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 136
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Jacob Nicewonger was born in Bedford
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county, Pennsylvania, September 1, 1827, and was one of the venerable pioneer citizens of Gage county, Nebraska, at the time of his death, June 3, 1900. His wife, who was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, August 24. 1832, died March 8, 1893, she having been a Dunkard in her religious faith and a member of a family that was founded in America in the early colonial period of our national his- tory. Jacob Nicewonger removed from the old Keystone state to Illinois and engaged in farming in Ogle county. There he remained until 1873, when he came with his family to Gage county, Nebraska, making the overland trip with team and covered wagon, and in numbering himself among the pioneer farmers of the county he purchased eighty acres of school land two miles southeast of the present village of Pickrell. He reclaimed and im- . proved this farm, in Holt township, and in later years he purchased an additional eighty acres. About fifteen years prior to his death he retired from the active labors that had long been his portion and he passed the closing years of his life in the village of Pickrell.
Daniel Nicewonger was about seven years old at the time of the family removal to Gage county, where he was reared on the pioneer farm and profited by the advantages offered in the district schools of Holt township. He continued to assist in the work and manage- ment of the home farm until after he had at- tained to his legal majority and he then began farm operations in an independent way. He continued as one of the successful exponents of farm industry in Holt township until 1891, when he became associated with his brother William H. in establishing a general merchan- dise business at Pickrell. The brothers built up a prosperous enterprise and continued their partnership about five years. Daniel Nice- wonger then purchased his brother's interest, after which he individually continued the busi- ness until 1901, when he sold the same. He has since lived virtually retired at Pickrell. He is a stockholder in the Dempster Manufac- turing Company. In 1905 he purchased eighty acres of land in Section 28, Holt township, and this property, for which he paid fifty-five
hundred dollars, he sold in 1916, for a con- sideration of ten thousand dollars. He is the owner of two business buildings at Pickrell, as well as of his fine residence property in this village, where he is honored as a loyal and public-spirited citizen and where he has served for the past four years as a member of the village board of trustees. IIe is a Republican in politics and he and his wife are active mem- bers of the United Brethren church, Mrs. Nicewonger being also a member of the war- time organization of the Red Cross in the city of Beatrice.
April 12, 1893, Mr. Nicewonger wedded Miss Alta Robinson, who was born in Piatt county, Illinois, a daughter of Isaac and Isabel (Watson) Robinson, natives respectively of Ohio and Illinois. From Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Robinson removed to Missouri and from the latter state they came to Gage county in 1891, establishing their home at Pickrell, Mr. Rob- inson having been about seventy-four years of age at the time of his death and his ven- erable widow being now a resident of the city of Beatrice. Of their three children Mrs. Nicewonger was the second in order of birth ; Ernest is a resident of northwestern Canada and Carl is engaged in the teaming business at Beatrice. No children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Nicewonger, but they greatly enjoy extending the hospitality of their plea- sant home to the young folk of the community, as well as to their many friends of their own generation.
LEWIS M. WARFORD. - In attempting to preserve the life records of the men of Gage county who have contributed to the welfare of the community in which they lived, mention should be made of Lewis M. Warford. In his passing from earthly activities, on the 1st of May, 1908, his family lost a loving husband and father and his neighbors a loyal citizen and good friend.
Mr. Warford was born near Toledo, Ohio, October 8, 1849, and was a boy when his parents removed to Red Oak, Iowa. Here he was reared on a farm and attended the public schools. He engaged in farming pursuits and
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MR. AND MRS. LEWIS M. WARFORD
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as a youth went to Andrew county, Missouri, where he remained until 1885, when he came to Gage county. In 1892 he purchased land in Section 10, Rockford township, which was his home until his death.
Mr. Warford was united in marriage, Aug- ust 20, 1868, to Miss Sarah E. Dobbs, a daugh- ter of Russell L. and Cynthia (Hurst) Dobbs. Mrs. Warford was born in Andrew county, Missouri, May 22, 1851, and is a cousin of Hugh J. Dobbs, the author of this history of Gage county.
