Marriage
Roy Wiley of Bucklin, Mo., and Anna G. Martin, of Nebraska City, both colored, were married in this city Friday, Judge Bates performing the ceremony. Source: The Madison Mail, Jan. 2, 1903, page 5.
Monthly Archives: January 2013
Mrs. John Richardson
Battle Creek, Neb., Sept. 3 — Special to The News: Funeral services for Mrs. John Richardson, who died Saturday afternoon in a Norfolk hospital, were held Tuesday forenoon in the Catholic Church here. The Rev. Thomas Walsh officiated, and burial was made in the Catholic cemetery by the side of her husband, who died years ago. Mrs. Richardson was 76 years old, and an old settler in North Deer Creek precinct. She is survived by a number of grown children. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Wed., Sept. 3, 1930, page 2.
Battle Creek items
Battle Creek, Neb. — Special to the News: Fred Hofman, Norfolk, accompanied by his son, Herbert of Battle Creek Heights, visited his sister, Mrs. Mary Wagner, in Louisville, Neb. last week.
Mrs. Carl Tietjen and Mrs. Albert Praeuner spent Friday at the home of their sister, Mrs. Otto Schilling, in Enola.
Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Miller spent last week with their daughter Mrs. William Craig, and family in Orchard. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Wed., Sept. 3, 1930, page 3.
Mrs. Dora F. Craig
Inman, Neb. Sept. 13—Special to The News: Funeral services were held here Thursday morning for Mrs. Dora F. Craig, who passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Gallagher, east of Inman, on Sept. 9, at the age of 73 years. The services were conducted at 10 a.m. by the Rev. R. Poe and the body taken to Battle Creek for further services and burial. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Sat. Sept. 13, 1930, page 5.
George O. Simmons, cane carver
Carves Cane With Wild West Theme
George Simmons, Battle Creek, Spent 3 Months Finishing Work
Battle Creek, Neb., May 15—Special to The News: George O. Simmons, Battle Creek whose hobby is carving canes, has completed one on which are some of the notorious and noted frontier day characters.
The cane was carved from a young diamond willow tree found on the Sam Kent farm near the Elkhorn river east of town. The head of the cane is that of Wild Bill Hickok and immediately below is the the inscription, Wild Bill Hickok, Born in Tro_ Grove, Ill., 1837. Murdered in Deadwood Gulch, S. D., Aug. 2, 1876, during the Gold Rush. The winner of 32 Pistol Duels. Below that are five cards known as “Dead Man’s Hand” and represents the hand held by Hickok at the time of his murder. Next is the head of Calamity Jane Canary Burke, frontier character and a personal friend of Hickok.
Following in order are Sitting Bull’s head, a buffalo head and the Golden Spike with the inscription, “U. P. R. R. completed May 10, 1869.” There are also carvings of two rifles and a pistol of the type used in those days and a tomahawk and Indian club.
Mr. Simmons worked for three months, carving the cane which is finished in natural wood color. The characters and other designs are hand colored, the work being done by Miss Emma Taylor of Battle Creek.
Mr. Simmons is the son of the late Ralph E. and Mary Simmons, pioneer settlers in Madison county. He was born and reared at Battle Creek where he has spent practically all his life except for a few years spent on the Simmons ranch in Holt county, and in 1917 he took up a homestead in Cherry county where he lived for a time.
He has always had a yen for wild west shows and trooped with Gollmar Brothers Circus and Rodeos as a trick roper. He is returning to the show business, having organized the Simmons clown troupe whose musical comedy act he will book for celebrations and fairs. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Wednesday May 15, 1940, page 8.
Montague reunited
Norfolkan to be Reunited with Son he thought Dead
Ten years ago on May 19, 1930, James Montague, now 72, Norfolk, who hadn’t heard from his son, Jim, for some time, read in a Sioux City newspaper that the bodies of three unidentified murdered youths, about 19, had been found in a vacant lot in Brooklyn, N. Y.
As his son was about 20 years old and was living in New York city at that time, the father thought young Jim might have been among the slain trio. As time passed, and he didn’t hear from his son, the Norfolkan became more and more convinced in his mind that the boy had been killed.
He wrote a number of letters to Brooklyn and New York city authorities and to the bureau of missing persons, but was unable to find any trace of his son, Finally, after many months had elapsed, Montague gave up his son as dead.
Mourned for 10 Years
For almost ten years he mourned the loss of the boy.
His sadness now has turned to joy and anticipation because he has received from his “dead” son a letter saying he was coming to Norfolk to visit in July.
The forthcoming reunion between father and son resulted from the latter’s having to go to a New York city hospital for emergency treatment several days ago.
At the hospital, the young man was asked to sign a card giving the name of a relative. He wrote down the name of his sister, Anna Montague, and gave her address as 414 North Tenth street, Norfolk, Neb. He didn’t know his sister was married and her name is Mrs. Larry Meenan, and that she is now residing in Los Angles.
