USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Past and present of Adams County, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 13
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EZRA E. SCHULTZ.
Ezra E. Schultz is one of the active business men of Hastings, prominent, enterprising and progressive. IIe is the manager of an extensive commercial enterprise conducted under the name of Stephen Schultz, his partners in the undertaking being Stephen and Harry E. Schultz of Hastings and Walter C. Schultz, of Kenesaw. They are dealers in agricultural implements, vehicles, harness and automobiles and maintain a chain of houses in this part of the state so that their
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trade covers a wide territory. Ezra E. Schultz is a most progressive young man, wide-awake, alert and determined in what he undertakes, and the record of his success should serve to inspire and encourage others. He was born in Toledo, Ohio, on the 23d of July, 1881, and is a son of Stephen and Johanna (Martin) Schultz. The family came to Nebraska in 1887, settling first at Kenesaw, where the father engaged in the blacksmith business, his activities along that line con- tinuing for several years, after which he extended the scope of his labors, becoming a dealer in agricultural implements in 1892. He remained in business at Kenesaw until 1907, when he removed to Hastings, opening an establishment at Second and Burlington streets. In 1910 he erected a fine business block containing twelve hundred square feet of floor space and two stories in height. In 1913 the garage was built, sixty by one hundred and twenty-five feet-a fireproof structure. They conduct a retail business, handling the Paige, Grant and Velie cars.
Ezra E. Schultz was educated in the Kenesaw high school, the parents giving liberal educational advantages to their children, who were ten in number. Ezra E. Schultz is the eldest of the six who are yet living. He spent his youthful days under the parental roof and has always been associated with his father in business and under his direction received his business training. Three of the sons are now partners in this undertaking and aside from the main establishment at Hastings they have seven branch houses in Nebraska, situated at Juniata, Kenesaw, Heartwell, Holstein, Prosser, Giltner and Rose- mont. They carry the goods of the John Deere Plow Company and handle all kinds of agricultural implements, harness and vehicles, be- ing able to supply to the trade all that the best markets afford.
Ezra E. Schultz was united in marriage to Miss Ona Blythe, a daughter of A. B. Blythe, on the 12th of September, 1906, and they have one son, Dale. In religious faith the parents are Methodists and are liberal and generous supporters of the church. Mr. Schultz also belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having attained the thirty- second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is likewise a member of the Commercial Club and is interested in all that has to do with the up- building and progress of his city. In politics he is a republican and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day but has never sought nor held public office. He enjoys motoring and hunting and is fond of outdoor life, turning thereto for needed recreation from the cares of an onerous and growing business. It is true that he entered upon a business already established, but in controlling and enlarging this many a man of less resolute spirit would have failed.
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and his course demonstrates that success is not a matter of genius as held by some but is rather the outcome of sound judgment and ex- perience, supplemented by unfaltering industry.
DIRK H. STROMER.
Dirk H. Stromer was one of the pioneer settlers of Hanover township, Adams county, and, although he had many obstacles to overcome, he persevered and succeeded in gaining financial indepen- dence. His demise, which occurred in Hastings, October 24, 1914, was deeply regretted by his many friends. A native of Germany, he was born in 1846 and remained in that country until 1866, when he accompanied his parents, Richard and Elizabeth Stromer, on their emigration to the new world. They located in Woodford county, Illinois, where the father rented land, and Dirk H. Stromer worked as a farm hand for three years, after which he was married and began farming on his own account, renting land for six years. In 1875 he came to Adams county, Nebraska, and the following year his parents also removed here and from that time until their deaths made their home with him. He purchased railroad land in Hanover township and at once began its cultivation and improvement. There were the usual hardships of pioneer life to be encountered, conveniences were few and there was much hard work to be done, but as the years passed he had the satisfaction of seeing his farm brought to a higher state of development and of knowing that its value was constantly increasing. From time to time he purchased other land, owning in all one thousand five hundred acres. He followed general farming, raising both grain and stock, until January, 1906, when he retired from active life and took up his residence in Hastings, where his demise occurred on the 24th of October, 1914.
