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Robert D. Boice, a citizen of prominence in business, social and
religious relations at Geneseo, has been a dealer in hardware at that place
since 1858, He was born Aug. 14, 1830, in the city of
Pittsburg, Pa.
His
parents, Eben and Nancy (De France) Boice, were natives of Penn Manor, Franklin Co., Pa. The father was a descendant from a family of Scotch-Irish
extraction, and the
ancestry of the mother was of French origin.
Mr. BOICE was approaching manhood when, in 1848, his father made a transfer
of his family
and business relations to Ashland, in the county of the same name
in Ohio.
He there was first
engaged in the hardware trade, and there acquired a
familiarity with its details, and prosecuted his
interests until, in 1858,
he removed to Henry County, where he arrived Jan. 25, of the year named.
The issues which resulted in the formation of the Republican party were
being agitated at the time
Mr. Boice arrived at the dignities of
citizenship, and he cast his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont.
Since that time he has been an adherent of the "grand old party" without
shadow of change in principle or acts.
He has discharged the duties of several
minor official positions at Geneseo. He is engaged in the prosecution of
extensive farming interests in Gage Co., Neb., and is in connection with a
banking enterprise at Costland, in the same county.
He formed a matrimonial aliance with Lydia E. Smith, at Geneseo, Jan. 29,
1854, and they have
one child - Ollie S.
Mrs. Boice is the daughter of John and
Rachel Smith and is a native of Ashland, Ohio.
With her husband, she is a member
of the Congregational Church.
Source: Portrait & Biographical Album of
Henry County, Illinois,
Originally published 1885, Biographical Pub. Co.,
Chicago, IL.
Transcribed by: Denise McLoughlin
Daniel Freeman, M. D. and farmer, Blakeley Precinct, was born in Ohio in
1826. At the age of six months, his parents moved to New York, and located in
Genesee County, remaining there until 1835, when they settled in Knox County,
Ill.
In 1847, Mr. Freeman began the study of medicine at Peoria, Ill., remaining
there eighteen months, when he entered the Eclectic Institute at Cincinnati and
graduated in 1849, locating in Ottawa, Ill., and commenced the practice of
medicine, remaining there until 1861, when he enlisted in the Seventeenth
Illinois Volunteer Infantry as a private.
Soon after, he was transferred to the
secret service, remaining until the close of the war.
In 1862, he came to
Nebraska in the employ of the Government, and while in the State located on
Section 26, Town 4, Range 5, and put up a house and moved his family there
January 1, 1863.
He took out the first homestead papers
issued by the Government, having homestead papers No. 1, and has lived on the
place ever since.
He has added to the farm until he has 840 acres, situated on
Cub Creek, on Sections 23, 26 and 34.
He has been County Commissioner two terms,
County Sheriff one term, and Justice of the Peace in his precinct several terms.
He was married in February, 1865, to Miss E. A. Suiter. They have five
children-- Eliza J., Samuel, James H., John and Frank.
Previous to this, he was
married in 1853 to Elizabeth Walber, of Ottawa, Ill. They had three
children--Charles, Gerald and Lourella.
Samuel C. Smith, Cashier of the First National Bank of Beatrice, is a native
of Ridgefield, Conn.
He came to Nebraska in August, 1872, and, in September of
that year, he and his brother,
J. E., commenced the banking business here under
the firm name of Smith Bros.
In April, 1877, the First National Bank was
chartered and commenced business. John E. Smith, President, and Samuel C. Smith,
Cashier, which positions they have since held.
In April, 1880, Smith Bros.
organized the Blue Springs Bank, which they operated until January 1, 1882, when
it was bought by J. C. Williams, their former Cashier.
Samuel C. Smith now
resides at Red Cloud, Neb., where he conducts the business of Smith Bros.,
private bankers.
Hon. J. A. Smith, Police Judge and attorney, came to Nebraska in 1879.
Prior to that he resided at Iowa City.
He is an attorney at law; was born near
Geneva, Ill., November 22, 1844, and lived there and in Chicago until moving to
Iowa; enlisted in the First Missouri Cavalry at St. Louis, September, 1861, and
was wounded at Sugar Creek, Ark., February 19, 1862, and discharged September
22, 1862. He lost his right arm and one finger of the left hand.
He returned to
Iowa City and read law with Gov. Kirkwood.
He was married in Iowa City, November
23, 1868, to Calista Sanders, a native of Iowa City.
They have one
child--Herbert H. Mr. Smith is a member of the G. A. R.
