FAMILY STORIES

organ or piano singing some of the old as well as the new songs.

   Hiram Wilcox was born 1807 in Scotland. He left Scotland for Canada, hoping to seek a new life. Here he married Sarah Calver. To this marriage three children were born; Charles -- born 1837; Francis -- born 1847; and Sarah -- born 1856.

   The Wilcox families left Canada and settled in the precincts of Chester and Douglas in Saunders County.

   Charles Wilcox married Jane Dawson in Canada. Francis Wilcox married Alzina Wilcox in Saunders County. Sarah married William Nichol of North Bend, Nebraska. They were married in December of 1877. The Nichol family were living in Durham County, Ontario in 1861.

   Hiram Wilcox died at the age of 70 on October 4, 1877. He is buried in Willow Creek Cemetery of Chester Precinct, Saunders County. No information has been found as to where his wife, Sarah Calver, is buried.

   It is a favorite pastime of mine to recall memories of my four pioneer grandparents who were lifelong residents of Saunders County. They were the Jay Willeys of Mead and Christian Fuchsers of Yutan, both farmers. What a rich heritage for me to have known these early settlers personally, but how sad that ours is the last generation for which this is true!

Jay and Elizabeth Willey

   Jay Willey purchased his farm from the Union Pacific for $2.50 per acre and broke up the stubborn prairie sod with a walking plow at the rate of about 12 acres per year. "What a contrast," I think to myself as I help till those same fields, driving a large tractor with an air-conditioned cab, listening to stereo, and pulling 8-row equipment!

   Elizabeth Gilchrist applied for a teaching position at the country school where Jay was president of the school board. He later offered her a lifetime job and the two were married in 1885. They had three children. Maud earned a Master's Degree and became a college mathematics teacher. Harold farmed the home place. Merle married Ernest Fuchser of Yutan and moved to a farm at Waverly. They had five daughters.

   What an impact the Jay Willeys had upon my life! I was a polio victim at age one and a half. Twice before school age, they took me to Florida to provide me with plenty of sunshine and exercise on the beaches. Imagine the obstacles encountered enroute, driving an old Essex touring car over nearly impassable dirt roads, where filling stations were few and far between, and lodging might be only at farm homes along the way. Thankfully, I recovered completely from polio.

   Switzerland was the birthplace of my two paternal grandparents, Christian and Anna Elisa Fuchser. They settled near Yutan in the late 1800's. They had ten children.

   Cliff Zicafoose, also of Waverly, and I were married in the 'Wee-Kirk-of-the-Heather' in California in 1942 and moved to the Willey farm a year later. Our children are Kirby, Marcia, and Gary.

   Kirby served in the Peace Corps in Colombia, South America in the late sixties. Marcia visited him while there, loved the country, and stayed for five years. Upon his return, Kirby was accompanied by a teen-aged Colombian orphan who had no formal education. Cristobal Alvarez lived with us for nine years and attended Mead High School and later Metropolitan Tech.

   Both sons studied in Switzerland and visited relatives who still live there. How would you like to take your first ski lesson on the peaks of the Swiss Alps as Gary did?

   Kirby and wife, Mary, now reside on the exact site of the original Willey home. Kirby is in the energy business and Mary is an art teacher, specializing in pottery, calligraphy, and loom-weaving.

   Gary and wife, Paula, formerly of Washington, have a son, Zachary, and will have a new playmate for him very soon. They now farm the Willey farm, and thus to the fourth generation is entrusted the care and conservation of these precious Saunders County acres. Submitted by Marjorie Zicafoose

   Dorthea Hanken, daughter of Fredrich Hanken, was born in Vedderwarden, Hanover, Germany, October 17, 1832 and came with her parents to the United States when 18 years old from New Orleans up the Mississippi River via boat, before the railroads were built, to Galena, Illinois. She married William Hoefer in 1853, a son of Wilhelm and Wilhelmina Hoefer, who had been born in Berlin, Germany on Feb. 2, 1828. He settled in Galena where he took out his naturalization papers and settled into the furniture business with the E. Graham factory, later moving to Galena, Illinois, where he opened a grocery store and the family lived on the upper floor.

   Dorothea and Wilhelm were parents of 12 children, one of whom was Wilhelmina, born at Galena, September 19, 1855.

