Hall County NEGenWeb
Who's Who in Nebraska 1940
Hall County -- D through F

Table of Content

[A-C] [D-F] [G-H] [I-L] [M-P] [Q-R] [S-V] [W-Z]

[Index to Introduction]

DAVIS, CLAUDE A Attorney; b Mt Vernon, Ill May 21, 1882; s of Asa C Davis-Amanda Gifford; ed Lead S D HS; U of N, LLB 1906; Delta Upsilon; m Carlotta Smith July 25, 1909 Ord; s Eldon, Don; d Carlotta; 1906-28 prac law in Ord; 1928-31 judge of Neb supreme court commission; 1931- prac Grand Island; 1909-12 Valley Co atty; past city atty Ord; Hall Co & Neb St Bar Assns; Rotary; BPOE; Meth Ch; off First Natl Bank Bldg; res 2003 W Division, Grand Island.

DENMAN, ALBERT JOHN Manager Sugar Co; b Grand Island, Neb Jan 11, 1881; s of John W Denman-Ida M Huhn; ed Grand Island HS; m Augusta M Giese Apr 4, 1905 Grand Island; d Gertrude Maxine (Mrs M R Impecoven), Florence Ida; 1901 with Grainger Fruit Co, Grand Island; 1901 timekeeper for Amer Beet Sugar Co at Norfolk; 1902-16 timekeeper & shipping clk, then thru entire orgn of factory & field, Amer Beet Sugar Co, Grand Island; 1916- mgr Grand Island factory of Amer Crystal Sugar Co; pres Overland Natl Bank of Grand Island; past pres bd of edn; past pres Neb Mfrs Assn; past pres C of C; past pres Rotary; AF&AM; BPOE; UCT; TPA; Liederkranz Soc; Meth Ch, trustee & past chmn finance com; Rep; hobbies, family, yard, garden, bowling, baseball; off American Crystal Sugar Co; res 1303 W Division, Grand Island.

DENMAN, ARTHUR C Livestock Feeder & Farmer; b Aida, Neb July 16, 1885; s of Augustine C Denman-Mary H Phillips; ed Aida HS 1900; Fremont Normal; m Dora Barr Feb 17, 1909 Aida; s Alvin A; d Dorothy Jane; until 1906 worked with father on farm; 1908 pur 80 A from father; 1908-farmer & stock feeder; 1917 pur 200 A, rents out 80 A; 1936- irrigates from pump irrigation system: during World War mbr registration bd, recd letter of appreciation from Gov Neville; 1930 recd award of merit in national yard & garden contest; dir Hall Co rural electrification project, two years; Meth Ch; hobby, feeding cattle; res Alda.

DILLON, THOMAS McCLAIN Retired; b Iroquois, Ontario, Canada Jan 1, 1868; s of Thomas Dillon-Emaline McClain; ed Iroquois, Canada; m Winnie Anschutz Nov 22, 1890 Omaha (dec Apr 1910); a Conrad, Harold, Theodore; d Mabel (Mrs Ross Foy), Marguerite (Mrs James Harris), Winnie (Mrs Clarence Campbell), Lillian, Anna; m Ella Haddix May 10, 1918 Grand Island (dec Aug 1937); as school boy emp during spare time in packing & shipping eggs for Andy Delzell of Iroquois Canada; 1886-88 with brother in hotel bus, Ontario Canada; 1888-97 with UP RR shops, Omaha, 1897-1909 with UP RR shops, Grand Island; 1909-29 chief Grand Island fire dept; 1929-31 fire inspector for Grand Island; 1931-38 mayor; 1938- ret; Neb St Vol Firemens Assn; AF&AM, KT, Tehama Shrine; BPOE; FOE; Luth Ch; hobby, travel; res Palmer Hotel, Grand Island.

DODD, EDWARD Physician & Surgeon; b Cincinnati Ia, Aug 18, 1877; s of William L Dodd-Eda Henkle; ed Cincinnati Ia, HS; Keokuk Med Coll, Centerville Ia 1899; Coll of Med & Surgery, Keokuk Ia, MD 1903; George F Jenkins Med Soc, Keokuk Ia; m Mary Rae Jones June 27, 1905 Creighton; s Donald F, Daniel E; d Phyllis Wyoma; 1903-05 prac med, Mullen: 1905-07 prac med Knox Co. 1907- prac med, Cairo; Hall Co, Med Soc; Neb St & AMA; Meth Ch; res Cairo.

