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 99

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 99


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In 1873 Mr. Lubeley embarked for America at Bremen, on the "Hansa," and landed in New York June 25, after a voyage of fourteen days. His eldest sister had married and come to Amer- ica in 1856, her husband having settled at Mani- towoc, Wisconsin, and August joined them the 1st of July. Here he lived and engaged in car- pentry until April of 1873, when he migrated to Nebraska. He settled in St. Helena, the county seat at that time, and secured work at his trade. He continued to reside here until Hartington was laid out in September, 1883, when he came to the new county seat and managed the local yards of the Wilcox Lumber company, of Yankton, four years, when he formed a partnership with the late John Lammers under the name of A. Lubeley & Company, Mr. Lubeley taking entire manage- ment of the business. In 1897, Mr. Lubeley sold his interest in the lumber business and bought the firm's interest in the implement business in which they had been engaged several years. A stock of hardware was added to the implements, and in 1905 the latter stock was closed out, leav- ing only the hardware business, in which Mr. Lubeley with his sons is now engaged. Besides a complete line of shelf and heavy hardware, the firm deals in tinware, plumbing, steam-fitting, and their allied branches. They enjoy an exten- sive trade for miles around the county seat, their accommodating manners and square dealing have won for them the largest patronage in their line of any house in this region.


Mr. Lubeley was married in St. Helena, May 5, 1875, to Miss Elizabeth Stratman, who was born in Oedinger Berg, province of Westphalia. Germany; her parents, John- Peter and Eliza- beth Stratman, came to America in 1860, endur- ing two years amongst the guerilla bands that un- mercifully robbed those not in sympathy with


them. In 1862 Mr. Stratman moved his family to New Vienna, Iowa, and in 1863, came with friends across the prairies, driving ox wagons to the new land of Nebraska. Their crops were devastated by the grasshopper pests that caused them hard times. Mr. Lubeley had no crops to lose at that time, but he lost many days" work because the settlers had no money with which to buy lumber and erect necessary buildings in the village and on farms.


Mr. and Mrs. Lnbeley have ten children, all living and doing well, a family of which every American should be proud. Their children are: August F., who has secured a homestead in Wyo- ming ; Franciska, wife of William Habel, who has a homestead in Gregory county ; Frederick W .. a traveling salesman in the hardware department of Paxton & Gallagher, of Omaha; Matilda, housekeeper for Reverend Joseph Lubeley of St. Louis; John, associated with his father in the hardware business; Louis F., physician in charge of St. James hospital at Butte, Montana; Mary, has been teaching since graduating in the high school in 1907; Rosa, clerks in one of the big dry goods stores in Hartington; Annie, an excellent housekeeper, is the main stay of the home; and Veronica, who graduated from high school in June, 1911.


Mr. Lubeley came to Nebraska a few months too late to experience the great blizzard that brought down three days' destruction in April of that year, beginning on Easter Sunday, the twelfth. He was living in St. Helena in October, 1880, when the three days' blizzard inaugurated the winter of the deep snow that caused the big flood of March, 1881. During this Mr. Lubeley worked two nights building boats with which to rescue flood sufferers across the river in South Dakota.


These were perilous times, but brought out the metal of the pioneers who were always ready to lend a helping hand, give comfort to the sor- rowing and distressed, and speed to the rescue of those who were in danger. Such are the people of the west, and of such metal are Mr. Lubeley and the pioneer sons of the western frontier.


SVEN G. SCHULTZ.


Sven G. Schultz, proprietor of one of the finest estates in Cedar county, has been a resident of his locality for a number of years and is well known there. He is a representative Swedish-American citizen, interested in the public welfare and car- ing for his private interests with creditable am- hition and determination to succeed. He was born in Sweden in 1848, a son of Olans and Anna (Ne)- son) Schultz, who were farmers there. He was reared and educated in his native place and his earliest associations were with agricultural conditions, so that it is but natural he should choose a farmer's life. He has chosen well in de-


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ciding to be a tiller of the soil, as his present suc- cess attests. His father was a soldier and served thirty-eight years in the Swedish army.


In 1869 Mr. Schultz left home and sailed from Gothenburg to New York. He started for the west and bought a soldier's claim in Nebraska, which he improved and developed. He has erected suitable buildings and his home is pleasantly situ- ated on section eight, township twenty-nine, range one, west. Mr. Schultz carries on general farm- ing and owns one hundred and sixty acres of land.


