FAMILY STORIES

   The Miller and Paul families were active in Mt. Zion Methodist Church and several are buried in Rock Creek Cemetery.

   After graduating from Lincoln Medical College on 24 April 1907, Dr. and Mrs. Wright and their two small daughters, Evonne and Pauline (born 22 April 1907) moved to Davey, where he started practicing medicine. Willard was born there 8 January 1909.

   Dad got his first car there, about 1909. It was a buggy which he took to Cushman Motor Works in Lincoln, where Les Cushman motorized it. His second car was a "Brush," which looked like a glorified buggy with brass trimmings. Those early cars were very unreliable, so horses and buggies, or horseback, were the usual mode of transportation.

   In 1911, we moved to Ceresco. We lived, and Dad had his office, in what had been the 20-room Kelly Hotel. Later, he had offices uptown, now occupied by "Ernies." In 1925, we moved to Lincoln, where he practiced until 1955, with the exception of two years, when he retired to Phoenix, Arizona. Tiring of retirement, he requested medical missionary work among the Indians. He went on the staff of the Arizona State Hospital, which had many Indian patients. After two years, they returned to Lincoln, where he joined the staff of the State Hospital, retiring in 1958. Mother died 17 March 1955, in Lincoln, and Dad died 21 July 1958, at his sister's in Kansas City, Kansas.

   I attended Nebraska Wesleyan and the University of Nebraska. I married Glenn Bennett, born 17 June 1907 at Ceresco, at Atlanta, Georgia, on 4 January 1931. Glenn graduated from the University of Nebraska in June, 1930. He was hired by Goodyear and was sent to Atlanta as part of his training program. He was then transferred to Omaha, Nebraska. Our son, Glenn Douglas was born 28 October 1931, at Lincoln. After several transfers, we landed in Burlington, Iowa. Glenn left Goodyear and affiliated with his dealer, Bennett Tire and Battery. Our daughter, Patricia, was born there on 30 September 1938.

   Glenn was called into Service at the start of World War II. He was assigned to a Special Invasion Planning Group, co-ordinating all invasions in the Mediterranean Theatre. He was separated on 4 April 1945, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and returned to Burlington. The store then became Bennett's Home Center, specializing in furniture, carpeting, drapes and interior decorating.

   Douglas graduated from Drake University in 1953, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. He served two years in the Pacific Theatre, as an Air Controller. He married Marion Jacobsen, at Waukon, Iowa, on 1 July 1958. They had two children, Eric and Karen. Douglas died 19 February 1963.

   Patricia received her degree from the University of Iowa. She married Leonard Walworth, Jr. on 20 May 1962, in Burlington. They have four children Julie, Leonard III, Bryan and Catherine. Submitted by Pauline Emily (Wright) Bennett

   Deitrich Grauerholz was born at Hanover, Germany, July 4, 1849. At age 18, he came to the United States. He made his home in Chicago. Later he went to Nena, Wisconsin, where he was employed as a barrel maker.

   In 1877, he came to Nebraska, settled on a farm near Lincoln.

   He married Gretchen Gurdsen, Dec. 19, 1881. They moved to Primghar, Iowa, with their sons, John Henry and Fred. Herman, Richard (Dietrich), Mary, and William were born there. They returned to Nebraska and in 1909 settled in Memphis.

   Grandma Gretchen died December 1928. She had been bedfast for several years.

   Grandpa Grauerholz died at the age of 83 on November 17, 1937.

   Richard was born April 25, 1890. Mary McInerney was born September 23, 1894 to John and Helena McInerney of Ithaca.

   This couple, Richard and Mary, were married in Wahoo, Dec. 9, 1912. They made their home in Memphis, and their children are George, Bessie, Harold, Norman, and Eldon. All were born in Memphis except Eldon, who was born in Ithaca.

   Mary and Dick celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Dec. 1962. Richard died November 6, 1965 and Mary died January 15, 1972.

   Bessie, with her brothers, grew up in Memphis.

   She married Russell Wright of Mason City, Iowa in St. Louis on Nov. 25, 1951. They resided in the Denver, Colo. area until their retirement. One son was born to them: Lee, on October 28, 1953.

   Russell spent 14 years in the Navy. He served on the submarines Sawfish, Plaice, and Sarda during World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a combat V.

