History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 33

Author: Shumway, Grant Lee, 1865-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., The Western publishing & engraving co.
Number of Pages: 1056

USA > Nebraska > History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III > Part 33

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).

In 1902 Mr. Sonday was united in marriage at Chappell, Nebraska, to Miss Etta Peters, who is a daughter of George J. and Catherine Peters, who were early settlers in Cheyenne county. Mr. and Mrs. Sonday have one daughter, Lucy, who is attending school at Bushnell. Mr. Sonday belongs to the order of Modern Woodmen and Mrs. Sonday to the auxilliary organization. He takes a somewhat active interest in politics and has served as a member of the board of county commissioners of Kimball county.

FRED MORBY, who is one of the enter- prising and prosperous young wheat farmers of Kimball county, was born at Axtell, Ne- braska, June 1, 1898. He is a son of Andrew and Caroline Morby, who had other children as follows: Axel, Christina, George, Sadie, Lydia, David, Lena, Robert, Lillian, Leland, Harry, Inez and Goldie. All are living except Axel and Lillian, who died in infancy.

The parents of Fred Morby were born in Sweden and they were reared there and were married in that country. After they came to the United States the father settled in Phelps county, Nebraska, later moving to Kearney county, and followed the blacksmith trade un- til 1910, when he came to Kimball county and took up a section of land under the Kinkaid

168

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

act, and at the time of death, in May, 1919, he owned seven hundred and twenty acres of land. He was an honest, sturdy, hard work- ing man all his life and was greatly respected wherever known. The mother of Mr. Morby survives and has recently moved to Ogden, Utah, in order to give her youngest daughter high school advantages in that city.

As early as 1912 Fred Morby started out to take care of himself as an independent farmer and stockraiser, renting land and now farming eight hundred and fifty acres, and preparing to put seven hundred acres in wheat as his three hundred and seventy-five acres in wheat in 1918 gave a yield that was en- couragingly profitable. He keeps about fif- teen cows but is not much interested in stock at the present time. He carries on his farm- ing according to modern methods, using both horses and tractor.

On January 1, 1913, Mr. Morby was united in marriage to Miss Grace Leeper, who is a daughter of Rev. David A. and Ella Leeper. The father of Mrs. Morby is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, now stationed at Hoisington, Barton county, Kansas. His other children are as follows: Adrian, Mable, Zoe, Paul, Murlin and John. Mr. and Mrs. Morby have two fine, sturdy little sons named Charles F. and John L. Morby. Mrs. Morby is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Morby is not active in politics but he takes much interest in organizations intended to protect farmers and belongs to the Farmers Union and has stock in the Farmers Elevator Company.

ANDREW F. AHLSTROM, who is one of Kimball county's most highly respected residents, came to the county thirty-one years ago and has been identified with its material development in no small degree. He was born in Sweden in 1848, a son of Gustavus Ahl- strom, who was the father of seven children, five of whom were sons, two only coming to America, Andrew F. and Otto.

Early in 1888 Andrew F. Ahlstrom and his brother set out from Sweden for the United States, the first stopping place on the way to Nebraska, being Newton county, Iowa, and also a short time in Minnesota and Indiana. In the same year Mr. Ahlstrom came on to Kimball county and homesteaded a quarter sec- tion as a beginning, later homesteaded a three- quarter section and now owns five quarter sec- tions, all of which is very desirable property. He carries on general farming and is a large raiser of fine stock. Mr. Ahlstrom has been

honest and industrious all his life and has met with a large degree of success.

In 1886 Mr. Ahlstrom was married to Miss Josephine Swanson, a daughter of Pearson and Frelott Swanson. Her father died in Sweden and her mother came then to the United States and lived in Lucas county, Iowa, until her death. Of her nine children, six sons and three daughters there are but two living: Mrs. Ahlstroni and Mrs. Matilda Hall, the latter of whom lives near Little Falls, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Ahlstrom have had three children: David, a fine young man, who died in 1913, aged twenty-six years; Joseph, who is his father's right hand on the farm; and an infant that died unnamed. Mr. Ahlstrom and his family enjoy a comfortable residence on their ranch. He has numerous business interests at Bushnell, Kimball county, these including membership in the Farmers Union, stock in the Farmers Elevator Com- pany and stock in the Bushnell State Bank.

ERNEST JURBERG. - When such thor- ough-going farmers as Ernest Jurberg, who is well and favorably known over Kimball coun- ty, apply themselves to agricultural pursuits, a high standard of excellence is set and main- tained. He has had almost a lifetime of ex- perience and today is numbered with the lead- ing. well informed farmers and stockraisers of Kimball county.

