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 72

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 72

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Frank Woods was born in Watonwan county, Minnesota, September 18, 1875, and is a son of J. T. Woods, of Spencer, a sketch of whom appears in this work. The family lived in various towns during his boyhood, and his education was de- rived through attendance at the public schools in those places, finishing with a four years' course in the Stuart high school. At an early age he evinced a liking for a business career, and took an active part in his father's business, when the latter was engaged in the hotel and livery business in different towns. In 1896, he secured a clerk- ship in the little bank which occupied the corner where the fine large building of the First National now stands. After three years, he had so far mastered the details of the banking trade that he was appointed cashier under F. M. Weidner, of Corning, Iowa, who then held the controlling interest in the institution. As his experience grew, so did his financial interest expand, until, in 1910, he held a very large interest in the parent bank and its branches, and on January first of that year, was elected president of the entire allied group of banks, including the State Bank of Gross, which was acquired in 1905; the Bristow First National Bank, in 1906, and the Gregory County State Bank, at Fairfax, South Dakota, in 1908. The First National Bank of Nolan, South Dakota, was established in 1909. The home bank in Spencer, one of the finest buildings in the county. was erected in 1906, and is far in advance of anything of its kind usually seen in a small town. All the furnishings are of mahogany, and

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equal, if not exceeding, the equipment of any bank between Omaha and the Dakota line. Its resources exceed half a million dollars, while that of the allied banks more than doubles that sum, making them one of the strongest financial institutions along the borders of the two states.

Mr. Woods was married in Spencer, July 26, 1899, to Miss Kate Kloke, she being a daughter of John Kloke, one of the leading business men of the town. Two children have come to bless their union, Clayton and LeVerne, both sturdy youngsters, and the Woods home is one of the pleasantest and most hospitable to be found in the community.

Mr. Woods has been a life-long republican. He is a member of the Masonic order, an Odd Fellow and Royal Highlander, also belonging to both or -. ders of the Woodmen. With his family, he is a regular attendant at the Congregational church.

ELWIN E. BROWDER.

Elwin E. Browder, son of George R. and Mary A. (Wheless) Browder, was born in Hopkinton, Iowa, December 9, 1859, and was seventh in a fam- ily of eight children. In March, 1883, he came with his father and family to Boone county, Nebraska.

In 1892 Mr. Browder purchased one hundred and twenty acres in section one, township nineteen, range six, which remained the home place until 1894, when he retired from active farm life and moved to Albion, where he purchased and later improved a good home; the same year, in partner- ship with his brother, J. A., going into the hard- ware and implement business, which they con- tinned for two years and then sold, after which Elwin E. engaged in the implement business for three years, and then retired until 1901. In that . year he took his nephew, A. E. Browder, into partnership, in which interest they continued until the spring of 1910, when Elwin E. sold and pur- chased an implement business which he still eon- ducts. Mr. Browder also engages in real estate, mostly in his own interests, buying and selling in his own name.

Mr. Browder served for nine years on the Al- bion city school board, and has also served as chair- man of the Albion city board. He has been pros- perons and successful. and owns one-half section of grain and alfalfa land, hesides good property and business interests in Albion.

On October 6. 1881, Mr. Browder was married to Miss Fanny Garrett, of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Browder have had three children, named as fol- łows : George G., who is married and living in Albion, has one daughter; Audra B., and Della M., who resides at home.

Mrs. Browder's father died in 1883, at Albion. and her mother died in the year 1895. She has one sister residing in Denver, Colorado, one in the state of Oregon. one in Albion, and another in Council Bluffs, and a brother who resides in the state of Washington.

Our subject, Mr. Browder, is one of the sub- stantial business men of his country, and is widely and favorably known. He has been in active church work for twenty-five years and is president of the board of trustees of the First Methodist Epis copal church in Albion. He is also district stew. ard.

The father of our subject, George R. Browder, was born in Virginia, June 10, 1821. After liv- ing some years in Kentucky, Illinois, and Iowa, where he engaged in stock raising and farming, he retired from active life and came to Boone county, Nebraska, in 1883. He had for some years been shipping horses to Boone county.

On February 14, 1844, he married Miss Mary A. Wheless of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. George R. Browder had eight children born to them, seven of whom are living : two daughters and one son who reside in Council Bluffs, Iowa; one son in Lin- coln, Nebraska; one daugter in Albion; one in Missouri ; one daughter deceased ; and one son, El- win E., the subject of this biographical writing. Mr. Browder, the father of our subject, died in 1901 at Albion, and the mother died in 1906 at Al- bion, where they were well and favorably known.

