History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 134

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011

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Mrs. Watson was married first, December 29, 1885, at Verdon, Nebraska, to Don C. Bur- bank, who came to Nebraska from Benton Harbor, Michigan, and settled near Loup City, in 1882. He died of typhoid fever, on No- vember 12, 1886, leaving one daughter, Donnie C., the wife of Ray Dubbs, a farmer in Cam- eron township, Hall County. Mr. and Mrs. Dubbs have three children: Raymond, Lewis and Inez. After Mr. Burbank's death, his widow returned to the home of her parents, where she resided until her marriage to Mr. Watson in the summer of 1891. They then took up their residence on the beautiful farm of Mr. Watson in Jackson township. After his death she remained on the farm looking after the healthful rearing of her children, until the spring of 1918, when she turned over the management of the place to her son Arthur Lloyd, and retired to Wood River, where she has a wide circle of friends.

To Mr. and Mrs. Watson four sons and one daughter were born: Lewis E., Arthur Lloyd, Roy, Orval and Elsa A. Lewis E. Watson was born June 5, 1892. . He is a farmer near Arcadia, Nebraska. On October 6, 1915, he married Alice A. Cox, of Wood River, and they have three children. Arthur L. Watson was born October 25, 1893, and on March 6, 1918, was united in marriage to Nora C. Moore, of Shelton, Nebraska. They reside on the old Watson place in Jackson township. Roy Watson was born March 16, 1896, and after being graduated from the Wood River high school, went to work on the home farm. On December 3, 1917, he enlisted in the United States navy, at Omaha. After four months of seamanship training at Great Lakes, Illinois, he was sent to Philadelphia and assigned to the transport Corolla, sailing April 23, 1918, for Brest, France, where he yet re- mains on duty as a member of the naval mili- tary police. Orval Watson, who was born July 28, 1897, died October 17, 1897. Elsa A Watson, the only daughter, was born De- cember 2, 1898. She was educated in the public schools of Wood River and completed

the high school course. On July 9, 1918, she was united in marriage to Owen Frederick, of Wood River, whose military record is well worth repeating.

Mr. Frederick enlisted for service in the World War, on June 14, 1918, at Grand Island, Nebraska. Being assigned to the de- partment of automobile mechanics, he was sent to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he completed his course of training and on August 13, 1918, was transferred to Valparaiso, Indiana, where he had additional training for three weeks, being sent from there to Camp Purdue, and remained there two months attached to the Motor Transport Corps, holding the position of master truck driver. Six weeks in Camp Sheridan, Illinois, followed, where he was fitted out with his over-sea equipment. The sudden signing of the armistice interrupted further government transport plans, but on December 17, 1918, Mr. Frederick was trans- ferred to Fort Wingate, New Mexico. There . he assisted in storing explosives shipped from eastern arsenals and continued this work until March 14, 1919, when he was transferred to Camp Funston, Kansas, where, five days later, he was honorably discharged. Although he has had much in military training, Mr. Fred- erick is well prepared for civil life. He is en- gaged in Wood River as an expert automobile mechanic.

HILMER BENSON. - While men in any confidential relation with big business houses may attract attention through certain gifts or talents, it is the quiet, faithful, matter-of-fact, ever dependable man with the best interests of his firm at heart, who gives the greatest satis- faction during his useful life, and is most missed when death calls him away. For twenty-two years the late Hilmer Benson was a familiar figure at Wood River. Ever assid- uous in the performance of his duties, trusted by everyone because of his honesty and up- rightness, he had many personal as well as business friends.

Hilmer Benson was born in Odsmal, Sweden, April 18, 1860. His parents were Benjamin and Inger Johanna (Hermanson) Benson, who had four sons: Bernard, Elam, Hilmer and Anders. Hilmer Benson attended the public shcools in his native land until he was fiftteen years of age, when he entered his uncle's general store as a clerk, where he had thorough business training. In October, 1887, when twenty-seven years old, he came to the United States and after landing came west, stopping first at St. Paul, Neb Digitized by Nebraska A

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few months later he removed to Palmer, Ne- braska. He found employment as a clerk in Palmer and remained there until June, 1889, when he came to Wood River. In this pleas- ant little city he spent the remainder of his life. As a clerk he entered the employ of F. M. Penny and continued with him until Mr. Penny sold out to Mr. Brett, and re- mained with the new merchant until the close of his life, having a record of eighteen years of continuous service in the same business establishment. He was known to almost everyone and anxiety was felt when it was learned he was prostrated with an attack of pneumonia, which was the cause of his death on Febraury 7, 1911.

