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 47

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 47


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In 1883, Mr. Ruff, subject of this biographical writing, moved to Douglas county, South Dakota, where he took up a homestead and steadily im- proved his land. He first put up a sod house and lived in this five years, later building a good frame house. In 1901, Mr. Ruff came to Boyd county, Nebraska, where he bought his present home of Raymond Hampe.


In 1891, Mr. Ruff was united in marriage to Miss Frederike Thietjie, a native of Chicago, and danghter of John and Frederike Thietjie. It is sad to relate that Mr. Ruff's bride of less than a year passed away to the great beyond.


After mourning the loss of his wife for sev- eral years, Mr. Ruff was again married, his bride being Bertha Kiok, to which union five children


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were born, whose names are as follows: Ernest, Martha, John, Ella, and William, and they enjoy the respect and esteem of many friends and ac- quaintances.


Mr. and Mrs. Ruff and family are attendants of the German Lutheran church. In politics, Mr. Ruff is independent.


JOHN P. LAUDEMAN.


John P. Laudeman, one of the pioneer busi- ness men of St. Edward, has been engaged in the general mercantile business at that point for many years past, having himself erected and continuously occupied one of the first stores put up in that now thriving city. He has been very successful in his chosen career, and through hon- esty and good business principles has come to be known as one of the prominent men of affairs in his part of the state.


John P. Laudeman was born in Marshall coun- ty, Indiana, on the 7th day of October, 1849, and is the eldest in Frederick and Salome Laudeman's family of seven children, the parents being na- tives of Germany. Our subject was raised on the home farm, receiving his education in the local schools, and when about fifteen years of age went to work for an uncle who was engaged in the wholesale and retail grocery business.


He was married to Miss Agnes Rittel, in South Bend, Indiana, on October 12, 1873, and the fol- lowing year the young couple came to Boone county, Nebraska, traveling by train to Colum- bus, and from there by team to St. Edwards. They were accompanied by Joseph Rittel and his wife, the parents of Mrs. Laudeman, and Mr. Rittel and our subjeet erected the first building in St. Edwards, engaging in the general mercan- tile business. They were associated in business up to the time of Mr. Rittel's death, in October, 1906. Mrs. Rittel died also in December of the same year. Mr. Laudeman still carries on the business, and also operates a confectionery store and bakery under the name of the City Bakery and Lunch Room, and has become successful and one of the leading men of his city. He has in past years been connected with the school and town board, and was first moderator of distriet number seventeen. Mr. and Mrs. Laudeman have one child, Lily M., now the wife of Reverend Henry Zimnecker, who is pastor of the M. E. church in Sidney, Nebraska, and they have two children.


The father of our subject died in Marshall county, Indiana, on June 28, 1908, and his widow survived him less than a year.


TIMOTHY COLLINS.


Timothy Collins, who came to Wayne county twenty-three years ago, has been actively associ- ated with the progress and development of his locality and is regarded as a useful, public-spir- ited citizen.


He was born in Canada, July 4, 1859, and is of Irish descent. His parents, William and Ellen Collins, left Ireland for Canada in a sailing ves- sel, and spent the latter part of their lives in the latter country. Mr. Collins was reared in Canada and there attended the public schools. In 1888, he came to Cumings county, Nebraska, where he lived one year, and then came to Wayne county, where he rented land four years. He then pur- chased his present home, which is very pleasantly situated on seetion six, township twenty-six, range two, and at once set to work to cultivate and improve his land. He has since continued to add to the value and beauty of his estate and has a small grove. He carries on a general line of farming and devotes considerable attention to stock raising.


Mr. Collins was married in 1892 to Miss Mary Coleman, and eight children have been born of this union, namely: William Francis, Mary El- len, Irene Clare, Winnifred, Leo Joseph, Charles Vincent, Timothy Lawrence and Agnes Blanche. Mrs. Collins is a native of Illinois, and a daugh- ter of Patrick and Mary Coleman. Mr. Collins is well known throughout the county, and has many friends. He has always given his support to any measure calculated to advance the general wel- fare of his community. He owns a comfortable home, and his present prosperity is the result of his industry and enterprise in managing and op- erating his farm. He and his wife have reared a large family, and their children all reside at home.


JOSEPH SMATLAN.


