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 85

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 85

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Seymour is found arrayed as a loyal supporter of the cause of the Republican party, he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights and Ladies of Security and he and his wife are active mem- bers of the Congregational church. He finds ample demands upon his time and attention in his activities as a fancier and raiser of fancy poultry, in which field of enterprise he raises fine Rhode Island Reds, his exhibit of which at the Gage county fair in 1917 brought to him majority of the blue ribbons on this type of poultry.

GEORGE E. THEASMEYER, who is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Section 15, Clatonia township, and

642

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

who is giving special attention to the breeding and raising of Hereford cattle and Poland- China swine, is a member of one of the hon- ored pioneer families of Gage county and was born on the old homestead of his father, in Section 15, Clatonia township, July 26, 1882, being fourth in a family of six children ; Henry is the eldest of the family and remains with his mother; Anna is the wife of John Krauter, of Clatonia township; Emma is the wife of Henry Heller, of Lancaster county ; Nina is the wife of Henry Horn, of Gering, Scotts Bluff county ; and Daniel, who lives with his mother, is a farmer in Clatonia town- ship.

Henry Theasmeyer, father of the subject of this review, was born in Detmold, Princi- pality of Lippe, Germany, February 21, 1850, and was one of the honored pioneer citizens of Gage county at the time of his death, De- cember 27, 1914. In early childhood he was left an orphan and he was reared by kinsfolk, the while he began to provide in a degree for his own maintenance when he was but ten years old, by doing farm work within the compass of his physical powers. His educa- tional advantages were limited and in his native land he applied himself diligently until he was nineteen years old, when he determined to come to America, where he felt that he could find better opportunities for advance- ment. In 1869 he embarked, at Bremen, on a sailing vessel, and in due time he landed in New York city. He thence went forthwith to Stephenson county, Illinois, where he found work on a farm and where his efficient services won for him a noteworthy advance in wages within the ensuing six years. There, on the 21st of April, 1875, he married Miss Susan Lauber, who was born in Stephenson county, Illinois, July 30, 1852, and who now maintains her home in the village of Clatonia. Shortly after his marriage Mr. Theasmeyer came, in the spring of 1875, to Gage county, where he purchased eighty acres of railroad land, in Section 15, Clatonia township. A plentitude of success attended his earnest activities dur- ing the long years that marked the general de- velopment and progress of Gage county, and

he became one of the most substantial farmers of Clatonia township. He and his wife bravely met the vicissitudes and trials of the pioneer days and in their kindliness and up- rightness gained the high regard of all who knew them. At the time of his death, Decem- ber 27, 1914, Mr. Theasmeyer was the owner of a valuable landed estate of eight hundred and eighty acres. He and his wife aided in the organization of the German Methodist Episcopal church at Clatonia and became charter members of the same, Mrs. Theas- meyer being still an active member. In poli- tics Mr. Theasmeyer was a staunch Republi- can and he took a lively and intelligent interest in governmental affairs, both national and local.

George E. Theasmeyer has been associated with farm enterprise in Clatonia township from the time of his boyhood, and a portion of his present farm came to him as a heritage from his father's estate, while the remainder he purchased from his widowed mother. He made good use of the advantages afforded in the public schools and this was fostered by influences that made for development of both brain and brawn and that admirably fortified him for the duties and responsibilities of life. He is one of the energetic and successful agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county and as a liberal and progressive citi- zen is fully upholding the honors of the fam- ily name. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and he and his wife are members of the German Methodist church.

March 24, 1904, recorded the marriage of Mr. Theasmeyer to Miss Frances Heller, who was born in Lancaster county, this state, Feb- ruary 6, 1883, a daughter of Joseph and Rosa (Liesech) Heller, who now reside at Hallan, that county. Mr. and Mrs. Theasmeyer have four children - Herbert, Hayward, Helen, and Dale.

