History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 88

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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Harvey B. Rousey completed his high school course in Edgar, Nebraska, and later a business course in a commercial college in St. Joseph, Missouri. For eighteen years Mr. Rousey engaged then, more or less continu- ously, in educational work and for six years was in the newspaper business at Edgar. In 1891 he became interested in and united with the A. O. U. W., and in January, 1909 he came into the office of the order in Grand Is- land serving six years as bookkeeper. For two years he was deputy grand recorder. Dur- ing the two following years he was bookkeeper for the Augustine Printing Company, and on July 1, 1917 accepted his present office.

In 1885 Mr. Rousey married Miss Millie F. Shipley, a native of Illinois. They have four children; A. L., a dental surgeon at Walthill, in Thurston County, Nebraska; and Ruth Iva and Ivan, all at home, the last being twins. Mr. Rousey and his family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and for some years he has been superintendent of the Sun- day school. In his political views he is a Democrat.

JOHN HARDERS, who belongs to an old and highly respected family of Hall County, extended mention of which will be found in this work, was born in Hall County, October 25, 1888. He obtained a good education in the public schools and upon finishing his edu- cation engaged in farming, a pursuit he has followed all his life.

On November 30, 1915, Mr. Harders was united in marriage to Miss Lora Thomsen; they have one daughter, Viola Marguerite. The parents of Mrs. Harders were Peter and Minnie (Bushman) Thomsen, natives of Ger- many. For twenty years before retiring to Abbott, Nebraska, they lived on their farm near that town, where subsequently both died, the father at the age of fifty and the mother

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GEORGE W. CARR FAMILY

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at the age of forty-seven years. They were well known and highly respected people.

Since coming to his farm of 120 acres, situ- ated on section 17, Harrison township, Mr. Harders has devoted himself closely to his business and has spared neither time nor money in making improvements. He engages in general farming and stock raising, being quite particular to have the best grade of stock. His energy and enterprise are meeting with very satisfactory results. Both he and wife belong to the Lutheran church. In politics he is a Republican and as a wide awake, intelli- gent citizen, keeps well posted on national matters as well as on movements that promise to be beneficial to Hall County.

GEORGE W. CARR, one of Grand Island's substantial citizens, has been a resident of Nebraska since 1878. He brought from his Indiana home not only a well merited reputa- tion for business integrity, but undeniable proof of loyal, honorable service in the Civil War. For more than a quarter of a century he lived on his homestead in Buffalo County. In 1907 he came to Grand Island where he had made investments, and since 1909 has been operating here rather extensively in real estate.

George W. Carr was born at Sardinia, De- catur County, Indiana, March 20, 1846. His parents were William and Jane (Standford) Carr, the former of whom was born in New Jersey. He was a son of David Carr, who served in the Revolutionary war. William Carr owned a farm in Decatur County and also was a shoemaker by trade. He was a member of the Baptist church. When the Republican party was organized he united with that political body. He was twice mar- ried, his second wife being Jane Standford, who was born in Pennsylvania. They both died in Indiana. To this marriage the follow- ing children were born: Eliza, the widow of Abraham Reves, lives near Hayden, Indiana ; George W .; Margaret Ann, who is the widow of Lorenzo Darniger, a soldier in the Civil War, lives near Hayden; Hester, the wife of Charles Eastman, a veteran of the Civil War, and both died at Aurora, Nebraska ; and Julia Frances, who died at the age of seven years.

George W. Carr was reared on his father's farm and had but few educational privileges in boyhood. In fact he is mainly self edu- cated, having studied while in the army. He first attempted to enter the service in the Eighty-second Indiana regiment in August,