Ernest Jurberg was born in Sweden, Octo- ber 7, 1872, a son of Theodore and Anna Jur- berg. They came to the United States when their son was young. When the latter was eighteen years old he began working on a cat- tle ranch in Kimball county and continued about eight years. When the Kinkaid act became a law he took advantage of its pro- visions and homesteaded and proved up. Af- ter holding the land for nearly fifteen years he was offered $30 an acre for it, which he accepted, afterward receiving the old home section from his grandmother. Here he car- ries on general farming and stockraising, do- ing very well in both industries, usually keep- ing one hundred and twenty-five head of stock, of which long experience has made him an excellent judge.

In 1912 Mr. Jurberg was married to Miss Anna M. Elmquist, a daughter of Carl J. and Augusta W. Elmquist. The parents of Mrs. Jurberg still own their farm situated four miles west of Axtell, Nebraska, but they now live retired in that town. Mrs. Jurberg had two brothers, namely: Frank, who is farming for his father; and Albert, who died October

EDWARD P. CROMER

169

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

21, 1914. Mr. and Mrs. Elmquist are mem- bers of the Swedish Lutheran church at Ax- tell. Mr. and Mrs. Jurberg have an attrac- tive little four year old daughter named Eve- lyn. Mr. Jurberg is a good citizen but not very active in political matters except in re- lation to the guarding the interests of the farmers. He is a member of the Farmers Union at Bushnell, has stock in the Farmers Elevator Company, and also is a stockholder in the Farmers State Bank at Bushnell.

EDWARD P. CROMER. - Nearly thirty- five years have passed since Edward P. Cromer drove up the valley in true pioneer style and settled on a homestead in what was then old Cheyenne county, and is now Scottsbluff, where habitations were few and far apart and civilization existed in a most primitive form. Since that time he has lived and labored in varied vocations in this section, slowly and arduously improving his land in the early days and at the same time taking an important part in civic and scholastic developments of this sec- tion of the country.

Mr. Cromer was born in Indiana, January 18, 1860, being the son of the Reverend John B. and Mary ( Hedrick) Cromer, the former a native of the Keystone state, while the mother was a daughter of the Old Dominion, having all the gracious hospitality and charm which Virginia gives her children as an inheritance. Both are now deceased. The father was a preacher of the English Lutheran church, hold- ing charges in various places in the middle west, where he labored as a shepherd of God's Kingdom all his days. There were ten chil- dren in the Cromer family, six of whom are living : Jas. M., a Lutheran preacher, who for several years had charge of Grace church, of Kansas City, before being called to Casper, Wyoming ; John B., who for twenty years be- fore his death was a train dispatcher at Ossa- watomie, Kansas; Richard W., a farmer in Iowa; now residing in Des Moines, retired; Emma J., the wife of Judge Scott M. Ladd, a member of the Supreme Court of Iowa for twenty-eight years, now residing in Des Moines ; Rosa H., married Samuel Wiley, de- ceased, and she now lives in Irving, Illinois ; Mary, deceased ; Clara J., deceased ; George C., has charge of a Lutheran orphanage at Louis- ville, Kentucky, and Effie, the wife of a Mr. Nelson, editor of the Prohibitionist, of Turtle Lake, North Dakota. Mr. Cromer received his elementary training in the public schools of Illinois and after these courses were completed entered Carthage College, Carthage, Illinois, where he pursued higher studies. He at once

engaged in the teaching profession and became one of the well known and successful men of the pedagogic fraternity, but he was ambitious to become independent and knew that a man who owned land and was not dependent upon a salary was so. He studied farming in his spare time and in 1886 came west. As the railroad was not built up the valley at that time he drove overland from Sidney, landing in what is now Scottsbluff county the 22nd of Febru- ary, 1886. Mr. Cromer at once filed on a homestead and tree claim of 320 acres in sec- tion 30, township 21, range 54. As he had been a teacher before coming to the Panhandle and as men of his profession were scarce in this section in the early eighties, Mr. Cromer, after he had made some improvements on his land, was induced to teach here and opened school in a "soddy" south of the present site of Gering, the first school in the valley. Summers he de- voted to working his land, putting up the neces- sary farm buildings and in time erected a home for his family, where they would be comfort- able. As these were hard and trying years on the settlers the money Mr. Cromer made by professional work tided the family over a time when many of the residents of the Panhandle grew discouraged and returned east, but he and his wife had faith in the country and happily both have lived to see it justified. Mr. Cromer taught in Gering four years, in Minatare two years, and then in Harrisburg two years. From there he went to Kimball two years, then to Mitchell to assume charge of the schools four years, and returned to Gering for a period of two years. The first class graduated from Gering consisted of L. L. Raymond and Mary Sayer, now Mrs. E. S. Wood, while the last class to graduate under Mr. Cromer consisted of seven boys: Earl Neeley, Harry Barton, Earnest Moore, Lesley Moore, Amon Downar, Roy Leavitt, and Robert McFarland. Since he resigned his post as teacher, Mr. Cromer has devoted his entire time and energies to farming. He paid twenty dollars an acre for his present land and home of 120 acres, December 1, ad- joining the city of Gering. Today he has a well-improved farm, is engaged in raising beets, general crops, forage and feeds cattle to a large extent. He has been a breeder of pure- bred Percheron horses for some years and in this line has won an enviable reputation in the valley, as he took eleven prizes out of twelve entries at the county fair in 1918. Mr. Cromer now owns horses that won prizes at the Inter- national fair at Chicago in 1919, as well as at the state fairs. The head of his herd is an In- ternational winner. He has seen great changes come to the valley which today is one of the

