History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 84

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

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ericans who entered the nation's military serv ice in connection with the World War, and was trained at Fort Dodge, Iowa, and is now en- gaged in farming in Garden county; Mrs. Emma Haxtell, who has three children, re- side at Clair City, South Dakota, as does Ella, and John, Hannah, Henry and Ernest remain at home.

ROY E. SWANSON, is a member of one of the sterling pioneer families of this state. He is one of the successful and popular young farmers of Garden county, where his well improved farm, of one hundred and sixty acres, is situated two and one-half miles north- west of Oshkosh.

Roy Eugene Swanson was born in Saunders county, Nebraska, December 28, 1890, a son of August and Anna M. (Rosenberg) Swan- son, both of whom were born in Sweden but whose marriage took place in the city of Oma- ha, Nebraska. August Swanson was a young man when he emigrated from Sweden to the United States, and upon coming to Nebraska he settled near Wahoo, Saunders county, where he took up a homestead and eventually developed a good farm. He was one of the well known and highly honored pioneers of that county, where he won substantial pros- perity and lived many years. He and his wife now reside at Oshkosh, Garden county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Swanson are members of the Lutheran church. They had ten children : Cy- ril, Gilbert, Roy, Lillian, Eva, Minna, Esther, Hazel, Wilma and Grace.

Mr. Swanson was a child at the time the. family came from his native county to Platte county, where he was reared on the home farm and attended the public schools. He con- tinued to be associated with his father in farm enterprise until he was twenty-four years of age, when he formed a partnership with his brother Cyril E. and they established a dray line at Oshkosh. He also took up a homestead, two miles northeast of Oshkosh, a property on which he proved up and upon which he made good improvements. During the year that he was associated with his broth- er in the dray business they entered claim to a quarter-section of land two and one-half miles northwest of the town, the present home of Roy E, who took possession after he had pur- chased his brother's interest and who demon- strated his splendid capacity for diversified agriculture, the raising of cattle, including the development of a prosperous dairy business, and the raising of hogs, of which he has an average of fifty head a year. He is a pro-

MR. AND MRS. A. M. PARMENTER

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gressive young business man and public-spirit- ed citizen, is a Democrat in politics, is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World, and is also a member of the Odd Fellows. He and his wife are active communicants of the Lutheran church. Mr. Swanson is an advocate of sci- entific methods and progressive policies in connection with farm enterprise and for a number of years past he has held the local agency for the Nebraska Farmer, one of the leading farm papers of the middle west.

March 4, 1918, recorded, in the city of Oma- ha, the marriage of Mr. Swanson to Miss Frances May Twiford, who was born in this state, where she was reared and attended school in Frontier county, later attending the public schools of Ogallala, Keith county, and later was a student in the University of Ne- braska. For a time she held a clerical position in a mercantile establishment in the city of Lincoln, and prior to her marriage had been an operator in the telephone exchange in the city of Omaha . She is a daughter of George and Aurora Twiford, who became early settlers in Garden county, the father having taken up a homestead eighteen miles northeast of Oshkosh. He became a successful agriculturist and stock-raiser and died when about fifty years of age, his widow, Mrs. Aurora (Dollard) Twi- ford, is now a resident of Oshkosh. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson are most popular factors in the best social life of their home community.

ALBERT M. PARMENTER has been a resident of Scottsbluff county for twenty-three years and of Nebraska for more than forty years, having crossed the Missouri river on New Year's Day, 1880. He may justly be called a pioneer as his home has always been on the frontier of the different parts of the state where he has resided.

Albert M. Parmenter is a native of the Buckeye State and was born in Williamson county. Ohio, October 30. 1858. His parents were David and Lydia (Huling) Parmenter, both of whom were natives of Ohio. The father was a farmer and passed away in 1866, while the mother had died some time before. Young Parmenter was thus left an orphan at the age of eight years and was thrown upon his own resources at an age when most chil- dren are playing with their toys and being un- der the watchful care of parents. The boy found employment on farms in the neighbor- hood and had but limited opportunity to ac- quire an education. He was a young man of twenty-one when he decided to take the ad- vice of Horace Greeley and "go west." He

crossed the Missouri river on the first of Janu- ary, 1880, and that same month took a home- stead and tree claim in Custer county, Nebras- ka, becoming one of the first settlers of that county and resided here until 1888, when he sold out and again went west, this time to the Pacific coast where he spent some time travelling and looking over the country. Re- turning to Nebraska he found employment in a saw mill in Sioux county and in 1897, came to Scottsbluff county where he took up farm- ing. In 1901, he took a homestead where he began to make permanent improvements and which has been the stage of successful opera- tions as a farmer ever since. When the Ger- ing irrigation ditch was projected Mr. Par- menter established the first construction camp on the work, moving there with his family in the month of February during a severe snow storm. But he had become accustomed to hard- ships and such an experience was not new to him.

