 MR. AND MRS. FRANK J. BELLOWS. |
the county in which he has spent the greater part of his life. He was born in Benton county, Iowa, October 4, 1882, and is a son of P. P. and Minnie (Kelty) Waitman. Mr. Waitman's father lived retired on his homestead in Morrill county before his death and the mother still resides there. The father was born in Iowa and the mother in Ohio, and they had the following children: William, who is a farmer in Morrill county; Mrs. Pearl Limburg, who lives at Bridgeport, Nebraska; Dale W., who lives on the homestead; Vernon, whose well improved property is situated on section twenty-one, town nineteen; Mrs. Grace Wyatt and Mrs. Bessie Wyatt, both of whom live in Banner county; Mrs. Hazel Eaton, who lives in Wyoming; Byron, who served in the United States navy, is at home; Freda, now Mrs. Ray Morrison of Denver, and John, at home. Vernon Waitman accompanied his parents to Nebraska when they removed here from Iowa in 1888, and remained on the homestead in Morrill county assisting his father, until 1908 when he homesteaded for himself. Mr. Waitman owns six hundred and forty acres of land and devotes the greater,part of his attention to stockraising, usually turning off two hundred head of cattle annually. He gives the most of his time to his business as politics have never interested him beyond the responsibilities of good citizenship, although his fellow citizens have given evidence of their appreciation of his sterling character by electing him treasurer of the school board. Mr. Waitman was united in marriage to Miss Alice Ridge, who was born in Benton county, Iowa, March 6, 1886. Her people came early to morrill (sic) county and homesteaded and now live retired at Bridgeport. Mr. and Mrs. Waitman have two children: Timothy and Rex. Mr. Waitman casts an independent vote. FRANK J. BELLOWS, county judge of Kimball county, Nebraska, has filled this important judicial office with dignity and efficiency since he took his seat on the bench in January, 1915. Judge Bellows is an old resident of the county, owning his homestead for thirty-three years, and during that time has won such respect and personal esteem-, that his election to the judgeship twice came about with no opposing candidate, he being the universal choice. Judge Bellows was born in Cass county, Michigan, January 4, 1854, and is a son of James C. and Mary E. (Osborn) Bellows, the former of whom was born in New York and the latter in Indiana. The grandparents were James and Hannah (Smith) Bellows, and Elijah and Sarah Osborn, all people of many sturdy virtues, now long since passed away. Of his parents' family of children, Frank Jefferson was the second in order of birth, the others being: Louis, who died in infancy; Charles P., who is deceased, was a farmer; Elmer E., who is also deceased; Emma J., whose married name is Mead, resides at Kimball; and Carleton J., who is a farmer in Michigan. Despite the fact that Judge Bellows is a man of learning and thorough knowledge of the law, his education was obtained in a country school near his father's farm in Michigan. He had few of the advantages now considered essential for one preparing for public position, but reading, a habit of observation, sound judgment and association with his fellow men in many a crisis, have been great teachers, and his decisions lack nothing a college degree could have given them. He came west in 1886, remained in Kansas for six months, then came to Nebraska and homesteaded, and ever since has been one of the county's useful and respected citizens. In Michigan, in December, 1880, Judge Bellows was united in marriage to Miss Katie A. Renninger, daughter of Charles and Barbara (Swinehart) Renninger, who were old settlers in Elkhart county, Indiana. Judge Bellows is a Thirty-second degree Mason and a Shriner, his local membership being in Kimball lodge No. 294 A. F. & A. M., Kimball, Nebraska. He was first elected county judge in 1914 and is still serving. ROBERT H. FAIRBAIRN, Jr., who is extensively and successfully engaged in farming and stockraising in Morrill county, has not been a continuous resident since he first came here, many years ago, but has never lost interest in this section, and though property belonging to his mother, felt somewhat bound here before he invested on his own account. He is well known and highly respected citizen of Morrill county. Robert H. Fairbairn, Jr., was born in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, October 23, 1867. He bears his father's name, who was also a native of Wisconsin and a well known minister of the Congregational Church in that state. After moving to New Hampton, Iowa, he was editor of the New Hampton Courier for thirty-five years. The mother of Mr. Fairbairn, Mrs. Lucy (Beshee) Fairbairn, was |
