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 81

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 81

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raiser and farmer by occupation, and his farm was situated seven miles northwest of Ne- braska City, where he died when his son Amos was but five years old. It should be made a matter of record that the late James O. Alexander was one of the valiant band of territorial pioneers in Nebraska. He came to Nebraska Territory in 1855, prior to the time when railroads had been constructed through this section of our national domain, and he lived up to the full tension of frontier life during the period of his early residence in the now prosperous and opulent common- wealth of Nebraska. He was a man of strong character, commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem and was affiliated with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows.

At an early age Amos O. Alexander began looking for ways by which he could earn money. When eleven years of age he worked for his brother. His brother permitted him to plant a small tract of ground with corn, and when, at maturity, the product was sold. it brought five dollars. This first five dollars looked bigger to Amos than many times that amount would to-day. He worked at home and went to school whenever opportunity of- fered until he was thirteen years of age. By this time his older brothers and sisters had married, and this left him at home with his mother and a younger sister. The situation challenged his strength and manhood. He must contribute to his mother's support. This he did by working on the farm, and from that time until the day of her death he charged himself with the care and support of his mother, who passed to the life eternal on March 29, 1918. The mother's farm was sold in 1892 and with her two younger chil- dren she came to Custer county and bought 160 acres, southwest of Arnold. As soon as Amos O. was of age he took a homestead on the same table, nine miles sowthwest of Ar- nold, where he made his home until he moved to Arnold, three years ago.

July 11, 1894, at North Platte, Nebraska, Mr. Alexander married Cora A. Dourte, of Nebraska City. Mrs. Alexander is a daugh- ter of John and Cordelia (Barnum) Dourte. In her father's family she was the only daugh- ter. She had three brothers, Edward J., San- ford B., and Myron J., and also three half- brothers, LeRoy G., Carl P., and Harley O.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander was enlivened, as the years went by, with five chil- dren - four boys and one girl. Warren. at the time of this writing, is somewhere in France, as a member of a supply company of the Fourth Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces. He is a graduate of the Arnold

high school. H. Nolan is a graduate of the Arnold high school and is now teaching near Arnold. He makes his home with his par- ents. Alva H. also is a graduate of the Ar- nold high school, is a mechanic by occupation and is working at home with his father. Ralph E. is a freshman in the high school. Constance, six years of age, is the pampered idol of the home. The home farm of the Alexanders, on Garfield Table, comprises 480 acres, with all necessary equipment and im- provements. At the present time they have retired from the farm and have a comfortable home in Arnold, where Mr. Alexander is building a new garage and machine shop, of brick and cement. The dimensions of the new building are 60 by 112 feet, with an upper story 60 by 60 feet. This gives over 10,000 square feet of floor space and when it is fin- ished the commodious building should insure a profitable business. Mr. Alexander is con- sidered one of the "live wires" of the com- munity, is an Odd Fellow by social connections and his high standing in the community will insure him a splendid business in his new en- terprise. His wife enjoys the same distinc- tion and esteem in the community.

WILLIAM R. YOUNG, M. D. - The career of Dr. William R. Young is strongly entrenched in the history of the medical pro- fession in Custer county. The thriving com- munity of Ansley, to which he came in 1897. offered a promising field for the young phy- sician, and the citizens who have watched his uprising have never had cause to regret the faith they placed in his energy, enthusiasm, and ability. He has grown into his opportuni- ties, has fashioned his resources to his needs. and has reflected dignity, sincerity, and genu- ine worth upon a profession for which he is singularly and admirably equipped.

Dr. William R. Young was born in Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, September 8, 1868, a son of Thomas and Jane E. ( Rutherford) Young. His parents were natives of England. his father immigrating to the United States alone, in young manhood, and his mother com- ing with her parents when a child. Thomas S. Young was a farmer by vocation, an occu- pation which he followed for a number of years in Pennsylvania, but later he moved to the vicinity of Williamsburg, Iowa, where he passed the rest of his life in agricultural pur- suits, his death occurring there in January, 1917, when he was eighty-three years of age. Mr. Young was a Republican in his political views and for a number of years served as postmaster at a country office. He was a

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Mason and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as was also Mrs. Young, who died in 1913, when sixty-four years of age. They were people who were highly es- teemed in their community, noted for their charities and their unfailing kindliness and hospitality. They had four children: Will- iam R., of this notice ; and Mary, Nellie, and Jennie, all of whom reside at Williamsburg, Iowa.