In Custer couny, Nebraska, April 12, 1885, occurred the marriage of Albert M. Parmenter and Miss Mary Predmore. She was born in Winnishiek county, Iowa, August 6, 1859, a daughter of John and Jane (Peters) Predmore, natives of Ohio. They came to Nebraska in 1881, and were among the first settlers of Custer county where they both spent the re- mainder of their lives.

Two children have come to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Parmenter: Lyda Jane, born June 23, 1886, is the wife of Arthur Clure, re- siding at Minatare and they have seven chil- dren : Florence, Verl, Marion, Virgil, Law- rence, Iola and Ila; the second child, John Arthur, married Etta Bartow and resides at Gering. They have two children: Marie and Mabel.

Mr. Parmenter has a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, seventy acres of it being under irrigation and the place is de- voted to general farming. Though over sixty years of age Mr. Parmenter would easily be taken for a man much younger and is still ac- tive in the operation of the place. He is one of the substantial men of the community and takes an active interest in all things pertaining to the welfare of the neighborhood. The family are members of the Methodist church and in poli- tics he is a Republican.

ORVAL SMITH, who is an experienced and successful farmer near Bayard. Nebraska, came to this state with his parents when seven years old, was reared, educated and married here and probably entertains for Nebrasko the

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feelings of a native son. He was born, how- ever, in central Illinois, in old McLean county, June 4, 1880.

The parents of Mr. Smith were Stephen and Amelia (Wiley) Smith, the latter of whom was born in McLean county sixty years ago, and now a widow, living at Bayard. The father of Mr. Smith was born in Kentucky and before coming to Nebraska, had been a farmer in Iowa and Illinois. In 1887 he brought his family to this state and settled in old Chey- enne county, now Morrill, where he secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres and pre-empted one hundred and sixty more. At that time it was all dry land but the entire ex- tent is at present under irrigation. He was a very industrious man and believed in substan- tial improvement, therefore this land is very valuable. His death occurred in 1917.

Orval Smith remained at home, attended the public schools, and assisted his father as a general farmer. At present he owns a one hundred acre farm one and a half miles from Bayard, carrying on diversified farming, and owns four unimproved lots. In Morrill county, in 1905, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Viola Roberts, who was born in Iowa and is a daughter of Wilburn and Nancy (Duncan) Roberts. Her parents were natives of Kentucky who moved to Iowa and from there, in the spring of 1887 came to Morrill county and homesteaded one hundred and six- ty acres. The father carried on general farm- ing until his death. The mother of Mrs. Smith lives at Bayard. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had five children, namely : Dora, Violet, Lyle, Louis and Orval, all of whom survive except Orval.

GEORGE DE GRAW, one of the substan- tial farmers of Morrill county, has great reason to be satisfied with the land investment he made here in 1902, for he has a beautiful farm of one hundred and sixty acres, well improved and exceedingly productive. Mr. DeGraw de- veloped his farm from wild prairie and the re- sult is very creditable to his industry and good judgment.

George DeGraw was born at St. Paul, Min- nesota, November 5, 1863, a son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Todd) DeGraw. His father, of French Canadian ancestry, was born in Canada, June 13, 1838, and was eighteen years old when he came to the United States. He served as a soldier in the Civil War and later became a general farmer in Minnestoa. For some years he has lived comfortably retired in Wyoming. Mr. DeGraw's mother was born in

Minnesoa and died when he was quite young. He grew up on the home farm and attended school, remaining in his native state until 1887, when he came to Nebraska and secured a homestead in Cheyenne county, near Dalton, where he remained for six years, moving then to Sidney and buying a ranch in that vicinity. In 1902, he came to Morrill county with the intention of buying land if he found a satis- factory tract, with the result that he became the owner of his present farm, situated on section 12-20-51.

