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 129

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 129

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CHRISTIAN F. FRY .- In Section 30, Sherman township is situated the handsome and productive farm of Mr. Fry, who has been a resident of Gage county since 1888 and who has won prosperity through his own efforts. He was born in Agusta county, Vir- ginia, January 22, 1851, and is a son of John and Sarah (Coffman) Fry, who likewise were natives of the historic Old Dominion state, where the father was born in 1822 and the mother in 1831. In 1854 John Fry removed with his family to Keokuk county, Iowa, the long overland trip having been made with team and wagon, and he became one of the pioneer farmers of that section of the Hawk- eye state. In 1880 he came with his family to Pawnee county, Nebraska, and in this state

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he passed the remainder of his life, his death having occurred in 1900 and that of his widow in 1914, both having been zealous members of the Church of the Brethren. Of their eight children all are living except one and further data concerning the family is given on other pages, in the sketch of the career of William T. Fry.

The subject of this review was an infant at the time of the family removal to Iowa, where he received his early education in the pioneer schools, and he was twenty-six years of age when he accompanied his parents to Pawnee county, Nebraska. There he contin- ued his association with agricultural industry until 1888, when he came to Gage county and purchased eighty acres of land in Sherman township, fifty acres of the land having been broken. To this original homestead he has since added until he now has a well improved farm of one hundred and fifty-six acres, the buildings being of excellent order and he having shown progressiveness and good judg- ment in the planting of shade trees which are now well matured, as is also his orchard, which likewise was set out by him. He has taken loyal interest in community affairs and served fifteen years as a member of the school board of his district. In politics he is inde- pendent of strict partisan lines and supports the men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. His farm is devoted to di- versified agriculture and to the raising of good grades of cattle and swine. Pertinent to the high prices obtaining at the present time, it is interesting to record that in the earlier period of his farm activities in Gage county Mr. Fry sold corn at the rate of ten cents a bushel and hogs for three and one- half dollars per hundred weight. He and his family hold earnestly to the faith of the Church of the Brethren.

At North English, Iowa, in 1874, Mr. Fry wedded Miss Sarah Ann Miller, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, June 30, 1853, a daughter of Noah and Frances (Huffman) Miller, who removed to Keokuk county, Iowa, in 1856 and who there passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. Miller was

a miller by trade as well as name but after going to Iowa he gave his attention to agri- cultural pursuits. Of his twelve children all are living except two and Mrs. Fry is the eld- est of the number. Mr. and Mrs. Fry have had four children: John N. is employed as a railway mail clerk, with headquarters in the city of Omaha; Minnie became the wife of Ulysses G. McPheron and was a resident of Sherman township at the time of her death; Samuel E. is employed as a railway mail clerk, out of the city of Lincoln; and Ola M. is the wife of Robert M. Jenkins, a prosper- ous farmer in Rockford township.

JOHN T. BUSBOOM came to Gage conn- ty in the year 1900 and purchased a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, the same comprising the west half of Section 7, Filley township. He has remodeled and otherwise improved the buildings that were on the place and has erected other buildings, with the re- sult that thrift and prosperity mark his estate as one of the model farms of Filley town- ship. Here he is successfully carrying for- ward his progressive activities as an agricul- turist and stock-grower and stands well to the front as one of the substantial and represen- tative exponents of farm industry in Gage county, as well as a liberal and public-spirited citizen.

Mr. Busboom was born in Ost Friesland, province of Hanover, Germany, on the 29th of May, 1855, and is a son of Thees and Imke (Adams) Busboom, who came to the United States in 1868 and established their residence in Adams county, Illinois, whence they later removed to Champaign county, that state, where they passed the remainder of their lives and where the father became a prosperous farmer.

John T. Busboom acquired his rudimentary education in his native land and was thirteen years of age at the time of the family immi- gration to America. He was reared to adult age on the farm of his father and in the mean- while profited by the advantages of the public schools of Illinois. There he eventually be- came the owner of a good farm, in Cham-

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paign county, where he continued his activi- ties until 1900, when he sold his farm prop- erty and came to Gage county, Nebraska, where he has since been actively and success- fully engaged in farming, as previously noted in this context, his farm being now looked up- on as one of the finest in Gage county. In politics Mr. Busboom is independent and he and his wife hold membership in the Lutheran church.

