Biographies - Gage County, Nebraska

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.

Mrs. Boice is the daughter of John and Rachel Smith and is a native of Ashland, Ohio.

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 was married in Iowa City, November 23, 1868, to Calista Sanders, a native of Iowa City.

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.

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.

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.