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 69

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 69

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Mr. Nelson is a democrat in political views, and a Lutheran in religious belief, and, with his family, is highly respected in his community by all who know them.

WILSON HALL.

As a citizen of integrity and worth, and a man of industrions and energetic character, Wilson Hall is to the people of Pierce

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county, Nebraska. Mr. Hall is counted among the oldest settlers, coming to Pierce county in March, 1871, before there was a house standing in the town, the town site having been established the fall before. He rented land on which he farmed for a year, and then filed on a homestead south of town. Later he proved up on a timber claim, of which he owns eighty acres, having sold half of this and the homestead. In 1879 or 1880 he moved to Pierce, where he has resided since.

Mr. Hall is a native of Lycoming county, Penn- sylvania. born May 26, 1846, and when a boy of seventeen, enlisted in Company K, Eighty-eighth Pennslyvania Infantry, serving until the close of the war. He saw active service around Peters- burg, was in pursuit of Lee, and was present at the surrender. He was detailed for duty at Ar- lington Heights the day of the Grand Review, was mustered out there in July, and received his dis- charge at Philadelphia.

On returning home, he farmed in Pennsylvania until coming west in the spring of 1871, when he came by rail to Sioux City, Iowa, and thence across country by wagon to Pierce. The wild, open country of the plains was in strong contrast with the old and well established portions of Pennsylvania, whence he came. There were but few settlers between Sionx City and Pierce, and fewer beyond, all being open country, where fences were almost unknown.

Mr. Hall was born on May 26, 1846, and is the son of James and Martha (Reeder) Hall, the for- mer's ancestors coming from Scotland long prior to the revolutionary war. The Reeders were Quakers, whose forefathers came with William Penn, founder of the colony.

Our subject was married August 20, 1866, in Muncie, Pennsylvania, to Mary E. Wilson, daugh- ter of Seth and Susan (Gortner) Wilson, of Eng- lish and German descent, and both of old colonial families.

Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hall, whose names follow: Ida, wife of Frank Sherman, of Gordon, Nebraska; Robert, the first of the family born in Nebraska, lives at Glenn Ne- braska; Carrie, a teacher of Pierce; Marion, of Pierce ; Bud E., resident of Pierce; Eva, wife of Schuyler Durfy, a merchant of Pierce ; Harry, de- ceased ; Burtis W., now in western Nebraska, and Louis, of Pierce City.

Mr. HIall is a democrat, and has been honored by his party with one term as county judge. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Like so many of the early settlers, Mr. Hall well remembers the discouraging incidents con- nected with those early times. They endured three raids of grasshoppers, losing every spear of crops each year, even tobacco plants, which were consumed to the ground. He also passed through the blizzards, as well as prairie fires, in which he lost no stock.

Mr. Hall has always taken an active interest

in his locality, and aided every movement for the betterment of conditions in his community.

OLE NIELSEN.

Another well known member of the farmning community of Howard county, Nebraska, is found in the person of Ole Nielsen, who landed in this region in the summer of 1872, accompanying a party of Danish homeseekers from the east, in- cluding his brother, Niels Nielsen, whose sketch also appears in this book. During his residence here, Mr. Nielsen has met with some financial dis- couragements, but in the main has prospered, and is now classed among the wealthy and suc- cessful men of his locality.

This gentleman is a native of Denmark, born on February 17, 1847. Both parents, Niels and Stine Nielsen are now dead, they having resided in Howard county during the pioneer years here, Ole making a trip back to the old country in 1873 for the purpose of bringing his parents and brother, Martin, over, their sister Annie, following two years later. Our subject himself came to the United States in 1868, locating at first in Waukes- ha county, Wisconsin, where he was with a cousin, remaining for about one year. He drifted around in different parts of the country for three years, working through Iowa in 1869, while in the em- ploy of the Burlington & Missouri railway. Dur- ing the winter of 1869, and from then up to the time he came to Nebraska, he was employed in the southern states along the Mississippi river. He finally settled on a homestead on section thirty, township fourteen, range eleven, Howard county, and proved up on the land. He was a member of the Danish colony which was organized in Wiscon- sin, and was originally founded by special ar- rangement with the Union Pacific railway. He came into the country from Burlington, Iowa, with his brother Niels Nielsen, and two others, making the trip by wagon, and they were abont the very first settlers in the vicinity of Danne- brog, starting as all pioneers did, their dwelling being a rough dugout, in which they lived for a number of years, going through all sorts of hard- ships and discouragements while the region was being settled by white men, but gradually becom- ing more prosperous and adding to their original homesteads, until Mr. Nielsen is now the owner of seven hundred acres of choice farm land. He has this provided with a complete set of substan- tial farm buildings, good improvements of all kinds for working the land, also has quite a large herd of stock, raising some fine horses and cattle every year. He makes a specialty of Hereford cattle, Belgian horses, and Duroc Jersey hogs.