FRED ULRICH.

Fred Ulrich is one of the younger farmers of Wayne county, Nebraska, who have met with suc- cess as farmers and stockmen in that region.

Mr. Ulrich was born in the state of Wisconsin, in 1874, and is the son of Peter and Mary Ulrich. Peter Ulrich was born in western Prussia, Ger- many, in 1830, reached his majority in his native country, and came to Wisconsin as a young man. He was a farmer by occunation and served dur- ing the latter part of the civil war, being drafted into service in 1865. After the war, he returned to Wisconsin and resumed his farming operations.

In 1886, the Miller family came to Wayne county and bought the Arnold homestead, where they now reside, pleasantly situated on section six, township twenty-five, range two, which had a few improvements.

Fred Ulrich had received a fair education in his native state and after coming to Nebraska was chiefly occupied in helping his father to cultivate and improve his land. He has followed farming all his life, and is counted one of the progressive, intelligent operators of his locality. He now op- erates the home place on his own account.

He is interested in every movement that is cal- eulated to advance the general welfare and pros- perity and has many friends throughout the county, where he is well known.

G. E. FREIBERG.

Among the younger "old settlers," if one may use the apparently contradictory term, of Stanton county, may be mentioned the name of the above gentleman, who is a prominent farmer and stock- raiser of the community.

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Mr. Freiberg is a native of this country, having been born in Wisconsin, November 12, 1868, to Fred and Henrietta Freiberg, who had come from Germany only a few years before, in 1866. They had lived in Wisconsin for three years following their arrival in America. They had then come to Stanton county and filed on. a homestead there. The subscriber was born in the loo house which they erected on their homestead, and his early years were spent there.

At this time, the country presented a very dif- ferent aspect from the present time. Deer and an- telope were plentiful enough in those days for the early settler to depend on them for a good share of the fresh meat for his family.

There were many drawbacks, however, owing to the distance from any market, and various mis- fortunes which afflicted them. The first few years in the new country saw the crops fail because of the plagues of grasshoppers which descended upon the land and literally devoured every green thing. Prairie fires, while not exactly of common occur- rence, were yet possibilities which had to be taken into consideration, while in the cold weather, there was the dreaded blizzard to be feared.

In 1891, Mr Freiberg married Miss Ida Mass, of this county, and five years later, he brought his little family to the farm he had just purchased, in section twenty-four, township twenty-three, range one, east, which is still their home.

At first, like many other farmers, Mr. Freiberg gave his whole attention merely to grain-raising, but later decided to go into stock raising, and the results have justified his decision, as he has met with great success. He is well-known throughout this section of the country as a most progressive farmer, and an upright citizen. His integrity and strong character have gained him friends among all with whom he has come into contact.

Mr. and Mrs. Freiberg have three children, Walter, Ervin and Agnes. The family hold a very prominent place in the social life of the com- munity and are highly esteemed by all.

JOSEPH PATROS.

Prominent among the leading old settlers of Antelope county, Nebraska, the gentleman whose name heads this personal history is entitled to a foremost place. Mr. Patros is a man of active publie spirit, always lending his aid and influence for the bettering of conditions in his community, and has served his district in the capacity as a school director for many years. Mr. Patros re- sides in section fifteen, township twenty-six, range eight, where he has a pleasant home and valuable estate.

Mr. Patros is a native of the state of Illinois. born near Chebanse in 1855. His father, F. X. Patros was a French Canadian. born in Canada, in 1820, and died in the year of 1908; his mother, Louis (Cote) Patros. was also born in Canada. and died in Illinois. In the year of 1869 the Pa-

tros family with six other families and seven teams started from Illinois and came to Nebraska by the way of Omaha, and after four weeks on the road, located in section twenty-one, township twenty-six, range eight. Joseph Patros in 1880, took a homestead in section fifteen, township twen- ty-six, range eight, where he began operations for himself at the age of twenty-five. When the Pa- tros family first arrived Antelope county was al- most a wilderness. Deer and antelope were plen- tiful. There were but a very few settlers here, and the Indians camped along the Elk Horn river, and the pioneers experienced many dangers and frights from the redskins. On two occasions horses were stolen by the Indians, the first time on March 4, 1870, the horses being found at Fort Randall ; and again on March 4, 1874, when'the animals were located at Fort Thompson. The nearest post-office was at Norfolk, fifty miles distant, and they hauled their grain by wagon to Wisner or Columbus. Another danger they had to encounter on the old frontier was that of prairie fire, which the family had to fight many times to save their lives and home. In 1878 at the time of the big prairie fire Mr. Patros was returning home from Beaver Creek, forty-five miles away where he had gone to summons a doctor and on his way home was overtaken by the fire and had to ride for his life, being fortunate to find a place that had been previously burned ; he stopped, the fire jumped over him and swept on leaving Mr. Patros to con- tinue his journey in safety.