In Champaign county, Illinois, March 10, 1882, Mr. Busboom wedded Miss Tida Duits- man, who was born in Germany, and they have six children: Thees is a successful farmer in Logan township; Gertrude is the widow of Menne J. Leners and they reside with her parents; Emma is the wife of John Ehman, of Hanover township; Gepke is the wife of Paul Beahr, of Hanover township; Thelka is the wife of Thee Wallman, of Lo- gan township; and John J., who married Miss Tillie Remmers, is associated in the manage- ment of his father's farm.

JOSEPH S. HUBKA owns and gives his active supervision to his well improved farm estate of four hundred and thirty-four acres and his attractive homestead is situated in Section 12, Sherman township. He is a scion of a sterling pioneer family of Nebraska and on other pages is dedicated a memoir to his father, the late Albert Hubka, so that further review of the family history is not here de- manded.

Joseph S. Hubka was born in Pawnee coun- ty, Nebraska, in the year 1871, and was reared to the sturdy discipline of his father's farm properties in Pawnee and Gage counties, the while he made in his youth good use of the ad- vantages afforded in the public schools. When he had attained to the age of twenty-five years his father gave to him his present homestead place, which comprised one hundred and sixty acres, and to the area of the same he has since added until he now has a valuable farm prop- erty of four hundred and thirty-four acres, improved with good buildings and devoted to diversified agriculture and stock-growing.

At the age of twenty-five years Mr. Hubka

assumed connubial responsibilities, by his mar- riage to Miss Frances Vavruska, who was born in Marshall county, Kansas, and they became the parents of four children: Ernest was a member of the class of 1917 in the University of Nebraska; Latimer is attending the local schools; Elbert died at the age of seven years; and Elmer is the youngest mem- ber of the home circle.

OSCAR J. HAUPT. -- The one hundred and sixty acres of excellently improved land that comprise the northwest quarter of Section 20, Highland township, constitute the attrac- tive farm owned and operated by Mr. Haupt, who is one of the representative agriculturists and stock-raisers of the younger generation in his native county. He was born in High- land township, June 30, 1884, and is a son of Julius and Catherine (Pfeffer) Haupt, of whose six children the first, Matilda, died at the age of twenty years; Augusta is the wife of Henry Cramer, of Stockton, Kansas; Rosa has supervision of the domestic economies and social amenities of the home of her broth- er Oscar J .; Charles is a prosperous farmer in Clatonia township; Oscar J., was next in order of birth; Arthur is engaged in farm en- terprise in Highland township.

Julius Haupt was born in Switzerland, Jan- tary 12, 1844, and was about nineteen years of age when he left that fair little republic and came to the United States. At Peoria, Illinois, he found employment at his trade, that of blacksmith, in the shops of the Avery Manu- facturing Company, which was at that early period conducting operations on a small scale. While he was thus engaged, was solemnized, at Peoria, the marriage of Mr. Haupt to Miss Catherine Pfeffer, who was born in Hessen, Germany, April 17, 1844, and who was a young woman when she came to America, her father, Conrad Pfeffer, having later come to this country and having passed the closing years. of his life in the home of his son Henry, in Gage county, Nebraska, where he died at the patriarchal age of ninety-three years. Julius Haupt and his wife came to Gage county about 1875, and here he obtained a homestead

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of eighty acres, in Section 18, Highland town- ship. He endured his full share of the trials and hardships that fell to the lot of the pio- neers of this locality, but, with the devoted cooperation of his wife, he pressed forward until he achieved substantial prosperity. He was the owner of a valuable Gage county es- tate of three hundred and twenty acres at the time of his death, which occurred December 30, 1916, his wife having passed away on the 8th of November of the preceding year, and both having been charter members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Clatonia.

Oscar J. Haupt early began to assist in the work of the home farm and after having prof- ited fully by the advantages of the district schools he completed a course in the Beatrice Business College. Soon afterward he began farming in an independent way, and his en- ergy and progressiveness are bringing to him success in this great basic field of industry. In 1916 he purchased his present farm, to the improvements of which he has added material- ly, and as he remains a bachelor he is favored in having as the chatelaine of his pleasant home his sister Rosa. He is a stockholder of different corporations, is a Republican in pol- itics and he and his sister attend and support the Congregational church at Cortland.