At Sidney, Nebraska, December 7, 1897, Mr. DeGraw was united in marriage to Miss Stella Wymer, who was born in Minnesota, February 18, 1877. Her parent were Joseph and Anna (Havens) Wymer, the latter of whom lives at Gering, Nebraska. Mrs. DeGraw's father was of Pennsylvania Dutch stock and was born in Pennsylvania. He was a general farmer and lived to the age of eighty-seven years. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. DeGraw: Fred, who is the home farm- er; Hannah, the wife of Vern Dexter, of Gering ; and Iris, May, Nellie, George, Engene, Eunice, Lora, Pearl, Andrew and Alice, a sturdy family of which any parents or com- munity may well be proud.

COLE HUNT, whose thorough farm meth- ods and general enterprise are making the old Hunt homestead one of the best farm prop- erties in Morrill county, was born in Alliance, Nebraska, April 13, 1895, and has spent his life in his native state. With the good judg- ment that marks many young men in modern days, he has chosen agruculture as his life work and is devoting his best energies to the further development of the excellent property left by his father.

The parents of Mr. Hunt were John and Lillie (Gilmore) Hunt, the former born in Ohio, June 9, 1848, and the latter in York county, Nebraska, June 3, 1864, the first white child born in Nebraska Territory, Class A Ter- ritorial Association. In 1875, John Hunt came to eastern Nebraska where he bought land and followed farming for some years, then moved to Box Butte county and homesteaded and the family lived there for eight years. In 1898, Mr. Hunt saw what he considered better opportunities in Morrill county, came here and bought two hundred and forty acres of land which, at that time, were entirely un- improved. He continued the practical devel- opment of his property until the close of his life. He was widely known and highly re- spected. To John Hunt and his wife the fol-

GEORGE L. WILCOX

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

lowng children were born: Eva, the wife of Elmer Bennett, of Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Lillie, the wife of Alexander Underwood, of Box Butte county; George, who resides at Spokane, Washington; Susie, the wife of Ar- thur Jones, of Grand Island, Nebraska; John E., who was a soldier in the American Ex- peditionary Force in Europe during the World War and was in the army of occupation in Germany until September 11, 1919; Omer, who is deceased; Cole, who operates the home farm ; Nellie, the wife of Leslie Allen, a farm- er in Morrill county ; and Nettie, deceased. The mother of the family still resides on the home- stead. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Cole Hunt took charge of the farm for his mother soon after completing his education He is a level-headed, serious-minded young man, a hard worker and close thinker. To him farming is not merely an occupation but a business that is deserving of a man's best ef- forts. He has been very successful in his work here, has all the land irrigated, makes use of the best modern machinery and makes every acre return a profit. At present he is not particularly active in politics.

GEORGE L. WILCOX, who has many sub- stantial interests in Scottsbluff county, came to Nebraska in 1889 and has ever since lived in the state and is favorably known in the several sections where he has resided. Mr. Wilcox is a self-made man and feels that much of his success may be attributed to the business op- portunities he found so generously offered in Nebraska.

George L. Wilcox was born in Franklin county, Ohio, February 23, 1879, one of two children and the only son born to Charles and Samantha ( Freeman) Wilcox. Both parents were born in Ohio. The father died in that state in 1882, at the age of thirty-two years, and the mother lives at Los Angeles, California. Mr. Wilcox has one sister, Mrs. R. B. Farris, who is a resident of Chicago.

Following his graduation in 1896, from the high school of Worthington, Ohio, in which city his father had been a merchant, George L. Wilcox spent some years there identified with the same line of business. In 1889 he came to Nebraska and located at Springfield, where he was employed for some years as a clerk in a store, his previous experience in a mercantile house making his services valuable. On leav- ing Springfield, he went to Gretna, where he embarked in the furniture business and con- ducted a furniture store until November, 1911, when he came to Scottsbluff. Here he resumed

dealing in furniture, adding a hardware de- partment. In 1916 he built a commodious two- story building for business purposes, moved in, enlarged the scope of his business with a com- plete stock of furniture, rugs, hardware and undertaking supplies and now has a first-class, up-to-date establishment that is a credit to him- self and the city. His time, however, is not entirely given to the affairs of Wilcox & Com- pany, as the firm name stands, for he also man- ages his large ranch and raises cattle. He is a stockholder in the Platte Valley State Bank.