Mr. Stromer was married May 3, 1868, in Illinois to Miss Johanna Williams, a daughter of John and Mattie Williams, natives of Ger- many, where the father passed away. The mother subsequently re- moved to the United States and died in Woodford county, Illinois, where she is buried. Mr. and Mrs. Stromer became the parents of eight children. Alma, who was born on the 23d of November, 1870, in Illinois, gave her hand in marriage to Wyatt Meester, a son of John and Jennie Meester, of Hanover township, and they have five chil- dren. Eliza, who was born on the 12th of February, 1873, in Illinois, is the wife of Sam Yeatman, who is farming in Hanover township,
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Adams county, and they have three children. Johann, who was born in Adams county on the 15th of February, 1876, and is now living in Home City, Kansas, married Matilda Arnast and has two children. George was born on the 7th of October, 1878, and is now engaged in farming in Hanover township. He married Anna Kohl, by whom he has three children. Andrew, whose birth occurred on the 31st of May, 1881, and who is living in Hanover township, married Kate Meester and has three children. Henry, who was born on the 17th of Sep- tember, 1883, and is now a resident of Hastings, married Lulu Kohl. William was born on the 26th of December, 1885, and is engaged in farming in Hanover township. He married Sarah Hardenstein and they have five children. Edward, who was born on the 14th of Novem- ber, 1888, married Elsie Sabbal and resides in Hanover township.
Mr. Stromer supported the democratic party at the polls and served acceptably in a number of township offices. His religious faith was that of the Evangelical Lutheran church and he helped to build the house of worship. His success was due to his determination, his untiring industry and his good management and all who knew him recognized in him a citizen of sterling worth. His widow, who is well and favorably known in Hastings, resides at No. 310 West Fourth street.
DAVID MAYS.
David Mays has resided upon his farm in West Blue township for many years and has gained recognition as an efficient and energetic agriculturist. He was born in Wood county, Ohio, on the 26th of November, 1852, but when he was four years old was taken by his parents to Mercer county, Illinois, the journey being made by wagon. The father rented a farm there and devoted his time and attention to its operation for eight years. Subsequent to his demise his widow removed with her children to Kosciusko county, Indiana.
David Mays received but a limited education as it was necessary for him to go to work when he was quite young. He was employed as a farm hand until he was twenty-three years of age, when he began renting land, so continuing until 1887. In the spring of 1888 he came to Adams county, Nebraska, and settled upon his present farm in West Blue township, which he had purchased from the railroad several years previously. Two years later, in the spring of 1890, his mother, sister and two brothers also came to this county and made
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their home with him for a time. The mother passed away in 1899 and the other members of the family married and established homes of their own. Mr. Mays has brought his farm to a high state of de- velopment and the excellent condition in which everything is kept testifies to his energy and good management. He concentrates his energies upon the cultivation of his land and derives a substantial income from his labors.
Mr. Mays supports the democratic party at the polls but has never taken a very active part in public affairs. His religious faith is that of the Christian church. He has worked hard since boyhood and has not only gained a competence for himself but also provided for his brothers and sister until they were able to take care of them- selves. His many sterling qualities have commended him to the warm regard and the respect of those who have come into contact with him and he is one of the valued residents of his township.
WILLIAM R. DUER.
Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose and such was the feeling in Adams county when William R. Duer passed to the home beyond. He was born at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the 12th of May, 1836, and in the maternal line came from Scotch ancestry. He left Louisiana when his mother died and made his way to the home of an uncle in Cincinnati, Ohio, after which he pursued his education in the schools of that city. He later re- moved to Illinois and turned his attention to farming, following gen- eral agricultural pursuits in that state for some years. In 1893 he arrived in Hastings, Nebraska, after which he lived retired, enjoying a well earned rest. He had previously invested in farm lands in Illinois and he continued the owner of property in that state up to the time of his demise. In business affairs his judgment was sound and his indefatigable industry won him the success which ultimately crowned his efforts and made him one of the well-to-do residents of Hastings.