The father of Mr. Haupt gave to the utmost of his ability in fostering the civic and mater- ial development of Gage county, and in the early days commonly walked from his farm to Wilber to secure his mail. With hoe and spade he aided other pioneers in improving the roads of his township, and as a skilled ar- tisan at the blacksmith trade he found much demand for his services, specially in the pio- neer days.

JOHN N. MUMFORD is a representative of one of the well known families of Gage county and concerning the family history ade- quate mention is made on other pages, in the sketch of G. L. Mumford. He has gained sub- stantial place as one of the aggressive and successful exponents of agricultural and live- stock industry in his native township of Logan. where he was born June 3, 1880. It is inter-

esting to record that Mr. Mumford resides upon the old homestead upon which his father settled in 1865, in Section 8, Logan townslıip, and that he has active charge of the fine farni estate left by his honored father.

Mr. Mumford acquired his preliminary ed- ucation in the district schools and thereafter continued his studies in the public schools of the city of Beatrice until his graduation in the high school, as a member of the class of 1901. He has had no desire to sever his allegiance to the great basic industries of agriculture and stock-growing and in his successful farm op- erations he now utilizes an area of three hun- dred and twenty acres, of which one hundred and sixty acres are individually owned by him. Mr. Mumford is found staunchly arrayed in the ranks of the Democratic party, and he is actively affiliated with Beatrice Lodge, No. 619, Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks.

In 1910 Mr, Mumford wedded Miss Flor- ence Thacker, whose father, John Thacker, was an early settler of Beatrice, where for many years he owned and conducted a drug store. Like her husband, Mrs. Mumford was graduated in the Beatrice high school, and she is the popular chatelaine of their pleasant home. They have no children.

ANTON HURTZ, of Wymore township, has lived in Gage county for the past thirty years and is one of its representative, success- ful farmers. In Rhineland, Germany was es- tablished a home by Peter and Anna Mary (Roab) Hurtz, who tilled the soil and who there reared their sons and daughters, six of whom are living, as follows: Joseph is a farm- er in Sicily township, Gage county ; Anton is the immediate subject of this sketch ; Frank is a farmer in Wymore township; Jacob re- sides in Wisconsin, where he is a farmer; and Mary and John are residents of Wymore township, this county. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hurtz left the homeland with their children in 1882 and sailed for the hospitable shores of the United States. For two years after their arrival they made their home in New York city, and before coming to Gage county, in 1887, they lived for a short time in Chicago.

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MR. AND MRS. ANTON HURTZ

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

In Gage county one hundred and sixty acres of land, in Wymore township, were purchased and here the family home was established, the parents having remained on this farm until they were called to the life eternal. Mr. Hurtz was eighty-three years old at the time of his death, his wife having passed away October 6, 1888.

Anton Hurtz was born in Germany, and the year of his nativity was 1862. He learned the baker's trade before leaving the father- land with his parents. In New York he worked as a tanner and since his arrival in Gage county he has devoted his time to farm- ing. In this connection he has indeed much to show that he has been a successful farmer, for he owns in 1918 five hundred and thirty acres of well improved and valuable land.

In 1892 Anton Hurtz married Miss Anna Paul, a daughter of John G. and Juliana (Walter) Paul, natives respectively of Zanes- ville, Ohio, and Germany. For a number of years John G. Paul followed farming indus- try in Illinois and in 1883 he came to Nebraska and located in Gage county, west of Blue Springs. There he continued to reside on his farm until he retired from active farming and removed with his wife to Beatrice. Of their children brief record is here given: John A. is deceased ; Anna is the wife of Anton Hurtz, subject of this sketch; Charles is living near Guthrie, Oklahoma; Amanda remains with her parents ; Joseph is in the automobile busi- ness at Los Angeles, California; Rosa is the wife of George Kral, an insurance agent at Hastings, Nebraska ; Ellen is the wife of Floyd Churchill, a farmer near Pierre, South Da- kota. Mr. and Mrs. Paul are communicants of the Catholic church and their children also are members of that church.