Mr. Nielsen was united in marriage to Miss Else Berthelsen. at Grand Island, Nebraska, on November 19, 1878. Mrs. Nielsen is also a native of Denmark, coming to the United States with her parents in 1869, they being early settlers in Grand Island and well and favorably known throughout

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that country. Eleven children have been born to our subject, ten of whom are living, namely : Flora, who is the wife of Lauritz Feddersen, and living in Howard county; Arthur B., Charlie N., who is married; Elvira, Valdemar A., Albert F., George W., Evelyn, Eiler and Halvor, all living at home, except the two married ones. Marie died in infancy. The family is esteemed by all who know them, and are popular in the affairs of their neighborhood. Their home is one of the pleasant- est in the vicinity, located on Oak Creek, and with the beautiful view and fine trees which dot the landscape, makes it a truly lovely place.

Politically Mr. Nielsen is a populist, active in all affairs of his township and county, and does all in his power to advance the best interests of his community.

CHARLES J. NELSON.

Charles J. Nelson, surveyor, son of Lars and Karna (Anderson) Nelson, was born in Sweden, January 28, 1850, and was the eldest in a family of nine children ; he has one brother living in Bil- lings, Montana; one sister in Arcadia, Nebraska, one in Ord, one in Wisconsin state, and one broth- er in the state of Michigan, the other children be- ing deceased. Mr. Nelson's parents are both de- ceased, the father's death occurring in January, 1884, and the mother's in 1898, both in Valley county, Nebraska.

At the age of eleven years, Mr. Nelson was bound out for five years to learn the tailor's trade, but was released after one year's service to come with his parents to America in 1862. The family located in Omaha, where Charles worked as an apprentice in a tailoring establishment for near- ly four years ; he was also a news carrier for the "Omaha Herald" for a couple of years; later he worked in the press room of that publication. In the spring of 1875 he came to Valley county. Ne- braska, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in section four, township eighteen, range fifteen, and also timber-claimed one hun- dred and sixty acres, cornering with the home- stead; in the years of 1889 and 1890 he followed railroading through the Black Hills country, be- ing an employee in driving the tunnel through north of Hill City.

On May 22, 1895, Mr. Nelson was married to Miss Flora A. Ward, of Nebraska birth, and four children have been born to this union : Zelma P., is president of the local chapter of the Loyal Temperance Legion, Jonathan died in infancy, in 1897, and Vera Victoria and John L.

Mr. Nelson served as justice of peace during the seventies, was treasurer of the Manderson school district for several years; United States mail carrier on the star route four years, carry- ing mail over the east end of the route between Ord and Sargent. For three summers, when Mr. Nelson was busy with his farm work, Mrs. Nelson served in his stead, making the long trip each

day without delay or failure. She served as as- sistant postmaster many years at Miracreek dur- ing her father's incumbency as postmaster there. He has served as Valley county surveyor at dif- ferent times, in all nearly thirty years, and is still filling this office.

In 1904, Mr. Nelson retired from his farm and moved to Ord, where they built a good home, where they now live. Mr. Nelson is one of the earliest settlers, is prosperous and successful, and for thirty years has been closely identified with the interests of Valley county, and enjoys the respect of all who know him.

Mrs. Nelson's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Asahel Ward, live in Ord, and are one of the oldest fam- ilies in the county. Mrs. Nelson is prominent in lodge circles. She is state treasurer of the Wo- men's Relief Corps secretary of the Women's Christian Temperance Union; and a member of the Tribe of Ben Hur and the Royal Neighbors of America. All members of the family are com- municants of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Nelson was a city fireman for five years in Omaha, and also a member of the Valley coun- ty militia. He is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America and the Tribe of Ben Hur. Mr. Nelson's father was a homesteader in Valley county, and built the first frame house in Mira Valley.

