfortable cottage in the west part of town, and is now taking life easy while still in his prime.

Mr. Paul is a native of Prussia, his birth hav- ing taken place August 19, 1852, in the town of Baerwalde, province of Brandenburg. His pa- rents, Karl and Henrietta (Schweckel) Paul, died in their native province. Mr. Paul served the German army from March, 1870, to Septem- ber 24, 1874, and during this time participated in the Franco-Prussian war. He was a courier, and, of course, a target for the enemy. One of his most daring escapes was when he was chased one day by three French cavalrymen of the Chasseurs d' Afrique; their object was to cap- ture him and in slashing with their sabres, they laid bare his skull. Putting spurs to his horse, a fine black charger, he cleared a six foot fence and floundered into a ditch on the other side, from which his comrades rescued him. The Chasseurs, thinking to easily capture him, tore off the boards of the fence and as they thrust their heads through to find him, were dispatched by the German troops on the ditch side. He was chosen by General Von Bredom for a hazardous undertaking known as "the death ride," from which he emerged in safety. He participated in the battles of Gravelotte, Orleans, and Sedan, Ile was a member of the guard present at the surrender of Napoleon, and remembers well the

very words of the Emperor of the French. For meritorious service, Mr. Paul was promoted to a Second Lieutenancy in the Sixth Regiment, Sec- ond Squadron.

Mr. Paul was married in Baerwalde, August 8, 1874, to Miss Louisa Stieleke, who was born in the village of Fuerstenfelde, a daughter of Johan Carl and Wilhelmina (Liebeke) Stieleke, both of whom died in Germany, the latter in 1908 at the age of ninety-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Paul have one son, of whom a more extended sketch is to be found on another page of this work.

In immigrating to America, Mr. Paul sailed from Hamburg, in November, 1880, on the steamer "Australia," and after a voyage of twenty-one days landed in New York, and immediately join- ed an old schoolmate in Fremont, as stated above. Mrs. Paul remained in the old country until spring, sailing from Hamburg on the "Polaria," May 24, and was at sea twenty days, landed in New York June 12, and reached Fremont on the eighteenth, a day of joyful reunion.

Mr. Paul is a member of the Masonic frater- nity, at Creighton, of the Odd Fellows, and the Woodmen of the World; with Mrs. Paul he is a member, also, of the local chapter, Order of the Eastern Star and of the Rebekah Degree. They are communicants of the Episcopal church, though in the old country were reared in the German Evangelical denomination.

CHARLES H. SMITH.

Among the successful and leading business men of Belgrade, Nebraska, we mention the name of Charles H. Smith, who, in partnership with his brother, George W. Smith, owns and operates the largest general merchandise store in Nance county. Mr. Smith is recognized as a pioneer merchant of his section, and has for many years been intimately identified with the development of the commercial interests of his county and state.

Charles H. Smith was born in Linn county, Iowa, March 5, 1867, and was the fifth child in a family of eight. He was reared in Linn county, Kansas, where the father died in 1877. Then the mother and her children moved to Boone county, Nebraska, where she took up homestead privi- leges. She died there in 1883. The farm was carried on by the children up to '95, when our subject in company with his brother, George W., came to Belgrade. They first engaged in the gro- cery business under the firm name of Smith Bros., and were successful in building up a good trade, carrying on the store until 1902, then enlarged their business and added a complete line of gen- eral goods, having erected a large modern store. They now enjoy a fine patronage and are among the leading merchants of eastern Nebraska.

Mr. Smith was married in Belgrade, July 26, 1899, to Miss Alice M. Kliese, daughter of Au-

W. H. STEPHENSON AND HIS SON WILLIAM.

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gustus and Charlotte Kliese, who are well known in this section. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the pa- rents of four children, Harold V., Margaret, Hal- lie and Earl J. The family have a pleasant home and are held in high esteem by their asso- ciates.

Mr. Smith is a member of the school board of Belgrade, and takes an active interest in local affairs.

E. H. THOMPSON.

E. H. Thompson, a retired farmer living at O'Neill, Nebraska, has been a resident of that state since July 13, 1873, when he filed a pre- emption claim one mile east of O'Neill, which he later converted into a timber claim. He lived there four or five years, then filed a claim on a homestead four miles southeast of O'Neill, which he improved and cultivated, erected a good house and barn, and set out a grove of trees. After living on this tract of land five years he received a patent from the government. He took intelli- gent notice of conditions and prospects at that time, and being of the opinion that the price of land would rise considerably in the next few years, invested in one hundred sixty acres of land two miles east of O'Neill, where he resided until 1890, then retired from active life, rented his land, and purchased a home in O'Neill. He has a comfortable home in the southeastern part of the city, where he and his wife enjoy the fruits of their early activity and thrift.

Mr. Thompson was born in Penfield, Monroe county, N. Y., February 21, 1834, and in 1838 accompanied his parents to a farm about fifteen miles north of Milwaukee, in Ozaukee county, Wisconsin. His parents, Elijah and Waity Ann (Smith) Thompson, reared their family on this farm and the boy became familiar with life in the forest, helping his father in clearing part of the farm for cultivation. As a young man he learned the trade of carpenter and for a number of years worked at this vocation at San- dusky, Wisconsin, prior to moving west. He owned a farm of fifty acres containing a cottage, which he sold on going to Nebraska. His sons carried on the work of the farm while he worked at his trade and in this way the family prospered well.

Mr. Thompson was married in Ozaukee coun- ty, July 9, 1855, to Miss Helen Bitney, a native of Canada, daughter of Charles and Kate Bitney, and of the six children born to them three now survive, namely : Sarah J., wife of Samuel Wolf, lives four miles east of O'Neill; Elliott is ship- ping clerk in a large wholesale house of Omaha, Nebraska; Samuel conducts a restaurant at O'Neill.

Mr. Thompson's first dwelling on his tim- ber claim was a log house with a sod roof- "Nebraska shingles," as aptly described, and during very heavy rain storms the bedding was

stacked in the middle of the room, where there was less danger of leakage than in the sides and corners, under the eaves. Many of the pioneers who dwelt in such a home related that after one day of rain outside there were three days of dripping ceiling inside. On Mr. Thompson's second property he erected a small frame house, and on his last farm he erected a much better one. He well remembers the incidents of his journey to Nebraska. They came with teams, leaving Sandusky May 22, and arriving at their destination July 13. Their household goods were shipped by rail as far as Sioux City, then the terminus of the railroad, and they were obliged to wait a week in that city for them to arrive.

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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 42

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