Mr. and Mrs. Warford became the parents of six children: Clarence T. of Curtis, Ne- braska; Sylvester P. of Lincoln, Nebraska; Fletcher L., of Chappell, this state; May, the wife of LeRoy Brugh, of Midland township; Eunice, the wife of Milo Brugh, of Beatrice : and one who died in infancy.
Mrs. Sarah E. (Dobbs) Warford still re -. sides on the home farm in Rockford town- ship and owns also a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Cheyenne county, Kansas. She has long been an earnest member of the Chris- tian church, and still retains affiliation with the church of this denomination in Andrew county, Missouri, the place of her birth. Her husband was a Republican in politics.
BENJAMIN C .. ALBERT. - Farm indus- try in Gage county has many successful ex- ponents who can claim the county as the place of their nativity, and of this number Benja- min C. Albert is one. He is giving his energetic and effective activities to the man- agement of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres which he rents from his father, in Clatonia township, and on other pages of this volume is given an interesting review of the career of his father, Henry Albert, so that a repetition of the family data is not demanded in this connection.
Mr. Albert was born on the old homestead farm, in Clatonia township, August 16, 1880, and after having duly profited by the advan- tages of the public schools of the locality he completed a course in the Beatrice Business College, in which he was graduated as a mem- ber of the class of 1901. For one year there-
after he held the position of bookkeeper in the office of the Duluth Van & Transfer Com- pany, in the city of Duluth, Minnesota, but his absence did not cause him to abate his appre- ciation of the attractions and advantages of his native state and county, as evidenced in his having returned to Gage county in 1903 and having initiated independent enterprise as an agriculturist and stock-grower on his present farm. His success offers the best voucher for his ability and progressive policies in connection with farm enterprise and in his home county his circle of friends is limited only by that of his acquaintances. He is one of the stockholders in the farmers' co-opera- tive grain elevator at Clatonia, he is in- dependent in politics, and he is known as a liberal and public-spirited citizen.
On the 11th of October, 1909, Mr. Albert wedded Miss Leona Gielday, of Lawton, Oklahoma. She was born in Lincoln, Ne- braska, and is a daughter of Joseph and Irene (Rutherford) Gielday, who were born in Ger- many, Mr. Gielday having come to Nebraska and having thereafter served a number of years as a locomotive engineer on the Burling- ton & Missouri River Railroad. He filed en- try on a timber claim in Red Willow county, this state, and there he died as the result of injuries received while in railway service, his widow being now a resident of Torrington, Laramie county, Wyoming. Mr. and Mrs. Albert have two children - Donald Henry and Morris Byron.
POPE FRERICHS is a member of one of the well known families long identified with farm industry and civic advancement in Gage county, and he is well upholding the prestige of the name which he bears, as he is a pro- gressive and successful agriculturist and stock- grower, with operations staged on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres belonging to his father, in Section 14, Logan township. Of the family history due record is made on other pages of this work, in the sketch dedicated to L. W. Frerichs, father of him whose name in- troduces this paragraph.
Pope Frerichs was born in Hancock county,
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Illinois, August 30, 1875, and was six years old at the time when the family home was es- tablished in Gage county. Here he was reared on his father's farm and gained his youthful education in the district schools. He has been engaged in independent farm enterprise since he was eighteen years of age and his farm is improved with good buildings. He utilizes also an adjoining tract of eighty acres, which he owns.
In politics Mr. Frerich is aligned in the ranks of the Democratic party and the popular estimate placed upon his character and ability was shown in his having been called upon to serve in the office of township clerk, of which position he was the incumbent seven years. Both he and his wife are active members of the Lutheran church.
In 1900 Mr. Frerichs married Miss Matilda Zimmerman, daughter of Tamme Zimmerman, who is individually mentioned on other pages. They have no children.
CURTIS O. MARTIN. - In Section 26, Nemaha township, resides Curtis O. Martin, who is one of Gage county's most prosperous farmers and who is the owner of six hundred acres of land in the county, all well improved. Mr. Martin was born December 12, 1868, in Marshall county, Indiana, a son of Jacob and Sarah E. (Groves) Martin.
