History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 127

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > Nebraska > Custer County > History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time > Part 127

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In 1896 Mr. Lang was united in marriage with Miss Henrietta Haberstein, who was born in Germany, a daughter of Carl Haber- stein. Mr. Haberstein came to Custer county in 1893, and after here living on a farm for three years he moved to Iowa. Ten years later he returned to Nebraska and located on a farm in Sherman county, where his death occurred in September, 1912. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lang - Lena. who is the wife of Mervin Halbison, a farmer of Sherman county: and Carl Riley. Trena, and Ernest, who remain at the parental home.

EDWARD J. FOLEY. the efficient assist- ant cashier of the Anselmo State Bank, was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, August 16. 1874, and in the same county were born his parents. Edward B. and Margaret (White) Foley, who came to America in the year 1890 and established their home on a farm north- west of Merna, Custer county. in township 18. range 22. It was an unimproved tract and their home for many years was a sod house. Here the father successfully carried on agri- cultural pursuits until about three years ago. when he and his wife moved to Sioux City. lowa, where they now live retired. They are the parents of ten children and are members of the Catholic church.

Edward J. Foley was a boy of sixteen years when the home was established in Custer coun- ty. When a young man of twenty-two he he- came a farmer, and he followed that occupa- tion until 1902, when he removed to Anselmo and engaged in buying grain for Jacquot & Son. Later he became a partner with Frank Jacquot in the grain, coal and stock business. In 1917 they sold out to the Farmers Grain Company, and for one year Mr. Foley was

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manager of the concern. On the 1st of March, 1918, he accepted his present position, that of assistant cashier of the Anselmo State Bank, and here he has further proved his ability as a business man.

Mr. Foley was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Jacquot, a native of Pennsylvania. and a daughter of the late Nicholas Jacquot, a record of whom will be found on other pages of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Foley are the parents of three children - Eugene, Elmer and Francis.

The family are communicants of the Cath- olic church and Mr. Foley's political beliefs make him a Democrat. He has been success- ful in his business ventures and is the owner of a well improved farm of 200 acres, near Anselmo. He and his family are held in high esteem by all who know them.

EDWARD SMITH. - It has often been said that Smith was a name hard to distin- guish, yet it seems that the possessor of the name written above his succeeded, at least in a modest way, in distinguishing his cognomen in the realm of ordinary citizenship and prac- tical, profitable farming. This is an ordinary story that has been duplicated perhaps a thou- sand times in western Nebraska, but it never- theless becomes interesting when narrowed down to an individual whose achievements are worthy of being published to the world.

Smith should be charged up to Ireland. It was there, in County Wicklow, in April, 1856, that he first saw the light of day. There his parents lived before him, for he was the son of John and Catherine ( Collins) Smith, excellent people of the Emerald Isle, who lived their plain, unpretentious lives and gave to the world a family of nine children. of whom Terrence, John, Edward, Mary Redmond, and Catharine Hernon are the only ones living at the present time.

During his early life in Ireland, Edward Smith received the customary educational ad- vantages, assisted his parents in the matter of livelihood, and earned his first money by trap- ping rabbits and catching them with dogs. In this manner he got together enough money to buy a sheep, and he kept the sheep on grass furnished by the father until he had ten head. then he sold them and bought twelve sheep and three goats, for which his father contin- ned to furnish pasture until the flock increased to twenty-four sheep, when the father broke the news to young Edward that he would be expected from that time to furnish his own pasture for the sheep. which he did. He

worked at home in the summer time, went to school in the winter time, ran the gamut of young life under the conditions of his native land, and in 1880, he started his bark for the New World, in which place he already had two brothers, -one in Chicago and one in Cass county, Nebraska. He continued his journey until he reached Cass county. It was his intention when leaving home to land in Australia, but he stopped off to make the boys in America a visit. His brother prevailed on him to stay in Nebraska and work a year, which he did, working the first four months for a farmer, for fifteen dollars a month. He then demanded more wages, which were re- fused. He then worked a year for eighteen dollars a month, and he has been working ever since, although his remuneration has far ex- ceeded the stipend just mentioned. In 1884 he came farther west, and this time he settled in Custer county, where he took a tree claim on Stock Table, eleven miles southwest of Calla- way, and at the same time bought 320 acres of railroad land in the same section, for $2.50 an acre. This was early in the month of Octo- ber, and the next morning two feet of snow covered the ground. He went back to Cass county, but he returned the next spring, with Robert Gordon, and took a homestead five miles west of Callaway, where he still resides. Here he spent a number of years in cultivat- ing and improving his place, maintaining the while bachelor headquarters. Growing tired of this, he was married in September, 1889, in Chicago, to Elizabeth Dolan, who was born in Wisconsin, a daughter of Patrick and Mary (O'Rourke) Dolan. In the home of Mr. and Mrs. Smith are four children: John, eighteen years of age, registered under the draft, await- ing call to service in the world war, now brought to a close: Edward P., James, and Catherine are at home under the parental roof and are pursuing their studies in the public schools.