   Russell and Bessie were Charter members of the Thornton United Methodist Church. The church was organized in April 1956 with 66 members. Bessie received a special membership in the Woman's Society of Christian Service, March 7, 1966. She returned to college to complete her education to become Director of the Thronton United Methodist Pre-School. She and her son, Lee, were in College at the same time. One of the proudest was when she received her certification to be Director.

   Russell retired from Public Service Company of Colorado in Oct. 1976. Russell and Bessie moved to Memphis and the following spring built a home. Lee, with his wife, Bonnie, and two daughters, Desiree and Danielle are in Dallas, Texas.

   Reading Histories can bring on headaches. The following remedy was found in a cook book, belonging to Lena McInerney of Ithaca (1880).

   Just mix 1/3 oz. gum mur, 1/4 oz. gum camphire, 1/4 oz. winter green oil, 1/4 oz. sasafras or capream, 1/4 oz. pavius oil; 1/4 oz. memoris, and 1 pt. alcohol together. Rub it generously on your forehead. Submitted by Bessie Wright

   LaVonne Frances Holtorf Yeager was born December 9, 1932, to Francis H. and Anna Wagner Holtorf, at Grand Island, Nebraska. She was baptized on January 8, 1933, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Grand Island.

LaVonne and Charles Yeager and Charles

   When LaVonne was six months old, the family moved to a farm near Worms. She attended Zion Lutheran School at Worms, through the fourth grade. In 1941, they moved to St. Libory, Nebraska, where she attended school through grade eight.

   On April 14, 1946, LaVonne was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church at Worms. In 1950, she graduated from St. Paul High School, St. Paul, Nebraska. After graduation she taught a rural school near her home.

   In 1955, she graduated from Concordia Teaches College, Seward, Nebraska, with a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree. Then, she taught music at Concordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota.

   She was married to Charles A. Yeager from Clinton, Missouri, on February 13, 1956, and they lived at White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

   In 1962, they moved to Bloomfield, Nebraska. In 1965, she began teaching there. She taught fourth grade for three years, and has been teaching kindergarten since then.

   Since its beginning in 1974, she has been a member of the Nebraska Professional Practices Commission Peer Review Panel.

   In 1978, she graduated from Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska with a Master of Science in Education Degree.

   She is a member of the Bloomfield Education Association and was an officer for several years. She is a member of the Nebraska State Education Association, the National Education Association, Delta Kappa Gamma Honor Society International, American Association of University Women and Trinity Lutheran Church.

   They have one son, Charles A. Yeager, Jr., Bloomfield, Nebraska. She has one sister, Patricia Ann Holtorf Paulsen, St. Paul, Nebraska; one niece, Beverly Ann Paulsen Brown, Marina, California; and one great-nephew, Nicholas Daniel Brown, Marina, California.

   Her mother, Anna Holtorf, lives at St. Paul, Nebraska. Her father, Francis H. Holtorf, died May 13, 1981.

   Lewis G. Yochum, his wife, Annetta, two of his three children, Lee and May, moved to a farm just to the southwest of Ashland from Brock, Nebraska in March, 1916.

   The household goods were shipped by freight and the rest of the family by automobile later on. As part of that move, Lee, along with a hired hand, moved their two mules by hayrack with feed on it and two horses tied behind. They stayed the first night at the hotel in Dunbar with the mules and horses in a livery stable.

   The next day they ran into snow and stopped at a farm north of Alvo. They had their own sandwiches but the Halls, whose farm they had stopped at, had them come in for warmth. Lee was so cold he had to push his hands together to unsnap the bits and harness.

   The following day they arrived at their farm about 4:00 p.m. They went to the next door neighbors, the Charlie Keetles. Mr. Keetle and son, Don, wanted them to stay over night, but Mrs. Keetle was much against it and won out. Both men went on to Ashland and stayed in an old hotel.

   In 1923, Lewis served as State Senator from Saunders County. His son, Charles, served in this same legislature from Otoe County. This was the first time in the history of the United States that a father and son served in the same session of the legislature.

   It was during this time that John Sterling Morton was to give his residence and adjoining land to the State of Nebraska as a park. This was the first State Park in Nebraska. Representative Charles Yochum, who later moved to Saunders County, gave the address in which the State of Nebraska accepted this property from the Mortons.

   In the fall of 1929, the first State Husking Bee was held at the Yochum farm with about 6,000 in attendance. Mrs. Yochum and Mrs. Arthur Jeffery made and baked homemade pies to sell at this event, yielding around $40.00.