Joseph Smatlan was born in Bohemia, August 11, 1844, and was youngest of three children in the family of Joseph and Anna Smatlan, who had two daughters and one son. He grew up to his young manhood years in his native country, and on October 28, 1866, was married to Miss Anna Telecky, and the same fall Mr. Smatlan and wife and his mother, Mrs. Joseph Smatlan, Sr., and his sister, Mrs. Antone Kunhardt, came to America, settling in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mr. Smatlan's father had died in Bohemia in 1864. The family remained in Iowa until coming to Colfax county, Nebraska, in October. 1870. Mr. Smatlan's wife and little daughter Anna and his mother, in com- pany with others. came overland from Iowa to Nebraska, the mode of transportation being ox teams. the usual way of traveling in those days. Mr. Smatlan took up a homestead fifteen miles north of Schuyler and farmed for eight years.


In March. 1878, Mr. Smatlan left the home- stead farm and moved into Sehuyler, engaging in the lumber business, going into partnership with Mr. John Novotny. Mr. Novotny emigrated to America at the same time as Mr. Smatlan. In 1891 Mr. Smatlan purchased his partner's inter-


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est in the lumber yard and continued in the lum- ber and coal business until 1905, at which time he retired from active management of the lumber yard and turned the business over to his sons, J. E. and E. B. Smatlan, who have continued the business. The Smatlan Lumber & Coal yard en- joy an extensive business and have one of the best equipped yards in central Nebraska, they having large and commodious lumber sheds and build- ings. The firm is well known and have a wide reputation for square dealing.


In 1888 Mr. Smatlan, with several others, or- ganized the Colfax County Bank in Howell, Ne- braska, Mr. Smatlan becoming its vice president, and has continued to hold this position up to the present time. Mr. Smatlan has always, been fore- most amongst the live men of the county, doing his share towards the development of Colfax county. In 1894 he acted as city treasurer of Schuyler, which office he filled to the satisfaction of all. He has large land interests in Colfax county, and now owns eight hundred acres of fine farm land.


Mr. and Mrs. Smatlan have six children, name- ly: Anne, wife of Thomas E. Molacek, cashier of a bank at Sulphur, Oklahoma, they have two children; Josie is the wife of Doctor Frank J. Wolishek, they having two children, and reside in Sidney, Nebraska; Mary, now Mrs. Adolph Kadletz, lives in North Dakota; Joseph E., is married to Emma Bartunek, has four children, he is a member of the Smatlan Brothers Lumber Co., at Schuyler : Edward B., is also a member of the same firm; Victor H., married, is living in Primrose, Nebraska, where he is engaged in the lumber and grain business.


Mr. Smatlan's mother died in Colfax county, March 16, 1883, deeply mourned by many old friends and acquaintances and her family. The Smatlan family are pioneers of this section of Nebraska. They have been successful, and are of high standing in the country.


ALFRED E. JONES.


Alfred E. Jones, one of the successful and prosperous farmers of Antelope county, Nebras- ka, has acquired a fine estate and enjoys all the comforts of rural life. He is a gentleman of good business judgment and has an enviable reputation as a worthy citizen and good neighbor. Ilis home is in section twenty-five, township twenty-seven, range eight, where he resides and enjoys the good cheer and well wishes of all who know him.


Mr. Jones was born in Drake county, Ohio, September 17, 1855. In 1857 the family moved to Marshall county, Iowa, where they remained for sixteen years and in 1873 moved to Lincoln county, South Dakota. Our subject's father, Elijah Jones, was a native of Miami county, Ohio, being born in 1828, and his mother, Ella (Sharp) 8 1/2


was a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Our sub- ject's father with his family moved to South Da- kota, settling near Sioux Falls, residing there about thirty years. Mr. Jones left his native state, Ohio, with his parents, going to South Dakota, then went out for himself, moving to Iowa in 1874, remaining there eight years. In 1882 Mr. Jones came to Nebraska, driving through in a covered wagon, taking up a homestead in sec- tion thirteen, township twenty-seven, range eight, on which he built a frame house fourteen by eighteen feet in size.


On September 2, 1877, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Ella Voorhies, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the parents of the following named children: Cora, wife of John Nutt, has three children, live at Perin, Neb .; Charles, Edith, George, who is married to Miss Ella Sheats, has one child, lives in Cook county Wyoming; Elea- nor, wife of Earl Davidson, they having three children, live in Cook county, Wyoming; Edna, deceased in 1886; Emma, wife of A. H. Ludwick, has two children, lives in Antelope county ; Ger- dren, and live in Cook county, Wyoming.


