History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 83

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 83

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).

October 1, 1910, Mr. Minshall married Miss Mary R. Clary and they have one child, Georgia. They are members of the Episcopal church, while Mr. Minshall is affiliated with the

Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a Democrat and takes an interested part to see that good men are elected to office in the community where he makes his home.

FLOYD S. McCAFFREE. - The story of success that crowns determined effort in the face of discouragement, will never lose its in- terest in a free country like the United States with its sound, sane people, because it reveals those admirable qualities that are fundamentals of her strength. Courage, perseverance, in- dustry, frugality and hopefulness, are the step- ping stones that have led many a young man starting out in life handicapped by poverty, to the heights of comfortable independence. These reflections call to mind one of Scotts- bluff's representative men and well known cap- italists, Floyd S. McCaffree, former mayor of this city, who has been extensively engaged in handling real estate for some years.

Floyd S. McCaffree was born at Spirit Lake, Iowa, November 15, 1882, the fourth in a fam- ily of seven children, born to Floyd J. and Rachel E. (Stratton) McCaffree. These are old family names in Iowa, and the father of the family was the first white child born in Bremer county. For twenty-five years he was in the active ministry of the Methodist Epis- copal church, riding a circuit in early days, but now lives retired at Scottsbluff, the mother also surviving. Mr. McCaffree had the following brothers and sisters: Charles, emigration com- missioner at Pierre, South Dakota; Grace, the wife of H. H. Smith, a farmer in Canada : Alice, who lives with her parents; Mattie, the wife of O. C. Smith, who is a government engineer and reclamation agent at Grand Junc- tion, Colorado; Harry, in the real estate busi- ness at Mitchell, prior to his death from influ- enza, in November, 1918, and Rolfe K., an automobile salesman at Mitchell, Nebraska.

Educational advantages were not denied Mr. McCaffree in his youth, in fact he had a year of collegiate training at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. In 1905 he started for Ne- braska, making the journey in a covered wagon, accompanied by his bride, formerly Miss Esther Scott, who was born at Marathon. Iowa. She died in February of the following year. Mr. McCaffree came to Scottsbluff county with the intention of securing a home- stead, which he accomplished in the same year. and he still owns this property, now exceeding- ly valuable, as it lies eight miles north of Scottsbluff. As he had no capital as repre- sented by money, stocks or bonds, he accepted the first work that offered itself, which was

422

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

working on the government ditch and other odd jobs that brought a good cash remunera- tion for his labors. It was unaccustomed work but he kept at it and for a long time cheerfully worked side by side with laborers who had come from every section. When it came to breaking the sod on three hundred acres of land that he desired to seed in alfalfa, he was able to do a man's work with anyone. In 1907, two years after reaching the county, he began the business of locating homesteads. In 1910 he became associated in the real estate and insur- ance business with Harvey L. Sams, and they have developed one of the largest concerns of its kind in this part of the state and together own thousands of acres of land. Mr. McCaf- free has one tract of four hundred acres of irrigated land, which he has operated by farm- ers who understand modern methods. with all kinds of improved machinery supplied, and here he feeds cattle extensively. In his part- nership with Mr. Sams, the insurance line is also an important feature.

In 1910 Mr. McCaffree married Miss Gert- rude D. McDowell, who was born at Omaha, Nebraska, and they have three children : Ruth, Robert, and Edwin, aged respectively, eight, six, and four years. Mr. and Mrs. McCaffree are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a Republican in politics and since coming to this county has been active and public-spirited, showing an earnest desire to advance the interests of this section in every way. For four years he served as county as- sessor and when elected mayor of Scottsbluff, gave the city a fine administration. He has been a vitalizing force here in many ways. Like his father he is a Mason and Odd Fellow, and belongs also to the Yeomen and the Mod- ern Woodmen orders.

GEORGE W. BEERLINE was born in Missouri, in 1866. He lived in that state with his parents until he was seven years of age, when they removed to Sarpy county, Nebraska, and in 1887, to Cheyenne county. He home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres, and now is the owner of six hundred acres of land in what is now Morrill county, about two hundred acres of it being under irrigation. He is a farmer and stock raiser. At one time he made a specialty of Duroc Jersey hogs, and at all times has made a specialty of livestock, handl- ing nothing but high-class grades. He put the improvements on his place, which are up to date and of the kind that will be permanent and add permanent value to the land, including a good orchard.

