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 142

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 142

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Mr. Dresel sold his first farm to Mr. Cameron, the present owner, and then bought 320 acres on Spring creek, northwest of the

JOHN DRESEL, who lives in the vicinity - old Young land. There he resided' until Au- of Callaway, is one of Custer county's frugal, ~ gust. 1918, when he sold the place to Ernest Lowe. He made the sale on the 14th day of August and on the 19th of the same month bought 193 acres two miles west of Callaway, for which he paid eighty-five dollars per acre. Mr. Dresel and his wife are splendid people, highly respected in the community. They are affiliated with the Baptist church, and in poli- tics Mr. Dresel is aligned in the ranks of the Democratic party.

HENRY S. BRODINE. - In proportion to its population, Custer county can boast of as great a number of substantial and progres- sive citizens as any county of its size in Ne- braska, and among this number is found Henry S. Brodine, the owner of a farm of ex- cellently cultivated land, which, from the time that he settled on it as a homesteader, he has operated with such judgment as to have made him a successful and substantial man finan- cially.

A sturdy Swede, Mr. Brodine was born in the stalwart community of Blekinge, January 18, 1862. He is a son of Swan and Enger (Jenson) Brodine, who passed their entire lives in their native land. The father was a tailor by vocation, an occupation in which he was engaged throughout his life, although he saw much military service and during a long number of years was in the Swedish army. There were two children in the family : Henry S. and a son who died in infancy. The parents were members of the Lutheran church.

Henry S. Brodine received a public-school education and was variously employed in his native land until he reached the age of twenty-seven years. Up to that time he had made little progress, for while he had been in- dustrious, energetic and saving in his re- sources, the opportunities did not seem to come to him that would make for advance- ment, and he therefore came to the conclusion that he would find conditions more satisfying in this country. He arrived in the United States in 1888 and came immediately to Cus- ter county, Nebraska, where he settled on a homestead farm, in section 15, township 19, not far from the town of Sargent. On this property he has continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits to the present time, and through good management, hard and persist- ent work and application of modern methods along intelligent channels and in an enter- prising and energetic way, he has developed a farm that compares favorably with any in the locality, and the ownership of which not

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

FREDERICK C. EMPREE AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

only assures him of a substantial income but also places him in the same class with the other well-to-do men of this locality. Mr. Brodine has good buildings and other modern improvements of all kinds, and in his work he exemplifies the modern agricultural spirit that has contributed so greatly to Custer county's development.

Mr. Brodine was married in June, 1886, in Sweden, to Miss Ingery Carlson, who was born in that country and whose parents passed their lives there. To this union there were born six children: Charley, who is a farmer near Kent, Nebraska, married Lizzie Rider; Oscar, who is still a bachelor, is a farmer near Sargent : Harry is an eligible young bachelor and assists his father in the work of the home farm; Alma is the wife of Frank Power, a farmer near Walworth; Clara is the wife of Arthur Debusk, a farmer near Kent ; and Vina is the wife of Ed. Hill, a farmer near Deaver, Wyoming. . Mr. Bro- (line is a Republican in politics, but not actively interested in public affairs, save as a good citizen. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife. as well as their children, are members of the Lutheran church.

FREDERICK C. EMBREE. - It is a natural desire, common to us all, to know something about our kinsfolk. A genealogy is a kind of analysis of our particular tribe. so that we can consider the elements of which we are composed. If a person belongs to a good family he ought to be proud of it and should take pride in having its history pre: served. The progenitors of the Embree family in America were three brothers, passengers on the historic "Mayflower." The records show that the family ancestors were French Hugue- nots who immigrated to England more than eight hundred years ago. On the maternal side the subject of this record is likewise de- scended from Mayflower stock, as the ances- tors of the Harris and Lyon families were among the passengers on that famous bark.

Frederick C. Embree was born in Washing- ton county, Iowa, August 23, 1864, and was a lad of seven years when brought to Nebraska, so that most of his life has been spent in this state. For thirty-four years he has resided in Custer county, where he has made a success of his business ventures and at the same time has retained the respect of all with whom he has come in contact.