After completing his preliminary educa- tional training in the public schools of the country community in which his father's farm was located, William R. Young began his pro- fessional studies in the medical department of the University of lowa, in which institution he was duly graduated after a creditable col- lege career. He thus received his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1893. At that time he began his professional work at Marengo, Iowa, but after four years there came, in 1897, to Ansley, which has since been his home, the center of professional activities, and the scene of his rise and success. Through ability and splendid professional equipment he has stead- ily advanced in his profession and has built up a name for himself, while acquiring a large patronage. While the Doctor has been a gen- eral practitioner, being equally at home in the various branches of medical and surgical science, he has nevertheless specialized to some extent in the treatment and cure of diseases of the eye, ear, nose, and throat. Always a close and careful student, with a receptive mind, he has continued his studies and has taken several post-graduate courses - in New York, in 1907 ; three months in Chicago, in 1917 ; and two months in the latter city in 1918. He is a valued member of the Custer County Medi- cal Society, of which he was formerly presi- dent for several terms; the Nebraska State Medical Society ; the Missouri Valley Medi- cal Society ; and the American Medical Asso- ciation.

On August 22, 1894, Dr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Mae Roloson, who was born near Williamsburg, Iowa. They have 110 children. Dr. and Mrs. Young are mem- bers of the Christian church and are interested practically in religious, charitable, and edu- cational work and movements. He is a prom- inent Mason, having attained Scottish Rite degrees, and politically he is a Republican, al- though close application to the duties of his profession has kept him from active partici- pation in political affairs.

SAMUEL O. STERNER, who is one of the enterprising and progressive farmers of

Custer county and a well known and respected citizen, has spent almost his entire life in this county, for he was only one year old when his parents, James and Amelia ( Shaw) Ster- ner, here established their home. He was born in Appanoose county, Iowa, March 28, 1883, and is one of the seven survivors of a family of ten children, the others being: Mrs. Alice C. Ireland, Mrs. Flora Johnson, Mrs. Nevada Doggett, Charles W., George C., and Robert J. James Sterner was born in Ohio and his wife was born in Indiana. In politics he was a Republican, and his religious membership was in the United Brethren church. He brought his family to Custer county in 1884 and died here in 1891.

Samuel O. Sterner was only eight years old when his father died, and his boyhood mem- ories all linger about the first home, especially when pioneer hardships in Nebraska are the subject of conversation. His father located on Cliff Table and when the dry season came on, the lack of water became a very serious matter, as it had to be hauled from the Loup river, which was twelve miles distant. The family lived on Cliff Table for nine years, dur- ing a part of the time being able to secure water from the old Caswell place, which was distant less than a mile. Purchase was then made of the present homestead, which belongs to Samuel O. Sterner and which is situated on Spring creek, six miles northeast of Calla- way. This fine property has been managed by Mr. Sterner and its industries successfully carried on by him ever since he was sixteen years of age. Under the circumstances, this was a heavy responsibility, but anyone who can visit Mr. Sterner's well improved estate of 280 acres and see his ripening crops of grain - 175 acres under cultivation, eighty being in corn and the rest in oats, wheat, and rye - will readily assert that good judgment regulated his activities and that he has been well rewarded for his years of industry. Until 1911 Mr. Sterner's mother resided with him on the homestead, and she then purchased property at Callaway, where she has a very comfortable home.

Mr. Sterner was married September 21, 1904, at Broken Bow, Nebraska, to Miss Clara Knudsen, who was born in Custer county, and is a daughter of Nels and Anna (Tower) Knudsen, who were born in Denmark. Mrs. Sterner has one brother and one sister - Alphone and Mrs. Anna Reeder. Mr. and Mrs. Sterner have three children: Myrle, Orval, and Aunno, all of whom have been given good school advantages. Mr. Sterner has always voted the Democratic ticket. He is affiliated with the Brotherhood, with the

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Masonic fraternity and with the order of American Yeomen. As may be imagined, he has always been a man of activity and energy, and that these traits characterized him when he was still a boy may be illustrated by a story that Mr. Sterner sometimes tells of the first piece of money he earned. This was paid to him by David Moses, as a reward for sitting perfectly quiet on a chair for a period of ten minutes.