JOHN T. JURGENS, who is numbered among the substantial citizens and representa- tive farmers of Hanover township was born at Aurich, in the province of Hanover, Germany, March 3, 1871, and is a son of Thee H. and

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

643

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE E. THEASMEYER

644

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Anna (Dutzman) Jurgens, both natives of that section of the German empire, where the former was born in 1833 and the latter in 1830, her death having occurred in 1913. In 1881 Thee H. Jurgens came with his family to Gage county and after farming several years on rented land he purchased eighty acres, in Hanover township. He continued his active and successful association with farm enter- pise until 1894, when he retired, and he now resides in the home of his son John T., of this review,- being known as one of the sterling pioneer citizens of the county, his political support being given to the Republican party and his religious faith being that of the German Lutheran church, of which his wife likewise was a devoted communicant. They became the parents of five children : Henry is a prosperous farmer in Logan township; Wilke died when about fifty years of age; Thee T. is a farmer in Hanover township; Grace is the wife of Ehme Waldman, of Logan township; and the subject of this sketch is the youngest of the number.

John T. Jurgens was ten years old at the time when the family home was established in Gage county, and here he was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, the while he made good use of the advantages afforded by the district schools. He finally purchased his father's farm, to which he has added until it now comprises three hundred and twenty acres of land, in Hanover township. His success has been won with integrity and honor and by close application and good management. He has made excellent improvements on his farm property, including the erection of his pres- ent large and attractive house, in 1910, and his large barn, in 1911. He is liberal and loyal as a citizen, is a Republican in politics, has served fifteen years as a member of the school board of his district, besides having given equally efficient service as road over- seer and as a member of the official board of the township of Hanover. In connection with diversified agriculture he gives special atten- tion to the raising of good live stock, and he has bred from four full-blood Short-horn bulls that have been owned by him.

In 1896 Mr. Jurgens wedded Miss Elsche Francen, who was born in Champaign county, Illinois, and reared in Gage county, Nebraska. She is a daughter of Harm Francen, who came from Germany and settled in Illinois, where he remained until 1882, when he settled in Gage county. Mr. and Mrs. Jurgens are ac- tive communicants of the German Lutheran church. They have eight children, all of whom remain members of the gracious home circle - Thee, Harm, Henry, Grace, Wilke, John, Dick, and Anna Y.

O. J. LYNDES .- The greater number of the pioneers of Gage county were of fine, sturdy stock - generous-hearted, resourceful, courageous and optimistic,- and such attri- butes have significantly denoted the sterling pioneer citizen to whom this sketch is dedi- cated. Mr. Lyndes is now living virtually re- tired in the city of Beatrice, but is here as- sociated with his son-in-law, George Mayborn, in the conducting of a well equipped meat market, under the firm name of Mayborn & Lyndes.

Mr. Lyndes was born at Grafton, Lorain county, Ohio, March 6, 1848, and is a son of Orville and Mary (Turner) Lyndes, the former a native of Massachusetts and the lat- ter of Vermont. Orville Lyndes was a scion of fine old Puritan New England ancestry on both the paternal and maternal sides and af- ter his removal to Ohio he became a prosper- ous farmer in Lorain county, both he and his wife having continued their residence in the old Buckeye state until their death. Three of their sons were valiant soldiers of the Union in the Civil war. Anson served more than three years and after being captured by the enemy was confined in a Confederate prison for somewhat more than six months ; Frederick was in the Union ranks for more than three years and was with General Sheridan in the historic Shenandoah campaign; and John, whose military career covered four years, was assigned the greater part of the time to the guarding of Confederate prisoners at Colum- bus, Ohio.

