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 150

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 150

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HENRY J. PFREHM. - Heralded in the title line is a German name that belongs to a patriotic American citizen who in all war activities and bond drives has done all that was in his power to do. He is a pioneer of the early days, a homesteader of the virgin soil,

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

JOHN A. DIETZ AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

and a man who in Custer county has expended years of effort and hard toil.

Henry J. Pfrehm was born in Illinois, Aug- ust 10, 1865. He is a son of John A. Pfrehm, who was born at Swarzsbach, Germany, in 1821, and who came to America in 1852. The mother was a native of Wurtemberg, Ger- many, and born in 1832. She came to Amer- ica with her parents in 1851, and settled in Petersburg, Illinois. The same fall she was married to a man by the name of Helies, who died in less than a year. Her maiden name was Mary Swigart. In 1853 she and John A. Pfrehm, father of Henry J. Pfrehm were married at Petersburg, Illinois, where they lived until 1868, when they moved to a farm. They were the parents of twelve children, all born in Menard county, Illinois - John G., William, Lewis J., Frank A., George, Anna M., August W., Henry J., Mary, Emma E., Dora K., and Edward P. The family lived on Indian creek until 1871 when they moved to Petersburg, and they lived in Illinois until 1879, when they moved into the vicinity of Crete, Nebraska, where they stopped but a short time, and came on, making final settle- ment in West Union, Custer county. Here they settled on the southwest quarter of sec- tion 32. The father filed on this homestead June 16, 1879, and then returned to Crete and brought some of the family to the new home. Part of them, however, were left on the farm at Crete, and thus they passed the first winter with the family divided, living in two places. To keep in touch with each division of the family Mr. Pfrehm was on the road traveling most of the winter. Mr. Pfrehm took sick in 1886 and died in December, 1888, his wife sur- viving him by ten years and passing away in 1898.

Henry J. Pfrehm was married December 21, 1893, to Maggie E. Bitter, a daughter of Louis and Marie (Shark) Bitter, who were homesteaders in this county, near Walworth. Henry J. Pfrehm and his wife have never been blessed with children. They home- steaded near Walworth and now own the claim and home of his brother Frank A., de- ceased. They have in their combined hold- ings a half-section of land, one-quarter of which is owned by the husband and one-quar- ter by the wife. They conduct a general farming and stock business, have good build- ings and are respected and highly spoken of by their neighbors. Mr. Pfrehm is a Demo- crat in politics, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist church.

JOHN A. DIETZ. - One might travel all day and half the night without finding a more substantial or reliable farmer-citizen than the one who bears the well known name in the title line above. In the central part of the county John, as he is familiarly known by his friends and neighbors, is rated as one of the progressive spirits and foremost farmers.

Mr. Dietz was born in Green county, Wis- consin, in 1864. He is a son of Jacob and Fannie (Meacham) Dietz. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and the mother a na- tive of New York. Both were very excellent people, and at a ripe old age they are living in comfortable retirement in the state of Wis- consin, to which commonwealth the senior Dietz and his family moved in 1856, and where, in 1861, this worthy couple were joined in holy wedlock. It was there that their children, seven of them in number, were born - Walter W. (deceased), John A., Laura L., Mary B. (deceased), Charles H., Nettie L., and Stanley J.

John A. Dietz was a young man when he came to Nebraska, and he located first in Buf- falo county, where his residence terminated after two years. From that section of the state he came to Custer county and bought a half-section of land in the Custer Center com- munity, in 1889.

In January of 1888 Mr. Dietz married Jessie M. Taylor, in Buffalo county. She is a daugh- ter of Miner Taylor and Lenora (Stearns) Taylor. In her father's family were the fol- lowing children: Elisha, Louisa Wiggins, Jerome, Julia Wells (deceased), Alpha (de- ceased), Allan, Jessie M., Frank E., Hettie M. Jacobs, Nellie E., and Willis W. In 1890 Miner Taylor came into Custer county, where he bought a quarter-section of land near to the holdings of his son-in-law, John A. Dietz, and the two formed a sort of partnership by which they farmed together and together pur- chased more land until their holdings were rather extensive. The partnership, however, has been dissolved for several years and Mr. Dietz operates 343 acres of well improved land seven miles northwest of Broken Bow. The buildings on this place, including the farm home, are of the first order and make this a very desirable farm, there being none better in the central part of the county. The farm- ing operations are of a general character. Red polled cattle are prominently featured, Poland- China hogs are bred in big-boned types, and all horses, hogs, cattle, or stock of any kind

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on the Dietz farmn are well fed, receive good care, and are handled under conditions that make them profitable.

