FAMILY STORIES

Ervin A Bull Family. Back Row, left to right: Dr. James R. Schmidt, Debra (Bull) Schmidt holding Wyatt Schmidt, Lincoln, Nebr.; Stanley Meyer, Nancy (Bull) Meyer, Geneva, Nebr.; Bill Johnson, Theresa (Bull) Johnson, Pratt, Kansas; Connie (Bull) Talbott holding Joan Talbott, Tim Talbott holding Benjamin Talbott, Lexington, Nebr.; Front Row, left to right: Michael Schmidt, Allison Meyer, Marianne (Mumm) Bull, Ervin Bull, Yutan, Nebr.

Valley, working for the Union Pacific Railroad in Omaha; and Linda Louise (Robert Wayne Kirchmann) born Sept. 20, 1946 at Booneville, Missouri, now living north of Valley. Leva and George were divorced in 1954. Leva died on April 24, 1978.

   Grandchildren of Leva and George Buehler are: Robert Earl, Carolyn Sue, Mary Lee, Janet Kay, and Cathy Sue Thomas; Leva Elaine (Charles Callaway), Patricia Ann (Ronald Messer), Cynthia Louise (Tom Feilner), and Michael Jerome Tarcusus (Dana Oser) Aholt; and Kurtis Wayne and Krais Michael Kirchmann. Great-grandchildren are Marcia Diane Messer and Kristina Diane Oser.

   Marie Bumgardner married Harold Straight. Her children were Lela, who married Bob Downins and lived in San Jose, California with their children; Harvey Straight who lived at Soldier, Iowa; and Lloyd Straight, the youngest.

   Roy Elmo Bumgardner married Bonnie (unknown) and they had a daughter, named Catherina Anna, who lived only one day. A son, Bill, is married and living in California. Roy and Bonnie divorced. Roy later married (last name unknown) Harriet. Submitted by Mrs. Robert Kirchman

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bumgardner and children

   Harry Bumgardner (Aug. 6, 1882-Sept. 26, 1914) married Mattie Wagner on Nov. 26, 1907. They had 3 children: Helen, Dessie, and Archie. Dessie died of spinal meningitis. The last relatives have heard, of Helen and Archie, was that they were living in Washington.

   Harry was killed in an elevator accident in Ashland, Sept. 26, 1914. Submitted by Laura Mae Webb

Harry Bumgardner 1882-1914

   Robert Bumgardner (9-6-1872 to 5-17-1942) and Rose Payne were married in Saunders County. Rose was the daughter of Samuel Payne and Ellen Reims. The Samuel Payne family also lived north of Ashland, in Ashland, later moving to Nance County. They moved to Wheeler County where they farmed, Robert was a county commissioner in Wheeler County. Robert and Rose had 2 children, Lloyd, born Oct. 31, 1911, and Marie.

Robert Bumgardner and Son Lloyd after trapping.

   Lloyd married Ernestine Bumgardner. Their children are: Joan Bumgardner Rudloff, Jeanie Bumgardner Patzel, Daniel T. and Dennis T., twins; Barbara Bumgardner Patzel Legate; Thomas Bumgardner; Sheila Bumgardner Kennedy, deceased; Jim and Janet Sandou, twins; William Bumgardner; and John and Jerry Bumgardner, twins.

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   Lloyd died Nov. 16, 1956. Ernestine has reared the family and most of them live in Nebr.

   Marie married Gerald Spence. She had 2 children, Ronald and Donna. She later married Herman Mahrt. They had a son, Butch. Marie is also deceased. Submitted by Laura Mae Webb

   Wesley Alfred, the oldest son of Swedish immigrant parents, Alfred and Nannie Johnson Burklund, was born October 11, 1904, near Waverly, Nebraska and moved with his parents, at the age of two, to a farm west of Ceresco. He loved the out-of-doors and working with the soil. So after attending grade school and graduating from Ceresco High School in 1923, he decided to remain on the farm.

Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Burkland

   Wesley served on the Boy Scout and Farm Co-op Elevator boards for a number of years.

   Wesley married Hazel Noyes and resided on the Burklund farm west of Ceresco. Wesley and Hazel are members of the United Methodist Church in Ceresco and have been active in the Church by serving on the Church board, teaching Sunday School, and singing in the choir. Hazel has also served many years as an officer in the United Methodist Women.

   Hazel was born at Inman, Nebraska, the oldest daughter of William and Hattie (Lippincott) Noyes. She moved with her parents to Ceresco in 1923. She attended school and graduated from Ceresco High School. She attended Nebraska Wesleyan University and received her B.S. Degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

   Before her marriage she taught school in rural schools in Lancaster County and in the city schools of Linwood, Lexington, and Columbus, Nebraska. After her marriage she returned to teaching and taught in the Ceresco Elementary, and later at Raymond Central Elementary at Ceresco, retiring in 1975.

   Hazel and Wesley have served their community by serving on the Ceresco History Committee and helped in publishing the history of Ceresco in 1968 and 1977. They helped create the organization 60+ (Sixty Plus) and have served on the Advisory Board. They are members of the Boosters Club and Hazel has served as Secretary several years. From its conception, Hazel has served on the Saunders County Community Centers and Activities Committee. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Saunders County Historical Society.

