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 75

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 75

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C. A. Hall continued to attend the publi .- schools until he had completed a course in

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

the high school at Pawnee and thereafter he learned the trade of telegraphy and became an operator on the line of the Rock Island Railroad. As operator and station agent he continued in the service of the Rock Island Lines about fifteen years, during five and one. half years of which period he was station agent at Virginia. Upon retiring from this position, in 1909, he became associated with the Citizens' State Bank in this village, and he was made cashier of the institution, a po- sition of which he has since continued the incumbent and in which he has done much to further the advancement of the business of the substantial bank, which bases its opera- tions on a capital stock of seventy-five hun- dred dollars and the deposits of which average about one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Mr. Hall is one of the vital and pro- gressive citizens and business men of Vir- ginia, is a Republican in politics and has served as a member of the village board of trustees, as well as township treasurer. He is affiliated with the local organization of the Royal Highlanders.

In 1909 was recorded the marriage of Mr. Hall to Miss Lucille Cripe, who was born and reared in Gage county and who was a daugh- ter of Adam Cripe, one of the substantial farmers of Rockford township. Mrs. Hall passed to eternal rest on the 15th of Febru- ary, 1916, and is survived by no children.

ALLEN M. DARWIN is one of the most alert and progressive young business men of the village of Virginia, where he leases and conducts the grain elevator and also is the owner of a well ordered automobile garage, in connection with which latter enterprise he is agent for the popular Buick automobile.

Mr. Darwin was born in Wright county, Iowa, April 29, 1883, and is a son of George and Emma (Taylor) Darwin, the former of whom was born in England, about 1856, and the latter of whom was born in Will county, Illinois, in 1860. The death of the father oc- curred in 1910 and that of the mother in 1912, their marriage having been solemnized at Joliet, Illinois. George Darwin was four

years of age when his parents came to the United States and established their home in Illinois, where he was reared and educated, and in Iowa he continued his alliance with farm industry until about 1894, when he came with his family to Gage county and set- tled on a farm in Filley township. In the following year he engaged in the meat market business in the village of Virginia, where he continued operations along this line for eleven years and where both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. Of their six children the subject of this review is the eld- est; Harry E. is a farmer in Sherman town- ship; May is the wife of Roy Ramsey, who is engaged in business in the city of Beatrice ; Vern is a commercial traveler and maintains his home in Sioux City, Iowa ; Beatrice is the wife of Glenn C. Mckinney, a farmer in Colorado; and Clifford is, in 1918, a student in the high school at Beatrice. The parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and the father was a Republican in politics and affiliated with the Masonic fra- ternity and the Modern Woodmen of America.

After the family removal to Gage county Allen M. Darwin, then a lad of about eleven years, attended the public schools in the vil- lage of Virginia, and thereafter he continued his active association with farming until he was twenty-four years of age. In 1911 he leased the grain elevator at Virginia, and in this connection he has since controlled a sub- stantial business in the handling of grain, be- sides having developed a prosperous garage and automobile business.

October 5, 1916, recorded the marriage of Mr. Darwin to Miss Lola White, who was born and reared in the city of Beatrice, this county, and who has made their pleasant home a center of gracious hospitality. She is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Darwin is one of the liberal and pro- gressive citizens of Virginia, is, in 1918, serv- ing his second term as a member of the vil- lage board of trustees, and is a Republican in his political allegiance. He is affiliated with

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

the Masonic fraternity, including the com- mandery of Knights Templars at Beatrice and the temple of the Mystic Shrine in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska.

. JOHN W. PARDE, whose death occurred July 18, 1911, after an illness of about one year's duration, was one of the honored citi- zens and successful farmers of Gage county and was a member of one of the representa- tive pioneer families of Hanover township, his parents, William and Tete Parde, being still residents of this township and being in- dividually mentioned on other pages of this history.

