USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 61
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 61
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James A. Knutson, moreover, is the only representative of the family in the United States. He acquired a common school education in Norway and afterward learned the shoemaker's trade, but thinking to find business opportunities greater in the new world he crossed the Atlantic and in November, 1876; arrived in Illinois. There he worked by the month as a farm hand for a time, for he owed for his passage to America. In 1878 he arrived in Clay county and worked by the month as a farm hand for several years. He resided for three years in Adams county, Ne- braska, and it was there, in 1889, that he was united in marriage to Miss Kathrine Backlund, who was born in Sweden and came to the United States about 1886. It was in the year 1901 that Mr. Knutson purchased his first farm, acquiring two hundred and forty acres of land upon which were no improvements. He erected a frame dwelling and good outbuildings and continued to develop and improve his farm until 1917, when he left that place and removed to Clay Center. In ad- dition to cultivating the crops best adapted to soil and climatic conditions he also raised stock when upon his farm and this constituted an important source of income
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to him. He has a nice modern residence in Clay Center and has retired altogether from active business.
As the years passed on Mr. and Mrs. Knutson became the parents of six children : Carl, who is living on a farm in Colorado; Olga Elizabeth, the wife of Bert Parker. who occupies her father's farm; Cora and Esther, twins, both in the employ of J. H. Eller, a leading general merchant of Clay Center; Frank, who is also in the employ of J. H. Eller & Company ; and Julia, a school teacher.
Mr. and Mrs. Knutson are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he belongs also to the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he maintains an independent course, voting for men and measures rather than party. Those who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, esteem him as a man of genuine worth who has been most progressive in his business affairs and by industry and reliability has won his success.
JACOB BRAUSTITRE
Jacob Braustitre of Edgar has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits since making his initial step in the business world. He was born in Clark county, Ohio, in 1834, a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Baker) Braustitre, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the later of Virginia. Their marriage occurred in Pennsylvania and they removed to Ohio at an early day. In 1847 they went to Illinois and there the death of Mrs. Braustitre occurred. The father then removed to Nebraska and made his home with a son until death. Throughout his life he had followed the blacksmith trade and had achieved a substantial amount of success. Twelve chidlren were born to that union, six boys and six girls, three of whom are now living: Jacob, whose name initiates this review; Letitia, who is the wife of J. Mallory and lives in Nemaha county ; and Daniel, a retired farmer who is engaged in blacksmithing and carpentering in Illinois. Daniel Braustitre was a stanch supporter of the democratic party and took an active interest in the local affairs of his community.
Jacob Braustitre is indebted to the schools of Illinois for his education. In August of the year 1862 he enlisted for service in the Civil war becoming a member of Co. C, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry with which he served for over three and one-half years. His regiment was a part of the western army and he partcipated in many of the important battles and skirmishes of the . conflict. After the close of the war he returned to Illinois by way of Missouri and began to farm. He was engaged in that connection there until 1876 when he came to Nuckolls county and purchased two hundred and forty acres of railroad land, then in an entirely uncultivated state. He built a home sixteen by twenty- four feet and there resided until 1910 when he removed to Edgar. He still owns his farm which is one of the finest in the county and he is widely recognized as an agriculturist of ability.
On the 30th of June, 1867, Mr. Braustitre was united in marriage to Miss C. G. Wiley, a native of Illinois and to them seven children were born, four of whom are living: Francis, who is residing on his father's farm John W. and Charles
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Henry, also on the home place; and Fay, who is the wife of W. H. Hayden. The demise of Mrs. Braustitre occurred on the 25th of May, 1897, and in 1902 Mr. Braustitre was again married, this time to Mrs. Rosina Gunn, nee Perry, a native of Clay county and a daughter of Henry H. and Emily (Hurlbert) Perry, the former a native of Ohio while the latter was born in New York state. Her parents came to Nebraska and settled in Clay county in 1872, where they acquired a home- stead. Subsequently they removed to Furman and there resided until death. Four children have been born to the first marriage: Newton P. Gunn, who is residing in Oxford, was in the national guard for four years, served in the World war for twenty months, four months of which time was spent abroad where he contracted smallpox and was one of the first to be returned to this county; Catherine Gunn, who is employed in Burlington, Colorado; Beulah, who is the wife of Ed Post, a barber of Burlington, Colorado; and Leonard Gunn, a farmer of near Oxford.
