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 53
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Mr. Kassing upon becoming a naturalized citi- zen identified himself with the Republican party, to which he has since given his cordial support. He has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving nearly four years as Postmaster at Baden, which is now Clatonia post-office, and being the first incum- bent of this office. He has also served as School Director, and takes a genuine interest in the estab- lishment and support of educational institutions.
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Both he and his excellent wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which our subject has served as Steward and been one of its chief pillars.
Mrs. Kassing was born in Scioto County, Ohio, Nov. 3, 1844, and is the daughter of John and Elizabeth Freye. Iler parents were natives of Germany, and emigrated to America early in life, before their marriage, settling in Scioto County, Ohio. There the mother died about 1856. The father subsequently removed to Lawrence County, in the same State, and departed hence about 1868. Their family included nine children, only three of. whom are living: Adam II., of Kentucky; Eliza- beth, the wife of Daniel Miller, of Ohio, and Mrs. Kassing, the wife of our subject.
OUIN B. MUMFORD. Among the farmers and stock-raisers of Logan Township, who ocenpy a prominent place in their chosen occupation, must certainly be mentioned the gentleman whose name is at the head of this com- pendium. Our subject was born in Worcester County, Md., on the 2d of September, 1830. Until he attained his majority he continued to make his home with his parents, but at the age of twenty- one years he removed to Adams County, Ohio, with his mother. IJe is a brother of Jacob Mum- ford, a prominent farmer of this county, a sketch of whose life will be found upon another page of this volume, to which we would refer the reader de- sirous of obtaining further particulars regarding this interesting family.
Our subject removed in the year 1854 from his farm in Adams County, Ohio, to Argyle, Wis., and thence to Willow Springs, in the same State. There he remained until 1865, each year witnessing an increasing prosperity and progress. In the latter year he left the State of Wisconsin and removed to this county, settling npon his present farm, which he purchased from his brother. This property was 160 acres in extent. Since that time he has pur- chased an additional 240 acres, making the 400 acres which is the extent of the farm now op- perated by him. This is all thoroughly well im-
proved. Ilis fields and pastures are well fenced, and that part under cultivation presents an ap- pearance of intelligent, thrifty suecess that argues well for the coming harvest. For his stock there is water in abundance from Bear Creek, which is a stream supplied by a large number of springs, and in the dryest season is still a sure source of supply. Then he has provided a full set of substantially built, well-arranged farm buildings, and has erected a very pleasant, commodious dwelling, which is supplied with numberless conveniences that can only be fully appreciated by the thorough house- keeper. Ile has furthermore set out in the vicinity of his home a large number of fruit trees of various kinds and of choice grades, and provided several groves of fine shade and forest trees, which add very much to the beauty of the situation.
While resident in Adams County, Ohio, our sub- ject was united in marriage with Mary A. Roush, on the 28th of August, 1853. This lady, who is the daughter of Permeaus and Catherine (Smith) Roush, of Virginia, was born in Adams County, on the 2d of June. 1837. Their union has been blessed and its felicities increased by the birth of nine chil- dren, whose names are here given: Willie (de- ceased), Sarah, Charles B., George (deceased), Eu- gene, Ida N., Frank, Clara and Luther. Their son Charles, who is a farmer in Logan Township, is the husband of Martha Dearborn, who has pre- sented him with three children-Charley D., Les- lie M. and Mabel E. Sarah is happily married to W. A. Foreman, of whom a sketch appears npon another page of this volume; they are the parents of three children, to whom have been given the following names: Ernest, Walter and Arthur.
The stock upon Mr. Mumford's farm differs only in parts and points from that usually found upon a first-class and well-regulated stock farm. Perhaps the most worthy of mention of the large number of very beautiful creatures in his stables and pastures is a trotter, " Minnie E.," who shows about 2:40 gait; she is a bright bay color and stands sixteen hands high. By all connoisseurs she is considered one- of the best built trotters of the State, as shapely in form and of as elegant grace of action as can be found in quite a large district of country. She was sired by the celebrated "Bret Harte."
