History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 41

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

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William Smith is a son of the Old Dominion, and reflects the high ideas that have flourished in that state from its first settlements. He was born in Virginia February 19, 1874, the son of W. H. and Callie (Boone) Smith, the

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

former born there in 1844 and the mother at a somewhat later date. By trade the father was a shoemaker while in the eastern states though he was also the owner of a small tract of land which he cultivated. He was a man of vision and with a growing family on his hands decided that the only way to give them the proper start in life was to go west where there were greater opportunities both for him- self and his family. The family broke all the old home ties and started across the country for Colorado where the first new home was established ; subsequently the Smiths came to Scottsbluff county, taking up a homestead in section 6, township 23-55. The farm home- stead consisted of eighty acres of land on which the father still resides with his son William, who was the seventh child in a fam- ily of eight children. The others were: Mary, the wife of J. D. Whitworth, now deceased ; Minnie, the wife of William T. W. Smith, a farmer in Colorado; Effie, who married J. V. Striker, a farmer of Sioux county ; Laura M., who resides in California; Callie M., mar- ried B. Kirks and also resides in California ; Pearl, married Clyde Elliott, a farmer near Mitchell, and E. W., a farmer of Sioux coun- ty.

William received an excellent elementary education in the public schools of Virginia, which has proved of great benefit to him in business since he became independent. He has lived in this section for a decade and during that time has won an enviable place in the esteem and hearts of his many friends and acquaintances. He became a resident of the Mitchell district in 1907, when he purchased a relinquishment of seventy-three acres. He at once began the development of his land, installed modern improvements of an attrac- tive and useful character, erected substantial buildings, raised his land to a high state of cultivation, and as a result soon accumulated surplus capital which he invested in more land, this plan he has continued until today he owns one hundred and fifty acres of the fin- est farming land in the district known far and wide for its thriving agricultural prop- erties. Nearly all the land is under irrigation and all will be within a short time. Mr. Smith has engaged in intensive farming, which has proved markedly successful for he is insured of fine crops with irrigation and wonderful climatic conditions of Scottsbluff county where sunshine is abundant throughout the year. He is a student of his vocation and as such has attained results far in advance of men who

have not believed or adopted modern agri- cultural methods.

1906 marks a happy years in the Smith home for it was then that Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Miss Fannie Dillon, a daughter of the Old Dominion, who has brought to her western home many of the beautiful customs and traditions of Virginia. Seven children have come to this happy fam- ily Ralph, and Ethel V., are at home ; Irene, is deceased ; Howard, and Helen, twins, Myrtle and Zelpha also are still members of the family circle.

Mr. Smith is a member of the Democratic party and is proud of the record it made dur- ing the war ; he is not an office seeker but has always displayed a lively and intelligent in- terest in local, state and national affairs. His fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen of America while he and Mrs. Smith are helpful members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

CYRUS H. GODBEY .- Among the promi- nent and progressive farmers and stock-rais- ers of Scottsbluff county, there are found many who make a specialty of certain de- partments of agricultural work, believing that in this way they reap the greatest amount of success from their labors, in that they are able to centralize their energies and atten- tion upon one definite thing. In this class is found Cyrus Godbey, of the Mitchell valley, who, while he follows general farming to a certain extent, has for some years devoted his time to specialization in well bred stock. He is accounted one of the energetic and progres- sive men of his community and is among the early settlers in this locality he has won the confidence and respect of his business asso- ciates and friends.

Cyrus Godbey was born in Mahaska coun- ty. Iowa. December 10, 1870, the son of W. M. and Engeby (Ryan) Godbey. The father was a Hoosier, born in Indiana, who lived out the psalmist's "three score years and ten," as he passed away in 1913 aged eighty-four years, while the mother like her son was a native of Iowa, who was sixty-four when she died in 1909. For the last twelve years of their lives the parents made their home with their son C. H. Godbey.

During the early part of his young man- hood the father was a Whig, but later in life became an independent voter, casting his bal- lot regardless of party lines and using his influence for the man he believed best fitted

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to hold office regardless of whether he ran on a Democratic or Republican ticket.