born in Wisconsin and now resides at Redington, in Morrill county, Nebraska. Mr. Fairbairn was reared in Wisconsin and Iowa and had excellent school advantages. He accompanied his mother to Nebraska in 1893, who homesteaded here, and he lived on her homestead and did some farming and improving, then went to Chicago, where he was employed until 1909, when he once more returned to Nebraska and again took charge of the homestead. He has devoted himself quite closely since then to general farming and stockraising, owning eleven hundred and sixty acres and employing two hundred and twenty-five acres in dry farming. Mr. Fairbairn was married to Augusta Becker, who was born in Buffalo county, Wisconsin, October 11, 1834. Her father was born in Germany, came to the United States in boyhood, was a soldier in the Civil war and afterward a farmer in Wisconsin, where he died in 1893; the mother of Mrs. Fairbairn also being deceased. They have three daughters: Ruth, who is the wife of Earl Perkins, of Bridgeport; Grace, who is the wife of Charles W. Newkirk, a farmer in Morrill county; and Ora, who is the wife of George Newkirk. Mrs. Fairbairn is a member of the Christian Church. While Mr. Fairbairn has never accepted a public office, having no desire for political honors, he is an active, interested and useful citizen in private life. He is a Republican. THOMAS B. LANE, Jr., a representative citizen and successful general farmer of Morrill county, owns well improved land situated on section 22, town 22, to which he came in 1914. Mr. Lane was born in South Dakota, December 9, 1885, and is the son of Thomas and Carrie (Foster) Lane. Both parents were born in Illinois and the father carried on farming there for a number of years before moving to South Dakota. Later he came to Valley county, Nebraska, and both he and his wife now live there. Thomas B. Lane, Jr., obtained his education in the public schools and has been a farmer all his life. In 1914, he came to Morrill county, Nebraska, from South Dakota, and in the same year homesteaded eighty acres of unimproved land. Considering how short a time has elapsed since then, Mr. Lane has made remarkable progress in the way of developing and improving and he now has forty acres irrigated. He feels well repaid by its added yield for all it has cost him and probably the other forty will soon be equally productive. In 1911, in South Dakota, Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Miss Annie Smith, who was born in that state and is a daughter of Conrad and Mary Smith, natives of Wisconsin. The father of Mrs. Lane was a farmer and both parents are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lane have three children: Vernon, Dorothy and Orville. Mr. Lane is an independent voter. CHARLES H. SMITH, prosperous farmer and respected citizen of Morrill county has been a resident of Nebraska for nineteen years. He has been a general farmer all his life, first in Wisconsin and later in Banner and Morrill counties, Nebraska, and his long experience has served to make him a pretty fair judge of what it means to engage time, energy and money in agricultural industries in order to make them profitable. He was born on his father's farm in Green county, Wisconsin, June 1, 1872. The parents, of Mr. Smith were James H. and Polly (Baily) Smith. Both were born in Wisconsin where their parents had been pioneer settlers. For many years the father followed general farming in Green county, Wisconsin, where he was a man of more or less local importance. In 1900, he became impressed with the opportunities offered in Nebraska and with his family came to Banner county and homesteaded. He continued a farmer during the rest of his active life and lived near Gering in Scottsbluff county at the time of his retirement and subsequent removal to California. He still resides there, being in his seventy-second year, but the mother of Charles H. died in the California home in 1919, aged sixty-four years. Charles H. Smith was reared in Wisconsin and obtained a public school education. He accompanied his parents to Banner county, Nebraska, locating first near Gothenburg in Dawson county, from which place he came to Morrill county and homesteaded. At that time his hundred and sixty acres were wild prairie and for the first six years he found little compensation for all the hard work he put on the land, the lack of moisture being a continual setback. Then came irrigation and with the life-giving water the really fertile soil was able to respond to cultivation and Mr. Smith now has one of the best farms in the county. He has a hundred and forty acres in his home place and all of this tract has been well improved. His buildings are commodious and substantial and on every side may be observed provision made for the carrying on of large industries in the best possible way. |