1862, but was refused on account of his youth, but on August 28, 1863, one year later, he was accepted as a member of the Seventh Indiana cavalry and during his subsequent service of two years and six months, he par- ticipated in seventeen engagements, included in which number were the following: Iva Hills, Grand Gulf, Hollow Springs, Mississippi, Kansas, Osage, and Little Blue in Missouri, Arkansas, White Springs and Memphis, Tennessee. The regiment during this time brought to a close the career of several ·noted desperadoes. After the war Mr. Carr re- turned to Indiana and there he farmed. He was a member of a threshing crew, worked as a carpenter and for six years was a coal miner. About this time he decided to come to Ne- braska and on October 28, 1878, reached Buffalo County. He homesteaded there for many years living a busy and contented life on his fine farm which he developed into a valuable property. He sold this place advan- tageously in 1907 and located in Grand Island. He is a Democrat in political faith and while living in Buffalo County served in local offices and for a long time was a justice of the peace. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mr. Carr married February 3, 1867, in Jen- nings County, Indiana, Miss Hannah Jane Everhart, who was born in Scott County, Indiana. She is a daughter of John Barr and Huldah (Graves) Everhart. The father of Mrs. Carr was born in Carroll County, Ohio, and the mother in Genessee County, New York. They located in Indiana in the thirties. Mr. Everhart was a carpenter by trade and built one of the church edifices in Scott County. During the Civil War he was an assis- tant quartermaster of the 4th Indiana Cavalry and captured by the enemy at the battle of Lookout Mountain, and died shortly after ex- changed, having been in Libby prison nearly three months where he nearly starved to death. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Carr the following survive: Ida, the wife of William Everhart of Grand Island; Cora, the wife of Hon. L. L. Hile, a member of the state legislature from Buffalo County in 1896- 1897; E. Arthur, a prominent physician at Lincoln, was a member of the state board of health for years and is grand commander of the Odd Fellows in Nebraska ; Nellie Gertrude, a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, is engaged in practice at Fairmount, Nebraska, is the wife of Dr. M. H. Deffen- baugh, who is with the American Expedition- ary Force in France as surgeon ; Jesse Myron, a graduate of Bennett College, Chicago, is a Digitized By

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prominent physician and surgeon at Stockton, California ; and E. Fred, who is also a grad- uate of Bennett College, is engaged in practice at Stapleton, Nebraska. Mr. Carr and his family belong to the Baptist church.

JOSEPH J. KLINGE, who is interested in one of the exceedingly important business en- terprises of Grand Island, being vice president and manager of the Central Storage Company, is well known both in Hall and Howard counties, having spent almost his entire life in Nebraska.

Mr. Klinge was born in Pennsylvania, De- cember 30, 1866, a son of Gottfried and Theresa (Jennemann) Klinge. His parents were born, reared and married in Germany, emigrating to the United States in 1866. In August of that year they settled in Pennsyl- vania and their eldest child was born in De- cember following. Of their seven children only three are living, namely: Joseph J .; ·Gene, the wife of George Tocky, a railroad man at Grand Island; and H. J., who was in a soldier's training camp in the United States, during military preparation in 1918. He left soon after the signing of the armistice for France. The father of this family was a blacksmith by trade but after coming to the United States was a railroad man working at this occupation until he was seventy years old, when he was pensioned. His death oc- curred November 1, 1915. All his life he had been a faithful member of the Roman Catholic church, as is his widow. In his earlier years of American citizenship, he was a Democrat but later became a Republican. The beloved mother of Mr. Klinge still lives in Grand Is- land. She is now seventy-nine years old but in good health. She is an estimable woman, kind and generous. In addition to rearing her own family, she cared for two nephews, Fred and Thomas Hook, the former of whom is with the American Expeditionary Force in France, and the latter in an American training camp.

Joseph J. Klinge attended the public schools in Grand Island, to which place his parents came when he was two years old. At first in his business career, he worked on a farm and then went to St. Libory, Nebraska, being en- gaged there in a hardware and saloon business for nine and a half years, also taking an active part in Republican politics of that town. He served as county commissioner of Howard County for two years. He has also been school treasurer and a member of the county board of supervisors. In 1901 he came back

to Grand Island and engaged here in the saloon business until 1915. In 1917 the Cen- tral Storage Company was organizzed at Grand Island; Mr. Klinge bought a large block of the stock being elected vice president and manager of the concern. It is an impor- tant enterprise operating with a capital of $20,000.

Mr. Klinge married first Lena Eberhart, who died seven months later. His second mar- riage was on May 1, 1894, to Mary Roepker. who was born in Illinois. They have two children : Marie, who lives with her parents; and Joseph J., who is a machinist having lived in Omaha for a time but has now returned to Grand Island, being engaged at his trade, and will make this his permanent home. He mar- ried Anna Krouse and they have one child, Dorothy. Mr. Klinge is a member of the Catholic church and gives liberally in support of its various benevolent causes. He belongs to a number of social and fraternal organiza- tions. These include the F. O. E., the I. O. M., the Sons of Herman, the German Lieder- kranz and the Plattsdeutch-Verein.

