History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 85

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742

USA > Nebraska > Richardson County > History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions > 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).

As noted above, Jacob C. Tanner was fourteen years of age when his parents located at Falls City. He had received schooling at St. Joseph, at Gallatin and at Hamilton and after his arrival at Falls City attended school there for a year. He then took a course in the Commercial Business College at St. Joseph and was engaged as a clerk in his father's hardware store at Falls City when his father sold the store to Crook & Company. Young Tan- ner continued as clerk and bookkeeper for the latter firm for twelve years. In the meantime he had been giving his close personal attention to local poli- tics and became recognized as one of the active young workers in the Repub- lican ranks. In 1901, as the nominee of that party, he was elected county clerk and served in that capacity until 1905. In this latter year he was nominated by his party as the candidate for county treasurer, but was defeated, the campaign of that year going against the Republicans. In 1906 Mr. Tan- ner bought his present store and has since been engaged in the hardware husi-

867

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

ness, also in the general plumbing and heating business, and has done very well, being recognized as one of the leading merchants of the city.

On October 11, 1898, Jacob C. Tanner was united in marriage to Sophia A. Lange who was born in this county on December 23, 1867, daughter of Fred Lange and wife, natives of Germany and early settlers at old Arago, in this county, and to this union has been born one child, a daughter, Helen E., born on July 19, 1902, now in high school. Mr. and Mrs. Tanner have a pleasant home at Falls City and take an interested part in the city's general social activities. Mr. Tanner is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the Knights of Pythias and of the Royal Arcanum, and in the affairs of these several organizations takes a warm interest.

JESS R. HARRAH.

Jess R. Harrah, former editor and proprietor of the Dawson Reporter, one of the liveliest village newspapers in this part of the state, is a native son of Nebraska and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in the neighboring county of Pawnee on February 15, 1886, son of John and Neva A. (Smith) Harrah, natives, respectively, of Indiana and Illinois and both of Scotch-Irish descent, who are now living at DeRidder, in Beauregard parish, Louisiana.

John Harrah came to Nebraska in 1870 and was married in this state. Upon coming out here he homesteaded a tract of land on Turkey creek, in Johnson county, at a time when there were very few settlers in that part of the country, his house at that time being the only one between Tecumseh and the Otoe Indian reservation. He built up a good farm there and then sold it and moved to Pawnee county, where he built up another farm and sold the same to advantage and moved down into Kansas, where he remained about six years, at the end of which time he moved to Minnesota, where he remained until the fall of 1904, when he returned to Nebraska and located in Richardson county, remaining here until June 1, 1915, when he moved to Louisiana. where he and his wife are now living, as noted above.

Jess R. Harrah was nine years of age when his parents moved to Kansas and he was fifteen when they moved to Minnesota, he thus receiving his schooling in three states. When the family came to this county in 1904 he became engaged in farming, but later took up newspaper work at Burchard, over in Pawnee county, and presently bought the Burchard Times, which he

868

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

published for two years, at the end of which time he sold that paper and returned to Richardson county, locating at Dawson, and on December 15. 1914, bought the Dawson Reporter, which he recently sold. After taking possession of the Reporter Mr. Harrah made numerous important improve- ments in the paper and added quite materially to the equipment of his plant, having had one of the best-equipped village newspaper plants in this part of the state and published a very sprightly newspaper, the circulation of which had been largely increased under his able editorial direction. Mr. Harrah also is a photographer of much skill and takes delight in the finished products of his camera. Mr. Harrah sold the Reporter on June 6, 1917, and is now engaged as a contractor and builder.

On June 7, 1906, Jess R. Harrah was united in marriage to Lena M. Gerber, of Hiawatha, Kansas, and to this union have been born four children, Warren, Vernon, Chauncey and Bernice Viral. Mr. and Mrs. Harrah have a pleasant home at Dawson and take a proper interest in the general social and cultural activities of their home town and the community at large, help- ful in many ways in promoting such movements as are designed to advance the common welfare.

MORGAN H. VANDEVENTER.

