Mary Elizabeth Gatewood (Richardson Hunt "Richard" Gatewood⁵, Henry Gatewood⁴, Richard Gatewood³, Henry Gatewood², John Gatewood¹) was born November 3, 1839, in Parke County, Indiana, and died March 2, 1905, in Genoa, Nance, Nebraska. She is buried in Valley View Cemetery, near Genoa, Nance County, Nebraska.

James Henry Snelson (John Woodford Snelson⁴, Minnard Snelson³, Charles Snelson Jr.², Charles Snelson Sr.¹) was born January 11, 1836, in Illinois, and died August 15, 1880, in Harrison Township, Jewell County, Kansas. He is buried on the family farm near present day Burr Oak, Jewell County, Kansas. He married Mary Elizabeth Gatewood March 20, 1862, in Illinois.

Photos courtesy of Thelma Gertrude Snelson-Green, granddaughter of James H. and Mary Gatewood Snelson.

According to Jewell County Probate Court documents, Mary Elizabeth Snelson remarried briefly during summer 1884 to a Mr. Richard H. Simmons. Soon after the wedding, however, Mary learned that Mr. Simmons was only recently released from the State Penitentiary, at Leavenworth, Kansas. Besides trying to lay claim Mary’s ¼-section homestead, it was learned that Simmons was plotting to abduct one of James and Mary’s daughters. Mary promptly filed for a divorce, which was granted August 4, 1884.

Children of James Henry Snelson and Mary Elizabeth Gatewood are: Florence Jane Snelson, William Jasper Snelson, Edmond Clement "Eddie" Snelson, John Woodford Snelson, James Henry Snelson, William Francis Snelson, Ella Adella Snelson, Andrew Jackson Snelson, Lula May Snelson, Hattie Dulcina Snelson, and Olive Anne Snelson.

Snelson Family Gathering
Genoa, Nebraska; about 1904
Note: We are still working to positively identify everyone shown.

(left to right): Elmer "Roy" Meese, Ella (Snelson) Sabin, Tacie (Sabin) Meese. Tallest lady in rear: Rosa (Wray) Snelson. Older lady at right of Rosa Snelson: Mary Elizabeth (Gatewood) Snelson. James Henry Snelson is pictured at far right.
  
Photo courtesy of John Prall, grandson of John Woodford Snelson

Mary Elizabeth Gatewood-Snelson House as it Appears Today
Genoa, Nebraska; September 4, 2004

John Woodford Snelson and Deep-well Drilling Rig
Possibly taken in Nance County, Nebraska; about 1900

John Woodford Snelson is shown at far right.

Photo courtesy of John Prall

Lula May Snelson & Charles Greenlee Family
Genoa, Nebraska; about 1918

Front: Lula May, James Stewart, Ronald Charles, Charles Alexander, Oliver Ray.
Back: Iness Opal, Unknown, Wrex Alexander, Lucy Dulcenia, Unkown, Unknown.

Photo courtesy of John Prall

Three Daughters of Mary Elizabeth & James Henry Snelson
and Their Daughters
Genoa, Nebraska; July 27, 1957

Front: Lula Snelson-Greenlee, Ella Snelson-Sabin, Olive Snelson-Long.
Back: Lucy Greenlee-French, Tacie Sabin-Meese-Newton, Ollie Long-Brunken.

Photo courtesy of John Prall

Wedding Photo: Rosa Ellen Wray & James Henry Snelson
Albion, Nebraska; April 07, 1890

James Henry & Rosa Wray Snelson farmed near Genoa, Nebraska, where James was also a well digger. They later homesteaded in Wheeler County, Nebraska, moving to Long Pine, Nebraska, in 1945, where they lived until their their deaths. James died Sept 15, 1955, and Rosa died August 25, 1964.

The couple parented nine children: Edna May Snelson, Emel Emmons Snelson, Hazel L. Snelson, Elsie Viola Snelson, Ethel Alvertia Snelson, Florence Opal Snelson, Erma Cecil Snelson, Thelma Gertrude Snelson, and Velma Pearl Snelson. All are pictured below.

Information courtesy of Zelda Butterfield, daughter of Erma Cecil Snelson.
Photo courtesy of Thelma Gertrude Snelson-Green.

Rosa Ellen & James Henry Snelson: 60th Wedding Anniversary
Long Pine, Nebraska; April 7, 1950

Front: Edna May, James Henry, Rosa Ellen, and Emel Emmons Snelson.
Back: Velma Pearl, Hazel L., Thelma Gertrude, Erma Cecil, Elsie Viola, Ethel Alvertia, and Florence Opal Snelson.

Photo courtesy of Zelda Butterfield.