MONS. O. M. JOHNSON.

The gentleman above mentioned is counted among the oldest settlers in Madison county, Ne- braska, and since locating here in 1875, has taken a foremost part in the development of the region, during which time he has also built up a good home and productive farm in section ten, town- ship twenty-one, range four.

Mons O. M. Johnson was born June 28, 1861, in Norway, one of a family of eight children result- ing from the union of Mons and Martha Johnson. (Sketches of several other members of this family appear in this volume).

When Mons was fourteen years of age, he left his native land and sailed for America. Immedi- ately after landing, he started for the west, and after a hard trip, finally arrived in Madison coun- ty in 1875 or 1876. He at once filed on a home- stead, put up a sod shanty and began to improve his farm. The first few years the grasshoppers took all his crops, and in order to make a living he was compelled to work out by the day or month, obtaining employment in Wisner as a farm hand.

Deer and antelope abounded in the region dur- ing those years, and from this source considerable of his food was derived. He met with many dis- couragements, but stuck bravely to his homestead and did his best to get ahead, but the most he could do was to barely make a living. In 1894 all his crops were again destroyed by the hot winds; and the following two years he raised some crops.

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Things went along pretty well up to 1904 and 1905, when hail storms beat down and ruined his grain and every growing thing on the place. After that, success came to him rapidly, and he contin- ned to add to his buildings, so that at the present time he has a finely improved farm and every con- venience for its operation in the way of machin- ery, etc., including a comfortable dwelling, and barns. He also has fine groves and orchards which he has planted and tended until they are in splendid condition, and make his estate one of the show places of his locality.

Mr. Johnson was married January 15, 1885, at Newman Grove, to Miss Julia Hulberson. Ten children have been born to them, as follows: Han- nah, Martha, Mary, deceased; John, Harvey, Mariana, Allen, Gertrude, Harry and Lawrence, died March 3, 1911.

WILLIAM PFREHM.

William Pfrehm belongs to a pioneer family of Custer county, his father and four of his broth- ers, as well as himself, having been among the or- iginal homesteaders there. He was born in Peters- burg, Illinois, June 23, 1856, next to the oldest of the twelve children of John A. and Mary Cather- ine (Swiegart) Pfrehm, natives of Germany. John Pfrehin served two terms in the German army and while still a young man, he came to America, where he was married. In 1879 he took up a homestead in Custer county and died there in 1887. His wife died in Custer county in 1898. Of their children, eight now survive, namely : William, of Sargent ; Henry J., of Custer county ; August W. and Lewis J., of Sargent ; John G., of Arkansas; Mrs. Lewis Ohmberger, Mrs. W. G. Williams and Miss Emma Pfrehm, all of Custer county. A sketch of Lewis J. Pfrehm appears in this work.

Mr. Pfrehm grew to manhood on the Illinois farm and was educated in local schools, later en- gaging in farming on his own account. He was married at the home of the bride's parents in Sangamon county, Illinois, October 2, 1879, to Miss Maggie B. Pointer, a native of Kentucky. They lived on a farm in Illinois until January, 19, 1881, when they came to Custer county, whith- er Mr. Pfrehm's parents had preceded them, and secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land on the southeast quarter of section thirty-one, township twenty, range nine- teen, which was the home place for many years. During this time Mr. Pfrehm purchased the gen- eral merchandise stock of Butcher & Wabel, tak- ing possession in April, 1891, and condneting the business twelve years. His wife carried on a mil- linery business at this time and both met with sue- eess in their respective lines. Since March, 1909. they have lived in Sargent, where they purchased a good home, and they have the largest millinery stock in the town. Mr. Pfrehin served for a num- ber of years as a member of the school board of

his district, and for several years was constable of West Union. He is a prosperous and successful business man, owning large farming interests, in- eluding his original homestead. He is one of . the best known men of the region and has always been interested in everything pertaining to the general welfare and progress.

Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pfrehm, five of whom now survive: William J., married and living in Oklahoma, has three chil- dren ; Henry L., married and living in Loup City, has one child; Lawrence L., married and living on the old homestead, has one child; Harry J. and Aaron V., at home ; Tina O. B., died at the age of eight years. Mrs. Pfrehm is a daughter of John and Hester (Sharp) Pointer, natives of Kentucky. Her father made his home with her in Custer county for a number of years and died there July 16, 1907, at the age of ninety-three years. The mother died in Illinois about 1883. Mrs. Pfrehm has a brother Henry, living in West Union, Ne- braska ; a brother James W., living in Malvern, Iowa, and one brother and two sisters living in Illinois.

ALBERT ERDENBERGER.

One of the most prominent farmers in this part of the state is Albert Erdenberger, who is also one of the earlier settlers of Cedar county. His farm, located in section fifteen, township thirty- one, is well improved and he is one of the highly respected and esteemed citizens of his community.

Mr. Erdenberger is a native of Saxony, Ger- many, where he was born in 1839. In 1854, with his parents, he came to America in one of the sailing vessels of that time, the voyage taking fully six weeks to accomplish. They came at once to Wisconsin and this state remained their home for a number of years.

During the civil war, our subject served for ten months in Company C, Forty-third Regiment, under Captain Campbell, in General Milroy's di- vision.

In 1860, Mr. Erdenberger was married to Miss Thorin Johonsen. A few years after the elose of the war, in 1867, he and his family started on the long overland trip to Nebraska, driving a yoke of oxen. The trip itself occupied about six weeks. with these slow plodding animals. Upon their arrival in Nebraska, Mr. Erdenberger took up the homestead which he at present occupies, and be- gan the work of subduing the wilderness, for the region was practically a wilderness at that time.

For a long time things were very discouraging indeed, with grasshoppers devouring the crops several years in succession, and with fighting prairie fires as the common diversion of the warm- er months, while trying to survive the blizzards of the winter. Prospects brightened somewhat after awhile. Unlike many of the settlers, Mr. Erdenberger was fully aware of the great value of a growth of timber on a homestead, so that he

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took great care to plant many trees on his land. He has since built his large barn, also houses for his sons, the lumber of which came from the trees he planted. He has now a five acre timber tract which is one of the finest grown groves in the county.

By the exercise of great thrift and economy, Mr. Erdenberger has not only given his children good educations and provided for his family, but has laid aside sufficient to insure a peaceful old age in the beautiful home for which he has worked for so many years.

Mr. and Mrs. Erdenberger became the parents of six children, four of whom are living. They are named as follows: Elizabeth, now Mrs. John Weiger; John, Louis and Edward.

WILBERFORCE W. RILEY.

Wilberforce W. Riley, a member of one of the earliest families of the north end of Pierce county, Nebraska, has prospered as an agriculturist and stockman, and is now owner of a well improved estate in Pierce precinct adjoining the county seat. He has become widely known as an ener- getic and progressive farmer and stock breeder, and his success and good name are well merited.

Our subject is almost a native Nebraskan, com- ing with his parents in the fall of 1870, from Iowa, where he was born January 4, 1866. His father, Barnard Riley, was born in Ireland, and came to this country with a sister at the age of fourteen years, but on landing in New York, they became separated and never again found each other, neither did he hear from any of his kinsmen in the old country. He migrated west, locating for a time in Johnson county, Iowa, and there met and married Margaret Dwellinger in August, 1855. They had a family of six children, four at- taining their majority, our subject and his twin sister being second in order of birth.

Mr. Riley was married at Stanton on May 17, 1899, to Miss Jennie Whalen, who was born and reared at that point. She is a daughter of William and Ellen (Botroff) Whalen, both natives of Indiana. They came to Nebraska in 1869 and filed on a homestead in Stanton county, one mile west of the present location of the county seat, which at that time was merely a little open space in the open prairie. Mr. and Mrs. Riley are the parents of two children, Hubert and Margaret, both pupils in the Pierce public schools.

During Mr. Riley's boyhood, that part of Ne- braska was open to the Rocky Mountain deer and antelope, which roamed the prairie in great num- bers. There was little grass on the prairies, weeds predominating, and the herds kept the ground bare.