“Couldn’t Believe It”
When the card reached Norfolk, postal employee, knowing Anna Montague no longer lived in this city, but is the daughter of James Montague, delivered it to the father. That was James Montague’s first information his missing son was alive. “I could hardly believe it because I had given him up as dead,” he stated.
Overjoyed, Mr. Montague’s first thought was to write to a niece, Miss Grace King, in New York city asking her to go to the hospital to see young Jim, He sent her an air mail letter and at the same time sent a telegram to the bureau of missing persons, asking it to get in touch with the young man.
In a few days, the father received a letter from his son who stated that about ten years ago he lost his job and “started to drifting around.” He also wrote that he put off writing to his father and as the months went by it became harder and harder to break down and write home, and as a result he just neglected to let his parent know his whereabouts.
Young Jim also promised his father he would be home in July for what probably will be the happiest day in James Montague’s life.
Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Friday May 31, 1940, page 2.
Mike Moolick
Mike Moolick, Dies Suddenly at Home Here
For Number of Years was Norfolk’s Most Consistent Globe Trotter
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Funeral to be Monday
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Started Traveling After He had Been Retired on Pension from Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company.
Mike Moolick, 85, for a number of years Norfolk’s most consistent globe trotter, died suddenly of a heart attack while alone in his home 1401 South Fourth street, about 5:30 o’clock Friday afternoon. He was found a short time later.
Funeral services will be conducted Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock a the Berge-Thenhaus-Howser-Swoboda Home for Funerals by the Rev. Walter L. Jewett, minister of the First Methodist church. Burial is to be made in Prospect Hill cemetery. The body will lie in state at the home for funerals Sunday from 2 to 9 o’clock.
In an eleven-year period ending in 1936, Mr. Moolick traveled 197,997 miles. In the last four years he made a number of trips, including several to California.
Retired at 70
At the age of 70, he retired on a pension from the Northwestern Railway company, for which he worked thirty years and four months as a blacksmith. Before his retirement he had traveled little, because as he said: “I had a family of five to raise.”
After his retirement he decided to realize his life-long ambition of going places and seeing things. “Why, if I had just settled down in my little home in Norfolk and done nothing, I would have been dead in six months,” he once said.
After he started his traveling he visited Hawaii, Alaska, Cuba, Mexico, every prvince in Canada and every state in the union, except two in New England. He saw everything from the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans to the Dionne quintuplets.
Mr. Moolick retired in June, 1924, and before the end of that year he had traveled 3,794 miles. In 1928, he traveled 14,000 miles.
His Travels Cost Little
He mastered the art of traveling with little cost. “People wonder how I can travel on so little money, and I wonder how people can spend as much money as they do when they travel,” he once said. Upon arriving at his destination, he found a rooming house in which to stay, because “hotels are higher and have too much noise,” he stated.
He is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Genevieve Wescott, Hampton, Ia.; Mrs. Lenora Griffith, Van Nuys, Calif.; Mrs. Louella Swails, Norfolk, and Mrs. Esther Miller, whos address is not known by relatives; one son, Harry, Norfolk, and six grandchildren. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Saturday May 25, 1940, page 5.
Funeral Record
Mike Moolick
Funeral services were conducted Monday afternoon at 2o’clock at the Berge-Thenhaus-Howser-Swoboda Home for Funerals for Mike Moolick, 85; who died following a heart attack late Friday afternoon at his home, 1401 South Fourth street. The Rev. Walter L. Jewett, minister of the First Methodist church, officiated.
Mr. Moolick was born June 21, 1854, at Interlaken, in the Finger Lake district of New York state. He came to Nebraska with his parents, when 12 years of age and lived for a time in Saunders county. He freighted in the Black Hills in the early days and later took a homestead in Knox county.
In 1884, he was married to Miss Luella Etter, who died ten years later leaving three small daughters. Mr. Moolick was later married to Nellie Jones and to them two children were born.
Since his retirement from the service of the Northwestern Railway company for which he worked thirty years and four months as a blacksmith, he had traveled extensively, not only in the United States, but also in Hawaii, Alaska, Cuba, Mexico and Canada.
He is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Genevieve Wescott, Hamnpton, Ia.; Mrs. Lenora Griffth, Van Nuys, Calif., Mrs. Louella Swails, Norfolk and Mrs. Esther Miller, whose address is not known by relatives; a son, Harry Moolick, Norfolk, and six grandchildren.
Burial was in Prospect Hill cemetery.
Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Tuesday May 28, 1940, page 2.
Herman Raasch
Herman Raasch, 85, Is Taken By Death
Was Boy of 7 in First Wisconsin Caravan to arrive in Norfolk
Herman Raasch, Stanton, who was a 7-year-old boy in the first colony of Wisconsin settlers to come to Norfolk in 1866, died Tuesday morning at his home. He was 85 years old.
Mr. Raasch was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Martin Raasch whose family was one of twenty-eight that traveled in the Wisconsin covered wagon caravan to establish the town of Norfolk.