   Wilhelm Hoefer passed away June 28, 1881 in Warren, Illinois and his wife, Dorothea Hanken Hoefer, passed away at Warren also, on June 5, 1904. Both are buried in Elmwood.

   Benjamin Williams, son of William and Mary Williams was born May 1, 1848 at Flintshire, Wales, England, coming to the United Stales at the age of 2. On their way a sister was buried at sea. The family settled at Terre Haute, Illinois, and later, Hazel Green, Wisconsin. He married Wilhelmina Hoefer December 27, 1874 at Gratiot, Lafayette County near Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

   In 1884 with their 2 small sons they came to Nebraska and lived one year in Fremont and in the spring of 1885, bought a farm about eight miles south of Fremont in Saunders County, where they lived with the exception of a few years in Leshara. Their declining years were spent with one or the other of their sons on the farm that they had purchased.

   Benjamin Williams passed away at the age of 82 on January 22, 1930, and Wilhelmina "Minnie" Hoefer Williams passed away April 2, 1934. Both are buried at Green Mound Cemetery, Saunders County.

   Their two sons spent their entire lives in the community.

   William George, born March 29, 1881, married Sarah Mae Spurling March 23, 1915. Two sons were born. One passed away in infancy January, 1919, and the surviving son, Milton George, resides with his mother in Fremont, Nebraska.

   Benjamin Franklin, born April 23, 1883, married Geneva May Thompson February 8, 1904. They farmed, except for a short while when they resided in Montana grazing sheep, in the Pohocco and Marietta communities. They retired from farming, moving to Mead.

   Benjamin "Ben" passed away November 18, 1967 and Geneva, December 28, 1977. Both are buried at Sunrise Cemetery, Wahoo.

   They were the parents of four children.

   Dorothy Viola, passing away as an infant, is buried at Marietta Presbyterian Cemetery.

   Robert G., who moved onto the family farm when his parents retired to Mead, married Elsie Nelson, daughter of Charlie Nelson of the community. They are the parents of two sons, Glen A. and Robert W.

   Mary Isabel married Carl E. Landgren who lived in Saunders County, now residing in Columbus, Nebraska. They are the parents of three children: Carl B., Pamela, and Jane.

   Anna Viola married James E. Mead of Fremont. They live in Ypsilanti, Michigan and are the parents of three children: Mark C., Alice Jean and Wanda. Submitted by: Mrs. Carl E. Landgren

   My grandparents, Daniel Morris Williams and Sarah Phillips Williams, were both born in 1841 in Swansea, Wales. They came to America in the 1860's living for a brief time in West Orange, New Jersey. In 1869 they took out a homestead claim 1½ miles west and 4 miles north of Yutan.

Eldon Williams, and dog who saved his life

   While Grandfather worked on the Union Pacific Railroad, Grandmother and her sister-in-law lived in a log cabin to hold down the claim. We have dug up pieces of ironstone and wooden buttons from the site.

   The Indians in the area were usually friendly and liked to be given milk and homemade bread.

   Because there were no banks, Grandmother kept careful watch over their money by carrying it on her person. Having unwanted visitors one evening prompted her to hide the money pouch in the cold ashes of the fireplace.

   Grandfather hauled lumber and stone from Ashland to build his house and barn. Being a carpenter he also built other buildings in the area, sometimes using native lumber.

   The neighbors remember my grandparents singing their way home from Fremont through the bluffs. If the Platte were too high to cross, they would have to return without staples and clothing.

   Their two children were Mary Quass and Daniel Paul. Daniel was my father and he farmed until he turned the place over to me.

   My mother was Mary Reazin of Blue Mound, Ill., a former art teacher in Orleans, Nebr. They had three children: Earl, Ruth Hanslip and Eldon.

   Eldon and wife, Evelyn of Litchfield, Ill., are now retired, living on the same farm. Their son, Robert Eldon, lives in Omaha and works for O.P.P.D. Daughters Sherry Arnold and Vicki Mitteis live in Omaha and Ewing, Nebr., respectively.

   In 1969 we received the Ak-Sar-Ben Pioneer Award. The enclosed picture is of myself and my police dog who once saved my life by standing in the road where I was stalled. Submitted by Eldon Williams

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   Richard Williams was born to Squire Benjamin Williams and Elizabeth Curry on October 16, 1821 at Shelbyville, Indiana. He moved to Spring Bay, Illinois as a child, and then to Nebraska with his wife, Eliza Ann, and their children in October, 1882. They settled on a farm ½ mile north of the present sight of Cedar Bluffs. Eliza Ann Davis was born at Madison, Indiana, January 31, 1840 to the Robert Davis family.