   This had been the first field to have tractor cultivation. It was the start of row-crop by machinery. By using a horse-drawn two-row cultivator, Lewis designed a hitch that could be put behind a Fordson tractor and was driven by Lee.

   The main speaker at this event was Governor Sam McKelvie. E.J. Kittle demonstrated a McCormick Deering single-row corn picker. The corn in this field yielded 79.6 bushels per acre, which was unusual at that time.

   In 1928, Lewis was chosen by the Nebraska Farmer as one of the ten outstanding farmers that year to be Master Farmer.

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   In 1929, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Yochum, son, Ralph, and daughter, Verna, moved to the farm and occupied a second home built there.

   Charles was one of three men who started the Production Credit Association in this area, and remained as Secretary of the Association until his retirement.

   Ralph has continued to live in the Ashland area since that time. He and his wife, the former DeLoris Anderson of Waverly, have three children, all who no longer live in Saunders County. By Ralph B. Yocum

   Harry A. Yocum was born January 31, 1884, in a sod house at Cornell, Nebr. His parents were Elder Edward and Sarah Yocum. He was the Burlington Depot agent at Yutan, Nebr. for 27 years from 1910 to 1937. He married Mabel Richardson Jan. 29, 1906. They lived in Uehling, Nebr. for several years before coming to Yutan. Their eight children attended the Yutan Public Schools.

   Nellie married Lad Swanda. Their children were Harry, Betty Baker, Norma Baker, and Marvin. There are nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

   Marvin and wife, Lucille, are both deceased. Their daughter is Ann Watke, and they had five grandchildren.

   Vera married Ed Keene who is deceased. Their children were Norman, Charles, Dick, Patricia Kruska, Robert, and Steve. There are 24 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

   Edwin married Annabelle Parmenter. Their children were Harry (deceased) and Catherine Dunton. There are 3 grandchildren.

   Frances married Clint Wolfe. Their children are Gene (deceased), Joanne Mendoza, Bill and Cheryl Gerharter. There are 5 grandchildren.

   Howard (deceased) married Donna Slaymaker. Their children are Dick and Leanne and there are 2 grandchildren.

   Irene Yocum married Andy Schact. Their children are Richard, Ronald, Rita Rahl, and there are 8 grandchildren.

   Dorothy married Cal Holm. The children, Gary, James, and Eric, have 5 children. Submitted by Mrs. Edwin Yocum

    Reginald and Betty started their home in Saunders County in 1951 on the site once known as The Brown Meadows, north of Mead. Reginald's grandfather, S. Eugene Brown, was a Nebraska Pioneer. He, together with his brothers, Charles, Joshua P., and Henry Irving, came to Nebraska from New York State. They came West with the Union Pacific Railroad as construction workers in 1863. They settled in Saunders County. Charles taught school in Valparaiso (1905). Joshua P. built the first flour mill at Clear Creek, which is now Yutan. His daughter, Anna, was the wife of the Mead dentist, Dr. W.J. Pinkerton (1907). They later moved to Florence, (Omaha). Henry Irving settled in Ponca later. S. Eugene Brown was born in Brookfield, N.Y. and married Ella B. Haggard of Saunders County. The Haggard family was originally from Kentucky. They returned to New York State and raised their family there. They had five children, Albert, Irving, Clarence, Frankie and Jessie Anna.

Reginald and Betty York, 1981

   Reginald B. York was born in Hamilton County, New York to Jessie Anna and Vern Bell York. Jessie A. came to sunny Nebraska for health reasons, bringing with her Reginald and her mother, Ella Brown. She died in Omaha in 1924. Reginald lived with his grandmother in Nebraska and New York, attending schools in Fremont and Omaha. Ella Brown died in 1931.

   Reginald married Betty Bode. Her grandparents were Nebraska pioneers, having journeyed from Germany, and settled in the Raeville, Nebraska area. Reginald and Betty raised their family in Mead. They had 2 sons, Daniel and Richard, and 3 daughters Margaret, Jeanne and Patricia. The children all attended elementary school in Mead. Daniel and Richard and Patricia attended high school in Wahoo at Bishop Neumann Catholic High School. Margaret and Jeanne attended the Mead High School. The family members were all active in the St. James Catholic Church at Mead. Reginald was instrumental in establishing the University of Nebraska Experimental Farms and Laboratories at Mead, and served as Operations Manager until his retirement. He successfully maintained a second career as a writer, contributing poetry and essays to Nebraska newspapers. Much of his work was published under such pseudonyms as Jess Bell and L.C. Woolsey. Reginald died in 1981 and is laid to rest in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Wahoo. Betty resides in rural Saunders County. One daughter, Margaret, her husband, Tom Iossi, and 2 children, Karin and Scott, reside in rural Saunders County, also. Betty York

   John U. and Elizabeth Wuthrich Zaugg, both born in Switzerland, migrated to America and homesteaded in the Clear Creek area of Union precinct, Saunders County in 1869.

