William "Bill" Prellwitz
Visitation: Thursday, March 21, 2013 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home 2801 SW Urish Road Topeka, KS 66614 Service: Friday, March 22, 2013 10:00 AM Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church 2014 NW 46th St Topeka, KS 66618 Special Services: Saturday, March 23, 2012: A second viewing will be from noon to 1 p.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 807 F Street, Fairbury NE 68352. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 1 p.m. at the Church.	VIEW/SEND CONDOLENCES
William C. “Bill” Prellwitz, 88, Topeka, passed away Sunday, March 17, 2013. He was one of ten children born to Julius and Mary Nutsch Prellwitz in Mahaska, Kansas on August 31, 1924. He graduated from Morrowville High School in 1943. Bill then entered the US Army in July of 1944 and rose to the rank of Sgt. and was assigned to the 232nd Infantry Regiment of the 42nd Rainbow Division. He was wounded at Wuerzburg and recovered at the 58th General Hospital in France. He then returned to his unit in Salzburg, Austria where he was part of a contingent responsible for guarding 7,000 to 8,000 war criminals. He was discharged in August of 1946. While serving his country in Germany he was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, and World War II Honorable Service Pin. Bill married Orle Wells on August 17, 1946. She preceded him in death in January 1979. Bill farmed for a few years in Mahaska and Morrowville KS and then moved to Topeka in 1956, where he was then employed at Dupont for 27 years before retiring. He then went to work for Hayden Tower Service as shop foreman, retiring in 2009 at the age of 85. Bill was a founding member of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church and previously a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church in Topeka. He also held membership in the Knights of Columbus, Council #534, the Disabled Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion Post 400. Bill is survived by three children, daughter, Joy of San Antonio; sons, Bob (Maggie) of Topeka and Mark (Cindy) of Topeka. He also leaves four grandchildren, Christy, Jason, PJ and Matt; five great-grandchildren, Mali, Maci, Maya, Kalen and Ryker; and seven brothers and sisters, Paul, Fred, LeRoy, Lucy, Marge, Dorothy and Pat. Preceding him in death were his parents, Julius and Mary, his brother, Len, and sister, Josephine, as well as his wife, Orle. Viewing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home, 2801 SW Urish Rd, Topeka KS 66614, where a parish rosary will be prayed at 8 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church, 2014 NW 46th Street, Topeka KS 66618. Saturday, March 23, 2013, a second viewing will be from noon to 1 p.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church, 807 F Street, Fairbury KS 68352. Mass of Christian Burial will then be celebrated at 1 p.m. at the Church. Interment will follow in St. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Morrowville KS. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Assoc. or to Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Church, sent in care of the funeral home

Dean Elizabeth Pierce

Former Gibbon resident, 89

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Deane Elizabeth Pierce, 89, of Colorado Springs, formerly of Gibbon, Neb., died Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, at her home.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home - Miller Godberson Chapel in Gibbon with the Rev. Matt Wolfe officiating. Burial will be at Fairbury (Neb.) Cemetery.

Visitat ion will be from 2-5 p.m. Sunday at the chapel in Gibbon.

She was born July 5, 1923, in Thompson, Neb., to Eddie and Salora (Church) Zierenberg.

On Jan. 20, 1946, she married V.J. "Johnny" Pierce. He preceded her in death.

Survivors include her son, Eddie Pierce and his wife, Jane, of Minden, Neb.; daughter, Jan Michalak and her husband, Chuck, of Colorado Springs; sister, Evelyn Priefert of Lincoln, Neb.; granddaughters, Nikki Podhaisky of Henderson, Nev., and Sarah Michalak of Boulder; grandson, Chuck Pierce of Seattle; great-granddaughters, Alicia Podhaisky of Honolulu and Erin Podhaisky of Rochester, N.Y.; nieces, Kathy Huff and Mary Dowell; and nephew, Tom Priefert.

She received her education at Fairbury High School. Following her graduation, Deane worked at a creamery in Fairbury at the start of World War II . She went on to work in accounting and later taught at a country school for one year.

She and her husband farmed near Reynolds, Neb., before moving in 1968 to Gibbon where they continued to farm.

Deane loved her friends, including Margaret Triplett of Gibbon. She was a longtime member of the Sunshine Club. Deane was an avid reader and loved to bake. She had a fondness for cats, but loved all animals. She will be missed by all.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Dennis Pierce.

Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation.

Visi t www.osrfh.com to submit online condolences or personal reflections.