Richard and Eliza Williams

   On June 13, 1857, Richard and Eliza married and thirteen children were born to this union. Richard had six children with his first wife, Susanna Fielder, who died.

   Richard and his brothers bought and farmed extensive tracts of land in Saunders, Dodge, and Butler counties. He joined the Methodist Church when a young man and was also a member of the Masonic Order, having joined in 1876. During the years, 1851 and 1852, Richard spent time in California and told many interesting stories about his travels during the "gold fever" times.

   Eliza was a good wife and mother. She had a quaint old philosophy which was, "When I have finished my work I shall go, I don't know how soon it will be, how long I shall be here, but I am ready to go when the time comes." She was a member of the Presbyterian Church.

   Most all of their children came to live in Saunders County with them in 1882 or at a later time. The children of Richard and Susanna were Sarah Elizabeth, Andrew Jackson, Charles, Phineas, Benjamin, and Richard who died in infancy. Richard and Eliza were the parents of Albert M., Rosanna who died when young, Mary Beatrice, Ellen who died when young, Frances E., Amanda Jane, Edith Luiza, Lewis R. who died when young, Lee W., John M., who died when young, Dean D., Lillie May, and Lewis Earl.

   Richard lived to an old age and passed away while reclining on a lounge in his sitting room on March 21, 1907. Eliza lived several years after that, and later moved in with her daughter and son-in-law, Edith and Adam Kimble of Cedar Bluffs. She died there on January 10, 1913. They are both buried at Maple Grove Cemetery by Cedar Bluffs. Submitted by Terilee Freeman Roberts

   My parents, Earl and Laura Fick, moved to Saunders County from Millard, Nebraska where Western Electric is now. They moved on a wintry day in February, 1956 with us four small children, Merlin, age 9, Eileen, age 7, myself (Audrey), age 6, and Donald, age 2, to Green Precinct, three and one-half miles west of Memphis. Mom and Dad bought 120 acres with a farmstead from Nels Stenberg.

   When first arriving, District #41 was still in operation with Mrs. Don Miller teaching. Two years later, 1958, School District #16 was re-opened and brought to life with several pupils and Mrs. Ralph (Charlotte) Hageman teaching. We all finished grade school at Dist. #16. All of us knew Mead High School was our destination as our names first letters spelled MEAD, (in the order we were born.) All four years at Mead were an experience I truly considered a highlight.

   As a freshman in high school, my fondest memory at home was building our new home (where Rodney and I live now). To all of us, being on one floor was really great, and no mice either! For Mom not to have to wash clothes out in the washhouse must have been terrific.

   In 1968, I left the farm for college and later married Rodney Williams of Memphis and Ashland area. Rodney is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Williams. We were married in June of 1970.

   We lived in Falls City, Nebraska for five years and were blessed with the births of Valerie (7-1-73) and Gregory (10-4-75). In February of 1976, an opportunity to farm came to Rodney and me from Dad, as my younger brother, Don, wanted to try mortuary science as a new profession.

   After lots of figuring, Rod and I both were anxious to try it. So in April, 1976, we moved to a little rented house near Ashland. After 7 months, Mom and Dad (Earl and Laura Fick) decided to purchase a home in Wahoo and we bought five acres (acreage) and have been here since. That was in October, 1976. On January 16, 1979, Annette was born into our family.

   Our farm operation's biggest joys include farrowing pigs in Dad's old dairy barn; having a few sheep to lamb, and raising 500-900 chickens every year for butchering the past three years. Our crops include soybeans, alfalfa, corn, milo and a little wheat.

   Our children, Valerie, age 9, and in 4th grade and Greg, 7, in 1st grade, attend Mead Public School. The District 16 consolidated in 1967.

   We attend Zion Lutheran Church, four miles south of Ithaca where all the kids attend Sunday School and I teach. A new basement was put below our church foundation in 1977, so indoor facilities have been a blessed enrichment to Zion as well as its celebrating 95 years of existence. Rodney has been active on Church Council the past five years, and I'm active in LCW.