Mr. Jones went through all the hardships inci- dent to those early pioneer days when hay and cornstalks were used for fuel in the winter to keep from freezing to death. They also fought prairie fires a great many times to save their home. In the year 1882 the Indians started a fire which did much damage to the early settlers. In 1900 our subject sold his homestead and bought land in section twenty-five, township twenty-seven, range eight, where he now resides and has a beautiful home.


Mr. Jones was county commissioner for four years, from 1906-1910, also filled the unexpired term of John Curtis, giving entire satisfaction to his constituents. In the early days he was in- strumental in organizing his school district, num- ber sixty-five, of which he was the first moder- ator. He was assessor for three terms, 1903-4-5, and was re-elected in 1909.


GEORGE W. LITTELL.


George W. Littell, the subject of this personal sketch, first came to Pierce county, Nebraska, on March 19, 1880, when there were but a few houses in Pierce, the county seat. Mr. Littell bought one hundred and sixty acres of land eight miles southwest of Pierce, from his mother-in-law and began farming in the new country; so well did he succeed that he later added one hundred and twenty acres to the original land, now a highly improved and productive farm.


In 1889 Mr. Littell was elected sheriff, serving something over six years, having filled one month of an unexpired term preceding his own. On com- pleting his third term in office, Mr. Littell re-


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turned to the farm, which he operated until 1904, when he moved to Pierce and has since resided here engaging in the real estate and insurance business. He has filled the office of justice of the peace for many years with an impartiality satis- factory to the general public, and has served as police judge once in 1905, when Pierce was or- ganized under city government.


George W. Littell, son of John and Deborah (Teeple) Littell, is a native of Canada, where his parents stopped to visit relatives on their migra- tion from New York to Ohio. Liking the coun- try, the elder Littell remained for a number of years and here several of his children were born.


Our subject was born June 12, 1840, and re- sided in Canada. West, until 1849, when his par- ents removed to Jackson county, Iowa.


On the outbreak of the civil war, our subjeet. enlisted in Company A, Ninth Iowa Infantry, serving three years. Among the noted engage- ments in which he participated are Pea Ridge, Siege of Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain, under Hooker, and the campaign around Atlanta. Af- ter the march to the sea his company proceeded to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were dis- charged.


After the war, Mr. Littell removed to LaBette county, Kansas, where he farmed for five years and returned to Iowa, where he lived until 1880, the year of his coming to Pierce county.


Mr. Littell was married in Nashville, Jackson county, Iowa, March 29, 1863, to Miss Julia A. Harvey, to whom three children were born: Car- rie; Frank, in charge of an elevator in Pierce; and Nettie, for a number of years a teacher in Nebraska schools, now the wife of William Fran- ces, a farmer of Pierce county.


Mr. Littell is a republican, returning hearty support to the organization for the preferment that has been shown him by the party.


He has been initiated into the mysteries of Ancient Freemasonry, and is a prominent mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic post of Pierce.


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RASMUS MADSEN.


The subject of this personal history is one of the most successful pioneers of Howard county, Nebraska. Mr. Madsen and his family have passed through all the experiences familiar to those who have watched the growth of the great west from its early settlement, going through hardships in establishing a home, and tasting the discomfort and inconvenience as well as the some- time joys of sod shanty life. Mr. Madsen has always done his full share in building up the region, ever standing for its progress and best in- terests.


Rasmus Madsen was born in Denmark, on No- vember 22, 1846, and was the fifth in his father's


family of nine children. He followed farming in that country until his twenty-third year, then came to America, his first location being in Wis- consin, where he farmed up to 1877, at which time he came to Howard county, landing in the region in June of that year. He filed on a homestead of eighty acres situated on section fourteen, town- ship thirteen, range twelve, and immediately set to work to develop a farm and home. In this he has succeeded far beyond his expectations, hav- ing at the present time a thoroughly improved one hundred and twenty acre farm, supplied with substantial buildings of all kinds, and every con- venience in the way of modern machinery, etc.


Mr. Madsen was married in Howard county on June 12, 1877, to Carrie Anderson, and of this union five children have resulted, two of whom are now living, Chris and Mary, both at home. The family occupy a prominent place in the so- cial life of their section, and all are deeply inter- ested in things pertaining to its advancement along educational lines.


