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 134
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December 25, 1910, recorded the marriage of Mr. Plucknett to Miss Julia Rosling, who was born and reared in Nuckolls county, and who is a daughter of the late William T. and Ada (Sage) Rosling. By this marriage one child was born, on January 23, 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Plucknett have an adopted daugh- ter, Grace M., who completes the immediate family circle in the attractive and hospitable home. Mr. Plucknett takes loyal interest in community affairs and in the general well-be- ing of his native county. While he has no ambition for public office he consented to ac- cept the position of road overseer, of which office he is the incumbent at the time of this . writing.
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DICK OLTMANS has won for himself distinct independence and prosperity since coming to Gage county, more than thirty years ago, and he is now well established as one of the substantial agriculturists and stock-grow- ers of Logan township, where he is the owner of an excellently improved farm estate of four hundred and eighty acres, his homestead being in Section 16.
Mr. Oltmans was born in the eastern part of Germany, July 27, 1867, and is a son of Diedrick and Elizabeth (Johnson) Oltmans, who, now venerable in years, still maintain their home in their native land, though it has on two occasions been their privilege and pleasure to visit the home of their son Dick since he established his residence in Gage county. Of their ten children only four are living, Heye, eldest of the number, remaining in Germany; Dick, of this review, being the next younger ; Maggie being the wife of John Heffling, a farmer in Hanover township, this county ; and Anton, remaining in Germany. The parents have been lifelong members of the Lutheran church. The subject of this re- view bears the full name of his grandfather, Dick Oltmans, who came from Germany to America many years ago and who passed the closing years of his life in the state of Illinois.
Dick Oltmans was in his youth afforded the advantages of the schools of his fatherland and was a vigorous .lad of fourteen years when he came to the United States. In Logan county, Illinois, he found employment at farm work, and for some time he received compen- sation of only twenty-five cents a day. In that state he continued to be employed by the month as a farm hand until he came to Ne- braska and established his home in Gage county, in 1886. He here purchased a team and for the first season used the same in breaking land for others. The succeeding sea- son found him engaged in independent farm- ing on rented land, though he continued to work for others at intervals, in breaking land, in order to provide for his needs. In 1895 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres and by strenuous industry and good management he eventually paid for this property. He next
bought and paid for an additional tract, of eighty acres, and with increasing prosperity he continued to make judicious investments in excellent farm land in Logan township until he now has a valuable farm estate of four hundred and eighty acres, as previously noted. Ile has erected good buildings on his home- stead and is one of the energetic and success- ful farmers of the county.
In 1892 Mr. Oltmans married Miss Lena Frerichs, daughter of L. W. Frerichs, of whom individual mention is made on other pages, and of this union have been born the following named children: Diedrick is mar- ried and is engaged in farming near the vil- lage of Pickrell; Lambert is farming near Adams, this county; Harmon is identified with farm enterprise near Pickrell; Marie is the wife of George Meints, of Hooker town- ship; and Elizabeth, Ella, Wilhelm, Heye, Annie, and Anton remain at the parental home.
In politics Mr. Oltmans is a Democrat and he has served in various minor offices of local order. He and his wife are active communi- cants of the Hanover Lutheran church.
ISAAC R. CLAYTON. - The subject of this record is one of those who have reached the goal after years of toil, labor and anxiety and all the attendant incidents of a busy life and have now retired from active service.
Isaac Randolph Clayton is a native of Illi- nois, born at Trivoli, Peoria county, August 10, 1844. His parents were Ezekiel and Phoebe (Randolph) Clayton, the former of whom was born in New York city and the latter in Plainfield, New Jersey. In 1839 they drove overland with a team of horses and settled in Peoria county, Illinois. In 1868 they moved to Canton, Illinois, where they both passed away.
