History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 94

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 94

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).

On October 15, 1885, John H. Koso was united in marriage to Alice Elliott, who was born at Watson, Illinois, February 2, 1865, daughter of Sanford and Frances ( Field) Elliott, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and of Illinois, who later moved from Effingham, Illinois, to Livingston county, Missouri. where they spent their last days. Sanford Elliott and wife were the parents of seven children and one of their sons, Milton Elliott, was a soldier' of the Union during the Civil War, having run away from home when fifteen years of age to enter the service. Mr. and Mrs. Koso have seven children, namely: Orin, who is a farmer in Barada precinct; John, also a farmer in the precinct of Barada; Mrs. Effie Brooks, of the precinct of Falls City, and Hance, Mary, Quentin and Augusta, at home. The Koso

956

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASK.A.

family have a very pleasant home and have ever taken an interested part in the general social activities of their home community. Mr. Koso is a Republican and, fraternally, is affiliated with the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America, in the affairs of which he takes a warm interest.

PERRY POLLARD.

A man like Perry Pollard, of Humboldt precinct, Richardson county, who makes a specialty of raising a superior grade of live stock, does an inestimable amount of good in his locality. His specialty, as is well known, is that of breeding fine Poland China hogs in connection with his general farming pursuits. He was born on his present farm, August 14, 1861, and he is a son of Pharagus and Sarah (Crook) Pollard, pioneers of this section of Nebraska.

Pharagus Pollard was born in Tennessee about 1830; he came with Jesse Crook to Richardson county, April 5, 1855, locating near Falls City; he later owned various farms until he bought the one owned by his son, Perry, on which he established his permanent home. It was wild prairie land, but he broke up the sod, working with oxen for some time, and put it under cultivation, and built a log cabin on the place. He endured the usual hard- ships of those who essay a life on the frontier. After coming here he engaged to dig wells for a number of the settlers in order to get money with which to carry on general farming. He was a soldier in the Civil War, having enlisted in Company G, Second Nebraska Cavalry, at Falls City, and went to the front as corporal. He made a brave and efficient soldier and died while in the service of his country, of sickness. He was a son of Jesse Pollard. a native of North Carolina, who in later life came to Richardson county, to live with his son, Pharagus. Sarah Crook was born in White county, Tennessee, January 12, 1831. She spent her latter years among her children. living to advanced age, her death occurring on February 12, 1917. She was a member of the Christian church. Her family consisted of seven children, only one of whom is now deceased.

Perry Pollard was reared on the homestead in Humboldt precinct; in fact, he has never lived anywhere else. He worked hard when a boy and has kept the place well improved and under a fine state of cultivation. He owns two hundred acres of the homestead and has made a success as a general farmer and stock raiser. He began breeding Poland China hogs in 1913

957

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

and has now a fine herd, his hogs finding a very ready market owing to their superior quality ; he has always raised a standard bred hog.

Mr. Pollard has remained unmarried. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is president of the Farmers Union, of which he was one of the organizers. It now has three hundred members and it has proven to be an excellent thing for the farmers of this district, and they are able to get better prices for their products, some of which are now stored to await the best season in which to sell. Politically, he is a Democrat.

The following children were born to Pharagus and Sarah Pollard : Jesse A., who lives in Phillips county, Kansas; Isaac N., living on the home place; Christopher Columbus lives in Humboldt, Nebraska; Elizabeth J. is the wife of J. A. Kunze, and they live in Rosalia, Kansas; Andrew J .. deceased; Perry S., of this sketch, and Eva, wife of St. Clair Ray, lives in Humboldt.

JOHN FANKHAUSER.

Speiser township, Richardson county, has no more painstaking tiller of the soil than John Fankhauser, who hails from that splendid little republic in the Alps, Switzerland, from whence so many of our good citizens have come. He was born there on February 3, 1842, and is a son of John U. and Barbara (Rothenbuhler) Fankhauser, natives of Switzerland, where they grew up and married, but emigrated with their family to America in 1847, locating in Fulton county, Ohio, where they remained until 1864, when they came to Richards county, buying the farm on which their son, John, now resides in Speiser township. There they started life in typical pioneer fashion, building a log house and breaking the virgin sod of the plains with oxen and horses. Two years later the log house was replaced with a better frame dwelling, also a barn was built at that time. The father succeeded by perseverance and farmed here until his death in November, 1873, at the age of sixty-one years. As he prospered he added to his original holdings until he owned four hundred acres. His wife was born in 1806 and died in 1874. about two months after the death of her husband .. They were parents of six children, two of whom are now deceased.

