Mildred and Orville had 9 children. Also have note from Betty Holmes that Mildred was born in Morrowville, Kansas instead of Neb. Same birth place as noted by Archie Anderson.
Had no children.
Was related by through the Knapp line as a cousin.
Twin to Alma who married Ralph Specht. (Had a date of 1964 as death, was it a missprint or typo error?)
Marriage Notes for Kenneth Knepp Babcock and Zelma Delia "Twin" ANDERSON-1765
Have a marriage date as 29 Aug 1929, drives me up a wall, whose records do I accept without a certificate of death?
Twin to Alma who married Ralph Specht. (Had a date of 1964 as death, was it a missprint or typo error?)
Ira had four children.
HISTORY of the ARCHIE ANDERSON FAMILY
Prepared for County Atlas, 1977
The Archie Anderson Family movedinto Gage Co., NE, in 1949 from Dawes Co., NE., where they lived for 17 years. Archie was a native of Jefferson Col., NE, his grandfather, Allen Richard Anderson having homesteaded south of Fairbury in early 1870's.
Mrs. Anderson, formerly Clara Tlooman, was a native of Dawes Co., NE, where her father, J. M. Tollman had arrivedin 1899 from Iowa to homestead near Marsland. Her mother, Flora Maika Tollman had come to Nebraska in 1885 with her parents who homesteaded near Chadron. Clara graduated from the Crawford High School, taught in rural schools for 3 years, tehn attended Wesleyan University in Lincoln, NE, graduating in 1930, after which she taught in the Endicott HS for two years. Archie had been farming near Steele City and met Claraand they were married in the spring of 1932. In the spring of 1933, they moved near Marsland where they lived for 17 years, leaving there in the fall after being in the 1949 New Year's Blizzard which left 178 foot drifts in their yard. Archies then saying that another winter wouldnt' catch him in Northwest Nebraska.
The Archie Anderson's have four children, Jolene, Marjorie, Linda and David who have all graduated from the Odell HS, and have all been teachers at some time. Jolene, now Mrs. Wendell Darnold, lived in Ledyard, Conn., has three daughters and is now a Realtor. Marjorie, Mrs. John Coe, lives n Fort Wayne, IN., has a daughter and a son, and is a Nursery School Director. Linda lived in Lincoln for several years. David lives near Odell. After graduating from Kearny State College, he taught in the Barneston HS a number of years before taking over management of his father's farm when he retired from full time farming. David has two sons and a daughter.
Clara Anderson taught in the Odell Jr. and Sr. High Schools from 1960 to 1970, and in Diller the next two years at which time she retired. She was always active in the Methodist Church, having been president of the United Methodist Womans, Sunday School Superintendant and teacher,m Chairman of the Administrative Board and also Lay Leader.
Aside from farming, Archie's main hobby was big game hunting as can be realized when one sees the mounted Elk, Moose, Antelope and deer that he bagged in Nebraska, Wyoming and New Mexico.Information from this line provided by Archie and Clara Anderson of Odell, Neb. Received latest letter 9 Jan 1992. Archie and Clara had done research for many years and were one of the leading members of the family to begin our families research and history.
We visited with our children Clara and David Anderson at their farm outside Odel, Neb. on the 16th of May 1993. Archie was quite a hunter and has several trophies of his hunts in thier home, a large bull moose, a large elk, a couple of deer mounts and antelope. Archie had built a beautiful farm for his family which is a testimony of his industry and vision he wished to leave for his family. We are all most grateful to Archie and Clara for their love of family and desire to search and preserve our families history.See chart prepared by Opal Lousin, 5338 W. Hutchinson St., Chicago, Ill. 60641 dtd May 1982. This indicates that Archie was living in Odell, Nebraska 68415.
Sent by Clara Anderson
A poem Archie A. Anderson
carried in his billfold.
"I have to live with myself,-and so
I want to be fit for myself to know:
I want to be able, as days go by,
Always to look at myself in the eye.Let me not stand in the setting sun
And hate myself for things I have done.
I want to live on with my head erect,
And ever retain my self respect.Right here in the struggle for fame and wealth,
I must be able to like myself.
God help me look at myself, and know
That I'm not bluster and empty show.I never can hide myself from me,
I see what others can never see,
I know what others can never know,
I never can fool myself-and so
Whatever happens, I want to be
Self-respecting and conscience free.Archie, Oct. 14, 1908- March 20, 1983
Archie told many stories about his hunting trips and the different adventures
he went on.See stories "The Dad-burn Sandburrs" 1972.