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At present our subject is not in active member- ship with any society or fraternity, although he was at one time and for many years a member of the Society of Grangers. In political matters he acknowledges allegiance to the Democratic party, of which he has for many years been an acknowledged supporter, and for which, in the late campaign, he did all that lay in his power, considering his age. Whatever influence he possessed in the county, and it is not a little, was given in the interest of the men who are the choice of the Democrats of the United States, as expressed in their convention. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mumford have been since early life mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are acknowledged among its truest friends, strongest supporters and most consistent adherents. It were indeed hard to find in Logan Township a family held in higher regard than that of our subjeet.
OHN MORDHORST. Upon Niagara ave- nue in the city of Wymore there stands an unexceptionally fine brick business block, which bears the name of the subject of this sketch, who is one of the prominent citizens and early settlers, having located here before the plat- ting of the city. This gentleman was born in Hol- stein, Germany, upon the 12th of January, 1825, and received his education in the public schools of his native place, which was afterward supple- mented by a course in a private academy. At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed to a butcher for four years, which was followed by a like period, beginning in the year 1848, in which he was at- tached to the army, and served in the 4th Corps. He saw considerable service in the war in which Holstein sought to free itself from Denmark. As is well known it failed, but has since become part of the German Empire. Our subject was several times wounded, and still bears some eight or ten scars from the more serious of his wounds.
In 1852 our subject left the army and resumed his trade, and continued to follow the same for about five years, when he came to the United States, and proceeded direct to Davenport, Iowa, and settled there in the year 1857. He made his
home in that city for abont one year, which event- ually proved to be one of the most important in his life, from the fact that he there met and sub- sequently married Miss Lonisa Lentz, Dec. 16, 1859, a lady who has since that time aided him largely in achieving the brilliant success which his history shows to be his. Almost immediately after his marriage he went to Muscatine, in the same State, and engaged in his regular business, and in that place all their children were born. Their family included fonr sons and two daughters, whose names are subjoined : Detlef, John, Jr., Frank S., Anna, Charles and Etta. Of these all but John and Frank are living.
After remaining in Muscatine for seventeen years, our subject purchased a farm of 240 acres in Potta- wattamie County, Iowa, and improved it, taking ex- ceptional pains with the buildings, erecting fences. setting out an orchard and other trees, and in short made it almost a model farm, and made his home there for a period of seven years. In the year 1879 cur subject sold his Iowa property, and came to Blue Springs, Wymore being then an unknown quantity. He entered in business here, having a heavy contract with the Burlington & Missouri River Railway to furnish meat to the workmen in their employ, in extending the line from Culvertson to Denver, as he had previously done when the track was laid from Table Rock to Antikote. Both con- tracts were a great financial success. Upon re- turning from the absence necessitated by the above our subject opened a market here, and also one in Blue Springs, and in these also saw a continnance of prosperity, and built the block above referred to.
The property referred to in our opening para- graph is only one of several buildings in which Mr. Mordhorst is interested, for he is also the owner of an exceptionally fine residence, and quite a number of both improved and unimproved pieces of prop- erty, also a large and beautiful pasture not far from the city. In addition to the business in live and dead meat, which is by far the largest in the city, our subject has established ice houses, which are at once the first erected and the largest in the city. His butcher establishment our subject now rents to his eldest son, but retains his ice trade, which is every year growing in importance. He began in
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1879 with one small house, but has been compelled to add to it from year to year, until now his houses have a capacity of 2,000 tons.
Jobn Mordhorst, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Holstein in 1795, and in the days when education did not occupy its present position, but after he had received what was obtainable in that regard, he learned the trade of stone cutting, and made it his life occupation, succeeding in establish- ing quite an extensive business, frequently filling very large contracts. He was married about the year 1818, and became the father of seven children, six of whom were sons. Ile lived until about the year 1872, and was survived by his wife only six months.