The public schools of Buffalo county. Ne- braska furnished Cyrus Godbey with his early educational training, and during the sum- mer months he helped his father and brothers in the fields, while being trained in all the arts and methods of agriculture as practiced in that locality. His choice of an occupation when he reached mature years rested upon farming, and this he has followed in a meth- odical, careful and practical way, adopting modern methods whenever they have been proved to produce better results. Mr. God- bey remained in business in Buffalo county un- til 1900 when he determined to avail himself of the opportunity to secure land suitable for irrigation farther west and located in Scotts- bluff county in the Mitchell valley in section 31, township 23-56, where he took up a home- stead of one hundred and sixty acres, proved up on it and established his permanent home. When he first came to this locality the land was as yet virgin prairie and he turned the origi- nal sod to make it fertile and available to put in the seed for his first crop. Today Mr. God- bey conducts a general stock-raising industry in connection with his agricultural pursuits. From these operations he has been able to equip his farm with splendid improvements and contribute to all the war time days through which the country has so lately passed. He and his wife are widely known and highly rated in the community. Their religious af- filiations are with the Methodist Episcopal church of which Mrs. Godbey is a member. Mr. Godbey is a member of the Farmers' Union and a stockholder in the Farmers' Union store at Mitchell, while his fraternal affiliations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen, the Rebeccas and he is of high standing in the Masonic fraternity, being a Thirty-second de- gree Mason. Mr. Godbey married, January 26, 1898, Miss Annie L. Hicks, a native of Virginia, a daughter of J. D. and Cornelia A. (Gibson) Hicks, both natives of Virginia. The father is living but the mother is de- ceased. There are three children in the fam- ily: James S., who was born in 1899; Elta, fourteen years of age, and Nettie in her eighth year, all of whom are at home, and their father says that every one of them is to be given advantage of every educational facility afforded by the district, county and state, as he is determined that they all shall have every avantage possible for success in life. Mr. Godbey is well informed on all social ques-

tions and current events, thinks for himself and exercises his franchise as his conscience dictates in local affairs.

WILLIAM JOSEPH SCHUMACHER .- The Schumacher farm in the central part of Scottsbluff county, may be said to constitute one of the landmarks on which may be found evidence of almost every phase that has mark- ed the progress of agricultural industry in this section during the past quarter of a cen- tury. This fine landed estate now comprises two thousand, one hundred and twenty acres - considerably over three sections - and in- cludes the old homestead and family home on which the present owner located when he came to Nebraska. In addition to fulfilling its mission as a medium of financial profit, this farm property has been developed to a high state in which it compares most favorably with any other Scottsbluff county landed estate like- wise accumulated through pioneer courage and determination. Some of the land marks the new era of agricultural activity in west- ern Nebraska as two hundred acres are un- der irrigation, and it is the irrigated land that can be relied upon, year in and year out, to produce a big crop, for with the never failing sunshine of the middle west, assured water, properly cultivated soil, the seeds plant- ed bring bountiful returns.

William Schmacher is a Canadian by birth, born in Grey county, Canada, March 3, 1876, the son of Martin and Mary C. (Wakeford) Schumacher, both Canadians, the former lived to be seventy-three years of age while the mother was seventy years old June 11, 1919, so that Mr. Schumacher may be said to come from a sturdy, long lived family. The fath- er was a small landholder in his native conun- try, who was engaged in general farming, which he conducted with considerable suc- cess. There were eight children in the family : Alexander, a cabinet maker in Canada; Mary Ann, the wife of Michael Schiestel ; W. J., the subject of this review; George T., a farmer near Blackfoot, Idaho; Margaret, the wife of Philo Gallup; Angeline, who married Will- iam Preston, a ranchman of Montana ; Walter, living on a farm in Banner county, and Sarah, the wife of John McCumpsey of Scottsbluff county.