O. J. Lyndes was reared on the old home

645

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

farm and gained his early education in the common schools of his native county. At the age of eighteen years he went to Lee county, Illinois, where he found work on a farm and where later he engaged in farm enterprise in an independent way. There he continued his residence until 1879, when he came to Gage county, Nebraska, being accompanied by his wife and their infant child and bringing a small supply of household effects to equip the new home, his cash capital at the time of his arrival in Beatrice having been three hundred and fifteen dollars. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on the Indian reserva- tion and now included in Glenwood township. Fort twenty-five dollars he bought a breaking plow from the pioneer firm of Wagner & Lamb; from J. B. Lester he obtained a wagon, for which he paid twenty dollars; and for ninety-nine dollars Samuel Wymore trans- ferred to him a yoke of oxen. Much of his available cash was thus expended for equip- ment, for his land and for incidental expenses of the family, so that he was glad to add to his resources by breaking prairie land for others, at two dollars an acre. In the autumn of 1880 Mr. Lyndes built on his pioneer farm a frame house fourteen by twenty feet in di- mensions, and the freezing of his lime made it impossible for him to plaster the rooms un- til the following spring. The little house was weather-boarded with one-half inch lap, and in order to make the building snug he covered the interior with building paper, in lieu of plaster. The ensuing winter was the coldest yet known in the history of Gage county, and Mr. Lyndes, his wife and their two children endured the rigors of the winter by living in their primitive little house, which had but one- half of an inch of protective material between the inside and the exterior surface. For his land Mr. Lyndes paid three and one-half dol- lars an acre, and later he purchased an ad- joining tract of one hundred and twenty acres. With valiant energy and perseverance he car- ried forward the reclaiming and developing of his farm and there he continued his activi- ties as an agriculturist and stock-grower for thirty years, at the expiration of which he

sold the well improved property at the rate of one hundred and ten dollars an acre. Af- ter selling his farm Mr. Lyndes and his wife, who had shared with him in the vicissitudes of the pioneer days, removed to the city of Beatrice, where they now occupy their attrac- tive residence at 1336 Elk street. Since 1910 Mr. Lyndes has been associated with George Mayborn in the meat-market business, and their establishment, at 1220 Court street, re- ceives a substantial and representative patron- age, Mr. Lyndes giving but minor attention to the business.

At Dixon, Illinois, in the year 1877, Mr. Lyndes wedded Miss Clara Lindeman, who was born and reared in Lee county, that state, a daughter of Harmon and Nancy (Fritz) Lindeman, the former of whom is deceased and the latter of whom is now a resident of Dixon, Illinois, she having attained to most venerable age. Mr. and Mrs. Lyndes became the parents of five children: Harry has for fully fifteen years been employed by an im- portant chemical manufacturing company in the city of Denver, Colorado; Gertrude be- came the wife of George Mayborn and is now deceased ; Jay G. is a successful farmer near Powell, Wyoming; Mary Ethel is the wife of Earl Martin, of Sterling, Illinois; and Edna is the wife of John Wilson, a successful farm- er in Midland township.

Mr. Lyndes relates many interesting inci- dents pertaining to the pioneer period of Gage county history, and his reminiscences are es- pecially graphic. Mr. Lyndes has stated that he has had no happier period in his life than that when he and his family lived in their bleak little house during the frigid winter of 1881, for he realized that he had good pros- pects for establishing a home and had the de- voted companionship of his wife, who en- couraged him in his determination to win in- dependence and prosperity in the county of their adoption.

Mr. Lyndes was alert and loyal in support of all things tending to advance the communal welfare of the township in which he was one of the first settlers, and was specially promi- nent in effecting the organization of the school

646

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

district in his locality, he having been one of its first directors. He served in 1892-1893 as a member of the county board of supervis- ors and in 1893 he was candidate for county sheriff, but met defeat with the rest of his party's candidates in that election. He and his wife are zealous members of the Christian church, of which he has been an elder about six years. He assisted in organizing the church and Sunday school in his township, besides becoming the first superintendent of the Sun- day school. In a basic way he gives his sup- port to the Republican party, but in local af- fairs he is not constrained by strict partisan- ship. He is affiliated with the Masonic fra- ternity and he and his wife are known and honored as sterling pioneer citizens of Gage county, where they have a host of friends.

JOHN Q. REED was a young man when he came with his parents to Gage county and thus can claim pioneer prestige, besides which he is one of the prosperous business men and popular citizens of Beatrice, where he and his brother Luther have for a score of years con- ducted a well equipped feed and sales stable which represents one of the undivided prop- erties of the Reed family estate.