Anton Hurtz votes the Democratic ticket and has served his township in a highly satisfactory manner as a member of the town- ship board for four years, as well as a mem- ber of the school board of his district. A new barn has been built to accommodate the large amount of stock and cattle that Mr. Hurtz owns, and his commodious and well built house provides an ideal home. The sons and daugh-

ters have been reared in the faith of the Catholic church and are receiving the educa- tional advantages that shall fully fit them for their future careers. The children are as fol- lows: Julia Helena is attending college at Hastings, Nebraska; John Albert is attending school at Beatrice; Amanda and Mary Kath- erine are attending school at Wymore; Wil- liam Joseph, Karl Jacob, Walter George, and Francis are attending the district school; and Paul, the youngest of the number, is still at home, awaiting his turn to attend school. Mr. Hurtz and his son Albert are members of the Knights of Columbus.

ANTON OLTMANS, a retired farmer and honored citizen of Cortland, was a young man of twenty-four years when he immigrated from Germany to the United States and it has been entirely through his own ability and well ordered endeavors that he has achieved the goal of prosperity and well merited indepen- dence. He was born in East Friesland, Ger- many, March 18, 1842, a son of Dietrich and Margaret G. (Clausen) Oltmans, of whose nine children he was the second in order of birth; the eldest, Dietrich, Jr., still lives in Germany; Oltman is a prosperous farmer of Gage county, his homestead being in High- land township, to the west of Cortland; Anne became the wife of John Neff and was a resi- dent of Logan, Illinois, at the time of her death; Margaret is the widow of Jacob John- son and resides at Lincoln, Illinois; Hilda is the widow of Harm Van Horn and lives at Pekin, Illinois; Jacob is a farmer near Lin- coln, that state, as is also George; and Lubbo maintains his residence in Colorado. The sub- ject of this review came to America in 1866 and about 1872 the parents and other mem- bers of the family joined him in Illinois, where both the father and mother passed the re- mainder of their lives.

Anton Oltmans was reared and educated in his native land and in 1866 he set forth for America. He made the voyage on a sailing vessel and while en route the ship sprung so serious a leak that all on board had to assist in the operation of the pumps, in order to keep

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the vessel from sinking, six weeks having elapsed ere Mr. Oltmans disembarked in the port of New York city. He thence proceeded to Illinois, where he found work at chopping wood, shucking corn, etc. He finally was en- abled to engage in independent farm enter- prise in that state, where he continued his res- idence until 1881, in February of which year he arrived in Gage county. Here he pur- chased, at the rate of seven dollars an acre, one hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie land in Section 6, Highland township, four miles west of Cortland. On the place he built a frame house of one story, sixteen by thirty- two feet in dimensions, and he then turned himself vigorously to breaking his land and making it available for cultivation. With the passing of years he made the best of improve- ments on his farm and by indefatigable in- dustry and good management achieved sub- stantial and worthy success. He remained on the farm until 1914, since which time he has lived in well earned retirement, his attractive residence in Cortland being one of the modern homes of this village. Energy and stability have marked his career and his course has been governed by those principles of integrity that always bring in their train the full measure of popular respect and good will. He is now the owner of a valuable landed estate of seven hundred and twenty acres in Nebraska, the major part of the same being in Gage county. As a loyal and appreciative citizen of the land of his adoption Mr. Oltmans gives his politi- cal support to the Republican party, and both he and his wife are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

April 6, 1870, recorded the marriage of Mr. Oltmans to Miss Kate Rademaker, who was born in Friesland, Germany, April 5, 1849, and she was eighteen years of age when she came to America and established her residence at Pekin, Illinois, her widowed mother and others of the children having later come to this country. She is a daughter of Rient and Kate (Rieken) Rademaker, who became the parents of one son and four daughters, all of the children having finally established homes in the United States and the loved mother hav-

ing been a resident of Illinois at the time of her death. In conclusion is given brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Olt- mans: Diedrich A. is a progressive farmer in Highland township; Mrs. Katherine Poth- ast, a widow, resides in the city of Beatrice, this county ; Margaret is the wife of William Lucke and they are residents of Colorado; the fourth child died in infancy ; Rient H. is a prosperous farmer in Highland township; Anton, Jr., is a salesman in one of the leading mercantile establishments in the city of Beat- rice ; Folkert R. remains at the parental home ; Sophia is the wife of Theodore Nannen and they reside in the state of Iowa ; Jacob resides upon and has the active management of his father's old homestead farm, in Highland township; and Theresa is the wife of Dr. R. V. Alldritt, of Lincoln, Nebraska.