Published in Kearney Hub on November 16, 2012

Dennis V. Denny Pierce Obituary: View Dennis Pierce's Obituary by Elko Daily

Dennis V. (Denny) Pierce was born to V. John and Deane Pierce on September 30, 1948 in Fairbury, NE and was raised in Fairbury, Reynolds and Gibbon, NE. Denny lost his battle with cancer at his home in Spring Creek, NV on July 23, 2011, surrounded by his family and pets, as he wanted.
Services will be held Saturday, July 30, 2011, at Parkway Baptist Church, 836 Spring Valley Parkway, Spring Creek, NV at 1 p.m. Glen Munkres will officiate. Burns Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Denny was a pipefitter welder and proud member of the Pipefitters Union. He worked out of Local 798 (Muskogee, OK) for 22 years and Local 350 (Sparks, NV) for 23 years. Denny was an avid traveler and he went "where the work is." Denny's work took him to the Alaskan pipeline, Panama, Saudi Arabia, and almost every state in the U.S.
While working in North Dakota, he met and married Loralei (Forrest) Pierce on September 2, 1983. He and Lori continued traveling together "booming out" with the work. Denny was never a stranger for long. His love of life, and kind and generous nature, garnered friends wherever he went. Always a friend when needed, Denny was a friend "in deed." Although he was small in stature, his friends, co-workers and family alike will dearly miss this good man's big spirit.
He is survived by his beloved wife Loralei (Lori), dog Scruffy and cat Oliver; his mother Deane Pierce of Gibbon, NE; brother Eddy (Jane) Pierce of Minden, NE and sister Jan (Chuck) of Colorado Springs, CO. Denny's surviving in-laws consider themselves brothers and sister of the heart: Julie (Allen) Campbell of Spring Creek, NV; Tim (Kathy) Forrest, Koko (James) Karlin and Mike (Annetta) Forrest, of all of Bismarck/Mandan, ND. Denny was considered a much loved brother rather than in-law. He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his father Venus John Pierce.

Published in Elko Daily from July 27 to September 5, 2011

MOTHER

In honor of Mother's Day I'm going to share a little poem with you that I wrote for my mother back in 1991 when I was SUSAN BLACK.

Peggy Joan Nutsch

My Mother  

When one thinks of Mother and what the word means they

seldom realize all the love that it brings.

In a child's eyes, only mother could mend

all the broken toys, shattered dreams

and wounded hearts as a friend.

With kindness and love, and arms soft and warm

she'd wrap up my troubles and keep me from harm.

Now I am a mother, and I understand,

all the weight that she carried with nothing to gain.

She took all our problems upon her

to help ease our pain,

the cooking, the cleaning,

the laundry in vain.

The frustration she dealt with when kids did raise cain.

She smiled and she sighed and she screamed now and then.

Yet in spite of it all she barely complained.

This child never sees the humanness of her mother,

no weakness nor fault when she's about to her knees,

but only the love of a hero,

she gave with her heart,

that's all I remember right from the start!

I love ya momma! Happy Mother's Day!

by Susan Black  1991

Clifford Wade Pierce

Venus John and Clifford William Pierce
about 1926

Clifford W. Pierce

Clifford W. Pierce was born in April, the 24, 1921, the second son to Venus and Marie Pierce.  He grew up during the depression when things were scarce, and times were hard.  When he was twelve years old he entered a pony race in Reynolds, Nebraska, and won.  There was a man and woman there from California that had seen the race, and felt that the boy showed promise as a jockey.  His parents agreed to let him go with them and they took care of him as if he were their own.  The following is a poem written for him by the woman that cared for him.

On your Own Clifford Pierce by Marie Presnell

You are on your own dear little man
and you know right from wrong:
Quite some time back your tones began
To change from high to strong.
Be guided well while on your won,
Increase the wisdom you have shown.

An honest man receives "the breaks"
That cheaters cry about:
And in temptations Neer forsakes
His mother's faith devout.
Be guided well while on your won,
Increase discreation you have known.

Dear little lad, in deed and word,
Remember well and long--
"Tis easy to go with the herd"
It urges you to "come along".
Be guided well while on your own,
If you would profit when you're grown.

"Protect your honor and your name,"
You mother's mother said.
She wished for you no blot of shame,
And for good morals pled;
Be guided well while on your own,
That heritage do not disown.

Grandmother Blum's exact words:
"Whatever you do, preserve and protect your name and honor."

Marie Presnell

This woman started a scrap book for Clifford to keep track of all of his achievements for his mother, Marie Blum. At the time of Cliffords death the book was handed down to his brother Cecil and then to me, and one can see from looking at this scrap book that Clifford had many accomplishments to be proud of.

Clifford also served during WWII.  Of what he did while we was in the service, I do not know. It has been said that he fought in the worst part of the war, and that the demons followed him throughout his life. After the war, Cliff returned to the home of his parents, in Belvedere, Nebraska.  His father owned a big building there and Clifford turned it into a restuarant, and he also ran the feed store.  This was left to him by his father after he died.  Clifford sold the store, and before it was paid for, a year later, a tornado went through the town and flattened it.

Clifford married a beautiful young lady by the name of Barbra Dowe.  They never had any children, and after many years of struggling to keep their marriage together, they were divorced.

Cliff took up horse training and was well known and thought of by many horse breeders.  I remember as a child going to Omaha, and Uncle Cliff taking us to the barns and letting us ride around the barns on the horses, and showing us how they were cared for and prepped for the races.  He took a lot of pride in his neices and nephews, and took every opportunity to show them off.

After Grandma Pierce's funeral, my sister and I rode with Cliff from the church in Omaha to the cemetry in Fairbury.  He occupied us on this trip by telling us stories about my father when he was young.  He had a special way of keeping your attention when he told a story.  He would often pause between sentences and you would have to wait patiently for him to begin again.  We were never sure if he was finished or not.

Marie and Barbara Cliff's mother and wife

In my observation, Cliff, was an easy going, good natured kind of guy.  He was well liked by most of those who knew him, and I think in some ways he was a  lonely man.  He lived a rather wild and carefree lifestyle, which played a tole on his physical condition, and caused him an early death.  Cliff died of a stroke, coupled with heart problems, in August of 1985, one year after the death of his mother while training a horse. He never had any children.

He is buried in Fairbury, Nebraska, with his father and mother, and brother Venus John.