He was married in 1902, to Margaret Chase,

a native of Nebraska, a daughter of John and Mary (Miller) Chase. The father is now de- ceased; the mother living at Papillion, Ne- braska. The father, John Chase, located at Bellwood, Nebraska, in 1856, and lived for forty-six years on his original homestead there, dying at the advanced age of ninety-one years. He was a close friend of Secretary J. Ster- ling Morton, and at the time of his death was the oldest Mason in Nebraska.

Mr. and Mrs. Beerline have two children, both living at home. Their names are John Chase and Helen Catharine.

Mr. Beerline was educated in the public school of Sarpy county, as was also his wife. He is an independent voter, belongs to the Modern Woodmen, and is a director of his school district.

Mr. Beerline is one of the leading men of Broadwater and vicinity, and stands high in reputation among his fellow citizens. He has always taken an intelligent interest in public affairs and is always found in favor of progress and up-to-date methods both in private busi- ness and public matters.

JULIUS GEBAUER .- The agriculturist has ever before him the chance of making him- self an enormously useful factor in a commun- ity, and a realization of this fact has come to Mr. Gebauer in Morrill county, where he has maintained his home for more that eighteen years. He is the architect of his own fortunes, and as such deserves the greater credit for the success which he has achieved by his own ef- forts. A native of Germany, when he came to this country he brought with him many of the admirable traits of that sturdy race, and the fortune that has come to him has been won through legitimate business enterprise.

Julius Gebauer was born in the German Empire in 1852, the son of Trangott and Jo- hanna Elizabeth Gebauer, both natives of that country. The father was a butcher ; he and his wife spent their entire lives in their native land. Julius had two sisters: Augusta Ewalt, who lives in Grand Island, Nebraska and Pauline Crause, a resident of the Grand Island district. Julius spent his youth and early manhood in his native country where he took advantage of such educational facilities as were available to him, but he saw no future for a man without capital in the old country and determined to take advantage of the lands opened up for settlement in the new world that could be ob- tained with but little initial outlay. In 1879, he immigrated to the United States, and soon after landing came west as he knew of the

423

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

many Germans who had located on the prairies beyond the Mississippi river. Mr. Gebauer came to Nebraska and found employment with the railroad in the vicinity of Grand Island. He was frugal, careful in his habits and ex- penditures and in time had accumulated fifteen hundred dollars, which he intended to use in the purchase of desirable land, but the money was stolen from him in Grand Island. This did not daunt his spirits and he but worked the harder, for he had no equipment but his sturdy determination and the will to succeed. As soon as he became acquainted with the lan- guage and customs of the country he started his career as an agriculturist on a farm in Hall county. He first purchased two hundred and forty acres of railroad land, and made permanent improvements. This state was not then the smiling countryside of the present time and the early settlers lived in sod houses, broke the virgin sod of the prairie in order to put in the first seed for crops. After raising the land to a good state of fertility he was able to sell the first farm for nine dollars an acre, a good price for that day. Following this sale he purchased forty acres of land from the railroad and also school land so that he had a considerable holding. But as the returns from the land at this early day came slowly he decided he needed more capital and went to Grand Island where he put the knowl- edge he had learned from his father to prac- tical use and opened a butcher shop; subse- quently he went to Colorado, locating in Julesburg but after a short period re- turned to Grand Island, being employed in a sugar factory until he decided to return to the soil and began operating a truck farm where he raised fancy vegetables to sup- ply the city markets. Meeting with success in this line Mr. Gebauer accumulated a com- fortable capital, and decided to engage in farming on a more extensive scale. He came to the Northport district in 1903, and located on a homestead north of the Platte. A com- fortable home was erected, permanent and sub- stantial farm buildings were soon established and he began to operate a diversified farming business. He believed that the most paying stock was pure bred cattle and hogs and he has specialized in these successfully and he now owns six hundred acres of the finest land in this section. From first coming here he determined to extend his business and as his farm produced good crops he sold at good figures and with the money so made bought more land until he is one of the largest landed proprietors in the valley. This finely culti-

vated and productive property shows what may be accomplished by a man of self deter- mination, foresight and who is not afraid to work, who starts out in life equipped with nothing but a sturdy body and a determination to succeed.