Mr. Schultz was married in 1884 to Miss Aug- gusta Gilbert, a native of Norway, daughter of Gilbert and Helen Dorothea Olsen. They are the parents of seven children, namely: Earl A., Charles J., Henry O., Mary H., Emma R., Melinda V., and Ella M. A view of Mr. Schultz's resi- dence will be found on another page of this vol- ume.


GUSTAV MULLER.


Gustav Muller, one of the prosperous farmers of Pierce county, Nebraska, is an old settler of that section, and has a wide circle of acquaint- ances in the community in which he lives. He has built up a home by his industry and honest dealings, and enjoys a comfortable income from the fruits of his labors.


Mr. Muller was born in the village of Burk- hardtsgruen, Kingdom of Saxony, October 16, 1859, where in later years he worked as a brewer, moulder and waiter in a hotel-in fact, any lahor that he could find, always busy at what his hands found to do. He is the son of Frederick and Frederika (Enderlein) Muller, both natives of Germany, where the mother was still living when last heard from, at the ripe old age of seventy years, or more.


On coming to America in 1886, Mr. Muller sailed from Hamburg on the steamer "Ham- monia," and after a voyage of twelve days, landed in New York and came directly to St. Louis. Being troubled with rheumatism, he went south to find work in the cotton fields, but dis- liking the work, got a position revetting the banks of the Mississippi river. Returning to St. Louis, he was employed at various kinds of labo. until coming west. In 1890 he came to Norfolk, Nebraska, residing there ten years, and then, on the 17th of March, 1900, came to Pierce county. He had been farming land near Norfolk for two years and rented for a year in Pierce county. In 1901 he bought one hundred and sixty acres in section three, township twenty-five, range four, which is his present home, and later he bought an eighty acre tract in section four, all good farm- ing land, on which Mr. Muller is prospering, as most western farmers do.


September 2, 1888, Mr. Muller was married to Miss Annie Sophie Jensen, whose parents were old settlers of Nebraska, coming from Denmark, where Mrs. Muller was born. They emigrated to


America in 1886, reaching Norfolk, June 21. To Mr. and Mrs. Muller, twelve children were born, eight of whom are living: Carl, Freda, Fritz, Elsa, Martha, George, Dora and Paul.


Mr. Muller, as did others of the sturdy sons of Nebraskan soil, experienced losses and hardships in the first days of his coming to this section, and as late as 1909 lost his crops during the hailstorm of that year.


In politics, Mr. Muller is independent, always casting his vote for the best man, and in religious faith affiliates with the Lutheran church, as does his family.


NELS ENVOLDSEN. (Deceased.)


The gentleman above mentioned, now de- ceased, was for many years a well known and highly respected citizen of Howard county. He was born in Denmark on January 28, 1843, and grew up there, learning the carpenter's trade when a mere boy, and following the work up to the time he left his native land, which was in 1872.


Mr. Envoldsen was married in Denmark when he became twenty-one years of age, to Mariane Christensen, and they made their native village their home for the following eleven years, when the family, consisting of husband, wife and four children, took passage on an emigrant ship for America. They landed in New York without mis- hap excepting for a long and tedious journey, coming directly west to Nebraska and locating in Howard county, where the father homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land on section twelve, township thirteen, range twelve. Here they started in a very modest way, trying hard to improve the farm and build up a good home, and succeeded splendidly. The family saw many hard times- familiar to all those who went through pioneer years in the region, but stuck to their homestead through all the discourage- ments that fell to their lot, eventually accumulat- ing a comfortable property. All together they made the original claim their home up to the time of the father's death, which occurred on October 31, 1907. Since then management of the place has devolved upon his widow and children.


Mrs. Envoldsen has been kept very busy in carrying on the farm. She is now seventy-two years of age and has given up active work, al- lowing her four children to take the burden of management of the estate from her shoulders, al- though she still is the actual head. She is a re- markably sprightly and well preserved woman. Her children are all married. have comfortable homes, near the old place, and are greatly es- teemed by their associates.


In the death of Mr. Envoldsen, Howard county lost one of its foremost pioneers, who hy his en- ergy, thrift and good example, was an important


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factor in the development and growth since its early organization.


HENRY THORNGATE.


