ULYSSES SIMPSON CORNWELL

Ulysses Simpson Cornwell was born Jan 18, 1864 in Medora, Jackson County, Indiana and died at Walthill, Thurston County, Nebraska on Jan 8, 1952, ten days short of his 88th birthday.

He married Susan Thompson on Dec 31, 1890, in Blair, Washington County, Nebraska. She was born Mar 7, 1873 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, and died Jan 15, 1937 in Parma, Canyon County, Idaho at the age of 63. She was the daughter of John F. Thompson and Susan Elizabeth Sanders.

U. S. Cornwell married Mrs. Nettie Hinkle in 1939. She died at Walthill in 1941.

In the 1900 census for Kansas, Miami County, Valley Township, the Ulysses Corwell family consisted of the following:

NATIVITY

NAME   BIRTH   AGE   PERSON   FATHER   MOTHER

Corwell Ulysses Jan 1864 36 Indiana Kentucky Indiana

--- Susan Mar 1873 27 Nebraska England England

--- William Nov 1891 8 Nebraska Indiana Nebraska

--- Thornton Dec 1893 6 Nebraska Indiana Nebraska

--- Ethel Nov 1895 4 Kansas Indiana Nebraska

Cornwell Deforest Mar 1898 2 Kansas Indiana Nebraska

--- Elsie Feb 1900 3/12 Kansas Indiana Nebraska

Musgrove Wm May 1877 17 Kansas Missouri Missouri

Glover J. P. Mar 1866 34 Missouri Kentucky Indiana

Cornwell D. Nov 1874 25 Nebraska Indiana Indiana

J. P. Glover was the husband of U. S. Cornwell's sister Nora, and was listed as a boarder. Wm. Musgrove was listed as a servant. D. Cornwell was U. S. Cornwell's brother Dodd, and was listed in the household immediately following the Ulysses Cornell household. The Cornwell name was spelled correctly beginning with Deforest, as his name was at the top of the page after the preceeding names.

All the adults could read and write and speak English. Ulysses was shown as a farmer, renting a mortgaged house.

In the 1910 census for Nebraska, Thurston County, Merry Precinct, the Ulysses S. Cornwell family consisted of the following:

NAME AGE

Cornwell, Ulysses S. 46

Susan 37

William U. 18

John T. 16

Ethel S. 14

Deforest C. 12

Elsie R. 10

Ruth V. 7

Elmer M. 5

Bryan F. 3

Kenneth L. 10/12

All the birthplaces were consistent with the 1900 census. The last four children were born in Nebraska. Ulysses' occupation was listed as farmer.

From a January 1916 Walthill Times front page article:

"Wedded a Quarter Century. Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell Celebrate Silver Anniversary. Many Guests at Home. Bountiful Dinner Spread in Afternoon. Young People Enjoy a Dance at Night. Guests Leave Many Valuable Presents.

"What proved to be undoubtedly the largest and most brilliant social function of the past year, Dec. 31, 1915, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Cornwell, six miles northwest of Walthill, when upwards of two hundred people gathered, between the hours of noon and midnight, to celebrate the "silver wedding" of the esteemed couple who have been respected residents of this community for many years.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell have been planning for several weeks, in fact ever since they completed their new country home last summer, the event which comes but once in their lives, as a fitting opportunity to extend their hospitality and goodwill to their many friends.

"The anniversary was celebrated by a two-fold function. the older friends gathered for an afternoon dinner and social hour, and in the evening the younger people filled the home with the spirit of gayety as they participated in the hours of dancing.

"More than a hundred guests were present in the afternoon. They included friends from the immediate neighborhood, a large number from Walthill and nearby towns, and not a few relatives and lifelong friends from more distant points.

"The tables fairly groaned under the fullness of the feast prepared under the direction of Mrs. Cornwell. There was complete absence of formality and the guests enjoyed a merry afternoon, with none more happy than the bride and groom of a quarter of a century ago. Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell sang a duet, unaccompanied, entitled, "No, Sir, No," which was much enjoyed by the guests.

"After the dinner was over, Dr. Johnson of Winnebago and Mr. Keefe each gave a toast to the host and hostess, which was responded to by Mr. Cornwell. Mr. Keefe advised him that any thought of a parole, after serving twenty-five years would not be considered, and that his sentence must be "for life."

"A photographer was present and took a number of views of the home and of the guests, also of Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell and their eleven children in a family group, which was arranged outside the dwelling. (See picture at the end of this generation.)

