 MR. AND MRS. ROBERT M. DE LA MATTER |
tions back, and justly proud to bear a Christian name that has been honored by father, grandfather and great-grand father. Woodford R. Jones was born in Iowa, January 10, 1882, a son of Woodford and Etta Jones, natives of Iowa, who came to Cheyenne county in 1885, homesteaded, then sold and bought a place near Dix, again selling seven years later. They now live retired. Extended mention of the family will be found in this work. After a happy boyhood on the home farm and a sufficient amount of school attendance for practical purposes, Mr. Jones invested in a section of land in Kimball county and is paying much attention to developing a grain farm, he has one and one-half sections. With three hundred and fifty acres in wheat and corn and with oats yielding ninety bushels to the acre, it probably is only a matter of time before he is one of the leading producers of "the golden food of the world" the bread that not only our own, but other lands are in such dire need of. He is a careful, intelligent, well informed farmer and good business man. In 1903, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Charity Hammond, at Mason City, in Custer county, Nebraska. The parents of Mrs. Jones came from Harrison county, Indiana, to Custer county, Nebraska, thirty-five years ago. Mrs. Jones is one of a family of twelve children. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, namely: May, Fredy, Grace and Woodford, the son being the fifth in direct line of descent to bear the family name. Mr. Jones has no political aspirations but he is influential in business circles as a member of the Farmers Union. He owns an interest in the Farmers Union store at Bushnell and also in the Farmers Elevator Company of the same place. The family attend church services and have pleasant social connections at Bushnell. ROBERT M. DE LA MATTER. -- Nearly forty years have passed since Robert De La Matter drove into Scottsbluff county in true pioneer style and settled on a homestead in township 22-57, section 36. This section of Nebraska at that time was mostly open prairie covered with the curly buffalo grass and prairie wild flowers; habitations were few and far between and. civilization was still in its primitive form, so that today he belongs to that rapidly thinning coterie of men who blazed the way for the present great development of this favored section, and a worthy pioneer he has proved to be. Mr. De La Matter was born in Illinois, July 29, 1852, being the son of Cyrus and Mary Ann (Rowe) De La Matter, a history of whose lives will be found in the biography of Judge De La Matter, of Gering. Robert was reared in his native state by attending the common schools, living the life common to most farmers' sons, as he assumed many tasks around the home place, and thus became a practical farmer. When his school days were over he entered farming as an occupation compatible with his tastes and a vocation with which he already had an excellent working knowledge. His business life progressed, but land in Illinois was high and as he was foot free, he decided to come west and on the high prairies take up enough land to make agriculture a paying business. After considering various states west of the Mississippi where homesteads were yet to be had from the government, Mr. De La Matter came to the Panhandle and he must have been endowed with a far vision of what the future held for when he located in Scottsbluff county in 1888, he filed on a claim which has since come within the irrigated district of the valley. Soon the prairie sod was broken, crops planted, a primitive bachelor establishment in running order and buildings erected for the stock and horses. Mr. De La Matter was a good manager, he was young, not afraid of hard work, and in the early days was willing to turn his hand to any honest occupation that brought in a dollar and thus he was able to weather the hard years of the early nineties, when drought burned up his crops, blizzards killed some of his stock, and the grasshoppers. took what was left, but he was not discouraged as were so many of the pioneers and did not, like them return east, but stuck it out, and his faith in the Panhandle has been fully justified as is evidenced by the comfortable fortune which the family today enjoy. With increased free capital from the sale of farm products Mr. De La Matter invested in other tracts of land adjacent to the homestead and today is the proprietor of a landed estate of 400 acres, all well improved with a part under ditch, which makes a fine combination for the general farm industries and stock-raising which he conducts. From first locating in the county he has devoted much time to a good grade of cattle and horses and specializes to a considerable extent in breeding them. With the passing years new and better farm buildings have been built on the place and a fine, convenient, modern home erected which is one of the most hospitable in the Morrill valley, where the De La Matter family is regarded with great esteem by the most recent settlers, who look to this old-timer as an example of |