There was not a house in Pierce at the time Mr. Riley's parents located there, and he was the first white child to live in the town ; for a number of years they occupied the hotel in Pierce, the first house built in the town. He attended school

in the second building erected in the village, on the spot now occupied by the Catholic church. They went through the grasshopper raids, saving their vegetables by sweeping the pests off the plants with brooms, about the only thing that es- caped being the cabbages. For years there was no cemetery in the locality, and the settlers would tell newcomers that there was no need of one as nobody died in Nebraska.

Mr. Riley helped set out the trees which have grown into the magnificent grove now surround- ing the old homestead, and the fertility of Nebras- ka soil is well evidenced by the crops grown on the farm, one field of which has been cultivated continuously for forty years and produces better crops now than at first. The present Riley home is a part of the original Lucas homestead, and here he engages extensively in breeding mules, Percheron horses and Shetland ponies, prospering in a marked degree. He began with Shetland stock in 1902 and with the breeding of mules, the following year.

Mr. Riley's comfortable residence is beauti- fully situated in a fine grove on the banks of Wil- low creek. The heavy timbers of the large barn on the place were cut from trees planted on the open prairie within the memory of its present owner. A view of the home, with pictures of some of the blooded stock of the place, is to be found on a nearby page of this work.

Mr. Riley is a staunch republican and has al- ways taken a deep interest in county and state politics, serving in his community in different of- fices. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, of Pierce.

LUTHER L. OLIVER.

Luther L. Oliver, the subject of this personal history, resides on the homestead secured by his mother, located in section four, township nineteen, range thirteen, Valley county, Nebraska. He is an early settler of this county and has watched the development and growth of this region from his first coming here, lending his aid in the np- building of the community, and is highly esteemed by all who know him.

Mr. Oliver was born in Dodge county, Wiscon- sin, October 8, 1866, and was the only child of Orville and Emma (Young) Oliver, the latter a native of Illinois. The father was an old Wiscon- sin settler, and is now deceased, his death occurr- ing in South Dakota; the mother is living in North Loup.

Mr. Oliver was in his eiglith year when the family left Wisconsin, going to Duell county, Da- kota, remaining there about three years; in 1874 the mother and son moved to Tama county, Iowa. On March 10, 1882, Mr. Oliver came to Valley county, Nebraska, with his step-father, William Burris, and family. Mrs. Emma Burris, the moth- er of Mr. Oliver, made homestead entry on the southeast quarter of section four, township eight-

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RESIDENCE OF W. W. RILEY.

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"HILLSIDE FARM," RESIDENCE OF LUTHER L. OLIVER.

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een, range thirteen, which is still the home of Mr. Oliver, having been the continuous home of Mr. Oliver through the years. We are pleased to call attention to a view of the residence on another page. Mr. Oliver coming into Valley county when yet a boy, in early life went out for him- self. He has been identified with the growth and development of Valley county since 1882, and is a successful farmer and stock man. In political views he sides with the republican party.

Mr. Oliver was united in marriage, May 24, 1888, to Miss Ada Blair, a native of Winnebago county, Illinois, their marriage taking place on the homestead farm. Mrs. Oliver is a daughter of Alfred and Dorothea (Holcomb) Blair, who came to Nebraska in 1887 and settled in Loup county, west of Burwell. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver have been blessed with six children, namely : Nina, Mabel, Neal, Carl and Cecil, who are twins; and Dean.

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and family are of the older Valley county families, and have the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.

Mr. Oliver has passed through the adverse years of dronth and other hardships of Valley county, and is one of the few men who stuck by the old homestead farm until the coming of the more prosperous years. On settling on the home- stead the family lived in a dugout found on the place, from March until summer, when the new house was completed, but one time there were seventeen of them, family and builders, occupy- ing the place. The lumber for the new house had to be hauled from Grand Island, sixty miles dis- tant. Mr. Oliver's mother and step-father were caught out in the blizzard of January 12, 1888, and with great difficulty found their way home.

FRED A. STRATMANN.

Fred A. Stratmann, an old time resident of eastern Nebraska, owns a well improved farm. and is recognized as one of the substantial farm- er's of that region.

Mr. Stratmann was born in Germany, July 21, 1847, and was third in a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters of Henry and Dor- othy (Siling) Stratmann. He came to America in the fall of 1868, settling in Dwight, Illinois, where he worked at his occupation of carriage and wagon worker; and later coming to Grand Island, Hall county, Nebraska, in 1871, where he still followed his trade.

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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 69

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