"An Experience" October 1972.
"The old Muzzle-Loader Shot-Gun and the Hawk" 3/25/73
"Memories of the 1973 Canada Moose Hunt".
"1973, A Hunting Experience."
"Remarks of Archie Anderson at the Dedication of the
Beatrice-Belleville Trail marker at Steele City, Ne. on September 21, 1980".
"Mountain Lion Competes With Hunter For Trophy Buck" 3/10/1970
"Deer Stampede" 1970.
"Archie's '74 Wyoming Moose Hunt".
"Archie's Elk Hunt" 1975.More About ARCHIE AMIEL ANDERSON:
Burial: Steele City, Jefferson Co., NE
Funeral: Odell United Methodist Church, Odell, NE
Occupation: Farmer, County Chairman, Gage County
CLARA W. TOLLMAN, written by herself.
Clara married ARCHIE AMIEL ANDERSON May 20, 1932.
Clara was born Feb. 3, 1907 at Marsland, Dawes Co., Neb. Daughter of James Mundy Tollman & Flora C. Maika. She had 2 brothers, James Perry Tollmand born in 1904; Lawrence Edward Tollman born in 1909, and a sister, Alice Carrie born 1915.James M. Tollman came to Marsland in 1899 from Lyons, Iowa homesteaded 4 miles northwest of Marsland. Flora (Parents came from Germany as a young married couple, were at Marshalltown, Ia. a few years, then homesteaded near Chadron, Dawes Co., Neb. in 1885.) was teaching at Marsland when she marreid J. M. Tollman in 1903.
Clara graduated from Crawford, Neb. highschool in 1923, taught rural scholl for 3 years, then graduated from Nebr. Wesleyan University in 1930. She taught H.S. in Endicott, Jefferson Co., Neb. for 2 years. After marriage she lived near Steel City, Neb. until moving to Marsland in March 1933, where they lived for 17 years. They first rented, then bought a farm. All four children were born there.
The blizzard of Jan 1949 was so severe there that they decided to move back to Eastern Neb. nearer Archie's home area. In 1952 they pruchased a farm 4 miles north of Odell, Gage Co., Neb. where Clara still lives in 1993, Archie having passed away in 1983.
Clara taught in the Odell High School from 1960 to 1970, then in the Diller, Jefferson Co. School for 2 years, at which time she retired, having been a teacher in Public School for 18 years. She was a member of the Methodist Church and has held many positions in the church, Sunday School and Methodist Women.
As of 1993, the children: Jolen Ruth, born 1934, m. Wendell Darnold and lives in Ledyard, Ct., they have 3 daughters all married. Marjorie Adeen, born 1936, married John Coe, they live in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. She has a son and a daughter, both married: Linda Jean was born in 1940 and never married, she lives near Iowa City, Iowa. David Tollman Anderson, born 1946, lives on the old home place in Odell, neb. and has a married daughter and a son in college, Amy Anderson Barnard, and James David Anderson. (Written Jan 1993)
Many, many Letters and stories written by Clara W. Tollman Anderson:
Page 1
Odell, Ne. Sunday Feb 25/90
To All Whom It May Concern'. (ha, ha!)
I need to send a letter to explain the enclosed list. When I spent the 2 mo with Jolene in '88, she suggested, cojuled, impressed etc, etc that I write down things from my past that would be of interest of following generation-that is might be- and she sent me home armed with a pack of 5X8 cards, index cards and 50 sheet protectors, and said "Now you get to thinking", jot ideas on cards as they come to you.As the spirit moved me at various intervals I've obeyed. After about a year I got to trying to organize, enlarge the ideas which in itself had been quite an operation for me. First I wondered about the typing. Tho't I might type it on the size sheet in the Marsland Book, typing paper size. Pondered 1 or 2 spaced- wondered if 1/2 size page in 1 space- thinking if I did it well enuf it could be reproduced from my type.
In talking to David one day, he told me that was an unreal idea, that the typing pressure etc was so uneven for one thing. Well, that took off some pressure on trying to get it perfect!
You may recall that after every major trip I would send you a copy of the highlights, so reading that part will just be refreshing.