The Hon. Morgan H. Vandeventer, former representative in the Legis- lature from this district, former member of the board of commissioners for Richardson county, one of the real pioneers of this section of Nebraska, an extensive landowner and one of the first settlers in the precinct of Muddy in the northern part of the county, a resident of the town of Stella since 1888 and formerly and for more than forty years actively engaged in the live- stock business in this county, now living practically retired at his pleasant home in Stella, is a native of the old Hoosier state, a fact of which he never has ceased to be proud, but has been a resident of Nebraska since 1859 and is thus very properly entitled to be accounted as one of the real "old-timers" of this section. He was born on a pioneer farm in Carroll county, a little to the west of the north central section of Indiana, September 9, 1836, son of Christopher and Elizabeth (Baum) Vandeventer, of Dutch stock, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Ohio, who left Indiana in 1860 and came to the then Territory of Nebraska, settling in this county, where their last days were spent.

Christopher Vandeventer was reared in New York state and when twenty-

MORGAN H. VANDEVENTER.

869

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

one years of age, in 1822, went to Indiana, where he married Elizabeth Baum and later settled on a farm in the vicinity of Delphi, in Carroll county, one of the early settlers of that county. There he and his wife reared their family, remaining there until the spring of 1860, when they came out here and settled on a tract of land which their son, the subject of this sketch, had pre-empted the year before in this county and here they spent the remainder of their lives earnest pioneers of Richardson county. They were the par- ents of ten children, Isaac, George, Jonas, Morgan, Ira and Jane (twins), Margaret. Matilda, Reuben and Jolin, all of whom save the two first named, the elder sons, came to Nebraska in 1860. The first-named, Isaac Vande- venter, served as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, a member of an Ohio regiment, and George and Jonas Vandeventer served as members of the Fifth Missouri in that struggle between the states, the latter losing his life in the service.

Morgan H. Vandeventer was reared on a pioneer farm in Indiana and remained there until he was past twenty-two years of age, when, in the spring of 1859, by the general agreement of the family, he came West with a view to picking out a home place in the then new country. After a bit of pros- pecting he decided that this section of the then Territory of Nebraska offered exceptional advantages for settlement and he pre-empted a tract near Prairie Union in Muddy precinct, this county. He built a one-room cabin on the place, a structure sixteen by eighteen feet in dimension, and made some other preparations there for the coming of the family and then traded his gold watch to an Indian for a pony and rode back to Indiana, arriving safely at Delphi, where he was able to give a good account to the family of the progress of his mission out West. The family straightway began to make prepara- tions for the long trip and in the spring of 1860 drove through to this county and took possession of the place that had been made ready for them the sum- mer before. At that time there were but five other families in Muddy precinct, the Oninlans, the Hays and Andy Tynan on the Muddy and E. P. Pattison and the Stouts on Sardine creek. For the children of these families the first teacher was pioneer Cunningham, who conducted a school two or three months a year in that settlement for some little time. The Vandeventers settled down into their new home without much discomfort and soon were well estab- lished, the parents having had previous experience in pioneering in their younger days back in Indiana and were thus quite able to make the best of the situation. When the Civil War broke out the three elder sons of the family being away at the front, Morgan H. Vandeventer, the next son, became

870

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

the practical mainstay of the pioneer home and had to stay at home to keep things going, but he aided in the organization of a company of Home Guards and received from Governor Nance a commission as an officer of that com- pany. During this period of service it was his painful duty to drive over to Independence, Missouri, and bring back to this county the bodies of three of the boys who went out from this section and were killed in battle, these soldiers having been his brother Jonas, A. Ewing and George Randall, and the bodies of Jonas Vandeventer and George Randall were buried in Prairie Union cemetery, Ewing being buried in the orchard of the Ewing homestead.

