History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time, Part 108

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849-
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company
Number of Pages: 1120

USA > Nebraska > Gage County > History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time > Part 108

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

faith as represented by this denomination in Switzerland.

ANTON SCHEIDELER. - For the past seven years, Mr. Scheideler has been conduct- ing a billiard hall in the city of Wymore and is well known for his progressive spirit. Mr. Scheideler was born August 28. 1887, in Gage county, Nebraska, and is the son of John and Anna (Loibl) Scheideler. A sketch of John Scheideler appears elsewhere in this volume.

Anton Scheideler was educated in the pub- lic schools of Gage county, and after finishing his education farmed for some years previous- ly to his coming to Wymore, in 1911, and opening the billiard hall. He has an up-to-date establishment and sells tobacco, cigars, and confectionery in connection with his billiard hall.

February 11, 1914, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Scheideler and Miss Nina Miller, of Blue Springs, the home and birthplace of the bride. Her father, Oliver Miller, resides in Blue Springs, and for a number of years has been employed by the Burlington Rail- road. Two children, Ruth and Ollie, have come to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Scheideler.

Mr. Scheideler votes the Democratic ticket, is serving his community as one of the county supervisors, and is always taking a keen in- terest in all civic, social, and political affairs. Mrs. Scheideler is a member of the Christian church and he is affiliated with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows.

WILLIAM A. McMICHAEL. - Among the many progressive farmers of Blue Springs township, Mr. McMichael is considered to have done his share in adding to the general prosperity of the township.

William A. McMichael was born in Ireland, August 12, 1849, and is the son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Anderson) McMichael. They were natives of Ireland and were tillers of the soil. Andrew McMichael died in the home country and after his death, his wife immi- grated to the United States. She established

her home in Pennsylvania, where she passed the remainder of her life.

It was in 1867 that William McMichael lo- cated in Pennsylvania, upon his arrival in this land of opportunity. For a short time he was employed as a farm hand, but within the year he moved to Indiana, where he remained until his coming to Gage county.

The marriage of William A. McMichael and Miss Nancy Jane Harris was solemnized September 8, 1870. She is a sister of George S. Harris, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. McMichael the following record is entered : Annabelle is the wife of Pedro Gumaer, of Wymore township; Maggie May is the wife of P. R. Lewis, of Blue Springs township; Lizzie Jane is the wife of Elton Smith, of Blue Springs township.

In 1878 Mr. McMichael came to Blue Springs township, where for nine years he rented land before purchasing eighty acres of land, at twenty dollars an acre. Eleven years later he sold the property for thirty dollars an acre. He then purchased one hundred acres of land in Section 16, Blue Springs township, later selling twenty acres of this farm. Here he now resides in his newly built home, equipped with all of the conveniences to make life worth living.

The Republican party receives the political support of Mr. McMichael and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.

DAVID N. BURROUGHS gained place as one of the enterprising business men of Be- atrice, where his activities have been of im- portant scope in the buying and shipping of live stock, in which special field he has given in later years much attention to the handling of horses and mules, of which he purchased six hundred head in the winter of 1917-1918.

Mr. Burroughs was born in Mills county, Iowa, on the 22d of August, 1869, and is a son of William and Sarah (Purcell) Bur- roughs, who came to Nebraska in the pioneer days and took a homestead claim in Jefferson county. William Burroughs was born in the state of New York and his widow is a native

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

of Kentucky. Mrs. Burroughs is a daughter of Andrew Purcell, and in 1918 she resides in the city of Beatrice. She is eighty-one years of age at the time of this writing, in the spring of 1918, and is held in affectionate re- gard in the county that has so long represent- ed her home. The late William Burroughs came with his family to Jefferson county, Ne- braska, in 1878, and later he established his residence upon a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Gage county. He developed this into one of the fine farms of the county and there he continued his activities until he sold the property and removed to the village of Fairbury. Later he established a home in Beatrice, and here he passed the remainder of his long and useful life. William and Sarah Burroughs became the parents of six children: Louise is the wife of Thomas Roach, who has long been in railway service in the city of Omaha ; May is the widow of R. H. Robinson and resides in the city of Be- atrice; Mattie is the wife of Wallace Weigel, yardmaster of the Union Pacific Railroad at Beatrice; David N. was the next in order of birth and is the immediate subject of this re- view ; Henry Bryson is a resident of Kansas City, Missouri ; and Della is the wife of Frank Pickner, of Omaha.

