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 159

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 159

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

WILLIAM H. POULSOM AND FAMILY

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passing away in 1917. They were the parents of six children, of whom five are living - Mrs. Elfreta Robinson is the wife of an Iowa farm- er; Rontha is the wife of Frank Austin, a blacksmith in Iowa; Charlotte is the wife of Charles Stout, an Iowa farmer ; Theodore is a blacksmith in Iowa ; and Emanuel is the sub- ject of this review. Emanuel Myers was edu- cated in the common schools of Iowa, and in the spring of 1886 hie came to Custer county, where for two years he operated a dray, at Ansley. In 1892 he began working for the Dierks Lumber Company, entering the service of that concern at Ansley, and subsequently being employed at Mason City and Greeley. In 1914 his health failed and he was practical- ly retired by the firm, which, in honor of his long, capable, and faithful service, granted him a pension which permits him to live comforta- bly in his home at Comstock. He is one of the reliable and highly respected citizens of his community and is a public-spirited supporter of worthy movements advanced for the general welfare. May 6, 1888, in Custer county, Mr. Myers married Miss Fannie Stoneburner, the daughter of pioneer settlers of Custer county who are now residents of Omaha. To this union there were born four children: Miss Gertrude, who is employed at Bragg's drug store, Comstock, resides with her parents ; Wil- lard, in the United States Army, is at the train- ing camp at Indianapolis. Indiana, at the time of this writing; Maudie is the wife of Russell Smith, employed in a drug store at Junction City, Kansas; and Miss Evelyn resides with her parents.

GEORGE W. THOMAS. - Custer county has a large number of retired farmers, the most of whom have contributed the efforts of their lives to improving their farms and by hard work and rigid economy have secured a competence upon which they can retire and spend the last years of their lives in compara- tive ease and comfort. One of them is the man whose name constitutes the title line of this sketch. He lives in Broken Bow on a five-acre tract upon which he has a comfort- able home and maintains a deminutive farm that gives him both exercise and recreation.

Mr. Thomas was born in Montgomery county, Missouri, June 7, 1857. He is a son of Joseph and Malinda (McCardie) Thomas, in the family of whom were five children. The first born, Presly Thomas, is a substantial farmer living in Illinois. The sub- ject, George W .. and his brother are the only two of the five children now living. The early

life of Mr. Thomas was spent in Missouri, where he had recourse to good public schools and very early in life turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. It was here that he met and led to the marriage altar, in 1875, Lora Fleener, whose parents were native Missour- ians and very excellent people.

Into the Thomas home, as the years have passed, three children were born. Blanche is married to a Custer county farmer named Bennett. Concerning Gordon, the second born, see extended reference elsewhere under the title line of his own name. Roy also lives in Custer county and is the subject of a life sketch in this volume.

The Thomas family came to Custer county in 1888. They had but little .of this world's goods, Mr. Thomas says, practically nothing. But they had energy and ambition and went to . work. He entered a homestead, filed on a pre- emption, and built the soddy in which the fam- ily was domiciled for several years. He now owns a full section of good land south of Ans- ley, which is well improved and upon which are two sets of farm buildings.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas passed through the trying ordeals of pioneer days and are now en- joying the well-earned reward of their toil and privations in early years. They are a well respected and highly esteemed family. Their church affiliation is with the Christian denom- ination.

WILLIAM H. POULSOM. - Living in the vicinity of Merna is a farmer of English extraction who came to the county only eight years ago, who brought with him a goodly por- tion of this world's goods and whose invest- ments and subsequent operations have rated him among the first of the farming class.

William H. Poulsom was born in Mon- mouthshire, England, September 15, 186I. He is a son of Daniel and Matilda Poulsom, natives of Bath, England, and fine people, highly connected with the Church of Eng- land : they were the parents of these children - James, Thomas, Matilda, Anna Reed, Emi- lie Orchard, William H., and Rosa Strange.

