Front Page | Contents | Search | Copyright | Links | Credits | historicfarnam.us

Balsers Came to
Vicinity in 1887



By Mrs. Julia Hawkenbery

My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Balser, with their four children and my mother's father, Chas. Koepke, left New York state the first week of April, 1887 with the desire to establish a home of their own in the far west.
E. W. Crossgrove and family, who were distantly related had already taken up a homestead north of Farnam and had written back to the old home of the wonderful opportunities offered to those, who were seeking to secure homes of their own. My father disposed of all his belongings and left for Farnam via railway, it taking three days to make the trip at that time.
Our first home was in the old Keystone hotel, where we lived during the summer, while the house on the homestead which my father had purchased was being built.
We moved into our house early in the fall. We attended school in the little sod school house jujst a short distance north of the old hotel, our first teacher being Miss Strickland.
I was 12 years of age at the time we left New York state, my oldest brother Will R. being 11, Clarence J. 7 and A. H., 18 months. Two girls were born to my parents after coming to Nebraska: Mildred E. and Florence M. Will passed away at the age of 18 years and 8 months, the other children are still living; C. J. in Omaha; A. H. in Colo.; Mildred in St. Paul, Nebr.; and Florence in Edgar, Nebr. I am located in Tacoma, Wash. My mother passed on in Aug. of 1925, and my father in Nov. of 1929.
My husband, Frank E. Hawkenbery was a native of West Virginia, coming first to Nemaha county at the age of 17, with his mother and step father. At the age of 21 he came West and took up a homestead in Frontier County, joining the present site of Farnam in the year of 1884. He passed away Jan. 17, 1935 in Tacoma, Wash.
1886 1936

Copyright © 2013
Web Publisher: Weldon Hoppe
.