W. J. Schumacher received in his youth the advantages of the schools of his native land, and' he early learned the lessons of practical toil. As he grew to maturity he selected the vocation of farming as a life work. Determined to avail himself of the

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

greater advantages that the irrigated land in the United States offered to the young men of ambition, in 1899, accompanied by his wife, he immigrated to this country and soon was located in Scottsbluff county. Like many an- other pioneer they settled on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in section 6, 22-56 township, after spending a period at Kimball, Nebraska, earlier in the year. A young man of twenty-three, Mr. Schumacher and his wife were not daunted by the great task before them. Locating amidst primi- tive surroundings, he and his devoted wife bravely fortified themselves for the trials and hardships that still were to be overcome in the Mitchell valley and though not as unfor- tunately placed as the settler of the seventies and eighties, they had to overcome many ob- stacles during the first years, but did not falter in courage, persistence or self reliance, with the result that they gradually made their way forward to the position of success and definite prosperity. As returns from his vigorous activ- ities as an agriculturist and stock-raiser justi- fied such action, Mr. Schumacher began adding to his original holdings until he has accumu- lated a section of fertile land, but that was not yet the goal of his desires and as the years passed he continued to add to his landed estate until today the Schumacher property is one of the largest tracts in the Panhandle, which is one of the most favored sections of Nebraska, commonly known as "The Garden Spot" of

the west. From the first Mr. Schumacher erected good buildings on his farm and made other excellent improvements of a permanent order, and through his individual achievement, as well as his civil loyalty and liberality, he contributed his full share to the development and progress of his community and the county in general. Aside from the management of his farm properties Mr. Schumacher takes his share in the civic improvements of the county which are so closely related to its commercial success, for he is the superintend- endt of the Mitchell Irrigation District which supplies water to the farms of the Mitchell valley, the business and policies of the district have been well directed in his competent hands.

In politics, Mr. Schumacher is found align- ed with the republican party, and while he has no desire for the honors of public office, he gives efficient service to the public as a patriotic citizen should. Fraternally he is con- nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a Mason of high standing, having taken his Thirty-second degree.

In 1898 Mr. Schumacher married, in his na-

tive land, Miss Sarah Yeo, a Canadian. She died in Scottsbluff county, leaving a daugh- ter, Mary Belle, the wife of Purl Campbell, a farmer of Scottsbluff; and for his second wife he married Mrs. Fannie Springer, a na- tive of Nebraska. Mrs. Schumacher has a daughter by her former marriage, Retta, the wife of Glen Foreman.

HUGO PIEPER has identified himself most fully with the civic and material interests of Scottsbluff county, being one of the well known farmers and representative agriculturists liv- ing near Mitchell. He is not only a native son of the west but also of the Sunflower State, and has exemplified its progressive spirit in the varied activities that have brought to him a generous share of temporal prosperity. His parents, J. T. Pieper and Bertha (Yellick) Pieper, claim Germany as the land of their na- tivity, they are respectively fifty-nine and fifty- seven years of age. The father received his 'early educational advantages in his native country but being ambitious and with a great desire to gain more of the advantages obtain- able in the New World, he immigrated to America when a young man of twenty-one years. Soon after reaching the shores of this land of freedom and promise he located at Hanover, Kansas, to become engaged in agri- cultural pursuits, to which he had been trained in the old country. He became the owner of land, which by industry and perseverance he brought to a high state of cultivation and from which he gained a comfortable fortune and now is spending the sunset years of his life in well earned enjoyment and ease. Mr. Pieper has ever taken a keen interest in civic affairs that concerned the wellfare of the com- munity in which he has chosen to make his home for more than a quarter of a century, and though he has never aspired to public office, having devoted his energies to the cares of his business, he did consent to accept the duties of coroner of his county, well filling this position for eight years. Mr. Pieper thinks for himself but is a supporter of the Democratic party in nation wide questions. Brought up in the faith of the Roman Catho- lic church, he is a devout member of the con- gregation.

There were five children in the Pieper fam- ily, of which Hugo is the second oldest. The others were: T. H. Pieper, now thirty-one years of age; Hugo; Emil, twenty-six, on a farm; Hedwig, who is working at home in the bank. and Harry, twenty years of age, now employed on a farm in Scottsbluff county.