MRS. STELLA WATKINS. - The pio- neers of Custer county of the year 1885 in- cluded numerous emigrants from Illinois, many of whom settled permanently and assisted materially in the development of the agricul- tural and other interests of the county. Among these was the William family, whose members subsequently became well known and highly respected here, and among whom was a daughter. Stella, who is now Mrs. Stella Drum Watkins, and who for the past twenty- six years has been a resident of the northern part of Callaway, where she is widely known and has many sincere friends.

Stella William was born in Grundy county, Illinois, February 20, 1869. a daughter of Richard E. and Anna R. ( Teeter ) William. The father was a native of Wales, his parents coming to the United States when he was five years of age, and having settled in Illinois, where he was reared to manhood and where he married Anna R. Teeter, a native of ln- (liana. They became the parents of nine chil- dren, of whom seven are living: John T., Walter J., Ida ( the wife of Henry Wheeler), Anna ( the wife of Grant Patterson), Blanche (the wife of Zearl Ramzey), Gertrude (the wife of Roy Hussey), and Stella ( Mrs. Wat- kins). Richard E. William was engaged in farming in Grundy county, Illinois, until 1885, in which year he brought his family to Cus- ter county. Nebraska, and settled on Red Fern Table, twelve miles south of Callaway, where he and his wife still make their home. Mr. William, a man of remarkable energy, still oversees the operations on his 300 acres of crop-bearing land, although he has reached the age of eighty-one years, and his devoted wife, although past seventy-two years of age in 1918, is likewise alert in mind and active in body and performs all her own work, disdain- ing assistance. These sterling pioneers are greatly honored and respected in the com- munity in which they have lived so long, and in which they have displayed those excellencies of heart and mind that have endeared them to many friends.

When she accompanied her parents to Cus-

ter county Stella William was a young lady of sixteen years and was a graduate of the high school at Braidwood, Illinois. Subse- quently she attended the Custer County Teach- ers' Institute for six weeks, and she obtained her first certificate from Superintendent D. MI. Amsberry. She began to teach on Red Fern Table, where she continued her effective services two years. She was married August 25, 1887, to Charles B. Drum, a son of Dela- van Drum. His business was the sinking of hydraulic wells, a vocation in which he was successfully engaged until his death, Novem- ber 26, 1907. Four children were born to this union : Delavan C., who is clerk of the Mid- way Hotel, Kearney, Nebraska, married Ger- trude Bainbridge, daughter of Emmett Bain- bridge, and has a son and a daughter ; Harry E. ("Bud") lives with his mother and step- father; Erwin G., nineteen years of age, is a member of Battery E. One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Artillery, stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, at the time of this writing : and Stella May, who is residing with her mother and stepfather, and who is a graduate of Callaway high school, class of 1917, taught one term of school and is now a clerk in the postoffice at Callaway.

November 28, 1909, Mrs. Drum became the wife of Richard Watkins, a son of George and Lucy Watkins, and to this union there has been born one son: Richard W. Mr. Wat- kins has successfully followed the well-con- struction business in Custer county during a period of sixteen years, but is now engaged in farming in a successful way, on the prop- erty, north of Callaway, on which Mrs. Wat- kins has made her home for the past twenty- six years. They are the owners of 520 acres of good Custer county soil, which has been brought to a high state of productiveness and improved with modern buildings and the latest equipment of all kinds. Mr. and Mrs. Wat- kins are widely known in this community and are as widely respected. They are leading and consistent members of the Evangelical church, and politically Mr. Watkins is a Demo- crat.

OTIS H. MOOMEY, one of the substantial merchants of Broken Bow, and senior mem ber of the grocery and market firm of O. H. Moomey & Son, has been a resident of Custer county since 1892, and during the quarter of a century that has intervened he has been variously connected with the rising industrial and commercial interests of this section, al- ways to the benefit of himself and his com- munity.