Mr. Smith owns 880 acres of good Custer county land. is a devoted communicant of the Catholic church, is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, and usually votes the Democratic ticket. He has made his money and accumu- lated his property by farming and stock-rais- ing. He and his good wife are highly respect- ed in the community and their friends are hop- ing that they may have a long and prosperous time in which to enjoy the fruits of their toil.

CHARLES E. RARDEN. - The title line of this sketch bears the name of a progressive farmer who has come down the pike of varied

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experiences and is now making a very credit- able showing in Custer county agriculture, and who maintains a standing as one of the young. reliable and substantial farmers of Custer county - a man who must be reckoned as one of the county's assets.

Charles E. Rarden was born in Brown coun- ty, Indiana. January 4, 1881, and is a son of Thomas and Martha (Stepp) Rarden, both likewise natives of the fine old Hoosier state. This story, so far as it relates to the family of Thomas Rarden, must record the names of seven living children and add that two of the circle of nine are deceased. Those living are William, Charles E., Walter. Minnie Bowers. Etta Carpenter; Rosa Jerrel, and Lola Car- penter.

Concerning his boyhood days. Charles E. Rarden relates many reminiscences and states that the first money he remembers of handling himself was earned by plowing corn for a neighbor, with a span of mules. This money was spent for a suit of clothes, of which he was very proud, and he believes to this day that when he had that suit on. "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed" as he was. He worked on the Indiana farm until he was fif- teen years of age and then went out to make his own way in a world where there is a good deal of up-hill to "go down." His first em- ployer was a railroad contractor, named Per- kins, and for this contractor he worked seven years. constructing railway lines between Cin- cinnati and Chicago. After quitting this job, he went to Orange county. Indiana, where he farmed for his uncle, for two years. Later, in company with a friend named Claude Earl, he started for Sheridan, Wyoming. They be- came stranded at Horton. Kansas, and a care- ful search in the lining of his pocketbook could disclose but fifty cents. This somewhat damp- ened their ardor for the west and cooled off the Wyoming fever. Mr. Rarden declares that if he had had the price of a ticket "it woukdl have been him for old Indiana again." .As it was, he secured work in a saw mill, and finally he made his way to Fairbury, Nebraska. in which vicinity he stayed one year, and worked on a farm. From that locality he made his way to Broken Bow, in 1908. Since that time he has been a resident of Custer county.

In the new county Mr. Rarden soon suc- cumbed to the charms of one of its fair daugh- ters, and when the roses bloomed in the June time of the next year. 1909, he led Miss Lela Cox to the marriage altar. Mrs. Rarden is a daughter of Adelbert and Mae ( Laurence ) Cox, both of whom were born in Indiana, and thus the offsprings of two Hoosier homes

blended in the far west to build another home, under conditions of western thrift and free- dom.

Into the Rarden home six children have made their advent - Ellis C., Esther. Clifford. Mildred, Helen and Marshall. All are bright. promising children and as they come up to manhood and womanhood they will be of great assistance in connection with the efforts of their parents.

After his marriage. Mr. Rarden worked for three years by the month, after which he rent- ed a place and farmed for himself six years. He accumulated money, and eight and one- half miles northwest of Callaway he has re- cently bought a tract of 400 acres, which is now the Rarden home. He milks eight cows and from their profits secures on an average. forty dollars a month. He is raising hogs and cattle, and from what might be considered a good start he is climbing rapidly toward the top. He is an Odd Fellow, and a Woodman. and he votes the Republican ticket. He and his wife have a good standing in their home community.

CHARLES E. BASS is one of the business men of Custer county who has made a success of his undertakings, and his sound judgment and keen business ability have been potent fac- tors in the building up of the several enter- prises in which he is interested.