On May 9, 1861, Mr. Duer was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Brown, a daughter of Bedford and Caroline Brown, of Kentucky. Their wedding was celebrated in Illinois and to them were born several children: Robert H., who was employed as engineer in the state capitol of Illinois; Caroline A .; William S., who is engaged in fruit raising in Oregon; John S., who is connected with the Stitt garage
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of Hastings; Charles B., living in New York city; and Bessie L., who became the wife of John B. Klein and died on the 24th of May, 1911. There are also five grandchildren.
The death of the husband and father occurred February 28, 1911, and his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Hastings. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and his political indorse- ment was given to the republican party but he never sought nor desired office of any kind, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs and perform his public duties as a private citizen. He left to his family not only a comfortable competence but also the priceless heritage of an untarnished name, which, according to the wise man of old "is better to be chosen than great riches." Mrs. Duer still survives her husband and is now in her seventy-fifth year. She is well known in Hastings, where she makes her home and where she has a large circle of warm friends.
REV. HERMAN F. RAMELOW.
Rev. Herman F. Ramelow, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran church of the Missouri synod at Kenesaw, is doing effective work for the moral advancement of his community and the upbuilding of his church and is held in high esteem. He was born on the 28th of February, 1887, in Cook county, Illinois, a son of Herman and Mag- dalena (Stiegemeyer) Ramelow, who are now residents of Thayer county, Nebraska.
Rev. Herman F. Ramelow attended a parochial school in St. Louis and also the parochial and public schools near Brazilton, Kansas. He prepared for the ministry in Concordia College, at Springfield, Illinois, graduating from the theological course in 1911. His first charge was at Columbia, Illinois, where he remained for two years, but in 1913 he came to Kenesaw, where he has since remained. He is not only zealous in promoting the spiritual growth of the church but is also capable in furthering its material interests, and he has the hearty cooperation of his parishioners in carrying on the various phases of church work. His influence has also been strongly felt in the com- munity at large and he is always ready to support any movement which seeks to advance the cause of right and justice.
Rev. Ramelow was married on the 28th of December, 1911, to Miss Cornelia Miessler, of Carlinville, Illinois, and they have a daughter, Ruth. He takes a keen interest in public affairs and is a
REV. HERMAN F. RAMELOW
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careful student of the political questions and issues of the day. He votes independently, as he believes that by so doing he can best serve the public welfare.
WILLIAM MADGETT.
William Madgett, mayor of Hastings and recognized as one of the prominent representatives of the republican party in Nebraska, has been well known in the business circles of his city for a number of years as a prominent real estate dealer, handling important prop- erty interests. He is a native son of New York, his birth having occurred in Broome county on the 9th of July, 1878, his parents being James and Mary Madgett, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. During his youthful days he was brought to the west and he supplemented his district school training by further study in the schools of Hastings. He began earning his living by selling papers on the streets and, like many another self-made man, has risen to prominence, becoming a leader of public thought and action. When his school days were over he became identified with banking interests and for'nine years occupied the position of accountant. He then went to Holstein, Nebraska, where he organized the Holstein Bank, which he conducted for a brief period. He then returned to Hastings and opened a real estate office in connection with his brother. Since that time he has continuously operated in the real estate field here, has become the owner of valuable property, including one of the finest buildings in the city, and has negotiated many important realty trans- fers. His plans are well formulated, his enterprise is unfaltering and his enthusiasm is contagious.