In the community Mr. Dietz is rated as 1111- usually prominent. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and the local Grange, and for eighteen years has served as a member of the school board. Patriotic and loyal to the gov- ernment, he has responded liberally to all the appeals made by different war works - a sub- scriber to the bond drives, to the Red Cross, to the Y. M. C. A. work, and thrift-stamp drive. In addition to this, two of his boys en- tered the service, and both were in France, at the time this sketch was being prepared.

In the Dietz home are seven children : Eva L., C. L. (in the service of the United States, in France), Stacey T., Elsie F., Howard S. (in France); Donald F., and Delma L. The family enjoy the confidence and respect of the community in which they live, and are a credit to the county in which Mr. Dietz is a respon- sible citizen.

JOSEPH LEUI. - Because of the number, importance and variety of his interests, Joseph Leui is accounted one of the most prominent business men of Comstock, and for a number of years has also been largely interested in farming and stock-raising. He is president of the Stock Buying Market, and in numerous ways his connection with civic and business affairs has contributed to progress and de- velopment in this thriving community.

Mr. Leui was born September 30, 1871, on a farm in Jefferson county, Missouri, and is a son of Balthazer and Frances (Teodorski) Leui. His father was a native of Switzerland who emigrated to the United States in young manhood and fought as a soldier during the entire period of the Civil war, participating in the battle of Gettysburg and many other fam- ous engagements, but never being wounded or taken prisoner. When he returned from the war he adopted the vocation of agriculturist and settled in Missouri, where he married a native of that state, and resided in Jefferson county until 1874, when he moved to Satın- ders county, Nebraska. Here he took a home- stead, on which he lived for about sixteen years, and then moved to Hayes county, which was his home until the close of his life. He was a man of marked intelligence, industry and business capacity and made a decided suc- cess of his ventures. He and Mrs. Leui were the parents of ten children, of whom seven are living: Etta, who is the wife of E. B. Wool- ey, residing in Hayes county; Joseph ; Cath-

erine, the wife of Abner Moore, of Hayes county ; Sarah A., the wife of George Moore, of the same county ; and Frank, LeRoy, and Fred, all residing in the same county. The father of these children was a staunch Repub- lican in politics, and he and the mother were strongly religious people.

Joseph Leui was but three years of age when the family moved to Nebraska, and he has therefore spent practically all of his life in this state. He was educated in the schools of Saunders county for the most part, and when he began his independent career it was as 'a farmer, a vocation to which he is still attached in an important way. For two years after leaving Saunders county he was a resident of Brown county, but in 1910 came to Custer county, where he now owns 320 acres of fine land just west of the city of Comstock, and this is well improved and highly cultivated. In addition Mr. Leui is extensively engaged in buying and selling cattle and hogs, and is president of the Stock Buying Market, an organization composed of leading Comstock business men, ranchers and farmers. His standing is exceptionally high in business cir- cles and his associates depend upon his judg- ment and ability in matters of importance. In the field of real estate he has important con- nections, and carries on a large and thriving business in partnership with E. F. Skolil, in which he has transacted some large deals. Likewise he has an interest in an implement and plumbing business at Comstock, and also is part owner, with F. J. Skolil, in an automo- bile and truck business. His time is thus con- siderably occupied with his private affairs, but he has never been one to shirk the responsi- bilities of citizenship, and was recently a can- didate on the Republican ticket for supervisor of the Comstock district. Mrs. Leui is a member of the Congregational church.