Mr. Braustitre has always given his political allegiance to the republican party, in the interests of which he takes an active part. Both he and his wife are con- sistent and prominent members of the Presbyterian church and he is also identified with the Grand Army of the Republic. When Mr. Braustitre first came to Nebraska he had little more than one thousand dollars which he invested with much thought and insight and as result of those characteristics and of his own determined effort he is now residing in Edgar, financially independent an honored, respected and representative citizen.
FREDERICK W. FALMLEN
Character and achievement constitute the standard by which a man's value to the world is gauged, and the late Frederick W. Falmlen measured up to the best standard both in personal attributes and in the work which he accomplished. He was a boy when he came to Nebraska and his parents were numbered among the early settlers of this state, where he was reared on a farm and gained plenty of youthful experience.
Mr. Falmlen was born at Atlanta, Illinois, April 20, 1878, and was six years of age when he accompanied his parents to the Nebraska farm, where he was reared to manhood and was afforded the advantages of the common schools of the period. Upon coming to Hamilton county Mr. Falmlen settled in Deepwell township and 'in this township eventually became the owner of a valuable farm property of two hundred and forty acres, which he equipped with good buildings and other high grade improvements and which he made the stage of vigorous and progressive agricultural and live stock enterprise. His energy and good management brought to him a generous measure of prosperity and he won high place in popular confidence and respect in the county that long represented his home. In the live stock de- partment of his farm industry he gave special attention to the feeding of cattle, hogs and sheep, and each year shipped several carloads of stock from his farm. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and he took an intelligent and loyal interest in all things pertaining to the wellbeing of his home community and county. He has no ambition for public office but gave a term of service as
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school director of his district. He was one of the honored citizens of the county at the time of his death, on the 4th of June, 1920, and his widow has since rented the farmn and established her home in the city of Grand Island.
On the 21st of June, 1905, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Falmlen to Miss Margaret Ennis, who survives him, as do also their three children, Raymond, Grant and Martin.
WILLIAM WOLFE
William Wolfe, whose demise occurred in Clay county on the 25th of May, 1904, was for a number of years successfully engaged in farming in the county. He was born in Bohemia on the 6th of August, 1838, and remained in his native land until 1872.
William Wolfe was thirty-four years of age when he came to this country and he first located in Detroit, Michigan, where he worked for the Peninsular car shop for two years. He then came to Nebraska and located in Clay county and he bought eighty acres of land for one hundred and forty dollars. His first home on the land was a dugout but later he built a sod house. His success along agricultural lines seemed assured from the start and later he purchased eighty acres which is at present in the possession of his daughter, Mrs. John Zdychnec. He lived in Clay county until his demise, at which time he owned fifteen hundred and thirty acres of fine land. He was a self-made man having reached the goal of success solely as the result of his own determined effort intelligently directed, and a deep feeling of bereavement swept the community at his passing.
In 1862 Mr. Wolfe was married to Miss Catherine Vetove and to them ten children were born, nine of whom are living: Albert, a resident of Clay county; William, who makes his home in Clay county; Anna, who is the wife of John Zdychnec, further mention of whom will be made in this sketch; Frank, who re- sides near Clay Center ; George, residing near Edgar; Henry and Benjamin living near Clay Center; Nellie, who is the wife of Lewis Kavalec, a real estate man of Brainard; and Adolph, a retired farmer residing in Brainard. Throughout his life Mr. Wolfe was a consistent member of the Catholic church and was a generous contributor to its various charitable organizations. He was a man whom to know was to esteem and honor and his sterling characteristics won him the friendship and regard of a large circle of acquaintances.