Susan Holmes

MY FAMILY

 Cecil and Peggy NUTSCH Pierce. 

Cecil Lon Pierce

Cecil Lon Pierce was born in the cold month of January on the 24th in the year of 1928 in Beatrice, Nebraska.  He was raised and lived the life of a farmers son, moving from place to place, as his father did a lot of land trading.  During WWII Cecil remained on the farm and took care of things while his two older brothers served in the Army.  Cecil was in the National Reserves, and did his part by keeping the farm in rural Reynolds, Nebraska running smoothly for his parents.  His father died in 1948 and Cecil took care of things for his mother.

Peggy Pierce
2006

Charline Lynnette

He met Peggy Nutsch from Haddam, Kansas at a dance, and after Peggy graduated from high school, they were married on the 24th of May, 1953 at the Four Square Church in Fairbury, Nebraska. She was barely 16 years old. They moved in with his mother for the first few months of their marriage, but that didn't work out very well, so they soon found a place of their own. The couple went to Blair, Nebraska where Cecil had found work for awhile before they moved to a farm that Cecil bought with money he inherited from his father near Hubbell, Nebraska, and farmed it for about five years.  He was a very good sheep shearer, self taught. He  traveled all over the mid-west, and was very well known for his talent.  In 1956, the farm crops looked very good, but nature took it's toll and all of the crop was lost due to hail and grasshoppers.  Cecil and Peggy, at this time had two children, Charline Lynnette born 2-22-1954 and Jeffery Daniel born 6-19-1955, and were expecting their third child when they packed up that fall and traveled to Oregon where Peggy's brother Jack was working. The Land of Milk and Honey!  Cecil obtained work as a welders helper on the ships in Portland, and they lived in an apartment in St. Helens.  In December, the 8th day, the sun was shining brightly when Peggy gave birth to their third child around noon.  When she left the hospital that evening with their new baby daughter, Susan Annette, it was snowing big white flakes. The hospital bill was 98 dollars and it had to be paid before they left.  Joke was that they left Oregon without ever paying the doctor bill for the birth so I was to be on alert for repossession.  Cecil worked out the winter in Oregon, and they then returned to the farm in the spring of 1957 in time for planting.   On  December 13, 1958 a second son was born and was named Henry David.  Cecil then bought a farm in the Narka, Kansas area.  They called it the county line farm as it was right on the Republic/Washington Co. lines.  Here he and Peggy raised livestock, had an orchard, and acres of crops.  Many times he would go to Haddam and work partime in the elevator, and still continued to shear sheep while Peggy was left alone with the farm work and childern to tend. She loved the country life having grown up a farm girl herself.  While on the farm in Narka, Cecil and Peggy had two more children, Angelia Gail, born August 24, 1960 and Clifford Martin, born November 28, 1962.

Jeffery Daniel

Susan and Henry Pierce

Cecil and Peggy had a farm auction, sold the farm and moved to Byron, Nebraska in 1965 where Cecil leased a tavern and ran it for a couple of year.  Often during this time Peggy would work the tavern during the day and Cecil would shear sheep or work various other jobs.  A month after their move to Byron, Andrea Rose was born on February 15, 1965.  Cecil bought an empty building on main street in Byron and moved the tavern to that building. He received a liquor license and built a big dance floor and beer garden and had dances about once a month.  Still while living in Byron, Cecil and Peggy received their last two children, Matthew Lon born 6-15-1966 and Beth Marie born April 26, 1968.

Angelia and Clifford

In 1971 Cecil and Peggy bought a motel in Mankato, Kansas and they moved the family that fall to the apartment attached to the motel.  Their oldest daughter Charline, married Wayne "Dink" Snyder that year on July 21 in Hebron, Nebraska. He was the son of Kenneth and Maxine HOLMES Snyder of Superior Nebraska. This business venture turned out to be a bad investment and after a long court battle, they bought a large home in Mankato and Cecil went to work at the Dubuque Packing plant until he opened up the first private club in Jewell County, Kansas.  He did very well here, and after three years, sold the club, had an auction where they sold most of their belongings and moved to Missouri. By this time only the three younger children remained at home.

Andrea, Matthew, Beth

Jeff had started his own mechanic business in Mankato after he graduated high school in 1974, and Susan married  Jack Alcorn on May 24, 1974 one week after her high school graduation. Henry graduated high school in 1976 and went to Beloit Vo Tech before he married Kimberly Elkins, May 25, 1980.  Angelia graduated high school in 1978 and married Roger Reiter on May 28. Clifford moved to Gordon, Nebraska where he worked putting up irrigation sprinklers.

Cecil didn't like it in Missouri and was not happy about anything while they were there. Their youngest son Matt didn't like Missouri either and moved back to Mankato where he lived with his older brother Jeff until he was out of high school and able to support himself.    Cecil did a little shearing and worked a couple of places, but just was never satisfied.  Peggy however, loved it there and she was able to work at her crafts and have her animals and the peace and quiet of the country.  Cecil put the property on the market and it sold right away.  He and Peggy returned to the Narka, Kansas area and they opened a restaurant/grocery store that they ran for several years.  They left Missouri with only their youngest child remaining.  Andrea chose to stay in Missouri and finish her last year of high school and then married Doug Wilson of Aurora.  Cecil and Peggy operated the store and for a time the gas station.  He served on the city council and even took his turn at being mayor.

