Passing, of Nebraska Pioneers, After August 15, 1918

The territorial pioneers, some of whom had moved on many times before they settled permanently in Nebraska, are rapidly passing to their very last resting place. The Nebraska History Magazine will record the deaths of these pioneers month by month, beginning with August 15. Territorial pioneers comprise those who settled in Nebraska within its territorial period prior to March 1, 1867. The data of these records are accredited to the newspapers in which they are found.

Mary Ann Allen, of Overton, died September 19. She was born at Winterset, Iowa, October 9, 1864, and moved to Nebraska with her parents in the year of her birth. (From the Ashland Gazette, September 26.)

John J. Baldwin, born in Jackson county, Iowa, April 24, 1840; died at his home in Plainview, August 15. He crossed the river at Omaha June 9, 1859, and homesteaded in the Missouri valley. Later he lived in Antelope County, and thirty-five years ago moved to Plainview. (From the Plainview Republican, August 22.)

W. H. Banning, eighty-one years old, who had lived near Union for the past sixty years, died September 25. (From the Morning World-Herald, September 26.)

Mrs. Elizabeth Reed Bell died August 26 at Palmyra. She was born in England, February 9, 1827; married to Thomas Bell, August 6, 1849; they came to Nebraska in 1867. Mrs. Bell was the mother of eleven children. (From Palmyra items in The Nebraska Daily Press, Nebraska City, September 1.)

Christian Bull died at his home in Millard on September, 4, aged seventy-eight years. He came from Mecklenburg, Germany, in 1865; settled first in Pennsylvania and came to Nebraska two years later. He lived on his farm near Millard from 1876 to 1900 and since 1900, in Millard. (From the Morning World-Herald, September 6.)

Mrs. Jeannette Graham, widow of Thomas Graham, died at Omaha, August 29, aged eighty-one years. The Grahams settled on a homestead in Seward County in 1857; but Mrs. Graham moved to Omaha several years ago. (From the Blue Valley Blade, Seward, September 4.)

Ben Johnston, aged sixty years, died at his home at Steinauer, August 31. He was known all over eastern Nebraska and Kansas as a trainer and driver of fast horses. His father, who was born at Sterling, Nebraska, November 23, 1857, was a pioneer preacher; the son lived at a number of towns in Nebraska and Kansas before moving to Steinauer. (The Pawnee Chief, September 13.)

Mrs. Frederica Kleihauer, born in Germany. January 20, 1843, herself mother of twelve children, died at her home in Auburn, September 17. She settled on a farm near Johnson in 1865. (From the Nemaha County Herald, September 20.)

James Hanlon, Sr., died September 2, at Peru. He was born in Ohio, September 30, 1850; while he was a child the family moved to Kentucky; on account of political persecution near the beginning of the civil war they came to Nebraska, where they have lived ever since. Mr. Hanlon was married to Miss Nettie Vance October 28, 1874. (From The Peru Pointer, September 6.)

Captain William Harrison Corbin of Alliance died at Monticello, Illinois, September 11. He was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1838; served in the One hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, throughout the civil war, rising to the rank of captain; returned to Monticello whence he came to Nebraska in 1867; at first was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad Company; afterward settled in Red Willow County, where he was county judge and county clerk; removed in 1887 to Box Butte County, where he conducted a ranch until 1900, when he became vice president of the Alliance National Bank, holding the office until his death. (From The Alliance Semi-Weekly Times, September 13.)

The military records show that Mr. Corbin enlisted on August 27, 1861, as a sergeant in Company E, One hundredth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers; was discharged December 28, 1863; reenlisted, and finally discharged March 14, 1865, with the rank of second lieutenant. This organization was distinguished as the Roundhead Regiment.

John Michael Melcher, 97 years old, died August 22, at Benson. He was born June 1, 1821, at Brandenburg, Germany, came to America in 1848; settled first in Wisconsin; in 1865 moved to Nebraska, taking a homestead in Cuming county. It took him five and a half weeks to make the trip west. The boys drove the cattle and sheep and the older people rode in wagons drawn by oxen and horses. (From the Cuming County Democrat, West Point, August 30.)

Mrs. Sarah Nichol of Auburn died September 10, aged eighty-nine years. She was born in Scotland, February 28, 1829; came to Illinois when she was sixteen years of age; was married there in 1854 to William Archibald; soon afterward the family came to Nebraska, taking a homestead in Nemaha County; not long after her husband died, and two years later she was married to Walter Nichol, in Illinois, but they came to Nemaha County and remained permanently. (From the Nemaha County Herald, September 13.)

Mrs. Mary Ottens died September 4, at Auburn, aged eighty years. She was a native of Ireland; came to America at the age of sixteen years; a year later, 1855, married in Minnesota to Bernard J. Ottens; they came immediately to Nebraska and settled on a homestead in what is now known as the Hickory Grove neighborhood, in Nemaha County. (From the Nemaha County Herald, September 6.)

Peder Pedersen, born in Denmark, but a resident of Omaha for the last fifty-four years, died September 27. He drove ox teams hauling freight wagons between Omaha and Virginia City, Montana, in 1864, and was afterward a carriage builder in Omaha. (Prom The Omaha Daily Bee, September 28.)

George W. Richardson, born February 22, 1847, at Cleveland, Ohio; died August 24, near Oakland; served in Company K, Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, during nineteen months of the civil war; came to Omaha in 1867 and for several years drove a stage between Blair and Omaha, Calhoun and Omaha and Herman, Tekamah and Decatur. (From the Oakland Independent, August 30.)

Albert B. Rickley, son of John Rickley one of the founders of Columbus, and who was born in that town November 7, 1858, died at Hobart, Oklahoma, September 26. (From The Columbus Telegram, October 1.)

Eli Davis Shockey, born in Kentucky, May 25, 1824, died at his home in Hastings, August 7, aged ninety-four years, two months and fourteen days. He came to Richardson County, Nebraska, fifty-one years ago, where he resided to the time of his death. (From the Locomotive, Lawrence, Nebr., September 6.)

Elijah Sorter, born at Mayfield, Ohio, November 7, 1845, died at his home, near Seward, September 2. At the age of seventeen he enlisted in the 150th Regiment, Ohio Volunteers, and served throughout the war. At its close he came west to Iowa; attended the state university at Iowa City for a time; then came to Nebraska, walking all the way; in 1870 took a homestead near Tamora; was married to Miss Elizabeth Pickrel, July 3, 1875, and seven children were born to them. He was a member of the G. A. R. post at Seward. (From the Seward Independent-Democrat, September 12.)

James Allison Walker died at his home in Murray, September 20, aged eighty years. He came to Nebraska from Pennsylvania in 1861, settling first at Rock Bluffs. (From the Nehawka News, September 26.)

Mrs. David Wittwer, of Humboldt, died September 18. She was born in Richardson County on December 3, 1860, and lived there all her life. (From The Humboldt Leader, September 26.)

Susan Catherine Whorton died at the home of Mrs. Gilbert Blauser, near Diller, September 2. She was born in Effingham County, Illinois, July 30, 1838; married to Rev. L. B. Whorton, a Baptist preacher, near her home, April 3, 1856; the family removed from Illinois to Cuming County, Nebraska, in 1867, and again to Harbine, Jefferson County, where they have lived ever since. Mr. Whorton died December 14, 1897. (From The Diller Record, September .6)

Nebraska AHGP

Source: Nebraska History and Record of Pioneer Days, Volume I, Number 1, Published Monthly by the Nebraska Historical Society, February 1918.

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