John Fankhauser was five years old when his parents brought him to America. He grew up on the farm and attended the district schools only three months of a year, attending school in a log cabin. · He came to Rich- ardson county a few months preceding the rest of the family, his father hav- ing sent him here to look up a new home and to buy land. When a boy

958

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

he worked in the timber 'a great deal. He worked hard helping his father develop the farm in Speiser precinct, and remained at home until 1872 when he married and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Hum- holdt precinct, where he farmed until 1877, when he moved to his present farm, having traded his homestead to the rest of the heirs for the old home place. His farm consists of two hundred and twenty acres, in section 15. He also owns two hundred acres in section 10, one hundred and twenty acres in section 11, and one hundred and eighty-seven acres in section 14, all in Speiser precinct. He has managed well and has met with a larger measure of success than falls to the lot of the average farmer. He is a man of sound judgment and wise foresight. He engages in general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. He and his brother, Peter, worked the home place about two years. In 1911 he erected a modern ten-room house, which is nicely furnished and in the midst of attractive surroundings. He also has four substantial cattle and horse barns and everything about his home place denotes good management and prosperity. He has for many years fed cattle for the markets extensively one or two carloads each year. He is a good judge of live stock, especially cattle and no inconsiderable portion of his annual income .is derived from the judicious handling of live stock.

Politically, the subject of this sketch is a Democrat, but he has never aspired to public office. He belongs to the German Reformed church.

Mr. Fankhauser has been twice married, first, in 1869, to Magdalene Oberly, who was born in Switzerland. Her death occurred in 1885 at the early age of thirty-three years. This first union resulted in the birth of nine children, namely: Elizabeth, deceased; Magdalene, the wife of William Stalder of Speiser precinct : Mary, the wife of Ferdinand Stalder, of Hum- boldt precinct; Minie, deceased; Henrietta, the wife of Alfred Stettler, a farmer, of Speiser precinct ; Christena is the wife of Charles Porr, of Speiser precinct : Mrs. Amanda Von Bergen, of Nemaha precinct ; Sarah, who mar- ried Joe Wittwer, is deceased, and Rosa lives in the town of Humboldt.

The second marriage of Mr. Fankhauser was celebrated on February 11, 1886, when he espoused Elizabeth Leuenberger, who was born on October 12, 1862, in Switzerland, from which country she came to America in 1885. locating in Richardson county, with her three sisters. Ten children have been born to this second union, namely: Elizabeth, the wife of Alfred Kanel, of Speiser precinct: Frederick, living in Humboldt precinct; William, at home : Lelia, the wife of Alfred Guerber and they live in Oregon; Elmer, Caroline, Raymond R., Helen, Arthur D. are all at home; one child died in infancy, unnamed.

959

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

FREDERICK H. SCHOCK.

One of the most enterprising of the younger merchants of Falls City, Richardson county, is Frederick H. Schock, who was born on May 31, 1882, in the above named town and country and he has preferred to remain in his native state, believing that Nebraska offers better opportunities than he could find elsewhere. He is a son of George A. and Sarah ( Melhorn) Schock, whose family consisted of six children, five of whom died in infancy, the subject of this review being the only one now living. The birth of the father occurred on January 4, 1850, in Seneca county, Ohio, at the town of Flat Rock. He is a son of Charles and Susan ( Arnold) Schock, whose family consisted of eleven children. Charles Schock was born near Georgetown, l'ennsylvania, in 1819 and died in 1875. He devoted his life to general farming. His wife, Susan Arnold, was also a native of Pennsylvania, from which state she went to Ohio when young and there was married. Her birth occurred in the year 1828 and she died in 1884. Charles Schock and wife were members of the Evangelical church.

George A. Schock, father of the subject of this sketch, was reared on the home farm and received a meager education in the early day schools. When a young man he learned the carpenter's trade, but later turned his atten- tion to railroading, which he followed for seventeen years. In 1882 he canie West and located at Falls City, Nebraska, where he followed his trade as carpenter until his retirement. George A. Schock and Sarah Melhorn were married on October 2, 1881. The latter was born in Elkhart county, Indiana. April 16, 1854.