Mr. Patros relates that in the blizzard of 1873 the snow fell so thick that it stopped the cur- rent in the Elk Horn river and that the strong wind whipped the snow that had mixed with the water in the river up onto the banks in drifts about forty feet high and left the bed of the river comparatively dry. The drifts throughout the country were packed so solidly by the wind that teams of horses could be driven over them higher than the tree tops. One old neighbor, Joseph Dunean, and his wife, were "snowed in" in their house until next day the snow having drifted until it completely covered the house. The lamp that was burning in the house went out for lack of good air, and Mr. Dun- can and wife were all but suffocated when rescued by Mr. Patros and Mr. Andy Duggan who hap- pened to think of the possible danger of the two old people. Mr. Patros and Mr. Duggan brought shovels. dug through a snow bank thirty feet deep to Mr. Duncan's door where they rescued the old people.

Joseph Patros was united in marriage in 1883 to Miss Georgia Eastman, and Mr. and Mrs. Pa- tros are the parents of five children, named as fol- lows: Violet, who is now Mrs. John Bowers. she having one child; Virginia, wife of Mr. Robert Brwning, and has two children ; Hazel, who is the wife of Mr. Dewitt Gunter, and has one child :

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Leo, who attends business college at York; and Ida, deceased in 1886, Mr. Patros is a populist po- litically and was brought up in the Roman Catho lie faith.

AUGUST HAPPEL.

August Happel, a retired farmer, resides in Plainview, Nebraska. He is a native son of Ne- braska, and has spent his entire life in the "Corn- husker" state. His father, Jacob Happel, was born in the Province of Hesse-Darmstadt, Ger- many, coming to America when a young man and residing for the first few years after landing in the new world at Quincy, Illinois. He came to Nebraska in 1870, settled in Washington county, and married there. He took np land eighteen miles south of Blair, where he prospered to an ex- tent that enabled him to retire in 1907 from active farming and live in . comfort at Fremont. The mother, Miss Anna Finkhaus, was also a native of Germany, emigrating with her parents, who settled in Washington county when that part of the state was on the frontier. August is the eldest 'of their four children; Jacob owns a fine farm in Dodge county ; Emma, the wife of Carl Bopp, lives in Wyoming; and John, the youngest, cultivates the old home farm eighteen-miles south of Blair.

August Happel was born in Washington coun- ty, May 19, 1875, and remained under the paren- tal roof until Jannary, 1895, when he came to Knox county and for several years rented farm- ing land.

At this time he married and moved to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which his father bought and,sold to the son, the purchase price be- ing earned from the land in five years, two thou- sand two hundred dollars of which was paid in one season although prices were low. This required energy and economy when eggs brought but four cents a dozen, butter from five to eight cents a pound, and corn only eight and ten cents a bushel -a drug on the market at that. On one occasion when a few pairs of children's shoes and a few ne- cessary groceries were needed, it took two big loads of corn to settle the account. Great courage was needed to remain on the land at that time, but the results accomplished by those who fought the battle have been a rich reward.

Mr. Happel owns the home farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres near Creighton, and four hundred and eighty acres of fine grazing land in Cherry county.

Mr. Happel was married in Knox county, March 5, 1897, to Miss Minnie Hilkemeier whom he had known slightly in Washington county when they were children. She is a native of T pippe-Detwold. whence her parents, Chris and Sophia (Schauf) Hilkemeier. emigrated in 1882 by way of Bremen to New York. Here they were de- tained for two weeks on Ellis Island, owing to the illness rof a son, and then came on to Nebraska.

Her father farmed near Arlington two years, near Fontanelle the same length of time, and a like pe- riod near Blair, before making permanent resi- dence in Knox county, near Creighton. Here on the frontier they suffered from privations, some- times barely escaping prairie fires. Mrs. Hilke- meier died May 21, 1911.