In 1895 Anna Wolfe was united in marriage to John Zdychnec, a native of Bo- hemia who came to the United States on the 14th of February, 1894. Ever since arriving in this country Mr. Zdychnec has followed farming and he owns one hun- dred and sixty acres of fine land in the county, where he is recognized as a successful and prominent agriculturist. Mrs. Zdychnec is also in possession of a one hundred and sixty acre tract which she inherited from her father's estate. Four children have been born to their union: Emily, who received her education in the Fairfield high school, attended Kearney Normal School, taught for three years in a town school, and is at present a stenographer for an insurance company at Lincoln ; Joseph, who is cashier of the State Bank at Republican City, is a graduate of a
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Grand Island Business College and the second youngest bank cashier in Nebraska, being but twenty-three years of age; William, who is in business college at Lincoln; and Marie, attending the grade schools of Clay Center. The religious faith of the Zdychnec family is that of the Catholic church and the father is a stanch supporter of the republican party. Mr. and Mrs. Zdychnec are popular with all who know them and are regarded as representative citizens of Clay county.
Mrs. Wolfe, the widow, who is seventy-nine years of age, is making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Anna Zdychnec. Mrs. Wolfe always worked hard at home as well as in the field with her husband. She is a well preserved woman and is in good health.
HARTZELL MARTIN
Hartzell Martin, a retired farmer of Fairfield, was born in Athens county, Ohio, June 30, 1844, a son of Jacob and Mary (McVay) Martin, both natives of Ohio, in which state the latter passed away. In 1865 Jacob Martin removed to Illinois and there engaged in farming until his death. He had also followed that line of work in Ohio. Mr. Martin was twice married and had eight children by his first wife and seven children by his second wife. Throughout his life he was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his political al- legiance was given the republican party. The paternal ancestors were from Eng- land and came to this country at an early day.
Hartzell Martin received his education in the district schools of Ohio and en- tered the Union army as a member of Company C, Thirtieth Ohio Regiment in 1861, being then but seventeen years of age. For four years he was a member of the "fighting regiment," a name it rightly earned, and he lost many comrades. He was in the battle at Laurel Creek and Little Birch, Virginia ; South Mountain and Antietam, Maryland; Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi; Mission Ridge, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Ezra Chapel, Jonesboro, Bentonville, and many other battles of importance. At the close of the war he returned to Ohio and was there married in 1881. In 1895 he removed to Clay county from Furnas county, where he had homesteaded in 1879 and where for two or three years he had lived, haul- ing lumber a distance of seventy-five miles in order to erect a frame dwelling to accommodate his family. For some time he was in possession of a farm in Clay county and Nuckolls county but later disposed of them. He is now living retired in Fairfield enjoying a well earned rest, the result of a life of activity.
Mr. Martin has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah J. Hanning. who was born in Athens county, Ohio, and died in 1880. Three children were born to that union: Katrina, who is the wife of Tom McMann of Shenandoah, Iowa, a retired farmer; and Orill, a well known minister of the Methodist church, who has had charge of many large churches throughout Nebraska and is at present located at Seattle; Ai W. died at the age of twenty-nine years. He was an attorney at law. In 1881, Mr. Martin was again married, choosing Rebecca Hart for his wife. She was also a native of Athens county, and a daughter of David and Rebecca (Wheatherly) Hart, both natives of New Jersey. Her parents were married in that state but removed soon afterward to Ohio, where they both resided
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until death. Mr. Hart was twice married and had fourteen children by his first wife and six by his second. There are five living that were born to the first union and four of the second union. Mr. Hart lived to see his large family all grown to manhood and womanhood and established in homes of their own. To the second marriage of Mr. Martin two children have been born: Roy David, a physician and surgeon at Hastings; and Glenn, in the bank at Edgar.
Mr. Martin has always given his political allegiance to the republican party, in the interests of which he has always taken an active part, although he has neither sought nor desired public office. His religious faith is that of the Christian church and he is fraternally identified with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He is likewise active in the Grand Army of the Republic and has been for a number of terms commander of his camp. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are highly respected and representative citizens of Fairfield and Clay county and their home is the meeting place for a large circle of friends. Although they spend the greater part of their time at home they travel extensively at times and last winter visited in Mississippi.