In 1881, Mr. Gebauer married Miss Amelia Krause, at Grand Island, and they have be- come the parents of eight children: Erna, is married and lives in Kansas ; Oscar is a loco- motive engineer at Bridgeport; Paul, who spent nineteen months in the army in the re- mount service, is not at home farming the home place ; Martha, lives in Kearney ; Olga, is a school teacher in Bridgeport ; Ella, also teaches ; Arnold, teaches at Lisco ; and Adelia, is only fourteen and attend school near home, and one boy who died in 1914. The Gebauer family are members of the Lutheran church, while Mr. Gebauer is an independent in poli- tics.

WILLIAM JOHNSTON was born in Iowa in 1852, and died November 6, 1907.

He was one of the early settlers in the vicinity of Bayard, having come to that locality in 1887, after farming in his native state of Iowa. He took a homestead that included part of the present site of Bayard, the resi- dence house being now in the north part of the city. He followed farming and stock raising, and in addition to his other occupa- tions he built the first hotel in that part of the country and conducted it himself for sixteen years. His business prospered, so that at the time of his death he owned two hundred and forty acres of valuable land, which is still more valuable owing to its location at the edge of a growing city.

Mr. Johnston was educated in Iowa, and before coming west he was married in 1883, to Anna Varrier, a native of Indiana, who survives him and makes her home at Bayard. Five children were born to them, all of them living. They are: Albert and Clarence, living in Bayard; Irma, who makes her home with her mother; Cora, now Mrs. John Zook, at Bayard; and Otta, who married Monte Ful- lerton and lives in California.

Mr. Johnston, while he did not live to see the full development of the country in which he was a pioneer, still saw it on the way to wealth and fame. At the time of his death the great system of irrigation which is now in full operation was getting well started and the future of the North Platte valley was assured. He was a man who was widely acquainted and enjoyed an enviable reputation among the

424

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

people of his community, being known as a public-spirited and enterprising citizen who took an intelligent interest in the progress of the country and was ever ready to support public movements and advance the interests of his fellow men.

PATRICK ROWLAND is a native of Can- ada, the son of Michael and Ella ( McDonald) Rowland. The parents were natives of Ireland, now deceased. They had eight children, four of whom are living: Michael, a farmer in Canada; John a miner in Colorado, died August 14, 1918; a daughter, now Mrs. Blake, lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Patrick, the subject of this sketch. The father owned land and did a general farming and stock- raising business in Canada. Later he moved to Kansas and bought land there. He was a Democrat in politics and a member of the Catholic church.

Patrick came from Canada to Kansas when nine years old and worked for his father until he was seventeen, then went to Nevada and Wyoming and from there to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, twenty-five years ago. He home- steaded a quarter section and now owns thir- teen hundred and sixty acres of land, of which eleven hundred and fifty acres are under ir- rigation. He follows general farming and stockraising.

He was married twenty-five years ago to Anna C. Hagerty. They have four children, all at home. Their names are, Estella May, John F., Helen A., and William L.

Mr. Rowland is a Republican in politics, a director of his school district, also a direct- or of the irrigation district in which his land is located, and a member of the Catholic church. He is one of the leading successful farmers of his vicinity and stands high in the community as an energetic and progressive nian. He takes part in public affairs and keeps abreast of the times in public questions as well as in matters affecting his own business .. In Broadwater district, his home, he is wide- ly and favorably known among a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

DANIEL W. WARNER, the owner of a fine farm near Hull, is numbered with the sub- stantial and representative men of this section. From an experience of more than thirty years in Banner county and taking part in its won- derful development, Mr. Warner feels proud of what he has accomplished in a compara- tively short time.