Upon reaching the age of retirement, Cecil closed the store, and worked part time in the nursing home in Belleville, Kansas.  He helped out at the elevator in town during the harvest, and mowed the city grass, and did other odd jobs until he just couldn't do anything anymore. He raised dogs for awhile then phased that out. Peggy however, continued on with dog raising and she quilts and bakes and Cecil keeps her busy taking care of him.  He still drives around town to see what's happening and checks up on the boys that are still able to work to make sure they do it right.

They are the grand parents of thirty and great grandparents of twenty- one and the numbers are still growing.

Marie Marries Venus Vern Pierce



Venus





Venus Pierce



Venus Vern Pierce                                                                      1882-1948

This is a Letter Written to Marie by Susan Pierce (myself) probably around 1968.

Dear Grandma,

Thank you for the information. Since you gave my most of my information I thought you might like to have a copy of my biography. Dad read it and seem to think it was pretty good. Here it is:

Venus Vern Pierce

(Grandpa Pierce) 1884-1948

Venus was born to the proud parents of Alice Roena Johnson Pierce and John Franklin Pierce, on December 29, 1884 in Rock Port, Missouri.

Venus had three brothers, Zane, Reno, and Charlie, and three sisters, Lottie, Sallie and Geneva.

Venus and son Venus JR.

Venus started farming on his own very young. He borrowed money and bought a pair of mules and a few pieces of walking machinery. He worked hard and did well and things grew.



Venus Vern Pierce



In Nebraska he bought a home and worked hard to keep it. One night when he came in from town he was surprised to find his farm on fire. This fire burned everything he had. So again from scratch Venus started over. He went to Pittsburg, Pennsylavinia, where he got a job at the Pittsburg Glass Co. as a superintendent over a large group of men. He worked hard here for several years.

In 1912 Venus inherited 2,500 dollars from his parents after they passed away. With this money he moved to Ashland, Nebraska, bought a farm with 80 acres of land, south east of Ashland. He also bought his machinery and stock with this money.




Marie Blum
9-22-1915







Venus Vern Pierce
9-22-1915



September 22, 1915 Venus was married to a lovely lady, Marie Blum.

In 1917, Venus sold his land and moved to a Crab Orchard, Nebraska. Venus was a good man and also very ambitious.



He bought and sold land and places many times. Being the good business man he was he always made a good profit. He had three sons, and one daughter. Venus John, Clifford William, Cecil Lon, and Carol Marie.

At the time of his death Venus John and Clifford were married. John was married to Dean Zierenburg and Clifford married to Barbara Dowe.

Barbara Dowe and Clifford Pierce

Dean Zierenburg and Venus John Pierce
1-20-1946

Venus died June 1948 age 64 years and 6 months. At the time of his death he owned 400 acres, a store, and a restaurant.


Carol Pierce and Paul McKenzie
10-2-1949



Peggy Nutsch and Cecil Pierce

5-24-1953

One year after his death his daughter Carol married Paul McKenzie and 3 years after his death his son Cecil married Peggy Nutsch. Venus left his land to his three sons and his daughter and the store and restaurant to Clifford, which was destroyed a year later in 1949 by a tornado. His wife Marie Pierce now lives in Murdock, Nebraska and is always glad to hear from her grandchildren who Venus never lived to see.



Venus Vern Pierce



Well, how do you like it? Maybe you don't, I don't know. We went to Belleville today. I got shoes for my graduation (eight grade). I get out of school in two days. Right now I'm babysitting for Mr. Yarberry, a teacher. I had another job but I had one already so I turned them down. I hate to do that but I couldn't babysit with both.

Today we went out to where dad was shearing. This guy had seven baby collie puppies. Mom said that maybe we could have one, because that guy said we could. Otherwise he would kill them and I hate to see someone be so mean to the cute little things.

Well, write again and thanks for the information

Lot's and lot's of love,

your grandaughter

Susan

I Recall
by Marie Pierce

I remember the day Mother was raking hay and the horses run away and she came with hair hanging down clothes all ragged.  Had been drug behind the rake sometime before she got loose.  Was barefoot. Lost her shoes.  Was all black and blue and how scared we were and cried.

Also remember the prairie fires.  How Dad would have to plow furrow guards.  No wonder I have nightmares.

Grandma Mossinger

This is what stands out in my mind most of all.  We were getting dinner.  Had put a big granite pan of potatoes on the stove to cook.  It was one of those which was smaller at the bottom then and big around at the top, and didn't set on the stove very good as we always took off the lid and set them down next to it so to get done faster.  She no doubt went to check to see if they were done and the kettle tipped and hot water poured out onto her leg.  Don't remember if both legs or just one and she was bedfast for some time.  It just didn't heal so someone said lamb manure poultice should be good.  Talbotts had lambs so we got some manure from them and tried it, but she then had a stroke and was sometime before she passed away.

Ida postponed her wedding until after she passed away.  It seems Ernest was home.  Maybe he was going to Taxidermist School in Omaha then and was just home a few days.  It seems it was he who told of her being delirious trying to climb the walls.

I just don't seem to remember much about her prior to that.  Have been trying to bring something back.  That was such a tragic thing.  I would have been 10 years old.

We were bed pals.

Prayer
Ich bin klein
Mein Herz ist rein
Soll Niemand darin wohnen
Als Jesus allein Amen
translation:
I am small or little
my heart is clean or pure
shall none therin dwell or live
Save Jesus Alone

And we always said the Lord's Prayer in German and I still do to this day.