Grocery Money from the Early 1900's
Housewives were expected to derive their grocery money from the sale of home produce, eggs, butter or cream, poultry, perhaps some garden vegetables in season. The most likely vegetables were roasting ears of corn and tomatoes.Milk cows were kept for the family needs of milk, butter and cream. Excess cream might be churned into butter and could be sold at the local grocery store. I recall times when my mother would have butter to sell. The early churn was a crock jar, about a 4-gallon capacity, quite tall , and had a lid with a hole in the center which was latge enough to slip over a stick of the paddle which was a cross of two narrow boards. These fit loosely in the jar and by churning the paddle up and down suffficient times, the cream would form into curdles of butter and seperate from the buttermilk. A few more dashes would make a more solid blob of the butter, The buttermilk would be saved, perhaps for breakfast's delicious pancakes. The butter would be put into a large crockery bowl, and washed with water until all traces of milk were eliminated, and the butter could be put into forms -- a pat for home use-or if destined for the market, Mother would put it in a special box just the size for one pound of butter. This box had a hole in the bottom. There was a board the size of the bottom fo the "mold" which had a stick attached, and the stick would be put thru the hole in the box, the butter then firmly packed into the mold, the filled box then turned upside down on a properly sized paper the butter slid out of the box, and the paper folded around the butter ready for the market. The sheets of waxed paper could be purchased, If the butter had been properly washed to remove all traces of milk it would remain sweet and food for long periods of time, in proper temperatures. Our next churn was a barrel churn about the size of the first, after that a smaller glass churn about a gallon capacity with an egg-beater type of paddle.
I can't remember a time when our family did not have a cream seperator
machine, the first being had turned of course. It stood almost shoulder tal to a man, a large bowl on top held the fresh milk and when the "turner" had the proper speed of the bowl which contained many small discs, a small signalling bell would stop ringing and the milk would be turned down thru the bowl. From thence, the cream would come out a top spout into its proper container and the skim milk would come out the lower spout into a much larger container. Much more milk than cream. The skim milk would then be used to feed the young calves, and young pigs. The cream carefully regfrigerated until enough had been accumulated for home use or market.By the late teens, there were commercial crameries that would buy cream
to make ice cream or butter. THey would buy cream by the gallon, a five gallon can being popular size. Both Crawford and Alliance had such creameries. We have sent many, many cans to Alliance on passenger train #44, ane the empty can would be returned on train #43 the next day, and the check would come by mail. In the 30's when we lived at Marsland, my husband Archie and I and small children would go to Crawford for groceries every several weeks and would take the can of cream with us and wait for the check to spend on the groceries.When my brothers and I were in our early teems, for a time Mother had a
milk route in Marsland. She had probably a dozen customers for milk, cream and eggs. We had a tame old horse, and a one horse carriage, and we youngsters would deliver the produce. The milk was put into glass one quart bottles with a waxed cardboard cap. Delivery was three times a week. We did this for several years and I pleasantly remember when it was decided to quit.With the coming of electricity, the cream seperator was given an electric motor, much easier than the manual turning. Cows were milked by hand until 1949 when Archie and family moved to Odell, and on our first farm we had a milking machine. But in 1952 we moved north of town where I now live in 1990, and we milked by hand until about 1960 when I went back to teaching and we phased out the milk cows in favor of range cattle.
The other source of income for grocery money was eggs. Their story should start with the incubator which with the help of some setting hens would replenish the flock of chickens from year to year. The incubator was really a heated box, on legs, consisting of a tray to hold 100 eggs, a small kerosene lamp to keep a low even temperature, and insulated for the purpose. The eggs would each have a mark on one side before it was put on the tray, because the eggs must be turned each day, to let the chick develop properly. A small bit of moisture was needed, and three weeks of time. After 3-5 days the eggs would be candled which consisted of holding each egg over a cardboard with a hole cut in it, and with a light source under the egg, one could tell if an embryo was forming. If the egg had been infertile, it was discarded at that time. However, in commercial hatcheries where thousand of chix are now hatched, the eggs are candled by 3 days and the eggs that are infertile can be safely used for many other uses as in Angel Food cakes.
After three weeks of patiently turning the eggs daily, refilling the litte lamp and watching, the reward was in seeing egg after egg getting a small "pip" in the shell, then a larger crack, and within a day or two the chicks would struggle out of his shell, and emerge into the world. The empty shells would be removed and after the chicks had thoroughly dried off, they would be removed to a basket or box where they could keep warm, and yet have room to exercise, get out to eat an drink. The first feed would be bits of egg yolk, moist bread crumbs, oatmeal and cracked wheat. The chicks grow quickly and soon grow feathers for at first they are just covered with down. Mother's favorite was the White Wyandotte breed so the chicks changed from yellow to white. The Rhode Island Red was another favorite breed in those times.
