USA > Nebraska > Gage County > Portrait and biographical album of Gage County, Nebraska : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 29
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Of the household of our subject and his wife there were five children, part of whom have left the parental roof and are nicely established in homes of their own. Jolin T. married Miss Etta Irving, and with their daughter, Mabel, they reside in River- side Township, where they have a farm of 160 acres; Mary E. is the wife of Charles Tanner, and they reside in this State; Sarah L. is the wife of Ellory Webster, residing in Logan Township; Wi !- lie and Katie are still at home. Mr. Elerbeck was naturalized as soon as the Constitution would per- mit, and he has become one of the best and most loyal citizens. He voted for the adoption of the State Constitution in 1866. He is a member of the Republican party, but has never cared to accept political offices though they have been tendered him. He has honorably served as School Director for eight years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Elerbeck incline toward the Church of the Christian Scientists, and the
former willingly shares the credit of his success in life and his popularity in the community with his estimable and highly respected wife, who has been a faithful companion and helpmate during all the years of their happy wedded life.
L OCERN W. KELLEY. In Grant Township there is contained some of the best land in the county, and on sections 2 and 3 may be found some of the most fertile, arable and tillable in the township. The gentleman whose life fur- nishes the basis of the present sketch is the owner of a very fine farm on these sections, comprising 160 acres of highly cultivated and productive farm- ing land. His home is upon section 3; he has been a resident of the township since 1875, and since that time has devoted himself to the improvement of his property, and at the same time has been identified with most of the important, practicable enterprises that have had as their aim and object the improvement of the environment, and the ad- vancement of the interests of the community at large.
Our subject is one of the prominent citizens of his township, and has come to fill a warm place in the hearts of his fellows, being a genial, affable and courteous gentleman, sincere friend and honorable citizen. He has been very intelligent and diligent in all the efforts made in the operations on his farm, which is now well supplied with the various necessities in the shape of buildings, etc., and is well stocked with cattle of high grade of the best breeds.
Our subject was born on the 27th of March, 1840, in Munson Township, Geauga Co., Ohio. He is the sixth child and fourth son of John A. and Mary A. (Woodard) Kelley. He was reared at the old home, and the memories connected with his school days cluster around the same place. Having drunk as deeply as was permitted at the fount of learning, his attention was directed to farming, in which he engaged until the present, making an entire success of all he undertook to perform, being quick to apprehend and understand the why and wherefore, and as ready to put into practice what he learned.
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The father of our subject was born in Vermont, and is of Irish descent, his father, Pardon Kelley, having served in the Revolutionary War, and fought for home and liberty with the "Green Mountain boys" in most of the chief engagements of those times. In later life he came to Ohio, and erected a woolen factory and gristmill in Ashita- bula County, where he resided until his death at the ripe age of seventy years. His son John, the father of our subject, was reared in Vermont, and was there married to a lady a native of the same State, and after the birth of several children, who died in infancy, John Kelley and wife removed to Ohio, and after several years of happy wedded life he there lost his first wife, whose maiden name was Mary A. Woodard. In the year 1857 he entered into a second marriage, the lady of his choice being Mrs. A. D. Sturdavant, who afterward accompanied him in his Western peregrinations. They are now residents of. De Witt, Saline County, and are re- spectively eighty-four and sixty-four years of age.
The subject of our sketch was reared at the old home in his native county, and there remained until he was of age, obtaining in the usual institu- tion the foundation of his education, which by much reading he has since improved. On the 12th of August, 1861, he enlisted in the 2d Ohio Cav- alry, and served in Company B, continuing until Dec. 12, 1865, just four years and four months, with the exception of a brief furlough given him at the time he was veteranized. His regiment being assigned to the Army of the West, under the command of Gen. Blunt, was ordered to the Arkansas frontier, and saw a great deal of frontier life and skirmishing. They took Little Rock on the 10th of September, 1863, and then went to Red River on a raiding expedition. Returning, our subject was appointed to do duty with the regi- mental gnards of the arsenal at Little Rock, and was veteranized in that city. With the exception of the strain upon his constitution from exposure, our subject went through the war unscathed; upon the fore-mentioned date he received his honorable discharge, and returned to civil life. Accompanied by his wife he went to Missouri, afterward remov- ing thence to this county.
