History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 89

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 89

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).

CHARLES T. SCHLOSSER, has been a resident of western Nebraska since 1891, and is now one of the extensive landholders and representative agriculturists and stock-growers of Garden county.

Charles Theodore Schlosser was born at Pittsfield, Illinois, August 5, 1876, and was abort seven years old when his parents came to Nebraska and settled in Harlan county, where his father engaged in farming. Mr. Schlosser is a son of Earnest and Harriet (Lakin) Schlosser, the former born in Ger- many and the latter born and reared in Illinois. The father was a young man when he came to America, and began to farm in Illinois, whence

452

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

he came with his family to Nebraska in the pioneer days, the remainder of his life be- ing passed in this state, where he died at the age of seventy-seven years, his wife passing away in 1916, at the age of seventy-three.

Charles Schlosser gained his education in the Public school of Harlan county, and in the meanwhile began to assist in the work of the home farm. At the age of fifteen years he found employment at farm work in his home county, and after working one summer came, in 1891, to that part of Deuel county that is comprised in Garden county. For the ensu- ing five years he was employed by various ranch concerns in the north part of Garden county, and he then took up a homestead and began farming, giving special attention to the cattle business. In 1904, he obtained a Kin- kaid claim, where he still resides, besides which he has purchased two thousand acres of ranch land and thus is the owner of two thousand six hundred and forty acres. He raises cattle on an extensive scale. He is a stockholder in the farmers' grain elevator and general merchandise establishment at Lisco, and also in the Higgins Packing Company at South Omaha. In politics he is aligned with the Republican party, and as a reliable and popular citizen he takes interest in all things pertaining to the welfare of his home county and state.

On October 9, 1918 Mr. Schlosser married Mrs. Anna (Vandford) Ames, who was born and reared in Missouri. They have one child, Virginia Evaline.

LOUIS M. MEYER, is one of the repre- sentative agriculturists and stock-growers of Garden county. He has proved alike his energy and his resourcefulness and has gained independence and prosperity.

Mr. Meyer was born at St. Charles, Mis- souri, on July 11, 1865, a son of Louis and and Barbara J. (Hintzelman) Meyer, both natives of the province of Lorraine, France. Louis J. Meyer accompanied his parents on the immigration to America. They settled at St. Charles, Missouri, where the parents pass- ed the remainder of their lives. Louis J. Mey- er learned the carpenter's trade, to which he gave his attention in Missouri until 1868, when he came with his family to Nebraska and settled at Nebraska City, where he became a leading contractor and builder and where he continued to reside until his death, at the ven- erable age of eighty-six years. His wife was seven years old when she came with her par- ents to America, and was reared and educated

at St. Charles, Missouri, where her marriage was solemnized. She died, at Nebraska City, when seventy-two years of age. This sterl- ing pioneer couple became the parents of nine children, of whom four are now living.

Louis M. Meyer was about three years old at the time of the family removal to Nebraska City, where he was reared and received good educational advantages, including those of Albert Hall College, which was founded by J. Sterling Morton. At the age of twenty-one years, in 1886, Mr. Meyer initiated his pioneer experience in western Nebraska, which section of the state at that time was but sparsely set- tled and practically undeveloped. He came to Cheyenne county and took up homestead and tree claims in what is now Scottsbluff county, and in due time he perfected his title to this land, upon which he made the necessary development and improvements. He then en- tered the employ of the owners of the Cedar Creek ranch, and for six years he was foreman. He then purchased a ranch on the south side of the North Platte river, in what is now Mor- rill county, and resided there, engaged in the cattle business about six years. He then bought a tract of eighty-seven acres close to Lisco, where he has made good improvements and has since maintained his home, his atten- tion being given to diversified agriculture and raising hogs, shipping about eight carloads annually. He is affiliated with and carries in- surance in both the Modern Woodmen of Am- erica and the Woodmen of the World. He is a Republican. Mr. Meyer has been successful and among his investments is stock of the Lex- ington Milling Company, at Lexington, Daw- son county, three hundred and twenty acres of land, and sixty acres in Texas. The re- ligions faith of Mr. Meyers is that of the Catholic church, of which both he and his wife are earnest communicants.