John W. Parde was born in Adams county, Illinois, on the 26th of October, 1868, and was about seventeen years of age when the family came to Gage county, where he was reared to manhood and assisted his father in the reclaiming and improving of the pioneer farm, his early education being acquired in the district schools and the Lutheran parochial schools, he having been confirmed in the Lutheran church when he was a lad of four- teen years and ever afterward having con- tinued an earnest communicant of the same, as is also his widow. When twenty-two years of age Mr. Parde took unto himself a wife and in establishing a home he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, in Section 22, Hanover township. The place was vir- tually unimproved and with the passing years he developed the same into one of the fine farm properties of the township, its build- ings being of modern order and giving lasting evidence of his thrift and the prosperity he won through vigorous activities as a progres- sive agriculturist and stock-grower. His wife inherited sixty acres of land in the same town- ship, and he thus developed a farm of two hundred and twenty acres, his widow still remaining on the homestead and giving her personal supervision to its management. Mr. Parde was liberal and public-spirited as a citizen, commanded the high regard of all who knew him, and his political allegiance was given to the Democratic party.

In the year 1894 Mr. Parde married Miss

Jennie Ehmen, who was born and reared in this county, and sufficient record concerning her parents is given on other pages, in the sketch dedicated to her brother Henry W. Six children survive Mr. Parde: Teedy is the wife of George Wollman, of Filley town- ship, this county; William married Miss Grace Meints, of Pickrell; Henry, Heye, and John remain with their widowed mother; and Emma is the wife of Ehma Jobman, of Filley township.

ULYSSES G. McPHERON. - Men who adhere to high principles, even to the point of personal sacrifice and loss, have ever made this world progress along the lines that men with less principle and less fortitude would not have dared to follow. Ulysses Grant Mc- Pheron is a man of sound religious and eco- nomic principles, which he is not afraid to defend publicly or to cast his vote in their favor. In this, special reference is made to Mr. McPheron's convictions relative to the regulation of the liquor traffic, and it is due to men like him, men who have had the cour- age of their convictions and principles, that the Prohibition party has been born and radi- cal reforms effected in our communal life.

Ulysses G. McPheron was born in Hawkins county, Tennessee, January 16, 1875, and is the son of James M. McPheron, whose record will be found elsewhere in this volume. He was only ten years old when his parents came, in 1885, to Gage county, and his father here engaged in farming operations.

The marriage of Mr. McPheron and Miss Minnie Fry was solemnized February 19, 1899. Mrs. McPheron is a daughter of Christian F. Fry, whose sketch is in this vol- ume. To this marriage were born two sons, Galen Ralph and Earl Gilmore, who are now helping their father on the farm. The mother passed away September 11, 1903. The second marriage of Mr. McPheron was solemnized February 12, 1905, when Miss Augusta Cul- len became his wife. She was born August 18, 1871, a daughter of James and Christena Cullen, of whom mention is made on other pages of this work .. Two little daughters

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

JOHN W. PARDE

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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

have come to bless this home, Lois Christena, and Nola Rachel.

The political views of Ulysses G. McPheron at one time were in favor of the Republican party, but he is now a Prohibitionist and is always ready to cast his vote for the reforms to rid our nation of the liquor traffic. He is a member of the Dunkard church.

BERNHARD H. SIEFKES represents the staunchest of American loyalty and efficiency, though he is the only member of his imme- diate family to have come to the United States from Germany, in which connection it may consistently be noted that one of his brothers met death, in 1917, on the great battlefields of Europe, while serving as a soldier in the Ger- man army, and another brother is held as a prisoner of war in England.

Mr. Siefkes has been a resident of Gage county since 1893, and he is now one of the substantial farmers and popular and influen- tial citizens of Hanover township, his finely improved homestead, of one hundred and sixty acres, being situated in Section 26. Mr. Siefkes was born in Hanover, Germany, De- cember 27, 1875, and is a son of Diedrich and Anna (Deriese) Siefkes, the former of whom died about 1907 and the latter of whom still remains in Germany, the father having been a farmer by vocation. The subject of this sketch acquired his early education in the schools of his native land and was but sixteen years of age when, in 1892, he severed the home ties and bravely set forth to seek his fortunes in the United States. In that year he arrived at the home of his uncle, in Frank- lin county, Nebraska, with his available capi- tal represented in the sum of a single dollar. He worked on his uncle's farm until the fol- lowing year, when he came to Gage county, took a Scully lease, in Hanover township, and began farm operations in an independent way. Under these conditions he continued his energetic and ambitious activities four years, and he then purchased his present farm, which was at that time improved with a primitive house of two rooms, a barn twelve by six- teen feet in dimensions, and a corncrib. The