He spent most of his life in Stanton county where he first engaged in farming and later retired to his home in Stanton, He wife died many years ago, and for several years his daughter, Mrs. Ella Benning, had made her home with her father. He also is survived by tow daughters living in Oklahoma, two brothers, Henry, Norfolk, and John, Hadar, and one sister, Mrs. Pfeil, Hoskins.
Death of Mr. Raasch leaves only about twenty-four or twenty-five persons, who came with the first Wisconsin pioneers, still living.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock a the home, and at 2:30 o’clock at St. John’s Lutheran church, the Rev. Herbert Hackbarth, pastor, being in charge. Burial will be made in the Stanton cemetery. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Wednesday May 15, 1940, page 2.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry {Louise Wachter} Raasch
Came Here with First Colony
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Raasch, who have just celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary, were, as children, members of the first group of Wisconsin settlers who came to this community in 1866. Editors Note: A picture of the couple was shown in the paper.
Marriage Ties Hold Together For 57 Years
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Raasch Were Children in First Wisconsin Colony
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Have Same Birthday
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Norfolk Pioneer Recalls Journey Made by 28 Families in 63 Covered Wagons, Most of Which Were Drawn by Oxen.
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Seventy-four years ago this month twenty-eight Wisconsin families left their homes to cross the prairies and establish a colony where Norfolk today stands. Among the children in the covered wagon caravan were Henry Raasch, then 6 years old and Louise Wachter, 4 years old.
Seventeen years later on May 6, 1883, Henry Raasch and Louise Wachter were married at Norfolk, This same couple Tuesday celebrated their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary at their home at 800 Georgia avenue, to which they retired eight years ago after spending forty-nine years on their farm near the old canning factory.
Mr. and Mrs. Raasch, both of whom are in good health, are the parents of then sons and daughters, six of whom are living. They are: Frank, Adolph, Emil, Ferdinand, Mrs. Arthur Uecker and Miss Louise Raasch. In observance of the wedding anniversary, the sons and daughters honored their parents Sunday at a family dinner.
Have Same Birthday
Mr. and Mrs. Raasch hold the distinction of having the same birthday, Nov. 3. Both were born in Wisconsin, and Mr. Raasch is now 80 years old, and Mrs. Raasch 78. One of his hobbies is gardening, and he has a fine garden started this spring.
Although he was only 6 years old when the Wisconsin colony arrived in Norfolk, he vividly recalls the forty-day journey across the prairies. “There were twenty-eight families in the colony, which traveled in sixty-three covered wagons,” he said. “All those wagons, except four, were pulled by oxen.
“We left Wisconsin on May 30, and arrived in Norfolk, then a wilderness, on July 4, and we didn’t travel on Sundays. There was more Christianity then than now.” He recalls grass at Norfolk was two to seven feet in height. “We were delayed at Humburg creek near Pilger because we had to spend tow or three days building a bridge to cross it. And we used wooden nails. It took us a whole day to cross the Missouri river at Omaha on a ferry boat, and the river was running full.”
Recalls Mosquitoes
When the Wisconsin settlers arrived at Norfolk, Mr. Raasch says the mosquitoes were worse than the Indians. “Those insects were after our blood, and the Indians did us no harm,” he commented.
Mr. Raasch’s parents were Mr. and Mrs. Martin Raasch, and Mrs. Raasch’s were Mr. and Mrs. Herman Wachter. The two families settled on farms near each other. Mr. Raasch recalls Norfolk’s first postoffice was in his father’s home. “It was three or four feet long, and had paper, ink and 11 cents in stamps,” he recalled.
Of those who came to Norfolk to make history in the summer of 1866, Mr. Raasch says only twenty-five or twenty-six are still living. Looking back on the pioneer days, Mr. Raasch said: “We had better meals then now because of home-made bread, home-smoked bacon and all those good things,” he said. Source: The Norfolk Daily News, Tuesday May 7, 1940, page 7.
It Happened in Madison
“The biggest load of oats ever hauled into Madison was brought in by Dave Hansheu last Friday. There were 148 bushels and 30 lbs. on the load. They were raised on the farm of D. A. Hale” Yes, it happened in Madison way back in 1891! Source: The Madison Star, Thursday, July 14, 1955 on page 1.
“A team belonging to Valentine Scheer took a lively little spin Tuesday afternoon. He was driving them to a carriage when they became frightened by an automobile and began a merry chase. Mrs. Scheer was thrown from the rig and the team was caught near the Jacobs residence. The carriage was somewhat injured, but otherwise no damage was done.” Yes, it happened in Madison way back in 1890. Source: The Madison Star, Thursday, August 4, 1955 on page 1.
“The second election which has been held this year for the purpose of voting $10,000 bonds for a new city hall was held Tuesday and resulted in a victory for the bonds as the final count was 45 votes over the two-thirds majority.” Yes, it happened in Madison 50 years ago, in June of 1906. Source: The Madison Star, Thursday, July 5, 1956 on page 1.