USA > Nebraska > History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III > Part 45
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CHARLES H. FLOWER AND FAMILY
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marked the earlier period in the history of Nebraska and other western states, and he reverts with special satisfaction to the serv- ice which he gave as a cowboy on the open ranges. He also was engaged in mining and prospecting, and is at the present time finan- cially interested in mining and oil properties.
Mr. Plummer was born at Des Moines, Iowa, on the 17th of March, 1861, and is a son of Ezra and Lena (Garrett) Plummer, both natives of Ohio, where they were reared and educated. They were very early pioneer settlers in Iowa, where they established their home in 1842 and where the father developed a productive farm, both he and his wife hav- ing been residents of Fort Collins, Colorado at the time of their death and both having been members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was a stalwart Republican. Of the children the eldest was Emma, who died in childhood; John W., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Vernon is a resi- dent of Fort Collins, Colorado ; Luella is the wife of Harden Puckett, of Orange Junction, Wyoming; Denver, the fifth child, is a resi- dent of Scottsbluff county, Nebraska; Effie is the wife of Frank Moore and they are residents of the state of Montana; and Rose Glenn resides at Adel, Iowa.
John W. Plummer was about seventeen years of age at the time of the family removal to Colorado, where he was reared to adult years and where he acquired his youthful edu- cation by attending the public schools when- ever opportunity was presented. His prelimin- ary education was acquired in the schools of his native state. As a youth Mr. Plummer lived up to the full tension of the free and sturdy life of the cowboy on the range, his service in this capacity having been in Colo- rado. In personality he stands as a fine type of the western pioneer citizen, strong and vigorous, keen of mind and honest and up- right in thought and action.
In the year 1905 Mr. Plummer filed entry on a homestead in Scottsbluff county, where he now owns and occupies a finely improved farm of one hundred and twenty acres, the property having greatly increased in value un- der his admirable management, as evidenced by the fact that he was recently offered $37,- 000 for his farm, the same being provided with excellent irrigation facilities and otherwise havng modern improvements that were install- ed by him. He has given his attention to di- versified agriculture and stock-raising, and has been one of the specially successful sheep feeders in the northern part of Scottsbluff
county, He is liberal and loyal as a citizen and in politics classes himself as an inde- pendent Republican, implying that in local poli- tics he supports men and measures rather than holding close to partisan lines. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Epis- copal church at Morrill.
On the 15th day of May, 1887, was solemn- ized the marriage of Mr. Plummer to Miss Carrie B. Seydell, who, like himself, claims Iowa as the place of nativity. Of their four .children the first born was Ethel, who died at the age of seven years ; Eugene and Nellie remain at the parental home; Edith died in infancy; and Lavinia and Howard are the younger members of the cheerful home circle.
CHARLES HENRY FLOWER, who has been a resident of Nebraska for thirty-two years, now owns a large body of land, giving his main attention to the cattle business. He has been identified with many things of im- portance in the development of Scottsbluff county and in earlier years served as county commissioner.
Mr. Flower was born in New Hampshire, June 24, 1860, and accompanied his parents first to Iowa and later to Madison county, Ne- braska. They were Charles E. and Mary A. Flower, natives of New Hampshire, the former of whom lived to the age of eighty-six and the latter to eighty years. The father was a vet- eran of the Civil War. Mr. Flower has two sisters and one brother. In 1887 he secured a preemption and a tree claim in what is now Morrill county just north of Bayard, and proved up on both. He attempted farming but drouth and storms destroyed his crops and as no irrigating had been done at that time, he decided to go into the cattle business and has continued to be interested ever since. He did some freighting in early days and remembers when he carried goods from Ft. Sidney to Minatare for twenty-five cents a hundred weight. Times have changed vastly since then. For the last eighteen years Mr. Flower has been a member of the Ditch board and a mem- ber of the Drainage board since organization and has had much to do with irrigation projects in this section. He came to Scottsbluff county seventeen years ago and owns 691 acres here and 2480 acres in Banner county. He has three sets of improvements on his land, all made by himself. Mr. Flower's present farm was school land and wholly unimproved.
On March 25, 1883, Mr. Flower was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Clark, who was born in Illinois, a daughter of A. C. and Mary Clark, and they have two sons: Lorenzo, who con-
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ducts a store at Bayard, and Louis C., who is a farmer near the home place.