Young Clayton was reared on a farm in what was then a pioneer district in Illinois. He acquired a limited education in the district schools and early in life began to assist in the operation of the home farm. In February 1865, he enlisted in Company A, One Hun- dred and Fifty-first Illinois Volunteer In-
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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
MR. AND MRS. ISAAC R. CLAYTON
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fantry, with which he served one year in de- fense of the Union in the Civil war. There- after he was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Peoria and Stark counties, Illinois, until 1883, when he came to Gage county, Nebraska, and bought one hundred and sixty acres in Section 26 Sicily township. Not a furrow had been turned nor a stick in the way of im- provement. He arrived in the month of March and in five days had erected a house and moved into it. He assiduously set about im- proving and cultivating this tract and as the years passed he prospered. In 1912 he re- tired to Wymore, - the owner of two hun- dred and forty acres of valuable land.
October 10, 1866, Mr. Clayton married Miss Emma Littell, who was born in New York city, November 28, 1845, a daughter of Isaac F. and Addie (Gibson) Littell, natives of New Jersey and New York respectively. They became early settlers of Illinois where both passed away.
Following is a brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton : Abbie, is the wife of W. I. Reed, a farmer of Sicily township; Hattie is the wife of Frank E. James, of Greeley, Colorado; Freeman F. is operating the old farm; Phoebe is the wife of L. E. Kelley, an implement dealer at Wymore, Albert was killed in a runaway accident, and his widow, who was Miss Alice Stevenson, re- sides in Lincoln; she has two daughters, - May is superintendent of schools at Mullen. Nebraska and Mabel is principal of schools at Alliance, Nebraska ; Charles, the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton was killed by lightning, leaving a widow, who resides in Blue Springs with her daughter, the latter having been only ten days old when her father was killed. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton have twenty-five grandchildren and four great- grandchildren.
In 1911 the people of Gage county, recog- nizing his ability, elected Mr. Clayton to rep- resent them in the lower house of the state legislature. He served on the soldiers'-relief, finance and other committees. He strongly advocated in speech and ballot those measures he thought were for the good of the people
and as firmly opposed those measures he con- sidered wrong. He took a firm stand in op- position to the bill permitting Sunday baseball and has never regretted any vote that he has cast. While living on his farm he served fourteen years on the school board, ten years as justice of the peace, two years as county supervisor, and one term as township treas- urer. Mr. Clayton is a firm believer in the doctrines of the Baptist church, of which he and his wife are members and in which he is serving as deacon. A stalwart champion of the canse of temperance, he has never taken a drink of alcoholic liquor nor played a game of cards. His sons and sons-in-laws all have the same record concerning these vices. Neither he nor his wife inherited a penny, and the success which has come to them is due entirely to their own perseverance and industry. They met with severe reverses during their early married life while living in Illinois and in Nebraska, and in the latter state they endured the hardships and privations incident to a pioneer country, but they met all obstacles un- flinchingly, and, with that determination and ambition which assure success, theirs has been a good fight, crowned with victory. They oc- cupy a beautiful home in Wymore, surrounded with all the necessities and many of the luxu- ries of life. Their happiest hours are when, once a year, a reunion of the family is held.
Mr. Clayton wears the little bronze button signifying membership in the Grand Army Republic and he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades by membership in Coleman Post, No. 115, of Wymore. Thus we offer the life record of one who has meas- ured up to the highest standard of manhood, and it would not be possible to find a more respected citizen then he or a more highly es- teemed family than his.
GEORGE F. BURGER. - In Section 19, Clatonia township, George Frederick Burger is the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land, besides which he has a landed estate of four hundred and eighty acres in Clay county, Kansas, the latter property being im- proved with two distinct groups of farm
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buildings and being under the direct manage- ment of his sons, John A. and Carl S. Rela- tive to the family history adequate record is given in the sketch of George S. Burger, on other pages of this work, and representatives of the name have played a worthy part in the social and industrial development of Gage county, where the family home was es- tablished in the pioneer days.
George F. Burger was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 3, 1863, a son of John L. and Margaret M. (Rueter) Burger, and he was two years old at the time of the family immi- gration to America. He was reared and edu- cated in the state of Illinois and was fourteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to Gage county, Nebraska. He continued to assist in the work of the home farm until his marriage, in 1887, and thereafter he farmed on land rented from his father until 1890, when he purchased a farmi of one hundred and twenty acres near his present homestead in Clatonia township, his father having given him one hundred and twenty acres and he having purchased an additional one hundred and twenty acres. When he located on his present home farm the same had buildings representing an investment of about five hun- dred dollars, and since that time he has shown his progressiveness by making the best of permanent improvements, including the erec- tion, in 1901, of a commodious and modern house of nine rooms, he having expended fully five thousand dollars in buildings and other improvements on the place, besides hav- ing shown equal progressiveness in the im- proving and developing of his farm property in Kansas, where he made his first investment in 1907. Mr. Burger has been recognized as a specially energetic and enterprising farmer and has given particular attention to the rais- ing of high-grade swine, of which he ships an average of a carload each year.