WILLIAM HENRY THOMPSON is one of the most widely known and highly re- spected citizens of Nebraska, having been a resident of Grand Island for more that thirty- eight years.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Thompson was born at Perrysville, Carroll County, December 14, 1853. His parents were Eli and Eliza (Kirby) Thompson, both natives of Ohio, where they were married and where they made their home until 1864 when they became residents of Fay- ette County, Iowa. Here the mother passed away January 2, 1881, and eight years later the father came to Nebraska and secured a homestead in Custer County where he made his home until his death which occurred February 3, 1903. The grandfathers of W. H. Thomp- son were of Scotch descent the representatives of very early families in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The paternal grandmother of our subject was of Holland Dutch descent, while the maternal grandmother was of Irish extraction.

Mr. Thompson acquired his early education in the public and select schools of Fayette County, Iowa. This was supplemented by a course in Upper Iowa University at Fayette, Iowa. In the fall of 1875 he and his brother John R. enrolled in the law department of the State University at Iowa City. At the end of two terms their savings, earned by working on farms, railroading and teaching school were itized by

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W. H. THOMPSON

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nearly exhausted. It was decided that in order to earn money to pay their way through school one of them should open a law office and ac- cordingly this was done. W. H. took charge of the law business of Thompson Brothers, lawyers, at Brush Creek, now Arlington, Iowa, while John R. continued at school and graduated. He then took charge of the office and W. H. took up his studies where he had left off the year before, graduating in the spring of 1877. In the fall of 1876 he had been admitted to the bar by Judge Granger, who later became a member of the Supreme Court of that state. In 1878 the brothers de- cided that one of them should attend to their practice while the other should look up a more desirable location. In February, 1879 an office was opened in Grand Island, Nebraska, which was conducted by John R. until June 1881, when he was joined by his brother; this partnership continued until January 1892 when John R. became judge of the District Court. It will be seen that for forty-three years W. H. Thompson has been continuously in the practice of his profession and during the thirty-eight years of his practice at the bar of Hall County he has transacted a very large volume of legal business. His practice has extended to all courts of the state and to the Federal Courts, and on account of his ability as a lawyer and his standing with the bar he has commanded the respect of the courts and the members of his profession. The assiduous and unrelaxing attention which he gives to his clients and the thoroughness with which he prepares his cases have been strong ele- ments in his success and he is known as one of the best trial lawyers of the state.

Mr. Thompson has always been a Demo- crat. In 1886 he was elected county attorney for Hall County and served one term, refus- ing to be a candidate for re-election. In 1890 he was nominated for Congress in the "Big Third" district which then comprised all of the state north of the Platte River except Douglas and Sarpy Counties. He has been a delegate to nearly every state convention since he has resided in Nebraska. He was delegate-at-large to the Democratic National Convention in 1892, and was chairman of the Nebraska delegation, and was an ardent sup- porter of Grover Cleveland, the nominee of the convention for president. He was delegate- at-large to the Democratic National Conven- tion in 1896 at Chicago, and was a warm sup- porter of William Jennings Bryan, and was chosen National Committeeman. He was also delegate-at-large to the National convention at Kansas City in 1900 and again at St. Louis in

1904. He was defeated for delegate to the Denver Convention in 1908 which nominated Bryan, but took an active part in the conven- tion through courtesy of the Nebraska dele- gation. He was delegate-at-large to the con- vention at St. Louis in 1916 which nominated Woodrow Wilson for the second term and was a member of the notification committee. He has been an enthusiastic worker in his party and played an important part in its manage- ment. In 1900 he was candidate for United States Senator to succeed Senator Thurston. In 1902 he was a candidate for governor against Mickey but was defeated by a small majority. From 1895 to 1899 he served as mayor of Grand Island and has always been an advocate of those things which he thought were for the best interests of his home city and state.