Mr. Mordhorst, our subject, bas at all times been energetic. enthusiastic and public-spirited in every- thing which promised to be of advantage to the town, and has done, perhaps. more than might be called his share in that regard, and is accorded the heart- iest esteem and sincerest regard of his fellow-citizens. He has served as Sheriff of Rock Springs, but is by no means an office-seeker. Ever since coming to the country he has sought to become fully con- versant with the institutions peculiar to this form of government, and has been conscientious and consistent in his adherence to the Republican party. Socially, he is connected with the I. O. O. F., and enjoys the sincere respect of his fellow members.
G EORGE WILLIAMSON. In no other coun- try than America can there be found such a union of nationalities, not simply in the matter of living in neighborly congeniality, but in the more intimate relations incident to intermar- riage between representatives of divers countries, an illustration of which is found in the parentage of our subject. who is the owner of an excellent farm, situated on section 28 of Glenwood Town- ship, and also the efficient, careful and painstaking Clerk of the township. His father, John William- son, was born about the year 1823, in Ireland; his mother, Margaret Uhl, was a native of Pennsyl- vania.
Mr. John Williamson received his early educa-
tion in the parish schools of his native country, and afterward turned his attention to brickmaking as a means of livelihood. He emigrated to the United States in the year 1840, landing at Philadelphia, shortly after making his way to Pittsburgh, and followed his chosen calling. In the late unpleas- antness he enlisted in Company A, 75th Pennsyl- vania Infantry. After considerable service he was taken prisoner at the battle of Missionary Ridge, and incarcerated in Libby Prison, where he succumbed to the horrors of the situation, and died in Novem- ber, 1863. After this almost crushing affliction his wife undertook the task of rearing their chil- dren, and from that on lived for them. She had the joy of seeing them started well in life, and went to ber last rest on the 31st of January, 1887, at Carroll, Carroll Co., Iowa.
Of the above family our subject was the third child born. Ile first opened his eyes to the light on the Ist of July, 1852, at Pittsburgh, Pa., and was still in his infancy when his parents removed to Frostburg, Md., and one year later they removed to Dixon, Ill., where he grew to manhood, and with the exception of one year spent in lowa, lived until the spring of 1879, when he came to Gage County. Hle settled in Glenwood Township, which he has made his place of residence ever since. lle has a very fine farm, including some eighty acres well in hand and brought to a high state of cultivation.
While resident in the city of Dixon our subject became the acknowledged friend of Miss Mittie E. Miller, which relation was exchanged upon the 8th of December, 1872, for the more close compan- jonship of the wedded state. Miss Miller is the daughter of Ephraim and Mary (Boone) Miller, who are residents of Shrewsbury, Pa. Their family in- cluded seven children. Mrs. Williamson being the second. She was born in Peru, Ill., on the 13th of January, 1854. Mr. and Mrs Williamson nre happy in being the parents of a daughter, Nellie M., who is now thirteen years of age.
Our subject was elected to the office of Clerk of Glenwood Township by n large majority at the election of 1886, and was re-elected the following year. His first office in the township was that of Constable, to which he was elected in 1885, and so discharged the duties of the same as to lead to the
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subsequent office. Mrs. Williamson is a devont member of the English Lutheran Church, and is very highly respected therein. Her husband has always been greatly interested in Governmental and political questions, and votes uniformly with the Republican party. He is a consistent friend of every project that will advance the elevation of society morally, or promote its temporal interests.
C HARLES MOSCHEL, junior member of the firm of Lang & Moschel, is with his partner carrying on a thriving trade in groceries, and everything pertaining thereto, and is located on Fifth and Ella streets, in the city of Beatrice. He first opened his eyes to the light on the other side of the Atlantic, in the village of Webenheim, Ger- many, Jan. 28, 1847, and was the fourth in a fam- ily of seven children, five sons and two daughters. These are all living and residents mostly of the United States.
The parents of our subject, Christian and Mar- garet (Schanzen) Moschel, were of pure German ancestry, and the father spent his entire life upon his native soil. He followed cabinet-making, and died in middle life, about 1854. The mother sub- sequently with five children emigrated to America, and after a brief sojourn in New York City the family proceeded to the vicinity of Peoria, Ill., set- tling on a tract of land several miles from the city. Charles at that time was a lad of about seventeen years, and continued with his mother until twenty- six years old. The family finally removed to the vicinity of Chenoa, Ill., and the boys still continued the agricultural pursuits upon which they had en- tered when coming to America. The mother died in .September, 1886.
