UNION PRECINCT

Mr. Hubert Stamp. Meetings were held on the second Thursday of each month, but this time was later changed to the third Friday afternoon of each month.

YUTAN GARDEN CLUB 1940 -- Back Row: Tena Zangg, Eva Loeffler, Rose Nissen, Melinda Jacobs, Christina Nissen, Electa Standen, Lizzie Schulz, Rose Siebken, Kneeling in Front: Orletha Zangg, Julia Hirsch, Mrs. Johnson, Hubert Stamp.

   "Beautiful Communities are the Soul's Reflections" was the motto chosen by the Club, and the iris was selected as the Club flower.

   The Club sponsored the first flower exhibit held in Saunders County. It was held on May 26, 1938, in the Lutheran Church basement with almost 200 flower entries, and was well attended by people in the community.

   The Club President, Hubert Stamp, attended Cornell University in New York State for several summers and took a course in Horticulture. He returned with good ideas about landscaping and other helpful suggestions for gardening. Several members of the Club attended classes on flower arrangement and flower judging in Omaha and became flower judges.

   During the years the Club has beautified the grounds around the old pump house and the old fire house; they have made plantings at the Community Building, the District Fire Building, the School grounds, and the new Itan Park.

   During most of the 60's and 70's Mrs. Victor Carlson was President and Mrs. Harry Johnson was Secretary-Treasurer and they were responsible for many of the accomplishments of the Garden Club. And the present officers and members are endeavoring to continue the work started by the Club 46 years ago. Currently the president is Mrs. Willard Anderson, the vice-president is Mrs. Lester Zwiebel, and Mrs. Orvin Karloff is secretary-treasurer. Submitted by Orlinda (Mrs. Orvin) Karloff

   The original Yutan Country Club was a large two-story barn-like structure built in 1897. It was a place for social gatherings for members, families, and friends of an organization known as Plattdeutchen Verein. Members wore a badge with the name of the organization and the inscription "Yungs, Holt Fast" which meant "Boys, Hold Fast".

   The site for the Club, 1 ½ acres, was leased from Claus Matzen for $10 a year for ten years. The first recorded officers were: Nick Miller, President; and Peter Dau, Secretary. The Club was used for parties, picnics, and dances. Because of the war with Germany in 1917 the name Plattdeutchen was dropped and Yutan Country Club was adopted, and that name is still in use today.

   In 1926 it was decided to tear down the old building and salvage the lumber to build a new one. Claus Stange was head carpenter and the working crew were all volunteers from the Club membership. The new building was dedicated in October 1927. The land had been purchased from Joachin Hollst in 1925 for $575. Board Members at this time were: Theodore Lorenz, Henry D. Eggers, George Mumm, William Nissen, and Henry Lorenz. The Club was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1935, and deeded from the Board of Directors to the Country Club in 1948.

   Many changes and improvements have been made through the years. It is still a membership organization with yearly dues and annual meetings. The annual meeting is held the first week in October and officers are elected. The Club is rented to members and organizations for dances and parties. It is a popular gathering place for people in the community. It is also the meeting place for the Yutan American Legion Post and for the Women's Auxiliary.

   1983 Board Members are: President, William Frahm, Jr; Vice-President, Charles Zaugg; Secretary-Treasurer Harold Petersen; Directors, Richard Fisher and Ronald Kastner. "Jungs, Holt Fast". Submitted by Wm. Frahm Jr.

Yutan Country Club Officers -- 1983

   In the fall of 1977, Carl Stange, Walt Raether, Harvey Speckmann and Roy Johnston attended meetings in Wahoo in hopes of getting a Senior Citizen Group started in our area.

   On Wednesday, February 1, 1978, Yutan business people served a luncheon to forty-five Senior Citizens at the Chief Restaurant. Special guests, James Ziethow and Reba Shaffer of the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging, braved a very snowy drive from Lincoln to help us start our Senior Citizen Center in Yutan.

   On March 22, 1978, the following people volunteered to serve on the organizational committee: Carl Stange, President; Walt Raether, Vice-President; Ethel Storm, Secretary; and Mary Schulz, Treasurer.

   We held our first dinner April 12 of that year, served by the Evening Belles Extension Club. One hundred twenty-five people attended. On May 10, the Catholic Women served the dinner to another large group of Senior Citizens.