In 1902 Mr. Wilcox was united in marriage to Miss Sarah McCarley, of Illinois, and they have four children : Helen, Gertrude, Georgia, and Charles. The three daughters are attend- ing school, but the son is yet an infant, his birth having taken place March 26, 1919. Mr. Wilcox's mother belongs to the Christian Sci- ence church, but he and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has always taken due interest in politics as a part of intelligent citizenship, and, like his father before him, has always been a Republican. The only fraternal organization with which Mr. Wilcox is identified is the Knights of Pythias, in which he is quite prominent, and has been chancellor and grand vice chancellor. Mr. Wil- cox is a representative business man of Scotts- bluff and more than that, for he is an earnest, unselfish citizen, one who is ever ready to co- operate in all movements for the general wel- fare, and as such enjoys universal respect.

DALE B. OSBORNE, whose extensive ag- ricultural interests and activities make him well known in Morrill county, has spent almost all his busy life here, being only thirteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to this county.

Dale B. Osborne was born in McLean coun- ty, Illinois, November 2, 1874. His parents were Samuel H. and Emily ( Benson) Osborne, the former was born in Ohio and the latter in Illinois. They had four children born to their marriage : Dale B., who has always lived on the old homestead since coming to Nebras- ka; Thomas C., who is a farmer in Morrill county, north of Bayard; Dean H., who was in training in the aviation department as a machinist, during some months of the World War but never was called overseas; and June, who died at the age of twenty-seven years. In 1887, the family came to Nebraska and the father homesteaded in Morrill county. He became a man of wealth through farming and stock-raising, and also influential in the coun- ty's public affairs, serving for years as a jus- tice of the peace, and in many ways assisted

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in the county's substantial development. He died at the age of seventy-six years and left behind him the record of an honorable and useful life. The death of the mother occurred in her sixty-fourth year, in 1917.

Dale B. Osborne had educational advantages in the public schools. From youth he has been interested in farm pursuits and resides on the estate of four hundred and seventy acres left by his father, carrying on both general farming and cattle raising. He has two hundred and forty acres under cultivation. He is a farmer of modern type, uses scientific methods, and be- lieves it is the best all round policy to use every labor saving device and the best of farm machinery possible to secure. He is num- bered with the successful agriculturists of the country.

Mr. Osborne was married at Minatare, Ne- braska, Sptember 6, 1917, to Miss Zora Gu- vain, who was born at Prescott, Iowa. Her parents are August G. and Mary ( Witkowski) Guvain. Mr. and Mrs. Osborne have one son, Harold. In politics Mr. Osborne is a sturdy Republican but has never sought any public office, belonging to that quiet, intelli- gent, thoughtful body of men who believe that general good citizenship brings greater re- wards than political position.

JAMES N. THOMPSON, who has met with a large degree of success as a farmer and stock-raiser in Morrill county, has been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits all his life. He was born at Shelbyville, Shelby county, Indi- ana, January 3, 1874, a son of George and Louisa (Heath) Thompson. The father was born in Indiana and the mother in Ohio. Her death occurred when she was fifty years old. The father engaged in general farming during his active years, but retired and lived in Cali- fornia until August, 1919, when he returned to Omaha, and in June, 1920 came to Morrill county, where he died November, 1920.

James N. Thompson was reared in his par- ents' comfortable home in Shelby county and obtained his education in the public schools. Believing that land is the real source of wealth, he started out for himself with the determination to acquire it, locating first in Gentry county, Missouri, where he engaged in general farming until 1909, when he came to Nebraska and secured a homestead of two hundred acres in old Cheyenne, now Morrill county. There were many hardships to endure before Mr. Thompson found himself in easy circumstances, but through cheerful courage and industry they were overcome. He im-

proved his first tract of land and has added un- til he now owns three hundred and sixty acres, ninety-six acres being irrigated and surprising- ly productive and the rest fine grazing land. He does an extensive business in raising stock.