At Weyerts, Cheyenne county, October 15, 1895, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Meyers and Miss Alma C. Johnson, who was born in Sweden. Her family came to America and settled in Iowa, and in 1888, came to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, taking up land near Broadwater, in what is now Morrill coun- ty, where the father engaged in farming and stock-raising, he was seventy-five years of age at the time of his death, in 1915; his wife died in 1913, at the age of seventy-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have one daughter, Daisy D., who is at home. She graduated in St. Bernard Academy at Nebraska City, and later from the Nebraska State Normal School at Chadron, as a member of the class of 1919,

FRANK F. FISCHER

453

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

then taught two years in the city schools of Bayard, Nebraska.

FRANK F. FISCHER. - At the present time there are few lines of trade that demand more keen and careful business ability than the buying and distribution of groceries. At the close of a great war prices on all foodstuffs for a time are unstable and it requires good judg- ment and wise foresight to provide for present and future conditions. In this regard Scotts- bluff is fortunate in many ways and attention may be called to a prospering grocery enter- prise that has but recently entered the commer- cial field here, the Fischer Grocery Company. of which Frank F. Fischer is president and general manager.

Frank F. Fischer was born at Humphrey. Platte county, Nebraska, October 12, 1894, and is a son of Jacob and Antoinette ( Uphoff ) Fischer. The father of Mr. Fischer was born in France and the mother in McHenry county, Illinois. They have had six children, Frank F. being the youngest of the three survivors. The others are: Anthony, who is a merchant at Humphrey, Nebraska ; and Anna, who is the wife of Frank Hodgin, of Sioux City, Iowa. In 1873 the father of Mr. Fischer came to Nebraska and homesteaded in the eastern part of the state, and the mother's people came about the same time and homesteaded in Har- rison county. Both parents now live at Humphrey, the father being a retired merchant, and they are faithful members of the Roman Catholic church. The father is affiliated with the Democratic party.

Frank F. Fischer was graduated from the public schools of Humphrey in 1908, when but thirteen years old, and immediately sought em- ployment, for a time actually earning his living by carrying brick. He had a natural leaning toward merchandising and while clerking for three years in a store at Humphrey, devoted himself closely to the interests of his employers and learned business details. In 1912 he came to Scottsbluff and was given charge of the Diers' Bros. Grocery Company, with which he continued until he entered the National army. He was sent to Camp Funston for training and served eight months, with rank of first sergeant in an infantry company. After his honorable discharge in January, 1919, he returned to Scottsbluff and embarked in business for him- self, organizing the Fischer Grocery Company. This company is capitalized at $25,000. Mr. Fischer is president and general manager and has experienced associates with him. Excellent quarters have been secured, the stock is fresh and up-to-date, the management is courteous,

and delivery prompt. Mr. Fischer is a member of the Roman Catholic church and he belongs to the Knights of Columbus. He is intelligent- ly interested in public affairs but has not been personally active in politics. He is a member of the Elks lodge and was elected city treasurer in 1919.

HIRAM W. MAXWELL has proved him- self a man of boundless energy and resource- fulness during the years of his residence in western Nebraska, in which part of the state he is entitled to the fullest of pioneer honors, for here he has not only given forceful power to the promotion of agricultural and live-stock enterprises but has also been a successful con- tractor and builder, his activities along this line having greatly conserved material advance- ment in connection with the splendid develop- ment of the country. He is still the owner of valuable farm property, was in earlier days influential in gaining many valuable settlers for this part of Nebraska ; he is a stockholder in the farmers' grain elevator at Oshkosh, in which city he owns and occupies a modern residence, and he still continues to give no little time and attention to contracting and building. He was the first man to bring full- blooded stock into the Garden county region of the Nebraska Panhandle, and he has been prominent in community affairs of public or- der, as indicated by formers service in the office of justice of the peace, and by fifteen years efficient service as deputy sheriff and constable. In connection with his civic liber- ality and loyalty he has never swerved from close allegiance to the Democratic party, of whose principles he is a staunch advocate.