"The rainy evening did not prevent the young people from coming and about seventy-five gathered for the oyster supper and the dance which lasted until after midnight. But it did detain many of them from going home and sixty-five stayed all night and were there for breakfast.

"The entire occasion, first and last, was one of rich enjoyment for all. Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell were remembered by a large number of rich and beautiful presents which would make an extended list. The guests departed wishing them many happy years to follow their "silver wedding."

"Among the guests from a distance were:

"Blair: Mrs. Susan Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Jens P. Jensen, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Thompson, Mrs. W. Brooks, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Thompson.

"Mr. and Mrs. George Gould, Florence, Neb.

"Mr. and Mrs. M. P. Gould, Omaha.

-------------------------------------------

"On December 31, 1890, Mr. Ulysses S. Cornwell and Miss Susan Thompson were united in marriage at the home of the bride's mother, in Blair. The ceremony was performed at 6:00 P. M. by Rev. John Power, pastor of the Congregational church, in the presence of immediate relatives.

"The bride and groom lived in Pender for three years, and afterwards moved to Kansas where they lived nine years. Prosperity did not smile upon them at that time and they returned to Thurston county, where they have since resided.

"By thrift and hard work, wise planning and husbanding their earnings, they have reared a large family and acquired a comfortable competence which will enable them to live in comfort in the latter years of their life. While not rich in this world's goods, they have built a comfortable, though not extravagant home on their farm, and they have earned and deserve the respect equal to any of our citizens. They are plain hospitable citizens, good neighbors and public spirited for that which is good.

"The eleven children of the Rooseveltian family, all living, are: William U., John T., Ethel (Mrs. Ira Snyder), DeForrest, Elsie, Ruth, Elmer M., Bryan F., Fred, and Harold." (Kenneth was omitted.)

From an item in the Walthill Times in January, 1950, entitled "U. S. Cornwell, 69 Years in this Locality, Celebrated 86th Bithday Here January 18th:

"U. S. Cornwell, who has been a resident of Thurston county since 1881 celebrated his 86th birthday quietly, January 18 at the home of his son, Fred sharing with other members of the family who reside here, a delicious cake and the pleasure of gifts received locally and my mail.

"Mr. Cornwell who was named Ullysses Simpson for Gen. Ullysses Simpson Grant likes to tell of his boyhood days when his father, a blacksmith, shod General Grant's horse during the Civil War. Mr. Cornwell was born in Jackson county, Indiana in 1864 and was the fourth child of 13 children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Cornwell. At the age of three, he came with his parents to Nebraska crossing on the ferry near Decatur and took a stagecoach for Cuming City, where his parents settled on a homestead between Cuming City and Blair. His father set up a blacksmith shop on the homestead and the family lived in the same building in those early days. Mr. Cornwell as a boy pointed the horseshoe nails while his father plied his trade. His early education was acquired at a country school called the Alder Grove school near the community church which stands today known as the Alder M. E. church.

"Mr. Cornwell was 17 years old when his parents moved to Thurston county and lived on a farm near Pender. A few years later, he returned to Blair in 1890, when he married Susan Thompson of Blair and the first two of their twelve children were born at that place. A later move took them to Kansas for three years, then back to Nebraska to settle on a farm near Herman where they lived until 1909 when they moved to a farm northwest of Walthill known today as the U. S. Cornwell place."

"In 1915, Mr. Cornwell built an 11 room farm home to house his growing family; and lived there for the next twelve years before returning and moving into Walthill. His wife passed away in 1937, the first and only death in the family thus far.

"Mr. Cornwell, a fluent speaker in his day, was much in demand for public address occasions about the county. He was an active member of the Old Grain Association and the Farmer's Union and held offices as president, secretary and Treasurer in both. He was county commissioner for many years, he is a member of the Nebraska Historical society, and his name was at one time listed in Nebraska's "Who's Who."

"In 1939, Mr. Cornwell married Mrs. Nettie Hinkle who died at Walthill in 1941.

"Of his twelve children three sons, Fred, Elmer and Harold live in Walthill. The others are Wm. of Pender; Thornton of Sioux City; Ethyl Snyder, Monte Bello, Calif.; Dee of Parma, Idaho; Elsie Snyder of Parma; Kenneth of Ontario, Oregon; Helen Smith of Seattle, Wash.; Ruth Jacobson of Caldwell, Idaho; and Bryan of Parma, Idaho. Mr. Cornwell also has 58 living grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren.

