Topic: Independent Order of Odd Fellows

Biography of William R. Chaney of Adams

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

William R. Chaney, born October 24, 1840, in Greene County, Illinois, was a well-known citizen of Adams, Gage County, Nebraska. An Irish descendant, his parents, James and Sarah Chaney, were pioneers in Greene County. William was raised in Mason County, Illinois, and enlisted in the Civil War in 1864, serving in the 133rd Illinois Infantry. He moved to Gage County, Nebraska, in 1880, becoming a prosperous resident. Chaney married Pamelia Finley in 1864, and they shared a life for forty years. A Democrat, he was active in the G.A.R., the Baptist church, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Biography of James A. Stephenson of Nemaha

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

James A. Stephenson, born January 16, 1862, in St. Lawrence County, New York, was a successful farmer in Nemaha County, Nebraska. He owned 120 acres and rented an additional 175 acres, where he grew corn, wheat, and oats, and raised high-grade livestock. His grandparents, Robert Stephenson and Miss Hutchison, emigrated from Ireland. James’ father, William Stephenson, settled in New York in 1831 and married Helen Watson in 1839. James married Louise Watson on February 3, 1884, and they had four children. Active in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Methodist Episcopal Church, James was also a Republican and served as school director.

Biography of Abraham Lincoln Lawrence of Brownville

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Abraham Lincoln Lawrence, born December 25, 1863, in Brownville, Nemaha County, Nebraska, served as sheriff of Nemaha County. His parents, Samuel S. Lawrence and Rosena Moyer, were early settlers in the region. Samuel S. Lawrence, originally from Ohio, moved his family to Iowa in 1852 and then to Nemaha County in 1863. Abraham grew up on his father’s farm and received education in local schools and Brownville. He married Kate Agnes Penny on February 1, 1885, and they had several children. Elected sheriff in 1901 and re-elected in 1903, Abraham was also a successful farmer and active in numerous fraternal organizations.

Biography of Thomas J. Keedy of Auburn

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Thomas J. Keedy, a respected resident of Auburn, Nemaha County, Nebraska, was born on January 27, 1840, in Washington County, Maryland. Of German descent, he served in the First Maryland Infantry during the Civil War. In 1864, he married Sarah Snyder, and they had five children. In 1881, Keedy moved to Nebraska, where he successfully farmed before retiring to Auburn in 1893. His legacy includes significant contributions to his community and family, marked by his prosperous farming endeavors and independent political and religious views.

Biography of Thomas Copeland of Diller

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Thomas Copeland, born in Richland County, Ohio, in 1833, served as the mayor of Diller, Jefferson County, Nebraska. A Civil War veteran who served in the Twenty-first Indiana Light Artillery, he moved to Nebraska in 1880 after stints in Indiana and Iowa. Copeland married twice and fathered six children. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Odd Fellows, and was active in the Methodist Episcopal church. His political career included serving as mayor and on the board of trustees in Diller.

Biography of Robert C. Boyd of Auburn

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Robert C. Boyd, assistant cashier of the Carson National Bank of Auburn, Nebraska, was born in Upton, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on October 25, 1866. He gained his education through practical experience, initially working in his father’s store before moving to Nebraska in 1884 to clerk at his brother’s bank. Boyd was promoted to assistant cashier in 1891. He and his brother played a key role in establishing Auburn’s electric plant in 1901 and have been active in real estate. Boyd married Lillie Angle on April 24, 1890, and they have three children. A dedicated Mason and Republican, Boyd has also served as city treasurer for eight years.

Biography of Samuel L. Caldwell of Auburn

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A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Samuel L. Caldwell, a prominent merchant in Auburn, Nebraska, was born in Ross County, Ohio, on November 26, 1849, to Allen and Ellen J. Caldwell. Allen Caldwell, a pioneer in Ohio, was born on March 24, 1816, and was the son of Crawford Caldwell, an Irish immigrant. Samuel spent his early years on his father’s farm and later pursued education at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. He taught school and studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1879. Samuel moved to Auburn in 1884, where he became a school principal and later a police judge. In 1887, he married Mary A. Wood, who successfully ran a millinery and dry goods store in Auburn. Samuel Caldwell was active in community service, notably as an Odd Fellow, and served multiple terms as a police judge.

Biography of Ilus Couch of Ogallala, Nebraska

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Residence of Ilus Couch

Ilus Couch occupies an enviable position among the extensive ranchers and prominent settlers of the valley of the South Platte river, where he operates a very large and growing stock business. Ilus Couch was born in Tiskilwa, Bureau county, Illinois, October 7, 1857. His father, Benjamin C. Couch, was a native of New Hampshire, born … Read more

Biography of Hon. Thomas R. Burling of Buda, Nebraska

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Portrait and biographical album of Lancaster county, Nebraska title page

Hon. Thomas R. Burling is one of the leading citizens of Nebraska, of which he was an early pioneer, and with whose interests he has long been identified as an agriculturist, as a statesman, and as a merchant, and in all that relates to her commercial, social and political life, he is pre-eminent. He is … Read more