Christ J. Meints, whose well improved homestead farm is situated in
Section 26, Hanover township, has by his own ability and energy
achieved large success in connection with farm enterprise in this county and, now venerable in years, he is living virtually retired
from the arduous labors which so long marked his career.
Mr Meints was born in East Friesland, province of Hanover, Germany, on
the 28th of December, 1834, and there he was reared and educated. In
the same province was solemnized his marriage to Miss Rika Dorn, and
they came to America in 1865, arriving at Golden, Illinois, two weeks
prior to the assassination of President Lincoln.
In his native land Mr.
Meints had learned the carpenter's trade and this he followed after
establishing his home in Illinois, besides which he did expert service
in brick-laying and plastering in that state until 1883, when he came
to Gage County, Nebraska, which state he had previously visited, this
action having been prompted by a request made to him by former
residents of Illinois who wished him to do some building work for
them. He finally became so favorably impressed that he decided to
establish his home in the county -- an action that he has never
regretted. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land
in Section 26, Hanover township, where he has since maintained his
home, and his ability as a carpenter is shown in the substantial and
attractive type of the buildings which he has erected on his home
farm. He brought to bear marked energy and business sagacity in his
activities as a farmer and eventually accumulated a valuable estate of
five hundred and sixty acres, a considerable portion of which he
retains, the remainder having been sold to his sons.
His devoted wife
passed to eternal rest in 1907, a devout member of the Lutheran
church, as is he also.
Of their children, the eldest is Henry, a
prosperous farmer in Logan township; Maggie is the wife of Broer
Gronewold, of Dawson county; John was a resident of Holt township at
the time of his death; Bruno is a successful farmer in Logan township;
Christina is the wife of Ben Aden, of Dawson county; Heye is a
substantial farmer in Holt township; Addie is the wife of Louis
Stevens, of Hanover township.
Though he has passed the age of four score years Mr. Meints is hale and
active and continues to find occasion for practical service about his
farm, as may be inferred when it is noted that recently he used a trowel actively and effectively in the construction of a cement floor
in one of the buildings on his farm.
His son-in-law, Louis Stevens,
has the active management of the farm and is more specifically
mentioned in appending paragraphs.
Louis Stevens was born in the province of Hanover, Germany, January
29, 1878, and has been a resident of Gage County since 1895. In 1901
was solemnized his marriage to Miss Addie Meints, and they have seven
children -- Grace, Mabel, Christ, Elmer, John, Henry, and Emma.
Mr Stevens is a progressive exponent of farm enterprise, is a
Republican in politics and he and his wife are active communicants of
the Lutheran church.
History of Gage County, Nebraska (Hugh J. Dobbs, 1918)
Contributed
by: Amy Robbins-Tjaden
Harm M. DeBuhr -- From East Friesland, a picturesque district in the
extreme northwestern angle of the province of Hanover, Germany, have
come an appreciable number of well known and
representative citizens of Gage County, both in the present and earlier generations.
In that
district of Germany Harm M. DeBuhr was born June 12, 1865, and he was
ten years of age at the time of the family immigration to America. The
generous measure of his achievement is
demonstrated in his ownership
of a fine landed estate of four hundred and twenty acres in Gage
County, and his attractive homestead farm is situated in Section 22,
Hanover township. He is a son of Menne J. and Jennie (Harms) DeBuhr,
both natives of Germany, where the latter passed her entire life.
Menne DeBuhr was born December 30, 1822, and was a resident of the
state of Illinois at the time of his death, in 1887. After the death
of his wife he continued to be identified with business enterprise in East Friesland until 1875, when he came with his children to the
United States and established a home in Champaigne County, Illinois,
in which state he passed the remainder of his life, he having been a wagon
maker by trade.
Of the five children three are living, the
subject of this sketch being the youngest; Rixty is the wife of George
E. Zimmerman, of Hanover township, who is individually mentioned on
other pages; and Antye is the wife of Martin Hendricks, a farmer in
Illinois. The parents were lifelong members of the Lutheran church.
Harm M. DeBuhr gained his rudimentary education in his native land and
was ten years old when he accompanied his father to America, his
educational training having been completed in the public schools of
Illinois. In that state he continued his association with farm
enterprise until 1885, when he came to Nebraska and established his
home in Gage County. Here he farmed on rented land for nine years, and he then purchased eighty acres in Hanover township, after having
accumulated sufficient money to partially pay for the same. Later he
sold this property and purchased his present homestead place, which
then comprised one hundred and sixty acres and to which he has
gradually added until he now owns a valuable farm estate of four
hundred and twenty acres in Hanover township. Mr DeBuhr has erected
good farm buildings on his homestead, the small house that was on the
place when he purchased the property having been supplanted by a
commodious and attractive modern residence, and scrupulous care having
been given to keeping the farm property up to the best standards
throughout. While thus furthering through well directed industry and
enterprise his personal advancement, Mr DeBuhr has at all times been
mindful of his civic responsibilities and has given his cooperation in
the furtherance of those things that have tended to conserve the
general well being and progress of the community.