Mr. and Mrs. Happel are the parents of four children : Annie, who died at the age of four years and four months ; John, Henry, and Emma.

They moved to Plainview in February, 1906, making that their home for a year or two, and then purchased a farm near town. During the first year of his residence in Plainview, Mr. Hap- peł engaged in the dray business, and later oper- ated a.corn sheller in the territory tributary to Plainview.

Mr. Happel was too young to remember much of the grasshopper plague in the early years of settlement, but recalls that the pests foraged on his father's crops at one time, for ten and one- half days. During the blizzard of January 12, 1888, he went three-quarters of a mile from home to bring the children together with two neighbor girls, from school. His father was ont in this storm gathering in his stock and was probably kept from being lost by the barking of a small dog who led the way home. The recital of early hardships is little understood by the young folks now grow- ing up in comfort and ease.

Mr. Happel is a democrat, and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

LUDWIG KNOEPFEL.

Ludwig Knoepfel was born in Germany in 1851. He came to America in 1881, arriving in Howard county, Nebraska, August 1, of that year, and the following month settled on a homestead on section six, township fourteen, range twelve, occupying the place ever since that time. Here he has gone through all the pioneer experiences, con- tinuously engaged in stock and grain raising, and now owns a finely improved farm, and enjoys the esteem of his fellowmen.

Mr. Knoepfel was married in Germany in 1877, to Elizabeth Kammer, and they have a fine fami- ly of six children : Christian, William, Sophia, Albertina, Henry and Susan, all married and set- tled in niee homes in and about IToward county, with the exception of Henry, who is still single. Mrs. Knoepfel died on the homestead on Decein- ber 26, 1904, and her loss was sincerely mourned by her devoted family and many friends.

In 1908, Mr. Knoepfel married Mrs. Cather- ine Nehls, who is from a prominent pioneer fami- ly of Hall county, coming to America with her parents when she was a child of eight years of age, from Russia, but being of German descent.

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JOIIN KNOEPFEL.

John Knoepfel, who for the past thirty-six years has resided in Howard county, and during this time has acquired a fine property as a result of his industry and good management, is widely known in that locality and held in the highest esteem as a farmer and citizen. He has a pleas- ant and comfortable home in Kelso precinct, and is,one of the prominent men of affairs in his com- munity.

Mr. Knoepfel is a native of Germany, born on September 28, 1847, and is a son of Henry and Eva Knoepfel, the eighth in a family of nine chil- dren. His boyhood was spent in that country, and he was married there in 1873, to Amelia Meyer, they coming to America the following year.

Their first location here was in Howard county, where they took a homestead on section fourteen, township fourteen, range twelve, and proved up on a quarter section of land, which they have made their home farm up to the present time. Mr. Knoepfel has his land under cultivation and raises fine crops of grain, as well as being quite exten- sively engaged in the stock business. He has erected fine modern buildings on his farm, having a handsome residence, and is enjoying to the full his present prosperity.

Mr. and Mrs. Knoepfel have an interesting family of six children: Emma, Annie, Lizzie, Chris, Martha and Dora, the last mentioned three living at home, while the others are married, and with their families are settled in comfortable homes in Howard county.

WILLIAM E. BALIMAN.

William E. Baliman, operator of a farm in section thirty-two, township thirteen, range nine, situated in St. Libory precinct, known as the Voor- hes homestead farm, is also one of the prominent old settlers of Howard county, Nebraska.

Mr. Baliman was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on June 24, 1870. When he was but one year of age, his parents, William H. and Mary (LaClair) Baliman, came into Howard county, settling on a farm, where he grew up, receiving his early edu- cation in the precinct schools, and later attending the high school at Atkinson, Nebraska, for one year. After leaving school he returned to his father's farm and assisted in carrying on the work on the homestead until he was twenty-one years of age, when he struck out for himself, following dif- ferent vocations for a number of years, spending some years as a teacher in the public schools of his connty. He then attended the Grand Island Busi- ness college, taking up a commercial course, and after completing this. returned to Howard coun- ty and located on a farm of his wife's which he has succeeded in building up in fine shape. For a number of years past he has been engaged in the poultry raising business, principally, making a

specialty of this branch, and has met with de- cided success. He is constantly extending his op- erations, having a fine flock, and continually building it up with the best blood obtainable, and is recognized as an authority on all subjects per- taining to the poultry business.

