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THEY LIVED A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE NOYES
PLACE THE 1ST YEAR. ANOTHER BOY WAS BORN TO THEM WHILE IN
IOWA. THEY DECIDED TO GO WEST AGAIN THEY GOT AS FAR AS OMAHA.
WERE LIVING THERE WHEN A MAN TOLD HENRY WHERE HE COULD TAKE UP
QUITE A LOT OF HOMESTEAD LAND NEAR RIVERTON, NEBR. THEY WENT
THERE LIKED THE LOCATION. THOT IT A GOOD CHANCE TO GET A GOOD
HOME FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN. TOOK UP SEVERAL HUNDRED
ACRES. BUILT A GOOD HOUSE, ONE ROOM AT FIRST, BUT BUILT 2 OR 3
MORE ROOMS ON TO THAT ONE LATER. BUILT SHEDS AND SHELTERS FOR
THEIR STOCK. HAD GOOD LUCK WITH ALL OF THEIR CROPS (11) THEIR
STOCK, DUG A LARGE CAVE, WALLED & ROOFED IT. IT WAS A FINE
PLACE TO STORE EATABLES. THEY SET OUT ORCHARDS AND GRAPE VINES,
EVERGREEN GROVE, PLANTS, SHRUBS & VINES AND BUILT A NICE LARGE
FRAME HOUSE LATER ON.
THEY ADOPTED A LITTLE GIRL MARGUETITE 8 YRS
OLD AND RAISED HER TO YOUNG WOMAN HOOD. SHE CALLED HENRY UNCLE
& ELLA AUNT. THEY TAUGHT HER TO WORK AND GAVE HER AN EDUCATION
AND SHE MARRIED A WELL-TO-DO YOUNG MINISTER. HIS FATHER IS ALSO
A MINISTER. THEY FARM AND HE ALSO PREACHES. THEY HAVE 3 BOYS.
2 OF WHICH ARE TWINS.
FLOYD-HENRYS OLDEST SON MARRIED AND LIVES ON
PART OF THE LAND THEY TOOK UP AS A CLAIM. IS AN UP TO DATE
FARMER, WITH GOOD BUILDINGS OF ALL KINDS NEEDED ON A FARM. THE
FARM IS WELL STOCKED AND MOST OF IT UNDER CULTIVATION. FLOYD HAS
TWO SONS & ONE DAUGHTER MATTIE. THEY ARE ALL 3 MARRIED. THE
DAUGHTER TEACHES SCHOOL MOST OF HER TIME. I CANNOT THINK WHAT
HER HUSBANDS OCCUPATION IS BUT HE GETS GOOD (12) MONEY OUT OF IT
AND THEY OWN A MODERN HOME AT FRANKLIN, NEBR. THE BOYS HAVE GOOD
EDUCATION AND ARE PROSPEROUS. DELLS WIFES NAME IS SALLIE.
FAY-HENRYS 2ND SON WIFES NAME IS ANNA. THEY
HAVE 3 GIRLS. THEY LIVE ON A FARM NEAR RINGGOLD, NEBR. THEY
WERE PRETTY WELL FIXED FINANCIALLY UNTIL HERE OF LATE THE
DEPRESSION AFFECTED THEM SOME WHAT. FRED OR BUD (AS HE IS
NICKNAMED) HIS WIFES NAME IS BERTHA. THEY HAVE ONE DAUGHTER
(LUCILLE). SHE IS MARRIED. BUDS LIVE OUT NEAR RINGOLD TOO ON A
FARM. ARE QUITE COMFORTABLY SITUATED BUT NOT WEALTHY. THE
BOYS ALL OWN THEIR HOMES AND SO DOES MARGUERITES HUSBAND. UNCLE
HENRY'S GAVE MARGUERITE A GREAT
MANY NICE PRESENTS WHEN SHE WAS MARRIED AND 2 OR
3 HUNDRED DOLLARS, BECAUSE THEY SAID SHE HAD WORKED HARD WHILE
AT HOME AND DESERVED IT.
EARL-HENRY'S YOUNGEST SONS WIFES NAME IS
LURA. THEY HAVE A DAUGHTER CLARA, WHO IS MARRIED TO A MR MARTIN
HAY, HAVE A SON MONTIE. EARL'S HAVE A (13) SON HENRY JUNIOR. A
YOUNG BOY ABOUT I SUPPOSE 12 YRS OLD. EARLS HAVE A RESTAURANT AT
RIVERTON. THEY MAKE A FAIR LIVING THERE, AND THEY CERTAINLY
HAVE AN UP-TO-DATE PLACE IN EVERY RESPECT, GIVE SUCH PERFECT
SERVICE.