The father of our subject was Noah Embree, who was born in Vermilion county, Illinois,

and who was seven years old when he ac- companied his parents to Washington county, lowa, where he grew to manhood and became a farmer, residing there until 1870, when he settled in Otoe county, Nebraska. In 1893 he came to Custer county, where five sons had preceded him, and here he bought the Penn ranch, near Callaway. His wife died at this place, June 21. 1898, and Mr. Embree remained there until 1907, when he came to live with his son Frederick C., and here he passed away March 24, 1908. He was married in Keokuk county, Iowa, June 17, 1858, to Miss Margaret Lyon, who was born in Jeffer- son county, lowa, July 25, 1841. She was a daughter of Frederick F. and Rachel ( Har- ris ) Lyon, the former a native of New York and the latter born in Illinois.

The grandfather of F. C. Embree was Jesse Embree, who was a native of Preble county, Ohio, and who, when a young man, went to Vermilion county, Illinois, where he married Mary Hollingsworth. In 1840 Jesse Embree moved to Washington county, Iowa, where he became a successful farmer and where his death occurred in 1858, his wife having passed away in 1851.

Frederick C. Embree is one of a family of eight children, two of whom died in infancy ; Allen L. lives in Sunnyside, Washington ; Oli- ver H. is a resident of Fullerton, California : Frederick C., of this review, lives in Merna ; Jehu W., presiding elder in the Methodist church, lives at Hastings, Nebraska ; Noah MI. is at Athens, Georgia ; and Mary, who became the wife of George A. Shaw, died in Seattle, Washington. July 6, 1910.

Frederick C. Embree received a common- school education in Otoe county and began an independent career as a farmer when sev- enteen years of age, so that he has harvested thirty-nine crops and at the time of this writ- ing has part of the fortieth crop planted. On April 25, 1884, he arrived in Custer county and located on a pre-emption claim in Ortello valley. He at once saw the possibilities of stock-raising in this county and has dealt extensively in stock of all kinds since that time. Percheron and Shire horses, Aberdeen- Angus cattle, and Poland-China hogs have re- ceived especial attention. Mr. Embree is an expert in the judging of stock and has often topped the market in the amount of sales and in weight and quality.

In Otoe county, Nebraska, on April 9, 1884, was solemnized the marriage of Frederick C. Embree to Miss Altana S. Myers, who was born in Bureau county, Illinois, June 22, 1866. Her parents were Samuel H. and Electa

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

(Wick) Myers, the former a native of New- ark, New Jersey, and the latter born in Illi- nois. The father of Mrs. Embree was a farmer and is now living retired in Portland, Oregon, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife died in Iowa, many years ago.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Embree has been blessed with the birth of eight children, two of whom died in infancy : Jesse S., a grad- uate of the Palmer School of Chiropractics, at Davenport, Iowa, is successfully practicing his profession at Fremont, Nebraska : Ernest N. and Wilbur M. are married and farming in this county on the old homestead in Ortello valley ; Maude and Mabel are twins, the latter having graduated from the Merna high school and the former passed away at the age of seventeen years; and Mattie is a senior in Merna high school.

Mr. Embree is the owner of 1,260 acres of land, all in Custer county, and his present po- sition of affluence is due entirely to his good judgment and industry. He resides on a beautiful farm of 220 acres adjoining the city of Merna and known as Cedar View Stock Farm. Fraternally Mr. Embree is a thirty- second-degree Mason and also a member of Tangier Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Omaha. He is affiliated also with the Merna lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with its adjunct organization. the Daughters of Rebekah, and also with the Merna Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, of which Mrs. Embree is worthy matron.

Coming to the county in an carly day, Mr. Embree is familiar with the pioneer conditions and has not only been an eye-witness of the changes that have taken place but has also contributed his full share to the development and upbuilding of the country. A man of temperate habits, of fine physique, and pleas- ing personality, a fluent conversationalist, and a student of events, he would have made a success of life had he chosen a professional career. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Bank and the Farmers Elevator of Merna and is one of the county's substantial citizens.

CHARLES W. GARRISON. - In the Sargent district, where farming opportunities blossom twelve months in the year, resides Charles W. Garrison, who has been in Custer county long enough to remember Indian scares and to tell stories of pioneer days that would refute any idea you might have that Custer county farming in the days of the '70s and '80s was one continued picnic.