During the time he was at home on furlough our
subject took the opportunity of celebrating his marriage, and this step has proved one of the most happy he ever took. This important event trans- pired upon the 20th of February, 1864, the lady being Lucy C. Warner, the estimable daughter of William and Sarah (Safford) Warner. This lady was born in Munson Township, Geauga Co .. Ohio, May 14, 1841. Her early life was spent at home, and practically herself and husband grew up together, the families being neighbors. Her par- ents were natives of Vermont; their acquaintance having been made and ripening into friendship, led to their marriage, which occurred at Sandgate in that State, They went to Ohio in 1833, where her father took land and followed husbandry as his chosen occupation. Her mother was killed in 1864 in consequence of an accident that caused her to be thrown violently from a wagon. ller father still lives, and is a hale, hearty old gentle- man of eighty-seven years.
The family of our subject numbers two children, both adopted, Mrs. Kelley sustaining the relation of foster-mother to the little ones, Willie C. and Jennie M. Mr. Kelley has in a most complimentary manner filled the office of Township Assessor since last spring. He is a member of Curtis Post No. 89, G. A. R., at DeWitt, also of the A. O. U. W., of the same place. In his political position he pre- fers the principles of the Republican party, of which he has long been a tried and true friend and supporter.
LDEN E. DAY, of Highiland Township, ocenpies a good position, socially and finan- cially, among the well-to-do citizens of Gage County. He has for a number of years confined his attention to farming and stock- raising, and is the owner of a fine tract of land on section 18. A native of the Province of Quebec, Canada, he was born July 16, 1834, and is the son of Jonathan B. and Nellie G. (Gilchrist) Day, the former deceased and the latter a resident of lligh- land Township.
The father of our subject is believed to have been a native of Vermont and was of Scotch ances- try. The parental family included eight children,
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four only of whom survive, namely: Eusebia B., Mrs. Reeves, of Greene County, Iowa; Alden E., our subject; Samuel H., of Furnas County, and Laura S., of Highland Township, this county. When Alden E. was a little lad four years of age his par- ents left the Dominion, and crossing over into the States, settled in Cayuga County, N. Y., where the father engaged in farming, and where they lived six years. Their next removal was to Lee County, Iowa, but they subsequently removed to LaPorte County, Ind., where our subject was reared to man's estate. In the meantime he had received careful home training and a common-school education, and had been taught those principles of industry and economy which are the surest basis of good citizen- ship. One of the most important of his plans for the future was the establishment of domestic ties of his own, and he was accordingly married, on the 9th of March, 1857, to Miss Almira Baldwin, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in LaPorte County, Ind.
Mr. and Mrs. Day commenced the journey of life together in a snug home in Indiana, where our subject engaged in farming. Of their union there have been born four children, three only of whom are living. namely : Ella C., Rosie O. and George B. The deceased child was a boy and died in in- fancy. In the spring of 1872 Mr. Day came with his family to this county and homesteaded 160 acres of land in Highland Township. The soil was in its original condition, and it has required years of labor to effect the transformation which we be- hold to-day. It is now highly productive, and the comfortable farm residence, with the barn and other out-buildings, are a standing monument of the in- (Instry of the proprietor. Mr. and Mrs. Day en- dured the hardships and privations common to pioneer life, and now occupy an honored position among the old settlers. Our subject, politically, is independent. He has served as Justice of the Peace and Assessor of Highland Township .. No man is more interested in the growth and prosper- ity of his adopted county, and none have contrib- uted more cheerfully as far as they were able to this end.