In compiling a list of the prominent settlers of Valley county, who have been intimately identified with the development and progress of that locality, a foremost place must be given to the name of Henry Thorngate, who has for more than thirty years been a resident therein. He is a man of sterling character and has gained the confidence and respect of the people among whom he has resided for so many years.


Mr. Thorngate was born in Cattarangus county, New York, on the 27th of September, 1829, and was the fourth in a family of six chil- dren born to George and Matilda (Blanchard) Thorngate.


When he was sixteen years of age, Mr. Thorn- gate went with his parents to Wisconsin, where he later engaged in farming. On the 14th of June, 1858, he married Miss Lorenda O. Crandall, who was also a native of Cattaraugus county, New York.


Three years later, Mr. Thorngate enlisted in Company I, Seventh Wisconsin Infantry, known afterwards in history as a part of the Iron Brigade. He took part in some of the important engagements of the war, including that of Gainesville, Virginia, August 28, 1862, and two days later was in the disastrous second battle of Bull Run. About a fortnight later, September 14, he was in a battle at Sonth Mountain, Mary- land, during the progress of which he was wounded. He recovered after a time, but was un- fitted for further service and received his dis- charge on the first of April, 1863, at Madison, Wisconsin.


Mr. Thorngate then returned to his Wiscon- sin home where for a few years he engaged in various pursuits. In 1866, he and his family moved to Linn county, Missouri, where he en- gaged in farming. He met with a fair degree of success but was not quite satisfied with his loca- tion. In 1879, with his wife and four children, Mr. Thorngate came to Valley county, where he purchased eighty acres of the Burlington & Missouri Railroad land, about a mile sonth of North Loup, living for three years, however, on rented land, during which time they occupied a log house. While building on his own land they lived in a rented dugout and then moved into their own neat cottage. He has never re- pented of the choice he made when coming here, for after living on this homestead for ten years, he retired from active labor and moved to the city of North Loup. Here he purchased a com- fortable home, and is now taking his ease, after a life of strenuous toil.


Mr. Thorngate has been a prominent figure in the community for many years, having held the office of justice of the peace for seventeen


years. He has also served the people in various other capacities, having been official United State census enumerator several times for his district. He has also been clerk of the school board in his local school district.


Mr. Thorngate met with a severe loss in 1910, when the loving companion of his life passed away on the 30th of June. Their four children are still living: Herbert H., lives in Valley county ; Gaylord W., resides in Boulder, Colorado ; Royal R., is a resident of Verona, New York, where he is the pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist church at that place; and Belle, the youngest, is a teacher.


The entire family have become prominent, no matter in what locality they have settled. Mr. Thorngate himself has been a deacon in the Sev- enth Day Baptist church in Missouri and Ne- braska for over forty years.


J. D. KAUFMAN.


In mentioning those worthy old settlers of Ne- braska, who braved the dangers and hardships of the frontier to secure for themselves a home and competence for their later years, J. D. Kanf- man deserves a prominent place as a successful agriculturalist and active, public-spirited citizen of Madison county. He is the owner of a val- able estate in Emmerick township, and to his aid and influence is due much of the prosperity en- joyed by the residents of that community.


Mr. Kanfman was born in Williams county, Ohio, November 9, 1856, and reared in Steuben county, Indiana. He is a son of Joseph and Anna Kaufman, both natives of Pennsylvania, born of German parentage. Mr. Kaufman's father died in 1891, and his mother in 1859.


In the month of March, 1880, Mr. Kaufman came into Madison county. He purchased a tract of school land, on which he erected a sod honse and which remained his home for about ten years. He later bought the homestead of William An- derson, situated on section thirty-six, township twenty-two, range four, and engaged extensively in the raising of grain and stock. For a time he was fairly successful, then had the misfortune to lose his crops by the hot winds during the summer of 1894, and it took him some time to recover from the loss occasioned thereby. He had sev- eral years of good luck, and succeeded in improv- ing his property in splendid shape, adding good buildings, fences, and got together a nice bunch of live stock; then, in 1902, along came the se- vere hail storm, which will be well remembered by all the old-timers in the region-sweeping away many weeks of hard labor in the shape of fields of grain, vegetables, and all the destructible property on his farm. This was a heavy loss to him, but he was in better shape to meet it than he had been in the earlier years, so recovered quickly and soon made it up by hard work and other ventures.


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January 12, 1888, Mr. Kaufman had two horses wander off in the blizzard, but was for- tunate in recovering them.