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Hugo, as stated before, the second oldest mem- ber of the family, passed the period of his childhood and early youth under the sturdy and invigorating discipline of the home farm. The public schools of the Sunflower state af- forded to Hugo his early educational ad- vantages following which he was associated with his father in agricultural business until 1912, when he determined to become the mas- ter of his own fortunes, and came to Scotts- bluff county, purchasing eighty acres of fine arable land with the water rights of the same, or as expressed in this locality "under ditch." He he began vigorously the agricultural and live stock enterprise that has brought to him ever increasing success with the passing years, and as his finances were augumented he be- gan to study on the subject of modern inten- sive farming with the idea of gaining the greatest returns possible from the soil. He is a resourceful and progressive executive, be- ing one of the first men of the community to use tractors for motive power in place of horses, and the increased production has justi- fied this radical change in farm management.

While devoting his greatest energy to the direction of his business Mr. Pieper has not been unmindful of civic responsibilities. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church in which he was reared, being generous in its support. In a basic way he gives support to the Democratic party but in purely local affairs believes in electing the man best fitted for the office; his fraternal connections are with the Central States Yeomen, the C. M. B. A. and the Union Accident Society. In 1915, Mr. Pieper married Miss Clara Feckley, who was born in Knox county, Iowa, the daughter of Doris Feckley of Missouri. They have three children : Irene, Gladys and Lawrence, all of whom are at home.

T. H. PIEPER. - As one of the exponents of most modern and scientific policies as ap- plied to farm industry, Mr. Pieper stands forth prominently as one of the distinctly represen- tative and influential agriculturists and stock growers of Scottsbluff county. He is a mem- ber of a sterling transplanted German family that came to America to take advantage of the great opportunities that would be afforded their children in a new country and by his own energy and well directed policy he has made his way to the goal of success and prosperity. Mr. Pieper was born in Han- over, Washington county, Kansas, in 1887, the son of J. T. and Bertha (Yellick) Pieper both of whom were born in Germany and came to the United States thirty-eight years ago. In

1881 Kansas was not thickly populated and the sturdy vigorous Germans took up land, nothing daunted by the fact that they must break the virgin prairie to raise their first crops and live in a sod house until better liv- ing conditions could be afforded. Here the subject of this memoir was reared to man- hood under the conditions and influences which marked the initiation of civic and industrial development in the Sunflower State, and thus he was more strongly fortified in mature years to carry on the important work which has made Scottsbluff county one of the opulent and attractive sections of western Nebraska. He received his education in the public schools . of the community in which his youthful years were passed, at the same time assisting to re- claim a frontier farm, remaining to assist his father until reaching his legal majority. Be- ing independent by nature the young man de- termined to engage in agricultural pursuits for himself, believing that this vocation was one best adapted to his tastes and in which he saw a great future. He believed in the great basic industries of agriculture and stock-raising, which have yielded substantial returns to this man of enterprise and good judgment. When twenty-seven years of age Mr. Pieper came to Nebraska, locating on land owned by his fath- er in section 3, township 22-56, in 1914, where he has been a large feeder of hogs and sheep, and the prosperity that has attended his efforts, mark him as one of the vigorous and resource- ful farmers of the precinct. Mr. Pieper's father bought this land about seven years ago at $125 an acre, he at first assisted his son in its development and today the men would re- fuse $300 an acre for it, showing that they were foresighted in their investment and well deserve the material prosperity which today crowns their achievment. In 1910, Mr. Pieper married Miss Elizabeth Schneiderjans, a na- tive of Kansas, the daughter of a farmer who owns a fine quarter section of land in that state. Two children have been born to this union: Lucille, aged seven and Dorothy, a charming child of three.

Mr. Pieper is a member of the Democratic party and though he is a man who enjoys the respect and good will of his friends and asso- ciates he lias manifested no ambition for public office, devotng his time strictly to business while always interested in any question pertaining to the uplifting of the community. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church and a liberal contributor to its support, while his fra- ternal affiliations are with the Yeomen and the C. M. B. A.