measure of his vigorous achievement in the intervening years is shown in the thrift that is manifest in all departments of his farm enterprise and also in the excellent buildings which he has erected and which mark his farm as one of model order, his attention being given to diversified agriculture and stock-growing.

In 1898 Mr. Siefkes wedded Miss Ida Ehmen, who was born and reared in this country and is a daughter of William Ehmen, adequate record concerning her parents being given on other pages of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Siefkes have eight children - Diedrich, William, Annie, Henry, Ermina, Minnie, Her- man, and John, and the religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church.

Entering fully into the spirit of American customs and institutions and speaking the English language like a native of the United States, Mr. Siefkes is a staunch supporter of the cause of the Republican party and is in- fluential in public affairs in Hanover town- ship. In 1914 he was elected representative of the First district on the county board of supervisors, an office of which he was the in- cumbent three years, and he has served also as a member of the board of township trustees and ten years as assessor for his precinct. Through his own well ordered efforts he has won worthy success and in addition to being the owner of a valuable farm property he is shareholder of the Farmers' Elevator Com- pany at Pickrell.

RICHARD W. GRANT is a leading rep- resentative of the architect's profession in southeastern Nebraska and is established in business in the city of Beatrice. He was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, on the 5th of January, 1862, and is a son of John N. and Emma (Batty) Grant. The father was born at Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1822, and his death occurred in 1894. The mother was born in England, in 1827, and was summoned to the life eternal on Christmas day of the year 1911. Of the six children the subject of this review was the second in order of birth and all save one of the number are living - Sarah

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is a resident of Seattle, Washington; James E. lives at Wenatchee, that state, where he is engaged in the hotel business; Edwin W., a mining engineer, resides in the city of Port- land, Oregon; and Charles E. is engaged in the banking business in the city of Seattle. John N. Grant was a child at the time of his parents' removal from Ohio to Illinois. In the latter state he eventually became a suc- cessful contractor and builder, and there he remained until 1869, when he came with his family to the new state of Nebraska and be- came a pioneer of Gage county. In Hanover township he made entry upon the last remain- ing homestead in the county, and here he con- tinued his residence until 1875, when he re- moved from his farm to Beatrice. In the meanwhile, in addition to vigorously further- ing the development and improving of his farm, he had continued his activities as a con- tractor and builder, and along this line he continued operations until 1888, when he re- tired and removed to Seattle, Washington, where he remained until his death. His po- litical allegiance was given to the Republican party, but he had no ambition for public office.

Richard W. Grant was eight years old when the family home was established on the pio- neer farm in Gage county, and in addition to receiving in his youth the advantages of the public schools of Beatrice he pursued higher studies in the University of Illinois. He trained himself most thoroughly in the tech- nical and applicatory work of the architec- tural profession, of which he has been an ex- ponent during his entire independent career and in which his success has been of unequivo- cal order. He has been continuously engaged in the practice of his profession in Beatrice since 1889, and he has given special attention to the designing of public buildings, including public schools. Many fine structures of modern architectural design and facilities attest his technical skill and his fidelity as a supervising architect. He has designed and supervised the erection of fully seventy high and grade school buildings - in Nebraska, Kansas, olorado, and South Dakota - and his repu-

tation in his profession has far transcended mere local limitations. Numerous churches, business buildings, and residences in Gage county stand as monuments to the ability of Mr. Grant, and not the least of these is the beautiful edifice of the Hanover Lutheran church, which stands near the site of the little log school house in which he received his early educational discipline, he and his sister having walked a distance of three and one-half miles from their home to attend this primitive institution of learning.