HENRY KOEHLER
An excellent farm property in Clay county pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by Henry Koehler, recognized as one of the representative agri- cultruists and one of the oldest polled shorthorn breeders in his section of the state. The land is located on sction 32, Edgar township. Mr. Koehler was born in the province of Hanover, Germany, on the 21st of April, 1851, a son of Christian and Sophia (Baden) Koehler, both natives of that country. The mother passed away there but in 1876 the father came to the United States and located in Iowa, from which state he subsequently removed to Oregon, where his death occurred. Five children were born to their union, four of whom are living: Henry, whose name initiates this review; William, living in Oregon ; Kate, a widow and a resident of Hastings; and Mary, residing in Iowa. The parents were consistent members of the Lutheran church, in which faith their family was reared.
Henry Koehler received his education in Germany, where he remained until 1868, when he came to the United States alone. He located in Scott county, Iowa, and obtained work on farms, continuing in that connection until September 13, 1874. In that year his marriage took place and he lived on a rented place until 1886. In June, 1885, he came to Clay county, Nebraska, and bought two hundred acres of land, to which land he removed with his family in February, 1886. He bought his land on the installment plan and was so successful in its operation that he soon purchased an additional forty acres, which was part of timber claim No. 1. Mr. Koehler and his children now own six hundred acres of fine land in Clay county. He engages in mixed farming, raises pure blooded cattle and is one of the oldest polled shorthorn breeders in Clay county. His sons are also widely known for their fine horses of the Percheron breed and among them they have one fine animal imported from France.
On the 13th of September, 1874, occurred the marriage of Mr. Koehler and Miss Amelia Lehms, a native of Iowa and a daughter of Fred Lehms, who was born
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in Germany and came to the United States, locating in Iowa in 1854, where his demise took place. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Koehler: Sophia, John Henry and Louis, all at home; and a daughter who died in infancy.
Mr. Koehler has always given his allegiance to the democratic party, having firm belief in the efficacy of the principles of that party as factors in good govern- ment. He served on the town board for some time and also as assessor for several years. Thrown upon his own resources at an early age he learned his lessons in the school of experience and his life illustrates that it is under the pressure of adver- sity and the stimulus of necessity that the strongest and best in men is brought out and developed. His labors have brought him success, and he has thoroughly identified his interests with those of his community and can be counted upon to do his part in furthering the public welfare.
JOEL .H. SAULS
Joel H. Sauls, was equipped for and exerted much of leadership in com- munity sentiment and action during the pioneer period in the history of Hamilton county, Nebraska, where he was numbered among the early teachers in the primitive schools and where also he had definite alliance with pioneer farm enterprise. In later years he was a successful practitioner of law and in all relations of his active and worthy life he commanded unqualified popular esteem. He was a citizen of prominence and influence in Hamilton county and here a wide circle of friends and admirers manifested a sense of personal loss and bereavement when his life came to a close on February 7th, 1920.
Mr. Sauls was born in Carroll county, Tennessee, on the 22d of November, 1837, and thus he was eighty-four years of age at the time of his death. He was a boy when his father, Thomas E. Sauls, transferred the family residence from Tennessee to Missouri, where Joel Sauls received excellent educational advantages in the schools at Granbury and the academy at Newtonia. He became a successful teacher in the schools of Illinois, in which state he was residing at the time of the Civil war. He was a loyal supporter of the Union and manifested this hy enlisting in Company H, One Hundred and Thirty- third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he continued in service four months, being stationed at Rock Island, Illinois, and assigned to duty in guard- ing prisoners of war. After the close of the war, Mr. Sauls continued his service as a teacher in the schools of Illinois until 1873, in which year he came to Nebraska and numbered himself among the pioneer settlers of Hamilton county. His marriage was solemnized in Missouri prior to the outbreak of the Civil war and his Union sympathies and fearless utterances created no little antagonism in the section of Missouri in which he and his wife were living, the result being that they found it expedient to make their way to Illinois. They had to abandon their household goods and other belongings and set forth with a horse and buggy for Illinois, the trip being hazardous on account of the menace of Confederate sympathizers and the only period in which Mr. and
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JOEL H. SAULS
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Mrs. Sauls felt perfectly safe on the journey was when they camped for a short time with the army forces under command of General Sigel.