The first nineteen years of William Poul- som's life were spent in England, where he received a common-school education and where his first money was earned by raising and sell- ing garden produce from a little tract of land allotted him by his father from the main gar- den upon which the family depended for a livelihood. With the money thus earned, young William started a bank account of which he was exceedingly proud, and it can be said that

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that early bank account had a great influence upon his life and was in a measure responsible for the thrift of after life. When nineteen years of age he came to America. An older brother had preceded him to this country by twelve years and this brother was then located at Farragut, Iowa. It was to that locality that young William made his way, and there he worked for his brother on the farm for two years, being employed by the month. Wages in that day were small and he could earn but little by working by the month. Therefore he resolved to start farming operations for him- self as soon as possible. His brother helped him to start on rented land and after farming for himself two years he had funds enough to fit out a prairie schooner, with which he start- ed for Wahoo, Nebraska. He reached Wa- hoo in the spring of 1885, and in that locality he continued a land renter for six years. By that time he was able to buy 120 acres of land and later he was able to add forty acres, which rounded out the full quarter-section.

The domestic life of Mr. Poulsom dates from March 18, 1899, when, in Wahoo, Nebraska, he claimed in marriage the hand of Mary Jasa, a native of Wahoo, but of German extraction, she being a daughter of James and Frances Jasa, who were natives of Moravia, Germany, and whose four other children are here named : Frances Truna, Joseph, Nettie Truna, and James.

From its first establishment, the Poulsom home was well equipped and well provided with home comforts. In many ways it has been an ideal establishment of economy and convenience. Three children have come with the passing of years, all boys, full of ambition and promise. William J. is established on a portion of the home place, farming for him- self, a mile and a half southwest of Merna. He married Joy Cosner and they have one child. They are connected with the Baptist church. The second son, Frank T .. is con- nected with the American base-hospital corps and is somewhere in France at the time of this writing. He constitutes the Poulsom contribution to the man power of the govern- ment. Daniel P. is at home with his parents and has not yet finished the graded schools.

Mr. Poulsom sold his Wahoo possessions and arrived in Custer county in the carly spring of 1910. Here he purchased a valuable farm, to which he has since added until his landed possessions comprise 560 acres, upon which are three sets of good improvements. The farm home is on one portion of this tract, and every day Mr. Poulsom gives himself vigor- ously to farm work and direction. In his esti-

mation the time for his retirement or taking life easy has not yet arrived. From every point of view we have given the description of a successful and practical farmer. All the build- ings on the premises are in good condition. The stock is in good shape and indicates splen- did care and good feeding. The Poulsoms are rated well in the community and constitute one of the first families of the Merna district. Pa- triotism is not wanting in this family. Every appeal for war drives has met a generous re- sponse and nothing has been withheld that would contribute to the winning of the war.

WILLIAM D. REDMOND, vice-president and manager of the Farmers State Bank of Mason City, Nebraska, is not only prominent in the financial field, but has also won distinc- tion as an educator and as a factor in public affairs. A man of high scholarship; of long experience in responsible positions, in which he displayed keen, decisive business qualities ; honored in every community in which he has had his home; and with an acquaintanceship that extends over the state - his coming to the Farmers State Bank has not only brought added confidence to that substantial institu- tion, but has also added to Mason City's best ciizenship.

William D. Redmond was born in Lee county, Illinois, and is the next to the youngest of a family of eleven children born to John R. and Katherine (Bassett) Redmond. Both parents were born in Ireland, and both came to the United States in 1850. They were united in marriage in Connecticut, and from there came to Nebraska in 1871. John R. Redmond homesteaded in Johnson county, where he continued to live until his death, in 1905, in the meanwhile accumulating land un- til he owned 280 acres, all well improved. Be- sides William D., the following of his child- ren survive: Mrs. D. J. Turner, of Gridley, California : Mrs. Sara J. Platt, of Crab Or- chard, Nebraska ; Joseph R., of Colby, Kan- sas ; Mrs. Katherine R. Doolittle, of Tacoma, Washington ; Miss Madge V., of Kansas City, Missouri; John L., of Crab Orchard, Ne- braska; Dr. F. H., of San Antonio, Texas ; Miss Ella, of Crab Orchard ; and Mrs. L. C. Harnly, of Lincoln, Nebraska.