In 1887 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Grant to Miss Ida M. Schell, who was born at Peoria, Illinois, a daughter of Charles L. Schell, her father having been a large prop- erty holder and prominent real-estate dealer after coming to Nebraska, in 1876, and hav- ing died at Walla Walla, Washington, while on a trip through the west. Mr. and Mrs. Grant have seven children - Mrs. Robert E. Kyle, of Fort Worth, Texas; Mrs. Henry Randall, whose husband is a stock ranchman in Nebraska: Mrs. Rudolph O. Sheldon, of Kansas City, Missouri ; Richard S., a pharma- cist by profession, resides at Beatrice and now in government military service at Base Hos- pital No. 49; Rachel remains at the parental home; Joseph N. is a farmer and stock- grower in Gage county; John Harmon is at the parental home and is attending the public schools.

Mr. Grant is found aligned staunchly in the ranks of the Republican party, and he and his wife are active members of the Christian church in their home city. Mr. Grant is the owner of a model farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Riverside town- ship, about two miles southeast of Beatrice, and on this fine rural estate he and his fam- ily maintain their home. He here raises full- blood Holstein cattle and Hampshire swine.

LUCIEN L. NOBLE, M. D., a representa- tive physician and surgeon of Gage county, is established in the successful practice of his profession at Holmesville, and his important clientage, disseminated widely through the district about his home city, indicates alike

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his technical skill and his personal popularity. The Doctor was born at Lincoln, Logan county, Illinois, August 14, 1871, and is a son of George P. and Sallie A. (Webb) Noble, both natives of Kentucky, where each was born in the year 1828, their marriage having been solemnized at Richmond, Kentucky. In 1861 George P. Noble removed to Illinois, where he became a prosperous farmer and a prominent buyer and shipper of live-stock. There he passed the residue of his life and he was forty-four years of age at the time of his death, in 1872. His widow long survived him and in 1881 she came with her children to Nebraska and established her home at Aurora, Hamilton county, where she was summoned to eternal rest in 1896, at the age of sixty-eight years. Of the seven children four are living - Louisa, who is the wife of Charles Dixon, of Ottawa, Kansas; George, who is a farmer near Aurora, Hamilton county, Nebraska; Isaiah, who is engaged in the meat-market business in Kansas City, Missouri; and Dr. Lucien L., who is the im- mediate subject of this review. The father was a Democrat in politics before the Civil war, but at that time changed his allegiance to the Republican party. He was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and served as master of his lodge, both he and his wife hav- ing been members of the Christian church.

Dr. Noble was about nine years old at the time of the family removal to Nebraska and in the public schools of Hamilton county he continued his studies until his graduation in the Aurora high school, as a member of the class of 1891. In preparation for his exacting profession he entered Northwestern Medical College, at St. Joseph, Missouri, and from the same he received in 1894 the degree of Doctor of Medicine. His professional novitiate was served at Roseland, Adams county, Ne- braska, where he remained four months, and since that time he has been engaged in active general practice at Holmesville, where he has achieved success of unequivocal order. He is an active member of the Gage County Medical Society, the Nebraska State Medical Society, and the American Medical Associa-

tion. His political support is given to the Republican party and he takes loyal interest in all things touching the welfare of his home village and county. He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and is also a member of the lodge of the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks in the city of Beatrice.

In 1895 Dr. Noble wedded Miss Minnie Will, a daughter of the late Frank M. and Eliza A. (Houtz) Will, the former of whom died in 1909 and the latter on the 11th of No- vember, 1917, Mr. Will having been a repre- sentative farmer of Gage county. Dr. and Mrs. Noble have three children - Roy, Les- lie, and Marie. Roy is, in 1918, a member of the sophomore class in the University of Ne- braska, and Leslie is a student in the Beatrice high school.

HENRY JANZEN. - Known and valued as one of the enterprising and representative agriculturists and stock-growers of Gage county, Mr. Janzen is the owner of a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Section 33, Blakely township. He was born in western Prussia, on the 1st of February, 1858, and is a son of David and Helena (Thun) Janzen. He was the second in a family of five children, the fifth having died in infancy and the others, David, Jacob, and Herman, being still residents of Prussia, where the parents passed their entire lives.