Wedding Photo: Phoebe Jane Sabin & Franklin O'Daniels
Tama County, Iowa; September 1870

Phoebe Jane Sabin was born in the state of New York, December 13, 1851, and died November 16, 1921. At an early age she moved with her parents, William "Jerome" & Mary Ann "Mercy" Clark-Sabin to Iowa, where in 1871 [sic] she was married to Franklin O'Daniels. In 1878, they moved to Kansas, where they lived until 1882, when they moved to Genoa [Nebraska]. To this union were born five children, three of whom are still living; Mrs. W.H. Frost, Franklin E. O'Daniels & Thos H. O'Daniels, all of [Genoa]. Mr. O'Daniels passed away on March 18, 1893, and on October 24, 1895 Mrs. O'Daniels was married to Geo. C. Kilton of [Genoa]. From early life Mrs. Kilton was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, also for many years an active member of the Eastern Star and a charter member of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. Besides her husband and family, she leaves three sisters, Mrs. Wes Adamson of Fullerton; Mrs. Geo. Frazier of Boulder, Colorado, and Mrs. Sarah Burdett of Wenatchee, Washington; one brother, Mr. [Warren Elwood] Sabin of Spalding and a host of friends to mourn her death.

Source: Genoa Leader; Obituary; Genoa, Nebraska; 25 Nov 1921.
Photo courtesy of Mamie O'Daniels-McKee, Granddaughter of Phoebe & Franklin O'Daniels

Phoebe Jane Sabin-O'Daniels & George C. Kilton
Genoa, Nebraska; about 1895

Front: Unknown, George C. Kilton, and Phoebe Jane Kilton.
Back: Franklin Elijah O'Daniels, and Rosa May O'Daniels.

Photo courtesy of Gwen O'Daniels

Warren "Eldie" and Ella Sabin Family
Genoa, Nebraska; about 1895
(left to right): Ella Adella (Snelson) Sabin, Tacie Elizabeth Sabin, James Elwood Sabin, and Warren Elwood Sabin holding Mary Angeline Sabin.

Warren Sabin was born December 19, 1866, and moved with his parents, William "Jerome" & Mary Ann "Mercy" Clark-Sabin, from Tama County, Iowa, to Jewell County, Kansas, at age 13. He marred Ella Snelson July 25, 1886, at Montana Township, Jewell, Kansas. Soon thereafter, the couple moved to Genoa, Nebraska, where they lived for 12 years. They later homesteaded a section in Wheeler County, Nebraska, for 15 years. The family moved to Belgrade, Nebraska, where they lived for three years, then to Spalding, Nebraska, for five years. Warren Sabin died in Spalding July 25, 1923, at age 56. He is buried with other family members in Valley View Cemetery, Genoa, Nebraska. Following Warren's death Ella died in Troutdale, Oregon, February 7, 1968.
  
From a note found in the personal effects of Edwin Sabin (son of Warren & Ella Sabin)

Three Generations: Sabin, Snelson, and Meese Families
Near Bartlett Township, Nebraska; 1908

Front (left to right): Edwin Sabin, Ella Snelson Sabin, Violet Sabin, Opal Meese, Tacie Sabin Meese, Mary Sabin, Edna Snelson, Hazel Snelson, Elsie Snelson.
Middle: Laurel Meese, Elmer Roy Meese, Maude Wray, Unknown, Unknown, Rosa Snelson, Unknown.
Back: Warren Elwood Sabin, James Sabin, Unknown, Unknown, James Henry Snelson, Emel Snelson.

On the Sand Hills of Nebraska
Near Bartlett, Nebraska; 1911
Seated: probably Emel Snelson, Violet Josephine Sabin, Edwin Warren Sabin (head down), and Fidell "Dell" Sabin.
Standing: Ella Snelson Sabin, James Elwood Sabin, Maude Wray Sabin, and Mary Sabin Jarvis.

The Family Pride and Joy
Near Bartlett, Nebraska; 1911
Violet Sabin, Mary Sabin, Edwin Warren Sabin, Ella Snelson Sabin, and Warren Elwood Sabin.

Back at "The Old Soddie"
Near Bartlett, Nebraska; 1911
Left: Mary Angeline Sabin, Ella Adella (Snelson) Sabin, Emel Snelson, Edwin Warren Sabin, and Violet Sabin.

Right: Violet Josephine Sabin, Ella Snelson Sabin,
Edwin Sabin, Mary Sabin, and Warren Sabin.

At the Fair
Wheeler County, Nebraska; about 1910

Left: Edwin Sabin and Violet Josephine Sabin.

Right: Warren Elwood Sabin operating
the Fair's horse-powered merry-go-round.

Edwin Sabin, Boy Scout
Belgrade, Nebraska; About 1917
Back row, third from left.

Warren Elwood Sabin Family about 1922
Mary Sabin, Violet Sabin, Ella (Snelson) Sabin, James Sabin, Warren "Eldie" Sabin, Tacie Sabin, and Edwin Sabin.

Sabin Family Reunion
Beaverton, Oregon; 1950
Tacie (Sabin-Meese) Newton, James Sabin, Ella Adella (Snelson) Sabin, Violet (Sabin) Frutiger, Edwin, and Mary (Sabin) Jarvis.

William George
Near Davenport, Iowa; About 1860

William George, husband of Nancy (Reed) George, 
is the father of John A. George, shown below.

Nancy (Reed) George
Near Davenport, Iowa; About 1875

Nancy (Reed) George, wife of William George, 
is the mother of John A. George, shown below.
 

Photos courtesy of Betty Wooten,
granddaughter of Phoebe & John George.