After completing his public-school course. in the Johnson county schools, William D. Redmond entered the Western Normal Col- lege at Shenandoah, Iowa, and was graduated in the advanced course of that institution. He then entered the educational field, holding a professional life-certificate and subsequently was principal of the schools of Crab Orchard

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and of Brock, Nebraska ; assistant state super- intendent of public instruction ; and registrar and financial secretary of two state normal schools, being in the former relation at Peru, Nebraska, and serving in the latter at Wayne, Nebraska. For a number of years Mr. Red- mond has been valued in the councils of the Democratic party, and while residing in Nemaha county he served two years as deputy county clerk, and in 1907 represented Nemaha county in the Nebraska legislature. Prior to coming to Mason City Mr. Redmond had banking experience at both Brock and Crab Orchard. In the fall of 1918 he bought a con- trolling interest in the Farmers State Bank, and its affairs are in a very prosperous condi- tion. He is affiliated with the Masonic fra- ternity, including the Order of the Eastern Star, and also with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen.

CHARLES NEWMAN, whose connection with the agricultural interests of Custer county commenced in 1886, has been a resident of this county ever since, with the exception of five years, from 1894 to 1899, which he spent in Idaho. He has brought to his work that unflagging industry which seldom fails of ac- complishment, and it is this factor that has brought him a desired success and gained him a place among the well-to-do farmers of the community.

Mr. Newman was born in Ohio, in 1873, a son of Thomas and Lucy Newman, the for- mer of whom is deceased, while the latter survives as a resident of Ohio. There were five children in the family: Charles ; Archie, who resides on a farm in Montana ; Mrs. Ro- berta Heckman, who died in Idaho; and Eva and Maggie, who still reside in Ohio with their mother. Charles Newman received his edu- cation in the public schools of Ohio and was brought up on a farm. In 1886 he came to Nebraska and located in Custer county, re- maining until 1894, when he went to Idaho and spent five years in that state. Returning then to Custer county, he bought his present farm, in section 4, township 71, not far from Mason City, where he has since made his home and achieved his success. This is a property of 160 acres, the greater part of which is under cultivation and highly de- veloped, and here Mr. Newman has engaged industriously in farming and in the raising of cattle, horses and hogs. His improvements are modest but of good, substantial quality and ample for all his needs, and he owns good machinery that lightens his labors and adds to his efficiency .. Mr. Newman is somewhat of

a mechanic and is capable of doing practically all of his own blacksmithing. His business methods have ever been honorable and straightforward, and his fidelity to engage- ments and faithfulness to friendships have gained for him the warm regard of his asso- ciates. Fraternally Mr. Newman is affiliated with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Newinan married Miss Mary Swanson, who was born in 1885, and they are the parents of four children, born as follows: Roberta, in 1905; Thomas, in 1907; Milford, in 1914; and Kenneth, in 1916.

JAMES F. COCHRAN .- Here is the sketch of a young man who occupies a posi- tion of great responsibility and who as a ranch manager and stockman is making a decided success in the south Loup country, where the scene of his operations is laid.

James is the son of Benjamin Franklin and Rebecca (Miller) Cochran, both of whom were natives of the Hoosier state. The father died at the age of thirty. The mother is still liv- ing, at the age of sixty. During his lifetime the father was a cooper by trade but at the same time followed farming for the principal part of his livelihood. The mother is a mem- ber of the Christian church. James came to Custer county and since then has been laying the foundation of what he hopes some day will be a comfortable fortune- one large enough to enable him to retire from active life. At the present time he has the manage- ment of the Hamer Ranch, owned by J. J. Boblits. This ranch consists of 3,280 acres, of which 380 acres are under cultivation. They handle 150 head of cattle, 150 head of hogs and a good grade of horses. The output of this ranch is the particular thing with which Mr. Cochran is charged. Ranches must pay, and when their operation is committed to a manager, their manager must assume a grave responsibility. This responsibility Mr. Cochran assumed and discharges in a very creditable manner. His wife was Eva Fritz, of Georgetown, Custer county. Mrs. Coch- ran comes from an emmiently respectable far ..- ily and although young in years she is well prepared to preside over the home they have made for themselves and which they hope to be the shrine of much happiness in the years to come.

Mr. Cohran is an independent voter. He owes no party political allegiance. He re- serves the right to do his own thinking and votes for candidates as their qualities and abili- ties appeal to his judgment. The Cochrans

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GEORGE M. PROBERT AND FAMILY

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are fine people, highly considered and in good standing in their neighborhood.