He was born in Pennsylvania, August 26,

1879, and is a son of David and Louisa (Hyatt) Garrison. Both parents belonged to the old Keystone state. The father was a blacksmith by trade, and followed that occu- pation in his native state, for a long period, or until 1886, when he came to Custer county, Nebraska. He also served as a Union sol- dier in the days of the Civil war. . He was a member of the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, in which he rendered strenuous ser- vice for nearly four years. In his army life he had an experience at Andersonville prison,

and there he contracted disease which dis- abled him for the rest of his days, and for which he was given a pension. In the fall of 1886, in addition to his homestead, David Garrison bought a pre-emption claim, and on this he lived until 1906, when he rented his land and moved to Sargent. There he died in December, 1912. His widow still lives in Sargent, where she is a member of the Meth- odist church. They were the parents of three children - George lives on a fruit ranch at Vaancouver, Washington : his wife's maiden name was Bertie Kantzman; Lizzie is the wife of Ed. Pulliam, an automobile and horse dealer, and they now reside in Sargent.

Charles W. Garrison received a good com- mon-school education, and has the faculty of using his education to best possible advan- tage. He has lived continuously in Custer county since 1886. excepting three years spent in Colorado. On his return from the Boulder state he bought a farm, and this he has been operating ever since. Recently he bought the David McGugin farm, and now he is farm- ing and raising stock more extensively than before. He recalls that when he was a small boy the Omaha Indians came along on their way back from the reservation, and called at the Garrison home and demanded something to eat. While they were friendly, yet they succeeded in scaring the inhabitants almost as badly as if they had been hostile and on the war path. They were not welcome visitors at any of the homes in the Loup valley.

In 1905 Mr. Garrison married Miss Angie Marsh, at Taylor, Nebraska. She is a daugh- ter of Eugene and Emma (Cummings) Marsh, who were early pioneers of the Cummings Park district - the park, in fact, was named for her parents.

HENRY G. STOKES. - If the ability to do hard work cannot be designated as talent, then it is one of the best possible substitutes for that desirable possession. Things do not turn up in the world until someone turns them up; and industry and perseverance lead

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

to success, as in the case of Henry G. Stokes, a resident of Custer county since 1883 and now the owner of 1,300 acres of well culti- vated and valuable land, his home place being in section 22, township 17, near Sargent.

Mr. Stokes was born in Jefferson county, New York, September 25, 1856, and is a son of Robert and Sarah (Bowery) Stokes. His parents, natives of England, belonged to the sturdy and reliable class of farming people who have done so much to extend that coun- try's reputation to other parts of the world where they have taken up their habitation. They immigrated to the United States about the year 1856 and settled in Jefferson county, New York, where they continued to be en- gaged in farming during the remainder of their lives. They were highly respected in their community, as honest, God-fearing peo- ple, and were consistent members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, while in politics Mr. Stokes was a Republican. They were the par- ents of fifteen children, of whom six are still living: Isaac still follows farming in Jeffer- son county, New York ; Hattie is a resident of Otsego county, New York; William, for- merly a farmer of Jefferson county, is now living retired in New York; Simeon, who is also retired after years of agricultural work, is a resident of Watertown, New York ; John lives retired in Jefferson county ; and Henry G. is the only one of the family to make a home in the west.

Henry G. Stokes was educated in the pub- lic schools of his native community and was reared as a farmer, a vocation which he adopted as soon as he reached his majority. He was drawn to the west by the wonderful stories he had heard as to the opportunities offered young men of ability and industry, and as to the fertility of the country for farm- ing purposes, and in July, 1883, he took up a homestead in the southeast quarter of section 22, township 17, this consisting of a tree claim and pre-emption claim. While he has bought and sold land largely. he is still the owner of his homestead, which is included in his holdings of 1,300 acres, and his landed estate in itself gives some idea as to the volume of success which has attended his efforts since he took up his residence in Custer county. Mr. Stokes is still engaged in farming and stock-raising, and the manner in which he car- ries on his operations gives evidence of his thorough knowledge of his vocation and of conditions pertaining to the country in which he has made his home for so long a period. He is accounted one of the progressive repre- sentatives of agricultural interests here, and

modern inventions always receive a fair trial at his hands.