James "Yankee Jim" George
Dos Palos, California; 1923
Yankee Jim was 94 at the time of this photo. He is the son of William & Nancy George and brother to John George.

Jim was a colorful character. His tales were given much notoriety by Rudyard Kipling, who wrote:

Yankee Jim saw every one of my tales and went fifty better on the spot. He dealt in bears and Indians, never less than twenty of each; had known the Yellowstone country for years, and bore upon his body marks of Indian arrows; and his eyes had seen a squaw of the Crow Indians burned alive at the stake.

Photo courtesy of Dorothy Irland English, granddaughter of William & Mary Irland.

Phoebe (Hoffee) and John George
Scott County, Iowa; About 1885
(left to right): Phoebe (Hoffee) George and John A. George. 

Phoebe and John George are the parents of Mary Abby George, shown below.

Photo courtesy of Betty Wooten, granddaughter of Phoebe & John George.

Irland Wedding Photo
Mary Abby George and William Eugene Irland
Near Truesdale, Buena Vista, Iowa; December 23, 1888

Photo courtesy of Dorothy Irland English, granddaughter of William & Mary Irland.

Kirk K. Irland
Brother of William Irland (above)

Kirk Irland was born in Delaware County, Iowa, December 15, 1868. At 4 years of age he moved to Storm Lake, Iowa, with his mother, Celinda Bailey-Irland. In 1898 he was married at Spencer Iowa to Olive Olson. They lived at Rembrandt, Iowa, until 1914 when they moved to his final home in Ericson Township, near Sacred Heart, Minnesota. The couple parented three children, Lydia Celinda, Glenn William, and Francis Marion. Kirk Irland died March 3, 1934.

William & Mary Irland and Family
Red Top, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota; About 1917
Back row:  Mary (George), Ruth, William, Minnie, Emma, Ralph, and Orvil.
Front row: Beulah, Florence, Nina, Peter, Hattie, and Dorus.

Florence is the daughter of Ruth Irland-Hite.

Thanks to Julie Cartier for providing identification. Julie is Nina (Irland) Cartier's daughter.

William & Mary Irland and Family on the Couple's 50th Anniversary
Near St. Paul, Minnesota; 1938
Children Front: Vernon Snell, Calvin Hopper, Unknown, Leo Sabin, Unknown.
Middle: Beulah (Irland) Sabin, Nina (Irland) Cartier, William Irland, Mary (George) Irland, Unknown.
Rear: Partial face unknown, Ed Sabin, Ray Cartier, Ruth Irland, Minnie (Irland) Hopper, Irland Hopper, Ira Irland, Orvil "Shorty" Irland, Fred Damer, Emma (Irland-Sinell) Dammar.

William & Mary Irland Family Gathered for William's Funeral
Near Isle, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota; June 1947
(left to right): Orvil "Shorty" Irland, Ruth Irland, Dorus Irland, Nina Irland, Beulah Irland, Mary (George) Irland, Ralph Irland, Minnie Irland, Emma Irland.

Atwood "Pete" Irland
Photo probably taken shortly before Pete's death
in Aitken County, Minnesota, February 8, 1935.

Pete was born September 22, 1909, in Estherville, Iowa. He was the youngest son of William & Mary Irland (above). Pete was a lumberjack and was working for a local company north of Mille Lacs Lake when he was killed. According to witnesses, he was attempting to free a felled tree when he was crushed by a falling branch. Though Pete was single at the time of his death, he was engaged to Louise Erickson, of Isle, Minnesota. An immensely well liked citizen of Isle, Pete's funeral drew a large number of mourners.

Photo courtesy of Dorothy Irland-English

Margaret Lenora Schrauth & Dorus Irland Wedding Photo—Onamia, Minnesota; December 29, 1929.

Margaret was born in Minnesota August 12, 1904; and died in Dos Palos, California, April 12, 1998. Dorus was born in Buena Vista County, Iowa, March 3, 1899; and died in Dos Palos May 15, 1983. They parented one child, Dorothy, who resides with her husband, Robert English, in Dos Palos.

Margaret, Dorothy, and Dorus Irland
at home in Dos Palos, about 1938.

Photos courtesy of Dorothy Irland-English

Minnie Irland & Balford Hopper Wedding Photo
Glenwood, Minnesota; August 22, 1920.

Minnie is a daughter of William & Mary Irland (above). The couple resided in Isle, Minnesota, their entire lives. They parented two boys, Irland Balford Hopper (born Sept. 26, 1921) and Calvin Lawrence Hopper (born Nov. 10, 1924). During World War I, Balford enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. His commendations include the Purple Heart and citation for gallantry, which was upgraded to a Silver Star during the 1930s. Minnie was born in Isle June 27, 1902, and died there March 27. 1945. Balford was born in Illinois February 28, 1895, and died in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, October 09, 1963.

Photo courtesy of Calvin Hopper

Beulah Stella (Irland) & Leo Warren Sabin
Isle, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota; about 1929

Beulah Stella (Irland) Sabin
Isle, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota; about 1931

Beulah (right), shown doing her interpretation of a character from Dog Patch, is the wife of Edwin Warren Sabin (above). She is the mother of Leo Warren Sabin, Leonard Edwin Sabin, and Elmer Elwood Sabin.