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Mr. Moomey was born on a farm near Iowa City, Johnson county, lowa, on a property which belonged to his father, Peter Moomey, who had inherited it from grandfather Jacob Moomey, the original holder of the land from the United States government, from which he had secured it on a soldier's land warrant, as a veteran of the War of 1812. Jacob Moomey was a son of John Moomey, who was not only a veteran of the Revolutionary war hut also a member of the body-guard of General Wash- ington. In this connection Jacob Moomey was distinguished by the following incident : Close students of Revolutionary history will remem- ber, as related, that on one occasion a British officer through some means slipped through the American lines, rode up to the side of General Washington, and, raising his sabre, was intent upon the death of the patriots' com- mander. He was prevented from the deed by the prompt action of a private who thrust up his gun and received the blow, which was de- livered with such force that it cleft the gun barrel nearly in two, broke the sabre in three pieces and split the private's thumb to the bone, but saved the General's life. This pri- vate was O. H. Moomey's great-grandfather.

Mr. Moomey remained on the home farm with his parents until reaching the age of nine years, at which time his father, partly because of the death of a son and a daughter, his only other children at that time, sold his home and moved to Wilton Junction, Iowa, where he was engaged in the butcher business for two or three years. At the end of this period he moved to Keokuk county, Iowa, where he again engaged in mercantile lines, but, meeting with business reverses, he lost all that he had, and his son, Otis, then a lad of sixteen years. was thrown upon the world to make his own way. The manner in which he earned his first dollar is well remembered by him. It was in the fall of 1876 that he hired out to one Amos Quinn to work on what was then known as a "blind" or "mole" ditcher, at the then highest wage known, eighteen dollars per month. They used two yoke of oxen for the propelling power, and on the first morning Mr. Quinn asked the youth if he had any experience in driving cattle. On being answered in the nega- tive, the employer said: "Well, here is the best trained two yoke of oxen anybody ever had," and, handing the whip to the lad, con- tinued, "Now, as you have had no experience with cattle, I will give you a lesson in driving here in the yard before we go to work. Now the names of these cattle are, Buck and Bill, the leaders, and John and Red, the wheelers. You always want to stand on the left side of cattle when commanding them and when you

want to start say: 'Git up, Buck-Bill-John- Red,' and when you want them to stop say : 'Whoa.' If you want them to turn to the right say : 'Gee,' and to the left say : ‘Whoa- ha buck.' After a few lessons of this kind the employer said: "You see how good they are to mind. Now, boy, I want you to re- member I won't have you whipping these cattle, for they do not need it, and if I catch you at it I will fire you." After loading the beam on to the capstan, Mr. Quinn and the expectant, but by no means confident youth, started to the field, but before reaching their objective point they had to cross a large, muddy slough, in which they nearly mired down. Remarking that it was pulling the cattle too hard, Mr. Quinn threw off the beam, drove the capstan over where they were ready to start, and while he was setting it in place he sent the youth back with the cattle after the beam. The return trip was made in safety, but in turning the cattle around young Moomey got into trouble, for he picked up the whip and went to the wrong side of the cattle, with disastrous results. When he shouted : "Git up Buck-Bill-John-Red," the oxen began pulling first one way and then the other, and when he gave the command: "Whoa-ha buck," the cattle backed up and turned around, the youth having to run for his life to keep them from trampling him in the mud. However, some way in the scramble he hap- pened to get on the right side again, when the cattle righted up and he was able to deliver the beam to his employer in proper fashion.

