Miss O'Neill gained prominence as an author and artist. The
family first moved to Omaha, later she went on to New York.
The Preece girls, Marion and Jean, visited her in New York.
Chas. P. Edens acquired the SW1/4 which is now owned by Leonard Rakowsky (1/2 mile west of the Rakowsky home), and Gottlieb Zibell homesteaded the SE1/4 which is now owned by Gerald Preece. Only one other owner had this farm until Gerald bought it and that was Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln Burch.
Michael Rooney homesteaded the NE1/4 of Section 26 which is now owned by Fred Deutsch. Thomas Shalley homesteaded the SE1/4 which is now owned by Philip Werner. Again there was only one owner, and that was Jim Hughes, son of Philip Hughes, Sr. Other homesteaders in this section are no longer here, nor does this writer know anything about them, namely Richard McDonald, and Henry Voss. These lands are now owned by Philip and John Werner and Richard Korger. In Section 27, we find the land of Frank P. Hughes, the grandfather of Joe Hughes, the present owner. part of the section was taken by Thomas Decker, Sr., grandfather of Jesse Decker of Norfolk, and part was taken by Jacob Sheets, father of Philip Sheets, who many people remember as the genial town marshal of Meadow Grove. Everyone liked Philip and a story about him shows his ingenuity. One day when the writer was in Meadow Grove trying to obtain information to correct a discrepancy in the chain of title to some land, we needed to learn the date of death of a certain party. Mr. Bosse, the realtor, saw Philip on the street and asked him if he remembered the date of this person's death. He replied, "I'll find out." In abut twenty minutes Phil returned and gave us the wanted information. When Mr. Bosse asked him where he found it, Phil replied, "Out in the cemetery."
Another homesteader in this section was Fred Neuwerk.
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