Mr. Madgett was married in 1899 to Miss Pauline E. Nance and they have a little daughter who bears the mother's name. Their re- ligious faith is that of the Episcopal church, while in fraternal rela- tions Mr. Madgett is well known as a Consistory Mason, a Mystic Shriner and a member of the Knights of Pythias. He has given his political allegiance to the republican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and has taken a more and more active part in politics as he has been aroused to the needs and demands of the hour. In 1915 he was elected mayor of Hastings and is giving to the city a businesslike, progressive administration based upon his thorough knowledge of municipal conditions and problems-problems for which he finds a ready and correct solution. On account of friends urging Vol. II-9
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him to do so he has become a candidate for the republican nomination for governor. His position is never an equivocal one. He stands loyally for a cause in which he believes and he advocates woman suf- frage; conservation of the state's natural resources, such as rivers, streams and lakes for water power and irrigation purposes; loan of state school money on Nebraska farm mortgages; a more thorough and uniform system of public accounting, so the different offices will have a check on each other; a commission to pass upon the constitu- tionality and validity of proposed bills before they are enacted into law by the legislature; and a good roads law requiring more and better work done upon our public highways and providing that con- vict labor and the proceeds shall be appropriated by the state for such purposes. Mr. Madgett regards a public office as a public trust and his loyalty and progressiveness in the office of mayor indicate the course which he would follow should he become the state's chief executive.
RAY SIPPLE.
Among the wide-awake and enterprising young business men of Hastings is Ray Sipple, member of the Sipple Brothers Motor Com- pany. Adams county numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Holstein on the 4th of January, 1891. His par- ents are C. A. and Ella Sipple, who came to Nebraska in pioneer times and are still residents of this state. The father was engaged in the grain and livestock business at Norman, Holstein and Kenesaw.
After acquiring his education by attendance at the public schools through the period of his boyhood and early youth, Ray Sipple began work upon his father's cattle ranch in Boone county and while thus employed learned the value of industry, perseverance and determina- tion. In March, 1914, he arrived in Hastings and in partnership with his brother Earl established the Sipple Brothers Motor Company. They handle the Ford cars for Adams county and also the Oldsmobile in five counties. They also conduct a repair business and deal in auto accessories. Both are active in the conduct and management of the business and in addition they employ five men. They occupy a room one hundred and twenty-five by forty-four feet in a two story brick building and have built up a business of large and gratifying pro- portions.
On the 8th of February, 1911, Mr. Sipple was united in marriage
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to Miss Cora Rice, a daughter of W. A. Rice. They attend the Methodist church and in the social circles of the city occupy an enviable position, having many warm friends in Hastings. Mr. Sipple belongs to the Commercial Club and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is interested in all that pertains to the welfare of the community and cooperates in many plans for the public good. He represents one of the old and honored pioneer families of the county and the work which was begun by his father in early days in behalf of the county's development is being carried on by the son.
JAMES F. CROWLEY.
In no profession does advancement depend more entirely upon individual merit and ability than in the law and that James F. Crowley has gained recognition as a leading attorney is the result of his close application, thorough study and fidelity to the interests of his clients. He was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, April 9, 1879, and is a son of Jerome and Agnes (Carney) Crowley, who in the fall of 1884 left Iowa and came with their family to Hastings. Here the father engaged in business as a wholesale grocer, continuing active in that line until his death, which occurred in 1905. His widow survives.
After attending the public schools James F. Crowley continued his education in St. Mary's College at St. Mary's, Kansas, and after reviewing the business situation with its varied possibilities along industrial, agricultural, commercial and professional lines he de- termined upon the practice of law as a life work. Accord- ingly he began studying in the office of McCreary & Button at Hastings and was admitted to the bar on the 13th of June, 1901. He then entered upon the active practice of his profession, in which he has made steady advance and is now accorded a liberal clientage that has connected him with much important litigation heard in the courts of his district. He is felicitous and clear in his statement, strong in argument and logical in his reasoning, and the court records indicate that he has won many verdicts favorable to his clients.