Mr. Burger is independent in politics, and he and his wife are communicants of the Lu- theran church. He is one of those vigorous men who have made full use of the advantages offered in connection with the development of the natural resources of Gage county, and is
one of the substantial citizens of the county.
April 15, 1887, Mr. Burger wedded Miss Minnie Ulrich, who was born in Illinois, January 20, 1867, a daughter of Charles Ul- rich, who became a pioneer of Gage county, other pages of this work giving interesting in- formation concerning the Ulrich family. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Burger the eld- est is Margaret, who is the wife of John Rehms, of Clatonia township; John A. and Carl S. have charge of their father's exten- sive farm property in Kansas, as previously noted, and they have an efficient coadjutor in the person of their younger brother Walter; Anna is the wife of August Hinke, of Saline county ; and Herman and Edward remain at the parental home.
IRA D. BONEBRIGHT, who conducts a well equipped general merchandise store in the village of Cortland and is one of the rep- resentative merchants and citizens of this thriving town, was born in Putnam county, Missouri, January 17, 1878, a son of Joseph and Barbara (Stoneking) Bonebright. He was the fourth in a family of twelve children, the firstborn, Nevada, having died in child- hood; John S. is a prosperous contractor and builder at Cortland; Henry C. served as a soldier in the Spanish-American war; Lillie is the wife of Bert J. Deming, of Cortland ; Etta resides at Wichita, Kansas; Mattie re- sides in the city of Des Moines, Iowa ; Zuna is the wife of Amos Larson, of Salt Lake City ; Willianı A. resides in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ; and Anna, Garfield, and Charles are deceased.
Joseph Bonebright, who was born July 11, 1848, came with his family from Missouri to Gage county in 1883, and he established a draying business at Cortland. He was a sub- stantial and progressive citizen, a Republican in politics, and here served in the office of constable. He assisted in the construction of the line of railroad through the village. He and his wife are now residents of Wichita, Kansas. His parents were natives of Penn- sylvania and became pioneer settlers in Put- nam county, Missouri, where they continued
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to reside until their death, the father having been John Bonebright and the family name of the mother having been Roberts. The mother of the subject of this review was born at Ma- comb, McDonough county, Illinois, January 1, 1851.
Ira D. Bonebright was a lad of about five years at the time when the family home was established at Cortland, and here he was af- forded the advantages of the public schools. From 1896 to 1911 he was associated with his father in the draying business and he then entered into partnership with John Bunte, with whom he has since been successfully en- gaged in the general merchandise business, each department of their well appointed es- tablishment being well stocked and the trade of the firm being of substantial and repre- sentative order. In addition to his activities in this field of enterprise Mr. Bonebright is a stockholder in the Farmers' Lumber Com- pany of Cortland and the Cortland Telephone Company. Liberal and loyal as a citizen, he is a supporter of the cause of the Republican party, he and his wife being members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he being af- filiated with the Masonic and Eastern Star fraternities.
October 30, 1902, recorded the marriage of Mr. Bonebright to Miss lda H. Bunte, who was born at Davis, Stephenson county, Illi- nois, a daughter of Henry and Minnie (Wendt) Bunte, who came to Gage county about 1887, Mr. Bunte having thereafter been a principal in the mercantile firm of Smith & Company, at Cortland, for twenty years : his wife is deceased and he now resides in the home of his son John, who is associated with Mr. Bonebright in business, as previously noted, the firm name being Bonebright & Bunte. Mr. and Mrs. Bonebright have four children - John A., Norris E., Marvin A., and Carl P.