Edwin & Beulah Sabin and Family
Beaverton, Oregon; 1944
Back: Elmer, Leo, and Leonard Sabin. 
Front: Edwin Warren and Beulah Stella Sabin.

Leonard & Leo Sabin
Isle, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota; about 1930

Leonard and Leo are seated in the wagon. The
older boy at rear is a son of Mary Sabin-Jarvis.

Joseph Alexander Beard
Near Brownville, Nemaha County, Nebraska; About 1905

Joseph Beard was born in Kentucky, February 28, 1827. He married Elizabeth Richardson in Beardstown, Illinois, May 6, 1851. The couple parented four children; Franklin, Sarah, Belle, and John (below). Joseph and Elizabeth were among the original pioneers of Brownville, Nebraska. Besides raising there own children, at the death of their daughter, Belle Beard-Clary, Joseph and Elizabeth Beard took in her four children, raising them to adulthood. John Beard's original farm is the site of present-day Brownville. In later years, he was a successful apple grower. He died from cancer September 26, 1906. He is interred in Walnut Grove Cemetery, in Brownville. Following Joseph's death, Elizabeth Richardson-Beard relocated to Aurora, Nebraska, to live with her son, John Mason Beard. She died February 28, 1912, in Aurora.

Joseph Alexander Beard and John Mason Beard
Brownville, Nebraska; About 1872

Photo courtesy of Clark LeRoy "Jim" Newman,
grandson of John Mason Beard.

John Mason Beard
Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska; 1931

At the time of his death, October 1931, John Beard had the distinction of being one of the two oldest native-born men of European ancestry in Nebraska. He was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Richardson) Beard, who came from Illinois to Atchison, Missouri, in 1851, and later to the territory of Nebraska. Eight years later John Beard was born near the spot that later became Brownville, Nebraska. John Beard was an engineer with the Burlington Railroad for over 30 years, retiring in 1916. At the time of his death, John Beard's surviving children were Ed Beard of Aurora, Clarence Beard of Omaha, Joseph Beard of Oklahoma City, Mrs. Clark Newman of Aurora, Mrs. Otto Hochstettler of Bayard, and Mrs. Ralph Otto of Denver. John Beard is buried near his home in Aurora, Nebraska.

John Beard is the brother of Belle Beard, first wife of Samuel F. Clary, below.
Excerpted from The Aurora News; Aurora, Nebraska; October 16, 1931.

Family of Clarence Mason Beard
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska; 1912
Left-Right:  Ivy Eugenia Raynor-Beard, John Raynor "Jack" Beard, and
Clarence Mason Beard.

Clarence Beard, eldest son of John Mason Beard (above) was born July 28, 1882, in Nebraska. He married Ivy Raynor (born 1887) on June 21, 1907. Clarence was a railroad civil engineer. Besides participating in railroad construction throughout the Midwest, during the 1920s he was engaged in construction of the Australian transcontinental railroad.

Jack Beard, the only child of Clarence & Ivy Beard was born January 12, 1911, in Omaha. He married Margaret Leonard (born June 13, 1910, in Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa) July 07, 1938, in Los Angeles California. Jack Beard died October 24, 1987, in Bokeelia, Lee County, Florida. Margaret died January 1985, in Bokeelia.

Photo courtesy of Jackie Beard-Kegley, granddaughter of Jack Beard.

Tipton D. Clary
Possibly Kokomo, Indiana, about 1864

Tipton Clary was born 1839, in Ohio. He is the eldest child of Hiram and Elizabeth Baker-Clary, and the brother of Samuel Clary (below). Before the Civil War, Tipton was a printer. He enlisted as a private in the Union Army, 12 August 1863, and was discharged as a First Lieutenant at war's end. He served as an artillery officer. Tipton married Sarah A. Skinner 30 June 1863, in Cass County, Indiana. He died 14 June 1870, in Indiana. Tipton & Sarah Skinner-Clary had one child, Estella G. Clary, born May 1868. Sarah Skinner-Clary died in Cass County, Indiana, between 1870-1880. Estella was thereafter raised by her uncle, Richard Skinner, who was listed as Sarah Skinner-Clary's guardian on her application for Tipton's Civil War Pension. Estella married Zimri/Rey McClune 16 November 1890. As shown on the 1900 Census for Mesa County, Colorado, Zimri & Estella McClune had at least two children. I've had no success finding this family thereafter.

Photo source: CivilWarIndiana.com; Craig L. Dunn; PO Box 749, Kokomo, Indiana 46903

Samuel Fremont Clary
Axtell, Marshall County, Kansas, 1883

Samuel Clary's first marriage to Belle Beard (1875) produced Myrtle, Frank D., Claude S. and Joseph H. Clary, below. This family lived in Brownville, Nebraska, until after 1878, moved to Marshall Township, Kansas, then on to Grant's Station, New Mexico by 1882, where Belle died giving birth to Joseph H. Clary February 22, 1882.

His second marriage to Mary Abigail Hawley (1883) produced Arthur Elliott Clary, Estella Gertrude Clary, Ethel M. Clary, and Merl Everett Clary. Samuel's marriage to Mary ended about 1910. She remarried in 1913.