On October 30, 1895, Mr. Baliman was married to Ada Voorhes, and to them have been born two children, Vorha May and Zdith Jane. The family have a pleasant and hospitable home, and are among the popular members of society in their community, enjoying a wide circle of friends. Mr. Baliman is now serving as moderator of school district number forty-one.

JOHN P. McNICHOLS.

Among the prominent business men of Atkin- son, Nebraska, may be mentioned John P. Mc- Nichols, who came to the state in 1883, and first settled on a homestead three miles west of O'Neill, in November of that year. Later he changed his claim to a pre-emption claim, under which he ac- quired title to the land. Later he moved into O'Neill and served five years as marshal, and after spending three years in the livery business went to Omaha and worked two years at the stock yards. In 1892 he located in Atkinson, and has since been a merchant of that town. He also owns a bakery and restaurant, as well as a meat market, and is successful in all these enterprises. He is in- terested in various other lines and conducts an ex- tensive ice business, having three ice houses, which he fills annually from ponds west of the city.

Mr. McNichols was born at Syracuse, New York, June 7, 1857, a son of John and Mary Mc- Nichols, who moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in the fall of the year in which he was born. In 1868 the family moved to Butler county, Iowa, and in 1875 to Story county in the same state, where the father lived until 1884, when he se- cured a homestead four miles east of O'Neill, Nebraska.

November 14, 1886, J. P. McNichols married Miss Mary Wynn, a native of Scranton, Penn- sylvania, and a daughter of James and Bridget Wynn, who came to Nebraska in 1878 and settled near the county seat of Holt county. Seven chil- dren were born of this union: Genevieve has been a teacher in the Atkinson schools since 1907 ; Fran- cis, his father's business assistant, is an active member of the Knights of Columbus and the Mod- ern Woodmen of America ; Morris is also asso- ciated with his father in business ; Lucile, Lorinea, Helen and Moretta, are all in school. Mr. Mc- Nichols is a democrat in politics and is a member of the Catholic church. On another page of this volume will be found a picture of Mr. McNichols and family.

At the time of the blizzard of January 12. 1888, Mr. McNichols was at home and had hard work to grope his way through the storm to bring

J. P. McNICHOLS AND FAMILY.

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his children home from school. For three years prior to coming to Holt county he was employed in the mountains around Leadville, Colorado, and while in that region often enjoyed the sport of hunting for big game, as deer, elk and antelope were plentiful within a day's ride from camp. He spent his time prospecting until his resources were exhausted, then would work for a time in the mines until he had a "grub stake" to enable him to continue with his prospecting. When he first located in Nebraska he lived in a dugout and later erected a log house, with "Nebraska shingles," sod. He was acquainted with "Doc" Middleton, "Kid" Wade, and other noted rustlers of early days, and is able to relate many kind deeds which were performed by these men, who were at that time social outcasts. Mr. MeNichols is one of the earlier settlers of the county and is well known within its limits.

ALONZO O. JENKINS.

Alonzo O. Jenkins and wife have spent most of their lives in Valley county, where they were reared and married, and where they now have a fine dairy farm. They are surrounded by friends and successful financially, and now look back with wonder at their early years there amid pioneer surroundings. Both came there with their parents and in childhood passed through the usual adver- sities of life in a new country. Mr. Jenkins was born in Montcalm county, Michigan, May 23, 1869, son of William F. and Angeline (Camp- bell) Jenkins. The father came overland to Valley county from Michigan in the winter of 1879 and was one of the early homesteaders of central Ne- braska. He bought a stock of Yankee notions to sell along the way and did not know his destina- tion when he left his old home in Michigan. Un- til the time of his death, April 22, 1910, he was one of the progressive and useful citizens of his portion of the state. The old home farm has an orchard of forty acres and from this fact is known as the Jenkins fruit farm, on which the mother still resides. She and her son Alonzo came to Ne- braska by rail to join the husband and father in 1880, the year after he came to prepare a home. Their early days were times of hardship and pri- vation, and Alonzo still well remembers when the old coffee mill owned by a neighbor was used to grind grain into meal for the family, and for the use of it the early settlers paid a toll of one cup in every ten of ground meal. His first shelter was iwo sheets fastened to a pole in the form of a tent. A neighbor whom he did not know excited his suspicion by praising his best horse. He feared the neighbor might be the notorious Doc Middle- ton, and he called attention to the excellence of . his Winchester. The visitor proved to be the Rev. Phillip Meeker, his son's future father-in-law. He built a large sod house and in it kept a hotel,

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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 72

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