David N. Burroughs acquired his youthful education in the public schools of Beatrice and after leaving school he was identified with the meat-market business four years. He then turned his attention to the buying of horses and mules, and in this specific line of enter- prise he has conducted a prosperous business for fully a quarter of a century. He has gained recognition as one of the most pro- gressive and authoritative buyers of such stock in this section of Nebraska, and his operations have reached large volume in connection with the national preparation for participation in the great world war.

In 1892 was recorded the marriage of Mr. Burroughs to Miss Rebecca A. Busey, who was born in the state of Iowa, a daughter of John A. and Anna (Beals) Busey, natives of Pennsylvania: Mr. Busey was engaged in farm enterprise in Iowa until 1888, when he

came with his family to Gage county and ac- quired land which he reclaimed and improved into a productive farm, his father, who like- wise bore the name of John, having been a very early settler of this county, where he ac- quired many hundred acres of land, the estate being divided among his children after his death. For seventeen years John A. Busey, father of Mrs. Burroughs, served as a guard at the Nebraska state penitentiary, at Lincoln, and he was the incumbent of this position at the time of his death. His wife is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Burroughs have three chil- dren - Rolland and Bryson A. are now resi- dents of the state of Wyoming, and Gladys is attending the public schools, as a student in the high school.

Mr. Burroughs is a stalwart in the camp of the Republican party, and he served for short and varying intervals as an extra deputy sher- iff of Gage county. He is affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

HENRY H. FEERHUSEN. - In the years that have passed, many illustrious citi- zens have gone to their reward, but the im- press of their lives and the evidence of their labors are to be found on every hand. Among the number whose lives and deeds should be recorded in this history of Gage county is he whose name initiates this memoir. Henry H. Feerhusen was born at Alton, Illinois, on December 12, 1861. His parents, Otto and Frances (Schoen) Feerhusen, were natives of Germany, and in 1864 they came from Illi- nois to Nebraska Territory. They became residents of Nebraska City, but were farming people and thus well equipped for pioneer ex- perience and responsibilities. They spent the remainder of their lives in this state.

Henry H. Feerhusen was the oldest of a family of seven children. He was early taught the value of industry, and when quite young was thrown upon his own resources. When he left home he went in debt for a pair of overalls and a jacket. He was the sole possessor of one shoe and one boot, but was fortified in undaunted determination to suc- ceed. In 1885 Mr. Feerhusen came to Gage

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

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HENRY H. FEERHUSEN

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

county, Nebraska, and began farming as a renter in Adams township. By carefully sav- ing his earnings he was able to invest in one hundred and sixty acres of land, wholly unim- proved. He set to work improving and de- veloping a new farm, and as the years passed he prospered in his undertaking. At the time of his death he was the owner of four hundred acres of valuable land, with a good set of buildings. He dealt extensively in cattle - buying, feeding, and shipping - and in his undertakings, by the display of good judg- ment, he was able to accumulate a competence.

For a wife and helpmeet Mr. Feerhusen chose Miss Louisa Staack, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 2, 1869, a daughter of Henry and Lydia (Cook) Staack, both natives of Germany. The par- ents came to Nebraska about forty years ago and located at Nebraska City, where they were residing at the time of their death.

Mr. and Mrs. Feerhusen became the par- ents of seven children, as follows: Forrest died in 1912, at the age of twenty-three years ; Jesse died in 1890, at the age of six months ; Victor remains at home with his mother; Ira died in 1912, at the age of eighteen years ; Lee is at home; Harriet is attending the Adams schools ; and Velura is at the maternal home. The death of the sons Forrest and Ira, both of whom passed away in 1912, was a very severe blow to the family. They had become of great assistance to their father and were good judges of live stock as well as well versed in the best methods of farming. Grief over the loss of these two boys no doubt has- tened the death of Mr. Feerhusen, who passed away April 14, 1914. His widow still resides on the old home farm, which is managed by her two sons, Victor and Lee. She is doing all in her power to accomplish what was the ambition of her husband, and her surviving children are being given every possible ad- vantage.