Notes on the above:
White Lake, South Dakota circa 1895-1900.  Marie Blum Pierce was approximately 3 to 5 years of age.

From this time period, Marie also remember sheep shearing.  She recalls "great big long sacks", each filled with approximately 100 lbs. of wool, being "placed in a shed."  Her job was to walk out to where the men were working and to "call them for dinner."

In 1900 Marie's family moved form White Lake, South Dakota to a homestead near South Bend, Nebraska.  She remembers taking the train to Nebraska with her father, Andrew Blum.  Marie, and impressionable 5 yr. old at the time, enjoyed the popcorn and peanuts which her father generously bought for her from the train's porters.

The Nebraska homestead near South Bend was purchased from the Sweeney family who was related to Minnie Mossinger Huber's husband.  Minnie was Marie's Aunt.  When the Sweeneys left the South Bend homestead for California, they were unable to take their two large dogs with them.  Until the Sweeny family sent for the dogs, the pets occupied the small frame house on the homestead along with the entire Blum family.

Marie remembers that the 4 room house had and "all occasion-dining room",  a parlor with "green wall paper with big white figures", a 'built-on kitchen with a cupboard between the kitchen and dining room", and one big sleeping room.  Marie recalls, "We all slept in one room."  She remembers "a porch facing the east", and a fenced yard with flowers and a "big garden."

A rock house was also on the property.  It was larger than the frame house and in need of repairs.  Some time later, after repairs were completed, the Blum family moved into the rock house.

Marie says, "My Dad moved to Nebraska because of the spring and the pond on the homestead.  In South Dakota we didn't have a spring." The South Bend Homestead spring had a "ramp that pumped the water into the tank." From the tank it was "pushed into pipes" to water various areas of the homestead.

A variety of fruit trees grew on the 80 acre homestead near South Bend.  Marie recalls peach, pear, and apple trees.  Later her father also planted 5 acres of grapes.  She also remember timothy grass growing on the property.  This was a "tall grass with a solid stem like foxtail."

Prior to the birth of the youngest child, Martin Blum on March 8, 1905: the Blum Homestead was occupied by Marie's Grandma, Caroline Mossinger: Marie's mother and father, Louise and Andrew Blum; and 7 children including Ida, Ernest, Albert, Louise, Marie, Bill and Andrew.

By this time, the Blum family had moved into the larger rock house on their homestead.  This house was built into the ground with a large living room and kitchen accommodation on the basement level with an entrance from the south.  The south wall was fully exposed. The west wall was partially exposed to the outside while the north wall had dirt all around it.  The east wall was the ground level for the second floor.  There was a large stone fireplace in the southeast corner of the building which extended to the second story.  The living room-kitchen accommodation was approximately 12'x16'.  From the living room, there was and entrance to a full length pantry, approximately 6'x16', which was filled with canned and fresh vegetables.  At the back of the pantry was and entrance which led to the cellar containing fruit, potatoes and wine stored in barrels.  In the winter, a cake of salted herring was kept in the kitchen accommodation because it was one of Andrew Blum Sr.'s favorite foods.  A sharply angled staircase led to the second story of the house.  Three bedrooms were found on this floor.  Marie and her Grandma shared the small bedroom immediately to the right at the top of the stairs.  The bedroom to the left of the stairs was a large room with a fireplace and an exit to the outside.

The stove burned wood or cobs.  The burner-lid on the stove was removed so that the pan could be placed directly on the burning cobs or wood.

Grandma Mossinger's accident occurred several months before the birth of Martin on  March 8, 1905.

Caroline Mossinger, Marie's Grandma, passed away June 4, 1905.

Marie remembers her Grandma teaching her this prayer.

Translation by Martin Blum

*A stirring memento of pioneer days to a generation blessed with affluence and to unmindful of our responsibilities to succeeding generations, love of God, and neighbor.  Martin Blum

The Writings of Lawrence Duerr

Lawrenc Duerr was the husband of Elda Thieman, daughter of Herman and Ida (Blum) Thieman. The following is from his writings.  I'm going to  change it a little so that it is more easily understoond, but the basic information is as written by him in 1991.

Lawrence Duerr was the grandson of Christian Duerr.  Christian Duerr was born 5-7-1841 in Wittenburg, Germany. Christian had two brothers and one sister that we are sure of.  He came to America, landing at Boston, October 12, 1864.  From there he went to Dayton, Ohio, where a brother, Gottleib lived.  No one seemed to know if any more of the family came to the United States or not.

Lawrence's Grandmother, Mary Huber Duerr, was born Feb.2, 1846 at Greenville, Ohio.  She married Christian Duerr in 1866.  They migrated to Nebraska in 1869 arriving in Plattsmouth April 9, 1869. They settled a mile south of where the town of Louisville, Nebraska is situated, where Mary's uncle, Captain Hoover, lived.  He came out here from Ohio in 1862.  He was the first Postmaster at Louisville. Mary's father and Captain Hoover were brothers.  Her father was Jacob Huber, but his brother's name was Hoover.  Hoover is the English version of Huber.  Jacob kept the German-Huber.

The two old gents, owned the land where Louisville is now and when the B&O Railroad came along, they gave the railroad 1/3 of the town lots to lay out a town and establish a station there. 

Jacob Huber's family consisted of two sons George and Phillip, and four daughters, Mary, Kate, Caroline and Christina.