Mr. Leui was married near David City, Nebraska, January 19, 1893, to Miss Eva Allen, daughter of Solomon and Anna (Whit- ney) Allen, who were pioneer settlers of But- ler county. To this union there have been born six children : Foster A., who has been in England with the United States army, being a member of the Eighty-ninth Division of In- fantry, was wounded in action November 1, 1918, and up to the time of the revision of this sketch no word had been received as to his con- dition; Ralph, also a patriotic soldier, with Company B. Machine Gun Battalion, Amer- ican Expeditionary Forces, in France, was killed in action November 2, 1918 ; and Robert H., Harvey, Bessie, and Freddie are all at home with their parents.

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HARRY M. BENTLEY, who is carrying on farming and stockraising operations in a modern and successful way not far from Sar- gent, has been a resident of Custer county practically all of his life, and is a product of its schools. He was born at Jackson, Jack- son county, Minnesota, October 24, 1877, a son of Isaac and Lucinda (Pinchin) Bentley, the former a native of Chemung county, New York, and the latter of Steuben county, in the same state.

Isaac Bentley in his young manhood learned the trade of stone mason, which he followed with some degree of success until he turned his attention to farming, and at which he has been employed at odd times throughout his career. In 1865 he moved to Wisconsin, where he was employed on a farm for four years, and then went to Iowa, where he re- sided for a like period. Subsequently he took up his rseidence in Jackson county, Minnesota, and that was his home until he decided to come to Custer county, the family driving in from Iowa in a wagon. On his arrival here, the father pre-empted land in section 33, town- ship 20, range 17, and settled down to farm- ing, and is still the owner of his original farm, which is largely worked by his son Harry M. While Mr. Isaac Bentley is now eighty-four years of age, he still retains his strength and activity, and during 1918 stacked over 100 acres of wheat. He is also possessed of his faculties, and his memory frequently carries him back to the early days of the county, at which times he relates many interesting remin- iscences. During the first four years of his residence in the county, prairie fires burned all the available wood, and the early settlers were compelled to cut heavy weeds and dry them for their winter supply of fuel. Mr. Bentley was forced to travel to Scotia, a dis- tance of fifty miles, to reach the nearest mill, and there were numerous other discomforts and hardships, but he courageously persevered, and has lived to see his locality a prosperous and productive one. Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Bentley, three are liv- ing: Byron, who married Edna Toorey, and is engaged in farming north of Taylor, Ne- braska ; Harry M .; and Clara, who is the wife of Richard Brockus, of Casper, Wyoming, connected with the Standard Oil Company.

Harry M. Bentley was a child when brought by his parents to Custer county, and his edu- cation was completed here in school district No. 207, located in section 32. He has been a farmer and stock-raiser all of his life, and has been well satisfied with his vocation, which has brought him contentment and prosperity, and given him a position among his fellow-

men as a substantial and reliable citizen. In addition to farming his father's land, he is the owner of a well-improved farm of eighty acres, in section 32, township 1, which is under a high state of cultivation and improved witlı modern buildings and equipment. In politics Mr. Harry M. Bentley is independent, and for the past five years has served his community in the capacity of school director. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and Mrs. Bentley belong to the Royal Neighbors.

Harry M. Bentley was married January 11. 1905, to Miss Jessie Grint, who was born near Sargent, daughter of J. E. Grint an agricultur- ist east of that place. To this union there have been born three children: Ruth, born July 9, 1908; Verna, born July 5, 1910; and Chris, born October 30, 1912.

FRED KLANECKY is one of the men of Custer county who can point with justifiable pride to their accomplishments in the fields of agriculture and stock-raising. When he en- tered upon his career in 1899, his equipment, aside from three horses and some antiquated farm equipment, consisted principally of his ability, self-reliance and determination ; today he is one of the most prosperous farmers of the Sargent community, although he is but in the prime of life.