There were always some chicks hatched and raised by "setting hens". Many hens would go thru a broody period after she had laid a clutch of eggs. Depending on need for more baby chicks, also on space available for isolating these hens while they would be setting for the three weeks to hatch the eggs-some of the quieter hens might be given 15 eggs to sit on to hatch the chickens. Most commonly, a hen would be set in a box in a corner of the laying house and would be partially covered so other hens could not get in with her when they came to lay their eggs. Being closed in this way meant that the lady of the house would need to come out at a fairly regular time each day to let the hen off the nest to get food and water, and to relieve herself, and then be shut in again.
To care for chicks while they were young, the would be small "A" shaped coops for a hen with probably about 20 chicks. Some of these from the incubator, if hatching dates coincided with a broody hen who would mother the
chicks. Water and food need be provided, but the hen would take care of the chicks. If chicks weren't cared for this way, a brooder house with some type of heat, would be provided until the chicks were old enough survive the weather and gather their own food from the daily grain given to the flock. When, especially the cockrels were about three months old, they would weigh between three and four pounds and would be just right for "fried chicken!" And the Fourth of July celebration wouldn't be proper without fried chicken. After hens had been kept as layers for 2-3 years, they would be sold so replacements were always needed each year.Preface:
When I started to write this in 1983, several months after Archie's passing on March 20, 1983, I had in mind that I would like to tell some of the parts of our life together that our children knew little or nothing about. It might let them see our lives in a little different light than otherwise. I have not tried to retell the experiences that they have had with the family, in any detail or fullness. I will leave that for them to add from their own particular viewpoints, if they care to do so.
During periods of my life I have kept diaries, which have been very inrecalling many events and getting the time element more correct than from just memory. As the children arrived, and I get busier, my enteries in the
diaries became more sparse, hence some periods will be noted more than others. After we moved to Odell, I wrote but few notes. In 1973 I kept a full diary, and again from 1975-82. A few Christmas letters written about the highlights of the years, came to light and I used them for 1968, 70-71 and 75.Again, htese are written from my standpoint, not a family history necessarily, and not intended to be complete.
Teachers I Recall
I was so anxious to go to school that mother talked to the kindergarten teacher and was given permission to let me go to school the remaining few weeks of the term, I recall enjoying that first day so much that after supper that evening, I got my coat and was going to put it on. Mother asked me where I was going and I replied that I was going back to school! Mother soon consoled me by explaining that my teacher was tired and needed her rest, so there would be no school again until the next morning; and that satisfied me.That teacher was Frances McGinnis. She was my teacher the next year too. Right then and there I decided that my life work was to be a teacher, and I never wavered or considered any other type of work or education. About three years later. on one of the trips Mother made to Chadron to visit her mothe, she found that Miss McGinnis was in Chadron , and she took me to her home to see her. It was a bashful me, but I was glad to see her, and have never forgotten her or her name.
The next teacher who has remained in my memory was my 4th grade teacher, Elsie Adee, from Steele City, Nebraska. She was a beautiful blonde, very kind, especially to us girls. THe next year her sister Myrtle came to teach and was my teacher. One special thing I remember about those ladies is that they invited us (only about 4 or of us) to their room on Saturdays. They boarded with a local family. There they started a little sewing club , and we made doll clothes. We thought that was great! I don't think that it lasted beyond the pleasant autumn days though.When I was in the ninth grade, still in the Marsland school, an elderly lady, Mrs. Holmberg, was my teacher, and she made it possible for us to do some light woodwork. About that same time, some teachers gor us students interested in artists and picture study. They knew how to get "penny pictures" which were copies of well known art works, and there were at least two larger sizes of the prints available. Picture Study books were made available to us, and we were encouraged to make booklets for ourselves. Then in the spring, they got large framed copies of many of them, in color, from a traveling exhibit and we could study those for a week or two. What an interesting experience for us! I think Miss Burroughs was the driving force behind that.
Until about 1920, Marsland had offered only 9 grades of schooling. For more education pupols could go to Crawford, and there were very few who were able to do that. My brother Perry had gone to Crawford for his last three years of high school, and I had anticipated doing the same, but during the summer after my 9th grade, a family moved into be one of my father's renters. They had a girl who was ready for the 10th grade, and the school board decided to provide that grade in Marsland, for the first time ever. The teacher that year was a Mabel Gibson and before the term was over she married a Mr. Lackey. I will add here that 5 years later when I was ready for college, she lived in Lincoln and offered to board me tho she lived over a mile from the Wesleyan Campus where I attended college. After one year I moved closer to the campus and lived the next three years at the "Golden Chain" house and with six or more girls.