Jacob Martin, father of our subject, was a native of Ohio. He was born April 5, 1846. He received his early education in the public schools of his native state and as a young man he followed farming in that state. When the Civil war broke out Mr. Martin enlisted in the Indiana Volunteer Infantry and served for some time. After his term of service in the Union army he returned to Indiana and farmed until 1872, when he came with his family to Gage county, Nebraska. They came by train to Nebraska City and thence drove to a point one-half mile north of the town of Adams, Nebraska, where Jacob Martin rented what was known as the Stephen Disher farm. The same year he bought eighty acres in Sec- tion 14, Nemaha township, where he remained the balance of his life. Mr. Martin was a very
successful farmer, and from time to time bought additional land until at the time of his death he was the owner of one thousand acres of good agricultural land. He passed away September 28, 1910. His wife was born in Indiana January 4, 1845, and died September 3, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Martin were the par- ents of two children - Curtis O., the subject of this review; and Harry I., who resides in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Curtis O. Martin received his education in the district schools of Nemaha township, Gage county, and assisted his father on the farm. Upon the death of his father he inherited six hundred acres of the estate. This he has greatly improved and he now owns one of the most valuable and well improved farm prop- erties in the township. In politics Mr. Martin is a Republican, and he is now serving as town- ·ship clerk and as treasurer of the district school board.
On March 2, 1904, was recorded the mar- riage of Curtis O. Martin and Miss Mae Culp, a native of Ohio and daughter of An- drew J. and Sophia (Maddox) Culp, who also were natives of Ohio. The Culp family came to Nebraska in 1888, and settled in Lan- cester county. Later they moved to Gage county. Mr. Culp passed away on April 13, 1915, and his widow now makes her home in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are the parents of eight children, as follows: Thelma, Orville, Irene, Bethel, Kenneth, Har- old, Keith, and Glenn all at home.
RALPH G. ELLIS has proved himself the possessor of those qualities of manhood which have enabled him to become one of the useful young farmers of Midland township. He is a native of Illinois, born in Woodford county, that state, in 1883. He is a son of Thomas and Laura J. (Billinger) Ellis, a record of whom is to be found on another page of this history.
Ralph G. Ellis was nine years old when he came with his parents to Gage county. His boyhood days were spent on the farm, where he received instructions from his father as to best methods of planting and caring for crops.
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He attended the public schools and also took a complete course at Beatrice Business Col- lege. On February 23, 1905, Mr. Ellis mar- ried Miss Lillian F. Wilson, a daughter of Robert and Mary (Reed) Wilson, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have three children: Francis, Howard B., and Marion W.
Mr. Ellis is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, is engaged in general farming and is meeting with success in his undertakings. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church and in politics he is a Republican.
WILLIAM F. CRANGLE. - At this time, during the greatest conflict the world has ever known, we honor more and more the remaining members of the famous old guard that saved our Union in the '60s. These men, who were then in the flush of their young manhood, and who fought to preserve the integrity of the nation, are to-day well past the three-score years and ten, but their hearts still beat with ardent loyalty and patriotism as they see the young men of the present generation respond- ing to their country's call. Mr. Crangle served all through the Civil war and made a record that shall ever reflect honor upon his name. He enlisted as a private in Company A, Forty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and ere he was mustered out, in 1864, he had been promoted to the rank of corporal. He immediately re-enlisted in the Sixth Regiment United States Veteran Volunteers, in which he attained the rank of seargent and with which he served during the closing period of the war. He received his honorable discharge August 6, 1866.
After these years spent in his country's service, Mr. Crangle returned to Illinois, where he tilled the soil until 1873, when he received from the government a homestead in Adams county, Nebraska, near the little town of Glenville. He spent a few years of hard pioneer life there and then returned to Illinois, but in March, 1883, he came again to the fertile land of Nebraska, this time locating in Gage county. He purchased three hundred
and twenty acres of land in Sections 23 and 25 Rockford township. This place was his home until he gave up active farming and re- tired, in 1905, to Beatrice, the county seat, in which city he now makes his home.
Mr. Crangle is a native of Saxony, Ger- many, where he was born October 2, 1841, and he came to this country with his mother and step-father, Levi Ehrlich, in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Ehrlich settled in Henry county, Illi- nois, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Ehrlich died at the age of forty- eight years and her husband was sixty years of age at the time of his death.