Mr. Klanecky was born in the city of Bal- timore, Maryland, August 10, 1875, and is a son of Joseph and Anna (Dolezal) Klanecky, natives of Austria. His father was a shoe- maker by trade and followed that occupation in the old country, as well as in Baltimore, where he brought his family in 1874. He was making moderate progress when an epi- demic of cholera struck Baltimore, after he had resided there three years, and he accord- ingly fled the city and went to Omaha, where he found employment in a smelter. In 1882 he came to Custer county and located on a homestead in sections 33 and 34, but after he had his family settled on the farm found that he must have money to buy a cow as well as to have a necesasry well sunk. As money was scarce in the family as well as in the com- munity, he resolutely walked back to Omaha, where he was again employed in the smelter, and thus earned the money necessary to carry the family through until such time as the pro- ducts of the farm would furnish the means of a livelihood. Eventually Mr. Klanecky be- came a successful and prosperous citizen of his community, developed a valuable farm, and lived to see his children all comfortably es- tablished in life and living within thirty miles

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RESIDENCE OF CONRAD FLEISHMAN

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of the homestead. He continued to carry on operations until his death, which occurred De- cember 26, 1913. His first wife died at Omaha, in 1881, and he was again married, his widow, who owns the homestead, now be- ing a resident of Sargent. He had three sons by his first wife and three sons and three daughters by his second marriage, and all the children are married except two. Mrs. Klan- ecky is a member of the Catholic church, to which her husband also belonged.

Fred Klanecky was seven years old when the family came to the Custer county home- stead, and at that time deer were still to be found in abundance, furnishing meat for the family larder during the first hard years. He secured his education in dugout and sod schoolhouses, and in 1899 began farming op- erations on his own account. At that time he was possessed of three horses, a plow and a cultivator, but went into debt for 160 acres of land and homesteaded 120 acres more. He and his wife both worked industriously and indefatigably, with the result that at the end of seventeen years they were not only free from debt, but sold their farm for $11,200. At the present time Mr. Klanecky is the owner of 425 acres of some of the best land to be found in Custer county and this he has im- proved with fine buildings and modern equip- ment of all kinds. This is in marked contrast to the early days, when his buildings were necessarily of the plainest sort and his equip- ment the same, and when he was forced to haul water for stock and family use over one- half mile. Mr. Klanecky is one of the intelli- gent agriculturists of his region, progressive and enterprising, and a man of the highest in- tegrity. He is a Republican in politics, and he and Mrs. Klanecky are members of the Cath- olic church.

On November 14, 1898, Mr. Klanecky was married to Miss Mary Benda, daughter of pioneers of 1882 in Valley county, who now live at Ord, having retired upon a well-earned competence. Three children have been born to this union, and all remain at the parental home, their names and respective dates of birth being here recorded: Anna, March 31, 1900; Frank, January 17, 1912; Agnes, Sep- tember 16, 1913.

CONRAD FLEISHMAN. - Among the early settlers of Custer county who have here made good use of opportunities, mention should be made of Conrad Fleishman.

Mr. Fleishman was born in Bavaria. Ger- many, February 26, 1849, and is a son of Heronomous and Barbara ( Haverman )

Fleishman, who spent their entire lives in Ba- varia. Conrad Fleishman was reared in his native land and in 1870, when a young man of twenty-one years, to escape Prussian mili- tarism, he came to the United States, landing in New York city. He went from there to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and as he did not have any trade he went to work on a farm, as the means of securing a living. For his services he received fourteen dollars a month as wages.

On October 16, 1876, at New London, Wis- consin, Mr. Fleishman was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Pulaski, who was born in Po- sen, Germany, August 25, 1853. She was a young woman of nineteen when she came to America and soon after their marriage the young couple went to Door county, Wisconsin, where they bought forty acres of land and where they made their home until they came to Nebraska in 1880. On coming to this state they resided one year in Phelps county, and in 1881 they came to Custer county and took a homestead in section 22. township 18, range 22. Not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made, but they set to work to de- velop a farm and make a home. Their first house was built of sod and was ten by twelve feet in dimensions. When the family outgrew this primitive domicile, Mr. Fleishman built a second one and later was built a third sod house, which still stands. In 1905 Mr. Fleish- man erected a modern, twelve-room, frame house, which constitutes as fine a home as can be found in the neighborhood. For many years he was actively engaged in farming, but he now rents his land and is living retired. He has been successful in his venture as a farmer in Custer county and to-day owns 640 acres.

Mr. and Mrs. Fleishman became the parents of nine children as follows: Anna is the wife of Henry T. Michele, a farmer of Dale valley ; George is engaged in farming near the old home: Frank, John, and Theodore are de- ceased, all having reached young manhood ; Agnes is teaching the home school: Matilda, now "Sister Genevieve," is in a convent at Gregory, South Dakota ; Leo is in the national army at the time of this writing ; and Minnie is a teacher in the Custer county schools. The family are communicants of the Catholic church.

