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 153

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 153

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

The home that Mr. and Mrs. Garrison, es- tablished at the time of their marriage has been blessed with one child, Howard W., a bright lad who was born May 7, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Garrison made their home on the old homestead, where they conducted a gen- eral farming and stock-raising business, until the year 1913, when he took charge of and become general manager of the Walworth general merchandise store, which he had pur- chased about two years prior to this time. He is still conducting the business and has made it a profitable country store-a con- venience the neighborhood could not well do without. He is postmaster of the Walworth postoffice, is a Republican in politics and he and his good wife have many friends and are well respected in the community.

HENRY N. RAPP. - A substantial farm- er and well known and highly respected citi- zen of Custer county is Henry N. Rapp. who has been a resident of this section for the past twenty years and during the entire period has been engaged in general farming. Mr. Rapp came to Nebraska from Ohio and was born in Jackson county, that state, July 25. 1858. Ilis parents were Christopher and Mary (Spangler) Rapp. The father was born in Germany but the mother was born in the United States. Christopher and Mary ( Span- gler) Rapp were the parents of ten children and the following eight survive: Peter, who is a farmer near Brownsville, Oregon; John, who lives in Portsmouth, Ohio: Henry N., whose name heads this review: Christopher, whose home is in Fayette county, Ohio: Jo- seph W., who lives in South Solon, Madison county, Ohio : Katie, who is the wife of Charles Smith, of Dayton, Ohio: Lena. who is the wife of Henry Wells, of Lucasville, Scioto county, Ohio; and Anna, who is the wife of Philip Brust. of Chillicothe, Ohio. Christopher Rapp and his wife were good, Christian people and were members of the United Brethren church. Before the Civil war he voted with the Repub- lican party, but afterward he gave his political support to the Democratic party.

Henry N. Rapp attended the district schools in Ohio and assisted his father on the home farm. Since coming to Custer county he has acquired two quarter-sections of very fine land and has added greatly to its value by the im- provements he has made. He has been an in- dustrious man all his life and through hard work, backed by sound judgment, has devel- oped one of the best farms in the county.

Mr. Rapp was married January 18. 1885.

at Piketon, Ohio. to Flora Wilson, who was born in Ohio, July 11, 1865, and who died January 5, 1895, the mother of four children, the youngest being then aged two and one- half years. Concerning the children the fol- lowing brief data are available: Carl, who re- remains with his father and is associated in the work and management of the home farm, married Miss Opal Hatfield. and they have two children - Mildred H. and Velma Ione. Ernest, who resides at South Broken Bow, married Miss Esther Mauk, and they have two children - Ernest and Willa Mae. Leland, who is a resident of Spencer Park, married Miss Sylvia Simonson. Grace, whose death occurred March 7, 1918, was the wife of Will- iam Perkins, and she is survived by three children - Flora. Esther, and Harold.

For his second wife Mr. Rapp wedded Lizzie Pfund, who was born at Marysville, Union county, Ohio, on the 23d of October. 1865.

In politics Mr. Rapp gives his allegiance to the Democratic party. and he has been called upon to serve in various school offices in his district, including those of director, treasurer, and moderator. He is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and is a men- mer of the Methodist Episcopal church.

LOYD GLOVER, who is a representative of one of the old pioneer families of Custer county that is highly respected all through this part of the state, was born on his father's homestead near Comstock, Nebraska, Decem- ber 28, 1893. He is a son of Percy D. and Gussie (Lower) Glover, an extended sketch of whom, with the family history. will be found in this work.

Loyd Glover received a good, common- school education in his native county and has been a farmer and ranchman ever since he entered business life and has always main- tained his home in Custer county, where big things are done in the agricultural line. Mr. Glover is one of the experienced ranchmen employed by his uncle on his magnificent ranch of 1,040 acres, on which the finest of stock is raised and made ready for market. This ranch turns off Aberdeen Angus cattle, Percheron horses and Poland China hogs. The operation of such a modern ranch as this is a stupendous undertaking but is not be- vond the business ability of Custer county farmers, with their perfected methods and modern equipments.