After his marriage in 1862 Morgan H. Vandeventer established his home on a farm near Prairie Union, he having in the meantime become the owner of two farms in that vicinity, and there he lived until the spring of 1869, when he moved to the place he long afterward occupied, the northeast quarter of section 29, on Muddy creek, where in 1870 he erected the largest house in the precinct. That farm he improved in excellent shape and as he prospered in his operations added to his land holdings until he became the owner of four hundred and forty acres. Along in the middle seventies Mr. Vandeventer became actively engaged in the live-stock business and it was not long until he was one of the best-known stockmen in this part of the state. For more than forty years, or up to the time of his retirement from general business affairs in the spring of 1916. he continued engaged in the live-stock business and for seven years of that time operated in association with Ben Morgan at Salem. In the summer of 1888 Mr. Vandeventer left the farm and moved to Stella, where he engaged in the mercantile business in partnership with J. H. Overman and was for seven years thus engaged, in addition to looking after his other interests. Mr. Vandeventer is a Republican and for three years (1870-72) served as a member of the board of county commissioners from his district and as chairman of the board signed all the bonds issued by this county as a bonus for the building of the old Burlington & Missouri River railroad through this county. In 1890 he was elected representative in the Legislature from this district and served with distinction in the House during the session of 1891. Mr. Vandeventer is a member of the Christian church and for fifteen years or more has been serving as an elder in the same. For more than forty-two years he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is the bearer of one of that order's medals issued to members who have been identified with the order for more than forty years. He first became a member of the lodge at Salem and when a lodge was raised at Stella he transferred his membership to the latter. This latter lodge was

87 1

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

presently merged with the lodge at Falls City, but after awhile had its charter restored and Mr. Vandeventer has since been affiliated with the Stella lodge, for many years one of the most active members of the same, as he is one of the most venerable. Despite the fact that he is now in the eighty-first year of his age, Mr. Vandeventer retains much of his aforetime vigor of mind and body and continues to take a warm interest in current affairs.

Mr. Vandeventer has been twice married. In January, 1862, about two years after coming to this county as a permanent settler, he was united in marriage to Sarah Jane Brown, who also was born in Indiana, a step-daughter of John S. Hughes, one of the pioneers of this section, and to that union four children were born, John Albert, who is now living at Longmont, Colo- rado; Burl J., who is now a resident of Jewell county, Kansas, and Walter J., born on September 17, 1866, who is now the owner of two hundred acres of land in this county and is also cultivating the old home farm in section 29, and Charles, who died at the age of seven months. On December 24, 1886, Walter J. Vandeventer was united in marriage to Keturah Mason, a daughter of T. J. Mason. Mrs. Sarah Jane Vandeventer died in December, 1890, and on December 12. 1891, Mr. Vandeventer married Miss Lois R. Lynn, who was born in Illinois, a daughter of Seaman Lynn and who died on Jan- . uary 26, 1915.

PETER M. GERGENS.

One of the most up-to-date farmers of Franklin precinct, Richardson county, is Peter M. Gergens, who was born in Ross county, Ohio, December 26. 1861. He is a son of Jacob and Appalonia (Frick) Gergens. The father was born in Germany, but when about five years old his parents brought him to America. the family locating in Ohio in 1834. There he spent his boyhood and finally came West, in 1864, locating in Nemaha county, Nebraska, where he remained about fifteen years; then located in Richard- son county, in 1879. near Verdon, engaging in general farming there until he retired from active life, moving to the village of Humboldt, where his death occurred in 1905. at the age of seventy-six years. His widow sur- vived until 1912, dying at the age of seventy-four years. To these parents thirteen children were horn, three of whom are now deceased.

Peter M. Gergens was about three years old when his parents brought him to Nebraska and here he grew to manhood and attended the public schools, remaining at home until he was twenty-two years old, when he

872

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

started in life for himself as a farmer by renting land. He bought his present excellent farm in section 23, in Franklin precinct, on September 6, 1895. The place consists of three hundred and forty acres. It had only a small house and barn on it when he took possession. He went to work with a will and has by his perseverance and close application developed one of the best improved and most productive farms in his locality. He has built a modern twelve-roomed dwelling, around which he has set out a large number of valuable trees, orchard and shade. He has made a specialty of handling large numbers of grade stock from year and year, and no small portion of his annual income has been derived from this source.

Mr. Gergens was married on February 9. 1888, to Anna Reynolds, who was born in Bureau county, Illinois. She is a daughter of Isaac and Martha ( Lockard) Reynolds, who removed from Illinois to Nebraska in 1882 and now live at Humboldt, Richardson county.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gergens, namely : Florence, the wife of John Iliff, and they live on a farm near Humboldt; Raymond, married February 14, 1917, to Vera Treaster, and lives on a farm in Porter precinct, and Warren, who is the youngest.