FRANK R. TILTON, a progressive far- mer of the younger generation in Filley town- ship, is a younger brother of Lloyd H. Tilton, who is individually mentioned on other pages, with due incidental record concerning the family, which has been associated with the civ- ic and industrial activities of Gage county for more than forty years. Frank R. Tilton was born on his father's old homestead farm, in Section 14, Filley township, November 30, 1888, and is a son of the late Curtis Tilton, an honored pioneer of the county. After com- pleting the curriculum of the district schools Mr. Tilton further fortified himself by taking a course in a business college in the city of Beatrice. He early gained familiarity with the various departments of farm industry and has now control of a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Section 25, Filley township, eighty acres being owned by him and the property being a part of the well improved landed estate left by his father. He is a Republican in his political adherency and he and his wife hold membership in the Chris- tian church in the village of Filley.

August 27, 1914, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Tilton to Miss Della M. Saum, who was born at Warrensburg, Illinois, a daughter of Frank and Mary (Kerwood) Saum, now

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residents of Filley. Mr. and Mrs. Tilton have two children,- DeVer and Le Vern.

EMIL HUBKA was born July 3, 1882, on the fine farm that is now his home, in Section 1, Sherman township, and he is a son of the late Albert Hubka, an honored pioneer to whom a memoir is dedicated on other pages of this volume. Emil Hubka has been from boy- hood actively associated with the operations of his present farm, and succeeded to the own- ership of the place, which comprises two hun- dred and forty acres, improved with good buildings and showing every evidence of thrift and good management. He is a Democrat in his political proclivities but has had no am- bition for public office of any kind.

In 1907 was recorded the marriage of Mr. Hubka to Miss Carrie Sikyta, who likewise was born and reared in this county, her father, Frank Sikyta, being a substantial farmer in Johnson county, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Hubka have five children,- Evelyn, Georgia, Emil, Jr .; Walter, and Marvin.

HORACE M. MILLER has found in the village of Filley ample scope for the manifest- ing of his exceptional initiative and executive ability, in the management of the well ordered grain elevator, as local representative of the Central Granaries Company, of Lincoln. He is essentially one of the most vital and pro- gressive business men and loyal citizens of the village and his success in connection with the productive activities of life has been won en- tirely through his own ability and efforts.

Mr. Miller was born in Campbell county, Tennessee, on the 18th of July, 1871, and is a son of John H. and Frances (Shepherd) Miller, both of whom were born in the year 1849,- the former in Tennessee and the lat- ter in Virginia. The father is now a sub- stantial exponent of farm enterprise in Rich- ardson county, Nebraska, where he established his residence in 1884. He and his wife be- came the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest; Charles resides at Rulo, Richardson county ; James

is a drug clerk in the city of Chicago; Robert is a telegraph operator and is now residing in New Mexico; Jacob is associated in the work of his father's farm; Josephine is the wife of R. Seymour Coupe, a farmer in Richardson county ; Laura is the wife of Louis C. Schnell, of Boise, Idaho; Annie is married and lives in the city of Portland, Oregon; Bessie is the wife of Charles A. Conn, of Seattle, Wash- ington.

John H. Miller was reared and educated in Tennessee and is a son of Ashby Miller, who removed to that state from Virginia and who became a prosperous farmer : he was influen- tial in local politics and served many years as justice of the peace. James Shepherd, mater- nal grandfather of the subject of this review, was a native of Virginia and became a sub- stantial farmer in Tennessee, where he lived until his death. John H. Miller followed the business of brickmaking in his native state and in 1884 he came with his family to Neb- raska and engaged in farming in Richardson county, where he and his wife still maintain their home. He is a Republican in politics, formerly served as a member of the Tennessee National Guard, at the close of the Civil war, and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.

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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 129

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