   Hazel and Wesley retired from the farm and are residing in West Ridge Knowles Addition to Ceresco.

   Charles and Anna Hagland with four children, Anna, Evelena, Charles and Matilda, came to America from Oland, Sweden in 1873. After a short stay with relatives, they homesteaded on a farm three and one-half miles north of Weston. They built a small frame house with a full basement which the mother Anna helped dig. Two children, John and Selma, were born here. Charles planted an acre of apple trees which had apples that are unheard of today. They were harvested and sold to people in Weston, Malmo, Prague, and Wahoo. They also had a cider mill where people brought apples and made cider.

Dorothy and Dollie Burwell

   Evelena worked in Omaha where she met and married Frank W. Burwell. In 1903, this couple and three children moved to the farm: Ellen, Lena, and Dollie. Dorothy was born on the farm. They all attended school at District 24. In 1913, the family moved to Weston where, after living in several houses, the family remodeled a hotel building in the north part of town.

   This was operated as a hotel until 1968. The mother, Ellen, and Lena ran the hotel with rooms to rent and homecooked meals, which became very popular, especially Sunday and special party chicken dinners. Dollie and Dorothy helped with the work at home. They also taught school until they retired. Dollie taught in several rural schools -- Mead, Wahoo, Fullerton, and Weston Public. Dorothy taught in Gurley, Shelton, Clarkson, Utica, Columbus, Wahoo, Omaha Dist. #66, and Weston.

   Since they retired they have made their home in the home place in Weston. Their home has become a second home for many of their friends. Submitted by Dorothy Burwell

   On June 19, 1841, a son was born to Thomas and Clara Busek near Dul Kralovice, Caslav in central Bohemia. His parents named him Jan. In April, 1844, Anna Novak was also born in that land that is today the country of Czechoslovakia. John and Anna were married in 1869, and, in 1870-71, came to America and homesteaded in Newman Township. To them were born five children, all in America and on that farm in Saunders County. Their names were: Mary, Jan. 11, 1872-Jan. 10, 1956; Anna, June ?, 1874-July 10, 1956; Agnes, June, 1876-Dec. 8, 1961; John, July 7, 1879-April 17, 1947; and Joseph, Dec. 27, 1880-June 21, 1945.

   Mary married James Kovarik, son of John and Anna (Cech) Kovarik. To them were born Emma, Anna, James, Joseph and John. They lived in Weston for several years. James Sr. is buried in the Weston National Cemetery.

   Anna married Frank Maly, son of Joseph and Frances (Moravec) Maly in 1892. They lived in Newman Township. To them were born Anton, 1893; Charles, 1895; James, 1897; and the youngest son who died as a baby and is buried in the Bohemian National Cemetery near Weston. Anna and Frank were divorced. In 1900, Anna married Anton Vanis, son of John and Annie (Horalek) Vanis. To them were born Anna, Anton, Angela, Marie, and Ernest.

   Agnes married John Janecek, son of James and Marie (Novotny) Janecek. To them were born John, James, Joseph, Henry, Rose, Charles, Agnes, and Emma.

   John married Antonia Veverka, daughter of Martin and Josephine (Protiva) Veverka on June 13, 1904. To them were born six daughters: Emma, Georgia, Helen, Josephine, Antoniette and Geraldine.

   Now we come to the youngest member of the John Busek family, my father, Joseph. When he was growing up on the farm of his parents he went to the country school near his home. But he could not go when there was work on the farm, and after the age of ten, he never went. So he had very little formal education. But Dad read and knew much and he knew how to work. Even when times were hard, Dad tried looking on the bright side of life (happy-go-lucky). When Dad was in his teens and early twenties, he played a button accordion at barn dances and met Mom at one of these dances. Joseph and Agnes were married on April 19, 1904, and lived on the family farm. Dad's parents moved to Weston where they lived for many years. Grandma died in 1917 and Grandpa in 1932. Both are buried in the Weston National Cemetery.

   I am the daughter of Joseph and Agnes (Shalon) Busek, and my name is Martha Novak. Today, I live in the city of Seward, Nebr., having moved here in the early 1950's. By Martha Novak

   I, Keith Davidson Buster, son of Albert H. and Nellie H. (Davidson) Buster, was born in Ashland, Saunders County, Nebraska on Jan. 9, 1913. At about 4 years of age, my parents moved to a farm in Custer County, Nebraska, where I first started school. Returning to Ashland about four years later, I entered second grade in the "old" Ashland Christian Church. Fire had destroyed the Ashland School prior to that time.

Keith and Vera Buster

   My father, at about the time I was born, ran the Standard Oil Wagon out of Ashland, pulled by mules. Later, he entered the oil business with Oscar Reese, and they started up the oil station that stood at 14th and Adams for many years. My father ran an oil wagon that covered territory south and east of Ashland. Most of my education was received in the Ashland Public Schools.

   In 1930, my father was appointed superintendent of the Saunders County "Poor Farm" at Wahoo, so we moved to Wahoo. I graduated from Wahoo High School in the Class of 1931.

   On December 12, 1936, I was united in marriage to Vera Marie Quass, the daughter of Otto F. and Mabel V. (Clyde) Quass of Memphis. The wedding was at the home of the bride's aunt, Oyma Versaw,

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