Mr. Feerhusen was a devoted member of the German Lutheran church, and in politics he cast his ballot for the men and measures of the Republican party. He rendered effi- cient service as a member of the school board,

the cause of education finding in him a stal- wart champion. Henry H. Feerhusen was one whose life measured up to the full stan- dards of citizenship and manhood, and his passing called from earthly activities one whom his family and the community could ill afford to lose.

GERD GERDES has maintained his home in the United States for more than half a century, and in Gage county he has done his full share of the reclamation and development work that has made it possible for the younger generation to enjoy the fruits of the labors of the early settlers. Gerd Gerdes was born November 9, 1851, in East Friesland, Germany, and he came with his parents, Gerd and Trintye (Janssan) Gerdes, to America, the family having settled in Missouri. Con- cerning the family ample record is given on other pages of this history, in the sketch of John L. Gerdes.

The section of Missouri in which the Gerdes family established a home upon com- ing to the United States was still in a wild and uncultivated condition, the homes of only a few straggling settlers dotting the rolling prairies. In 1882 Gerd Gerdes and his brother, John L. Gerdes, came to Gage county, Nebraska, and purchased land in section 32, Barneston township. In 1883 they came to build their homes upon their newly purchased land. A sod house, thatched barn and the rude implements of agriculture were the means by which they set to work to wrest from nature her treasures of wheat and corn. As the years have passed and science has helped the strong arm of the farmer, the land has been more easily tilled and more pro- ductive each successive year.

Mr. Gerdes has added to his original pur- chase and is now the owner of two hundred acres of finely cultivated land. The crude sod hut and barn have been replaced by a good modern house and other excellent farm build- ings that show the thrift and prosperity of the owner. The rude farmi implements have been replaced by the modern ones, which make the work easier and more effective.

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Under President Cleveland's administra- tion Mr. Gerdes was postmaster of Aurich, Nebraska, and for many years he served as township treasurer. He is now a member of the district school board. In politics Mr. Gerdes is an advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, but he is independent in his views, and feels that if this party does not advance as good a man for candidate as the opposing party, he will vote for the better man, regardless of his party. Mr. Gerdes' sister, a widow, is making her home with him and presides over the domestic economies of the pleasant farm residence.

J. D. CARPENTER is the owner of a well improved farm estate of two hundred and forty acres in Rockford township and while he has lived virtually retired for the past decade, he has been a specially successful ex- ponent of agriculture and live-stock industry in the county that has represented his home for somewhat more than thirty years. He now resides in the city of Beatrice.

Mr. Carpenter was born in Washington county, Maryland, May 12, 1851, and is a son of Jeremiah and Susan (Cross) Carpenter, the former of whom was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1819, and who at- tained to the patriarchal age of ninety-eight years, his wife having been born at Boones- boro, Maryland, in 1833, and having been summoned to eternal rest in 1902, he having survived her by about seven years. Their marriage was solemnized at Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and in that locality they con- tinued to reside until they had reared their children to adult age. After the Civil war, in the early '70s, they came to the west and numbered themselves among the pioneers of Gage county. Jeremiah Carpenter purchased a farm near Pickrell and there continued his activities for a term of years, both he and his wife having been residents of the village of Ellis at the time of their death and he having been nearly eighty years of age when he left his farm and retired from the active labors that had long been his portion. This sterling pioneer couple became the parents of seven

sons and two daughters and concerning those now living the following brief record is avail- able: Henry, who was for many years en- gaged in contracting and building and who also achieved success as an apiarist, is now living retired in Los Angeles, California ; Jonathan, a stonemason and contractor, resides at Lib- erty, Gage county; Theodore is a retired farmer residing in Beatrice; Levi is engaged in farming near Polo, Illinois; J. D., of this review, was the next in order of birth; Martin L. is a retired farmer residing in the city of Beatrice.

In his earlier life Jeremiah Carpenter was a Democrat in politics, but he transferred his allegiance to the Republican party about the time of its organization and ever afterward supported its principles. His father, Henry Carpenter, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and continued a resident of the old Keystone state until his death.