At Kearney, Nebraska, November 3, 1889, Mr. Benson married Miss Hildur M. Peter- son, who was born in Jonkoping, Sweden, Jan- uary 4, 1864. Her parents were Carl J. and Christiana M. (Lund) Peterson. Mrs. Ben- son was the second born of three children, the others being: Sixtus and Bertha C. As. young people, Mr. and Mrs. Benson had been warmly attached to each other in Sweden, and rather than have him leave his business and make the long journey to Sweden for their marriage, she decided to come alone to the United States and reached Wood River, Ne- braska, September 28, 1889. Their marriage followed as already stated. Three sons were born to them: Charles Allan, Einer Hilmer and Curt Oscar. The eldest, Charles Allan Benson, was born at Wood River, November 5, 1890. He obtained his education in the Wood River public schools and then became a farmer. The subsequent history of his brave young life will be found, with his photograph, in the soldier section of this work. His death occurred while in the service of his country, October 7, 1918. Einer Hilmer Benson, the second son, was born in Wood River, Novem- ber 12, 1891, and was graduated from the high school in this city in the class of 1911. In the following year he finished a course in Balls Business College, and is assistant cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Wood River. The third son, Curt Oscar Benson, was born in Wood River September 13, 1897. He was graduated from the Wood River high school in the class of 1915, and from the Creighton College of Pharmacy in the class of 1918. He is engaged with the Hoyes Pharmacy in Wood River. Mrs. Benson and sons are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. She is an active worker in the Red Cross movement and her sons have been equally interested in for- warding every patriotic measure. No family in Wood River stands higher in public esteem.

WILLIAM V. RYAN, a farmer in Hall County for many years, has lived retired in Wood River since 1913, where he has a wide acquaintance and many friends. He was born in Jersey County, Illinois, June 25, 1856, the son of William and Catherine (Blaney) Ryan, both of sound old Irish stock, although his mother was born after her parents came to the United States and had settled in Pennsyl- vania. His father, William Ryan, was born in County Limerick, Ireland, being twenty years old when he came from his native land to America in 1848. In 1852 he married Catherine Blaney, at Jerseyville, Illionis, and of their family of six sons and two daughters, William V. Ryan was the firstborn.

William grew up on his father's farm in Jersey County, Illinois, and in boyhood at- tended the country schools. In answer to a question as to farm wages in his youth, he was led to recall an experience of his own, when he was paid $3 a day for binding wheat, following a dropper, and when the job con- tinued for six days, he felt he had made a for- tune. On February 4, 1880, Mr. Ryan mar- ried Miss Catherine Caveny, of Carlinville, Illinois. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1856, a daughter of Michael and Ann (Coan) Caveny, who came to the United States from Ireland but were married in New Jersey.

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan became the parents of the following children : Anna Laura, the wife of William Kearney, a farmer and stockraiser in Jackson township, Hall County, and they have eight children; Mary Agnes, the wife of John Moore, who operates his own three-chair barber shop at Shelton, Nebraska ; Thomas E., an expert barber, operates his own three-chair shop at Wood River; Ellen, the wife of Wil- liam Moore, a farmer and stockman in Jack- son township, is the mother of one son; John W., a prosperous and popular young farmer in Jackson township, owning a fine automo- bile; James S., who is employed as a barber in a fifteen chair shop at Omaha, has been honorably discharged from military service and his photograph and record may be found in the soldier section of this work, and Joseph Francis, employed as a barber by his brother in Wood River. Mr. Ryan and his family belong to St. Mary's Catholic church. He has always been a Democrat politically.

CECIL S. SHERER, who belongs to one of the well known early families of south central Nebraska, may, any day, be found interested and busy with peaceful activities on his father's farm near Wood River, in Google Digitized by

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Hall County. Modest, quiet, unassuming, it is only by close questioning that this young hero can be induced to tell of his thrilling experi- ences in the service of his country, a recital of which gives but a poor idea of their magni- tude and importance.

Mr. Sherer belongs to Nebraska. He was born at Aurora, in Hamilton County, October 25, 1882. His parents are Jacob and Rhoda (Evans) Sherer, the former of whom is a na- tive of Ohio, and the latter of Iowa, where she was born in January, 1861. Their marriage took place in Aurora, Nebraska, in January, 1881, and they have had six children as fol- lows: Cecil S., Leo, Verna, Myrtle, Glenn, Elmer Ray and Nellie May, twins, Sampson and Dewey, twins, and Jacob. All the chil- dren are living with the exception of Elmer Ray, who met a soldier's death in the ever to be remembered batle of Argonne Forest, in France, on September 27, 1918. He entered military service on June 22, 1918, at Camp Lewis, Oregon, and was with a contingent of American soldiers landed in France on Sep- tember 5, 1918.