Hiram Wise Maxwell may well take pride in claiming the old Buckeye state as the place of his nativity, and in being the scion of one of the old and honored families of that his- toric commonwealth, of which his father, Dr. David Cyphord Maxwell, likewise a native, he having been reared and educated in Harrison county, that state, and having been a man of fine culture and professional attainments, as he was not only a physician and surgeon but also a dentist, his degree of Doctor of Medi- cine having been received from one of the leading medical colleges of Ohio. In addition to his successful professional activities Dr. Maxwell was closely identified with agricul- tural enterprise, and he was a resident of Holmes county, Ohio, at the time of his death, when seventy-three years of age. His widow, whose maiden name was Christina Myers, was born in Pennsylvania but reared and educated

454

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

in Ohio, she having attained the venerable age of eighty-five years. Of their children four sons are living at the time of this writing: A. D. is manager of the new employees of the Kelley & Springfield Rubber Company, at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Robert M., a skilled mechanic by vocation, is a resident of Holmes county, Ohio ; Hiram W., of this review, is the next younger ; and Allen, an engineer by voca- tion, is now a resident of Ocean view, Cali- fornia, he being a veteran of the Spanish- American War.

Hiram W. Maxwell was reared in Holmes county, Ohio, and there received the advan- tages of the public schools, including the high school. He was born in that county on the 28th of March, 1867, and there continued his residence until he had attained to the age of seventeen years, when he gained pioneer distinction in Kansas, where he continued to be engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1888, when he provided for himself more strenuous pioneer experiences by coming to the com- parative wilds of western Nebraska and estab- lishing himself in old Cheyenne county, which then included Deuel, Garden and other coun- ties of the present day. In the following year he filed entry on homestead and pre-emption claims, in what is now Garden county, and he has made excellent improvents on this prop- erty, which he still owns. For eight years he was actively engaged in contracting and building in Dawson county, as a skilled work- man at the carpenter's trade, and he then re- turned to Garden county and engaged actively in general farming and in the raising of horses, cattle and hogs, with which basic lines of industrial enterprise he has here continued to be identified since that time, the while he has continued also to give considerable atten- tion to contracting and building, in which field he has gained high reputation.

In Cheyenne county, on the 4th of Octo- ber, 1892, Mr. Maxwell wedded Miss Lottie Johnson, and she died at the age of twenty- four years, being survived by one child, Esther, who is now the wife of Walter Cooper, of Varney, Montana, and who has three children.

At Lexington, Dawson county, on the 4th of October, 1900, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Maxwell to Miss Ida B Woody, who was born in Indiana but reared and edu- cated in Nebraska, she having been a profes- sional nurse prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell have still as members of the happy home circle their fine family of eleven children, and it may well be imagined that the home in one of superabundant vitality and

happiness. The names of the children are here given in respective order of birth: Mel- vin B, Bessie L., Minnie M., Christena A., Myra E., Fern J., Isabelle, Ruth, John, better known as Jack, Margaret, and Lucille.

WILLIAM I. DYSON, who is serving his fourth term as sheriff of Morrill county, is well known all through this section of Nebraska for personal courage and his wise discrimina- tion whereby many criminals have been brought to justice and the laws have been upheld. Aside from his high office, Sheriff Dyson commands the respect of his fellow citizens and enjoys their esteem. He home- steaded in Morrill county in 1906, and has been a resident of the state since 1883.

He was born in Ottawa county, Missouri, September 9, 1869, the son of Thomas Dyson, who was born in Ohio, a son of Thomas Dy- son, who was a native of Indiana. The grand- father died at St. Louis, Missouri, during the great epidemic of cholera. Sheriff Dyson's mother was born and married in Iowa and both parents died on the home farm in Ottawa county, Missouri. The father was a man of importance there, a zealous Republican and for years a county commissioner. He was a veteran of the Civil War, having served over four years in that struggle, being a member of Company H, Thirty-sixth lowa infantry. At Blundy's mill, Arkansas, he was captured by the enemy and for a year was confined in a military prison in Tyler, Texas. For over sixty years he was a member of one Masonic lodge. Both he and wife were members of the Christian church. Of their seven children five are living, William I. being the eldest of the family.

William I Dyson obtained his education in the district school of Nodaway county, Mis- souri. His early years were spent on a farm and he both owned and rented land in Mis- souri before he came to Johnson county Nebraska, where his father had purchased a farm. Sheriff Dyson lived on that farm until he came to Morrill, old Cheyenne county, in 1906. He homesteaded in that year and lived on the land for five years, then traded for property in Alliance, and moved from his homestead to Bridgeport in 1912. For six years, and while living on his homested, he was in the employ of the Bridgeport Lumber Company. In 1911, he was first elected sher- iff of the county and the high regard in which he is held is indicated by his subsequent elec- tions to this responsible office.