February 2, 1885, Mr. Kaufman was married at Chambers, Holt county, Nebraska, to Miss Alice Eckley, who is a native of Iowa. Five chil- dren have resulted from their union, who are named as follows: Charles, Rolland, Fred, Ralph and Ervin.


PETER J. THODE.


Peter J. Thode is one of the younger farmers who have attained success in Nebraska, and be- longs to a family that has long been prominent in Sherman county. He passed through the pio- neer years of the state, and is in every way a self-made man. He was born in the island of Fermen, province of Holstein, Germany, Feb- . ruary 13, 1870, son of Frederich and Gertrude (Heldt) Thode. The father was born in Germany June 10, 1840, and was married in 1868. Febru- ary 13, 1881, the Thode family, consisting of the father, mother and three children, Maggie, Peter and Anna, set sail for America, crossing the North Sea from Hamburg to Hartlepool, England, embarking for the trans-Atlantic voyage in the American liner "Philadelphia," landing in the city for which the vessel was named. Fred Thode had been a sailor by occupation, and became the owner and master of a small ship; in the fall of 1880 he had encountered a storm and lost his ves- sel. He had followed the sea for about twenty years, but after coming to America took up a new life and spent his remaining days in farming.


They came west and located on a homestead on section twenty, township sixteen, range four- teen, of Sherman county, Nebraska. Frederich Thode was highly respected as one of the most sturdy and substantial citizens of Sherman county, and was very successful as a farmer and stock man. He resided in Sherman county until his death, August 31, 1909, survived by his wife and four children: Maggie, Peter, Anna and Henry, the last named born in Sherman eounty. Maggie Thode is the wife of Henry Ronnefeldt, and they live in Grand Island; Anna, the widow of John Heesch, lives in Grand Island; and Henry is married and living in Sherman county.


Peter Thode, whose name heads this article, reached manhood on the old homestead in Sher- man county, and remained there until his twenty-sixth year. He was married in Loup City, December 29, 1895, to Minnie Jendrick, who was born in Cass county, Nebraska, a daughter of Ernest and Wilhelmina (Schulz) Jendrick, who came to Cass county in 1870, being among the pioneers of that region. Mr. Jendriek died sev- eral years ago, and his widow lives on the farm with her daughter. Mr. Thode and wife have two children, John and Ernest, both at home.


Mr. Thode purchased his present farm on sec- tion thirty-five, township sixteen, range fifteen,


Sherman county, where he has one hundred and eighty-six acres of rich farming land, in 1899. He has a comfortable residenee, built of brick and concrete blocks, and other substantial buildings. He is a public-spirited citizen and is well liked for his reliability and integrity in all relations of life. He has been actively identified with the development of the county, and is a wide-awake man of affairs. He served from 1899 to 1904 as county supervisor.


An uncle of Mr. Thode, Chris Thode, now a resident of Denver, Colorado, was an early set- tler of Sherman county, where he came in 1872.


The first residence of the Thode family was a rude dugout with a brush and straw roof; this the father soon replaced with a sod house and covered it with a thatched roof, such as are in use in the old country, which kept them dry where other roofs leaked and dripped for days at a time. Their first years were years of hard- ship; little was raised in 1893, nothing in 1894, and hail destroyed their crops in 1895, but since those days prosperity has crowned their efforts.


Mr. Thode is independent in politics, and a member of the Ancient Order of United Work- men. The family are members of the Lutheran church.


PETER NISSEN.


It is a noteworthy fact that many of the old settlers of our western states who have con- tributed most largely to the development of all resources of this region, are emigrants from the north of Europe. The Scandinavian countries, Denmark and Germany, have sent many of their sons and daughters to create new homes in the newer country. Peter Nissen, the subject of this sketch, for instance, is a native of Denmark, born in 1859, the son of John and Katie Nissen.


He spent his childhood and youth in his na- tive land, but in 1884 he left it all to come to America. He came first to Shelby county, Iowa, where he remained on a farm only two years. Later he came to Cedar county, Nebraska, where he purchased a hundred and sixty acres of school land, which he has since improved in every way, until now it is really a model farm.


In 1887, Mr. Nissen was united in marriage to Miss Lena Ferdensen, a native of Denmark. Their union has been blessed with seven children, named as follows: John, Ola, August, Dora, Esther, Dagmar and Ninne.