Mr. Bass was born in Gibson county. In- diana. January 19, 1870, and is a son of Alex- ander and Elmira (Holcomb) Bass. of whom extended mention is made on other pages of this volume, in a sketch written for Dr. T. W. Bass, of Broken Bow.

Charles E. Bass was a lad of fourteen years when the family home was established in Ne- braska. At the age of nineteen years he found employment on a farm. Later he became a barber in Broken Bow, and he also followed the barber's' trade for five years at Grand Island. In 1900 he came to Anselmo, where, with W. E. Warren, he embarked in the mer- cantile business. also buying and shipping stock. This partnership continued twelve years, when Mr. Bass bought his partner's in- terest. The firm is now Moulton & Bass, and they handle a full line of general merchandise. Mr. Bass and his brother W. W. own a hard- ware business in Anselmo and with his brother J. G. he conducts a similar enterprise at Mason City, both these store buildings hay- ing been erected and owned by Charles E. Mr. Bass has been extensively engaged in the cattle business for several years and is the

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owner of 2,500 acres of land in Custer county, as well as half a section of land in Keith coun- ty, the Custer county ranch being operated by his brother C. R. Mr. Bass is loud in his praises of his adopted county, and by indus- try, good judgment, and wise use of opportuni- ties he has builded wisely and well, with the result that he is to-day one of the eminently successful business men and public-spirited cit- izens of the county.

At Broken Bow, Mr. Bass was united in marriage to Miss Norna M. Fenner, a native of Wisconsin, and they are the parents of three children - Clare, Opal, and Lawrence.

Mr. Bass is a member of the Anselmo Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons and has taken both York and Scottish Rite de- grees, being a member of the commandery of Knights Templars at Broken Bow, and also a member of the temple of the Mystic Shrine at Omaha. He belongs also to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Order of the Eastern Star. In politics he is Republican, and he has served as a member of the city council and also on the school board. Mr. Bass may truly be called a self-made man, as his success is the result of his own efforts, and he is held in the highest of esteem by all who know him.

FRANK VISEK, who is engaged in farm- ing five miles north of Comstock, is one of the men of Custer county who has made good use of his opportunities, and his life record illus- trates what may be accomplished by one who is industrious and has an ambition to succeed.

Mr. Visek was born in Bohemia, January 1, 1867, and is a son of John and Katie ( Severa) Visek, who spent their entire lives in their native land. They were farming people and were the parents of eight children, all of whom are living. Two sons, John and James, live near their brother Frank, and a sister. Mrs. Mary Drobny, is a resident of Valley county.

Mr. Visek was a young man of thirty years when he sought a home in the United States. He found employment on a farm in Valley county, and he continued to work for others for three years. He carefully saved his earn- ings and was enabled to become a farmer on his own account. The first year his crop was almost ruined by hail, and the second year his harvests were short, owing to the drouth, but he was not discouraged to the point of giving 11p, and the succeeding years brought prosper- ity. To-day he is the owner of three well it- proved farms, with a total area of 1,240 acres.

February 6, 1893, Mr. Visek was united in

marriage to Miss Frances Bartu. a daughter of Joe and Mary Bartu, early settlers of Cus- ter county. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Visek has been made happy by the arrival of thirteen children, eight of whom are living - Frank, Jr .. James, Rudolph, Ludwig, Joseph, Louis, Charlie and Emma. The eldest son, Frank, Jr., was born in Valley county, November 29, 1893. October 31. 1916, he married Miss Rosie Kokes, a daughter of John and Antonia (Badalik ) Kokes, residents of Valley county. Frank Visek, Jr., is · successfully engaged in farming. He and his wife have one child, Frank, born November 21, 1917.

RUPERT CLARENCE BRISTOL. - Among the homesteaders of Custer county who passed through many privations and hardships, courageously persevered in the face of discouraging situations, overcame seeming- ly unsurmountable obstacles, and eventually won their way to well deserved success, was the late Rupert C. Bristol, who, from the time of his arrival, in 1884, until his death, October 19, 1916, was one of his community's most re- liable and highly esteemed citizens.