At the time of the outbreak of the Civil War Mr. Day was a resident of Indiana, and in July. 1862,
seeing little prospect of a termination of the con- flict, he resolved to enter the Union Army, and ac- cordingly enlisted in Company G, 87th Indiana Infantry. His regiment was assigned to the 14th Corps, Army of the Cumberland, and Company G was mainly under Gens. Rosecrans, Thomas and Sherman. Mr. Day participated with his comrades in the Atlanta campaign, and on the morning of July 20, 1864, before breakfast, he was wounded in a skirmish at Peachtree Creek by a ball which penetrated his left limb near the thigh. He was confined in the hospital, and when able to leave it was granted a thirty-days furlough, which time he spent at his old home in Indiana. Later he re- joined his regiment at Savannah, hut not being en- tirely recovered from his injuries was assigned to the invalid corps. At the close of the Atlanta campaign our subject marched with his regiment up through the Carolinas, and at the conclusion of his military service under the command of Gen. Sherman, received his honorable discharge in June, 1865. He had the pleasure of participating in the grand review at Washington, and soon afterward returned to Indiana, where he once more entered upon the duties of an ordinary citizen. As an ex- soldier he belongs to Monitor Post No. 184, G. A. R., at .Cortland, this State, of which he has served as Quartermaster for a number of years.
NDREW S. DAVIS. One of the most interesting families in Gage County, per- haps, is that of the subject of our sketch, whose farm is situated on section 20 of Adams Township. To anyone at all acquainted with the district an introduction is needless, the name alone suffices to revive the mental picture of the memory, one exceedingly pleasant to think of or look upon. Our subject is the son of Jacob and Jane Davis, both of whom were born in Carolina, and are of English extraction and descent. They were the parents of twelve children, and of these our subject is the tenth born, which interesting event occurred in the little log cabin upon the farm near Cairo, Ill. As a child he was taken by his parents upon their removal to Tennessee, and
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spent the days of his youth upon the farm not far from the Mississippi River. In the same district also he received some education, although neither extensive in range or treatment of subject. They were what was known as subscription schools, and the standard of their efficiency was by no means high.
The father of our subject worked at various oc- cupations in different States, chiefly, however, in Maryland, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. In the year 1833 he removed with his family to Jack- son County, Ill., where he rented a farm, but after a few years removed to Adams County, where he remained until his death. On account of his nomadic disposition and the heavy expense and loss necessarily attending such frequent removals, he failed to accumulate any considerable property, and upon his death in 1835, although sixty-five years of age, he was comparatively a poor man.
Upon the death of his father, our subject, being the eldest son, was naturally called upon to take . charge of the farm on behalf of his mother and sisters. This he continued to do until the death of his mother, in 1850, at the age of seventy-five years. On the 8th of December. 1837, he was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Washburn. They made their home in Hancock County, where Mr. Davis purchased a farm and resided about six- teen years, but being prevented making certain payments on the property he lost it, and then de- termined to seek his fortune in the West. There were seven children born to our subject and his wife, whose names are subjoined : James H., John William, Benjamin F., Andrew J., Timothy Il .. Louisa and Mary. Mrs. Davis died in Nemaha County in the year 1872, having reached the age of fifty-two years.
Upon coming to this State Mr. Davis purchased . a farm, situated in Nemaha County, but being heavily involved, and suffering severe drouth the first year, and being literally drowned out the next, he was again forced to abandon his home. In the year 1869 he located upon his present homestead, and the following year reaped a harvest most bounti- ful and large, which might fittingly represent that referred to by the writer who said, " There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood,
leads on to fortune;" he took it, and has since prospered. Just, however, as success was crowning his efforts, the bereavement of his wife made the cup less sweet and the success less happy than it would have been. But this severe trial did not prevent him from taking every advantage of the leverage gained, and he pushed on the work of his farm, the erection of its buildings, the completion and beautifying of his home, which, incidentally, we would remark, occupies one of the finest sites in the township. The surroundings of his dwelling have been rendered increasingly beautiful as the years have passed, and our subject, being a master in hor- ticulture as well as agriculture, has spared no pains or effort to this end. In addition to his flower garden he maintains quite an extensive kitchen garden. The groves near the house, which include maple, honey locust, cottonwood, walnut. elm and white aslı trees, are of exceptionable beauty, as are also his orchards. The whole farm of eighty acres is enclosed by a well-kept, symmetrically trimmed, osage orange hedge, which is also utilized to make the divisions necessary around the barnyard, gar- dens, etc. Thus he has brought his property from a condition of wild virgin prairie to a very garden of delights, which he and Mrs. Davis are enabled fully to enjoy.