Mr. Smith was married to Miss Lizzie Howard, who was born in Kentucky, December 15, 1885. Her parents, James and Eliza (Minshall) Howard, were also born in Kentucky. In early manhood Mr. Howard worked on the railroad near Sidney, Nebraska, but later homesteaded in Banner county and still resides on his farm there. The mother of Mrs. Smith is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had children as follows: Lelia, deceased; Mary, who is the wife of Ernest Foster, a farmer near McGrew, Nebraska; Henry, who assists his father on the home place; Arthur, deceased; and George, Roy, Luella and Leslie, all of whom reside at home. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Smith is a sound Republican. Although interested in all matters concerning the welfare of the county, he has never been willing to accept a public office, contenting himself with setting a good example of sensible, practical citizenship. CHARLES R. CHURCHILL. -- From every state in the Union young men have come to Nebraska, and Kansas has many worthy representatives here who have bettered their fortunes through the opportunities she has offered. There was a time when certain sections of the state were called too dry to prove profitable for farming purposes, but now that the great irrigation projects have succeeded, no land in the country could be more desirable. This was the judgment of Charles R. Churchill when he invested in Scottsbluff county land and he is well satisfied with the decision he made. Charles R. Churchill was born in Phillips county, Kansas, September 21, 1876. He is the son of Henry and Sarah (Brown) Churchill, the former of whom was born eighty-four years ago, in Ohio, and the latter, seventy-nine years ago, in Illinois. They still reside on their farm in Kansas. Mr. Churchill obtained his education in his native state and grew up on the home farm. In 1906, he came to Scottsbluff county, Nebraska, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres and has lived here ever since, now owning two irrigated farms, both of which he has improved, aggregating three hundred and eighty-nine acres. Mr. Churchill has been very successful in his agricultural undertakings and is numbered with the substantial men of the county. In 1892, Mr. Churchill was united in marriage to Miss Olive L. Dickson, who was born in Kansas, October 12, 1882, and died at the age of thirty-six years. Her parents were Frank and Lucy (Bruner) Dickson, the latter of whom still lives in Kansas, but the former died in 1918. To Mr. and Mrs. Churchill the following children were born: Edith, Maxine, Clyde, Richard, Bernadine, Arthur and Alice. Mr. Churchill is an independent voter and has never accepted any political office. He belongs to the order of Modern Woodmen. GUSTAVE WIKSTON, a well known and highly respected resident of Morrill county, resides on his valuable farm in the Bayard district, situated on section 5, town 21, to which he came in 1900. Mr. Wikston was born on his father's farm in Sweden, February 1, 1858. His parents were Peter and Mary Wikston, neither of whom ever left their native land. They were honest, hardworking people who brought their children up to be frugal and industrious. While Mr. Wikston had no educational advantages in his boyhood to compare with those he has been able to give to his own children, he had some schooling and was a well informed youth of nineteen years when he came to the United States. As he had had farm training in his own land, it was on a farm that he sought and found employment in Howard county, Nebraska, and continued to work there, in the vicinity of St. Paul, from 1877 until 1888, when he moved into Box Butte county and homesteaded. From there he came to Morrill county in 1900 and shortly afterward bought a quarter section of unimproved land. It is an interesting story that Mr. Wikston can tell of what hard work it was to get his land properly developed and substantially improved, and of the wonderful advantage that irrigation has been. His land is favorably situated for crop growing and this property investment in Morrill county has made him financially independent, He has practically retired from active labor, his eldest son having taken over the management of the farm. At St. Paul, Nebraska, in 1882, Mr. Wikston was married to Miss Matilda Olson, who was born in Sweden, October 12, 1859. Her parents wert (sic) Olaf and Anna Olson, both of whom spent their lives in Sweden, where the father was a general farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Wikston have had children as follows: Elmer, who operates the home farm in Morril (sic) county; Oscar, who is a farmer in Morrill county; Ira, Thomas and John, all of whom live at home, and Edna, who is deceased. Mr. Wikston and his family are members of the United Brethren Church at Bayard. For many years he has been an American citizen and early identified himself with the Democratic party in politics. Wherever he has lived in the great |