I went to Crawford for my 11th and 12th grades, 1921-1923. The first yeat I stayed actoss the street from the high school, with a Marsland lady who had two daughters graduating that yeat and who had moved to Crawford long enough to get the girls through high school. The next year I lived farther from school with a Mrs. Swinbank who also boarded several teachers, a banker, and a dentist. I went home for the weekends, mostly by train going down Saturday morning and coming back Sunday afternoon. Cars weren't as wasily available for trups back then. I graduated in 1923 as valedictorian of the class!
Of the Crawford high teachers, I think I'll mention only one. In my senior year four of us-2 girls and 2 boys-took Chemistry from Harold V. Smith who had just graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University at Lincoln. We all
liked him very much and we became a close knit class of friends. I recall one trip we invited the class to my home at Marsland, 15 miles away, for dinner. We spend the afternoon playing vall with my brothers, etc. It was his influence that started me to consider college at all, and Wesleyan in particular.By then I had taken the normal training classes in school and was certified to teach in country schools, which I did for the next three years. I knew if I wished to teach in high school I would need four years of college. In the summer of 1926, Dad told me that it looked like the wheat crop would be good enough to permit me to go to college that fall. Perry had already been attending medical college for three years by then, After his years in Omaha, he went to Boston for his internship . My brother, Lawrence, two years younger than I, had been helping Dad on the ranch and soon had the chance to go to Agricultural college in Lincoln, but after two years the depression of 1929 had hit the country, Igraduated in the spring of 1930, and Lawrence was able to have only those 2 years of college.
At that time, our Tollman family was the only family to send three children to college-from the Marsland area.
Ever Lonely?
I have mentioned what when the Gregg Brothers would be harvesting every winter, an ice skating pond would be formed when the new ice froze to a very smooth surface where the ice had been harvested. There were many skating
parties, long sleds were sure to be there, and often several children would get on a slead and a good skater would pull the sled to the delight of the riders. This particular Sunday, mother had gone by train to Chadron to spend a few days with her mother at the time of her birthday in early February. We three children were left at home with father, we being 5, 7, and 10 years old. We did not go to the pond that day, but at the pond a skater pulling a sled with several youngsters, misjudged where the ice got too thin, and two children drowned. Mother heard of the accident, but not the names of the victims and spent very anxious hours until she learned it was not her children who had drowned. Meantime, we back home had lost two of our schoolmates, Mother was gone, and I felt, probably my first, feeling of being lonely.Only a few years later one of my close friends lost her little sister and three of us girls were asked to sing for her funeral. We sang "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam." That in itself was a new kind of feeling for me but led to another lonely time. Very soon after the funeral, I went to the home of Father's redman who lived on our old homestead 4 miles from town, to spend several days visiting. Transportation was by horse and buggy. They brought me home toward evening Sunday so they needed to start back home right away so they could get home before dark. I went into the house and no one was home! This was very unusual for mother almost never went away except to church. Lonely? Almost mild panic! However, by dark, my parents returned and said they went to pay a visit to the recently bereaved parents. They hadn't thought about leaving a note.
When I was probably 12, Mother's brother,"Ame" who lived in the Powder River area of Wyoming, fell from an irrigation conduit he had been building and had been seriously injured. Mother went out to help with his care and was gone a week or so. I was old enough to keep the household duties performed after a fashion, but I remember that I went to the piano and sang "Does Jesus Care" to comfort myself.
Our little town didn't escape the nation wide flu, influenza shortly after World War I, and my mother was called on for nursing some of its victims. I had my turn at feeling the high fever and aches, at one time my fever was so high that I became delirious, causing much concern. The town had no doctor at that time so nursing and time were the only helps available. My cousin Ralph was staying with my family and attending high school as his home district did not offer high school and he became very ill about the same time I did.
The epidemic drug on for months, at one time mother was called to the home of a recently returned young soldier, and she felt she had to see him over the crisis and come home within a few days, he decided to give himself a cool bath to relieve his fever, but instead he became worse and soon died of pnemonia. We all felt the loss. Toward early spring, mother was called to the home of another neighbor about six miles from home and stayed there almost a week. A spring blizzard had struck the area in the meantime making travel impossible for several days after she would have normally come home. Meantime, in the country on the other side of town, a young farmer, his wife and baby all died, perished from the flu. When mother would go on these mercy trips I knew what lonely meant, even though I realize it would have been more drastic had I not had my father and brothers at home meantime.