J. D. Carpenter gained his early education in the schools of Maryland and northern Illi- nois, and his first independent work in his youth was that of canvassing in the rural districts of Illinois. With the funds thus ac- quired he purchased ten acres of land in Noble county, that state, and after having cut and sold the timber on this tract he went to Minnesota, where he worked in the pine for- ests, in connection with pioneer lumber opera- tions. There he was thus engaged during the winter seasons for a period of about five years, and in the summers he was employed on steamboats plying the Mississippi river. From Minnesota he went to Iowa, where he re- mained two years, and he then purchased land in Butler county, Kansas, where he continued his activities as a farmer for the ensuing thirteen years. In 1886 he came to Nebraska and established his permanent home in Gage county, where he purchased a partially im- proved farm of eighty acres, in Lincoln town- ship. Two years later he bought one hundred and sixty acres in Rockford township. He has since added to his holdings until he now has a valuable estate of two hundred and forty acres. He now rents his farm property and, as before stated, is living practically re-

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

tired. He erected the present buildings on his farm and has made it one of the attractive rural domains of the county.

In 1882 Mr. Carpenter wedded Miss Eliza- beth H. Sutton, who was born in Appanoose county, Iowa, a member of a sterling pioneer family of that commonwealth, and of the five children of this union three are living: How- ard is individually mentioned on other pages of this volume; Forrest is engaged extensively in cattle raising in Kearney county ; Walter met his death in an automobile accident, in 1917; Milo is a resident of Logan township; and one child died in infancy. Mrs. Carpenter was called to the life eternal March 10, 1917, a gentle and gracious woman whose memory is cherished by all who knew her, and she was a devoted member of the Methodist Epis- copal church.

The character and ability of Mr. Carpenter have made him influential in community af- fairs during the years of his residence in Gage county, and he has served as road overseer, besides having held for a term of years the office of justice of the peace, which under his administration was made to justify its name. In politics he is a staunch Republican.

WILLIAM P. PARDE is another of those vigorous and honored pioneers whose achieve- ment of success and independence has been coincident with the development and progress of Gage county, and he is to-day the owner of a valuable landed estate of five hundred and forty acres. Though he is now living practi- cally retired, he still remains on his fine farm, in Section 29, Hanover township.

Like so many other representative citizens who early established residence in Hanover township, Mr. Parde was born in the prov- ince of Hanover, Germany, the date of his nativity having been May 6, 1842. He was reared and educated in his native land and was an ambitious and self-reliant young man of twenty-five years when he came to the United States. He had no financial resources but had the sturdy courage and determination that make for advancement. Proceeding to Quincy, Illinois, he thereafter was engaged in

railroad construction work for four years, within which period he accumulated sufficient capital to justify him in renting land in Adams county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming. In that state he continued his activities as an agriculturist until 1885, when he came with his family to Nebraska. He rented land five years and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land in Section 32, Hanover township, Gage county. He ener- getically initiated and carried forward the de- velopment of his farm, to the area of which he added within a few years, by the purchase of one hundred acres, in Section 29 of the same township. The passing years crowned his earnest endeavors with constantly increas- ing success, and he now owns, as before stated, a fine farm estate of five hundred and forty acres - all in Hanover township.

Prior to his immigration to America Mr. Parde has gained a devoted companion and helpmeet, by his marriage to Miss Tata Dorn, who was born in the province of Hanover on the 12th of February, 1833. She shared with him the trials and vicissitudes of the years in which he was striving to win inde- pendence, and November 25, 1914, they had the pleasure of celebrating their golden wed- ding anniversary, the occasion having been made a notable one by the appreciative inter- position of their children and their many friends. Both are earnest communicants of the German Lutheran church in their home township, and in politics Mr. Parde is a staunch Democrat. For the past thirty years he has been physically handicapped, as he was so injured while at work with a threshing ma- chine as to necessitate the amputation of his right arm. For years after this deplorable accident, however, he continued his active labors, and that with remarkable facility. His parents, Peter and Katie Parde, joined him a few years after he came to this country and they passed the closing years of their lives at Golden, Illinois. In conclusion is given brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Parde: Henry died at the age of twenty- one years; Peter died in childhood; John W. is deceased and is the subject of a memoir ap-

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pearing on other pages of this work; Theda is the wife of Henry W. Ehmen, of Hanover township; Heye is a farmer in this township; Kate is the wife of Henry Remmers, of the same township; Grace is the wife of William Gronewold, of Hanover township; and Peter, who has the active management of the old homestead farm, is the youngest of the num- ber: he wedded Miss Anna Diutsman and they have four children - William, Dena, John, and Grace.