170

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

richest farming districts in the world, and he has shared in the great wealth that has come with irrigation as 120 acres of his land is under ditch, a fertile and productive tract. He has seen this land advance from $50 a quarter section to $500 an acre. Sometimes Mr. Cromer can be induced to recount experiences of the early days, and they are not all hard- ships as he tells them. He remembers when their oldest child, Rowena, was but six months old, he and Mrs. Cromer drove to Sidney with a team and wagon, to have a picture of the baby taken, a trip that required two days; then he recalls the time when Robert Osborn came tramping up the valley and by the time he reached the Cromer home he had been so long on the open prairie that he had eaten nothing for two days, having run out of supplies on the way.

Within recent years Mr. Cromer has become convinced that the upper valley is adapted to fruit and now has a fine young orchard of four acres which is now bearing bountifully. He is one of the pioneers in this line.

In politics Mr. Cromer is an independent voter, while he and his wife were charter mem- bers of the first Methodist church in the valley.

In 1883 Mr. Cromer married Miss Ida J. Kerr, of Hillsboro, Illinois. Four children have been born to them: Rowena C., wife of Reverend E. M. Kendall, of Bayard; she is an accomplished musician, having taught in Wes- leyan University after completing her musical education in Boston ; George C., of whom per- sonal mention is found on other pages of this volume, a farmer, who graduated from the agricultural course at the State University ; Ida Gladine, the wife of George C. Coughran, who was a teacher in the Gering schools; and Miriam, who graduated from the normal course at Wesleyan University, is now em- ployed in the Gering schools.

FRED D. RUTLEDGE, whose large ranch interest and success in the stock industry, mark him as one of the important men of Kimball county, was born January 14, 1886, in Wyoming, a member of a well known fam- ily, the representatives of which are responsi- ble men and women leading useful lives in their communities. The parents of Mr. Rut- ledge were Thomas and Minerva Rutledge. the former of whom was born in Canada and the latter in Missouri.

The parents of Mr. Rutledge were early settlers in Laramie county, Wyoming, where the father was an extensive ranchman for many years. His death occurred in 1915, since which time the mother has alternated

residing with her children. Of these Fred D. was the first born, the others being as fol- lows: Frank, who is a farmer and ranchman near Pine Dale. Wyoming ; Thomas and Rich- ard, both of whom live at Pine Bluff, Wyom- ing; Harry, who is in business at Denver; Mary Elizabeth, who is the wife of Edward W. Peterson, living on the old Rutledge ranch west of Pine Bluff.

Fred D. Rutledge passed his boyhood on his father's ranch and attended the public schools, later entering the Wyoming State University at Laramie, where he continued his studies for two years. After his return he assumed the larger part of his father's la- bors on the ranch and in this way his train- ing for his own important industries was thorough and practical. He came to his Ne- braska home on June 12, 1917, purchasing his ranch of eleven hundred and twenty acres, a small part of which he is devoting to general farming, giving his main attention to ranch- ing. He is an example of the sound sense and and good judgment that belong to an encour- aging number of the well educated young men of the state, for in no field of endeavor could he have found a more useful or needed exer- cise of intelligent or generally remunerative effort.

In 1911, Mr. Rutledge was united in mar- riage to Miss Eliza E. Cook, a daughter of Charles and Anna Cook, who reside on their sheep ranch near Hayward, California. Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge have two children, James and Agnes, aged respectively eight and five years. The family home is at Pine Bluff, Wy- oming.