what industry, plus pluck and the modern methods he advocates and practices can accomplish in this favored farming community. The home farm is one of the old school sections and is one of the well known places for miles around. It need not be stated that Mr. De La Matter has been a successful man and now that life's shadows are beginning to lengthen from the crimson west he can look back across the years and feel his to have been a life of achievement and it is this type of man to whom posterity owes a great debt as he helped in opening up what is today the very garden spot of the country. On March 1, 1890, occurred the marriage of Mr. De La Matter to Miss Sophie Adair of Illinois; she died March 22, 1899, and he married a second time in 1899, Mrs. Mary E. Blackburn. Mr. De La Matter is a Republican in politics, advocates all movements for civic and communal advancement, and is a citizen who stands high in the Morrill valley. Mr. and Mrs. De La Matter are members of the M. E. church. By former marriage he had two children: Jesse, on a claim in Wyoming; William, has a claim in Wyoming. He has just returned from France where he saw service in the United States army during the World War. He enlisted September 22, 1917, and served until June 21, 1919. THOMAS L. BOGLE, who owns and operates one of the big grain and stock farms of Kimball county, has developed this property from its original state, and in the process passed through many hardships in earlier days. These are not forgotten but they have been overcome, and Mr. Bogle is now one of the county's substantial men. Thomas L. Bogle was born in Gosper county, Nebraska, October 21, 1883, a son of James Bogle, extended mention of whom will be found in this work. Mr. Bogle obtained his education in the country schools, and made his first money by herding cattle. He was thoroughly trained in farm work and has never desired to enter into any other line of business. In 1907 he came to his present homestead, under the Kinkaid law being able to take up all of section thirty-two, the greatest hardship of living on the land at that time being the necessity of hauling all water used a distance of six miles. To this original homestead he kept adding land until he owned twelve hundred acres, of which he later consented to sell two hundred and forty acres, when the transaction was very advantageous. At the present time he has five hundred acres in wheat, oats and corn, his 1918 harvest aggregating about two thousand bushels, the 1919 crop. being considerably heavier. Mr, Bogle has over three thousand bushels of wheat this year and one hundred and seventy-five acres of fine oats, that are the best in this part of the county. He keeps quite a few good cows for cream and home use. While Mr. Bogle has not entirely eliminated horses for farm work, a large part is now done with farm tractors. On February 15, 1905, Mr. Bogle was united in marriage to Miss Edith Hanes, who taught school for five years before her marriage, and is a daughter of Harvey and Sarah Hanes. Mrs. Bogle has one brother, Ellsworth. Her father was a wagon maker by trade but the family lived on a farm and the father died near Des Moines, Iowa, in December, 1885. The mother of Mrs. Bogle, who was born in 1858, still survives. She has followed the profession of teaching since girlhood and is yet easily and satisfactorily going on with her educational duties, and resides near Stockville. She is a woman of culture, education and refinement. Mr. and Mrs. Bogle have had the following children: Howard, Harold and Avis, and three who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Bogle attend the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of the order of Modern Woodmen of Bushnell, and belongs to the Farmers Union at Bushnell, in which organization he is interested as a stockholder. No family is more highly esteemed in this part of the county. JOSEPH H. PHILLIPS, who is a prominent and representative citizen of Kimball county, has spent the greater part of a busy and useful life in Nebraska. He was nine years old when his people came to this state and there is much unwritten history that Mr. Phillips knows through experience. Joseph H. Phillips was born in Wabash county, Indiana, March 18, 1878. His parents were Henry and Eliza Phillips, farming people who came from Indiana to Kimball county, Nebraska, in 1887, removing then to Kimball, in Cheyenne county. Of their eight children, there are four living, Joseph H. Phillips having one brother, O. C. who is a sheep man in Kimball county; and two sisters, Orpha, who is the wife of Louis Wayhouse; and Ruth, who is the wife of George Fast. Mr. Phillips grew to manhood on the home farm and obtained a country school education, more practical than decorative, just what was needed for a young man starting out to find |