A telegrapher and railroad station agent, Samuel worked in Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Idaho. He died intestate in San Francisco, in 1920. He is buried in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Colma, California. His grave is unmarked.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Banks, great-granddaughter of Samuel Clary.

Myrtle Clary
Auburn, Nebraska, about 1897

Myrtle was eldest of the Samuel and Belle (Beard) Clary children. She was about four years old when her mother died in 1882. When her father remarried in 1883, Myrtle and her brothers were taken in by their maternal grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Beard, of Brownville, Nebraska. Myrtle and her first husband, William Seneca Chambers, parented four children (right). Following William Chambers' death 1910, Myrtle married Frank Humbert.

Back: Myrtle Clary-Chambers, Pearle Belle, William Seneca Chambers,
Front: Alyce, Faye, and William Chambers.

Photos courtesy of Joanne Banks.

Photos courtesy of Claud Clary, Jr.

Claude Samuel Clary
Peru, Nemaha County Nebraska; About 1945

Claude Samuel Clary was born in Marshall Township, Missouri, to Samuel and Belle (Beard) Clary. About 1885, he was sent to live with his maternal grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Beard, in Brownville, Nebraska, where he grew to maturity. Claude Clary married Avis Cole December 1, 1904. Soon thereafter Claude and Avis moved to Peru, Nebraska, where they lived the rest of their lives. Claude worked at farming, real estate, and was an auctioneer. The marriage produced three children; Marie, Glen, and Claud Jr. Throughout his life, Claude was active in local civic affairs. Claude Samuel Clary is the older brother of Joseph H. Clary, below.

Avis Effie (Cole) Clary
Peru, Nebraska; About 1898 

Frank D. Clary
Brownville, Nebraska; about 1908

Little is known about Frank D. Clary. He is the eldest son of Samuel F. and Belle Beard Clary, born January 1878. Like his siblings, he was raised by maternal grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Richardson Beard, following the death of his mother, February 22, 1882. Legal documents show him living in Tulsa, Oklahoma Indian Territory, in 1907. By 1910, the U.S. Census shows him living in Waurika, Oklahoma; single; and working as a printer. By 1920, he is an inmate at the Nebraska Hospital for the Insane at Yankee Hill, near Lincoln. Specific details remain unknown, but have been requested. Date of death, burial location, and information about marriage and descendants are unknown at this time. Frank's existence was omitted from family tradition for over 70 years.

Joseph H. Clary
Brownville, Nebraska; about 1908

Joseph Clary is the youngest son of Samuel Fremont and Belle Elizabeth (Beard) Clary. From 1920 until his death Joseph was a house painter and paperhanger.

Joseph's was a life of personal tragedy. His mother died at his birth, he was raised by his maternal grandparents and saw his father rarely thereafter. His first child was stillborn, his second son died of pneumonia at age 5 months, and the joy of his life, little Helen Ann, his first daughter died of leukemia before her 6th birthday. Just as the Depression hit, the family home burned to the ground. During that economic collapse, he was compelled to move his family constantly to find work. Just as the family began to prosper again, Joseph became ill with lead poisoning and died in December 1940.

Family of William Henry & Hannah Barr Knapp
Stella, Nebraska; about 1877

Front: Hannah Barr-Knapp, William Henry Knapp, and possibly Molly Knapp-Harding.
Back: Fanny Proctor-Knapp, Miles W. Knapp, and possible Reuben Harding.

In 1862, William and Hannah Knapp moved from Potter County, Pennsylvania to Wisconsin. After a few months, the family moved to Rochester, Minnesota. By fall, 1870, the family relocated to Nemaha, Nebraska, eventually settling on a farm near Stella, where William also operated a livery stable. Hannah and William Knapp had 10 children: Sally Ann (b. 1846), Miles W. (b. 1847), Eli (b. 1849), Florence (b. 1852), Mollie (b. 1854)Rachel M. (b. 1858), Frances (b. 1861), Robert Henry (b. 1866), and Charles Delbert (b. 1868).

Photo courtesy of Bert Knapp, grandson of Miles & Fanny Knapp

Family of Miles W. & Fannie Proctor Knapp
Stella, Nebraska; about 1887

Front: Anna Belle Knapp, Miles Knapp, Fannie Proctor-Knapp, and Bessie May Knapp.
Back: Eli M. Knapp, John Henry Knapp, and Edward H. Knapp.

Miles Knapp is the eldest son of William Henry & Hannah Barr Knapp. Miles & Fannie farmed near Stella, Nebraska, until Mile's death in 1914. Following Mile's death, Fannie moved to Nemaha City, Nebraska, where she lived until 1944.

Photos courtesy of Panchita Beer, great-granddaughter of Francis Orcivilla Knapp

Miles & Fannie Knapp's Family Grown - Mostly
Nemaha City, Nebraska; about 1906

Front: Miles W. Knapp holding son Jefferson Robb Knapp, and Fannie Knapp.
Back: Edward H. Knapp, John Henry Knapp, Eli M. Knapp, Bessie May Knapp, Richard Raymond Knapp, and Anna Belle Knapp.