GEORGE FOLKERTS is one of a very appreciable contingent of Gage county citi- zens who claim the fair district of Ost Fries- land, province of Hanover, Germany, as the place of their nativity, he having there been
born on the 18th day of April, 1874, a son of Cobus and Kate Folkerts, who there passed their entire lives. Mr. Folkerts was reared and educated in his native land and was sev- enteen years of age when he came to the United States and found employment at farm work, in Champaign county, Illinois, as did he later in Kossuth county, Iowa. From the Hawkeye state he came to Gage county, Ne- braska, in 1895, and after having been for some time employed as a farm hand he en- gaged in independent farm enterprise on rented land. After the lapse of three years he purchased his present farm, of one hun- dred and sixty acres, in Section 26, Logan township, and he showed his energy and pro- gressiveness by putting the buildings on the place into good order, the same having been permitted to become somewhat dilapidated. In addition to using this now well improved property in connection with his well ordered agricultural and live-stock enterprise Mr. Folkerts also uses a half section of land, in Logan township, which he holds under Scully lease. He owns a modern threshing outfit and operates the machine in the threshing of his own grain and that of neighboring farmers who assist him at threshing time. The enter- prising spirit and good judgment of Mr. Fol- kerts were shown distinctly in his providing of this independent threshing machine, as he never has to wait for service on the part of another and is thus able to thresh his grain at the most opportune time and to get the full returns from the crop.
On September 19, 1898, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Folkerts to Miss Annie Foss- ler, a native of Nemaha county, this state, and a daughter of John Fossler, of whom mention is made on other pages. The four children of this union are Katie, John, Cobus, and Herman.
Not only in his personal affairs is Mr. Fol- kerts alert and progressive, but also in his attitude as a citizen, and he gives his political support to the Democratic party. He com- mands unqualified esteem and has served as justice of the peace, as has he also as school director of his district. His substantial suc-
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cess represents the direct results of his own well directed endeavors and he is one of the representative farmers and citizens of Logan township.
EDWARD G. CROOK, whose finely man- aged homestead farm is situated in Section 23, Filley township, was born in Franklin county, Virginia, on the 5th of February, 1871, and is a son of Robert T. and Elizabeth (Fisher) Crook, both likewise natives of the historic Old Dominion state. The mother died in Kansas, at the age of sixty-three years, and the father maintains his home in Gove county, that state, he having celebrated in 1918 the seventy-second anniversary of his birth. The parents came to Nebraska in 1889 and continued their residence in Gage county until 1894, and the following two years they passed at Paola, Kansas, after which they re- turned to Gage county. In 1908 Robert T. Crook established his residence in Gove county, Kansas, where he is the owner of an excellent farm and where he is now living virtually retired. His father, Edwin Crook, a prosperous planter in Virginia, attained to the patriarchal age of ninety-six years. Mr. Crook has never wavered in his allegiance to the Democratic party and is an earnest mem- ber of the Dunkard church, as was also his wife. Of their nine children all are living except one.
Edward G. Crook acquired his youthful education in the public schools of Virginia and was a youth of eighteen years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Nebraska. Upon attaining to his legal major- ity he found employment at farm work, by the month, and he was thus engaged for a period of five years. For seven years there- after he farmed on rented land in Gage county and he then purchased a portion of his present farm estate, of four hundred and eighty acres, which he has developed into one of the fine farm properties of Filley township and upon which he has erected various build- ings of model order.
In 1897 Mr. Crook wedded Miss Minnie Erickson, a daughter of Peter Erickson, who
established his residence in Gage county in 1883 and whose death here occurred in 1900, he having become one of the prosperous farmers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Crook have five children, all of whom remain at the parental home- George, Roy, Edward, Ma- bel, and Ever.
Mr. Crook is a Democrat in politics, is af- filiated with the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, and his wife is a member of the Christian church. He has through his own efforts and ability achieved substantial success, as he had naught of financial reinforcement when he initiated his independent career and assumed an appreciable indebtedness when he made the purchase of his original farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres, the nucleus of his pres- ent fine landed estate. As an agriculturist and stock-grower he employs progressive ideas and policies and in the live-stock depart- ment of his farm enterprise he gives special attention to the raising of Poland-China swine of the best type.