Cecil S. Sherer attended the public schools of Wood River, Hall County, and after his high school course enlisted in the United States navy, on September 15, 1903, and was assigned to the United States steamer Alba- tross, a fish commission ship doing deep sea work on the Pacific coast. He was honorably discharged on September 14, 1907 and re- turned to his home with the expectation of en- gaging in agricultural pursuits during the rest of his life. For ten years he was so occupied on his own account, in Wood River township, -but with the entrance of his country into war, not only was his patriotism aroused but memory of his life as a sailor came back and he soon determined the branch of his country's service he would enter.

On December 26, 1917, he enlisted in the Unitd States navy once more for war service. (See photograph and service record in the soldier section of this work). During his service of fifteen months he made seven trips across the Atlantic ocean, five of these on the United States Destroyer Talbot. On August 28, 1918, he saw his first submarine. It was in the English channel and at the same time two of the submarines attacked the convoy of destroyers, one of the monsters coming to the surface for its cruel work right in the midst of the convoy. As soon as sighted the five destroyers swept in, dropped depth bombs on the submarine with such effect that within five minutes the boat sank, leaving seventeen of the enemy crew in the water, who, with American

humanitarianism, were rescued by the United States steamer Rathburn. The second subma- rine was sighted about 1,000 yards to the port quarter and shots were fired from the destroy- ers resulting in the disapperance of the U. boat. One of the troop ships, however, had been in- jured by the undersea vessel and as it was listing heavily, the destroyers stood by to help, but its ship carpenters managed to repair the damage in part and the American troops were finally safely landed at Plymouth, England.

The convoy of destroyers then scattered, and - with great speed went to different ports, hav- ing sixteen troop ships in charge, and all were safely landed either at Plymouth, England, or Brest, France. On one occasion, Mr. Sherer assisted in convoying the Leviathan in safety as far as the Azore Islands, and on the home voyage encountered another submarine. The Talbot was one of the receiving ships on No- vember 21, 1918, when seventy German ves- sels were turned over to the Allies in the Firth of Fourth, a memorable occasion to which future histories will devote many pages. After the last trip as escort to troop ships, Mr. Sherer and his brave comrades were em- ployed for a time in target practice on the south coast of Cuba, for the purpose of testing torpedoes. On March 1, 1919, a radio mes- sage was received calling for four destroyers to proceed at once to New York, the Talbot be- ing one of the chosen vessels. On reaching that city Mr. Sherer learned that those de- stroyers were to be used for convoy of the George Washington, on which President Wil- son was to sail for France. Before the vessels started, however, Mr. Sherer secured his re- lease from the service, and contentedly re- turned to the safety and quiet of home, being ready, however, to return if his country has further need of him.

FRITZ WIESE, one of Hall County's high- ly respected citizens, resides on his valuable farm situated in Wood River township, on which he has lived for forty-eight years. He was born in Lichtenberg, Germany, Novem- ber 17, 1848, the second in a family of three sons and two daughters born to Dedlef and Margaret (Hein) Wiese.

Fritz went to school in his native land with his brothers and sisters, Louisa, Carl, William and Lizzie, and grew up under conditions that prevailed in his neighborhood at that time. He was an ambitious youth however and believ- ing he could better himself in America, left Germany when twenty years old and came to the United States in April, 1869, and immedi-

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ately made his way to Hall County. He was Henry, Elmer and Raymond. Henry, the second son, is deceased. Frank is a farmer in