THOMAS E. BOWERS, a widely known and highly respected citizen of Kimball coun- ty, now in the United States mail service, was born in Missouri, December 25, 1873. His parents were Charles and Matilda (Harris) Bowers. The mother was reared in Missouri, to which state the father came from Virginia, soon after the close of the Civil War, having been a soldier in the Confederate army. On the maternal side, two uncles of Mr. Bowers entered the Union army but both met a sol- dier's death before they were far from home.

Thomas E. Bowers lived in Missouri until he was fourteen years of age, when he accom- panied his parents to Nebraska. They stopped first in the eastern part of the state but later came to Kimball county and settled four miles southeast of Dix, this then being included in Cheyenne county. The father died there in 1899, after which the mother lived with her

171

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

children until her death in September, 1912. Mr. Bowers has two sisters, both of whom live at Loveland, Colorado.

During early manhood Mr. Bowers worked for the Union Pacific Railroad, after which he homesteaded eighty acres, later acquiring four hundred and eighty acres under the Kinkaid law, recently selling the entire five hundred and sixty acres for $36 an acre and has made plans for the investment of his capital. In the meanwhile he is taking care of a United States mail route.

On July 26, 1894, Mr. Bowers was united in marriage to Miss Olive Robinson, a daugh- ter of William and Mary Robinson, natives of Indiana and early settlers in Adams county. The father of Mrs. Bowers is deceased but the mother survives. Mrs. Bowers has three sisters and one brother. To Mr. and Mrs. Bow- ers the following children were born: Alice Fay, who is teaching school in Wyoming ; Eva, who is also a teacher in Wyoming; Estelle, who resides in Kimball; Leta. who died aged eight months; Eathan, who is attending the high school at Kimball ; and Charles William, who is at home. Mr. Bowers and family be- belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. He belongs to the order of Modern Woodmen, and politically has always been affiliated with the Democratic party, although never blindly fol- lowing any leader, being a thoughtful man capable of entertaining independent views.

EDWARD E. LESTER. - The passage of the Kinkaid law brought to Kimball county many men of ambition and enterprise who now are some of the county's most substantial citi- zens. One of this class is Edward E. Lester, who is a limited farmer here but an extensive stockraiser.

Edward E. Lester was born June 10, 1868, in the great state of Illinois, his father's farm lying in Henry county. His parents were James B. and Barbara Sarah (Kemerling) Lester, the latter of whom was born in October, 1832, and died October 28, 1878. They had the following children: Lucretia, who died in 1852: Cyrus Jerome, who was born July 10. 1853, lives at Lamont, lowa ; Frank De- los, who was born November 6, 1857, is a farmer in Nebraska; George W., who was born in January. 1859, lives at Omaha ; Grant, who was born June 8, 1864; Edward Elbert. who is of Kimball county; Minnie, who was born July 29, 1871, is the wife of Alexander Carbaugh, of Iowa; Emma B., who was born in June 1873 ; and Jefferson, Ella and James, all of whom died in infancy.

During Mr. Lester's boyhood the family lived in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. He had fair educational opportunities and remained at home assisting his father until he was twenty- four years old and afterward was variously employed until January, 1899, when he came to Nebraska, which state has been his chosen home ever since. He remained at Omaha until 1904, when he homesteaded in Kimball coun- ty and still lives on his original homestead to which he has added other tracts. In associa- tion with his wife he now owns four entire sections in Kimball county, and they also own a quarter section in South Dakota. Mr. Les- ter has two hundred acres under the plow but is not doing a great deal of farming, bend- ing his efforts more to the raising of fine stock, aiming to turn off a good number of head annually.

On July 17, 1911, Mr. Lester was united in marriage to Miss Joannah B. Hulsebus, a daughter of Bernard Hulsebus, a substantial farmer of Shelby county, Iowa. Mrs. Lester's father is still living in Defiance, Iowa, but the wife and mother died October 1, 1918. Of their children Mrs. Lester is the first born, the others being: Julia, who was the wife of Frank McGuire, died in Defiance, Iowa, Feb- ruary 10, 1912; Albert, died June 2, 1907; Gerhard, living at Eddieville, is a minister in the Evangelical church ; Tillie, who is the wfe of Benjamin Ahrenholtz, a farmer near De- fiance, Iowa ; Marie, who is the wife of W. W. Jenkins, a merchant in Defiance ; Bennie, who died March 6, 1896. Mrs. Lester is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Kimball. Mr. Lester belongs to the Farmers Union. In his political views he is independ- ent, casting his vote for the candidate that meets the approval of his own excellent but unprejudiced judgment.