On September 24, 1902, Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Emma Harmon, who was born in Missouri, October 2, 1867, a daughter of Peter M. and Caroline (Coy) Harmon. Her father was born in Tennessee, where he was a general farmer before moving to a farm near St. Joseph, Missouri, where his death oc- curred at the age of sixty-four years. Mrs. Thompson's mother was born in Missouri and still lives in St. Joseph. Mr. and Mrs. Thomp- son have two children, a son and a daughter : Harmon, who was born July 3, 1904, and Mildred, who was born October 19, 1909, botlı of whom are being given excellent educational advantages. Mr. Thompson and family be- long to the Presbyterian church. He has never felt inclined to take a very active part in poli- tics but keeps well informed on all public questions. He is a man of honest motives and sterling character.

CLARENCE V. McRAE .- It is not al- ways the amount of land owned that makes a farmer of Morrill county, financially indepen- dent, but rather its location, its intelligent till- age and improvement and its development in the way of irrigation. The eighty acre farm of C. V. McRae, situated on section fifteen, town twenty-one, is an example. Mr. McRae has made the excellent improvements on the land himself and has fulfilled other conditions and now has one of the most productive farms of the county, where, as a citizen, he is held in high esteem.

Mr. McRae was born in Doniphan county, Kansas, December 17, 1880. His parents were Alexander and May (Bender) McRae, the latter of whom was born in Missouri and now resides in Washington county, Kansas. Mr. McRae's father was born at Toronto, Canada, came from there to the United state in 1860, and settled in Doniphan county Kansas. He was a general farmer and died in Washington county, Kansas, at the age of sixty-two years. Of his seven children, Clarence V. is the youngest surviving.

Mr. McRae had school advantages in his native state and was reared on his father's farm in Washington county. He continued a farmer in Kansas until 1907, when he came to Nebraska and for three years engaged in general farming in the eastern part of the state. In 1910, he came to Morrill county and home-

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steaded, and has prospered ever since through industry and good management. He has al- ways been a hard worker and his steady, earn- est efforts have brought deserved reward.

In Washington county Kansas, Mr. McRae was married to Miss Grace Grout, who was born there July 6, 1881. She is a daughter of Elmer and Mary ( McAlister ) Grout. The father was born in the state of New York and was a successful farmer in Washington coun- ty prior to his death. The mother was born in central Indiana and still lives in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. McRae have the following children : Pearl, Lester, Opal, Genevieve, Luella, Mary Jane and Amy, a fine, representative, Morrill county family. The Methodist church holds the family membership. An independent voter, Mr. McRae gives his political support to candi- dates of whom his judgment approves, and al- ways may be found heartily co-operating with other good citizens for the general welfare.

ELWIN M. SPENCER, whose well improv- ed farm of seven hundred and twenty acres is favorably situated in Morrill county, is not one of the old settlers of this section but is a native of Nebraska, born at Wymore, in Gage county. He is a son of William Isaac and Ida Bell (Henry) Spencer, who came from Fre- mont county, Iowa, to Nebraska in 1869. They settled first in Johnson county but later moved to Gage county.

Elwin M. Spencer was reared and educated in the neighborhood of Wymore, Nebraska. He was brought up on a farm and has always followed agricultural pursuits. He started for himself in Gage county and remained there for sixteen years, at the end of that time re- moving to Kansas, in which state he contin- ued farming for ten years. In 1913, Mr. Spencer came back to his native state and bought six hundred acres of land to which he has added until he now has seven hundred and twenty acres, all ditched. He has developed this land from the sod, has placed substantial improvements here and is prospering as a general farmer and extensive feeder of stock.

On August 28, 1910, in Republic county, Kansas, Mr. Spencer was married to Miss Ethel C. Bonner, who was born in Kansas. They have three children: Lucile B., Otho D. and Paul J., all of whom are at home, the older children attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer are members of the English Lu- theran church. He is one of the directors of the Farmers Irrigation Canal project. In poli- tics he votes independently according to his own judgment, and fraternally is identified

with the Odd Fellows and Woodmen of the World. He is one of the county's representa- tive men and good citizens.

S. W. DANIELS, deceased, was a resident of Morrill county for more than twenty years. He stood well with all who knew him. He came here an experienced farmer, homesteaded on section twenty-six, greatly improved his property and was numbered with the substan- tial and dependable men of the county. He was born in Pennsylvania, July 30, 1854.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 84

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