Photo courtesy of Bert Knapp

Frances Ruth Knapp
Ft. Supply, Woodward County, Oklahoma; about 1921

Frances is the daughter of William Henry & Hannah Barr Knapp. She married John Martin in Nemaha County, Nebraska, in 1876, though little is known about this marriage. She married John Harding Bocock in Falls City, Nebraska, in 1882, and the couple soon moved to Edmond, Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

Photo courtesy of Panchita Beer

Charles Delbert & Florence McNeil Knapp
Big Timber, Sweetgrass, Montana; about 1945

Charles Delbert Knapp is the son of William Henry & Hannah Barr Knapp.

An excellent tribute to Charles & Florence's family can be found by following
this link: http://www.timelesstreasure.net.

Photo courtesy of Sheri Aldridge

Minerva Ann Neikirk
Napoleon, Ohio; about 1880

Minerva is the daughter of David and Abigail Garman Neikirk. Born in Republic, Ohio, June 9, 1841, Minerva married William A. Baker December 6, 1866, in Napoleon, Ohio. The couple parented three children, Jessie Pearl and Lulu, and Robert B. Baker (below). With her children, Minerva moved to Albion, Nebraska, in 1883. She soon relocated to Stuart, Nebraska, where she married Benjamin F. Percival in 1884. Following Benjamin Percival's death, in 1902, Minerva moved to Brock, where she lived until her death, December 13, 1914. Besides raising her own children, Minerva cared for the children of Benjamin Percival, and took on the care of her daughter's (Lulu Baker-Foley) children following the latter's death, in 1910.

Photo courtesy of Robert L. Nelson, 2nd great-grandson of Minerva Neikirk

Robert "Bounie" Baker
Redfield, South Dakota; about 1902

Caption from this photo at right reads, "75 Chickens Shot Sept. 25, 1902, by B.F. Lyons, W.J. Bingham and R.B. Baker." Bounie, who was the son of Minerva Neikirk-Baker (above), married Anna Abris 25 Nov 1897, in Redfield. The couple had two children, Inez and Raymond. Owing to Bounie's chronic drinking, Anna divorced him in 1927. Bounie died of 3rd degree burns in 1947. He had been smoking in bed.

Robert "Bounie" Baker
Third from left, Redfield, South Dakota, 1885

Raymond and Inez Baker
Redfield, South Dakota; about 1907

Raymond and Inez are the children of Robert B. and Anna Abris-Baker.

Photo courtesy of Robert L. Nelson

Raymond R. Baker
Fresno, California; about 1943

Raymond Baker, son of Robert B. Baker and Annie Abris, was born 3 Apr 1903, in Redfield, South Dakota. Raymond followed his father's profession as a plumber. Before 1940, Raymond also worked for the Milwaukee Railroad. In September 1942, Raymond was inducted into the U.S. Army, and was stationed at Hammer Field, near Fresno, California. In the morning of 31 March 1943, he was killed from an accidental gunshot. His body was returned to Redfield, where he was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, with military honors.

Photo courtesy of Robert L. Nelson

Paul M. & Inez Baker-Nelson
Ashton, South Dakota; about 1933

Inez Marie Baker was born 12 Feb 1900, in Redfield, South Dakota. She married Paul McKinley Nelson 7 Oct 1919, in Clark County, South Dakota. A veteran of World War I, Paul went on to complete a career in public utilities in Spink County, South Dakota. Inez was an operator and office administrator for NW Bell Telephone. The couple had one son, Lorry Albert Nelson. Paul Nelson passed away 26 May 1964. Inez followed him 5 Apr 1974. They are interred in Greenlawn Cemetery, in Redfield.

Photo courtesy of Robert L. Nelson
"Chicken Hunt" Photo courtesy of the Redfield Museum

Alice "Connie" Kundert & Lorrey Albert Nelson
Wedding Photo

Lorrey Nelson was born 30 November 1919, in Ashton, South Dakota. He married Alice Alvina Kundert, who was born 17 March 1918, in Springfield, South Dakota. Following his service with the Marine Corps, during WW II, Lorrey returned to Redfield, South Dakata, where he worked for the city. The couple parented one child, Robert Nelson. Lorrey passed away during November 1980; Connie died 9 December 1998. They are interred together in Greenlawn Cemetery, Redfield, South Dakota.

Photo courtesy of Robert L. Nelson

Amanda Neikirk, sister to Minerva (above) raised her sister, Sarah Neikirk, following their mother's death. With Minerva and her children, Amanda and Sarah moved from Napoleon, Ohio, to Redfield in 1882, where Sarah met and married Elmer King. Amanda remained with Elmer and Sarah until her death in Wenatchee, Washington, in 1933. Minerva and her children were frequent guests of the King's, and there was a close family kinship. Elmer and Sarah parented three children, Bonnie Claire, Richard D., and Karl Elmer King. Sarah Neikirk was born September 21, 1864, in Napoleon; and died October 26, 1943, in Chelan County, Washington. Elmer King was born November 15, 1864, in Ohio, and died October 11, 1949, in Wenatchee.