Mr. Nissen is widely and favorably known as a prosperous farmer and as an intelligent, en- ergetie and worthy citizen.


LEWIS PARKER.


Lewis Parker, known throughout his section and the surrounding country as a prosperous farmer and estimable citizen, has been a resident of Merriek county, Nebraska, the forty-two years


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of his lifetime, and has aided materially in the development of that portion of Nebraska. Our subject is a man of active public spirit, and has gained prominence as a citizen of true worth.


Lewis Parker was born on the old homestead farm in Merrick county, Nebraska, on section fourteen, township thirteen, range six, December 26, 1869, and grew up on the farm, and is one of the early Merrick county native born children.


On January 1, 1860, Jason Parker, grand- father of our subject, drove the stakes that bounded his newly acquired possessions, and in March brought his family out to share the for- tunes of the great west. Mr. Parker's original claim lies just west and down the river from the farm taken up by his son, Frank Parker. Frank Parker was married to Sarah Eatough in Mer- rick county, in January, 1865, and Lewis Parker, the principal subject of this sketch, is the son of Frank and Sarah Parker. "Uncle" Jason Parker, the grandfather of our subject, and fam- ily, are said to be the first family to make Mer- rick county their permanent home. Jason Par- ker and son, Frank Parker, were men who had much to do with the upbuilding of Merrick county, and in the old overland stage days the Jason Parker ranch was a favorite resort. Unele Jason was a man of decided opinions, kindly dis- position, and honesty, and was beloved by all who knew him; a man who had unlimited oppor- tunities to amass wealth, yet went to his grave practically a poor man in property, but extremely rich in love of his children, and having the res- pect of all.


Lewis Parker, subject of this sketch, is a worthy descendant of his grandfather, "Uncle" Jason Parker, and his father, Frank Parker, and has always stuck to the old homestead farm, and well remembers the early Merrick county pio- neer days. His father, Frank Parker, was the first appointed sheriff of the county. Our sub- ject is a successful man, and has been a promi- nent factor in the upbuilding of his home county. Mr. Parker has not entered actively in politics, but served as supervisor of his township in 1907 to 1909, inclusive, and a member of his school board in district number twenty.


Mr. Parker was married February 6, 1895, to Leona Berryman, at the home of her uncle, Bell Berryman, in Central City. Mr. and Mrs. Par- ker have had four children born to them: Mary Edgarda, Lewis Harold, Lewis Truman and Ruth. The two last named died in infancy.


WILLIAM GRAHAM .


William Graham is a native of England and was born on his father's farm in Cumberland- shire, near the borders of Scotland, November 24, 1851. He learned the carpenters' trade and worked at his vocation in many cities through- out the two countries. He had been thus em-


ployed in Glasgow some five years at the time if his immigration to the states. His decision to come was sudden, only three days elapsing be- tween his first thought of a trip across the seas and his coming. An old Scotchman from Janes- ville, Wisconsin, had a longing to see his na- tive heath again, and while in Glasgow became too feeble to return home alone, and it was sug- gested that Mr. Graham accompany him on the voyage. Sailing from Glasgow in the early weeks of 1880 on the "Anchoria," they landed in New York after eight days of an ocean voy- age, and came directly to the west. In passing through Chicago, Mr. Graham was offered work at his trade, and after a few days' visit in Janes- ville, he accepted the position and was employed in Chicago some months.


In May, Mr. Graham came west to Nebraska, and was in Niobrara at the time of the great flood in the spring of 1881. He was employed for a time moving the town from the river bank to a higher situation a few miles south and worked at his trade here until the fall of 1882. when he same to Creighton, opened a hardware and implement store, and remained in business until June, 1903, when he retired, and is taking life easy in the thrifty little city of his adoption. During the summer of 1904, he took his entire family to his old home in England where they spent the season with their English kin. Mr. Graham had made a previous visit there some years before.


When Mr. Graham first came here there were no houses on the prairies between Creighton and Bloomfield, but thousands of cattle ranged over the hills; the land might then have been bought for five dollars an acre, while now it is worth twenty times that amount. Antelope were still to be seen on the prairies west of town, though they were driven to the westward in a few years' time. So rapid and so great have been the changes in the thirty years Mr. Graham has been a citizen of the Cornhusker state, that a new- comer can form but the vaguest conception of what this country was in the pioneer days.




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