Christian Duerr and Mary Duerr had four children, George, who was born in Ohio, November 22, 1868 (Lawrence's father), Philip, Lucy and Anna-all born at Louisville.

 Philip married Anna Bell Leddy of South Bend.  They had 3 children, John, Stella, and Charles.

Anna married John Leddy, also of South Bend.  They had one daughter, Della.  They later divorced.

Lucy married Martin Zaar of South Bend and had one adopted daughter, Florence.

George married Roseanna Hartman of Chapman, Nebraska. They had two children Lawrence and Ruth.

In 1934 Lawrence married Elsie Stulken of Selby, South Dakota.  She was a Canadian, born Feb 2 1911. at Gleichen, Alberta, Canada, and taught school in Dakota and later in Nebraska.  They raised three pretty nice children, Marie Anne, Marlene, and son, Gail.  Marie Anne lives at North Bend, Oregon, Marlene lives at Java, South Dakota, and Gail lives in Leon, Iowa.

Roseann Hartman (Lawrence's mother) was born at Chapman, Nebraska, October 1, 1885.  Roseann mother was Elizabeth Hudnall, and she is buried in the Chapman Cemetery.  Her father is supposedly buried at Whiteside, MO., where he was killed in a lumbering accident.  There were 5 more in the family besides Roseann.  Four boys, Lou, Arthur, John, and George, and one girl, Bessie.

Lawrence's wife Elsie (Stulken) had 5 brothers and one sister.  She was the only one born one Canada.  Her father took a homestead 40 miles from a town called Hannah.  His father in law used to tell of life in Canada, fifty below zero temperature. By the time the wheat was ripe, the ground would be frozen and riding the grain binder was quite jarring.  When Elsie was five years old they moved back to the States.  She was the only one with dual citizenship.  Born of American parents made her an American, but she was also a Canadian citizen by right of birth, however, she never knew it until about ten years before she passed away.

Lawrence later remarried to Elda Thieman, a lady he had known for 60 years.  (Elda will be 103 in Feb. of 2011).

Lawrence says:
My early recollections of Louisville (Nebraska) are pretty fair, but not guaranteed one hundred percent.  On the East side of Main street, the Drake Hotel, the Currier Newspaper print shop, Wm. Keecklow's Blacksmith Shop, next, a small building (probably a cram station).  Ben Hoover's Jewelry and Watch Repair.  Another building housed a shoe repair shop.  A restaurant, Wm. Diers General Store and Blakes Drugstor.  Across the street going north was Krafts Store, a Saloon, Pankonin's Implement Store, Edgar Pankonin's Repair Shop, and other building that housed a sort of variety store, Frank Buckmans Bakery and Mob McCarty's home.

The west side of Main Street going south isn't as clear.  One building called the Ontario House, must have been a Boarding House.  It stood where the Laundromat stands today.  Then there were 2 more buildings.  that I don't know what was in them.  The the old Joyland Theater, then a row of small frame buildings.  next a building that housed the Post Office after 1914, next was Ossenkop's General Store and then the Bank of Commerce.  Across the street north was a hardware store ran by a man named Dorsey.  He also was Postmaster in 1913 and maybe 1914.  Next was Stander and Stander Hardware and Furniture Store.  Frank Nichol's General Store, Frank Johnson's Restaurant, Bob McCarty's Saloon, Ed Twiss Meat Market, then the Telephone Office. Metz Saloon, I have no recollection of the next 2 buildings, Dr. Worthman's office was on the corner, across the street south was the Star Liver Barn.  Stander and Stander sold gasoline, at first it was kept in a barrel in the back yard.  It was carried out and poured in your car from a can and funnel.  Later they installed the first gas pump in town.  A bowser ratchet pump that put out a gallon at a stroke.  Gas pumps increased fast in town.  At one time there were 8 pumps in town.  There were 7 left in 1950, now I guess one can't even get a tire repaired in town.

The folks would go to town about once a week to get the mail and some groceries, such as flour, sugar, coffee, etc. At those times a farm was almost self sufficient.  They produced their own meat, canned vegetables, fruit, milk and butter.

Louisville at that time had three general merchandise stores that sold groceries, dry goods and clothing.  there was a meat market also, that sold meat and meat products.  In those times, many people in town kept a milk cow.  Some boys had the chore of taking the cows to pasture every morning and bringing them in again a night.  More affluent folks kept a driving horse and buggy.  Sometimes father and mother would go to Omaha to shop. We would drive the horse and buggy to the livery barn where they would take care of the horse, and take us to the train depot.  When the train came back in late afternoon, the livery rig would be there to pick us up.  When we got up town, the horse was hitched up and ready to go, all for about a dollar and sometimes less.  A livery rig could also be rented by the hour or day.

Life was simpler in those times.  Everyone wasn't running madly hither and yonl Oh yes, there were busy times, like harvest time, when getting the harvest done, like getting wheat and other small grain in the shock and then threshing time where a few hectic days; but people helped one another, if it took a day or so longer at one place, the crew finished it up, no one thought of overtime or extra pay!