The marriage of William Crangle and Mrs. Abby J. Sears, widow of Allen Sears, former- ly of Wisconsin, was solemnized March 3, 1870. To this union were born six children: Lora E. is the wife of J. H. Mckinney, of Springfield, Arkansas; Schuyler C. lives at Mankato, Kansas; Fred N. is a resident of Blue Springs, Gage county ; Aurelia A. is the wife of J. B. Graves, of Ogden, Utah; Mina is deceased; and Chester is a resident of Ogden, Utah. Mrs. Crangle passed to the life eternal November 11, 1891.
August 25, 1893, recorded the marriage of Mr. Crangle to Miss Anna Rothrock, dangh- ter of George and Catherine (Warwick) Roth- rock, natives of Indiana. This union has been blessed with three children, Lila E., Bertha A., and Neta N., all of whom are with their parents, in Beatrice.
Politically Mr. Crangle votes the Republi- can ticket and is a member of the Grand Army Republic, Rawlins Post, No. 35 at Beatrice. He is a member of the Baptist church.
FRED H. BARNES. - The men who are the sons of pioneers look with pride upon their ancestry, and it is well that they do, as all of the progress of the world has been stimulated by the pioneers - be they pioneers of a conn- try or industry or principle. Fred Hall Barnes, whose life review we are scanning, is the son of Francis M. and Mary Jane (Dripps) Barnes. Francis Barnes was born May 1, 1833, in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1842 he was taken to the city of St. Louis,
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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM F. CRANGLE
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Missouri, by his parents, William and Linda Barnes, who passed the remaining years of their life in that city.
Francis M. Barnes attended the St. Louis public schools and laid the foundation upon which he built the structure of his life and principles. In 1854 he went to Kansas City, where he engaged in the transfer business, and in 1858 he came to Richardson county, Nebraska. Thereafter he was engaged in freighting from the Missouri river to the mountains until 1870, when he removed his home and family and settled at what is now the town of Barneston, which was named in his honor. Upon his arrival upon the Otoe Indian reservation lands he forthwith became aware of the fact that there were more red- skins than "pale-faces" and had soon estab- lished a trading post to barter with the Indians for the things which they had in exchange for the beads and clothing which the white man had. He developed a prosperous mercantile and live-stock business.
November 16, 1856, in Kansas City, Mis- souri, was solemnized the marriage of Francis Barnes and Miss Mary Jane Dripps, who was born at Bellevue, Nebraska, November 15. 1827, the daughter of Major Andrew and Mary Dripps, the latter having been an Otoe Indian woman. Major and Mrs. Andrew Dripps moved to Missouri and purchased land which to-day is the site of the modern city of Kansas City. Mr. Dripps was associated with the men who banded themselves into a cor- poration to plat the land of his farm into lots and sell to the people who were rushing to the west. Mr. Dripps realized that this was a strategic point on the Missouri river for a thriving city, but it is possible to believe that he never had any Utopian ideas of Kansas City as it is to-day. Mrs. Mary Jane Barnes is now past ninety years old and has the dis- tinction of being the oldest living person born on Nebraska soil. Her home is made in Barneston, from which her companion passed away August 18, 1916, after sixty-one years of happy companionship. They were the par- ents of the following children : Gertrude died at the age of twelve years; William is living
retired at Guthrie, Oklahoma; Charles G. is retired and lives at Red Rock, Oklahoma ; Emmett F. is a farmer near Ponca City, Okla- homa; Katie is the wife of Lymond Dickie, Ottawa, Kansas; and Fred Hall Barnes is the subject of this review. Of the parents fur- ther mention is made in the historical depart- ment of this volume - specially in connection with the record of Barneston.
As intimated above, Francis M. Barnes was honored by the little city of Barneston being named in commemoration of himself. For many long years he was allied with all of the civic, religious, and social life of his commu- nity and was instrumental in giving his sup- port to many worthy causes. He was a char- ter member of the first lodge of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows organized in Kansas City and he was also an honored mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity.
