Nance County

John & Lottie Belle Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

A History of Merrick County, Nebraska to 1895

Lottie Sophia Burr, born on June 1, 1883, in Palmyra, New York, was one of eight children of Henry and Charlotte Barnes Burr. After losing her parents young, she moved to Nance County, Nebraska, in 1909 with her husband, John Henry Belle, and his daughters. They farmed and raised three children together. Lottie, an early telephone operator, later worked in the W.P.A. sewing program and as a nurse. John died in 1944, and Lottie lived until age ninety-seven, passing away on July 13, 1980. Known for her quick wit and kind heart, she was beloved by her family and community.

Floyd Belle Family of Merrick County, Nebraska

A History of Merrick County, Nebraska to 1895

Floyd Belle was born on September 10, 1911, in Nance County, Nebraska, to John and Lottie Belle. After moving to Central City in 1930, he met and married Edna Fullington on January 4, 1933. They had a son, Carrol, in 1937 and later moved to Hamburg, Iowa, in 1940, working at Butler Dairy. They experienced numerous floods while living between the Missouri and Nishnabotna Rivers. Their daughter, Connie Jo, was born in 1947. Floyd later worked in a locker plant, and Edna in the school cafeteria. Floyd died in a tractor accident in 1973. After his death, Edna returned to Central City to be near family.