not yet old enough under the law to take ad- vantage of the homestead bill, but lost not a . Alda township. He married Minnie Marth day in seeking work. This he found as a and they have the following children: Alfred, Ralph, Harvey, Catherine, Leroy and Berna- dine. Dora is the wife of George Rathman, a farmer in Alda township, and they have the following children: Henry, Louie, Walter, Goldie, Viola and Marie. Bernhardt, who has but recently returned from military service with the American Expeditionary Force in France, saw hard service as a member of a machine gun company. His photograph and service record will be found in the soldier's section of this work. From what his young eyes have seen, war is so abhorrent that he does not want to talk of it even concerning the courageous feats he performed himself, of which his comrades speak glowingly. He pro- poses to assist in taking care of the home farm. Eda, the next in order of birth is deceased. Herman is a farmer in Wood River township. Maggie looks after her father's comfort in the home. The beloved mother passed away on June 11, 1907. Mr. Wiese has never been unmindful of the best interests of his township and when he has felt able to do so, has al- ways co-operated in public spirited movements, has been helpful and friendly as a neighbor and strictly honest in every business trans- action. laborer and was paid $1.55 a day for assisting in the building of a dam in the Platte River. After that he hired out to near-by settlers by the month. In the spring of 1871 he home- steaded in section twenty-six, securing eighty acres and also bought forty acres of school land all in Wood River Township. Mr. Wiese managed his own housekeeping during the time required to prove up, having many ex- periences both tragic and interesting. At this time there were many peaceable Indians in' the neighborhood and he became acquainted with them and even has visited them in their camp on the island, at no time having cause to either fear or dislike them. He was lonely in a strange land, and kindness from anybody was appreciated. Money was hard to get in those days, trading being carried on between parties who often exchanged commodities in place of real money, but by close economy he finaly secured sufficient to enable him to buy a team of horses, a wagon, a mower and a breaking plow, and with that outfit he started to be a Nebraska farmer. There were many misfortunes during the earlier years for either the grasshoppers or the unexpected frost took his corn and oats, but he was no worse off than his neighbors and had fewer responsi- bilities than the most of them, so he tried to be philosophical and went steadily on. He now has two hundred and eighty acres of land worth $125 an acre, all well improved and well stocked, and a home fitted with every comfort he could wish.

On October 11, 1876, Mr. Wiese married Miss Catherine Dibbern, who was born in Hall County. Her parents were Jacob and Margaret (Wiese) Dibbern, natives of Ger- many who came to the United States and set- tled in Iowa in 1870, removing from there to Hall County in 1871. They had sixteen chil- dren four of whom died in infancy. The fol- lowing are living: Catherine, Bertha, Minnie, Peter and Hans, twins, Delia, Anna, Ernest, Otto, Emma and August. Five sons and four daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wiese: Emma, Arthur, Henry, Frank, Dora, Bern- hardt, Eda, Herman and Maggie. Emma, who died December 15, 1906, was the wife of Henry Schlicker, who now lives in Garden County, near Lisco, Nebraska, with their five children, Tena, Pauline, Fred, Eda and Mable. Arthur carries on farming on the home place in Wood River township. He married Dora Bockman, and they have four children : Helen,

EMIL G. PEARSON, one of Wood River's representative men, has been known in this sec- tion of Hall County for over a quarter of a century. For many years back he has been considered one of the township's best farmers and most successful stockmen. In Mr. Pear- son is found a man of enterprise and progres- siveness, of intelligence and sound judgment. His influence, well directed, has been beneficial to the entire farming community. A firm be- liever in the value of co-operation, he belongs to the farmer's organizations that started the elevators at Shelton and Wood River and is a stockholder in both of these successful enter- prises.

Emil G. Pearson was born at Helsingborg, Sweden, February 21, 1872. His parents were Per and Troen (Pearson) Pearson, who had the following children: Per, Kerston, Sven, Emil G. and Oscar. In April, 1890, Emil G. Pearson came to Hall County, Nebraska, set- tled in Wood River, and went to work for F. C. Dodge. Afterward for several years he worked on farms and then bought eighty acres of land with the expectation of building up a large agricultural business of his own.

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In the early nineties climatic conditions in this section caused much loss and discouragement, and after Mr. Pearson had seen his crops for several seasons dried up and blasted for lack of moisture, he let the land go and became a 1enter instead of an owner. That was a period very different in the county's agricultural his- tory than the present. Low prices for farm products discouraged industry and seemingly argriculture here was at a low ebb. In the meanwhile Mr. Pearson had married and in .February, 1901, they went to Greeley, Colo- rado. There they looked over the country for a time with the result that they decided it by no means equalled Hall County from the point of view of a prospective farmer.

After returning to Hall County from Colo- rado, in the fall of 1901, Mr. Pearson rented farming. land and found better conditions exist- ing, then bought one hundred and twenty acres on Grand Island southwest of Wood River. Under his management this has become some of the most productive land in the county. Mr. Pearson not only cultivates his own farm, but an additional five hundred and twenty acres, with the help of modern machinery and with a Ford automobile truck for hauling. In addi- tion to extensive farm production, the raising and feeding of cattle, hogs and sheep has be- come an important feature. The season of 1919 finds him with three hundred head of hogs and one hundred head of cattle.