The farm ladies of the neighborhood all tried to out do one another feeding the crew.  The usual crew was 15 or 20 men.  As soon as I was big enough to spit over my bib, it seems I had my little chores to do, such as feeding and watering chickens and bringing in corn cobs and wood for Mom's cook stove.  Didn't seem to hurt me.  At that time we were to start to school at seven years, but we had whooping cough that summer and the school board decided i was to stay home as I might give it to the other kids.  father bought me some books.  Although I was already able to read and write, on stormy days my father would come in the house and he and mom would talk and I listened.  He got a slate and pencil and taught me arithmetic and writing so by the time I was five years old, I could read and write.  The first year I went to school, i took 3 grades and i took the 5th and 6th grades in one year, so I didn't spend a lot of time in school-8 grades in 5 years.  In those days a high school education wasn't considered necessary to farm, but who in the hell said I wanted to farm~  That's all water over the dam now.  I fooled them all, I think that I got myself a fair education.

I have lived in a time of great change.  I remember when an automobile was considered to be a well to do man's toy.  There were few roads fit to drive them on and the fabric tires of that time were not too good.    A thousand miles was considered good.  after WWI they started to improve roads and the cord tire appeared.  Also anti freeze was unknown before 1927.  The first gravel was put on roads in this area in 1924.  I can remember the special election to vote on Bonds to gravel the road out each way from Louisville to the precinct line.  A hue and cry went up that it wouldn't work and wasn't worth the price.  The bond issue carried and it wasn't so bad after all, and more roads were graded and gravelled.  By 1932 or 1933 most main roads were graveled.  Before 1914 not everyone had a telephone.  It took years to get lines extended.  The first electric lights appeared in Louisville in 1915.  Before that, kerosene lamps were the source of light, except a few gasoline lighting systems and a few carbide gas plants - really they were acetylene gas lights.  By 1920, gasoline engine powered generators were beginning to appear.  The generators kept a bank of large batteries charged, usually 32 volts.  they furnished electricity for lights and motors to run washers and pump water.  We even had a 32 volt iron.  We would charge batteries at least once a week.  i acquired a plant about 1937 and used it until the high line came about, thanks to R.E.A.

Radio came into general use in the 1920's Some of the first ones were crystal sets.  We listened with ear phones and had one that worked real well.  They cost nothing to operate.  By 1926 I had a 5 tube super- hetrodyne set with a loud speaker.  Television became the thin in the 1950's.  The early sets were quite cantankerous.  Horse and mule power powered agriculture until the late thirties when the row crop tractors attained a degree of efficiency.  For cultivating row crops, up until the 1920's steam traction engines were used mostly for powering threshers, corn sheller, etc.  They were too ungainly for most field work.  The first gas and oil burning tractors were awkward but they were improved rapidly, lighter and faster.  i had a 1924 McCormick Deering 15-30 and a three bottom plow.  I plowed several thousand acres with it as there weren't many around.  With a team and one row cultivator, one could cultivate 5 or 6 acres of corn a day.  With the farm all row crop and 2 row cultivator, one could cultivate 20 or more acres a day.

When I got to be 21 years old, I got elected to the District 86 School board and served continuous for 21 years.  Then in 1946 I was elected Justice of the Peace for one  term.  That's where the nickname "Judge" came from. 

My father told of the grasshopper plague of the 1880's-- when they came it was like a cloud.  When they left, they had eaten everything that was green and how everything had to be hauled from Plattsmouth before the railroad was built.  When they got the first reaper, then they could raise more than 5 acres of grain.  before that, it was cut with a cradle.  I don't remember how long it took to cut an acre of grain with a cradle, but I bet it took more than one day.  After the reaper came the binder that tied the grain into bundles with twine. The first ones gave a lot of trouble.  My father made an improvement on the Knotter that hasn't been changed today.  Knotters are still used on hay balers.  International Harvester paid him 25 dollars for the idea.  The corn was picked by hand and a good husker could pick 100 bushels a day and some could pick more.  But I couldn't do it.  Seventy 5 bushels was my limit.  As the corn picker was developed, a tractor mounted picker could pick 600 bushels a day.  Now with the combine, they can harvest 600 bushels in an hour.  However, they grind up the corn cobs.

Back to myself -- by and large, I had an enjoyable childhood.  Even dangerous sometimes.. for instance, when I was six and a half years old I poured kerosene on a bed of live coals and blew up the stove and got fried GOOD!  I out grew 99% of the scars but I still have a few.  My father had a box of about a dozen new door locks.  I got into them and took them apart..of course.. i couldn't put them back together again!  Father told mother 'That kid is like a grasshopper--into everything!"  I was always a curious brat, very few things escaped my attention.  Like all boys, I wanted a gun, but no dice!  Finally when I was old enough, father said "there's a shot gun, go hunting."  I shot once.  It kicked like a mule. I went back home and never took it again!

When I was three years old, my father bought a Model T Ford car. It was some treat to ride in an automobile.  That one, like most cars of its time, had aceteylene gas head lamps. Two carriage style lamps mounted on the cowl, burned kerosene, as did the tail lamp.  When winter came, autos of that era were usually jacked up, partly because to drive in cold weather boiling water was poured into the radiator to help in starting.  On arrival of where ever you were going, the water was drained until you were ready to go home.  Anti freeze didn't come on the market until the late twenties and that was alcohol based and evaporated badly.  Some tried glycerin in the radiators before but it would seep out and also turned the consistency of spaghetti.  Father kept that car until 1922.  An old gentleman, Noah Stafford always wanted to buy it.  He finally must have made an offer that Pop couldn't turn down, as the man's son- in-law came home from town with us and took the car back.  By that time we had a telephone and father called the Ford dealer at Weeping Water and told him to bring a new car over.  Needless to say, he was there in less than an hour.  It was possibly one of the easiest sales ever made.  That was a good car and an uptown job, electric light, electric started, demountable rims and a spare tire.