Mr. Madsen has one brother, Peter, who came to America in 1869, who also was owner of a fine estate in Howard county, he having departed this life in 1889, although his family still ocenpy the homestead.


HENRY W. BARR.


one Henry W. Barr, who was of the earlier settlers of Valley county, Ne- braska, is well and favorably known in his part of the county, where he lias been prominent in all movements for progress and advancement. Mr. Barr is an intelligent and progressive farmer and is successful in his oper- ations. He was born in Grant county, Wisconsin, February 21, 1853, and is a son of Alexander and Mary (Soash) Barr, being third in a family of seven children. Of his brothers and sisters some are deceased; one brother and two sisters live in Iowa, and one brother resides in Minnesota. The Barr family is of Irish extraction and the father was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and died in Jackson county, Iowa, in 1863. The mother of Mr. Barr was of French and German descent, born in the state of Pennsylvania, and she died in Butler county, Iowa, in April, 1875.


Jn April, 1853, Mr. Barr's parents moved to Dubuque county. Iowa, and ten years later to But- ler county, that state, and there the boy, Henry, received a common school education. As a young man he engaged in farming, and was married at Shell Rock, Iowa, July 16, 1876, to Miss Ella Jones, a native of Ohio, and daughter of Edward M. and Louisa (Sement) Jones. In 1885 Mr. Barr, with his wife and five daughters removed to Valley county, where he secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land nine miles northeast of Arcadia which was the home place


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many years, and where he began developing a farm. In 1904 he purchased a half section of land, the northeast quarter of section four, township seventeen, range fifteen, and the southwest quar- ter of section thirty-four, township eighteen, range fifteen, to which he moved in March, 1909, having erected a comfortable dwelling and other buildings and otherwise improved the place.


Mrs. Barr died on the home farm December 21, 1894, survived by her husband and ten chil- dren, namely : Ethel L., died January 1, 1903, leaving her husband, Alfred Royal, and one daughter; Maud, died in December, 1899; Jennie married A. L. Lybarger, of Valley county, and they have two children; Mary married Frank Jenks, of Iowa, and they have three children; Jessie married F. H. Lybarger, of Valley county, and they have three children; Bessie, wife of Charles Fox, lives in Iowa, and has two children ; Guy H., at home; Stephen C., of Iowa ; Harvey R. at home, and Mona. Mona was but seven hours old when her mother died, and was adopted by J. B. Mowery and wife, who later moved to Kear- ney, and here she is attending the eity schools.


Mr. Barr has shown helpful interest in the cause of education, and was one of the organizers of school district number fifty-nine, having been the first director of the board. He has since been a member of the board most of the time, and at the present time is serving as moderator.


On February 25, 1898, Mr. Barr married (sec- ond) at Edison, Nebraska, Mrs. Delila Hosier, who was born in Illinois, a daughter of Jesse and Melissa (Searle) Hoskins.


Mr. Barr has developed his land into an excel- lent stock and grain farm and is provided with modern machinery and equipment for carrying on his work. He is actively engaged in farming, and is considered one of the substantial, desirable citizens of Valley county.


From 1892 to 1898, Mr. Barr lived in a dug- out with a frame front. In the year of drought, 1894, he harvested a third of a crop of twenty- nine acres of wheat and one hundred and twenty- five acres of eorn. The blizzard of January 12, 1888, caught him just as he had hitched the team to a wagon to get a load of hay ; he had difficulty in getting them to the barn and in finding his way to the house.


Mr. Barr is a member of the Church of the Brethren (formerly known as the Dunkards,> and is independent in politics.


FRANK WINTER.


Frank Winter, an agriculturist of prominence in Madison county, resides in Norfolk precinct on section ten, township twenty-four, range one, and is one of those substantial citizens whose in- tegrity and industry, thrift and economy have added so much to the material wealth and growth of Nebraska.


Mr. Winter is a native Nebraskan, his birth


occurring November 18, 1874, in Madison county. He is a son of William and Minnie (Stark) Win- ter, both natives of Germany, the province of Prussia being their birthplace. Our subject's father served both his native land and the land of his adoption in the strife both countries ex- perienced at different periods; he served in the German army during the war of 1848; and served in the United States army during the civil war, enlisting in the twenty-seventh Wisconsin In- fantry.