Politically, Mr. Gergens is a Democrat and has long been more or less active in public affairs. He is now serving on the school board of his dis- trict, having been a director of the same for a period of eighteen years. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He and Mrs. Gergens belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.

JACOB MAJERUS.

The late Jacob Majerus, who at the time of his death at his home in Falls City in the spring of 1914, was accounted one of the most substantial landowners and retired farmers of Richardson county, was of European birth. but had been a resident of this country since 1868, in which year he came to Nebraska and became a pioneer of the Rulo neighborhood, later moving to Falls City, where his last days were spent.

Jacob Majerus was born in the grand duchy of Luxemburg on June 5. 1840, and there grew to manhood. In 1868 he came to the United States and came on out to the then new state of Nebraska and located in this county. He bought a farm in the vicinity of Rulo, over in the eastern part of the county, and after his marriage two years later established his home there.

873

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Six years later he bought a half section of land in that same neighborhood and on that latter place lived for twenty-two years, or until 1898, when he retired from the farm and he and his wife moved to Falls City, where the latter is still living. Mr. Majerus became a very successful farmer and as he prospered added to his holdings until he became the owner of nine hun- dred acres of land, a part of which lay in the adjoining counties of Brown and Nemaha, over the line in Kansas, besides his home place in Falls City. which carried with it three acres and nine lots in the eastern part of the city. Mr. Majerus was a Democrat and was a member of the Catholic church, as is his widow, and their children were reared in that faith. Jacob Majerus died on April 28, 1914.

On March 31, 1870, Jacob Majerus was united in marriage to Elizabeth Wilker, who was born at Buffalo, New York, December II, 1851, daughter of William and Agnes ( Sanders) Wilker, both of whom were of European birth, born in the kingdom of Prussia, but who were not married until after their arrival in this country, their marriage taking place in Buffalo, New York, where they remained for some time, later moving to Delphos, Ohio, where they made their home until 1865, in which year they came out to the then Territory of Nebraska and settled on a farm in the timber, in the neigh- borhood of Rulo, this county. The farm that William Wilker bought there was partly improved and had on it a log cabin in which he established his home, the family living in that humble abode until he presently was able to erect a more comfortable house. William Wilker died at Rulo in 1888 and his widow survived him for more than fifteen years, her death occurring in 1904. Elizabeth Wilker was about fourteen years of age when she came with her parents from Ohio to this county and was living here when she mar- ried Mr. Majerus. To that union twelve children were born, namely: Magda- lina, who died at the age of five years; John Joseph, who died in infancy; Margaret, who married John F. Tangney and is now deceased; Mary, wife of John E. Sullivan, a real estate dealer and stockman at Effingham, Kansas; .Anna, who died at the age of seven months; John J., a farmer, living two miles east of Falls City; Theodore, a farmer, living near Rulo; Henry, who is farming the old home place near Rulo: Jacob, who was drowned while swimming in the Muddy river in 1908: Helen, wife of John C. Mullen, a well-known lawyer at Falls City; Mrs. Anna Krieger, living on a farm east of Falls City, and Catherine, wife of Elmer Niery, now living in California. Mrs. Majerus also has an adopted daughter, Christina, daughter of her deceased daughter, Margaret, and who is now a Sister in the convent of Mt. St. Scholasticas at Atchison, Kansas.

874

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

JOHN WILTSE.

The Hon. John Wiltse, judge of the county court for Richardson county and one of the best-known lawyers in this part of the state, former mayor of Falls City and a substantial landowner and stock raiser of this county, is a native son of Richardson county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in Jefferson precinct on January 2, 1876, son of Jerome and Mary L. (Wahl) Wiltse, natives of New York state and pioneer settlers in Richardson county, the former of whom is still living, a resident of Falls City since his retirement from the active labors of the farm and a biograph- ical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume, together with some- thing of a genealogical character relating to the Wiltse family in this country. Jerome Wiltse and his wife were the parents of eleven children, nine of whom are still living and further reference to whom is made in the sketch relating to their father.