When the work of arranging and beautifying his home as above described was becoming more and more complete, most naturally our subject desired the companionship of some one with whom to share his home. The desire became a resolution. the resolution took shape in action, and March 19, 1881. he was united in marriage with Mrs. Ester M. Lord, the lady who, by her many womanly graces and matronly qualities. her refinement and culture, graces his home and completes his life. She was born close to the Ossipee River, in Cornish Township, York Co., Me. Her ancestors were of English descent, and members of the Quaker com- munity. Their family was one of the earliest to settle in the State of Maine, and her father and mother, David and Anna (Ayers) Morrell, were of the most prominent families in York County. Her father, who was an extensive farmer and lum- berman, was a large land-owner: he was a man of the strictest business integrity, of more than ordi-
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nary ability, and of unusual prosperity. He was an adornment to his profession as a Quaker. In his political sentiments he was a Whig, and a strong anti-slavery man. After reaching the advanced age of seventy-five years he died in 1852, at the place of his birth, lamented by the community. His wife, who had died. the year previous, was sixty-eight years of age. Their family comprised ten children, six of them being sons. Mrs. Davis, who was born on the 15th of December, 1819, was their eightlı child.
The early life of Mrs. Davis was spent amid surroundings which, to a person of her disposition and temperament, could not but result in the de- velopment of just such a desirable and beautiful character, for after all the soul is but a plant in the spiritual garden, and where the environment for successful spiritual horticulture be favorable, it buds and blossoms into habits of character that are after the order of, and approximate unto, the design in the mind of the great Gardener of the soul. She was brought up on the farm of her father; the educational advantages she enjoyed were lim- ited to the common schools, which in the lumber districts where her father had extensive interests were necessarily few and far between; and again, the school year was limited to about eight weeks. But by her own ambition and efforts she has so supplemented the school work that she possesses a good, sound and thorough English education, and is well read upon all general topics; so true is this that she was accepted as a teacher in the schools, and developed such talent in this direction that it was a matter of regret when she deemed it necessary for her to discontinue. But she received at that time a " more effectual call," and that to the high- est sphere of womanhood. Cupid had been at work, and his arrowshafts had done such execution as re- sulted in the plighting of faith and vowing of vows irrevocable between her and Samuel R. Lord.
Mr. Lord was a man of sterling character and considerable means, although still a young man. They were united in marriage in the year 1838; shortly after this interesting event Mr. Lord pur- chased a woolen-mill at West Buxton, Me., where he continued for over seven years, enjoying, how- ever, only a fair degree of financial prosperity,
owing to the large number of mills which sprang up about that time. At the end of that period he sold out and returned to Cornish Township, and there continued engaged in farming for seven years. During that period they had become the parents of eight children, and in 1853 for their sakes they went West and settled in the much-talked-of, but little known, and, if anything, still less occupied Southern Wisconsin. Their home was made on what was known as " Empire Prairie," which is situated in Leeds Township, Columbia County, and is about twenty miles from Madison. Their home, although not elaborate, was one of the happiest and brightest in the country until 1866, when it was beclouded by the death of the husband and father, which oc- curred in his fifty-fourth year, leaving his widow with eight children, the youngest being but six months old.
In this trying situation Mrs. Lord's strength' determination, character and motherhood were the powers that enabled her to rise to the situation, for, being left in moderate circumstances, she de- termincd to give every possible advantage and op- portunity to the children who gathered around her and called ber mother. Her brother, Jobn L. Mor- rell, was at this time in Macoupin County, Ill., and was comparatively well off. With the magnani- mous, large-hearted generosity that would appear to be a characteristic of the family, this gentleman induced his sister to sell her property, and then helped her to locate in his neighborhood, where he could aid her in the struggle, and where the edu- cational advantages for their children were superior. It was the firm resolve and established resolution of Mrs. Lord to keep her children together and give them a home, and most nobly did she struggle, endeavor and labor to this end, which she con- sidered her mission. Her devotion has not been without its result or due appreciation, for her chil- dren recognize and understand fully how much her course in this extremity has meant for them, and without waiting for the future they have already arisen " and called her blessed " by a return of wealth of affection and devotion that is at once the greatest adornment, beauty and safeguard of their lives. In order to provide more fully for her two younger sons she removed with them, in 1878, to
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this county and settled in Highland Township. Upon arrival their exchequer contained only $17. The boys immediately took hold of such work as could be had upon neighboring farms, with the mutual satisfaction of seeing abundant and most gratifying success.