GEORGE M. PROBERT. - More than a quarter of a century has rolled by since George M. Probert, one of Custer county's most sub- stantial citizens, came here, and in the posses- sion of a fine estate and in the enjoyment of unqualified popular esteem, he has much to show for his twenty-eight years of effort. Mr. Probert is a native of the grand old state of Iowa, and was born in Clayton county, Janu- ary 13, 1860. His parents were James and Euphemia (Muir) Probert.

The parents of Mr. Probert were born in Muirkirk, Scotland, and they came to the United States in 1856 and settled in Clayton county, lowa, where they spent the rest of their lives. In Scotland the father had been an iron worker, but after coming to America he devoted himself entirely to agricultural pur- suits. In Clayton county he purchased land, which he developed and improved. He was one of the leading members of the Presby- terian church in his neighborhood. Eight children were born to James and Enphemia Probert and of these the following are living : Jeanette, who is the widow of Oliver Hall, lives at Viroqua, Wisconsin ; William, who is a re- tired farmer of Clayton county, lowa, married Mary Grim; George M. is the subject of this sketch ; and John, who is a farmer in Clayton county, married Nellie Davis.

George MI. Probert was afforded excellent educational advantages of those days, as gauged by the standards of the locality and period, and after completing the public-school course in Clayton county he afterward took a full commercial course in Upper Iowa Univer- sity, at Fayette. He remained with his father on the home farm until his marriage, and, in fact, he has been a farmer all his life. When he came to Custer county, in the spring of 1890, he not only brought with him his fan- ily but also a thorough knowledge of his voca- tion, as applicable to lowa land and climate, as well as four horses and a cash capital of $700. His first land purchase was eleven acres, and on that tract he did his first experi- menting on Nebraska soil. Like other set- tlers, he encountered unexpected hardships, during which he lost all his horses. Many of the settlers of that time became entirely dis- couraged and returned to their former homes, but Mr. Probert was made of sterner stuff, and through courage and determination he gradually overcame the early disadvantages and long has been established on a sound finan-

cial basis. His original land purchase was but the nucleus of his present large estate, of 880 acres. With him farming and stock- raising have been extremely profitable indns- tries. Mr. Probert has taken much interest in improving his land and when he erected his present handsome residence, he chose a beautiful site, locating it on an eminence over- looking the Middle Loup valley. His home is probably the finest rural residence in Custer county and is modern in every respect, with a hot-water heating system, running water, and acetylene lights.

Mr. Probert was married November 17, 1881, to Miss Margaret Clemens, at West Union, Iowa. She is a daughter of Hender- son and Margaret ( Wood) Clemens, who were born in Ireland and who came to the United States prior to the Civil war, in which Mr. Clemens served three years as a soldier of the Union. His business was farming. Mr. and Mrs. Probert have had six children, as follows: Le Roy, who conducts a garage and is also in the produce business at Sargent, Ne- braska, married Carrie Hartley : Blanche, who died June 18, 1917, was the wife of Thomas B. Murray; Ray E., who is a farmer near Sargent, married Bessie Grisham; Edna is the wife of Walter Sargent, who is, at the time of this writing, in the national army, in training at Camp Lee, Virginia. and Effie and Georgia remain at the parental home, the former being a popular teacher in the local schools. Mr. Probert is independent in politics. He is a man of recognized good judgment in all inat- ters and his neighbors of many years standing know that his word is ever as binding as a bond.

EDWIN LUND, one of the enterprising and progressive agriculturists of Custer county, is carrying on extensive operations in the vicin- ity of Mason City, where his father secured a homestead as early as 1881. The one which the son now occupies is not the original prop- erty, but he has been a resident of the same vicinity for thirty-seven years, and is known as a practical and capable representative of the vocation of agriculture as practiced in this part of the country.