In a much lighter vein, but the memory has remained. At one period of time, I must have been about ten years old, mother took over the responsibilty of keeping an eye on the sows at farrowing time. She always made the trip after dark, but the rest of the family came to the house for the evening. We were a farm and ranch family, so in the spring time there were many activites that could keep the men busy outdoors into late evening. As mother would leave for her inspection trip she would say to me "now you watch the lights" and I took her very literally. The lights were a ray-o lamp in the kitchen and a gasoline lamp on the dining room table. The kitchen was north of the dining room, the door was between the southeast corner of the kitchen. In order to watch both lights, I would put a chair almost in the doorway so with a turn of the head I was able to watch both lamps. The time mother was gone seemed quite long to me as I intently kept an eye on the two lamps, but luckily neither one even flickered while I was in charge of watching them.
Our Spiritual Life
(compiled by Clara Anderson, April 1983)
Our SPIRIT is the "God in us" part of our human life. It is eternal, this life is just one span of its existance and while we are here we are preparing for the next, an eternal spirit world, ad the next step toward our journey to home enough like the Master God to live eternally with HIM. Matter consists of vibrations, much like the water. It can exist in the state of ice when vibrations are very slow, when melted vibrations are speeded up, and as steam, even faster vibrations cause it to be invisible to our eyes. Body has a human form that we see, yet with proper meditation, conscousness, learning, etc., just as Jesus became invisible to the desciples at times, yet at will could become visible, it is possible. Jesus spirit is very near to us if we "will" it. Other departed spirits are also very near us, and there are those who realize this better than most of us. (examples) This does not guarantee us that life will not have problems, just that there can be spiritual help and advice.I am sure you have heard the term "Jesus Christ". That is really two words. Jesus is the name of the human man, Christ is the title he earned. The term CHRIST is Universal Love -- child of wisdom and WILL DIVINE. God sent this Universal Love forth to earth in flesh that man may know - when victories are won over fear, self, emotions, and desire, they are put away, then CHRIST will take possession in the soul and man and God are ONE. CHRIST is the king of righteousness, love of God and is God in every heart of purity.
Jesus was born a human being just as you or I, but had a deeper desire of purpose than almost anybody else ever. The Spirit of God is born IN every soul when he is born enters as the cord is severed, and what man he does with IT depends on the individual. Each has this physical world to deal with, this phase of his existance, and no two humans have the same problems, temptations, surroundings, etc., so it is a vey individual matter how we deal with life. Man yearns for God until he achieves nearness, many take ages to conform, others learn the lessons more quickly while on this "Plane of the soul". God never condems - man condems himself - God always gives us another chance to learn from our mistakes and if we fail we have done it to ourselves.
Jesus discovered early that religion had but one source, and that God was within! That for which he was seeking was right within himself. Jesus was the CHRIST for our age. In ages past there have been other great leaders, Masters, some say as many as 12, such as Moses, Budda, Elijah. God has provided examples for man, but man has been very slow in being willing to profit by the examples. Jesus came to us, not to be an idol or to be worshipped, but an ideal, real and living in us.
(Remaining pages missing)Page 2
Memories
As spring approached, school would be closing, and Archie finally convinced me to become his bride. Remember this was 1932, the depression was in "full bloom", it was hard to make the decision for that reason. That was before the days when ladies still kept teaching when they married. School was out by May 20, and by 2:00 I would be finished with my duties, so we arranged to first go to Fairbury to have a wedding picture taken at a studio - no host of camera pictures as is common nowdays (1983). Then we returned to Endicott where at 4:00 my roommate, Ruth Wallace and Archie's best friend, Howard Pickering, would go to the parsonage with us to be married. The pastor was Rev. Mohlzahn. Then we started in the Model-T Ford toward our destination of my home, 500 miles northwest of Marsland, Nebraska, in Dawes County. Archie had arranged to stay the first night with a sister in Hastings - missed a right turn, and it was about 10:00 P.M. when we arrived. The next morning we proceeded west on Highway 2, speed 25-30 miles an hour, so a long day to visit and become better aquainted. Night came as we were in the sandhills near Oshgosh, but still quite a few miles from our destination. With a few blankets we slept side of the highway. Near morning the wind began to blow, so we got an early start onward, the wind was one of the worst that country ever had, from the south, and the soil was very dry, doing quite a bit of soil shifting.About 10:00 on Sunday morning we got to the hilltop, still about 5 miles from my home, from which we could see the town which lies near the Niobrara River,but the blowing soil made a dreary picture for Archie's first look at that particular site. We drove on "home", the family, of course, glad to have me home, in awe of the new son-in-law they had never seen, etc. The worst part tho, was the blowing soil! Just south of the house was a large field that had been in potatoes the previous year and was very loose and all trying and succeeding in blowing into the folks house. Very discouraging to say the least.