Fred Hall Barnes, the son of this illustrious couple who allied themselves with so many of the first things of our western country's history, was born near St. Deroin, in Richard- son county, Nebraska, July 2, 1868, and came with his parents to Gage county in 1870. He has grown up with the country and is familiar with all of the varying changes which have come during his life. The education which he received in the Barneston schools was sup- plemented by study at St. Benedict's College at Atchison, Kansas, and the Blake Private School at Beatrice. From the years 1892 to 1898 he was connected with the bank at Barneston, first as bookkeeper and finally as president of the institution. He severed his connections with this business in 1898. He and his venerable mother have about four hun- dred acres of land in Barneston and Liberty townships and this is rented.
The political sentiments of Mr. Barnes are in harmony with the principles of the Repub- lican party. He was once elected town trea- surer, but did not accept the position. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, including the chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and also is identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
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MICHAEL KRUEGER. - The story of a nation is indissolubly linked with and made up of the individual stories of the men who make up the composite whole. Likewise the history of one nation is linked with the history of another. The United States has been the haven of the poor and the oppressed, either religiously or economically, from the Old World. The Old World countries have been settled so long and their farming land culti- vated so intensively that there are no great opportunities for advancement for the indi- vidual person, such as the United States af- fords. That many men have attested to this is seen in the fact that millions of immigrants flock to our shores.
The German immigrant is agriculturally in- clined and does his work in a highly produc- tive manner. One of these men who came here to secure a livelihood such as his native land could not give, was the late Michael Krueger. His birth date was October 3, 1853, and he was born in Stettin, Germany, where the first seventeen years of his life were spent. In 1870 his parents and their children left their native land and located in Michigan City, Indiana, where they lived until coming to Nemaha township, Gage county, Nebraska.
In Michigan City Michael Krueger worked in the car shops, then he removed to Syca- more, Indiana, where he was employed by a harvester company. But he was not content to work as a laborer, nor were his brothers, so they decided to come to Nebraska and buy the wild lands and go to farming. Consequently, the year 1876 found the Krueger family on their way to Gage county, Nebraska. The land in Section 9, Nemaha township, was se- lected after many days of looking over the lands and their respective advantages through- out the country. They paid nine dollars an acre for the land and the three brothers, Gott- lieb, August, and Michael, decided to farm the land in partnership. Their father and mother also settled on this section, but the father was not able to farm, as he had lost his left leg.
The one-room shanty was soon built and they had to prepare for the breaking of the land. Michael Krueger and his brother Au-
gust went on foot to Kansas City, Missouri, to purchase a team of horses. They slept wherever night overtook them. In a haystack or strawstack was the best shelter from the wind and cold. Their journey home was not so long or tedious, as they were able to ride horseback.
The parents of Michael Krueger were Au- gust and Dorothy (Doring) Krueger. They were both born in Germany and spent their latter years on their farm in Nemaha town- ship. August Krueger was born April 10, 1812, and died in 1890. His wife was born October 3, 1814, and died February 22, 1886. They were the parents of the following chil- dren : William is deceased ; Gottfried married a sister of Mrs. Michael Krueger, and she lives in Nemaha township; Mrs. Mary Arndt resides at Michigan City, Indiana ; Mrs. Min- nie Hanson lives in Orange, California; Michael, with whom this sketch deals, is de- ceased; August is living at Firth, Nebraska.
Itt 1882 Michael Krueger married Miss Marie Ruter, and eight children were born to this union: William is living at Sidney, Ne- braska; Carl resides in Nemaha township, Gage county ; John resides in Section 5, Ne- maha township; Anna is the wife of R. Wil- cox, of Nemaha township; Michael remains in Nemaha township; Maggie is at the mater- nal home; Fred is running the home farm for his mother; and Katherine is likewise at home.
The mother of this interesting family was born in Westphalia, Germany, October 22, 1859. In 1881 she came to the United States in company with her sister, Mrs. Pape. They came to Gage county, where, in 1882, she mar- ried Mr. Krueger. Her parents remained in their native land and after her mother's death her father, William Ruter, came to Nemaha township, in 1885. Here he remained until his death, in 1911. He was born in 1820 and was an old man upon his arrival in this coun- try but lived to be ninety-one years old. He had a family of seven children, three of whom are in Nemaha township - Mrs. H. Pape, Mrs. Michael Krueger, and Mrs. Gottfried Krueger.
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