   Messrs. and Mmes. Harvey Speckmann, Louis Witte, Glenn Miners and Ben Malchow volunteered to serve on the committee to decorate tables for the once-a-month potluck dinners held in the Community Building.

   We joined the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging (LAAA) on May 15, 1980. The LAAA provides the dinners that are served Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays of each week at the Community Building. These dinners are brought from the central kitchen in Wahoo in thermal containers. Our staff includes a driver to transport the food and Sandy Asher, Central Manager.

   The Community Building is also rented for Senior Citizen programs, meetings and activities such as: classes in crafts, painting, crocheting and weaving;

Yutan Senior Citizens Christmas 1982

Enjoying lunch at the Yutan Senior Diner

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health programs; humanities projects; and information and referral with other Human Services Agencies.

   We incorporated as a 60+ Club in 1982. Annual tours have been taken every year, the first of which was to Kansas City in 1979. Several from our community have taken the Mini-bus to Omaha and Lincoln.

   In March, 1981, the Yutan Center for Senior Citizens entertained all the business persons at a dinner of appreciation. This dinner has since become an annual event.

   Some of our other annual projects are a booth at the County Fair and a table at the PTO Boutique, which is held every November. We have a "Country Store" sponsored by our group. Baked goods, vegetables and craft items are brought in and sold.

   Roy Johnston, one of our founding members, was elected to the Silver-haired Unicameral from the 23rd District in 1980. He was re-elected in 1981 for a two-year term. Senior Citizens are very proud of him.

   We also take great pride in the success of our Senior Citizen 60+ Club in Yutan. Submitted by Caroline Miners, Carl Stange, Ethel Storm

Cake decorated by Lucille Loeffler for 3rd anniversary of Yutan Senior Center being open.

   Visible Gravestones in Bender Cemetery, adjoining Ed. Keller's property and U.P. Railroad, Section 15, Range 9, Union Precinct, Nov. 2, 1975. The Cemetery had been mowed, however, and many of the gravestones have been broken or knocked down, and some are covered with dirt and cannot be found without digging. Many graves are badly sunken no stones visible. Indians buried their dead there too, but possibly west of Railroad tracks. These graves are not marked.

   The following are two epitaphs that could be read:
Baby's Gone Home
Otto Ray
Son of J.F. and H.C. Monson
Died Feb. 9, 1881
Aged 7 mo. 6 days
Here lies our darling little Ray
Which unto us was given
His life seemed but one short day
And then he went to heaven.

Elizabeth
Wife of W.H. Hart
Died September 25, 1881
Aged 39 yrs.
She was a kind and affectionate
wife and trusted in Jesus.

   On March 18, 1887, members of Bethel Free Methodist Church (south of the present site of Leshara) formed the Pleasant View Cemetery Association with William Platt as Chairman and H.M. Williams as clerk. Two acres of land in Union Precinct were bought at $25 an acre from D.M. and Sarah Williams, and lots were sold for $5 each.

   Because of some legal controversy a new constitution was drafted in 1901 with D.M. Williams, Fred Quass, and J.W. DeVore as trustees and Wm. C. Williams as clerk. The name of the cemetery was retained and the upkeep was financed by donations and the sale of lots.

   In 1902 thirty-five osage hedge posts were set in as hitching posts, and the price of the lots was increased to $10. A tool shed was built in 1906, and in 1931 a fence was installed in front of the cemetery.

   At first lot owners took care of their own property, but in 1908 a man was hired to mow and clean the cemetery twice a year at $4 a year. In 1947 a maintenance fund was established and the price of the lots was raised to $25 with an extra $25 to be paid for maintenance. A new gate was erected in 1977 mounted with the name "Pleasant View".

   Civil War Veterans buried here are: William Butts, Presley Bishop, Joseph Lamuel, Samuel D. Moran, and E. Tucker.

   World War I Veterans buried here are: Alvin Howell and Floyd Nicholsen. From the Yutan Centennial Book printed in 1976.

   George Parmenter, great grandfather of Annabelle Parmenter Yocum, designated a portion of his land to be used as not only a family cemetery, but that of his neighbors and friends he felt were also his family.