Photo courtesy of Elonzo Dann

Elmer King arrived in Redfield about 1882, whereupon he started a hardware store. Soon recognized as a leading citizen, he was elected as a Spink County commissioner beginning in 1887, and then served terms as county sheriff beginning in 1902. Commensurate with an economic downturn, Elmer moved his family to Harlowtown, Montana, in 1817. There, he opened an automobile dealership. With the Great Depression, Elmer moved his family to Wenatchee, Washington, where he retired from business. In this photograph from the souvenir Picturesque Redfield and Spink County South Dakota, published in 1902, Elmer King epitomizes the turn-of-the-century sheriff.

Photo courtesy of the Redfield Museum

Bonnie Clair King
Redfield, South Dakota, about 1910

Bonnie Clair King is the daughter of Elmer & Emma Neikirk-King. She was born January 27, 1890, in Redfield. At the time this photograph was taken, Bonnie was the music teach at Redfield School. She relocated with her parents to Montana, and ultimately to Washington State. She married William S. Macauley about 1917. At some point following William's death, she married Edwin L. Lyman. Neither marriage bore children. Bonnie eventually relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she worked as a saleslady in larger department stores. She remained there until her death, August 27, 1993.

Photo courtesy of the Redfield Museum

Lulu Baker about 1885

Lulu married Bernard Curran Foley. The couple had five children: Francis "Bart," Mary Ann, Jessie, Bernard Joseph, and Lucy. Following the untimely deaths of Bernard, in 1909, and Lulu, in 1910, the children were taken in by Minerva Baker-Percival until her death in 1914. The four older children then went to an orphanage, while Lucy was raised by Mr. & Mrs. Irving Ball, of Brock, Nebraska.

Photo courtesy of Elonzo Dann

Children of Bernard & Lulu Baker Foley
Salt Lake City, Utah; 1901

Left to Right:  Mary Ann, Jessie, and Francis "Bart" Foley.

Photo courtesy of Elonzo Dann, son of Mary Ann Foley

Lucy Foley
Brock, Nebraska; about 1920. Lucy is the youngest daughter of Bernard & Lulu Baker-Foley.

Photo courtesy of Lucille Schafer

Family of Robert H. & Jessie Baker-Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; about 1908
Back:  Everett Dale, Raymond Baker, Emma Mae, Lula Bell.
Front: Helen, Robert Henry Sr., William Jennings, Jessie Pearl (Baker), Robert Henry Knapp Jr.

"R.H." was the barber in Brock, Nebraska (photo right). At the beginning of the town's demise, in 1923, he relocated his shop to Peru, Nebraska.

R.H. Knapp Barbershop
Dale (left) & R.H. (right)
Brock, Nebraska; about 1910

Emma "Mae" Knapp & Raymond Baker Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; About 1891

Raymond was born 3 December 1887, in Stella, Nebraska. He is the eldest child of Robert Henry & Jessie Baker-Knapp. Mae was born 12 January 1890, in Brock, Nebraska.

Raymond attended Peru State Normal, in Peru, Nebraska, and then went on to a career in pharmacy. He married Leah Mestre 3 December 1913, in Falls City, Nebraska. The couple had three children, Ray W., Virginia, and Dorothy Kay. Raymond Baker Knapp died April 1977, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Leah Mestre-Knapp followed him during November 1978, in Tarkio, Missouri.

Raymond Baker Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; About 1909

Everett "Dale" Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; About 1909

Dale Knapp is the third child of Robert H. & Jessie Baker-Knapp. He was born 9 October 1892, in Brock, Nebraska. Dale took up his father's profession as a barber, working first in his father's shop and then on his own near Omaha. He married Fern Bales 5 July 1913. The couple had one child, Lou Dale Knapp. Dale contracted appendicitis at the end of December 1917. He was unable to recover, dying in Omaha 6 January 1918. He was subsequently laid to rest in Lafayette Cemetery, near Brock. Following Dale's death, Fern Bales-Knapp remarried. She and her son moved to Los Angeles in the late 1920s. Lou Dale Knapp died in Reseda, California, 18 September 1984. I am attempting to locate any of his living children.

Lulu Belle Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; About 1914

Lulu Belle, second daughter of Robert Henry & Jessie Baker-Knapp, was born May 1895, in Brock. She married Clyde D. Lare, of Brock, 6 February 1915. The couple had two children, Clyde "Ted" Lare, Jr., and Dona Belle Lare. Lulu divorced Clyde, Sr., during the 1920s, and was thence wed to Harley Morse, of Kansas City. After struggling throughout the 1920s, she managed and owned several notable restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri. Lulu passed away there in 1957. She is interred at Bedford Cemetery, in Howe, Nebraska. Her daughter, Dona, returned to Nemaha County, where she remained until her death, 31 January 1987. Dona rests near her mother in Howe. Lulu's son, Ted, served in the Navy during WWII. He died in La Vista, Nebraska, 7 June 1992.

Ted & Dona Belle Lare
Nebraska City, Nebraska; About 1930

Helen Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; About 1908

Helen Knapp, born 1901, is the youngest daughter of Robert Henry & Jessie Baker-Knapp. She married Edward "Tim" McComas, of Brownville, Nebraska, in 1924. The couple had three children, Phyllis, Barbara, and Dale. After many years' struggle in farming, the family relocated to Portland, Oregon, in the late 1940s. There, Helen, who had been in frail health for years, died from stroke 7 November 1952. Tim followed her 5 October 1974. The couple's children continue to live near Portland.