fortune as a farmer and stockraiser. Under the Kinkaid act he homesteaded and afterward added two hundred and forty acres, this giving him eight hundred acres of fine land. He immediately began raising stock and has done remarkably well with cattle and horses, and at the same time has three hundred acres under fine cultivation, devoting it to general crop raising. Mr. Phillips is credited with being an excellent farmer and a good judge of stock, but public affairs claim a part of his time. For six years he has been a county commissioner of Kimball county and has made a record of which he may be proud. In 1900 Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Jennie Green, a daughter of Abel and Martha Green, who came to Nebraska from England, settling in the neighborhood of York. Mr. Green is deceased, but Mrs. Green survives and makes her home with her children. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have had four children, namely: Mable, who is teaching school near her father's ranch; Bessie, who died October 18, 1918, at the age of fifteen years, a victim of influenza; Raymond, who is attending school; and Pearl, who is the youngest. Mr. Phillips and his family are members of the Presbyterian church, which they attend at Bushnell, where they have a wide acquaintance. At one time Mr. Phillips was active in the order of Modern Woodmen. DAVID H. SONDAY, who is numbered with the substantial and representative men of Kimball county, an extensive land owner and for some years a business man of Bushnell, is a native of Nebraska, born in Seward county, March 20, 1881, on his father's pioneer homestead. David H. Sonday was one of a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters, born to Edward and Elizabeth Sonday, who were born, reared and married in the state of Illinois. From there they came as early homesteaders to Seward county, Nebraska, where the family lived about thirteen years. The father died at Oberlin, Kansas. After his death the. family moved to Brewster, Kansas, and the aged mother, still resides there. Mr. Sonday has the following brothers and sisters: Nettie, who is the wife of Samuel Ayers, a retired citizen of Chappell; Amiel, who follows the blacksmith trade at Brewster, Kansas; Joseph, who is a farmer at Brewster; Kate who is the wife of Ernest Calkins, who is a farmer; Louis, who is a farmer in Kansas; and Lucy, who is the wife of Walter Stair, a merchant at Brewster. Until he was twelve years old David H. Sonday lived in Seward county, but afterward until 1900, at Brewster, Kansas, where he attended school. He had his own way to make in the world and after coming to Lodgepole, in the above year, was variously employed until 1903, when he went to Cheyenne and entered the railroad shops, working there as a machinist. In 1907 he was sent to Philadelphia in the capacity of engine inspector for the Harriman system, and upon his return to Cheyenne, became shop foreman and continued there until August, 1908. He came then to Kimball county and homesteaded under the Kinkaid law, and now owns two sections of land. During 1916 and 1917, he engaged in the hardware trade at Bushnell, then returned to his ranch and since then has given close attention to his farm and stock. He has two hundred and fifty acres under cultivation, a large acreage being in grain, and raises some of the finest stock that reaches the great markets from Kimball county. His improvements on the ranch include a comfortable ranch home, and he also has an attractive residence at Bushnell. He has some important business interests here also, and is a stockholder in the Bushnell State Bank. In 1902 Mr. Sonday was united in marriage at Chappell, Nebraska, to Miss Etta Peters, who is a daughter of George J. and Catherine Peters, who were early settlers in Cheyenne county. Mr. and Mrs. Sonday have one daughter, Lucy, who is attending school at Bushnell. Mr. Sonday belongs to the order of Modem Woodmen and Mrs. Sonday to the auxilliary (sic) organization. He takes a somewhat active interest in politics and has served as a member of the board of county commissioners of Kimball county. FRED MORBY, who is one of the enterprising and prosperous young wheat farmers of Kimball county, was born at Axtell, Nebraska, June 1, 1898. He is a son of Andrew and Caroline Morby, who had other children as follows: Axel, Christina, George, Sadie, Lydia, David, Lena, Robert. Lillian, Leland, Harry, Inez and Goldie. All are living except Axel and Lillian, who died in infancy. The parents of Fred Morby were born in Sweden and they were reared there and were married in that country. After they came to the United States the father settled in Phelps county, Nebraska, later moving to Kearney county, and followed the blacksmith trade until 1910, when he came to Kimball county and took up a section of land under the Kinkaid |