Mr. Warner was born in Jasper county,

Iowa, in 1857, the son of Joseph and Ingaba (Webb) Warner, the former a native of Ohio who lived to be fifty-four years of age, while the mother was also a Buckeye by birth lived out the psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, passing away in 1917, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. The father was a farmer in Indiana and later re- moved to Iowa where he was extensively en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising. There were seven children in the Warner fam- ily: Henry, deceased; Thomas, a farmer of Iowa; Daniel, of this sketch ; Dora E., the wife of James S. Edger, a farmer in Colorado ; El- mer, farming in lowa; Josiah, in Iowa; and Frank, who lives at Crawford Nebraska. Jo- seph warner was a Republican while both he and his wife were members of the Methodist church.

Daniel was educated in the common schools in his native state and early learned the prac- tical side of farm industry from his father and after his school days were over engaged in farming with his father for a time, but he was ambitious to get ahead in the world, and hav- ing heard of the fine land to be obtained in western Nebraska on the homestead plan, came to the Panhandle in 1886, to establish himself independently in business. He located in what was then Cheyenne county - known today as old Cheyenne-on a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land, proved up and still owns the old home place. After sev- eral years passed in farming here Mr. Warner went to Colorado, where he took employment with the P. O. outfit horse ranch, but after a time returned to his land, where he contin- ued to improve the fertility of the soil, erected new and better farm buildings and a fine home for his family. As he sold his crops and thus had capital available Mr. Warner pur- chased more land adjoining his first holding and today is the owner of a full half section all under cultivation. From first becoming established on the plains he has engaged in general farm business and also raises a good grade of live stock, which he has found to be a profitable line. Mr. Warner is an indepen- dent in politics.

In 1891 Mr. Warner married Miss Lillie C. Ammerman, the daughter of Hiram and Martha Ammerman, who located near Hull in 1887. The father is deceased but is survived by his widow. Nine children have become a part of the Warner family circle: Mattie, the wife of Oscar Barkell; Frances, the wife of William Jones, of Scottsbluff county ; Gladys, who married L. W. Hopkins ; Ida, Eva, Anna,

FREDERICK J. COLBERT, M. D.

425

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Elsie, Jessie, Willard and one child that died in infancy. Mr. Warner has ever proved him- self a loyal citizen and is wide awake to every movement that will particularly benefit Scotts- bluff county.

FREDRICK J. COLBERT, M.D., is a native of this state and a representative of sev- eral of its oldest pioneer families. He has been engaged in medical practice at Gering for sev- eral years with marked professional success, and the high esteem in which he is held per- sonally is evidenced in his election to the high- est municipal office in the gift of his fellow citizens, on April 1, 1919. Mayor Colbert has entered upon the duties of his office with the hearty good wishes of every one, and with the determination to devote his splendid abilities to promote the best interests of Gering.

Frederick J. Colbert was born in Cass coun- ty, Nebraska, September 27, 1889, the eldest of three sons born to John W. and Lucy ( Fris- bee) Colbert, the former of whom was born in Michigan and the latter in Iowa, and both came with their parents to Nebraska, in 1868. The maternal grandfather of Dr. Colbert was a vet- eran of the Civil War, in which he had served in an Illinois regiment for four years and been seriously wounded, from the effects of which he died when aged forty-three years. He was a native of New York state. The paternal grandfather of Dr. Colbert was James Colbert, who was born in Huntingdonshire, England. He came to Nebraska in 1868 and homesteaded in Cass county. The parents of Dr. Colbert were married in Nebraska and both live in comfortable estate at Weeping Water, where the father has real estate interests and is a farmer and stockman. He is a Republican in politics and belongs to the Masonic fraternity. Dr. Colbert has two brothers: Harry E., who has just completed post-graduate work in a dental college at Chicago, now located at Ger- ing, and Horton R., who is a student in the high school of Weeping Water.

In the public schools of Cass county, Fred- rick J. Colbert received his early educational training. In 1913 he won his A.B. degree in the University of Nebraska, and in 1917 the degree of M.D. was conferred upon him at Rush Medical College, Chicago. He came im- mediately to Gering and entered upon a gen- eral practice. It is almost impossible in modern days, for intelligent and progressive men to keep out of politics, and Dr. Colbert was well schooled in the principles of the Republican party from boyhood.