JOHN CLAUSEN, Jr., who is successfully operating his large farm and ranch in Kimball county, is well and favorably known in his neighborhood, for he was born on the site of the present thriving town of Dix, August 2, 1890. He was reared and educated here and his main interests have always been centered in this part of Kimball county.

The parents of Mr. Clausen, John and Catherine Clausen now live retired at Te- cumseh. They came to Kimball county in 1883, the father being section foreman on the railroad. He homesteaded a quarter section just south of Dix, which he later sold for $200, the same land being now held around $70 an acre. He then bought five sections

172

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

for $1.25 an acre, which he later sold for $20 an acre, then purchased seven sections as pasture land. Mr. Clausen not only proved to be an able and enterprising business man dur- ing his most active years, but became influen- tial in Democratic political circles and for several years was a county commissioner in Kimball county. He belongs to the order of United Workmen and Woodmen of the World, and both he and wife are members of the Presbyterian church. They have had the following children: Minnie, who is a school teacher at Fairmount, Nebraska; Mary, who is the wife of Gustav Wendt, of Kimball coun- ty ; Emma, who is the wife of Clarence Ander- son, of Tecumseh, Nebraska; Annie, who is the wife of Glenn L. Byers, of St. Joseph, Missouri; John, who is of Kimball county ; Hilda, who is the wife of Richard Rowe, of Tecumseh ; Otto R., who is a railroad man at Buford, Wyoming ; and Herman, who attends school and lives with his parents at Tecumseh, and is taking a course in agriculture in Lin- coln.

Before Mr. Clausen started out as a busi- ness man for himself. he had the opportunity of acquiring practical agricultural knowledge, which he has put to good account, as is evi- denced by the success attending his present undertakings. He owns a half section and has the other half section under lease, has one hundred and sixty acres under the plow and keeps about one hundred head of stock. His place is highly improved with a really fine residence, a barn with dimensions of 42×90 feet, an abundance of well kept out-buildings, and a well two hundred and eleven feet in depth. Progressive, intelligent and scientific, Mr. Clausen as an agriculturist, is removed as far as possible from the old-time farmer who expected from his land more than he put into it. ffl

Mr. Clausen was married June 1, 1916, to Miss Lillian M. Birt, a daughter of Clarence E. and Catherine (McRory) Birt, whose sketch appears in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Clausen have one son, Bruce John, who made his welcome appearance April 28, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Clausen are members of the Presby- terian church, attending St. John chapel. He belongs to the order of the Woodmen of the World at Potter, Nebraska. Mr. Clausen lives up to the requirements of a good and useful citizen, but is identified with no po- litical party, and has never been a seeker for. public office.

CLARENCE E. BIRT, who is one of Kim- ball county's representative men, is widely known and is identified with many important

interests here. Dependable and reliable, true to every trust reposed in him in boyhood, Mr. Birt grew from youth to manhood with the sound, steady character that has ever since gained him recognition among those who cherish high ideals of the true value of life.

Clarence E. Birt was born in County Kent, England, January 12, 1868, a son of Alfred Nelson Birt, who came to America in 1888. The mother of Mr. Birt never left England, her death occurring in the city of London. Of the family of five sons and three daughters, Clarence E. was the third in order of birth, the others being as follows: Alfred, who died in infancy; Henry, who resides in the city of London ; Claude, who is a resident of Fargo, North Dakota ; Herbert, who served as a soldier in a Canadian regiment during the great war; Maude, who is the wife of John B. Kenyon, of Carlton, Oregon; and Agnes and Florence, both of whom died when in- fants. The father died in Humoldt county, Iowa, in 1903.

When fourteen years old Clarence E. Birt went to work as a clerk in the office of James Carr & Sons' Flouring Mill, at Waltham, Eng- land, and Mr. Birt prizes highly a testimonial as to his character and efficiency that is signed by this great English firm, and, in fact, has similar testimonials from every business house with which he was connected while remain- ing in his native land. For three and a half years he was employed by the great firm of J. Jackson, clothiers, London, and still later trav- eled as a jewelry salesman, and in this capacity while in Ireland, during industrial troubles there witnessed the eviction of tenant farmers. He also had mercantile experience in a Capi- tal and Labor store, in London, where goods were sold for cash on a five per cent basis, the daily sales sometimes amounting to $4,000.

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 western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 33

Author: Shumway, Grant Lee, 1865- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., The Western publishing & engraving co. Number of Pages: 1056

Author: Shumway, Grant Lee, 1865-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., The Western publishing & engraving co.
Number of Pages: 1056