country to which he came in youth, he has found good friends, for he has been peaceful, helpful and neighborly, ever endeavoring to do his full duty. COLE HUNT, whose thorough farm methods and general enterprise are making the old Hunt homestead one of the best farm properties in Morrill county, was born in eastern Nebraska, April 13, 1895, and has spent his life in his native state. With the good judgment that marks many young men in modern days he has chosen agriculture as his life work and is devoting his best energies to the further development of the excellent property left by his father. The parents of Mr. Hunt were John and Lillie (Gilmore) Hunt, the former of whom was born in Ohio, June 9, 1848, and the latter in York county, Nebraska, June 3, 1864. In 1875, John Hunt came to eastern Nebraska where he bought land and followed farming for some years, then moved to Box Butte county and homesteaded and the family lived there for eight years. In 1898, Mr. Hunt saw what he considered better opportunities in Morrill county, came here and bought two hundred and forty acres of land which, at that time, was entirely unimproved. He continued the practical development of his farm until the close of his life. He was widely known and highly respected. To John Hunt and his wife the following children were born: Eva, who is the wife of Elmer Bennett, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lillie, who is the wife of Alexander Underwood, of Box Butte county; George, who resides at Spokane, Washington; Susie who is the wife of Arthur Jones, of Grand Island, Nebraska; John E., who was a soldier in the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during the World War and was in the army of ocupation (sic) in Germany; Omar, who is deceased; Cole, who operates the home farm as mentioned above; Nellie, who is the wife of Leslie Allen, a farmer in Morrill county, and Nettie, who is deceased. The mother of the above family still resides on the home farm. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Cole Hunt took charge of the farm for his mother soon after completing his education. He is a level headed, serious-minded young man, a hard worker and close thinker. To him farming is not merely an occupation but a business that is deserving of a man's best efforts. He has been very successful in his work here, has the land all irrigated, makes every acre return a profit. At present he is not particularly active in politics. HARRY G. GREEN, who is a general farmer and stock raiser in Kimball county, is a highly respected, reliable citizen, and a good influence in his neighborhood. He was born in Maryland, February 14, 1870. His parents, Thomas and Rebecca Green, came early to Maryland and located in Harford county. The mother died in 1886, and the father in 1893. He followed farming and blacksmithing. Of his children, Harry Giles was the fourth born, the others being as follows: George and William, both of whom are deceased; Thomas, who is connected with the creamery at Kimball; Robert, who is a farmer, is also in the monument business at Stewartstown, York county, Pennsylvania; and Margaret, who lives in the city of Baltimore. Mr. Green obtained his education in Maryland, from which state, when fifteen years old, he came to Cass county, Nebraska. In the following spring he began farming with a cousin and continued a farmer in Cass and Kearney counties until 1913, when he came to Kimball county. Here he bought a half section of land, situated two and a half miles west and one and a half miles south of Bushnell, where he has been engaged in general farming and stockraising ever since, carrying about thirty head of stock a season. Mr. Green owns also a tract of five acres in Columbia Heights, a choice residential suburb of Lincoln, which ultimately, will be a part of the city. In 1904, at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Mr. Green was married to Miss Levonia Bell Vanscoyor, who is a daughter of Owen Kinney and Rosa Ann (Lucas) Vanscoyor. The father of Mrs. Green was born in an eastern state and the mother was reared in Kansas. Both parents died at Lewisville, Nebraska. Mrs. Green has the following brothers: Charles H., who is a stonemason living at Lewisville; John F., who is in business at Lincoln; William H., who is a carpenter at Lewisville; LeRoy, who has farm interests in Colorado, lives at Dix, Nebraska; and Darwin J., who is a railroad elevator builder. Mr. and Mrs. Green had one child born to them but it did not survive infancy. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Green has never taken a prominent part in politics, his idea of good citizenship being the faithful carrying out of everyday duties and neighborly helpfulness and good will. |
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