This was the first and last work young Moomey did by the month. He conceived the idea that he would rather be his own employer and accordingly he rented a farm the next year and employed his parents to keep house for him. There he afterward met and married Ella, the second daughter of Lafayette Strick- land, who, during those days, was what was known as a "handy man," heing a carpenter and wagonmaker by trade, but later in life conducting a hardware and grocery store. To this union there were born two children: For- rest Beryl and Ferne, the latter of whom was called to the Heavenly Father when only two and one-half years of age. Worry over the loss of this child, and hard work in helping her husband to get a start in life, caused the mother to break down physically and, after a long siege of illness, when she was reduced almost to the point of being an invalid, Mr. Moomey decided to come to Custer county. Here he arrived in the fall of 1892, and here Mrs. Moomey soon regained her former health. She engaged in the millinery business at Mason City, occupying a portion of the

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room where Mr. Moomey conducted and owned a general store. After about nine years of prosperous business in these lines, they sold out and moved to a farm of one-half sec- tion, which they purchased and improved and which they later sold. Finding this profitable, Mr. Moomey engaged in the business of buy- ing town lots and pieces of unimproved land, building houses on them, and then selling. He operated principally, around Ansley, and was making a success of his ventures, but, as he himself puts it, "Like the story of the Indian : you may educate him and he will wear a plug hat and kid gloves for a while, but turn him loose and he will go back to the wigwam." So with Mr. Moomey. Upon being notified of the sudden death of Mr. Morrison, at Broken Bow, who had been engaged in the butcher business, Mr. Moomey and his son, familiarly known as Beryl, purchased the establishment from the widow, and after a year or two merged it into the present meat and grocery business, located on the west side of the Pub- lic Square, where they are doing a splendid business, under the firm name of O. H. Moomey & Son.

JOHN MARK SENNETT. - This is a story of a Pennsylvanian who transferred his activities to the central west, where he has made a record of which any man might well be proud.

John Mark Sennett was born on St. Valen- tine's day of the year 1859, in the good old state of Pennsylvania. His parents, James B. and Ruth Ann ( Hall) Sennett, were both native Pennsylvanians and were very excellent people of good standing in their home statc, whence they eventually removed to Lawrence county, Indiana, where, on a rented farm, the father conducted farming operations a few years. He then moved further west, and lo- cated near Hoopston, Illinois, where he con- tinued farming activities, on rented land, until the day of his death.

In the family circle of this worthy couple were nine children, eight of whom are still liv- ing: Edward, who lives on a farm in Custer county ; John Mark, who is the subject of this narrative, Frank, who is still a resident of Illi- nois, Mary, who is the wife of Richard Parks and whose home is in Illinois: Lizzie, who is the wife of Patrick O'Conner, living in Illi- nois ; Belle, a widow, whose home is at Hoop- ston, Illinois ; Adeline, who is deceased : Harry, who is living at Hoopston, Illinois, as is also Charles, the youngest member of the family.

Before the arrival of John Mark Sennett in Custer county, he had received his educa-

tion in the Hoosier state and had been well fitted for the business transactions incident to a farmer's career. In 1870 he left Indiana and journeyed as far west as Illinois, where he established himself upon a farm. He came to Custer county in 1884, when the county was but seven years old, and when pioneer conditions prevailed everywhere. He home- steaded a good quarter-section of land, began at once its improvement and by frugal habits succeeded in making his way and adding to his possessions. It seems that Hoopston, Illinois, still had attractions for him, for in 1893 he there led to the marriage altar Mollie Adeline Arihood, a young woman who was born in Tip- pacone county, Indiana, and who is a daughter of William Lawson Arihood and Almira (Peterson) Arihood, the father a native of Ohio and the mother of Indiana. Mrs. Sen- nett's parents came to Nebraska in 1906, and here the father died May 19, 1917, his widow now making her home with Mr. and Mrs. Sen- nett.

Mr. and Mrs. John Mark Sennet have four children - Ruby, and Jessie are popular teachers, having received their education in the Nebraska public schools and the State Normal School at Kearney: Harry and Harley are twins and are pursuing their studies in the home school. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

The first land Mr. Sennett owned was a Custer county farm. This he purchased and to the same he has added until to-day his land holdings in Custer county constitute a rounded section of 640 acres, providing for retirement in old age. Twenty-two town lots are to be marked down in the inventory of this success- ful farmer. Every do'lar of the Sennett possessions has been made by Mr. Sennett and his wife. In addition to the land owned in this county they have sixty-two acres in the coast region of Texas-a property that is very valuable and that is rapidly increasing in value as that country is developed. A large circle of friends in the entire community hold Mr. and Mrs. Sennett in high esteem and applaud the success which they have achieved during their years of residence in Custer county.

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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 81

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