Time passed somehow, the wind died down that evening, but soon Archie was thinking of the farm back home. My only sister was to graduate from high school on Friday evening, and I was very anxious to be present for that, so
Archie said he would go home and I would come on the train shortly after the graduation, which we did. Before I left Marsland, Archie wrote that he would meet me in York, and we would drive the last 100 miles to Steele City, as the
Burlington which went thru Marsland, didn't go to Steele City anyway, and some transfers would have to be made otherwise.We got to Steele City early afternoon, were charivariied that evening by my school students. It had been quite rainy and ends of corn rows had washed full of mud and corn there wasn't coming up, so we spent some hours the next days poking kernals of corn in the mud in the rows, then cherries were ripe and a neighbor gave cherries for picking - two parts for him, one for you. We got quite a lot of them that way and I canned them.
(continue to page 3)
(missing)MY CHURCH & I THE METHODIST CHURCH
From the imte when my parents moved nearer Marsland, I have no recollection of a time when we did not, as a family, go to church. There were morning services at 11: o'clock, and evening services at 8 o'clock. We always
had a resident pastor, quite often a choir, and when there were enough youngsters of the proper age to attend a youth group it would meet in addition to the worship services. The commitment of the pastors wife was a variable. The one I remember especially was when I was from about 10-13 years old. She was Mrs. Fuller and had a daughter Myrtle, who became my pal for those years when her father was our pastor, and we were pen pals until after we were both married. Mrs Fuller would have Junior League for us younger children and hold it on Sunday afternoon. The sermons would be real movers, at the end an alter call would be given and with the choir singing, "Just As I Am' all who felt it to be the right time would go to the alter, kneel, and commit their life to the Lord. At one of those meeting, I was among those to go forward, and it was a real commitment for me. At that time I thought I was called to be a missionary. That did not come to pass but my interest in Christianity has not.After college, I went to Endicott, Nebraska to teach in high school, and became very involved in church activities, often playing piano for them, being part of Sunday school, and youth work. This for two years, then I married and active participation was put on hold until our oldest girl was 4+ years old. We lived four miles from church, it was in the late 30's, the depression was on, we had two little girls, and seldom went anyplace so the girls were not used to seeing a group of people. It was time to prepare for the Christmas Sunday School program, and a friend asked if Jolene could speak al ittle piece for the program. We had her learn the piece and she knew it perfectly, but that evening at the church when she got up to speak, she literally 'froze'. I felt so sorry for her and vowed that we would get the children to Sunday School regardless of finances. That began a life of Sunday School for the children until they got out of school and "on their own".
After living seventeen years in Nebraska, (when the blizzard of '49 literally drove us from the west) we moved to the Odell area, and became part of the church there.
Since coming to Odell in 1949, I have been a faithful participating member of the Methodist Church, serving as Sunday school teacher, Sunday School superintendent, church lay leader, chairman of the administrative board, member of the nomination committee, United Methodist Womens President, secretary, and mission coordinator. When I fell and broke my hip in 1982, I relinquished my active rolls, but still attend it regularly. I feel that the church furnishes some of the "fuel" I need to help me keep close to the Christ who is the very center of my spiritual life, helps keep me viewing life optimistically, calmly and usefully. (1990).
Music In My Life
My earliest recollection of music is of my father's tenor voice and of the male quartet who often practiced in our home. My family owned a pump organ and I had my first piano lessons on it.Ethel Arbuthnot walked to my home for my weekly music lessons and after a while Perry began taking lessons, also. Eventually we both became able to play many duets together. I took lessons from a Mrs. Hays who was an organist. At that time I was doing a lot of work for Sunday School asn Epworth League as well as for my own enjoyment.
The first time I played a hymn for the church, I was about 11 years old. The song was "God Will Take Care of You."Clara visited Perry in Arizona January 17 - February 1, 1975. See story, "Clara's trip to Arizona."
See letter written by Clara to Linda and Jo about her visit to Indiana, June 10, 1988.
See story written by Clara about her visit to her sister, Alice, November 12 - 21, 1986. To Arizona.