To the excellent schools of his native land Henry Janzen is indebted for his youthful education and there he continued his alliance with farm enterprise from his boyhood until September 7, 1877, when, owing primarily to the governmental denial of the religions rights of the Mennonites, of which he is a zealous representative, he left the fatherland and set forth on the voyage to the United States, as- sured of freedom to live in accord with the dictates of his conscience and faith after he had established his home in the democratic nation to which he has since paid the fullest measure of loyalty and appreciation. Mr. Janzen landed in New York City and shortly afterward came to Gage county, where he arrived in 1877. For the first few years he

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was here employed at farm work, in the ser- vice of Bernard Reimer and Elijah Filley, and his wages averaged from ten to fifteen dollars a month. In 1881 he returned to his native land, where he remained from March until September, and upon coming again to Gage county he here continued to work as a farm employe until 1883, when he not only pur- chased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, four miles northwest of Beatrice, but also fortified himself further by taking unto him- self the gracious young wife who has proved his faithful helpmeet and companion. He made good improvements on his farm and there continued his activities until 1901, when he sold the property to advantage. For the ensuing two years he farmed on rented land southeast of Beatrice, and he then rented the Hollingwood farm, east of that city, where he continued his productive operations for seven years. He then, in 1910, purchased his present farm, which, under his progressive and able management, he has made one of the model places of Blakely township. He is in- dependent in politics, giving his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment, and he and his family are earnest members of the Mennonite church.

On the 29th of March, 1883, Mr. Janzen wedded Miss Magdalene Penner, who was born and reared in Prussia, where her parents passed their entire lives. She came to the United States and established her residence in Gage county in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Janzen became the parents of eight children, of whom two died young; Mary is the wife of Kurt Wiebe, of Saline county ; Helena, Henry, Anna, and Gustav remain at the parental home; Agatha is the wife of Henry Franz, their marriage having occurred August 24, 1917; Miss Anna is numbered among the successful and popular teachers in the schools of this county, she being at the time of this writing, in the winter of 1917-1918, in charge of the well ordered school of District 21, in Blakely township. Miss Anna Janzen, an efficient young representative of the pedagogic profession, was born and reared in Gage county and after having profited by the ad-

vantages of the district schools she entered the Beatrice high school, in which she was graduated as a member of the class of 1915. Thereafter she effectively fortified herself for her chosen profession by taking a course in the Nebraska State Normal School at Peru. Her initial service as a teacher was given in the autumn of 1913, and her work has been of most excellent order in the various schools that have received her attention, she being at the present time the teacher in her home district.

JOHN B. PARKER. - Though he has passed the allotted span of three-score years and ten, this sterling pioneer of Gage county is vigorously and successfully conducting in the city of Beatrice the leading harness and saddlery establishment of Gage county, and it was his also to have developed in the pio- neer era one of the valuable farm properties of the county.

Mr. Parker was born at South Petherton, Somersetshire, England, on the 21st of July, 1843, and is a son of William and Mary Par- ker, who became the parents of three sons and two daughters, all of whom are now deceased except the subject of this review, who was the youngest son. William Parker was born in the year 1800 and was for many years en- gaged in the work of his trade, that of shoe- maker, at South Petherton, where his death occurred in 1884. His wife, who likewise was born in 1800, was ninety-three years of age at the time of her death, in 1893.

John B. Parker acquired his youthful edu- cation in the schools of his native town and he was a lad of fourteen years when he came to America and made his way to Bremer county, Iowa, where he found employment on the pioneer farm of one of his older brothers. There he continued to attend school during the winter terms until he was about twenty years old. In 1861 he went to Wis- consin, where he continued his connection with agricultural industry until 1863, when he joined another of his brothers, Samuel J., at Rochelle, Illinois. There he served under the direction of his brother a thorough apprentice-

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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 75

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