In coming from Illinois to Nebraska, Mr. Sauls and his wife made the trip with a team and covered wagon and a month was required to complete the journey, crossing the Missouri river on a ferry-boat at White Cloud, Kansas. Upon arriving in Hamilton county Mr. Sauls took a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, in what is now Valley precinct, and his first house was a combination of dugout and sod construction, the roof being covered with grass and hrush. The floor was of earth and each of the two windows pro- vided for the little habitation was of but half-sash dimensions. With a horse team Mr. Sauls succeeded in breaking all of his land and also planted a goodly number of native trees on the place. Finally he traded his home- stead for another farm in the same precinct, the latter place having been improved with a frame house and barn. Mr. Sauls did not escape his share of losses caused by drought, grasshoppers, hailstorms, etc. His services were enlisted in teaching in the pioneer rural schools and after Hampton was estab- lished, he became one of the first teachers in the school opened in that village. He arrived in Hamilton county too late to put in a crop the first year and under these conditions found employment on another pioneer farm for a time. On two different occasions grasshoppers destroyed the garden and growing corn on the Sauls farm. Mr. Sauls obtained most of his early fuel from trees growing along the course of the Platte river, besides which it was found necessary at times to use corn and cornstalks for fuel purposes. Grists were taken to the Seeley mill in York county. Near the prairie home of Mr. Sauls he frequently saw antelopes and deer and on one occasion espied four buffaloes wending their way across the prairie.
At Granby, Missouri, on the 18th of November, 1860, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Sauls to Miss Rachel Alford, who was born in Monroe county, Tennessee, and who was one of the loved pioneer women of Hamilton county, Nebraska, and is now living in Aurora, Nebraska. She has lived to see five ยท generations of her family in the nation's military service. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Sauls the eldest is Mary J., who resides in Aurora, Hamilton county, and is the widow of Riley E. Mason, an honored and influential citizen, whose death occurred in 1909; Nellie is the widow of Joseph H. Edmondson and maintains her home in Aurora ; Sarah died nearly forty years ago; William E. died in 1909; Minnie, deceased, became the wife of Frank E. Quinn; John L. resides at Aurora; Frederick died in infancy, in 1879; and Grace is the wife of Samuel Belcher, of Los Angeles, California. To Mrs. Mary J. Mason the publishers of this history are indebted for much of the data utilized in pre- paring this memorial tribute to her honored father.
From the beginning of his residence in Hamilton county Mr. Sauls mani- fested a lively and helpful interest in communal affairs and became influential along many lines. He served as justice of the peace and represented Hamilton county as a delegate to the state constitutional convention. After leaving the farm he was engaged in the practice of law at Hampton, and in 1898 removed to Aurora, the county seat, where he continued in the practice of law during the remainder of his active career. He was a stalwart and effective advocate of
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the principles and policies of the republican party and was a leader in its councils and campaign activities in. Hamilton county. He and his wife were zealous members of the Baptist church and were numbered among the organ- izers of the first church of this denomination in Hamilton county. He main- tained affiliation with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows from 1868 until his death and also was an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
E. J. HAINER
E. J. Hainer was born August 16, 1851, at Funfkirchen, Hungary, and with his parents emigrated to the United States in 1854. The family settled at New Buda, Iowa, the seat of the Hungarian Colony. He was educated in Iowa, attend- ing the Academy at Garden Grove, the Iowa State College, at Ames, and the Law School at Des Moines, graduating from the latter institution in 1876, beginning the practice of law in 1877 at Aurora, Nebraska. He remained there until 1894, when he removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he has since continued to reside and engage in the practice of his profession. In 1892 he was elected to congress from the Fourth District of Nebraska as a republican, remaining in that office for four years. His principal business has all along been that of a lawyer, though he has developed considerable activity and interest in banking, farming and other industries.
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