At West Union, Iowa, September 7, 1879, was solemnized the marriage of William H. Thompson and Miss Nettie I. Hutchinson, a native of Michigan but reared in Iowa, and who for a time attended the school taught by her future husband. Her parents were John and Martha Hutchinson, her father being an attorney in good standing and county recorder while his daughter was his deputy at the time of her marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have had four chil- dren: Edith L., became the wife of Wallace E. Porter and died August 31, 1904; Mattie died in infancy; Grover married Lena Neit- feldt, and is operating a ranch in Wyoming; Lloyd G., married Aimee Ruth Schwyn, and is a lawyer of Grand Island.

The family are members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Thompson is a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Modern Woodmen of America, B. P. O. of Elks and others.

Mr. Thompson has recently been appointed by Governor McKelvie a member of the build- ing committee for the erection of the new state capitol. In this as in all other positions in which Mr. Thompson has been placed he can be depended upon to do credit to himself and to the people whose interests he serves.

RUDOLPH W. BOCK, whose grocery in- terests in Grand Island are important and whose high standing as a citizen is universally recognized, is serving in his fourth consecu- tive term as a member of the city council. Mr. Bock was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Ger- many, April 13, 1870. His parents were H. H. and Magdelena Margerita (Bock) Bock.

In 1879 H. H. Bock with his son Adolph,

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came to the United States and to Nebraska and located in Grand Island. He was a man of education and sought employment in the schools and for many years taught what was known as the Stolley school in District No. 1, Hall County. Later in life he went farther west and became the owner of a fine fruit farm in Oregon. He was a member of the Lutheran church. He had four sons, one of whom died in Germany. Adolph accompanied him to America and was a clerk for a number of years in the old O. K. store in Grand Island and died here. In 1880 the mother of Rudolph W. Bock brought him and his older brother, Al- vinus, to America to join the father at Grand Island. Alvinus was a clerk for the old firm of Veit & Roeser and for five years was in the grocery business with his brother Rudolph W. He is now head clerk for Frank Olson, in Grand Island.

Rudolph W. Bock had been in school for four years before coming to the United States, after reaching Nebraska he continued his studies in Hall County. His first employer was Oscar Roeser who gave the boy work and he continued as a clerk in Mr. Roeser's grocery store for ten years, leaving this posi- tion to become a traveling salesman for the McCord-Brady Company but after four years went back to Mr. Roeser as his manager. Later he embarked in the grocery business in Grand Island in partnership with his brother Alvinus, under the style of Bock Brothers. On April 13, 1910, he purchased his brother's interest; since which time he has been the owner.

Mr. Bock married, in 1890, Miss Sadie Merchant, who was born in Wisconsin, a daughter of William W. Merchant, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father had moved to Wisconsin after serving three years in the Civil War. He took up a home- stead and died there, but the mother of Mrs. Bock died in Kansas. They were members of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Bock was edu- cated in Ithaca and Ironton, Sauk County, Wisconsin. She taught school for one year in her native state and one year in Nebraska. She is a woman of culture and refinement. Mr. and Mrs. Bock have no children of their own but they reared little Mary from the age of two years to beautiful womanhood and she is now the wife of Allen Nevius, who is associate editor of the New York Evening Post.

Mr. Bock has long been an important fac- tor in Republican politics in Grand Island and in his fourth campaign as alderman was elected without any opposition, a pretty fair

demonstration of the general esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens. He has served on the police board and at present is on the board of health and has given gener- ously of his time and means in the recent epi- demic of influenza, that has been pervalent at Grand Island as in many other cities. He is a Royal Arch Mason and both he and Mrs. Bock belong to the Eastern Star. He is identified also with the Elks, the United Com- mercial Travelers Association, the A. O. U. W., the Eagles, the Plattsdeutch-Verein, the Liederkranz and the Royal Highlanders; in the U. C. T. being a member of the Supreme Council.

JAMES ELMER DILL, one of the essen- tially vital and representative business men of the city of Grand Island, has been a resident of Hall County since the days of his early youth and has found here ample opportunity to achieve distinctive success. Bringing to bear exceptional initiative and executive ability, he has won and maintained precedence as one of the leading exponents of the real estate and insurance business in this favored section of the state. As one of the loyal, progressive and valued citizens of Grand Island he is fully entitled to recognition in this history.

