Samuel E. Lee, son of James Lee (1799-1857) and Esther Barefoot (1810-1872) of Ireland, was born July 6, 1840 at Stouffville, York County, Ontario, Canada. He came to Antelope County in May 1871 with his wife, Harriet Jane Dexter, born September 22, 1843, in Vaughn, York County, Ontario, to Hiram Dexter (1801-1888) and Mary Williams (1803-1843) from Wales, Great Britain. James Albert Lee, born in 1867, came to Nebraska with his parents who had been married on May 2, 1866 in Unionville, York County, and Ontario. In 1868, the Lees left Canada for California and in May 1871 started back to Canada.
Samuel Lee had been blinded in an accident when thrown from a horse and his head hit a post. Samuel had heard about the Elkhorn Valley so they came to homestead in the Dutch Hollow community. Their daughter, Margaret May was born June 27, 1871, the first child born in Elm Township. Samuel started a well drilling operation and did so for fifteen years. The Lees moved to Neligh Township where Charles William Wesley was born. Son, Frank Dexter was born in 1878 and died in 1881. Arthur Kirk was born in 1882. Hiram Dexter came to visit and died on April 4, 1888. Harriet Dexter Lee operated the Elwood Hotel in Oakdale and the Atlantic House in Neligh as well as doing just about everything else to keep the family well. She passed away on June 28, 1907. Samuel went to live with daughter Margaret Bennett where he died on August 28, 1909. James Albert Lee married Martha Ann Billings in 1892. Their children were: Robert Milton Lee, 1893; Ray Ernest Lee, 1895; James Arthur Lee, 1897; Martha Alberta Lee, 1899; and Mary Vivian Lee, 1901. James Albert and Martha divorced and he married Mary Elizabeth Bennett. They had a daughter, Annabelle. James Albert Lee died in 1939 in Seattle, Washington.
Source Unknown: Originally submitted for this website in Aug 2007