August 23, 1986 (paraphrased)
Linda-
I'm not very sure what luck I will have putting my thoughts down on paper, so bear with me! I feel I have grown in understanding what life is all about, what is or is not important, etc. Basically God put us here to be companions for Him, and of course, thing went wrong way back there in the Garden of Eden, and man has been having a pretty free choice of what he wants to think and do.
God is the great spirit that is energy, it has no sexuality--only during the brief time we are here on earth are we concerned with sexuality! When we are born that spark of spirit comes into us as our soul...See story "My early teaching years" written by Clara Tollman.
Clara told and was told many stories and in "tidbits from my early recollections" and "My early recollections of Marsland Stories", she shares many of these stories.
She also remembers many of the things about trains that went through Marsland. See story "Trains at Marsland" for more information.
Late October 1983, Clara goes to visit Marjorie in Indiana and Jolene in Conn. for 2 months. See story.
17 page story by Clara, life story of early recollections, written 1987.
Ancestors
My mother Flora Caroline Maika was born in Iowa 1875, her parents had several children, they came from Germany and settled in Marshalltown, Iowa where the father was a coal dealer until about 1885 when the family came west as far as the railroad went in Northwest Nebraska, near the town of Chadron.
The Father died of a sunstroke before mother was very old but older brothers helped keep the family together and taken care of. James M. Tollman and Flora C. Maika were married on June 17, 1903, at mothers home near Chadron, then came to fathers homestead to make their home.More About CLARA WILHELMINA TOLLMAN:
Burial: March 27, 2002, Steele City Cemetery, Steele City, NE
Church: Odell United Methodist Church, Odell, NE
Degree: 1930, BA in Math and Science
Funeral: March 27, 2002, Odell United Methodist Church, Odell, NE
Graduation: 1930, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Last Residence: Bet. 2001 - 2002, Daughter Jolene's home, Odell, NE
Occupation: Teacher in Odell and Diller, NE retired 1972
Residence 1: Odell, NE
Residence 2: Marsland, NE
Sister to Marie who married Marvin's borther, Ira.
"Who's Who In Nebraska 1940"
HILLERS JOHN B: Real Estate& Insurance Agent; b Atlantic, IA Feb 26, 1872; s of Jacob Hillers-Johanna Johnson; ed HS in Neb; m. Jessie Hobbs Jan 3, 1909 Indianola; s LaMoine, Milton B; d Lucile (Mrs Charles W McCaskill), Jeanette; 1884 moved with father to Neb, farmed; 1892-1900 clk for W H Powell Gen Mdse store,
Indianola; 1900-10 owner & opr Racket Store which developed into dept store, Indianola; 1910-15 asst cash Farmers & Mchts State Bank, Indianola; 1915 with A F Meyer Hdw, Hastings; 1916- opr Hillers Ins Agcy; Hastings Real Est Bd, pres 8 years; Neb Real Est Assn, past pres, mbr advisory bd; Neb Assn of Ins Agts, past
pres; Hastings YMCA, past pres; Kiwanis, past pres; C of C, past dir 12 years; IOOF, past noble grand, treas; Dem, chmn Adams Co Central Co; Meth Ch, past trustee; hobbies, civic work & fishing;"Who's Who in Nebraska 1940"
Hillers, LaMoine: Real Estate & Insurance Agent; b. Indianola, NE. Aug 10, 1903; son of John B. Hillers and Jessie J. Hobbs; educated at Hastings College, 1922-24; bus magr of Broncho; pres. Etta Phi Lambda; Grinnell, Ia. College, BA 1925; m. Elva G. Anderson, April 9, 1930, Beatrice; daughter born, Lois Elva; 1923-24 employed in exchange National Bnk of Hastings while in college; 1925-26, employed in Bank of Commerce, Hastings; 1926 - partner of father in Hillers Agncy; Jr C of C, first president; Booster Club, treasure; Lions' Hillside Golf Club, treasure; AF&AM; hobby, hunting; office 231 N Lincoln Ave.; residence 718 N Pine Ave., Hastings, NE.Also Kira Connally gives her death as May 1968.
Also recorded that she was born in Steel City, Nebraska.
Cemeteries of Jefferson County, Neb. Vol 1k
Recheck cemetery books for death date.
S/o Alonzo Specht and Lida Carmichael.
Twin to Zelma who married 1st K. Bapcock and 2nd to Glen De Long. Alma
and Ralph had 5 children. Had a note that he died in 1992, but I believe my data first as I got most of that from Clara Andeson.