Mr. Dill was born near Wilmington, Dela- ware, on the 3d of November, 1863, and in that same fine old commonwealth were born his parents, Robert N. and Annie (Griffith) Dill, the latter of whom passed her entire life in Delaware and the former of whom was a resident of Grand Island, Nebraska, at the time of his death, both having held member- ship in the Methodist church. Robert N. Dill was a Democrat in his political proclivities. Of the four children who survive the honored parents the eldest is Sallie E., the wife of Chas. H. Ford, a representative farmer near Greeley, Colorado; James Elmer, the subject of this review, was the next in order of birth; Robert J. is a prosperous contractor in Grand Island; and J. Frank was a successful candy manufacturer in Greeley, Colorado. In his native state Robert N. Dill became a success- ful contractor and there he continued his resi- dence until 1879, when he came to Grand Is- land, Nebraska, and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He became one of the strong and honored citizens of Hall County, living to be nearly seventy-three years of age at the time of his death.

James E. Dill is indebted to the schools of Delaware for his early educational disci- pline being a youth of sixteen years when he

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came with his father to Grand Island. Here he soon found employment as a clerk in a grocey store, and he continued his activities in a clerical capacity for a period of six years, within which he had gained valuable experi- ence and fortified himself for independent business enterprise. He was for four years associated with Samuel C. Huston in the con- ducting of a confectionery business in Grand Island. At the expiration of this period the two ambitious young men established them- selves in the real-estate business, under the firm name of Dill & Huston, which is still retained, - their effective business. alliance having continued during a period of fully forty years, within which they have advanced to a position of prominence and influence in the handling of farm and city property and have built up a large and prosperous enter- prise. This is now one of the oldest real- estate firms in the city of Grand Island and its reputation for effective service and honor- able dealings constitute a valuable asset, the while the firm stands as an authority in real- estate values in this section of the state throughout which its transactions have been wide and diversified. As a consistent adjunct of their real-estate enterprise they have de- veloped a representative business as under- writers of fire insurance, with a large and appreciative clientage. Special attention is also given to the extending of financial loans upon approved real-estate security, and in each of the three departments of its business the firm stands as one of the foremost in Hall County.

While he is essentially and emphatically a business man, Mr. Dill has always shown deep and loyal interest in all things touching the civic and material welfare of Hall County and the city of Grand Island. Although he has had no ambition for the honors of public office, he accords staunch allegiance to the Repub- lican party and is well fortified in his convic- tions concerning governmental policies. He is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the Nebraska Home Guards and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.

In the year 1888 was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Dill to Miss Jessie G. Gardner, who was born in the state of Ohio. They have two children: Lucy, A., the wife of Charles D. Hustead, of Lincoln, Nebraska ; and Helen, who is a member of the class of 1919 in the Nebraska State University, at Lincoln.

FRANK IVER OLSEN, whose numerous business interests make his name well known in Grand Island and elsewhere, is a leading grocery merchant of this city, having been trained in the business by his late father. He was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, Sep- tember 21, 1876, a son of Jens and Kristine (Iverson) Olsen.

Jens Olsen, who was an honorable business man of Grand Island for over a half century, who died here June 20, 1912, was born in Wurstenburg, Denmark. Emigrating from that country he came to Nebraska and settled in Grand Island in 1866. He had learned carriage and cabinetmaking in his own land but after coming to Nebarska worked here as a carpenter and contractor. He was a man of sound business judgment and much enter- prise. In 1893 he established a grocery store in Grand Island and in 1897 admitted his son Frank to a half interest partnership. Some years after coming to Grand Island he married Kristine Iverson, a native of Schleswig, Den- mark, who came to this country in 1868. She proved an admirable helpmate and without doubt much of his early prosperity was caused by her help, careful industry and frugality. It is remembered how grateful early travelers, both by wagon and train through Grand Island, were over the opportunity to buy such wholesome articles of her own preparation as coffee and cookies, when no public accom- modations for food had yet been conveniently established. Mrs. Olsen still resides in Grand Island and is very highly esteemed. She was reared a Lutheran but is now, a devoted ad- herent of the Seventh Day Adventist church. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Olsen : Frank Iver and Anna. The latter is the wife of John Jacobson, a wealthy far- mer and hog-raiser near Marquette, Nebraska.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 88

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