On September 29, 1892, Mr. Dyson was

455

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

united in marriage with Miss Anna M. Stev- ens, who was born in Iowa. Of their fam- ily of ten children the following survive : Rena F., who is the wife of Eugene Hall, a railroad man at Bridgeport; Amy, who is a teacher; Alta, who is the wife of Glenn Brown, a farmer in Morrill county ; Thomas Allen, who has returned home safely from two years of military overseas service in the World War, was a member of the Thirty-second Di- vision ; Mildred and Walter B., twins, the former of whom is a student in the high school, and the latter of whom died at the age of three years ; and Clifford, woodrow, Leota and Phyllis. Sheriff Dyson and has family belong to the Baptist church. He belongs to the Woodmen lodges and is also an Odd Fellow, having passed the chairs in the local lodge in the latter organization. Ever since Mckinley was elected he has been a supporter of the principles of the Democratic party.

SAMUEL S. GARVEY .- The grain and lumber interests of Morrill county are of great importance and when ably handled by men of sound judgment and business acumen, bring large returns that add to the wealth and com- mercial standing of the county. At the pres- ent time perhaps no one man at Bridgeport is more profitably identified in this way than Samuel S. Garvey, who, in addition to having large individual interests is secretary and treas- urer of the Bridgeport Lumber Company.

Samuel S. Garvey was born in Lake county, Indiana, in December, 1861, the only son of Samuel and Julia ( Halloway) Garvey. The mother was born in Virginia but was married in Indiana, in which state the father was born and died, his death preceding the birth of his son. Mr. Garvey has one sister, Nancy Heck- er, who is the wife of a railroad man at Por- ter, Indiana. The father owned a farm in Lake county. His father, Duncan Garvey, was born in Ireland.

Under his mother's tender care, Samuel S. Garvey grew into sturdy boyhood, attended the public schools and made himself useful on the farm. In 1879 he came to York county, Nebraska, where he was employed on farms for a number of years, then purchased land and carried on agricultural industries there until 1902, when he moved to McCook. There he went into the elevator business in which he continued for fifteen years and did well. In January, 1917, he came to Morrill county and soon bought an interest in the Bridgeport Lumber Company, becoming secretary and treasurer of the concern and also assistant

manager. Additionally he owns an elevator and lumber yard at Dalton, Nebraska, his trade territory being all through the valley.

In 1886, Mr. Garvey was united in marriage to Frances Kleinschmidt, who was born in Germany, in which country her parents died. They have one daughter. Cora, who is the wife of Hurley Dye, a merchant at Wyola, Mon- tana. Mr. and Mrs. Garvey are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is in- fluential in county politics and in the fall of 1918, was elected a county commissioner. He is a Knight Templar Mason and has served as high priest and eminent commander, and be- longs also to the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Garvey is one of Bridgeport's upstanding, representa- tive citizens.

OVA N. THOSTESEN, the fortunate own- er of one of the best improved irrigated farms in Morrill county, located just one-half mile from Bridgeport, is a well known engineer on the passenger run between Bridgeport and Morrill, on the Burlington Railroad. Since he was nine years old, Mr. Thostesen has lived in Nebraska, but his birth took place in Illi- nois, March 27, 1871.

Mr. Thostesen's parents were Zachariah and Annie ( Miller) Thostesen, both born in Den- mark. They came to the United States in 1865, and for a period of fifteen years lived in Illinois, where the father was a farmer. In 1880. they came to Nebraska and the father first bought a tract of land from the Union Pacific Railroad, but in 1883, moved from Minden, in Kearney county, to Custer coun- ty, where he homesteaded on what is known as West Table. He lived there for nearly twenty years and then moved to Broken Bow, where he and wife still reside. He brought some capital with him from Illinois and moved into Custer coun- ty with three yoke of oxen and two teams of horses. In politics he is a republican and he and wife are members of the Lutheran church. Of their six children Ova N. is the eldest, the others being: Miller, who made a fortune as a miner in Alaska, lives at Seatttle, Washing- ton ; Barbara, who is the wife of J. A. Myers, a farmer near Broken Bow; Marie, who is the wife of Peter Hartvigson, a miner in Washing- ton; Florence, the assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Bridgeport. is the Widow of Fred Crom, formerly of Sargent. Nebraska, who was in the cattle business ; and John S., who is a railroad engineer working out of Bridgeport.