After becoming a citizen of the United States Mr. Fleishman had the usual experi- . ences that fell to the lot of the early settlers, but he bravely met and overcame all obstacles and helped to make Custer county a better place in which to live. Mrs. Fleishman tells of the trip from Phelps county, when they drove an ox team and wagon. She says the

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HOME OF GEORGE FLEISHMAN

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old sod house had no window when she ar- rived, though there was a hole left in the wall for the window. These sterling pioneers have lived to see their children all grown and taking care of themselves in the world, and they can look back upon the past without regret and forward to the future without fear.

JAMES B. STONE .- It is not always Germany, Sweden, Bohemia or Ireland that furnishes the elementary thrift that flourishes and blossoms in the new land of the west. England, too, has furnished some of the sturdy sons who have rendered a remarkable service in county development. James B. Stone, whose name heads this paragraph, is a native of England and comes of English blood of rare and ancient lineage. He was born July 31, 1877. His parents were Henry and Sarah (Rich) Stone. The father was a farmer dur- ing most of his life, although for twelve years he worked on the Great Western R. R. in England, part of which time he was a fore- man. He came to the United States in April, 1886, and made his way to Custer county, where he landed without any money. He homesteaded on Clear creek, where he made his home for twelve or thirteen years. He then moved to Lee Park, where he lived for five years. He sold his homestead to Robert Stone, his brother, and moved into Valley county, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died July 20, 1918. His wife, the mother of James B., still owns the Valley county land but makes her home in Arcadia. There were five children in the family of Henry Stone. They were: Emma, wife of J. W. Christian, lives in Arcadia. Albert mar- ried Nettie Potter and is now living in Tay- lor, Loup county. The third born is the sub- ject of this sketch. Simon married Fannie Jewel and is living in Washington. Fred married Vina Stevenson and is living on a farm near Arcadia, Nebraska. The senior Stone was independent in politics and both he and his wife were members of the Meth- odist church. Young James received part of his education in England but finished in the schools of Nebraska. With his parents he came direct from England to North Loup and was driven from North Loup to the Robert Stone homestead, east of Comstock. His parents brought with them four children of their own and three children of Thomas Stone, a brother who had lost his wife, which made them a family of seven children, to look after on the long voyage across the water. They were thirteen days in making the trip. Thomas Stone, a brother of Henry and father of the

three children mentioned above, was one of the early settlers of this county. He now lives in Valley county. One of his children remained in England until she was 16 years of age.

John B. Stone was married August 24, 1904, to Minnie L. Luedtke, a native daughter of the West who was born and raised only two miles from her present residence. She is a daughter of August and Roselle (Cook) Luedtke. Her parents were Valley county pioneers. Both are now deceased. In their family circle were five children. He was a Republican in national politics, but independ- ent in county and state.

The Stones maintain a splendid and hos- pitable home and are hard working and thrifty people, obliging neighbors, always ready to contribute to those who need help and lend active assistance to any worthy cause. For ' years James B. Stone was a noted "gizzard eater," but the last few years he passes the dainty morsels over to his immediate younger generation, which consists of two sturdy boys and two splendid, blue-eyed girls.

GEORGE FLEISHMAN .- One of the younger agriculturists of Custer county who has made a success of his undertakings is the subject of this review.

George Fleishman was born at Sister Bay, Door county, Wisconsin, September 30, 1878, and is a son of Conrad Fleishman, whose rec- ord as a pioneer will be found on other pages of this volume.

Young Fleishman was a lad of four years when the family home was established in Cus- ter county. As a boy he watched the progress and growth, and as a young man he learned the best methods of planting and harvesting, under the guidance of his father. When he reached manhood he wisely chose the occupa- tion to which he had been reared, and while yet under the parental roof began farming for himself. For the past ten years he has occu- pied his present farm, a valuable tract of 160 acres, under a high state of cultivation, with as good a set of buildings as can be found in this locality, all of which have been put here by the present owner.

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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 150

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