EDWARD W. TROUT. - From a home- stead upon which he filed entry in 1908 and to which he has added until he is now the owner of a valuable property of two hundred and twenty-four acres, Mr. Trout has developed one of the fine farms of Sioux county, the same being situated in the southern part of the county, about five miles distant from Mor- rill and in section 31, township 24-56. As may well be understood the intrinsic and in- dustrial value of the property is greatly en- hanced by reason of its having excellent irri- gation facilities - and it would be difficult to find anywhere more productive soil than these irrigated tracts in Platte Valley. Mr. Trout has erected good buildings and made other modern improvements on his ranch and is here gaining substantial returns from his progressive activities as an agriculturist and stock-raiser. He is animated by loyal com- munal spirit, gives support to the various un- dertakings advanced for the general good of his home county and in politics he is not constrained by strict partisan lines. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Pres- byterian church and are popular and valued citizens of the community.
Edward W. Trout was born in Atchison county, Missouri, on the 12th of January, 1875, and is a son of Abraham and Mary Trout. He was a boy at the time of his par- ents' removal to Valley county, Nebraska, where he was reared to adult age and where he profited duly by the advantages afforded in the public schools. He has been continuously identified with farm enterprise during his entire active career, and through the medium of the same he has achieved definite success.
The year 1898 entered record of the mar- riage of Mr. Trout to Miss Nettie Darrow, and the home circle is brightened by the pres- ence of their four children - Merville, Virgil, Clifford and Wallace.
PETER JANSSEN. - It is pleasing to note the success which has attended the well directed activities of this sterling citizen since he identified himself with the great basic in- dustries of agriculture and stock-growing in Scottsbluff county. He is the owner of a well improved irrigated farm of one hundred and sixty acres in the northwestern part of the county, the place being in section 27, town- ship 24-57, and about four and one-half miles distant from Morrill. Mr. Janssen came to
Sioux county in 1907 and here filed entry on the homestead which has since been the stage of his progressive and successful activities as a farmer. He has not only brought his land under effective cultivation but has also erected good buildings and made other substantial im- provements on the domain, the value of which has been greatly enhanced under his able man- agement. He is always ready to lend his co- operation in the furtherance of measures pro- jected for the general good of the community, is independent in politics, is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of the World and is a citizen who enjoys unqualified popular confi- dence and esteem.
Mr. Janssen was born in Hanover, Ger- many, on the 6th of December, 1877, and is a son of Harm and Frauke (Peters) Janssen, of whose seven children he was the second in order of birth, the eldest, John, being now a resident of Idaho; Renske is the wife of John Heirl and they reside in Connecticut ; Wilhel- mina is a resident of Dubuque, Minnesota ; and August, Fred and Henry live in northwest- ern Canada, as do also the parents. Harm Janssen, who was a farmer in Germany, im- migrated with his family to the United States in 1890, and settlement was first made in Illi- nois, whence he later removed to Minnesota. Still later he became a resident of Colorado and finally he established his home in one of the provinces of western Canada, where he is successfully engaged in farming.
Peter Janssen gained his rudimentary edu- cation in the schools of his native land and was a lad of thirteen years at the time of the family immigration to America. He was with his parents in Illinois and Minnesota and in the meanwhile he gained intimate experience in farm industry. He came from Colorado to Sioux county, Nebraska, in 1907, and here he has worked zealously and indefatigably, regu- lating his activities with excellent judgment, with the result that he has achieved indepen- dence and prosperity as one of the representa- tive farmers of the county. He is independent in politics and in a fraternal way is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World.
The year 1903 recorded the marriage of Mr. Janssen to Miss Clara H. Schmutzler, who was born in Saxony, Germany, and who was a girl at the time of her parents' immigra- tion to America. Mr. and Mrs. Janssen have three children - Emil, John and Minnie, - and they are being given the educational and home advantages that will fit them for honor- able and useful citizenship.
Otto A. Smutzler, a brother of Mrs. Jans-
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sen is making his home with this family. He was born in Kansas, October 4, 1892. He enlisted at Wausau, Wisconsin, July 15, 1917, and went overseas March 4, 1918, with the Thirty-second division. He lost an arm and two fingers at the battle of Soissons August 3, 1918. He returned to the United States on October 16, 1918,and was discharged from a hospital February 11, 1919, at which time he came home. He has surely proved his loyalty to the country of his adoption.