When Mr. Thostesen was a schoolboy in

456

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Custer county he received instruction in a sod house, similar to the one in which the family lived, for this was the usual type of dwelling in that section in early days. He worked on his father's homestead, and in fact continued to farm until 1899, although in 1890, he had be- gun to work on the Burlington Railroad as a fireman. Through faithful attention to duty he received promotion, in 1895 was made en- gineer, and since 1913, has been passenger en- gineer between Bridgeport and Morrill.

In 1897, Mr. Thostesen was united in mar- miage to Miss Katie Reeder, who was born in Iowa, a daughter of Henry Reeder, who came to Custer county in 1892, and now lives re- tired at Bridgeport. Mr. and Mrs. Thostesen have the following children: Zeta, who is in the employ of Armour & Co., at Denver ; Ivol, who is attending college at Hastings, Nebras- ka : Elna and Uena, both of whom are stu- dents in the high school at Bridgeport; Dean and Byrl, both of whom are in school, and Gayl. who has not yet outgrown babyhood. The family belongs to the Presbyterian church. Mr. Thostesen belongs to the independent wing of the Republican party. Since coming to Bridgeport, in 1907, he has taken an interest in public matters, especially in regard to the pub- lic schools and has served on the city school board. He is a member in good standing of the Railway Brotherhood of Firemen and Engineers. Mr. Thostesen is an honorable and upright man and is very highly esteemed by everyone and is very popular with the patrons of the Burlington whom he carefully and safely carrier back and forth daily.

CLARENCE S. CHAMBERS,one of the younger business men of the Panhandle who has made a name for himself as a ranchman and is now a manager of the Central Grain- eries Company of Lincoln, having charge of the branch in Sidney, is a native son born in this city December 25, 1885, the son of Judge Chambers, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Clarence Chambers was reared and educated here, attending the public schools until he graduated. The life of the cowboy appealed to him and he engaged in the cattle business for several years until familiar with all its phases. This led to his becoming a ranchman. He began farming and carried on extensive operations upon a fifteen hun- dred acre ranch. There Mr. Chambers was successful, made considerable money and be- came a well recognized figure in farm and ranch circles. He was a successful grain man and so was chosen to handle the extensive

grain business of the Central Graineries Com- pany in Sidney when wheat became one of the great products of this section. His able man- agement has built up a fine business for he is naturally constructive, is a buyer of ability and today is one of the representative men in business circles of the Panhandle. He has all the push, aggressive ability and progres- siveness accredited to the native sons of Ne- braska not only in business but in his efforts to build up Cheyenne county and Sidney.

Mr. Chambers was married November 27, 1909, at the bride's home near Sidney, Ne- braska to Pauline Wolfe, who was born in Sidney. She is the daughter of Frank and Caroline Wolfe, both of whom were born in Germany. Mrs. Chambers is the second of the three children in the Wolfe family, the other two being boys. Mrs. Chambers has four half sisters and one half brothers. Her father died when she was two years old, and the mother married Otto Kurz and continued to live on the old home place, located south- west of Sidney. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers have four children, two boys and two girls. Mr. Chambers is a member of the Odd Fellows and he and his wife are members of the Epis- copal church. They are building a beautiful, modern home in Sidney. Mr. and Mrs. Cham- bers are well and favorably known and they are members of the younger social circles of Sidney and have a host of friends.

THOMAS C. MINTLE has indubitably shown his potency for achievement in connec- tion with the basic industries of agriculture and stock-growing, of which he was a well known and highly successful exponent in Scottsbluff county, where his well improved ranch property, comprising two hundred and forty acres was situated in section twenty-two, township twenty-three, range fifty-five, six and a half miles distant from the city of Scottsbluff.

Thomas Clark Mintle was born in the ex- ceptionally beautiful little city of Glenwood, Iowa, and the date of his nativity was Sep- tember 28, 1867, which shows that his par- ents were numbered among the pioneer set- tlers of that favored section of the Hawkeye state. He is a son of William H. and Mary (Clark) Mintle, each of whom has passed the psalmist's span of three score years and ten, their home now being in Glenwood, Iowa, where the father and mother live in well earn- ed retirement, after many years of earnest and fruitful endeavor. William H. Mintle was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and his wife

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 89

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