"Except for a few months at a time on the west coast visiting his children and at the Horton Rest Home at Coleridge, Mr. Cornwell has lived in Walthill village for the last 23 years. At present he makes his home with his children alternating his time between the three homes."

An article appearing in the Pender Times column The Letter Box, U. S. Cornwell wrote an article entitled "Pioneer Days in Nebraska:"

"The celebration in Rosalie brought back many memories to the older people that passed through that stage of life.

"The object in this article is to tell what the pioneers had to endure and it was not all hardships among the early settlers.

"And in describing the ways of those days, I may have to use the personal pronoun as what they all passed through was of a similar nature.

"Those days are as vivid to the membory as if they happened yesterday.

"There was quite a bit of excitement about homesteads. There was what we called jumping homesteads; that is, if they were not living up to the law, someone would jump some other one's homestead, which caused some litigation.

"We came to Nebraska in the year 1869. My father drove two spans of mules tandem to a covered wagon and settled in Cuming City townships. It was larger then than Blair at that time but most of the buildings were moved to Blair.

"We went out on our homestead in 1871 and the first school house I went to was built of sod. A great many houses were built of sod and the first plowing done on our homestead was done with two oxen teams tandem style.

"Prairie fires were quite common but during all of these pioneer times, people seemed to be happy -- they did not think hard of the hardships -- they only wanted to settle in the land of milk and honey, and you know what it is today. Every neighbor helped the other neighbor.

"All streams were perfectly clear on account of there not being much plowed ground in the country at the time. After a heavy rain, the creeks would overflow and fish would float upon the banks and we would pick them up and a person could see the fish at the bottom of the streams.

"Also we caught prairie chickens in traps made out of laths; prairie chickens were very poor eating except the breasts; all except the breasts was just like fish with a lot of fine bones. We used to dry the breasts to eat.

"Possibly the greatest progress was machinery.

"In harvesting we had the scythe, then the cradle, march harvester, self binder and on down to the present method.

"Also blacksmithing has made wonderful strides. My father being a blacksmith, he used to make plow shares, horseshoes, and horseshoe nails; there not being very much of these things manufactured at that time.

"There were no autos, telephone, railroads or other means of transportation except by oxen team. If anyone was able to buy a top buggy it was a rare thing.

"As to the make of dress, we will leave that to those who go to extreme extremes.

"Since we all pass through the stages of life but once, it refreshes one's memory to reflect on the past and being pioneers, they were more considerate of one another than the average person today.

"What will or could pass through a similar period of time only the unsuspecting could make a guess."

U. S. Cornwell's certificate of death, Nebraska 52-1078, listed the cause as endocarditis, with chronic bronchitis and arteriosclerosis.

He was buried in the Walthill, Nebraska, Evergreen cemetery.

The children of Ulysses Simpson Cornwell and Susan Thompson were:

*i William Ulysses, b. Nov 29, 1891, m. Alta Emily Chambers on Mar 8, 1911, d. Dec 11, 1963

ii John Thornton, b. Dec 5, 1893, m. Elsie Martin on Feb 18, 1920, d. Sep 25, 1981

iii Ethel Susan, b. Nov 4, 1895, m. Ira Snyder on Dec 31, 1913, d. May 1974

iv DeForest Clifton (Dee), b. Mar 20, 1898, m. Vesta Laverne Riggs on Mar 19, 1919, d. Jan 1978

v Elsie Rose, b. Feb 20, 1900, m. George Snyder on Sep 7, 1921, d. Mar 30, 1974

vi Ruth Violet, b. Oct 25, 1902, m. Lester E. Jacobson on Sep 7, 1921, d. Apr 6, 1990

vii Elmer Morton, b. Jan 7, 1905, m. Eva Mae Masten on Dec 24, 1935, d. Nov 28, 1992

viii Bryan Franklin, b. Apr 28, 1907, m. Violet Louella Morrow on Aug 3, 1931, d. Feb 1987

ix Kenneth Lloyd, b. Jun 9, 1909, m. Bessie Marie Bohn on Aug 12, 1929, d. Oct 1971

x Alfred Wesley, b. Oct 25, 1911, m. Daisy Merle Moore on Oct 1, 1935

xi Harold Woodrow, b. Jun 8, 1915, m. Nina Florene Keeling on Nov 8, 1934

xii Helen Genevieve, b. Sep 2, 1917, m. Donald E. Smith on Jun 16, 1936

Larry Patrick Cornwell, May 26, 1999