On November 9, 1899, Mr. Pearson mar- ried Miss Lula A. McFarland, a daughter of James and Anna (Kimple) McFarland, who came from Ohio to Iowa and from there in the early seventies to Nebraska and secured a homestead in .Kearney County. Mrs. Pear- son had sister and brothers as follows: George, Lizzie, Etta, Fred, Jessie and Howard, all of whom are married and all survive except two brothers, who died of influenza during the epidemic in November, 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson have eight children: Thea, a popular teacher in school district No. 69; Vio- let, attending the high school in Wood River; Clair and Malcolm, assisting their father ; and Elmer N., Loretta B., Leona M. and Cecil R., the baby, all of whom are attending the country school. The Pearson home is a beau- tiful one. The modern residence, which has every city convenience except artificial heat- ing, is even equipped with electric light. It is charmingly located with a fine grove on the west and a blue grass lawn and ornamental trees on the other approaches. The dynamo that supplies light to the residence and barns, pumps water to all parts of the corrals and feed yards. Everthing about the place is of

substantial and modern construction. Mr.

Pearson considers his land worth $100 an acre without any improvements. His residence cost him over $4,000. He has not discussed the cost of his automobile, in which he and his family spend many happy hours, but as it is in keeping with everything else on this model farm, its original price must have been con- siderable. Mr. Pearson does nat take all the credit for the success that has crowned his efforts, but attributes a just share to his estim- able wife. The family acquaintance is wide and their friends are many. Mr. Pearson is serving as a director of school district No. 27. He is one of the most active factors in the local Grange.

TIMOTHY ROCHE, whose fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres is situated in Grand Island township, three miles south and two miles east of Wood River, is well known in Hall County, to which he came first in the spring of 1881, where he has since made his home, with the exception of five years spent in Wyoming. Mr. Roche was born in County Cork, Ireland, May 26, 1857. His parents were Timothy and Catherine (Rear- don) Roche, whose nine children bore the following names: Margaret, Patrick, John, Edmund, James, Timothy, Dan, Mary and Catherine. The father died when Timothy was ten years old.

Eight years later while still a youth, Tim- othy Roche came to the United States, as he believed a young man had greater opportun- ities in the new world. His first six years in America were spent as a farm worker in Hen- derson County, Illinois. After coming to Hall County, Nebraska, in the spring of 1881, he bought railroad land in Harrison township, six miles north of Wood River. In 1890 Mr. Roche and his family moved to Green River, Wyoming, where he worked in the railroad shops until the spring of 1895. Upon return- ing to Wood River, Mr. Roche resumed farm- ing in this neighborhood, in the meanwhile having acquired his present well stocked farm in Grand Island, and in 1910 he settled on the place which has since continued the family home.

On May 31, 1882, Mr. Roche married Miss Johanna C. Carey, who was born near Auburn, Illinois, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Davis) Carey. The father of Mrs. Roche was born in County Clare, Ireland, June 24, 1834, came to America in 1852 and went to Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania. There, on April 12, 1859, he married Elizabeth Davis, who was

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JACOB MILLER

MRS. JACOB MILLER

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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

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MR. AND MRS. AUGUST GEORGE MILLER

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born in Dublin, Ireland, in May, 1838. She General Pershing. Mr. Roche and his family accompanied her parents, when sixteen years are everywhere held in high esteem. of age, to the United States. After their mar- riage, Mr. and Mrs. Carey moved to Chatham, Illinois, and from there to Auburn, Illinois, WILLIAM J. BALLINGER, one of Wood River's highly respected citizens, has been a resident of Hall County sinee the fall of 1881, when he accompanied his parents to this sec- tion. For a number of years he followed farming, but a serious accident in 1898, al- most entirely disabled him for a time, and since the fall of 1911 he has taken life a little easier in his comfortable home in Wood River. and in 1879 came to Wood River, Hall County. Mr. Carey bought a quarter section of railroad land situated two miles north and a half mile east of Wood River. During the early days here the Carey family endured many hard- ships as did their neighbors, but they finally prospered and Mr. Carey became a citizen of local importance. For years he was a mem- ber of the school board, and throughout life was a faithful Catholic. His death occurred October 14, 1912, from pneumonia. His chil- dren were as follows: Rosanna Jane, Jo- hanna . C., John J., Matthey C., Mary A., Michael J., Elizabeth F., Catherine and Mar- garet.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 134

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co. Number of Pages: 1011

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011