JOSEPH G. WOODMAN is a native of Illinois and his paternal and maternal ances- tors were numbered among the early settlers of New England, that stern but gracious cradle of much of our national history. He has been a resident of Scottsbluff county, Ne- braska, since April 8, 1907, and has here re- claimed and developed one of the fine farms in the vicinity of the thriving village of Mor- rill, his homestead of eighty acres being elig- ibly situated in section 3, township 23, and being supplied with excellent irrigation fa- cilities. On his arrival in the county Mr. Woodman took up his homestead, which was entirely without improvements, and in the in- tervening years his vigorous efforts and good judgment have affected its development into a model farm that is devoted to diversified agriculture and the raising of high-grade live stock. He gives his undivided attention to the management of the place and is making a specialty of raising fine Jersey cattle for breeding purposes. He is one of the alert and progressive men of the county and is honored and valued as a loyal and public-spir- ited citizen.
Joseph G. Woodman was born in Kane county, Illinois, on the 3d of June, 1854, and is a son of Joseph and Eleanor (Barnard) Woodman, both natives of New Hampshire, where the respective families were founded many generations ago. Of the six children the subject of this sketch was the sixth in order of birth; Freeman is a resident of Santa Anna, California; Juliet is the wife of Joseph Gray and they maintain their home at Portland, Oregon; Iva was a resident of Ramona, California, at the time of his death ; John, who met his death while serving as a youthful soldier of the Union in the Civil War, was a member of Company A, Fifty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry; and Elizabeth is the wife of Simon Chaffee, of Santa Anna, California. The father, Joseph Woodman, became a successful farmer in Illinois, and died at the age of eighty-six years, in
Orange, California, in 1896, his widow hav- ing likewise been venerable in years at the time of her demise, in 1901, both having been devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Woodman having been an un- compromising advocate of the principles of the Republican party.
In addition to receiving the advantages of the public schools of his native state Joseph G. Woodman completed a higher academic course of study, in Northwestern University, at Evanston, that state. Thereafter he re- sumed his active association with agricultur- al industry, but eventually he assumed the position of state grain inspector in Illinois, an office of which he continued the incumbent for seventeen years. In 1907 he came from his native state to identify himself fully with the new and progressive county of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and well has he justified his pres- ence on this stage of activity, for he has achieved gratifying success as a farmer and has also been influential in those community undertakings that have conserved civic and material advancement. He is a staunch sup- porter of the cause of the Republican party, is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Modern Woodmen of America, and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Presbyterian church - active in the various departments of its work. Mr. Woodman has been specially influential in Sunday-school work and was president of the Panhandle Sun- day School state convention held at Scottsbluff in 1920.
The year 1878 recorded the marriage of Mr. Woodman to Miss Alice J. Davis, who was born in Milton. Wisconsin, her grandfather (Joseph Goodrich) being the founder of Mil- ton and Milton college, their marriage having been solemnized at Davis Junction, Illinois, a town named in honor of the father of Mrs. Woodman. Mr. and Mrs. Woodman have four children: George is a successful grain broker in the city of Toledo, Ohio; Harold J., a skilled civil engineer, entered the government service in connection with the activities of the American forces, and was assigned to pro- fessional service in France, honorably dis- charged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, June, 1919; Genevieve J. and Chester G. are at the parent- al home, both are students in Hastings College, at Hastings. this state.
WILBERN ROBERTS was born in Lee county, Iowa, January 10, 1857, and died at his home south of Bayard, Nebraska, April 9, 1916.
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He was the son of John and Mary (Gil- christ) Roberts, his father being a farmer in Iowa. There were eleven children in the fam- ily. He was educated in Iowa and took up farming in that state after completing his schooling, and stayed in his native state until he arrived at the age of 30 years, when he came to western Nebraska. This was in 1887. He took a government homestead of land that lies just south of the present town of Bayard. He followed farming and stock-raising and was very successful, being the owner, at the time of his death, of six hundred acres of land, having sold forty acres of the homestead to the town site of Bayard.
Mr. Roberts was married September 12, 1879, to Nancy A. Duncan, a native of Wayne county, Kentucky, who had moved with her parents to Iowa when she was seventeen years old. Then children were born to this union, namely : Elizabeth, deceased; Mary Etta, now Mrs. John R. Duncan, living in Wyoming; Edith Anna, who married Chester Morgan, and lives in Wyoming; Viola Ethel, now Mrs. Orville Smith, of Morrill county, Nebraska ; Delia Amber, the wife of Charles Wilcox, of Morrill County, Nebraska ; Raymond Rasson, a rancher, residing in Wyoming ; Myrtle, de- ceased ; Minnie U., now Mrs. Alvin Einsel, living at Bayard; Marie Ida, at home; Lila J., at home.