Mr. Moschel, in 1872, crossed the Mississippi to this State, and locating in Beatrice, associated him- self first as a partner with Messrs. J. Kline & Co., and engaged in general merchandising for a period of fourteen years. He then became a partner of Mr. Lang in the grocery business, in 1887. He was married, Aug. 22, 1876, to Miss Maria Braun, who was born in November, 1852, in Germany, and is the daughter of Domnis Brann, who, with his wife,
was a native of Germany, and came to this county in 1878. Mr. B. resides in Beatrice.
To Mr. and Mrs. Moschel there have been born three children-Maria L., Carl F. and Anna E. They occupy a pleasant home in the southwestern part of the city, and are highly esteemed among a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. M., socially, belongs to the K. of P., No. 30, at Bea- trice, and politically, gives his support to the Demo- cratic party. He has steadily declined becoming an office-seeker, but is always willing to work for his friends.
The mother of our subject late in life came to this county, and died at the home of her son, Louis Moschel, in Beatrice, in September, 1886. Having been born in 1813, she was consequently seventy-three years old at the time of her decease. One sister and two brothers of our subject are resi- dents of Livingston County, Ill .; another sister married Mr. J. Klein, and resides in Beatrice. Mr. Moschel was at one time a member of the firm of J. Klein & Co., with whom he continued in business for fourteen years. Upon the dissolution of part- nership the stock was divided, Messrs. Moschel and Lang taking the groceries and Mr. Klein the dry- goods. Among the wide-awake and enterprising business men of Beatrice Mr. Moschel occupies no secondary position.
ONS NELSON. Of the little colony in Gage County of those who are natives of Sweden, who have made this their adopted State and country, few are more worthy of mention in a work of this character than the sub- ject of this sketch, who, with his sons, is among the most industrious and loyal, and we might add suc- cessful, members of the community. He was born in Sweden, April 28, 1822. As he became old enough he was drafted into the multitudinous details of farm work, and continued upon his father's farm until he became of age, and then farmed on his own account until he came to Amer- ica in the spring of 1870, with his wife and four children, and settled in Sangamon County, Ill. There lie engaged in agriculture for about two
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years, and then removed to Nemaha County, in this State, and continued to operate a farm with increasing success for about six years. Ile then removed to Glenwood Township, this county, which has been his home ever since
The present farm of Mr. Nelson includes 120 acres of excellent and well lying land, which he works upon the line of general farming, at the same time raising a small amount of stock. He has made good improvements, his farm being in an excellent state of cultivation. Hlis barn and other buidings, although not elegant and funciful, are good, solid and convenient, erected with a view rather to use than ornamentation. His dwelling is pleasant and well built, and was put up with the same purpose in mind as in the case of the buildings above men- tioned. Its appearance is rendered more pleasing by the abundance of fruit and forest trees in its vicinity.
While yet in his native country, as noted above, our subject was married. the event being celebrated in February, 1848, when he was united with Malena Waldemars, who was born in the same country, on the Ist of February, 1830. Their family in- eluded four children, whose names are recorded as berein given-Lind, Peter, Nels and Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are both members of the Lutheran Church, in which communion they were brought up, and to which they have ever been faithful.
Our subject is not what is understood by the term a politician, but he is at the same time duly interested in matters pertaining thereto, and is usually found voting with the Republican party, which finds in him a stanch friend and supporter.
AMES D. MYERS is President of the First Commercial Bank, of Odell. He was born in Waverly, Tioga Co., N. Y., on the 14th of May, 1824, and remained on his father's farm until he was twenty-one years old. after which he spent four years in a store as clerk, and was engaged in the mercantile business for two years at Waverly. In the spring of 1852 he went to California, via the Isthmus of Panama, and was absent from his native city for about three years.
During the summer of 1852 he was engaged in the gold mines, and from the mines he went to the val- ley of the San Jose, where he engaged in farming in company with a friend. After raising two erops our subject sold his interest and returned to Wa- verly, his trip to California having been a financial success.