Judge Wiltse is a twin, his twin brother, James Wiltse, now a resident of Lincoln, where he is engaged in the real-estate business. The judge received excellent training for his judicial position, having been for some years prior to his elevation to the bench a practicing attorney at Falls City. Reared on the home farm, he supplemented the course in the district school in the neighborhood of his home by a course in the Falls City high school and then began teaching school, to which useful calling seven of his brothers and one sister also applied themselves in the early days of their successful careers. For ten years he taught in the schools of Richardson county, mean- time continuing his labors on the farm during the summer seasons, and during all that period gave much of his leisure time to the study of the law, complet- ing his studies under the preceptorship of Clarence Gillespie. He was admitted to the bar in 1904 and opened an office for the practice of his pro- fession at Falls City, the county seat, where he ever since has been located. In 1911 he was elected city clerk of Falls City and in 1913 was elected mayor of the city. To this latter office he was re-elected, resigning the office to enter upon the duties of judge of the court following his election to that important office in 1915. During Judge Wiltse's incumbency in the mayor's office many important public improvements were carried to completion in Falls City. including the considerable extension of pavements and the installation of the street lighting and sewer system, which was completed during his term. Judge Wiltse is the owner of more than three hundred acres of land in this county and is extensively engaged in the live-stock business in association with his

875

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

brother, Clarence C. Wiltse. The judge is a Republican and has for years taken an active part in the political affairs of the county, long having been looked upon as one of the leaders of his party in this county.

On May 15, 1904, Judge Wiltse was united in marriage to Elsie M. Peck, who was born in the precinct of Ohio, this county, May 23, 1879, a daughter of George W. and Sarah ( Maust ) Peck, natives of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, who came to this county in 1869 and the latter of whom is still living, now a resident of Falls City. For five or six years prior to her mar- riage Mrs. Wiltse was engaged as a teacher in the schools of this county. The judge and his wife have four children, namely: Lawrence G., born on February 21, 1905: John H., September 6, 1906; Homer G., February 27, 1909, and Virgil J., June 27, 1912. Judge and Mrs. Wiltse are members of the Methodist church and the judge is a member of the board of stewards of the same. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodge of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and is vice-grand of the same.

JOHN M. GREENE, M. D.

Dr. John M. Greene, of Falls City, one of the best-known physicians and surgeons in this part of the state, is a native son of Nebraska, but was reared in the state of New York and did not return to his native state until some years after he had begun the practice of his profession. He was born on a pioneer homestead farm in Saunders county, September 9. 1874, son ot Isaac and Emma J. (Kilner) Greene, pioneers of that section, who later returned to their native state of New York and there spent their last days.

Isaac Greene, an honored veteran of the Civil War; was of old Colonial stock, a descendant of General Greene of Revolutionary fame. He was born and reared in New York state and was living there when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted for service as a member of Company B, Fourteenth New York Artillery, and with that command went to the front, serving from the spring of 1863 until the close of the war, and was present at Lee's surrender at Appomattox. During this period of service he was a participant in one of the most hazardous and destructive charges of the entire war, his regiment having been a part of the command that was flung into the deadly "crater" at the battle of Petersburg and he was one of the twenty men that escaped alive from that terrible cauldron of death. He was captured by the enemy, but soon afterward succeeded in effecting an escape. His brother, Thomas

876

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Greene, died in the service just before the fall of Petersburg. Mr. Greene saw much active service along the Potomac and in the Virginia campaign and came out of the war a seasoned veteran. Upon the completion of his mili- tary service he returned to his home in New York, where he presently married and shortly afterward came to Nebraska and took a homestead farm in Saunders county and there established his home, but the grasshopper visitation in that section during the year 1873 so discouraged him that he presently gave up his homestead there and moved over into Butler county and entered on a quarter section, the present site of David City, which he not long afterward sold and then returned to New York, settling at Medina, where he engaged in the manufacture of parlor furniture and was thus engaged until his retirement from business at the age of fifty-nine years. His wife died there in January, 1895, at the age of forty-seven years, and he survived until in January, 1915. he being sixty-eight years of age at the time of his death.

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 Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 85

Author: Edwards, Lewis C Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1742

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742