Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

It seems like I have been getting quite a few inquiry letters. This past week I got a letter from Darlene Ireland. She is trying to make a genealogy book on her family. Her question was, did I know of any existing relatives of Valentine Henry Dickson in the Riverton area? She would like to get in touch with the present generation for the family history, and possibly get copies of any old family pictures. Along with her questions she sent some very good information on the Dickson Family. She already had copies of the of the cemetery records from the area and wants to know who Abram Dickson was. Abram died in 1883 at the age of 11 and also wished to know about an elderly women living with the Dicksons, named Rodha T. Dickson. She was born April 30, 1806 and died September 1890. She is buried on the same lot as Leroy Dickson.

I went to the clerk’s office and did some digging. I looked for a long time and couldn’t find that Valentine Dickson ever owned land around the Riverton area. We know that Valentine married Mary Harbison in Nordaway County, MO. October 31, 1884. She is buried on the same lot as Leroy Dickson. We know that Bert Dickson married Elvira Whitehill in Nordaway County, MO December 5, 1896 and we are sure that these two Dickson’s lived here in Franklin County. It looks like Burt Dickson’s wife, Elvira and his son, Freddie born in 1902 died in the same year of 1907. But it’s a puzzle as to how.

By going to the Franklin Library I was able to find Valentine Dickson’s obituary stating the death of Valentine Henry Dickson occurred at the home of his son, Guy E. in Blue Hill Tuesday afternoon after a lingering illness. Funeral services were held Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church in Riverton. Services were conducted by Rev. R. H. Carr of Blue Hill M. E. Church and burial was in the Riverton cemetery.

Valentine Henry Dickson was born in Warren County, Ill April 30, 1859 and died at Blue Hill July 12, 1932 at the age of 73 years, 2 months and 12 days. At 21 years of age he moved with his parents to Nordaway County, MO. In 1907 he came to Nebraska and settled four miles north of Riverton, where he resided until 6 years ago. Then he moved to Blue Hill where he resided until his death.

One would assume the elderly woman named Rodha (I wonder if this isn’t Rhoda) is Valentine’s mother. I assume a lot in the hobby of history research, but rarely print it. A person never knows. We also have the 1910 census of our county, which shows eleven Dicksons living in Grant Township, this being around Riverton.

In all of my history research this is the first time I have heard this name. I am afraid I wasn’t much help. Maybe in the future I will learn more about this man and his existence around Riverton. Until then this is about all I know. Darlene Ireland has more questions about this family. If any of you have heard about them living in the Riverton area please contact me or Darlene. Darlene’s Address is: Darlene Ireland, P.O. box 6504, Station F. St Joseph MO. 64506.

Meddling with another man’s folly is always thankless work. Rudyard Kipling.

Rena Donovan, For Another Day.

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