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Zaugg

   They are the great-great-grandparents of Marvin (known as Bud) Zaugg who still lives in the Clear Creek area. Marvin is the son of Elmer and Leona Backens Zaugg and grandson of John Jr. and Cathrina Siemsen Zaugg.

   Leona was the daughter of Heinrich and Bertha Stoldt Backens. Heinrich was the son of Hans Jurgen and Anna Heldt Backens.

   Marvin married Floy Seefus in 1946, daughter of Henry and Ellen Grover Seefus. My paternal grandfather came from Illinois and my grandmother came from Germany with her two sisters when she was 14 years old. They settled in the Papillion and Waterloo, Nebraska area.

   My mother's family was of Irish and English descent and lived in the Valley, Nebraska community.

   My husband and I and our three daughters are graduates of Yutan High School.

   Our daughters are Sharon Timm and Shirley Simons (who are twins) and Susan Trapp.

   Also, our pride and joy are our seven grandchildren: Jason, Joseph and Brenda Simons, Andrew and Mathew Timm, and Ryan and Ashlee Trapp.

   Our life is our family. We all enjoy life on the farm and the Zauggs will always be remembered for their appreciation of good horses. Marvin also treasures antiques, especially John Deere tractors.

   He loves farming and, with the help of our sons-in-law, tills many acres as well as raising cattle and hogs.

   We belong to St. John's Lutheran Church and cherish many happy and sad memories down through the years.

   Holidays are family days! We manage to be together and share! Submitted by Floy Zaugg

   On June 2, 1940, Wes was born to Alvin and Alice Zaugg, in Wahoo, Nebraska. The third child born to them, Wes has an older brother, Charles, also of Yutan and sister, Mrs. Ron (Lois) Dawson, of St. Louis, Missouri.

   Wes started school in District #10, a small one-room country school just up the road from their farm. He attended his first five years of school there, and after it closed, he attended Yutan Public, where he graduated in 1957. He later joined the Air National Guard and was stationed in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and Ft. Rucker, Ala.

   I was the first child born to Verver and Mabel (Phelan) Kirchmann in Omaha, Nebraska. I have one sister, Mrs. Jim (Jean) Brown of Fremont. My mother died while giving birth to my sister, and I then made my home with my grandparents, John and Henrietta (Passo) Kirchmann for many years. There are many happy memories from those years with "Grandma." My dad later married Phyllis Wittmersehause and they had one son, Richard, who lives in Cedar Bluffs. I graduated from Cedar Bluffs in 1958 and attended Wayne State for one and one-half years.

   Wes and I were married in 1963 in Yutan. We live on the same farm Wes was born and raised on, and are now raising our daughters here.

   Our children are, Michelle, in her last year of college, who hopes to be a Dental Hygenist; Marsha who will graduate from Yutan High this spring; and Cynthia who is in Jr. High at Yutan.

   We are members of St. John's Lutheran Church in Yutan, where Wes has served on Church Council. I belong to Women's Serving Circle, have taught Sunday School and the girls belong to Jr./Sr. Leagues. Wes is a toolmaker at Western Electric and also farms. The girls, of course, keep up their busy schedules, are active in sports and have been involved in 4-H Livestock and Homemaking Clubs. Having three teenagers around, things are always happening.

   One of the sweetest memories of my childhood is waiting at the house and watching for my Grandpa Emil to come in from the fields for dinner. When I finally saw him I would run out to meet him and we would walk hand in hand behind the horses. The sun was hot on my back and the soil soft under my feet -- and I was so happy.

   Emil Hynek's father and mother, Frank and Rose (Kasik) Hynek, homesteaded in Saunders County in the spring of 1874, after their arrival from Czechoslovakia. Some of their nine children were born in the dugout north of Prague, Nebraska.

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