   Rodney has been a farm manager for the past two years and has his real estate and brokers licenses also. He also began serving as an Associate Director of the Mead Farm Co-Op this fall. I've been active in Extension Club and helped form the "76" Travelers Extension Club in 1976. It was a joy to serve as the Saunders County Extension Council Chairperson from 1979 to 1981.

   Watching our children make "playhouses" out in the true nature of our acreage and seeing them grow up in beautiful Nebraska, helps us to appreciate trees, grass, walnut trees, and just plain weeds. This was my home since I was 6, but our children are walking the same acreage and making a history of their own. Changes continue on this acreage and time will bring more, pleasant memories of yesterday once more.

   At the present time, my brother, Merlin Fick also farms in Green Precinct and is married with four children. Eileen Fick, my sister, married Glen Chvatal in 1978, and lives north of Prague in Saunders County. She has two sons. My younger brother, Don, will return to Saunders County in March of 1983 to farm also. He is married and has one son. Submitted by Mrs. Rodney (Audrey Fick) Williams

   Richard Williams was born in Shelbyville, Indiana, 1821, coming to Saunders County in 1882. His son, Charles, was born in 1847, Spring Baby, Illinois. He married Millie Burt, 1869, in Peoria, Illinois. In 1891, they came to Saunders County with their family.

   They did not have the grasshopper plague to contend with as did earlier settlers. They went through the money panic and the great drought of the nineties. Charles Williams was one of the largest landowners in Saunders County. They retired and moved to Fremont, Nebraska in 1903.

Frank Williams Family

   They had five children, Charles, Frank B., Ira, Ella Hoshor, and Louis. Frank married Catherine Ann Magher on Jan. 19, 1898, at Holy Rosary Church, Sand Creek, Nebraska. They farmed four and one-half miles west of Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, until retiring. They moved to Fremont in 1944.

   Catherine Ann's (Kitty Ann) parents were Edmund and Bridget Magher. They were early Saunders County settlers. They came with their parents when very young from Ireland to Canada. Frank and Catherine Ann had seven children: Ethel Miner, Edmund, Mildred Livingston, now deceased, Cecelia Auten, California, Pearl Watson, Sioux City, Iowa, Lawrence, and Dr. Frank G. Williams, Fremont.

   A wool shawl that was brought by our great-grandmother from Ireland in 1848 is a prized possession in our home. By Pearl Williams Watson

   Jesse Franklin Wilson, son of Frank and Eliza Wilson, was born in 1905. He attended Wann Public School and graduated from Ashland High School in 1926.

   He married Dessie M. Stevens in Dec. 1933 and lived on the Stevens family farm until they purchased a store in Wann which was destroyed by fire in 1937. They moved to Camdenton, Mo. returning to Wann in 1938.

   Jesse was employed by the Mead Ordnance Plant from 1941 to 1948, and Dessie was postmaster at Wann from 1941 till 1950 when the office was closed.

   The Wilsons were active members of Wann Christian Church, he as Sunday School Supt., choir director, Deacon, and later as Elder. Dessie served as church pianist and Sunday School teacher for 25 years, was a member of the "Treble Clef Club," a girls singing group. Both were members of the I.K.L. Club, a group of young people who gave 3-act plays for benefit of the church.

   In 1945 they purchased a farm 1 mile south of Wann where they lived 15 years. Jesse was killed in a farm accident in 1961 and Dessie remained on the farm until 1972, when she moved to Ashland where she became an active member of the Ashland Christian Church. They had one son, Robert Franklin, born in July 1936, who now lives on the family farm. He graduated from Ashland High School in 1954. He spent 2 years in the Army before returning to live at Wann. In 1959 he married Audrey Stonebroker of Tacoma. Wash. They had 3 children, Micheal Franklin, Deanna Lesa, and Lois Ann. In 1959, he began work at Western Electric in Omaha, Ne., where he is still employed.

   In 1976 Robert married Geraldine Jolly of Omaha, Nebr. who is also employed by Western Electric.

   Robert became a member of the Wann Church at the age of 12. He was a Deacon there until it closed in 1979 after celebrating its 90th Anniversary.

   Robert, his wife, and son, Micheal, transferred their membership to the Ashland Christian Church where he now serves as a Deacon. Micheal graduated from Ashland High in 1978 and from the Uni. of Neb. at Lincoln in 1982 with a degree in Science and Mechanical Engineering. He is now employed by Neb. Public Power Dist, at North Platte, Neb. By Dessie Wilson

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