Mr. Glover was married December 8, 1917. to Miss Lena Fountain, who is a daughter of J. G. and Rena (Lockhart) Fountain. The

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

1015

HENRY N. RAPP AND FAMILY

FRANK S. REED AND FAMILY

HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

parents of Mrs. Glover reside at Broken Bow, Nebraska, where Mr. Fountain is agent and telegraph operator for the Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy Railroad. Mrs. Glover has one sister and two brothers, namely: Inez, who is the wife of Ralph Taylor, who is a ranch- man near Whitman, in Grant county, Ne- braska; and Max and Roger, both of whom are serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, Max being a driver of an army truck, and Roger belonging to a ma- chine gun division. In politics Mr. Glover, like his brother Earl, is a staunch Republican but neither of them has desired any political rewards. Mr. Glover is a man of high per- sonal standing and recognized good citizen- ship.

FRANK S. REED: - All the honors of successful farming, stock-raising, and thrifty accumulation go with the man whose name forms the title of this review. Custer county has many men who have made a remarkable success of western farming, who have by their thrift and energy, produced a competence, and have given to the world children of whom they may well be proud. One among this number, and standing in the first rank, is Frank S. Reed. He is a native of Putnam county, Illi- mois, in which state he was born February 7. 1866. He is a son of James and Martha (Reed) Reed. The father was a native of the Buckeye state and the mother was born in Indiana. This excellent couple had in their family four children, all of whom have been an asset to their home communities. They are James W., Rose E. Huff, Annie Baker, and Frank S.

The fortunes and misfortunes of early years seem to have dealt severely with young Frank Reed. His mother died when he was seven years of age, and when he was only eleven years old he started out into the world to make his own living. He first hired to Aaron New- burn, for six dollars a month, and he stuck to the job for eighteen months, which was pretty good for a boy of his age. He never stopped work. In those early years he laid the foundation of his present-day thrift, and also formed the industrious habits that he has practiced all his life. When twenty-one years of age he thought it was time to take unto him- self a helpmeet, and accordingly, on January 31, 1877. at York, Nebraska, he married Miss Emma Jacobson, a daughter of Oscar and Zuba (Thompson) Jacobson. The young couple established a home for themselves and this was the beginning of their successful ac-

tivities, which have culminated in substantial rewards for early privation, and long years of excessive toil.

To Mr. and Mrs. Reed were born eight children : Oscar married Julia Huff and is now farming for himself, fifteen miles southwest of Broken Bow. James E., who is farming in Custer county, married Nannie Dutton, and they have one child, a little girl. John W. married Gladys Predmore, a daughter of Henry Predmore. They live on a farm four and one-half miles south of the county seat. Henry is one of the gallant young Custer county boys who have given service in the national army in the great world war, and he is in France at the time this sketch is in prep- aration. Charles married Flossie Palmer and assists on the home farm; Frederick, aged seventeen years; Clara, aged fourteen, and Hattie, aged eleven, are at home. The mother of this family passed away January 14, 1918, at the age of fifty-three years.

Mr. Reed came to Custer county in 1884, and after he had worked seven months with Levier Cramer he went back to York county, Nebraska, where he remained until 1895. Then a renewed desire to try his luck in the "big county" brought him back, and this time he located six miles northwest of Broken Bow. Against this place was a mortgage of $350, which afterward took the place, as the young man did not believe he would be able to pay the debt. The same land today is worth fifty dollars an acre. For a time Mr. Reed was in partnership with Judge Reese, and during the four years he was with the Judge he succeeded in saving a nucleus of $1,000, which has since expanded into his present-day possessions. From this on, Mr. Reed's accumulation of property and stock and land was rapid. For- tune seemed to smile upon his investments and his labors, and to-day there is no more thrifty or substantial farmer anywhere in the central portion of the county. He owns 2,400 acres of good land, not far from the county seat. Ile lives in a beautiful farm home, and has all equipments that a farm of that size re- quires. He has a splendid assemblage of live- stock and everything calculated to contribute to profitable farming.