On December 25, 1879, in Jefferson county, New York, Mr. Stokes was united in mar- riage, to Miss Nellie Hovey, a daughter of Joseph and Minerva (McQuain) Hovey, and they are the parents of four children: Ethel is the wife of E. M. Boss, assistant school in- spector of Lincoln, Nebraska; Georgia is the wife of William Bondurant, who is engaged in the wholesale and retail confectionery busi- ness at Kirksville, Missouri; and Misses Marie and Anna, the two younger daughters, reside with their parents. Mr. Stokes is a Republican and is one of his community's public-spirited men, although interested in civic affairs only as a good citizen.

C. J. DAVIS. - One of the good neighbors living in the vicinity of Arnold, on a table- land farm, is C. J. Davis, a native of Allen county, Ohio. He was born in 1861, and is a son of Peter and Mary M. (Lewis) Davis, very estimable people, of Christian character. The father was born in 1830, in Ohio, and he died in the year 1875. The mother died in 1892, at the age of sixty-three years. The father belonged to the Christian church and the mother was a member of the United Brethren church. Farming was the occupa - tion of Peter Davis, although he worked for a time in a saw mill. He was considered a successful man and served at different times in such offices as county commissioner, town treasurer, etc. Politically he was a Demo- crat. He owned 160 acres of land and con- ducted farming according to the general meth- ods of farms of that size. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, Ellen, John, W. V., James P., Frank, Jasper, Samuel, Clinton, Henry, and C. J. (the subject of this sketch.)

During his early life C. J. Davis had a varied experience. He received a fair education and very early laid the foundations of the recti- tude and probity that have marked his life during his manhood years. He worked on the ranch, he rode the range in Kansas and when he arrived in Custer county he had but little of this world's goods, but he had an indomit- able spirit and was not afraid of hard work. On May 20, 1891, he led to the marriage altar Miss Cora M. Judkins, a native of Hancock county, Indiana. Mrs. Davis was born in 1868, received a good education and has made an excellent helpmeet for her husband. She belongs to a well known and influential family, most of whom live in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

CHALMERS G. EMPFIELD AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Davis have always manitained a hospitable, Christian home, into which the following chil- dren have been born: Flora Downing lives at Bayard, Nebraska, where her husband is employed in the irrigation work ; Elva and Alma are at home; Cloice is deceased ; Ber- nice is teaching school in Lincoln county ; X. A. is deceased ; Irene is at home and is attend- ing the high school at Arnold.

The family home is maintained on the old homestead, upon which is a fair grade of im- provements. Here Mr. and Mrs. Davis passed through the privations and hardships of early years. Here they made their accumulations and grown the stock with which the farm to- day is equipped. The hogs are a good grade of Poland Chinas. 'Here in Custer county Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been enabled to rear their children in a most creditable way. Three of the children have been graduated in the Arnold high school and all have been reared to the principles of Christianity and high morality. The family are faithful mem- bers of the Baptist church. In politics Mr. Davis is an independent voter. He is a good neighbor, kind and obliging, and both he and his wife enjoy the confidence of a large circle of friends.

CHALMERS G. EMPFIELD, who resides at Anselmo, is widely conceded to be the fore- most builder and contractor of Caster county. Within the last fourteen years he has built many monuments to his enterprise and skill all over the county and up and down the Bur- lington Railroad from Hyannis to Litchfield. The story of his life as follows is replete in interest and incentive.

Chalmers G. Empfield was born in Brush Valley, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, July 21, 1868, which date brings him to the even half- century line. Hle is a son of Rev. Jackson and Jane ( Pitman ) Empfield, a very respected couple of substantial influence in their local community. His early years were spent in Pennsylvania, where he had recourse to the common schools and often attended summer schools, by which means he secured a very liberal education - one that has enabled him to conduct successfully the business of his life career. When seventeen years of age Mr. Empfield began teaching school, and he taught with success in his native state for two years before coming to Nebraska. He came to Ne- braska in the spring of 1887 and located in Custer precinct. Here he located a homestead and engaged in farming and stock-raising.