R. O. CHAMBERS

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

ROBERT O. CHAMBERS. - Without its men of business enterprise no community could make much progress, and one of the leading factors in development is a good, live news- paper, particularly devoted to local interests. Minatare, Nebraska, one -of Scottsbluff coun- ty's beautiful and prosperous little cities, may owe much to its leading journal, the Minatare Free Press, which is owned and ably edited by Robert O. Chambers, long well known in the educational field.

R. O. Chambers was born at Sidney, Ne- braska, May 8, 1889, a son of Chas. P. and Susan (Sanderson) Chambers, natives of In- diana, who came to Nebraska and settled in old Cheyenne county in 1885. Mr. Chambers was reared in that county, attended the public schools and after being graduated from the Sidney high school took a course in the Chad- ron Normal School. From 1906 until 1916 he taught school very acceptably in different sec- tions, but in the latter year bought the Free Press, which he has made one of the leading organs of the county. It is Democratic in polit- ical policy but is mainly devoted to city and county affairs, Mr. Chambers being a writer of ability and discretion.

In 1912 Mr. Chambers was united in mar- riage to Miss Helen Schroeder, who was born in Colorado, and is a daughter of Frederick W. and Minnie ( Brockmann ) Schroeder, and they have four children, namely : Robert, Frederick, Dorothy, and Glen. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers are members of the Episcopal church. He has additional business interests as he is in partner- ship with Smith Chambers in the real estate line, and at present is serving as clerk of the town board. He belongs to the order of Knights of Pythias.

H. C. BRASHEAR. - Under the modern system of agricultural and live-stock industry the application of energy and good business policy insures success, and this has been sig- nificantly demonstrated by the man whose name heads this brief review. H. C. Brashear is a native of the Keystone state, born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, August 3, 1859, the son of R. A. and Sarah A. (Seaton) Brashaer, the former a native of Brownsville, Pennsylvania while the mother was born in Butler county of the same state, and is still living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at the ma- ture age of eihgty-three years. The father was a noted civil engineer, gained great re- nown in this profession which he followed the greater part of his life. To him was intrusted the first survey of the ground for laying out the Hoosac tunnel in Massachusetts and for

many years he held the important position of chief engineer of the Lake Shore and Michi- gan Southern Railroad. He was a man of ex- ceptionally high standing among men of the engineering profession ; was a Mason of high degree, and a stalwart Republican in politics, was loyal and progressive as a citizen and his ability and popularity gave him marked in- fluence in community affairs, serving as city councilman of Franklin, Pennsylvania for a number of years. There were six children in the family: W. G., who lives in New York; H. C., the subject of this review ; F. L., who travels for a manufacturing house of Penn- sylvania; Lillian, the wife of F. B. Wolt, lives in Norfolk, Nebraska; Eugenia, the wife of F. L. Wright of Harrisburg, Pensylvania, and R. A., on a homestead in Montana. Be- longing to a family of ample means and high education it was but natural that H. C. Bra- shear should follow in the footsteps of his father in this matter. He received his ele- mentary education in the public schools of his native town, his father seeing that the foundation was well laid. This was greatly supplemented by his father's still more valu- able information, technical knowledge and ex- perience, which he imparted to his son. The young man spent his youth and early manhood in Pennsylvania, but he wished wider fields and knowing of the many opportunities afford- ed in the west determined to establish himself independently and came to Nebraska in 1886 for that purpose. He saw a great future in agricultural industries and stock raising, re- sults today justify his far sighted vision. Soon after reaching Nebraska Mr. Brashear located in Cheyenne county, homestead one hundred and sixty acres, pre-empted one hundred and sixty and purchased one hundred and sixty, an immense amount for one man to handle at that time. While he did not share the hardships and vicissitudes of the pioneers of territorial days he had his full share of blizzards, droughts and insect pests to contend with. On his fine estate he made the best improvements and soon was extensively engaged in general farm industry, including general agriculture, raising of the grains suitable to this climate and altitude, stock-raising and feeding. He has always held that thorough-bred cattle paid the best and has adhered to this principle in stocking his land and before long all his hold- ings will be under the government ditch, so that every acre may be irrigated, thus insur- ing a crop each year. This is a great contrast to the condition of the rolling prairies when he first came here as it was then necessary to

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 41

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