The names of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Lord are as follows: Cyrus M. (deceased), Lydia E., Ester E., Samuel R. (deceased), Sarah E., Hannah P., Harriet, Samuel and Anneva (the three latter being deceased), Georgie, Edith K., Elmer R. and Levi M. Lydia is happily married to George Dirkee, a farmer at De Forest, Wis., who was Post- master at that place from the time of Lincoln's elec- tion until a year or two ago; they are the parents of ten children-James Edgar, Eugene, Myra, Frank, Mabel, John; the other names are unknown. Ester A., the widow of Mr. Holton, resides in Cali- fornia; Sarah, the wife of Mr. Gastin, of Luzerne, Iowa, is the parent of five children-Frank, Myrtie M., Ellen, Ralph and John; Hannah, the wife of John Broderick, resides in Summit City, Mich .; they are also the parents of five children. Georgie is living in Meltonville, Iowa, and is happily inar- ried to Mr. John Bewick, this family likewise in- cludes five children-Leonard Lord, Mary May, Chilton, Burton and Dora. Edith K., now Mrs. Ross Carney, resides in Newark, Cal., and is the mother of three children-Ede E., Eva and Abbie; Elmer R. and Levi H. are both residents of Digh- ton, Kan., and are engaged in the real-estate busi- ness.
Upon the contraction of her marriage with our subject in 1881, Mrs. Lord brought to him a life and character that had been purified and rendered more happily spirituelle by her years of struggle, trial and devotion. As the years have gone by she has made it her pleasant duty to add constantly some new feature, beauty or refinement, making it a well-nigh perfect home. The house stands upon the farm surrounded by its eighty acres of land, every part of which is utilized either for pleasure or profit. The closing hours of life's day are all aglow with the sunset glories in a clear sky, its rays and reflections painting with polychromatic tints the events and happenings as they occur. It would be impossible to find among the honored, we had
almost said venerated, aged and prominent citizens any who more appreciate the sentiments accorded them and feelings expressed by their fellow-citizens or the pleasantness of their surroundings.
For many years Mr. Davis has adhered firmly and consistently to the membership and work of the Missionary Baptist Church, as his wife has done in that of the Free-Will Baptist communion, where she has long been regarded as among its truest and best friends and supporters. The life of Mr. Davis has been lived for the greater part in districts re- mote from large centers and beyond the noise and babel of "the madding crowd," and has not taken the prominent place in political matters he other- wise might have done. It has been his custom to work for and vote with the Democratic party, un- less by some mischance a candidate might present himself who, in the judgment of our subject, was unfit for the position souglit.
IMOTIIY G. DEWEY has seen perhaps as many of the changes that have taken place in the western half of this country as any other man residing in this county, having been early inured to pioneer life when the development of these States was yet in its infancy. He was born on the 20th of May, 1828, in Portage County, Ohio, his father, Eliakim (now deceased), having been a native of Massachusetts and an early settler on the Western Reserve lands of Ohio. Our subject spent the early part of his life on a farm, engaged in the various duties of rural life, accompanied no doubt at that time with an infinite number of hard- ships and obstacles, which have since been re- moved. He was able to receive but a very limited education, not because his parents did not appre- ciate the value of learning but because the oppor- tunities were extremely limited.
Late in the year 1849 our subject went to Wau- kesha County, Wis., and lived there for a time, then changing his residence to several other parts of the State, but in the fall of 1858 he became dis- satisfied and, in company with his brother William F., he came to Richardson County, Neb. In the spring of 1859 he came to the western part of Paw-
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