Frederick H. Schock, familiarly known as Fred, grew to manhood in Falls City and there received his education in the public schools, graduating from the high school with the class of 1898. After leaving school and decid- ing upon a career as merchant he began clerking in the store of Cleveland Brothers, general merchants. Later he went to Salem and then to Nebraska City, where he remained in the same kind of employment until in January, 1900, when he returned to Falls City and opened up a ready-to-wear store. By careful and judicious management he was successful from the start and has succeeded in building up a large and growing trade, carrying a complete line of goods and there is no more modernly appointed or attractive store in southeastern Nebraska than his. His patrons are drawn from a wide terri- tory.

Mr. Schock was married on June 13, 1908, to Sue Pfann, a native of

960

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Germany and a daughter of John and Susanna (Fanclar) Pfann, natives of Germany from which country they came to Nebraska about the year 1887, locating at Nebraska City, the father following his trade of carpenter. His family consisted of sixteen children, thirteen of whom are still living. Three children have been born to Fred H. Schock and wife, named as follows: Wilbur, whose birth occurred on July 17. 1909: Robert, born January 29. 1913, and Jack K., the last born.

Fraternally, Mr. Schock is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America. He belongs to the Presby- terian church, in which he is an elder and is active in church affairs.

OLIVER C. AYERS.

The name of Oliver C. Ayers, a leading agriculturist of Nemaha pre- cinct and one of the most influential men in public affairs in southeastern Nebraska, is too well known to the people of Richardson county to need any formal introduction to the readers of this history. He was born on August 3. 1871, in Tompkins county, New York, and is a son of Nathaniel and Sarah (Ellison) Ayers. The father was born in 1827 and died in 1897; the mother was born in 1836 and died in 1907. Their family consisted of three children, namely: Oliver C., of this sketch; William lives in the state of Washington, and James has charge of the telephone system at Verdon, Nebraska. The father, Nathaniel Ayers, was a descendant of an old Amer- ican family, dating back to 1692, when the first Ayers emigrated from Scot- land to our shores, locating in New Jersey. The subject of this sketch, whose grandfather was Elias Ayers, is the seventh generation of the Ayers proper in this country, the name having originally been "Eyer." Nathaniel Ayers engaged in farming in the state of New York." He left the old home- stead in 1881 and came to Richardson county, locating in Nemaha precinct. where he prospered through close application and good management, be- coming owner of four hundred acres of valuable land, on which he carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, He made many improvements on the land, including the building of a commodious resi- dence and numerous large barns and other buildings.

Oliver C. Ayers spent his early boyhood on the home farm in New York. He received his education in the public schools. He assisted his father with the general work on the farm after the family moved to Rich-

961

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

ardson county, finally buying out the home place and continued general farming operations along the lines inaugurated by his father, introducing such various new methods as have been consistent with modern ideas of scientific farming and stock raising, and he has been very successful in all departments. He has kept the land not only well improved but has pre- vented the wearing out of the original fertility of the soil. He is a good judge of live stock and annually prepares large numbers for the market. His modern home was built in 1914. It has electric lights and furnace heat. There are two sets of buildings on his fine farm, which is second bottom land.

Mr. Avers was married on March 23, 1898, to Olive Smith, who was born on March 9. 1876, in Nemaha precinct, Richardson county, where she grew to womanhood and was educated. She is a daughter of Charles and Lucinda (Lockwood) Smith. The father was born on March 19, 1840, and died in January, 1916. The mother was born in 1850, in the state of New York. Charles Smith was a native of Germany. Lucinda (Lockwood) Smith, who is still living in Nemaha precinct, is a daughter of Joseph and Theta (Martindale) Lockwood, of New York state, who finally moved to Michigan, thence to Minnesota and were early settlers in Richardson county Mr. and Mrs. Smith were married in 1868. Charles Smith was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil War, serving with the troops in Mis- souri. He came to Nebraska in 1865 and pre-empted land. He enlisted in February, 1862, in Company G, Fifth Missouri Cavalry, and was honorably discharged, June 22, 1863. He joined the Grand Army of the Republic in 1883. He took an active interest in public affairs and served a term in the Nebraska Legislature in 1899, being elected on the Republican ticket.

