Merrick County Archives – Page 4 of 6

Bauman — Lohr Families of Merrick County, Nebraska

A History of Merrick County, Nebraska to 1895

The Bauman family lineage spans over two centuries and approximately fifteen generations. The surname Bauman, meaning builders or architect, has an interesting origin story involving a name change. John Dieter Bauman, son of Meinrich Bauman Sr., employed an English schoolmaster who misspelled the name as “Bowman.” The family’s German-Swiss roots trace back to Forstetum-Lippe in Germany. In 1709, Wendel Bauman and others arrived in Philadelphia, settling in what is now Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This rich family history includes George Lohr marrying Barbara Miller, with descendants including William Lohr Jr. and Louis Lohr, who worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. Louise (Lohr) Brunken, daughter of Louis, continues this legacy with her eight children and eleven grandchildren, marking six generations of Lohrs.

Clinton Baum Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Clinton Baum was born at Milltown, South Dakota on September 1 , 1 904 to George and Carrie Edith Wheatly Baum. His great-grandfather was John Baum, born in Pennsylvania in 1811 . Grandfather George Steven Baum was born in Michigan in 1841 and his father George Ernest Baum in 1871. The Baum family moved from Three River Michigan to Milltown, South Dakota when George was seven years old. They were farmers there, and it was on the family dairy farm that Clinton was born. His early education was at Milltown. Later the family moved to near Mitchell, South Dakota where … Read more

Dale Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Dale Beck and his wife were married on February 11, 1949, at Pierce Chapel Church near Clarks. Dale is the son of Raymond and Ruth Beck, and his wife is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Kaminsky. The couple initially lived in Dale’s childhood home near Clarks, where their first child, Gay Marie, was born in 1950. They later moved to the wife’s childhood home, where their second child, David Allen, was born in 1952. The family expanded with twins Joan Kay and Joe Ray in 1954 and Pat Elaine in 1956. They eventually settled near Havens, moving later to the Bar Lazy D Ranch between Silver Creek and Genoa in 1964. The Becks were active in their community, participating in church activities and horseback riding clubs. By 1980, their family had grown to include 10 grandchildren.

Dave Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Dave and Sara Beck live on the Horseshoe Valley Ranch, four miles south of Genoa. Married for seven years, Dave (born 1952) partners with his father, Dale Beck, and brother, Joe, in a farm-ranch operation, including a Quarter Horse and Paint Horse business. They stand a proven Paint stallion at stud. Sara, daughter of the late Thomas F. Hord and Gloria M. Ewoldt, is a Veterinary Technician. Dave, a former Silver Creek High School student and farrier, enjoys hunting and calf roping. They have two daughters, Tracie Suzanne (born 1974) and Tani Gaylene (born 1976), and attend the United Methodist Church in Silver Creek.

David Roswell Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

David Roswell Beck was born on August 20, 1888, to John and Anna Lumadue Beck at their farm near Clarks. He attended Pleasant Hill country school and spent his teen years with his grandparents, John and Jane Lumadue. In 1909, he married Fern Trullinger, and they had three children: Helen Fleshman, Lola Hoback, and Harold Beck. David, a member of the Farmers Union in Clarks, attended Pierce Chapel Church. He suffered from poor health after the flu epidemic during World War I. David and Fern retired to a farm near Clarks in 1947, where David died in 1962. Fern later moved to Bellevue, Nebraska.

Harold Lavern Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Harold Lavern Beck was born northwest of Clarks in the Pleasant Hill-Pierce Chapel community to David and Fern Trullinger Beck. Educated at Pleasant Hill School, Harold excelled in baseball and farming. He met his wife, Viola Tyler, at the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, and they married in 1942. Harold, the first volunteer from Merrick County for WWII, served three years in the U.S. Army. After the war, they purchased a farm near Clarks and had five children: Leslie, Lynn, Shannon, Shelli, and Sherilyn. Harold, a conservationist, focused on land reclamation and irrigation, establishing a successful land-leveling business. He enjoyed extensive travels with Viola, exploring agricultural practices worldwide. Harold passed away from lung cancer in 1980.

James Earl & Neva Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Earl Beck was born near Marshfield, Missouri, and moved to Merrick County around 1916. He initially worked as a farmhand until the U.S. entered World War I. After being rejected by the Navy for his height, Earl enlisted in the Army and served in France until 1919. In 1923, he married Neva Rice, daughter of George and Lillie Rice. They lived in Merrick County before moving to Denver, where Earl worked for a florist, and later to Portland, Oregon, where he worked in sheet metal and enjoyed rose gardening. Earl and Neva had one daughter and four grandchildren. Earl passed away in 1980.

Joe Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Rosalie Beck, née Brand, was born on May 22, 1955, in Stromsburg, Nebraska, to Charles and Mrs. Brand of Silver Creek. She graduated from Silver Creek Public School in 1973 and the Grand Island School of Business in 1974. Rosalie worked as an admittance clerk at Lutheran Hospital and later as an insurance secretary for Drs. Dalton & Bass in Genoa. On October 25, 1975, she married Joe Beck, a member of the Bar Lazy D partnership with his father and brother. They have two daughters, Jody Marie (born 1977) and Gayle Dawn (born 1979), and live on their ranch near Silver Creek.

Charles Leslie & Julia Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

Charles Leslie Beck (1883-1953) and Julia Hathaway Beck (1886-1979) were active members of the Fairview community before marrying in 1913. Afterward, they farmed in Webster County, Missouri, and later in Merrick County, Nebraska, where they had three of their four children. They spent their final years back in Missouri. Leslie was a pioneer in the dairy industry in Webster County and a known local columnist. Julia was a dedicated teacher, having taught in multiple counties before ending her career in Missouri.

Raymond Beck Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

(Portion of a poem written in 1977 by Mrs. Dale Beck) You, Raymond, were born early in May of eighteen hundred ninety-seven.Parents, Anna (Lumadue) and John gladly welcomed their bundle from heaven.One sister, Iva, with three brothers, Dave, Frank, and Walter, also greeted you.Soon you had twin brother and sister, Lizzie and Leslie, and later Zoa, too.Three youngest to join the family making eleven were Teddy, Albert, Ruth.Off to Twenty-Five and Pleasant Hill Schools you went to learn of things the truth.Church was held, and you attended with your family at the Pleasant Hill School also.Then later Pierce Chapel became … Read more