act, and at the time of death, in May, 1919, he owned seven hundred and twenty acres of land. He was an honest, sturdy, hard working man all his life and was greatly respected wherever known. The mother of Mr. Morby survives and has recently moved to Ogden, Utah, in order to give her youngest daughter high school advantages in that city. As early as 1912 Fred Morby started out to take care of himself as an independent farmer and stockraiser, renting land and now farming eight hundred and fifty acres, and preparing to put seven hundred acres in wheat as his three hundred and seventy-five acres in wheat in 1918 gave a yield that was encouragingly profitable. He keeps about fifteen cows but is not much interested in stock at the present time. He carries on his farming according to modern methods, using both horses and tractor. On January 1, 1913, Mr. Morby was united in marriage to Miss Grace Leeper, who is a daughter of Rev. David A. and Ella Leeper. The father of Mrs. Morby is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, now stationed at Hoisington, Barton county, Kansas. His other children are as follows: Adrian, Mable, Zoe, Paul, Murlin and John. Mr. and Mrs. Morby have two fine, sturdy little sons named Charles F. and John L. Morby. Mrs. Morby is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Morby is not active in politics but he takes much interest in organizations intended to protect farmers and belongs to the Farmers Union and has stock in the Farmers Elevator Company. ANDREW F. AHLSTROM, who is one of Kimball county's most highly respected residents, came to the county thirty-one years ago and has been identified with its material development in no small degree. He was born in Sweden in 1848, a son of Gustavus Ahlstrom, who was the father of seven children, five of whom were sons, two only coming to America, Andrew F. and Otto. Early in 1888 Andrew F. Ahlstrom and his brother set out from Sweden for the United States, the first stopping place on the way to Nebraska, being Newton county, Iowa, and also a short time in Minnesota and Indiana. In the same year Mr. Ahlstrom came on to Kimball county and homesteaded a quarter section as a beginning, later homesteaded a three-quarter section and now owns five quarter sections, all of which is very desirable property. He carries on general farming and is a large raiser of fine stock. Mr. Ahlstrom has been honest and industrious all his life and has met with a large degree of success. In 1886 Mr. Ahlstrom was married to Miss Josephine Swanson, a daughter of Pearson and Frelott Swanson. Her father died in Sweden and her mother came then to the United States and lived in Lucas county, Iowa, until her death. Of her nine children, six sons and three daughters there are but two living: Mrs. Ahlstrom and Mrs. Matilda Hall, the latter of whom lives near Little Falls, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Ahlstrom have had three children: David, a fine young man, who died in 1913, aged twenty-six years; Joseph, who is his father's right hand on the farm; and an infant that died unnamed. Mr. Ahlstrom and his family enjoy a comfortable residence on their ranch. He has numerous business interests at Bushnell, Kimball county, these including membership in the Farmers Union, stock in the Farmers Elevator Company and stock in the Bushnell State Bank. ERNEST JURBERG. -- When such thorough-going farmers as Ernest Jurberg, who is well and favorably known over Kimball county, apply themselves to agricultural pursuits, a high standard of excellence is set and maintained. He has had almost a lifetime of experience and today is numbered with the leading, well informed farmers and stockraisers of Kimball county. Ernest Jurberg was born in Sweden, October 7, 1872, a son of Theodore and Anna Jurberg. They came to the United States when their son was young. When the latter was eighteen years old he began working on a cattle ranch in Kimball county and continued about eight years. When the Kinkaid act became a law he took advantage of its provisions and homesteaded and proved up. After holding the land for nearly fifteen years he was offered $30 an acre for it, which he accepted, afterward receiving the old home section from his grandmother. Here he carries on general farming and stockraising, doing very well in both industries, usually keeping one hundred and twenty-five head of stock, of which long experience has made him an excellent judge. In 1912 Mr. Jurberg was married to Miss Anna M. Elmquist, a daughter of Carl J. and Augusta W. Elmquist. The parents of Mrs. Jurberg still own their farm situated four miles west of Axtell, Nebraska, but they now live retired in that town. Mrs. Jurberg had two brothers, namely: Frank, who is farming for his father; and Albert, who died October |
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