Mr. Bristol was born at Port Jersey, New York, August 25, 1855, the youngest of the three children of Horace and Anna ( French) Bristol. His mother died when he was but three years of age and his father, who was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he served three years as captain of Company B. First New Jersey Volunteer Cavalry, married again, and in 1869 moved to Iowa, where he died in 1869. Rupert C. Bristol was educated in the public schools of New Jersey and Iowa, and in the latter state he married Miss Nancy A. Patrick. a daughter of George and Emily (Hurndon) Patrick, the former born in Ken- tucky and the latter in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick removed to Custer county in 1890 and here followed agricultural pursuits until their deatlı.

After his marriage Mr. Bristol continued to be engaged in farming in lowa for a number of years, but in 1884 he decided to try his for- tunes in Nebraska. He accordingly packed his household effects in a wagon and, with his wife and their four children, started on the trip overland from Monona county, lowa, in October, the journey consuming eight days. Securing a homestead in the vicinity of Ans- ley, he started farming under the most dis- couraging conditions. Conveniences of even the most meagre kind were not to be had : the bare necessities of life were difficult to secure ; and for several years the family fuel during

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the winter months consisted of brush and weeds that had been gathered during the fore- going summer and then dried and put away for use. Mr. Bristol was making good pro- gress when, in 1890, the drouth killed his crops, and he had hardly recovered from this when a terrific hail storm wiped out his 1893 farm crops. In the following year he was again visited by a devastating drouth, but in the face of these discouragements he kept per- severingly and doggedly on, and his persist- ence and courage were eventually rewarded by success, as shown by the fact that at the time of his death his landed estate consisted of 480 acres of land in a good state of cultivation, and numerous modern improvements. Mr. Bristol became one of the influential and greatly re- spected members of his community, and took an active and helpful part in all good move- ments. He was particularly active in the work of the Baptist church, of which he and Mrs. Bristol were lifelong members. He taught a Bible class in the Sunday school, both in Iowa and Nebraska, and was a leader otherwise in church and Sunday school work. Originally a Democrat in politics, when the Progressive party came into being he transferred his al- legiance to that organization. His death re- moved from his community a helpful and con- structive citizen and an honorable man.

Mr. and Mrs. Bristol were the parents of eleven children: Bertha is the wife of George F. Dewey, a Custer county farmer : Belle is the wife of Earl Hiser, of Custer county : Mrs. Clara Dobesh is the wife of a farmer of this county ; Clarence R. and Ernest are engaged in agricultural pursuits in Custer county ; George is likewise a resident of this county ; Myrtle E. is the wife of Grover A. Holeman. cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Ansley. a sketch of whose career appears elsewhere in this work : Clyde and Cleo are twins and Clyde is on the home farm with his mother. Cleo being the wife of H. Guy Marsh, of Ansley; Lawrence is now in the navy, at San Francisco. Cali- fornia ; and Emma died at the age of fifteen months.

LEWIS KIMBERLING, police judge and village clerk of Arnold, has been a prominent citizen of the county for many years and an in- fluential factor in Republican political circles. He is a man of sterling character. enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens. and has served faithfully and with superior judgment in many public offices in the county. Although not a continuous resident, Judge Kimberling has maintained a steady interest in

Custer county ever since he came here first, in 1883.

Lewis Kimberling was born February 13, 1855, in Mason county, West Virginia, one of a family of twelve children born to Nathaniel and Miriam ( Craig) Kimberling. the former a native of Bath county, Virginia and a farmer by vocation, and the latter born in Mason county, West Virginia, a daughter of John Craig. The surviving children are : William, who lives in West Virginia and who is a vet- eran of the Civil war; Hannah A., who lives in West Virginia: Mrs. Nancy Williams, who lives at Jackson, Ohio; Lewis, whose name in- troduces this review ; and Joseph N., who lives on the old homestead in Mason county. West Virginia, where the mother died in 1890 and where the father passed away in September, 1896, at the age of eighty-six years.