ERNST LOEMKER. - Prominent among the successful farmers and business men of Gage county may properly be named the sub- ject of this sketch, who owns and operates a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Sec- tion 34, Paddock township. He is identified also with the financial interests of the county, being vice-president and a member of the board of directors of the State Bank of Odell.

Mr. Loemker was born in Hanover, Ger- many, November 9, 1869. His parents, Fred and Clara (Daniel) Loemker, were also na- tives of Hanover, were reared and married there and in 1871, having heard of the favor- able opportunities to be found in America, came with their family to the United States. They made their way to the interior of the country and located on a tract of land in Marshall county, Kansas. When the Otoe Indian reservation was opened for settlement Fred Loemker there purchased a quarter- section of land, wholly unimproved. The fam- ily set about developing a new farm and amid the pioneer conditions of those days they labored and prospered. With the help of his sons the father accumulated over five hundred acres of land. He now resides on the place which has been the family home for many years, just over the line in Washington county, Kansas. They owned land in three counties, Marshall and Washington counties in Kansas and Gage county, Nebraska. The wife and mother passed away in December, 1916.

The children of this family were seven in number, as follows: Henry is a farmer of Washington county, Kansas ; Ernst is the sub- ject of this sketch; Thomas grew to maturity

and married, but is now deceased ; Mary is the wife of William Riggert, of Glenwood town- ship; Sophia is the wife of Albert Sohl, of Marshall county, Kansas; Louise is the wife of Otto Meyer, of Washington county, Kan- sas; and Caroline remains with her father.

Ernst Loemker remained at home and as- sisted in the work of the farm until he was twenty-eight years of age, when he married and came into possession of his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres. This was part of the property purchased by his father. It was improved with a set of buildings, but these have given place to more commodious and substantial structures.

Mr. Loemker married Miss Dora Riggert, who was born in Washington county, Kansas, a daughter of Henry and Dora (Stolte) Rig- gert. Her parents were born in Germany and came to the United States about the same time as the Loemker family. Mr. and Mrs. Loem- ker are the parents of seven children, all still at home. They are: Clara, Olga, Caroline, Elza, Walter, Winnie, and Harold.

Mr. Loemker is one of the successful gen- eral farmers of his township and takes a keen interest in all things that have to do with the upbuilding of his community. The family are members of the German Lutheran church, and in politics Mr. Loemker is a Republican. He was one of the organizers of the Odell State Bank and has been vice-president since that time.

GEORGE FAXON .- One of the early settlers of Gage county who gave years of earnest labor to the development of the com- munity in which he lived, the late George Faxon merits a tribute in this work. He was born in Geneseo, Illinois, November 20, 1853, a son of John W. and Acenath (Olds) Faxon, who settled in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where the father was a merchant for several years. In 1880 the family came to Gage county, Ne- braska, and purchased a half-section of prairie land in Glenwood township. This was im- proved and developed into a valuable tract and in later years the parents moved to Beatrice, where both passed away.

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George Faxon came into possession of one hundred and twenty acres of the old farm and he successfully carried on agricultural pur- suits until his death, April 12, 1912. In 1885 he was married, at Franklin Grove, Lee county, Illinois, to Miss Sarah Burket, a sis- ter of A. O. Burket, of Beatrice. Mr. and Mrs. Faxon became the parents of five chil- dren : Mary A. is the wife of J. Lyndes, of Wyoming ; John died at the age of two years ; Cheney L., George H., and Egbert R. are at home with their mother and are operating the farm of two hundred acres, just outside the limits of Lanham.

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History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time, Part 108

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849- Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company Number of Pages: 1120

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849-
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company
Number of Pages: 1120