On June 19, 1914, Dr. Colbert was united in marriage to Miss Maude O. Case, who was

born in Cass county, Nebraska, and they have one son, Frederick Case Colbert, who was born December 22, 1916. Dr. and Mrs. Colbert are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is somewhat prominent in local Masonic circles and both he and wife belong to the East- ern Star.

JAMES A. CARD, a well known and re- spected member of the younger farmer element of Scottsbluff county, who stands high in the agricultural and stock-raising circles of this section, has passed the greater part of his life here and has seen the many changes that have transformed the Panhandle into a rich farm- ing district.

Mr. Card was born in New York State in 1881, being the son of John and Martha (MaryHaue) Card, both natives of the Empire state where they were reared, received their educational advantages and after maturity met and were married there. Both are now dead. John Card was a farmer and as land was high in New York he determined to take advantage of the opportunity of land for him- self and his children in the newer states west of the Mississippi river, and with this end in view came to Nebraska in 1885, took up a claim in township eighteen, section seven, Scottsbluff county, where he established the family. Mr. Card broke his land, put up the necessarily primitive farm buildings of the pioneer days, and soon became a well known farmer and stock-raiser of the section. He was a Republican in politics and attended the Baptist church with his wife who was a mem- ber.

James A. Card accompanied his parents to western Nebraska when they located on their frontier farm. He was but a small child at the time and as he grew up hardly realized that he was not a native son. Mr. Card at- tended the public schools near his home and thus laid the foundation for a good education which has proved of great value to him in his subsequent business career. While still young he began to assume many of the small tasks on the home place and thus from childhood, be- gan to acquire a practical knowledge of farm industry. There were six children in the family. Alice, married Charles White of Sioux City, Iowa ; Lydia, the wife of Ira Na- gel, of Scottsbluff county; Fred, who lives with James; Hattie, the wife of Frank Schu- macher of Montana ; and Merle, also of Sioux City.

Mr. Card was not contented always to work for others, and when he was old enough took

426

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

up a homestead of six hundred and forty acres, and in partnership with his brother now man- ages a ranch of four full sections, some under lease. They carry on general farming opera- tions but devote most of their time to the cattle business as a large part of their holdings is fine grazing land. They are shrewd buyers and long sellers and today are recognized as two of the most prosperous and substantial men of the Hull district, where they have won enviable reputations as men of high stand- ing and character.

HENRY KASCHKA, has been successfully engaged in agricultural and dairying enterprise during the greater part of his residence in Garden county, where he now owns and gives his personal supervision to a well improved farm of five hundred and twenty acres, situ- ated about five miles north of Oshkosh. He came to America as a young man endowed with ambition and determination, but depen- dent entirely upon his own efforts in making his way to the goal of independence and pros- perity. He has succeeded well and has so ordered his course as to merit and receive the confidence and good will of those with whom he has come in contact.

Mr. Kaschka was born in Pormer, Germany, on January 27, 1851, a son of Frederick and Wihelmina Kaschka, who passed their entire lives in the native land, the father, a weaver by trade, having died when about sixty years of age and the mother having attained to the venerable age of eighty years. Henry Kasch- ka was educated in the schools of his native province and was twenty-six years old when he immigrated to America. He passed the first five years in Illinois and then proceeded to Colorado, where he took up and perfected title to a homestead, which he developed and im- proved. Eventually requisition for his land was made by the Yuma Ditch Company, which used it for a site of an irrigation reservoir, and Mr. Kaschka was paid substantial indemnity when his farm was condemned for this pur- pose. In 1910, he came to Nebraska and has since been continuously engaged in farming and the dairy business in Garden county. He is a good citizen and a man of purposeful in- dustry, his political support being given to the Republican party and both he and his wife being communicants of the Lutheran church.

March 24, 1887, recorded the marriage of Mr. Kaschka to Miss Wilhelmina Press. They have four sons and four daughters : Mrs. Martha Blaissey, of Oshkosh, has two chil- dren ; Carl was one of the gallant young Am-

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 83

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