Mr. Roberts was a member of the Modern Woodmen and of the church of the Latter Day Saints. He was a Democrat in politics and took and intelligent and active interest ir public affairs, although not engaged in poli- tics himself as a candidate for office. He was a man who enjoyed a high reputation among all who knew him, as an industrious, honor- able and progressive citizen, who prospered in his business and reared a large family who are a credit to his name and memory. His widow also survives him. Mr. Roberts lived to see the country that he found in the state of unde- veloped prairie grown to a condition of wealth and prosperity, in which he received and was justly entitled to a considerable part. He leaves behind him a name that is honored and respected and his life work had proved a suc- cess when he laid it down.
STEPHEN SMITH, was born March 28, 1851, in Whippoorwill county, Kentucky, and died July 27, 1917. He was the son of Mark Anderson and Elizabeth (Taylor) Smith, who were both natives of Kentucky but moved to Indiana in 1860.
Stephen was educated in Indiana and came
to western Nebraska in 1887 and took a home- stead. He followed farming and stock-rais- ing until failing health compelled him to re- tire from active business. He was married in 1872 to Amelia Wiley, who was born in Col- fax, Illinois and who survives him. To them were born eleven children, namely: Pearl, now Mrs. William Pullen, living in Morrill county, Nebraska ; Homer William, who lives south- east of Bridgeport ; Orville, living in Morrill county, Nebraska ; Clarence, deceased ; John, residing at Liberty, Missouri; Mark, living in Morrill county, Nebraska; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Clarence E. Roberts; Nancy, deceased ; Stephen, living in Morrill county, Nebraska; William, who lives at home ; George, and Nan- nie, deceased.
Mr. Smith was a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church. Re raised a large family and was respected as an up- right and honorable man. He was one of the early settlers in his community and saw the country grow from a raw state to its present position of prosperity and wealth. He leaves an honored name and a family that is a credit to his memory.
GEORGE L. WHITMAN was born in Iowa on August 1, 1864, the son of George and Marie (Davis) Whitman, both the par- ents being natives of New York. There were ten children in the family six of whom are living. Their names are: Ella, now the wife of B. M. Odell, residing at Normal, Illinois ; Martin, who lives in Fresno county, Cali- fornia ; Charles, living in Morrill county, Ne- braska ; George L., the subject of this sketch; Ieora, deceased ; Burton, living at Normal, Il- linois; Ralph, living at Berwick, Illinois; the other three children died in infancy.
The famly moved to Nebraska in 1871 and settled in Fillmore county, where the father engaged in farming. He was a Republican in politics and belonged to the Methodist church. He died in 1909, his wife having died in 1897.
The subject of this sketch, George L. Whit- man, was educated in Nebraska, and after the completion of his schooling he engaged in farming and was also in the feed business. In the year 1900 he came to Morrill county and took a homestead, on which he followed farming and stock raising until 1915, at which time he and his persent partner started at Bay- ard the feed business which is conducted in the name of Walford & Whitman.
Mr. Whitman and his brother-in-law, Mr. Fulton, former a partnership in the farming
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
business thirty years ago, being renters until they came to the Platte Valley, when they each took a homestead. They now own three thousand four hundred acres and are still operating as partners.
Mr. Whitman was married in January, 1889, to Jennie E. Fulton, who was a native of Ohio. To them have been born five children, namely : Leslie, who is a former stock raiser near Bay- ard; Nellie, now Mrs. E. R. Lincoln, living at Bayard ; J. Benjamin, deceased ; Mary and Edith both living at home.
Mrs. Whitman is a member of the Metho- dist church. Mr. Whitman is a Republican in politics and has always taken an interest in public affairs and is a leading member of his community. He has been prosperous in his business and stands high in reputation with all who know him.
JAMES WEBSTER was born in Ohio on May 27, 1859, the son of Marcus P. and Anna (Taft) Webster, both natives of Ohio. There were three children in the family.
He was educated in the schools of Ohio and Minnesota, his parents having moved to the latter named state in his youth. After finishing his schooling he engaged in farming for a few years, and in 1886 he came to west- ern Nebraska and took up a homestead. He followed the line of all the early settlers in the new country, farming and raising livestock and doing whatever else come to hand to do. Among other things he freighted from Sidney to Alliance in the years before the railroad line was built. After a successful period of ranching he sold his land and is now living in Bayard.