Mr. Reed was born in Butler county, Ohio, January 29, 1845, and is a son of David and Mary A. (Cochran) Reed, the former a na- tive of Ohio and the latter of Kentucky. In 1852 David Reed removed with his family to Sangamon county, Illinois, and there he con- tinued his residence until 1871, when he came with his family to Nebraska, his arrival in Beatrice having occurred April 13th of that year. In Riverside township he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land, and there he developed a productive farm, the while he was known and honored as one of the sterling pioneer citizens of the county. He finally retired from the farm and both he and his wife passed the closing years of their lives in Beatrice, both having been zealous mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, in which he served as elder. Of the six children three are living: Luther is associated with the subject of this review in conducting the feed and sales

stable in Beatrice, as previously noted; John Q. is the next younger; and Nancy, who is the widow of Richard Lowe, likewise resides in Beatrice; Fannie became the wife of New- ton Weatherald and both are now deceased ; William was a resident of Beatrice at the time of his death; and David Gibson died in child- hood, in Ohio.

John Q. Reed is indebted to the schools of Illinois for his early educational training and was twenty-six years of age when he came with his parents to Gage county. Here for several years he did a successful business in the feeding and shipping of cattle, and for five years he purchased cattle for the govern- ment, the stock being for the use of the Indians on the Otoe reservation in this county. For the past twenty years he and his brother have been associated in business in Beatrice, as previously noted, and he in the meanwhile gave a most efficient administration in the office of chief of the Beatrice police depart- ment, a position of which he continued the incumbent four years. For fifteen years he held the office of county coroner, and he re- tained this post until the office was abolished, his final term having terminated January 1, 1917. Mr. Reed has seen Beatrice develop from a frontier village to a fine city of metro- politan appearance and facilities, and he takes satisfaction in designating himself as one of the "old-timers" of Gage county. His politi- cal allegiance is given to the Republican party and he has given active service in its behalf in his home county.

October 8, 1884 Mr. Reed wedded Miss Elizabeth A. Fairbanks, who was born and reared in Indiana, and who is a cousin of the late Charles N. Fairbanks, former vice-presi- dent of the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have one daughter Mary Elizabeth, at home.

LEMUEL P. GESSELL .- From a modest inception Mr. Gessell has built up in the city of Beatrice a most substantial and prosperous job-printing business and his establishment is now throughly metropolitan in its equipment and facilities, so that he caters most acceptably to a large and representative patronage. He

647

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

keeps his stock of type-faces up to the best modern standard at all times and in its selec- tion makes provision for the handling of all kinds of artistic job work, both large and small. His battery of presses comprises three modern job presses and he now gives employment to an efficient corps of three as- sistants.

Mr. Gessell was born in Delaware county, Indiana, on the 8th of January, 1867, and is a son of John and Sarah ( Brooke) Gessell, both of whom were born and reared in Fairfield county, Ohio, members of pioneer families of that section of the old Buckeye state. Soon after their marriage John Gessell and his wife removed to Indiana, where he gave consider- able attention to the work of his trade, that of shoemaker. In 1869, about two years after the admission of Nebraska to statehood, he came with his family to Gage county and entered claim to a homestead of one hundred and twenty acres, in what is now Grant town- ship. He reclaimed and developed one of the productive farms of the county, was influential in community affairs in the pioneer days and was a Democrat in his political proclivities, both he and his wife having been charter members and earnest communicants of the Trinity Lutheran church at Beatrice. John Gessell had the most meager of financial re- sources when he numbered himself among the pioneers of the new state of Nebraska, but he so applied his energies in developing the ad- mirable resources of Gage county that he achieved a substantial competency. He was sixty-four years of age at the time of his death and his wife passed to eternal rest at the age of ninety-six years - sterling pioneers whose memories are revered by all who knew them. Of their thirteen children only four are now living: Elmer is a printer by trade and now lives in the city of Dallas, Texas; Jesse is a popular salesman in one of the leading grocery stores of Beatrice ; Lemuel P., of this review, was the next in order of birth ; and Oscar, a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal church, holds at the time of this writing, in 1918, a pastoral charge at Enter- prise, Kansas.

Lemuel P. Gessell was about three years of age at the time when his parents came from Indiana and established their home on the pioneer farm in Gage county. As a boy he gained full fellowship with farm work and in the meanwhile he broadened his mental horizon by attending the schools of the locality and period. He continued his studies in the public schools at intervals until he was about sixteen years of age, and his first work after leaving the parental home was as a farm hand. At the age of sixteen years, however, he entered upon a practical apprenticeship to the printer's trade, in the office of the Beatrice Weekly Express, at Beatrice. He continued to work at his trade - principally in the city of Beatrice - until 1909, when he here opened a little printing establishment of his own. His technical skill in the execution of job work, combined with his personal popularity, gained him an appreciative support, and each year witnessed a substantial development in his business, which is now one well established and of prosperous order, as noted in an earlier paragraph of this article.