In 1913 father also traded his Edison Cylinder Record Phonograph on a new Victrola.  I still have it and it plays as good as ever.  Seventy seven years is a long time for something like that to last!

We had an eight acre orchard--  mostly summer apples. Once in awhile father would ship a carload, but usually there wasn't too much of a market for summer apples.  Wind falls that fell in deep grass were given away and picked off the tree, 10 cents per bushel.  We had a large cider mill.  People would come and make cider by the jug full.  One neighbor would come every summer with the whole family and make 2 barrels of cider for vinegar.  As i got older, I wondered at the amount of vinegar they used.  I imagine some of it ended up as hard cider with a kick like a mule.

When I got big enough to run a walking plow, Pop didn't hire a man for fall plowing.  I thought, "Oh Boy, i'm a man now!" Running a plow isn't hard work, just walking and having a hand on the handles.  We had 60 acres to plow every fall with two sixteen inch plows!  In later years I figured how far one walks to plow one acre with a sixteen inch plow--about seven and a half miles!  To give the horses a rest, we would stop and put up prairie hay, fill the hay mow in the barn and make a couple of big stacks outside.  Then came wheat seeding time and then corn picking.  I never had to pick much corn.  Everyone tried to get through by Thanksgiving.  Also when I went to school, all of the big boys and some girls got at least 2 weeks off to pick corn.  Wouldn't that cause a consternation now?!

At Thanksgiving time a program of music, song and maybe a stage play was put on at the school house.  In those days the school house was more or less the center of social activity for the neighborhood. Sometimes we had a box supper at the shool house.  Ladies and girls would fix up a pretty box with lunch for two and they were auctioned off.  Some of the fellows would pay a good price to get to eat with his girl.  Then there were house parties once in a while, or maybe a dance.  I played for dances but never learned to dance.  Life was simpler then and entertainment was a lot cheaper too.

The late teens and early twenties was an era of good times.  Sporty roadsters with rumble seats, girls bobbed their hair, put on lots of make up and wore short skirts--it was called the Flapper Era.  The general conduct was called scandalous by the more prim members of society, but everyone seemed to survive and most turned out as pretty good people.

On September 23, 1923, a flood hit Louisville and drowned 13 people.  One was never found. Water was counter deep in the stores, damage was extensive.  Surprisingly, a few people seemed to know about it.  I have a set of pictures of the flood. 

October 1929 herald the start of the Great Depression.  Panic on Wall Street, bank failures, millions were out of work, farm prices dropped and in 1930 and 31, the depression deepened.  Some turned their pockets inside out and called them Hoover flags.  To make matters worse, the drought of the 1930's set in- with dust storms-sometimes we lit lamps at noon.  The sky was dark with dust.  In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt was elected President.  he instituted some reforms - WPA, to make work.  The pay wasn't much but it helped people to retain some dignity.  Prices remained low on what crops escaped the drought.  The Kellogg Co. was offering 13 cents a bushel for corn.  Hogs sold for as little as 2 cents per pound.  I sold 400 pound hogs for eight dollars each.  Twenty five dollars would buy a good milk cow, if you had twenty five dollars.  After 1936 it started raining again and conditions got better.  Corn got to 45 cents then WWII came along and there were plenty of things to fret about-food and gasoline rationing along with tire rationing!  They imposed a 35 MPH speed limit.  It was enforced.  If you were caught speeding you could lose your 3 gallon per week, gas or your tires, or both!  The war put thousands back to work making planes and munitions.  Of course, after the war, there was great demand for goods of all kinds.

By 1947, i was repairing things for others anyway, so went at it full time and stayed at it for 40 years.  I worked for Pankonin's Implement Co. for five years and worked nights and weekends at home.  I still do some, but prefer wood work.

Just for old times sake, I have a Grocery ad of June 10, 1939. 
Sugar 10# cloth bag...........49 cents
Four 49# bag....................98 cents
peaches 2 1/2# can..two for 25 cents
corn flakes ..2 large boxes ..19 cents
pork chops ........................10 cents per #
Candy bars.....................3 for 10 cents
Coffee.............................17 cents

About that time we would take a case of eggs to town--12 cents a dozen.  Another thing I forgot to mention was early refrigerators and the winter ice harvest.  Jim Hoover had an ice house that supposedly held 100 tons.  He would peddle ice in town all summer.  father made an ice house and put up ice.  It usually lasted most of the summer.  An ice box as they were called, didn't keep it too cold; about 40 degrees at best.  Folks that had a dug well would hang cream and butter down in the well.  Then there were iceless coolers for sale.  A hole was dug 8 to 10 feet deep and this metal tube was set in it.  Containers were lowered into it with a rope on a crank.  We had a large refrigerator that held 100 pounds of ice and had a water cooler built in.

To beat the summer heat, some folks built summer kitchens to cook in and then carried the food into the house. 

Those were the good old days that are talked about!  Some were not so good but people survived.  The only thing that can be said for them is that life was a lot simpler and probably people were just as happy then as they are now.  Would I live them over?  Sure thing, only I would want a few changes; although I can't think of what they would be.  I have enjoyed life immensely.  While I am at it, I might as well mention that I did go to music school.  That is the only thing that I have the papers to prove that I learned!
Lawrence Duerr