   The Parmenter Cemetery is located 4 miles south of Yutan and the following information has been compiled:

   The oldest known grave is that of Charlie Charling, Jan. 6, 1875. The latest, most recent, George Wilgus, Nov. 7, 1921. The average age was 25 years, the youngest person was one day old, the oldest 93 years.

   The number of graves was 69; 34 males, 28 females, 7 unknown. Family names include: Parmenter, Armstrong, Workman, Dihel, Bateman, Stevens, Gammon, Padget, Wilgus, Vorse, Rogers, Shield, Kelly, Wagner, Kingery, Redick, Hyatt, Wilson, Cadwell, Porter, Eggert, Nematz, and Watters. Submitted by Cathi (Yocum) Dunton, descendant of the Parmenter family.

Monument to honor the Pioneers of the Community

   About 1870, Hans and Elsabe Hollst set aside three acres of their land for a Cemetery. In 1879, they deeded this land to St. Peter's Reformed Church for the sum of one dollar, and the Cemetery business was administered by the Trustees of the Reformed Church.

   During the early 1920's the matter of having a broader based cemetery organization was discussed and considered. Finally a tentative cemetery organization drew up a petition and presented it to the Reformed Church asking the Church to convey the cemetery property to this new group. This petition was approved and the group held its organizational meeting March 17, 1926, with the following officers: Chairman -- George Reese; Secretary -- William Wannow; Treasurer -- Fred Michel; Trustees -- John Zaugg, William Grothendick,and Frank Hollst.

   The Hollst Lawn Cemetery Association drew up a Constitution which provided for a managing Board of Trustees. These Trustees were to be six in number, three from the Lutheran Church and three from the Reformed Church; each Trustee to serve a term of three years and two new members to be elected every year.

   On February 6, 1932, an additional 1 ½ acres of land was purchased for $425.

   On February 6, 1954, a new Secretary's book was purchased and Rev. Karl Konig was paid to translate the old records from German to English.

   In 1968, the Cemetery Board took an option to buy another acre of land. This was paid for in 1969 when a bond matured, the cost being $800.

   New gate posts were installed in 1969 with two bronze name plates giving the date of the original cemetery as 1873.

   In 1976, a new fence was built on the western edge of the cemetery, and the south fence was painted aluminum.

   In May 1982, Yutan Legion Post No. 262 installed a flag pole near the north line, and on Memorial Day, 1983, a monument was installed north of the flag pole. This monument is to honor the pioneers of the community. Emblems of the American Legion and the Auxiliary are in the center, and the right side honors all past and present patrons of the Cemetery.

   At the present time there are approximately one thousand graves, and the Cemetery consists of 5 ½ acres.

   1983 Officers and Trustees are: President -- Herbert Stange, Secretary -- Roy Johnston, Treasurer -- Hubert Bromm, Sexton -- Glen Miners, Leroy Storm, and Irving Stange.

   On May 27, 1901, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized at Yutan, Nebraska. The congregation accepted a constitution which was signed by thirty-six members. The first church council of the newly-formed church consisted of the following members: Johann F. Kolb, Henry Heuck, William Miller, Christian Nissen, Carl Burmeister, John Schulz, Fred Stamp, and Fred Goerz. These eight men were to be instrumental in providing the very able leadership for the new congregation as it chose to declare its ability to begin anew.

   The Rev. G.A. Neeff, Ph.D. received the call to be the first pastor. His competent leadership was instrumental in the organization of the congregation. For nearly two years his zeal and talents were expended in Yutan as he labored for the growth of his church. Dr. Neeff had come to the town in September, 1898, as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church.

   The Zion Lutheran congregation, although it was organized as an English Lutheran Church, had a large German membership. The services were conducted in both the German and English languages. For a number of years this arrangement had caused some dissatisfaction among the members of the congregation. The German part of the congregation, therefore, thought it best to organize a congregation of its own. This organization took place on May 27, 1901. With Dr. Neeff as pastor, the group became a member of the Midwest Synod, which was then the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Nebraska. A division of the property was made and Zion Lutheran Church kept the church building. The newly organized St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church received the parsonage, stable, and garden.

   From the very beginning St. John's had a large membership. In the first congregational meeting

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