If Frank Reed has not already entered upon retirement and living at ease, it is from force of habit; the habit of work lingers with him at the present time, and it is hard for him to leave the farm, as he might well afford to do. Elsewhere in this volume will be found a pic- ture of immense corn piles, illustrating the agricultural resources of the county. These piles of corn were raised by Mr. Reed, on his present farm.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

THEODORE RIDDER AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

ARNOLD KRBEL, who is a member of one of the pioneer families of Custer county, and at present the only representative of the Krbel family residing here, owns a large and well improved farm and, as a recent venture, has embarked in the business of raising pure- bred Holstein cattle and White Chester hogs.

Arnold Krbel was born January 11, 1875. in the village of Hluboky, province of Mora- via, Austria, and is one of a family of eight children, all of whom survive, born to his parents who are Joseph and Annie ( Nemec) Krbel. They came to the United States in 1881 and to Custer county, Nebraska, in July, 1882, and homesteaded. In the spring of 1896 they left this farm and moved to Madison county, where the father followed farming until 1901, when he retired and moved to Omaha, where both parents live in much com- fort. They are faithful members of the Catholic church. The father is a Democrat in politics. Line many others who have come to the United States in search of home and fortune, they had little capital to invest and for a long time had to work hard and endure many deprivations. They found compensa- tion, however, for their labors and now be- long to the substantial class and enjoy the re- spect and esteem of all whom know them, be- cause of their fine qualities.

When Arnold Krbel went to school in boy- hood in Custer county, the sessions were con- ducted in a sod house, which undoubtedly had its advantages as well as disadvantages and was the only available place at that time. He assisted his father and helped him prove up on the homestead, remaining under the home roof until he was nineteen years of age. Dur- ing the following seven years his line of em- ployment led him to travel all through the northern states, but in 1901 he returned to the homestead in Custer county and has con- tinued here ever since. He has 320 acres of valuable land and the property is improved in the way of handsome and substantial build- ings, adequate to carry on a large farm where its industries are conducted in a modern way. In addition to the stock mentioned above, he is interested also in raising a good strain of Shire horses. He can remember the time when his father had to draw water from a well 200 feet deep, with the help of the great strength of oxen. Those methods are no longer in use on Mr. Krbel's farm, a huge modern windmill doing the pumping, and other labor-saving devices may be noticed in other directions.

Mr. Krbel was married September 10, 1900, to Miss Anna Chalupa, who died July 28, 1910, leaving two sons, Edward and Emil,

both of whom are at home. Mr. Krbel was married, second, July 13, 1912, at Omaha, to Miss Stazie Scheinost, and they have one child, who bears her mother's name.

In politics Mr. Krbel is a Republican and at times he has served in public office, for two terms being road supervisor and was con- sidered a particularly efficient official. He is treasurer of School District No: 186. In many ways he has shown a spirit of enter- prise very commendable. He owned and op- erated the first telephone line in this vicinity, having subscribers over the whole northeast section of the county, from Comstock to Sar- gent. He operated it very satisfactorily for some six years and then sold the line to the subscribers. Mr. Krbel belongs to the C. Z. B. J., a Bohemian organization.

Arnold Krbel was chief registerer for Sar- gent township No. 2 at the first registration, June 5, 1917, and also at the second registra- tion, September 12, 1918. He was also chair- man at the registration for the Fourth Liberty Loan drive.

THEODORE RIDDER is the owner of a large and well improved ranch and is a ster- ling citizen who has so applied old-country thrift and frugality to Nebraska conditions, that flattering success has attended his efforts.

Theodore Ridder was born November 23. 1865, in Germany, where his parents, Henry and Sophia ( Beckman) Ridder were born in the province of Westphalia. The father was a hardworking farmer and managed to pro- vide for his family of ten children - Joseph, Theodore, Henry, Arnold, Frank, Bernard, Herman, Mrs. Mary Smith are living, and two other children are deceased.

In 1883, when Theodore Ridder was seven- teen years of age, he and his eldest brother, Joseph, came to the United States and made their way to West Point, Nebraska. Here Theodore hired out for twelve dollars a month. Within the following year the father and mother came to this country and bought a quar- ter-section of land in Cuming county. Young Theodore worked with his father for a short time, and he then rented land and started farming for himself.