Mr. Lund was born at Chicago, Illinois, August 22, 1876, a son of Ole and Moltic (Bahle) Lund. His parents were natives of Norway, who came to the United States as young people, the father about the year 1871, he locating at once at Chicago. Mrs. Lund's parents settled first in Michigan, but she was married at Chicago to Mr. Lund, who was

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GEORGE LASHI

MRS. GEORGE LASH

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working for the great packer Philip D. Ar- mour at that time and continued to do so for two years after their marriage. He then re- moved to Nebraska, and for more than two years was engaged in farming in Seward county, and in 1881 came to Custer county and secured a homestead, in addition to a pre- emption. He was still a poor man when he came to Custer county, but found here the op- portunity which he had sought, and through his untiring industry and antive ability worked out a creditable and satisfying suc- cess. He became the owner of 320 acres in the vicinity of his first settlement, but this he subsequently sold, and purchased land where his son Edwin is now carrying on op- erations, and where he owned a tract of 200 acres. This he continued to operate intelli- gently and successfully until his death, in 1902, at the age of sixty-three years. He was a well-read man in the Norwegian language. and was alive to all the important topics of the day, was a good and progressive citizen, and a staunch Republican. He was a member of the Lutheran church, as is Mrs. Lund, who survives him and resides in the state of Wash - ington. They were the parents of six chil- dren: Edwin, of this notice: Martin, a far- mer of Sweetwater, Nebraska; Marie, the wife of Ludwig Johnson, a farmer of the state of Washington ; Kearnel O., a farmer of that state; Albert, who works in a store and postoffice in Washington ; and Ella, who died at the age of six years.

The public schools of Custer county fur- nished the medium through which Edwin Lund secured his education, and when he reached manhood he choose farming for his life work. He has never followed any other vocation and at the present time is the owner of a half-section of land, in addition to which he farms his mother's homestead. He has proved successful in his undertakings and car- ries on his operations in a modern way and according to the most highly approved meth- ods. He has not found the opportunity or the inclination to enter actively into public life, and in his political sentiment is inclined to be independent, although, other things being equal, he favors the Republican party. With Mrs. Lund, he belongs to the Danish Lutheran church.

Mr. Lund was married in 1902, to Miss Mary Kirkegaard, who was born in Denmark. a daughter of Jens Kirkegaard, the owner of a small farm near Sioux City, Iowa. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lund: Lillian, born in 1904; Marvin, born in 1906; and Arnold, born in 1910, all attend - ing school : and Mildred, born in 1912.

GEORGE LASH. - The late George Lash was one of the old-time and well known citi- zens of the southern part of the county, where he established his home and with his good wife reared a large family of children, all of whom developed into splendid, progressive citizens.

He was born in Ohio. December 14, 1843. His father, Andrew Lash, was a prominent citizen of the Buckeye commonwealth. In the father's family were nine children. Gregory is living in Indiana; John has his home in Avilla. Indiana ; the third born was George, the subject of this memoir ; Anthony, Paul, and William are all living in Indiana; Elizabeth and Clara are deceased ; Christiana is not mar- ried and she resides in Indiana, as does also Mary, who married Mathew Sneeberger.

It was in the public schools of Ohio that George Lash received his youthful education, and there he passed his boyhood and young manhood days.

In 1880 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lash to Miss Maria E. Wright, a daugh- ter of Isaac and Rachel ( Mahaffy) Wright, and together they began the establishing of a home and laying the foundation for the com- petency they expected to have in store for old age. They became the parents of ten children all of whom are living: Hattie Romine is mar- ried to a farmer living near Cozad; William is at home: Francis Ezra, at the time of this writing, is in the service of the country and stationed at Camp Humphrey, Virginia ; Alice married Jesse Hovey, a Custer county farmer ; Flocey is working in Kearney ; Paul is another son in the service of the country and at this writing word has been received of his safe arrival in France, where he is serving in the medical department ; Andrew is in the infantry service and was located at Camp Dix, Massa- chusetts prior to going with his command to England: Flora is at home: Elsie lives at Kearney; and Arthur is helping on the liome ranch.

Mr. and Mrs. Lash came to Custer county in 1884. They came direct from Ohio and as soon as possible located a homestead, on which they established their residence. Mrs. Lash had almost more than her share of early-day privation and and pioneer experiences.

Mr. Lash worked in Kearney for three years, leaving his wife on the homestead to maintain the residence while he was away providing the means of sustenance. They had no furniture in the house except dry-goods boxes. Wood was scarce, and the second winter of her resi- dence here, Mrs. Lash says they burned hay, while during a subsequent winter they had

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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 159

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