On the 10th of June, 1915, Mr. Crowley was married to Miss Blanche Cantwell, a daughter of Thomas J. Cantwell. They are Catholics in religious faith and Mr. Crowley belongs to Council No. 1123 of the Knights of Columbus. He has served as grand knight and also as district deputy. He has membership with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he gives his political allegiance to the
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republican party, taking an active interest in both county and state politics. He has served as a member of the central committee and for three terms filled the office of justice of the peace. He is fond of outdoor life and, indulging his taste in that direction, secures needed rest and recreation from the onerous duties of a professional career. He is a member of the Bar Association and he enjoys the confidence and high regard of his colleagues and contemporaries in practice.
MORDECAI W. HENSLEY.
Mordecai W. Hensley is well known in Kenesaw, where he is liv- ing retired, and throughout the county is held in high respect and esteem. Although at the time of the Civil war he was living in Ken- tucky, where the sympathy with the Southern cause was very strong, he served in the Union army as he believed that the north was right. His birth occurred in Carter county, Kentucky, on the 10th of November, 1842, and his parents, Madison M. and Elizabeth (Williams) Hensley, both passed away in that county. He attended a subscription school for a few months a year but much of his time as a boy was given to helping with the work of the home farm. On the 11th of June, 1861, when not yet nineteen years of age, he enlisted in Company F, Fourteenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, which engaged in several skirmishes with bushwhackers in Carter county before it was mustered into the United States service in November of that year. Mr. Hensley participated in fighting around Middle Creek, Kentucky, and Kingston, Georgia, and subsequently took part in the Atlanta campaign and witnessed the fall of that city. He was often in the thickest of the fight and saw General McPherson killed. After the fall of Atlanta he fought in the battle of Nashville and in the engagements on the Tennessee river. On the 31st of Janu- ary, 1865, he was discharged at Louisa, Kentucky, and returned home. For a long period after the close of hostilities feeling ran high in that locality against all who had served in the Union army but Mr. Hensley remained there five years in spite of the illwill which most of his neighbors bore him. At length, however, fifty men banded together and attempted to capture him and it was with diffi- culty that he escaped into the timber, reaching the Ohio river, which he crossed. He decided never to return to Carter county and went to Andrew county, Missouri, where he purchased land, which he
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operated for ten years. His next removal was to Clay county, Kan- sas, where he farmed for five years, and at the end of that time he located in Kearney county, Nebraska. After carrying on agricul- tural pursuits there for a similar period he took up his residence in Kenesaw, where he still lives. While actively engaged in farming he gained recognition as an efficient and successful agriculturist and the competence which he accumulated now enables him to enjoy a period of leisure.
Mr. Hensley was married on the 15th of October, 1865, to Miss Selah Ann McGinnis, of Boyd county, Kentucky, who was born on the 6th of August, 1843, and died in Kenesaw on the 16th of Janu- ary, 1892. To their union were born four children, of whom three are still living, namely: Madison M., who is operating the lighting plant at Kenesaw; Joseph D., at home; and Mordecai W., a resident of Grafton, Nebraska.
Mr. Hensley has always supported the republican party, believ- ing firmly in its principles. He is identified with the local Grand Army post and greatly enjoys meeting with other Union veterans. In March, 1865, he was given the entered apprentice degree in Can- nonsburg Lodge, No. 383, A. F. & A. M., in June of that year became a Fellowcraft Mason and on the 31st of August was made a Master Mason. At that time there was much feeling against the Masons in his locality and the meetings had to be held in secret. He now holds membership in Kenesaw Lodge, No. 144, of which he is a charter member. He exemplifies in his life the teachings of Masonry and, moreover, has always been characterized by a strong public spirit which has led him to promote the general welfare in every way possi- ble.
JOHN P. MADGETT.
John P. Madgett is a partner in the real estate firm of Madgett Brothers and as such occupies an enviable position in the business circles of Hastings. In this connection, moreover, he is a partner in the ownership of the Madgett building, one of the fine structures of the city. He was born at Binghamton, New York, on the 3d of March, 1879, and is a son of James and Mary (Hayes) Madgett, who were natives of Ireland. The father was born in County Kerry in 1823 and died in Hastings at the very advanced age of ninety-one years. The mother was born in County Cork in May, 1845, and is
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