He was married October 2. 1889, at West Point, Nebraska, to Elizabeth Praest, a daugh- ter of John and Catherine ( Paschada) Praest. The Ridder home was then established, and ever since that time has been maintained, on the American plan of comfort and plenty. Mr. and Mrs. Ridder became the parents of twelve children, eleven of whom are living: Henry,

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

who is a farmer living near Callaway, married Elmita Poston ; they have two children. Cath- erine is the wife of Albert Pandorf, residing on a farm near Callaway, and they have three children. Sophia is a graduate pharmacist, having received her education in St. Joseph Convent, Milwaukee. John, who is a farmer living near Oconto, married Opal Poston, and they have one child. Christina, who was edu- cated in the St. Joseph Convent at Milwaukee, is teaching at Peoria, Illinois. Bernard and Alois, who are attending high school, remain at home. Albert, Mary, and Clara are in the rural school. Master Paul is three years of age, and on him devolves the responsibility of ordering home affairs largely to his sweet will.

Theodore Ridder was fortunate enough to receive, from his father, ninety-five acres of land in Cuming county, at the time of his mar- riage. He farmed this several years and then went to Stanton county and bought 320 acres, where he farmed and raised stock for eleven years. He then sold out and bought a ranch of 2.300 acres in Wheeler county. After keep- ing this five years, he sold out and came to Custer county, where he bought 4,000 acres, six miles west of Callaway. This is to-day a very valuable property, and here he conducts a general farm and live-stock business. He is a breeder of registered Hereford cattle and handles live stock extensively. He has built a modern residence, which is lighted with elec- tricity and contains every home comfort. In addition to the fine property just mentioned, Mr. Ridder owns also a tract of about 3,000 acres near Oconto, this county.

Mr. Ridder's first money was made by rais- ing pigeons, which he sold in a town of his native country for eight cents a pair. Com- pared with his extensive operations of to-day, this would seem small business. But the day of small beginnings is not to be despised, as Mr. Ridder has demonstrated. The Ridders are a fine family and a credit to the county to which their home is a contribution.

BERT L. ORVIS. - This sketch concerns a young farmer just on the threshold of mid- dle life, who has already made a marked suc- ter and later on farms. He was a robust to all the homage and distinction due to early pioneers. His farm home is in the vicinity of West Union, garden spot of all the territory lying north of the Middle Loup. Bert L. did not go out of the county to find a birth place. The stork charged with the responsibility of

bringing young farmers to the earth missed Sargent by only a short wing-stroke and landed the subject in a farm home near that city, April 18, 1882.

His parents were John R. and Chaney (Sweet ) Oris, themselves natives of New York, but Custer county pioneers from an early date. The father was a farmer for most of his life, made his home in the state of Illinois until 1863, when he moved to Iowa, locating in Fayette, where he established him . self in the general mercantile business. In the spring of 1877 he loaded his family and possessions into a covered wagon and drove overland into Custer county. Caravans of that kind were very frequent in that day. He located in West Union and filed on the piece. of land which is now the home farm of Bert L. In West Union he put up a store, black- smith shop and also for a time operated a hotel. This was in the old town of West Union and but a short distance from the old homestead. The senior Orvis lived on the farm until 1905 when he sold his interest to his son, Bert L., and retired to Sargent, where he erected a beautiful home and where he- ended his days, March 7, 1910. His widow still survives and occupies the Sargent home. They were the parents of eleven children, only seven of whom are living at the present time.

Bert L., the product of Custer county, re- ceived his education in the district schools near Sargent and early directed his attention toward farming, close application to which. has made him very successful. With the com- ing of manhood, like most young men, his fancy turned to thoughts of love, and on March 3, 1902, in the city of Broken Bow, he led to the marriage altar Miss Lulu Garri- son. The wife is a daughter of George and Amanda ( Maple) Garrison. a substantial pioneer couple who settled in the Walworth vicinity in 1882.

Since marriage Bert L. and his wife have maintained an excellent home, which the years have blessed with four children : Ruth, Hal, Elton, and Lysle are a splendid quartet of young Custerites and are full of life and prom- ise. Like the children of every family, they hold the keys to the future and bid fair to extend and expand the commendable char- acteristics of their parents to the coming gen- cration.