He is independent in
politics, is now serving as a member of the school board of his
district, has been road overseer in his precinct and his high place in
popular confidence and esteem is indicated by his being the incumbent,
in 1917-1918, of the office of township treasurer. He is a vigorous
and successful exponent of agricultural and live-stock industry and is
essentially one of the representative citizens of Hanover township. He
and his wife are zealous communicants of the Lutheran church.
In 1889 Mr DeBuhr wedded Miss Minnie Ehman, whose father, the late
William Ehman, was numbered among the honored pioneers of Gage County,
adequate data concerning the family being given on other pages, in the
record concerning Henry W. Ehman, a brother of Mrs DeBuhr. In the concluding paragraph of this article is given brief record concerning
the children of Mr and Mrs DeBuhr:
Menne, who is a prosperous farmer in Hanover township, married Miss
Katie Walken, and they have two children, Harm and Trinty; William, a
representative farmer of the younger generation in Hanover township,
wedded Johannah Zimmerman; John is a farmer in Hanover township and
the maiden name of his wife was Bena Huls; Henry, Amka, Jergen,
Bernhard, Trinty, and Martin remain at the parental home.
History of Gage County, Nebraska (Hugh J. Dobbs, 1918
Contributed
by: Amy Robbins-Tjaden
John J. Gronewold has gained through his insistent energy and ability
a secure vantage-ground as one of the substantial exponents of farm
enterprise in Hanover township, where he is the owner of a well improved farm property of two hundred acres, his attractive homestead
being situated in Section 31.
Mr Gronewold was born in East Friesland,
Germany, on the 9th of October, 1873, a son of John and Anna
(Heinrichs) Gronewold, the father having been born in 1847 and his
death having occurred in 1891, his entire life having been passed in
his native land, where his widow still resides, she having been born
in 1844.
Of their six children four are living: Soaka remains in
Germany; John J., of this review, is the next younger; William is
engaged in farming in Gage county; and Galscha remains at the old home
in Germany. The other two children, Dick and Weaka, sacrificed their
lives in the great European war of the present day.
The religious
faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church and the father gave
his entire active career to farm industry, in which his success was
unequivocal, his old homestead farm in East Friesland comprising
seventy acres.
John J. Gronewold gained his youthful education in the excellent
schools of his native province and was but sixteen years old when, in
1889, he came to the United States and established his residence in Gage County.
Here for ten years thereafter he was employed as a farm
hand, and though he never received large wages he carefully saved his
earnings, as he was ambitious to establish himself independently as a
farmer. After his marriage he continued in the employ of others until
1900, when his financial resources had become such as to enable him to
make partial payment on a farm of eighty acres, in Hanover township.
With characteristic energy he gave himself to the improving and
general operations of the farm, which he eventually sold
advantageously, and he has not only become and independent and
successful agriculturalist and stock-grower of the county but has also
accumulated a fine landed estate of two hundred acres. He keeps the
farm in the best of condition throughout, has erected good buildings
to supplement those already on the property, and he orders with much
circumspection and attendant success all branches of his farm
enterprise, which includes diversified agriculture and the raising of
cattle, swine and chickens of the best type. He gives special
attention also to the raising of beans and has made this enterprise
notable successful. A hard worker and a man of good judgment, he has
achieved prosperity through his own endeavors and is one of the highly
esteemed citizens of Hanover township.
In politics he is independent
of strict partisan lines, he has served as road overseer and as a
member of the school board, and he and his wife are active
communicants of the German Lutheran church.
In 1897 Mr Gronewold wedded Miss Anna Gerdes, who was born in Germany,
where her parents, John and Freda Gerdes, passed their entire lives.
Mrs Gronewold was fourteen years of age when she came to the United
States in company with one uncle and her sister Tena. Mr. and Mrs.
Gronewold have four children, all of whom remain at the parental home:
Anna, Jennie, John and Freda.
History of Gage County, Nebraska (Hugh J. Dobbs, 1918
Contributed
by: Amy Robbins-Tjaden
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