Mr. Webster was married in 1912 to Mrs. Mary Boyer, whose maiden name was Mary White. She was formerly the wife of J. H. Boyer and is the mother of four children, all of whom are living. They are: John E. Boyer, who now lives in Marion, Iowa; James S. Boyer, living at Angora, Nebraska ; Melis- sa Jane, the wife of Thomas McCann, of Bay- ard ; Charles H. Boyer, living at Bayard.
Mr. Webster has no children. He is in- dependent in politics and is a member of the Odd Fellows. He enjoys the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances and stands high in reputation in his community. He takes an active interest in the growth of the country and of his home city, which he has seen de- velop from a little prairie village to one of the most progressive and prosperous young cities of the new West.
JOHN L. MUELLER was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the son of Gustav and Margaret Mueller. His father was a native of Saxony, and his mother of Switzerland. They came to America in 1854 and settled in Iowa, and there the father followed the occupation of a cigar maker. Three children were born to them, one of whom, Henry, died in infancy. The oldest child, Maggie, is the wife of Will- iam Bernauer and lives near North Platte, Ne- braska. The youngest is the subject of this sketch. The father was a member of the Evangelical church. He died in 1870, and the mother was married again to Frank Schram and they came to Morrill county in 1893 and settled on a homestead.
Mr. Mueller came west in 1888 and home- steaded. He now is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of fine irrigated land on which he was successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising until a year ago when he moved to town and is connected with the Farmers Union.
In 1892 he was married to Lena Arnold, and to this union six children have been born. One child died in infancy. The others are: Ed- ward, who lives on the home place.
Mabel, married Ray Hunter, living near North Platte; Margaret, now Mrs. Melvin Gund, residing at Aurora, Nebraska; George and Bessie, both living at home.
Mr. Mueller is a member of the Methodist church and of the Modern Woodmen. He is independent in politics. He has been success- ful in business and enjoys the respect and good opinion of a large circle of friends, be- ing known as a man of upright character and industry. He has lived through the period of early hardship and hard labor that goes with the development of a new country and now is in position to reap the fruits of his efforts in the prosperous condition of the community where his interests are centered.
JONNIE S. MAINARD is one of the push- ing, energetic and enterprising business men of Mitchell, where he has built up a prosperous trade in the automoble and accessory business. Born in Yankton, South Dakota, June 6, 1876, he is a son of Joseph and Mary M. (Blade) Mainard. The father was a Missourian by birth, born at St. Joseph, while Mary Blade was born in Decatur county, Iowa, where she was reared and received her education. She died in 1894, while still a young woman, be- ing but thirty-eight years old when she passed away. Joseph Mainard and his wife had six children : John, Dora, the wife of Archie
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Foster of Twin Falls, Idaho; Harry, in the livery business in Idaho; Slyvesta Anna, the wife of Edward Sparks of Twin Falls, Idaho; Verna, married Rube Ashby, a farmer of Co- zad, Nebraska ; and Forrest who runs a laun- dry in Twin Falls, Idaho. Joseph Mainard, after attaining his manhood and completing his education engaged in independent business for himself as a farmer in Iowa, where he met and won his wife. Subsequently he determined to avail himself of the free lands to be had in Nebraska and in 1886 came to Banner county where he took up a homestead and also pre- empted one hundred and sixty acres of land ; he proved up on his holdings and on a tree claim so that he was one of the large land holders of the Panhandle. After the first hard years he made good and permanent improve- ments on all his land, raised the soil to an excellent state of fertility and for many years was one of the progressive and successful farmers of this section. He carried on general farming and stock-raising, gave all his fam- ily many of the advantages that he, as a youth, had been unable to obtain and in his later years was able to retire from the active man- agement of his business and thus is spend- ing the sunset years of life enjoying the com- fortable fortune which he won from the soil by his own unaided efforts. Today Mr. Main- ard is living quietly in Twin Falls, Idaho, where he takes an active interest in all pro- gressive movements of the community and no one looking at him would believe that he had passed his sixty-fifth birthday, as his active out door life has kept him a man young in ideas and strength. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are staunch supporters, and in politics he is lined up with the Democratic party, having cast his vote with it since first given the privilege of the franchise.
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