working at the carpenter trade during odd times, and on two different occasions he taught winter school. He thus managed to "keep things going" and make accumulations. Hc wisely made investments in Custer county land, which he always considered fine security for an investment. lle was successful finan- cially, and in the spring of 1905 he found him- self in possession of 1,040 acres of land. In the June time of 1901, tired of single life, he led to the marriage altar Miss Carrie' B. Wad- dington, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Waddington, and since that time she has pre- sided graciously over his home and contributed very materially to his social and financial suc- cess. The Empfield home has always been comfortable and hospitable, and it is the domi- cile of an influential family. Mr. and Mrs. Empfield have five children - Hazel Leona, Vera Blanche, Lela May, George Chalmers, and Weir Samuel. These are bright, healthy children and give promise of succeeding to the usefulness and respected station of their parents.

In the spring of 1905 Mr. Empfield moved to Anselmo, where he at once engaged in con- tracting and building, which he has followed with remarkable success during the interven- ing years. To-day it can be said that his building operations outrank those of any other contractor of the county. For the last seven years he has confined himself almost exclusive- ly to brick buildings, and the following struc- tures stand to-day to his credit : The Williams & Christian Block, the James Lindly store building, the Masonic Temple, and the school- house, all in Anselmo : the Security State Bank and the Moore Brothers' big garage at Broken Bow; the high-school building at Litchfield ; the L. P. Rose building and the Security State Bank building in Arnold.

Socially the Empfields are well connected in their home town and prominent in several of the lodges. They have a beautiful modern home in Anselmo, with a considerable amount of other town property to their credit. They also have 1,440 acres of land, all of which in- sures a coming time when retirement from business activity will be easy. Their property, clear from incumbrance, demonstrates that energy and judgment, whether exercised on the farm or in trade occupation, finds its re- ward in Custer county. In the time-honored Masonic fraternity Mr. Empfield has received the thirty-second degree of the Ancient Ac- cepted Scottish Rite and for twelve years has been secretary of Anselmo Lodge, No. 258, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

ISAAC A. RENEAU. - Closely identified with many important interests of Custer county, Isaac A. Reneau, who has conducted a real-estate and abstract business at Broken Bow for more than a quarter of a century, may be numbered with the early settlers for he came in 1884 and settled first on a pre- emption and later on a homestead, situated fifteen miles southeast of Broken Bow. Since that time he has borne his full share of re- sponsibility in developing the natural resources of the county, has been truly public-spirited, and has done much for movements favoring progress in every way.

Isaac Alexander Reneau was born near Tompkinsville, Monroe county, Kentucky, March 11, 1859. His parents were Rev. Isaac T. and Mary Gibson ( Wood) Reneau, both of illustrious and Revolutionary ances- try. On the paternal side the line is of French-Huguenot extraction and its American history is traced to Phillippe Francoise Ren- ault as the earliest American founder, he hay- ing come to the Louisiana French colony more than sixty years before the American Revolu- tion, having been appointed by Louis XIV, of France, director general of mines for Louis- iana. In 1712 large grants of lands in that territory - now in the states of Illinois and Missouri - were made to the West India Company by this confidential agent of the French king, and at a little later date Renault received extensive grants direct from the French crown. In 1744 Renault returned to France, and he died in 1756, at his private home in Paris. The management of the St. Louis Exposition, in recognition of the valued services and research of this early contributor to the development of the state, had on ex- hibition a bronze statue of Monsieur Renault, together with an original wooden spade found in Renault mine, some thirty miles out of St. Louis. His younger brother, Jacques Louis Renault, the Huguenot, was banished, but was protected by his powerful brother, and he be- came the head of the American family of the name, the orthography having been changed to Reneau - but pronounced exactly the same - and this spelling has been adhered to through four generations, passing the original Family Bible down to Rev. Dr. Isaac T. Reneau.

Rev. Dr. Isaac T. Reneau was educated as a physician and after some years of medical practice he entered the ministry. For nearly fifty years he was earnest and faithful in church work. He was a cousin of General Jesse Lee Reno, who was killed at the battle of South Mountain, Maryland, in the Civil war, and of Major Reno, of the Custer mas-

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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 142

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