On returning from the Pacific Coast our subject was married, and at once came West, traveling all through the summer of 1855 seeking a home, and finally he decided to stop at Independence, Iowa, where he continued to live for eleven years. He took a prominent part in the building of that town, erecting several husiness blocks and dwelling-houses. He owned a farm close to the city, and for a time engaged in feeding and shipping cattle and stock, also having an interest in the mercantile business in town. In 1866 he sold his farm and moved to Geneva, Ill., where he bought a flouring-mill and took charge of it for three years, at the same time having connection with a grain and commission house in Chicago.
Our subject sold his mill and moved to Chicago, where he bought property and continued in the commission business until 1870, when he again sold and went to Chetopa, Labette Co., Kan., with a stock of goods. He located a branch house at Coffey- ville, and for two years he took the management of these two stores, in the meantime being engaged in buying and selling cattle, shipping them to Annawan, Henry Co., Ill., near which village he owned a stock farm. After selling out his stores in Kansas our subject bought a farm near Dixon, Ill., and fed cattle on both farms. Ile sold the Dixon farm in 1875, and again engaged in the commission business in Chicago, in which city his family had continued to reside.
In the year 1880 Mr. Myers again forsook the commission business, selling his claim, and came to Nebraska in the interest of the Lincoln Land Company. He bought 360 acres of land in what are now known as Greenwood and Paddock Townships, on which the village of Odell now stands, our subject being instrumental in platting the city. Ile has since engaged in the mercantile business and again disposed of it. In May, 1883, he established the First Commercial Bank, which
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was an individual bank until March, 1888, when under the laws of the State it was organized as a State Bank. He has since continued President, with Franklin Walker as Vice President, and Monroe Robertson, Cashier. They carry on a general bank- ing business, and our subject is also engaged in handling live stock. He is the owner of excellent farming land and valuable town property.
On the 14th of March, 1855, Mr. Myers was mar- ried, in Corning, N. Y., to Miss Elizabeth A. Cress, who was born in Smithsboro, Tioga County, on the Ist of August, 1827. They have become the par- ents of three children : James, Ida and Maggie, the last-named of whom died when she was eighteen months old, and the first and second named being at home with their parents. Our subject is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Republican in politics. He has shown an unusual amount of public spirit and business activity, and in the various cities in which he has been connected with business be has Ient his aid to the establishment of reliable firms. Few men who have led such active, busy lives as he have been so universally success- ful in their enterprises.
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E BENEZER MOSES is one of the earliest pio- neers of Sicily Township, having come here from Delaware County, Ohio, in November, 1869. He located the farm which he still owns and on which he now lives. When he came here the prairies were not inhabited by white people, the red men still holding undisputed sway over the lands on which the Great Father had placed them. The neighbors were few and far between, there being but seven families of white people, who had their houses built near the creek which runs through the farm of our subject. The Indians then abounded, and they still indulged without molestation in their favorite pastime of hunting, deer and antelope be- ing here in large numbers.
Our subject was married in Delaware County, Ohio, Feb. 27, 1868, to Mrs. Mahala Cramer, who had previously been the wife of William Cramer, her maiden name, Mahala Hoover. She was the
mother of two sons by her first marriage, John M. and Jacob L., who were reared by their mother and our subject. Soon after Jacob became twenty-one years old both of the boys went to Hayes County, Neb., where they still live, each of them having taken up a claim of land. Jacob was married, on the 27th of August, 1884, to Miss Dora Nickols, of this neighborhood, and with them John now makes bis home, their farms adjoining.
Mr. and Mrs. Moses have been given a family of six children, of whom Mary, Cyrus E., Laura I. and Emry, are still living, while Clara and Eben are deceased. The wife of our subject departed this life on the 23d of February, 1587, at the age of forty-eight years. During her life she had been an active member of the Methodist Church, an estima- ble and consistent Christian woman. She pos- sessed many amiable qualities, was a kind friend and neighbor, and had faithfully shared with her husband the toils and hardships incident to the life of an early settler iu a new and undeveloped coun- try.
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