Robert H. Knapp, Jr., PhD.
Peru, Nebraska; About 1922

Bob Knapp, third son of Robert H. & Jessie Baker-Knapp, was born 10 April 1904, in Brock, Nebraska. Following high school, Bob taught for several years before earning his baccalaureate and graduate degrees in Education. Thereafter, he taught and served as a counselor at Stockton-Culver College, in Missouri, and at the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion. He wrote numerous books concerning counseling and education. In 1924, Bob married Myrtle Law. The couple parented one daughter, Karen, who lives in Texas. Bob passed away 6 January 1990. Myrtle followed him in August 1999. They are interred in Bluff View Cemetery, in Vermillion. Much of my Knapp family information results from research done by Bob Knapp and his daughter, Karen.

Bob, Karen, and Myrtle Law-Knapp
Sacramento, California; About 1946

William Jennings Knapp
Peru, Nebraska; About 1924

Bill Knapp, youngest child of Robert Henry & Jessie Baker-Knapp, was born 20 August 1906, in Brock, Nebraska. As all of his brothers and sisters, Bill completed high school, and then went on to attend Peru State College. Bill served briefly during World War II, and then went on to teach Drama in the Kansas City, Kansas, school system. Bill married Fredrica "Freddie" Wheeler, of Brock. The couple had two daughters, Sheryl and Kathleen, who died as a child. Following retirement, Bill & Freddie moved to Salem, Oregon. Bill died 31 July 1983. Freddie passed away 12 July 1989. Sheryl and her husband taught until retirement in Oregon, where they continue to live.

Emma "Mae" Knapp
Brock, Nebraska; About 1902

Mae Knapp is the second child of Robert Henry and Jessie Pearl (Baker) Knapp, above. Following her graduation from Brock High School, June 1906, Mae attended the Nebraska State Normal School (now Peru State College), Peru, Nebraska. She then taught school locally for several years. In the photo at right, Mae is at the rear, 6th from right.

Mae married Joseph H. Clary (above), June 1910, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The couple had four children; Joseph Woodrow, Helen Ann, Claude Robert, and Ruth Marie Clary. Only Joseph Woodrow and Ruth Marie lived to adulthood. Depression-era life was not easy for this family. Photo at right, taken in the family's backyard on Signal Hill, Long Beach, California, June 1936, shows Ruth Marie Sabin and her mother, Mae (Knapp) Clary.

Family Outing in Brownville
Brownville, Nebraska; about 1910

(left-right) Joseph Clary, Mae (Knapp) Clary, Sarah (Beard) Gillespie, Myrtle (Clary) Chambers, Richard Chambers, Homer Gillespie, Elizabeth (Richardson) Beard, and William Gillespie.

Family of Joseph & Mae (Knapp) Clary

Left:  Joseph Woodrow and Helen Ann Clary; 1925.
 
"Woody" was born 1918 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and died 2001 in Sacramento, California. Helen Ann died from leukemia weeks before her 6th birthday.

Top Right: Claude Robert Clary; 1925.
 
"Bobby" was just 5 months old when he died from pneumonia. Both he and Helen Ann are buried in Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Bottom Right: Ruth Marie "Lucy," Mae, and Joseph Clary; 1936.
 
Ruth, as she is known today, is alive and living near Dallas, Texas. She's my mom.

Ruth Marie (Clary) & Leo Warren Sabin
Sacramento, California; March 1948

Ruth was born January 18, 1929, Lincoln, Nebraska; the youngest of Joseph & Mae (Knapp) Clary's children.

Leo was born June 18, 1927, Wilton Junction, Iowa. He was the eldest of three boys born to Edwin & Beulah (Irland) Sabin. Leo Sabin died from complications associated with multiple sclerosis January 24, 1994, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Leo and Ruth were married March 27, 1948. They had only one child; me.

Leo Warren Sabin
Vancouver, Washington; 1976

Following a war-time enlistment in the U.S. Navy, where he served aboard the USS Langley, USS Mazama, USS Mauna Loa, and USS Lassen, Leo worked for the US Departments of Interior and Energy for 37 years, retiring in 1983. All but a few months of this time were spent in the "Tech Lab" at Bonneville Power Administration's Ross Sub-station, Vancouver, Washington. Leo was a machinist and fine instrument maker, specializing in prototype design support to BPA engineers.

The love in Leo's life was his horses. He owned farms in Vancouver and LaCenter, where he bred, raised, and showed prize-winning Arabian Horses. Though formally trained in grand prix dressage, Leo truly excelled in Western horsemanship. Besides training his own horses, he took in problem cases, and frequently schooled local horsemen.

Leo Warren Sabin and a Yearling Colt
Vancouver, Washington; 1967

If this photo of Leo is reminiscent of Warren Elwood Sabin above, from 50 years before, it is no accident.

Time does march on. But there can be no denying that we are today because our ancestors were yesterday. And so it shall continue.