To Charles Smith and wife the following children were born: Fred, who lives on the home place; Mrs. George F. Funk lives near Dawson; Olive, wife of Mr. Ayers of this review; Mrs. Bennett Stalder lives near Salem, Nebraska; Mrs. F. C. French lives in Lincoln, this state; and Frank, who died in 1912. A brother of Charles Smith, Peter Smith, lives near Dawson, Richardson county.

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver C. Ayers moved to Falls City in April, 1913, but returned to the farm in 1914.

Politically, Mr. Ayers is a Republican and he has long been regarded as one of the leaders of his party in Richardson county. In the fall of 1912 he was elected as representative from the third district to the state Legis- lature, and he made a most commendable record in that body during the

(61)

962

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

session of 1913. He was appointed a member of the following committees : Agriculture, drainage, live stock and grazing, and asylums. He introduced three excellent bills ; one providing for a county farm demonstrator, on peti- tion of five per cent of the freeholders, which bill was passed; another was to prevent seining in Nebraska and boundary streams by holders of general fishing license; the third was to put the waters of the Missouri river at the mouth of Nebraska streams under control of the state game warden.

Mr. Ayers is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and he and Mrs. Ayers belong to the United Brethren church. Mr. Ayers was one of the promoters and original stockholders of the Dawson and Nemaha Telephone Company. He was elected a director in the same in 1902, the year the company was organized. Personally, Mr. Ayers is an obliging and public-spirited gentleman, who is regarded as a man of the highest ideals.

JOHN E. WISSLER.

The little republic of Switzerland has sent large numbers of her enter- prising citizens to America, where they have been quick to fall in line with our institutions, the two governments being very similar, and they have also not been long in obtaining good homes in our vast land of unlimited oppor- tunities. One of this number in Richardson county is John E. Wissler, farmer and stock raiser of Speiser precinct. He was born in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. April 27, 1850. He is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Rufenacht) Wissler, both natives of Switzerland where they grew up and were married. They immigrated to the United States with their family in 1883. The father was born in 1809 and died in 1886 at the age of seventy- , seven years, at the home of his son, subject of this sketch; the mother was born in 1819, and died in 1892. They were parents of the following chil- dren; Robert, living in Spesier precinct; Mrs. Lizetta Schindler, who lives near Nebraska City; Mrs. Eliza Neuenschwander lives near Bern, Kansas; Mrs. Mary Friedley died near Humboldt, Nebraska; Gottfried and Ernest both live near Pawnee City, Nebraska; Mrs. Sophie Stuckenholz died at Julian, Nebraska ; Mrs. Emma Stalder lives at Humboldt, Richardson county, and John E., of this sketch.

John E. Wissler grew to manhood in his native land and was educated in the common schools. He immigrated to America in 1870, when twenty years old, coming direct to Richardson county, Nebraska. He had no money.

963

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

neither relatives or friends here, but had grit and courage and was willing to work. He came out to Four Mile creek and worked for Sam Bentler for six months for fifteen dollars per month, receiving eighteen dollars per month for his work during the next six months; he also worked for a Mr. Parli in Pawnee county on his big ranch for one year, at a wage of one dollar per day ; also for a Mr. Flannigan and Bob Scott, caring for cattle. He was economical and saved his earnings until he had four hundred dollars with which he bought a team and tools ; he then rented land adjoining his present farm, two hundred and forty acres in all, which he operated, keeping "batch" the meantime. Later, he got married and bought a place near the Reformed church, living on this farm for twenty years, when he sold out and purchased his present farm, in 1895. He has made many important improvements, replaced the house which was burned on the day he contracted for the farm, with a modern new dwelling, also put up granary and other outbuildings and remodeled the barn. The place consists of two hundred and forty acres of rich bottom land along the Nemaha river. He has been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser, having started out with nothing and by his own efforts forged to the front ranks of farmers in the southeastern part of the state. He makes a specialty of raising thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, breeding them for his own use for the past twenty-one years. He sells about forty head annually. He feeds all the grain grown on his place to his own live stock. In 1916 he sold some of his grain, the first he has marketed for thirty years. He is also a breeder of Poland China hogs, the big type thoroughbreds. Owing to their superior quality his fine stock all find a ready market at fancy prices.

