Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

Mary Hill remembers the Hart Place.

The Hill family's next move was to the Belle Hart Place, which was one mile north of Naponee. They lived there for part of two years 1942 and 1943. From her pages of memories Mary wrote about a unique experience with the animals; "We had a deer that stayed with the cows on the Belle's place."

Originally, this farm was the old J. M. Ray Place. He was on of the very first homesteaders of our county. His dugout was just to the south of the house across the road and up on top of the hill. (See Photo). J. M. Ray spent time with the Indians in another state as a young boy. He gave each of his children an Indian name. There is a lovely story he wrote to a Mr. Dow's wife that lived east of them. Vianna Dow had taken her wedding dress and lined the coffin for one of Mr. Ray's children. That child is buried just a short distance east of the house in the photograph. Mr.. Ray's life is a story for another day.

Chapter 25. Mary recalls other farmsteads.

From 1944 to 1945 the Hills lived on the Joyce place, south of Bloomington (NW *, section 34, Oak Grove Township). Many people know the site as the Louis Diesley Farm. Mary told about Ted's first tractor. "He loved horses and always worked them, until he bought his first tractor when we moved on the Joyce place. Ted and Gerry went to Franklin one day and found a little calf in the grader ditch, so they brought it home. Later, Bill and Gerry bought a little white pig down that they found, and it grew into a huge hog. When we lived on the Joyce place, we weren't able to raise much. Ted and I shucked Henry Story's corn to help out on the bills. I helped after getting the kids off to school. His corn was extra good and we'd get 3 big loads a day about 50 bushel."

Henry Story lived across the road north of Ted and Mary, when they lived on the Joyce place. Mary remembered an incident on the Joyce Place. " When we lived on the Joyce place, a bad storm came up in the spring; and we had big cottonwood trees in our front yard and in the pasture. Our young calves all got under the tree; lightning struck them and killed six of them. We also had 200 or so chickens in the garage. The door was closed and they piled up in the front and we lost a lot of them. Dot and Dad (Ted) were standing in the doorway watching the storm and they really got scared."

In 1946, it was back to the Belle Hart Place, and they lived there through 1947.

The years 1948 through 1950 found Ted and Mary Hill on the Hank place five miles north of Naponee (NE *, section 8, Farmers Township). Mary remembered the Blizzard of 1948 while living there. My 1905 Atlas map shows this is the Old Jacob Graf farm. When Howard, Bonnie and I drove to the Ike Helman Place, we also drove to this farm. It was straight north of Naponee six miles and then west a short distance. On the north side of the road, back up on the flat was a small house that is just CRP ground now. Howard said west, just an eight of a mile; there was a one story nice house. This house was on the south side of the road. He and his brother used to walk to this house. At that time, no one lived there. On west to the corner we turned around. If you went to the west corner and north on this road, there used to be a bachelor living there. There are so many home sites to find I shall never fine them all, but I will try.

In 1950, the Hills moved to the A. C. Anderson farm west of Bloomington, by the old mill. They lived there until 1956. Mary remembers that day. " When we moved to Grandpa's farm, I took a load and went on ahead and Ted brought the horses. The trip went fine until they came to a bridge and old Funny wouldn't cross. I don't remember how he got them to cross. He may have covered his eyes, but he hurt his knee and when he got home he could hardly walk. Howard helped drive the cattle down. The big pig Gerry and Bill found grew into a big hog, and Phil Johnson wanted it for breeding, so Ted and Phil traded pigs. Ted traded work with Phillip Johnson, so we all helped. Ted also traded work with Swede Gardner.

Last Moves

Ted and Mary made two more moves: one to Arizona, from January until May 1956. The Family's last move was to Emmett, Idaho, where Ted and Mary lived the remainder of their lives.

Ted Hill passed away February 10, 1965; Mary (Anderson) Hill passed away July 4, 2000. Even in death, they both made one final journey back to the land of their birth. Ted and Mary were laid to rest in Bloomington's Maple Grove Cemetery.

I have found it enjoyable to put the Olson, Anderson, and Hill Family story down on paper. It was a learning process to organize this woman's life into a story. I wanted to write down every word Mary said. In order to cover a life in 12 computer pages and 25 chapters, I had to decrease the file. I selected what appeared to me to be the best.

Most of the information here come from Howard and Bonnie Hill, Mary Hill's son. Without Bennie's detailed genealogy this story would not have been possible. In the last six months, Bonnie has helped me to find my mother's family, whom I knew nothing about prior to her investigation. My mother didn't raise me, so all I knew about her were a couple of names and the fact her family came from Tennessee. Bonnie took those names and turned then into families and traced them back to almost Germany. It means so much to me to know that deep in the Tennessee Mountains I have a new found heritage. I thought I would burn Bonnie out with work, but guess what this nice lady said at Mary Hill's funeral: " Send me your Walker and Easter given names." She does this research and expects nothing in return. It's a random act of kindness that Bonnie Hill does, and she simply says, "Pass it on." As a historian, I try to do my best to pass onto the next generations the best of what a person was. Mary Hill left a wonderful gift to her family in these handwritten pages. Please pass on the best times of your lives to your descendants in written form. It's one of the best things you could ever do.

Mary remembered the death of her sister: " I can remember when we buried her that day. We rode to the cemetery in a lumber wagon. I remember the clothes Mom dressed he in. Jesse had a white casket. I wasn't quite 3 years old. I remember asking my folks where Jesse went. They told me, `Jesse went to Heaven' and I wondered where Heaven could be. " Mary (Anderson) Hill's childhood wonder has been answered, because now she knows where Heaven is.

I wish Mary could have read this written account of her life, but she didn't need to read it, she lived it.

The End

Tho' lost to sight, to memory dear thou ever wilt remain; Once only hope my heart can cheer, the hope to meet again.

Rena Donovan, For Another Day

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