Mr. Gessell takes loyal interest in all things pertaining to the welfare of the county that has represented his home from childhood and while he has had no ambition for political office he accords staunch support to the cause of the Republican party, both he and his wife holding membership in the Methodist Epis- ccpal church and he being affilliated with the Fraternal Aid Union.

In the year 1889 was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Gessell to Miss Elizabeth Kelly, who was born on the Isle of Man, in the Irish sea, and who was a child at the time of her parents' immigration to America. Mr. and Mrs. Gessell have one child, Annie, who is a member of the class of 1919 in the Beatrice high school.

STEPHEN BULL was a gallant young veteran of the Civil war when, in 1869, he came to Nebraska and numbered himself among the pioneers of Gage county. Here he achieved independence and stable prosperity through his active association with farm in-

648

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

dustry, did well his part in the furtherance of civic and material progress in the pioneer days, and, now venerable in years, he is one of the honored pioneer citizens of Beatrice, his pleas- ant home in this city being at 1505 Grant street.

Mr. Bull was born at Camden, Oneida coun- ty, New York, September 20, 1844, and is a son of John S. and Lydia Bull. Stephen Bull was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm and profited duly by the advantages afforded in the common schools of the locality and period. He was but a youth at the inception of the Civil war but his patriotism and loyalty found exemplification on the 24th of August, 1864, when, at the age of twenty years, he en- listed, from Oswego county, New York, for a term of twelve months. On the 7th of the following month he was mustered in as a private in Company C, (Captain Edward Swan) of the One Hundred and Eighty-sixth New York Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel Bradley W. Winslow, the organiza- tion of this command having been perfected at Sackett's Harbor, New York. The regi- ment left for the front September 28, 1864, being assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Ninth Corps, Army of the Potomac. Of the admirable record of this gallant regi- ment the following data have been obtained: During its period of service the One Hundred and Eighty-sixth New York Infantry partici- pated in the following engagements and skirm- ishes : Before Petersburg, Virginia, October 1, 1864, and April 2, 1865; Hatcher's Run, Vir- ginia, October 27-28, 1864; Fort Steadman, Virginia, March 25, 1865; Appomattox cam- paign, Virginia, March 28 - April 8, 1865; fall of Petersburg, April 2, 1865. "The regi- ment performed brave and valiant service at all times, and lost one hundred and eighty offi- cers and men, in killed, wounded, and miss- ing, during its term of service. It was hon- orably discharged and mustered out June .2, 1865, near Alexandria, Virginia."

Pertinent to the personal record of Mr. Bull definite details have been given in the follow .- ing official statement : "The said Stephen Bull was wounded during the assault on Fort Stead-

man, Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865, while outside the fort, a minie ball having shattered his lower right arm and elbow. He walked from the fort to the Union lines with his in- jured arm swinging, entered an ambulance and was taken to the field hospital, where the arm was amputated, five inches below the shoulder point. Two days later he embarked at City Point, Virginia, and proceeded to Fairfax Seminary general hospital, at Alexandria, Vir- ginia, where he remained until June 16, 1865, when he received an honorable discharge, by reason of surgeon's certificate of disability on account of loss of arm. Mr. Bull was con- stantly with his command during its service as outlined until he was wounded; he bore a gallant part in all its engagements and rend- ered faithful and meritorious service to his country." In the present decade of the twentieth century, when nearly all of the civil- ized world is aflame with war, it is interest- ing to revert to the gallantry and sacrifice of Mr. Bull during his period of service as a loyal young soldier of the Union, and he pepetuates the more gracious memories and association of his military career by his affilia- tion with Rawlins Post, No. 35, Grand Army of the Republic, at Beatrice, in which noble organization he has passed all of the official chairs, including that of commander, of which office he was the incumbent in 1907.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 85

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