In 1856, our subject's father left his native land for America, embarking at Hamburg in a sailboat, and after eleven weeks on the sea, landed in New York and they immediately started for the west, locating in Wisconsin, where they remained nine years. In 1866 the father and family started for the far west, as Nebraska and vicinity was considered at that time. They came by the usual route in those pioneer days-ox team and covered wagon-and took up a homestead in section ten, township twenty-four, range one, in Madison county, which has remained the home place to this day. On this land was built a log house, which has later been replaced by a good, substantial frame one.


In the first days of residence on the prairies, Columbus and West Point were the nearest mar- ket places, and when the family were in need of flour, a trip to Sioux City had to be made, a dis- tance of seventy-five miles. Here in their pioneer home the family experienced many hardships and . bitter experiences; during the first few years' residence here, the grasshoppers devastated the region, destroying every vestige of crops and veg- etation for miles around, which was very dis- couraging to the new settler just beginning life in a new unsettled country; many times prairie fires were fought to save lives and possessions ; and as late as 1894 our subjeet lost the entire year's crops by the hot winds that prevailed dur- ing the severe drouth.


Mr. Winter was united in marriage Decem- ber 6, 1900, to Miss Anna Weich, a native of Pierce county, and a daughter of Herman and Henrietta Weich. Mr. and Mrs. Winter are the parents of five children, whose names are as fol- lows: Reuben, Walter, Lydia. Anna, and Martin.


Mr. and Mrs. Winter and family enjoy the esteem and friendship of a host of friends and acquaintances, and Mr. Winter is well and favor- ably known in a business and social way in his community. He owns three hundred and twenty acres of fine land, on which he has good buildings and a comfortable home ; he has four acres of fine orchard on his land, and is a prosperous and sub- stantial citizen. With his family, he is a member of the German Lutheran church, and affiliates with the democratic party.


RANDOLPH FREDERICK WICHMAN.


The gentleman above named is prominently known as one of the leading business men and


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worthy citizens of Scotia, Nebraska, having been connected with mercantile and banking bus- iness; and he is one of the public spirited men of this section of the country.


Frederick Wichman, as the subject of this re- view is known, was born in Ashton, Sherman county, Nebraska, September I, 1882, and was the only child of Fred and Isabelle Wichman. Mr. Wichman is a Nebraska boy born and bred, growing up on the home farm until his sixteenth year, receiving a good common school education. In his eighteenth year he attended business col- lege in St. Paul, Nebraska, and after completing his education he worked for the Keystone Lum- ber company at Ashton, later was in the employ of the general mercantile firm of Taylor at Ash- ton, and Hayden at Omaha ; and until 1904 was an employee of Hayden Brothers of Omaha.


In 1905 Mr. Wichman went to Farwell, How- ard county, an'd became connected with his uncle, Joseph Wichman, in the mercantile business, and remained there for two years. On May 15, 1908, the First State Bank of Scotia, Greeley county, was organized with the following officials: N. J. Paul, president; W. L. Little, vice president ; R. F. Wichman, cashier and resident manager. The bank was sold in February, 1911, since which time Mr. Wichman has been the local represen- tative of the International Land Company of Omaha.


Mr. Wichman is a young man of splendid business ability and is a progressive man along all lines. The Wichman family is well known in central Nebraska. Grandfather and Grandmother Wichman reside in Farwell, Nebraska, the oldest couple in point of years in this section of the state; Grandfather Wichman is in his ninety- fifth year, and his wife in about her ninetieth year. They are still active and enjoying life to its fullness. Our subject's father died in 1905, in Nebraska, and the mother is now a resident of California.


Randolph Frederick Wichman, the principal subject of this sketch, was married to Miss Jen- nie Armstrong, daughter of Irvine and Annie (Welsh) Armstrong, at the Armstrong home, September 1, 1908. A son, Frederick Irvin Wich- man, was born May 18, 1911. Mrs. Wichman was born in Howard county, and her parents are old settlers of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Wichman en- joy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends by whom they are surrounded in their pleasant home. They are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Wichman is a republican ; he is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.


RASMUS MORTENSEN. (Deceased.)


Among the prominent pioneers of Howard county, who are now deceased, we mention Ras-


mus Mortensen, whose name heads this review. He was a man of untiring energy, upright char- acter, and for many years was known. as a pro- gressive business man of his vicinity. Mr. Mor- tensen died on November 20, 1899.




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