LEONARD GRIESER is a representative of that fine German element of citizenship that has contributed much to the social and material development and progress of Gage county and is one of the substantial farmers of Highland township, his estate comprising five hundred and fifty acres and his home place being in Section 11, besides which he is the owner of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Lancaster county.
Mr. Grieser was born in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, October 28, 1849, a son of Frederick and Mary (Kline) Grieser, of whose four children he is the eldest, the sec- ond being Mrs. Margaret Richards, of Chris- tian county, Illinois, where also resides the younger sister, Mrs. Catherine Neihard, John, the youngest of the children, having died in childhood. Frederick Grieser was born No- vember 20, 1823, and he was a resident of Cortland, Gage county, at the time of his death, February 26, 1904. In 1852 he immi- grated with his family to the United States and established his home in Franklin county, Missouri, where he became a prosperous
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farmer and where he continued his residence until 1884, when he came to Gage county, Ne- braska, where he lived practically retired until his death, their son Leonard, of this review, having leased one acre of ground from his farm as a home for his parents, and the site of their house being now marked by a fine evergreen tree, which constitutes a gracious memorial to them. Mrs. Grieser was born March 5, 1818, and preceded her husband to eternal rest by only a few months, her death having occurred in November, 1903: both were earnest communicants of the Lutheran church and exemplified their Christian faith in their daily lives.
Leonard Grieser was not yet three years old at the time of the family immigration to America and he was reared to manhood on the old homestead farm in Missouri, his educa- tional advantages having been those of the common schools of the locality and period. He was but twelve years old at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war but before the close of the great conflict he had opportunity of manifesting his youthful loyalty to the Union, for in November, 1864, at Pacific, Missouri, he enlisted in Company II, Fifty-fourth Mis- souri Volunteer Infantry, with which he par- ticipated in a number of skirmishes and in suppressing the encroachments of the historic "bushwhackers" who infested Missouri. Mr. Grieser was one of the youngest soldiers in his company, and on one occasion while he was on picket duty an officer asked him if he could shoot. The youth replied by suggesting that the officer move to a point two hundred yards distant and he would show him his adeptness. The challenge was not accepted, for the officer realized that, like the average Missourian of the day, the young soldier was certain to be a good marksman. After the close of the war Mr. Grieser served a few months as locomotive fireman on the line of the Illinois Central Railroad, and he recalls that his duties were arduous, as wood was still used as fuel in the engines. He did not long ceny allegiance to farm industry, however, and from 1868 until 1877 he was engaged in farming in Christian county, Illinois. In the
latter year he numbered himself among the pioneers of Gage county, Nebraska, his origi- nal farm, a part of his present landed estate in Highland township, having comprised one hundred and sixty acres and the locality hav- ing been practically an untrammeled prairie, with no trees and with no settlement on the site of the present thriving village of Cort- land, the town site of which is partially on the farm of Mr. Grieser, who was prominently identified with the founding of the village, worked zealously to compass this end and contributed ten acres as a part of the site of the embryonic village. Industry and good management have brought to him large and well earned prosperity, and he did his full share in furthering the civic and industrial de- velopment of Highland township, endured the trials and responsibilities of pioneer life and has continued as one of the substantial agri- culturists and stock-growers of the county, besides which he has for many years given special attention to the drilling of wells, with a record of having drilled a greater number than any other one man in Nebraska. Though he has now retired from active labor in con- nection with farm operations he still continues his enterprise as a well driller, and has been identified with the same for fully thirty-five years.
In leaving Illinois for the west Mr. Grieser and his wife set forth to establish a home in Texas, and they made the long overland jour- ney with a team and a covered wagon. En route they passed through Gage county and its judicial center, the town of Beatrice, being much impressed with the attractions and ad- vantages of this section of Nebraska. Upon their arrival in Texas they were discouraged with the outlook and reverted with apprecia- tion to the conditions in Gage county, with the result that they soon started forth with their team and wagon with Gage county as their destination, their entire journeying having covered a period of six months and their arrival in Gage county on the return trip hav- ing occurred in March. Mr. Grieser recalls many interesting incidents relative to the long and weary overland journey made under
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