HENRY AND ELLA LEFT THE FARM OR HOMESTEAD
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AS HENRY WAS TROUBLED WITH RHEUMATISM. HE
WENT INTO THE FURNITURE AND UNDERTAKING BUSINESS AT FIRST AND
BOUGHT 3 RESIDENCES AT RIVERTON. THEY FIRST LIVED DOWN IN THE
BUSINESS PART OF THE TOWN BUT IT WAS SO HOT AND DUSTY AND NOT
ENUF GROUND FOR SHRUBERY & PLANTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS. THEY ALSO
WANTED A GARDEN, SOME SMALL FRUIT, GRAPE VINES ETC. AND WANTED
CHICKENS, A FEW PIGS AND A GOOD COW. SO THEY MOVED TO THE EDGE
OF THE TOWN AND HAVE SEVERAL LOTS. A PASTURE FOR THEIR COW AND
HENRY JUNIORS PONY, A PIECE OF TIMBER LAND AT ONE CORNER, A
CREEK RUNNING (14) ACROSS IT AND ARE CONTENTED THERE.
HENRY MADE A LARGE POOL FOR GOLD FISH IN THE
YARD AND A PLACE FOR WATER LILLIES & SOME OTHER WATER PLANTS.
SO AFTER DAYS AND MONTHS AND YEARS OF WORRY TOIL AND TEARS AND
NOT NEAR ENUF TO EAT OR WEAR THEY ARE IN PRETTY COMFORTABLE
CITCUMSTANCES AT LAST. THEY ARE BY NO MEANS EXTRAVAGANT OR
WASTEFUL THO AT THAT, REMEMBERING HOW AWFUL POOR THEY WERE. AND
NOT KNOWING WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEM YET FOR THEY HAVE LOST
SOME MONEY IN THE BANK AND SO DID HENRY JUNIOR.
THEY WERE MARRIED 55 YRS A WEEK AGO LAST
SATURDAY FEB 20, 1932. HENRY IS 77 YRS OLD MAR 3, 1932. THEY
OWN A RESIDENCE JUST EAST OF WHERE THEY LIVE-JUST A DRIVE WAY
BETWEEN. THEY BELONG TO THE M.E. CHURCH AT RIVERTON. HENRY IS
SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPT. HE IS JANITOR AT THE RIVERTON SCHOOL HOSE
WHICH IS LOCATED ONLY A FEW STEPS FROM HOME. (15) THEY ARE VERY
KIND TO ME AND OFTEN HELP ME WITH SOMETHING TO EAT OR WEAR AND
ONCE IN A WHILE A DOLLAR.
MY FATHER WAS A RATHER TALL FAIR
COMPLEXIONED MAN WITH BLUE EYES AND BROWN HAIR (SO I WAS TOLD).
I CANNOT REMEMBER HIM. ON HIS WAY BACK FROM CALIF. HE AND HIS
COUSIN CHAUNCY COUKLIN WERE ON BOARD A LARGE SHIP AND MY FATHER
WAS TAKEN SICK WHILE ON THEIR WAY HOME AND FATHER DIED AND THEY
BURRIED HIM IN THE OCEAN.
I NEVER KNEW THAT UNTIL LAST SUMMER WHEN ONE OF MY COUSINS MRS LOUANNA
PENN WAS BURRIED. ONE OF THE SONS OF CHAUNCY CONKLIN WAS AT THE
FUNERAL AND TOLD IT TO ME THERE. I LIVED TO BE 72 YRS OLD BEFORE
I EVER KNEW THAT. I HAVE A LOT OF RELATIVES LIVING NORTH OF ME
BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH THEM. MY
VERY OWN FLESH & BLOOD RELATIVES, O WELL. I HAVE LIVED.
GOD HAS MADE ME (16) AND HAS ALSO TAKEN CARE OF ME AND WILL UNTIL THE
END OF THIS LIFE, WHEN A NEW AND BETTER LIFE SHALL HAVE
BEGUN. WHEN
I WAS FIRST TAKEN FROM MY MOTHER I WAS ONLY A FEW WEEKS OLD. MY
MOTHERS FATHER SCHOONOVER AND HER MOTHER TOOK ME HOME WITH THEM A
LITTLE WHILE. THEN A FAMILY BY THE NAME OF HALE HAD ME A SHORT
TIME AND THEN TOM WILMOTS FATHER AND MOTHER HAD ME. TOM WILMOT
AFTERWARDS MARRIED MY COUSIN RHODA SCHOONOVER, MY MOTHERS BROTHERS
DAUGHTER. |