Politically, Mr. Wissler is a Democrat. He served as assessor of Speiser precinct. He was elected chairman of drainage district, No. 4, in 1915, which position he still holds, and he has done a very commendable work in this connection. He is a member of the Reformed Lutheran church.

. Mr. Wissler was married in 1873 to Mary Lugenbill, a daughter of John Lugenbill, a native of Switzerland, from which country he came to Rich- ardson county, Nebraska, in 1854. He had previously established the family home in Andrew county, Missouri, where his daughter, Mary, was born in 1854, the first white girl in Richardson county. She grew to womanhood in Richardson county and received a common-school education in the pioneer schools here. Gottlieb Wealthy, brother-in-law of John Lugenbill, assisted in surveying southeastern Nebraska and induced John Lugenbill to come.

Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wissler, named as follows:

964

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

Fred, farming three miles south of the homestead; John, farming near Bethany creek; Lizzie is the wife of Henry Hunzeker and they live five miles east of Pawnee, Nebraska; Etta is the widow of Carl Lynch, but her first husband was Sam Hunzeker; William lives at Bern, Kansas; Mrs. Magda- lena Hunzeker lives six miles east of Pawnee; Mrs. Mary Griffith lives a mile and a half east of Bern, Kansas, and Rudolph and Charles are both at home.

John Lugenbill, father of Mrs. Wissler, was one of the earliest pioneers of Richardson county, and his daughter, Mary, divides honors with Mrs. Judge J. R. Wilhite, of Falls City, of being the oldest pioneer woman, in point of years of residence, in the county ; they both came to the county about the same time -- sixty-three years ago. John Lugenbill was a hardy home- steader, enduring the privations and hardships incident to life on the frontier, when neighbors were few and the country was still the domain of the red man. When President Buchanan signed the bill requiring pre-emptors to pay one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre for their land, Mr. Lugenbill was compelled to take the inheritance money and savings of his children to pay for his title. His family spent the winter of 1854-5 in direst poverty, living in a log shack, without comforts and very little provisions. Once while he was logging in the winter time the Indians stole his only team of oxen and drove them away. Taking his gun he trailed them through the snow as far as Brownville, Nebraska, which was a long journey up the river. He overtook the red men and compelled them to give the cattle back to him. He persevered and managed well and prospered with advancing years, finally becoming the owner of three thousand acres of good land in Richardson county, being one of the leading farmers of his county and an influential citizen in the early affairs of the county. 'He was able to leave his family in very comfortable circumstances. It was such sterling characters as he who redeemed the West and made possible the present-day prosperity and happi- ness of the people of the great plains country.

The southwestern corner of Richardson county in which the Swiss colony settled is a rich, picturesque country of valleys and hills, timbered along the streams. The valley in which the Wissler family lives is one of the most fertile in the world. During the past few years a great drainage ditch has been constructed, which straightens the course of the Nemala river, and thousands of acres of excellent overflow land will now be made to yield abundant crops.

The daughters of the Lugenbill family learned to spin wool and weave it into cloth and made the clothes of the family.

965

RICHARDSON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

J. A. WAGGENER.

The name of Dr. J. A. Waggener, of Humboldt, has long been a house- hold word in Richardson county, where he is the oldest practicing physician. He was born on October 6, 1852, in Burksville, Kentucky. He is a scion of a fine old Southern family, being a son of Louis A. and Sarah Elizabeth (Alexander) Waggener, both natives of Kentucky, where they grew up, were married and established their home. The father was a well-known and influential man in Cumberland county, serving as sheriff for a period and as county clerk for a period of twelve years. Albert G. Waggener, paternal grandfather of the Doctor, also served as sheriff of that county, he and his son, Louis A., holding office in that county for a period of fifty years in all. The Doctor is the oldest of a family of eleven children, all of whom are living at this writing, namely: Mrs. Mattie Nunn, living in Santa Anna, California; Mrs. Julia Garmon, in Bakersfield, California; James M., of Astoria, Oregon; Mrs. Alverta Wagner, making her home in Harris, Mis- souri ; Mrs. Ella Dewease, of Oklahoma; Mrs. Lizzie Smith, Mrs. Ora Davis, Samuel Tilden and Jennie, all four reside in Kentucky; Mrs. Nannie Judd, in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Dr. J. A., of this sketch.

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 94

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