The farm home, which was the original homestead of the father, is well improved with good buildings, is in a high state of cul- tivation and well stocked for successful and' profitable farm operations. A general farm- ing operation, with stock raising and feeding,.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

is successfully conducted by Mr. Orvis and he and his good wife enjoy an enviable repu- tation in their home community.

STEPHEN MAPEL. - The north coun- try along the Middle Loup river is one of the best improved sections of the county. It has long rivalled the famous South Loup or the celebrated West Table. Each of these sec- tions, resourceful as they are, are indebted for their reputation to the stalwart pioneers who developed their resources and gave them a wealth of improvement. One of the men who . has contributed to the Sargent region is the subject of this sketch.

Stephen Mapel is a native of old Pennsyl- vania, the land of iron and red blooded Amer- icans. He was born in Greene county, Decem- ber, 20, 1860. His parents, Stephen and Ruth (Furman) Mapel were both natives of the same state. The father was by trade a blacksmith and miller, yet for the most of the time he was a farmer as well. He learned the blacksmithing trade before he was twenty- one and later became an expert miller but followed it but a few years, spending the re- mainer of his life on the farm. He died in the 78th year of his age, in Taylor county, Iowa. He and his good wife were the par- ents of ten children, six of whom are still liv- ing. Stephen and his brother Thomas, now living in Sargent, are the only ones in this county.

Young Stephen grew to manhood in Iowa and received his education in the Iowa public schools. It was here that the fundamental principles which have stood him so well in hand during his farming career were deep laid in his youthful character. With his face turned toward the great west, he left the Hawkeye state in 1883 and came to this county, where he homesteaded near Lillian. He disposed of this place later and then, in 1889, on the 25th day of January, he joined himself in marriage to Charlotte V. Banning, the daughter of Ephraim and Ruth (Reed) Banning. The Bannings were Custer county pioneers, having homesteaded here as early as 1883. He died in 1901. The Mapels have always maintained a comfortable home, around which are every indication of thrift and industry. They have five children : Jessie R., who is the wife of Fritz Dressen and lives between Walworth and West Union ; Mary is the wife of Richard Dressen and lives near Walworth; D. Lulu married M. Doak and lives at Craig, Colorado ; H. R. Clare and Howard C. are at home. Mr. Mapel operates 200 acres of land, upon which

he has good improvements and good stock. He makes a specialty of dairy cows and finds the production of cream a very profitable part of farming. He is one of the leading spirits of the community, the treasurer of school district No. 13, a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist church.

Speaking reminiscently of early days, Mr. Mapel says that James Oxford was the first settler who fenced his pasture; that Still- man Gates was the first man to put up a wind mill and that he and his brother were the first owners of a self-binder in that section of the country.

MRS. MARY KLAPAL, who is very well known in Custer county and highly respected and esteemed everywhere, owns a large body of well improved land and is one of the county's most successful raisers of White Face or Hereford cattle. Mrs. Klapal came to Custer county with her husband in 1885 and no one is better qualified to tell of the privations that the pioneers here were forced to endure, and is a notable example of what a courageous, frugal and resourceful woman can accomplish. She was born in Bohemia, September 8, 1863. Her mother died when she was five years old, but her aged father ·survives and is a comfortably retired resi- dent of Omaha, Nebraska.

John Sekera, father of Mrs. Klapal, was born in Bohemia and belonged to the labor- ing class. As his own country at that time could offer little opportunity for a man, no matter how industrious, to get ahead in the world, he decided to immigrate to America, as many of his countrymen had already done, and had prospered in different parts of the United States. He took passage for New York on an old sailing vessel, in 1868, and in due time was landed safely. He had but 50 cents when he faced life in the strange city but he immediately secured work as a laborer on near-by farms and saved his money until he had sufficient to transport him to Omaha, Nebraska. There he went to work in a smel- ter and later on farms. He was a robust mman or he could not have endured the hard work he engaged in, as he very often had to walk to and from his place of employment, the entire distance from Omaha to Fremont and Grand Island, on account of there being no rail transportation at that time. It was after the death of his first wife that he left Bohemia and later on he was married again, in America. Of his five children, two died in

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

BORTON F. RIGGLE AND FAMILY

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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 153

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