Until he was twenty-two years old, Lewis Kimberling remained at home, attending school through boyhood and later cultivating quite successfully a piece of ground given him by his father. On this plot of ground he raised a crop of tobacco, and he found no trouble in disposing of it. Being gifted with a fine voice and a natural ear for music, he paid some at- tention to this talent and became an acceptable teacher of vocal music. Singing schools were a very popular form of amusement in those days and a great encourager of innocent soci- ability, and Lewis Kimberling has many pleas- ant memories of the gatherings when his die- tum on "harmony and voice culture." was as much law as is that of the present-day Maestro with an unpronouncable foreign name. In 1877, however, Mr. Kimberling left the old home and its pleasant associations and started out for himself, making his first stop in In- (liana. He worked very hard that winter. splitting rails for fifty cents a hundred. and in the spring of 1878 he pushed farther west and spent the summer working on a farm in Grundy county, Missouri, where he remained until the fall of the same year when he came to the eastern part of Nebraska. In 1883 he located a claim three miles east of what is now the prosperous town of Arnokl, Custer county. and he lived on his claim five years. In the meanwhile his parents had grown feeble, and he returned home to assist in caring for them, and he remained as long as they survived. Mr. Kimberling then returned to Custer county and bought a farm situated one and one-half miles northeast of Arnold. There he continued to live until 1912. when he moved into Arnold. where he is very comfortably situated.

September 26. 1878, Judge Kimberling mar- ried Miss Mary M. Gamble, who was born in

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Iowa, a daughter of Amos and Malinda A. (Craig) Gamble. Mr. Gamble was born in Indiana and was a veteran of the Civil war. Judge and Mrs. Kimberling have six chil- dren : Odus F., who is a farmer near Gothen- burg. Dawson county, Nebraska, is an Odd Fellow and a Republican. He married Josephine, daughter of James Tucker, and they have three sons. He and his wife belong to the Christian church. Ora A. is the wife of Charles Rimpley, a farmer near Logan, Nebraska, and they have three children. They attend the Baptist church. Millie F. is the wife of John Starr, of Arnold, Nebraska, and they have three children. Eva P. is the wife of William O. Hill, a carpenter at Summit, Oregon, and they have three children. They belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. Elbert C., who is a salesman in the Mills im- plement store at Arnold, is an Odd Fellow and a Republican. He married Lillie P. Blowers. a daughter of Charles M. Blowers, and they have five daughters. He and his wife attend the Baptist church. Malinda A. is the wife of Arthur E. Butler, a farmer near Stapleton, Nebraska, and they have two children.

For the past seventeen years Judge Kimber- ling has been a justice of the peace and also has been assessor of Arnold precinct. He has taken a great deal of interest in educational matters and in all else that pertains to the gen- eral welfare. He is very prominent in the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and has twice passed its official chairs. He is a mem- ber of the Baptist church and is a liberal sup- porter of its benevolent objects.

JOHN E. WILSON, who is a representa- tive citizen and prosperous general farmer, owns, in the neighborhood of Lomax Station, one of the best improved estates that can be found in the county. He is a member of one of the old pioneer families of the state - in fact his father came before the state was or- ganized -and it is interesting to note that through all the revolutionary changes that have taken place in the state's affairs, the Wil- son family have kept the old homestead prop- erty intact. John E. Wilson was born near Dunbar. Otoe county, Nebraska. September 15. 1865. His parents were Thomas H. and Isabella (Garrow) Wilson. the latter of whom was born in Scotland and was a daughter of Alexander Garrow. The father of Mr. Wil- son was born in Canada and from there he came across the border into the United States. looking for a desirable situation in which to settle. He established him home in the terri-

tory of Nebraska in 1856, eleven years before it became a state of the Union, and he spent the rest of his life on his homestead, situated one mile north of where Dunbar now stands. Of his thirteen children the following survive : John E., Charles H., Edward T., Mrs. Jennie M. Hall, Mrs. Jessie B. Goodrich, Edith, Carl H., and Frank. Miss Edith Wilson is a grad- nate of the Peru Normal School and is a pop- ular teacher.

John E. Wilson was reared on the old home- stead in Otoe county and well remembers many boyhood adventures that came his way as he herded cattle and stock, and especially during the year that the grasshoppers de- stroyed every green growth, when he had for- ty-two head of hogs to herd. He attended the common schools during the winter seasons and thus laid a fair educational foundation. Later he spent one year as a student in the Nebraska State Normal School at Peru, in Nemaha county. Farming has been his main occupa- tion all his life, and before coming to Custer county, in 1903, he followed farm industry very successfully in Otoe county. Mr. Wilson owns a farm of 160 acres, which is admirably situated three-fourths of a mile north of Lo- max. He has put many substantial improve- ments here, including a handsome residence, and has brought his land to a high state of cul- tivation, and that without any patriotic urging in these recent days of the nation's need.

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History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 127

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180