DOHRN, JOHN Retired; b Marne, Holstein, Germany Mar 7, 1860; s of Peter Dohrn-Annie Hargins; ed Germany; m Mary Heldt Sept 16, 1888 Grand Island; d Martha (Mrs Harry Ohlsen), Annie (Mrs William Detweiler), Alma (Mrs Frank Scoville); 3 years appr carp then carp in Germany until 1882; 1882 came to Amer, located at Grand Island, & engaged in farm work; 1883-86 carp with Charles Guenther, bldg contr of Grand Island; 1886 yard man for Chicago Lbr Co of Grand Island, later became mgr, ret 1936; 9 years mbr bd of edn; 1938 celebrated golden wedding anniversary; made trip to old home in Germany 1887; 1927 with wife again made trip to Germany; during World War active in fund drives; Low-German Soc; Sons of Herman; German Luth Ch; hobby, visiting lbr yard; res 904 N Wheeler, Grand Island.

DONALD, JOHN A President Wholesale Grocery; b Ayrshire, Scotland May 12, 1869; s of John Donald-Margaret Anderson; ed Ayrshire Scotland; m Nellie Gray Aug 20, 1893 Central City; s Lawrence Gray (dec); came to Amer 1886, located in Omaha: 1886-99 first in minor capacities, later traveling representative at Grand Island for Paxton & Gallagher Whol Groc Co of Omaha; 1899 estab The Donald Co, whol groc & notions of Grand Island; during World War chmn of com & whol food administrator for Hall Co & western Neb; VP US Whol Groc Assn; C of C, chmn of traffic co many years; RAM; KT; Tangier Shrine; BPOE; Presby Ch; hobbies, fishing, hunting, travel; off 317 N Sycamore; res 1004 W Division, Grand Island.

DONNER, ANNA MARIE Florist; b Giltner, Neb; d of C J Donner-Lydia M Otto; ed Hall Co; Grand Island HS 1915; Grand Island Coll; U of N; U of Southern Cal; Grand Island Bus Coll; Simmons Coll, Boston; U of Minn; PSTC, BA 1929; Boston Sch of Floral Art; schs of floral art, Denver & Chicago; Pi Gamma Mu; Kappa Delta Phi; 1915-19 tchr, Hall & Hamilton Cos; 1921-26 tchr, Grand Island; 1926-36 org & librarian of Walnut Jr HS library, Grand Island; 1935- owner & opr The Floret, Grand Island; Neb St Florists Soc; Soc of Amer Florists & Ornamental Horticulturists; FTDA; past pres B&PW, past state pres, past mbr natl bd; Woman's Club; Neb St League of Women Voters; C of C; Chris Sci Ch, bd mbr, mbr First Ch of Christ Scientist, Boston; hobbies, outdoor life, nature; off & res 1015 W Koenig, Grand Island.

DOVE, EARL W Grocer; b Cairo, Neb Sept 21, 1898; s of George A Dove-Callie Slick; ed Angora; Bridgeport HS; m Lulu Miller Aug, 1921 Des Moines Ia; d Harriet Jane; 1912-15 clk in father's groc store, Angora; 1915-31 with father pur groc, Cairo; 1931- opr & owner groc, Cairo; pres Comml Club; Meth Ch,. res Cairo.

DUNLAP, HAROLD ROSCOE Merchant; b Mechanicsburg, Ill June 30, 1902; s of Francis Marian Dunlap- Emma Susan Whiteside; ed Cairo; m Edna Mae Baker Jan 21, 1922 Grand Island; m Annie Fielding Nov 1, 1933 Kearney; while in sch emp during spare time in Thompson Bros Store, Cairo; 1914-20 with Thompson Bros Store; 1920 with Farmers Union Store; 1920-22 with F W Goodrich Store; 1922-24 with Farmers Union Store; 1924-26 oprd ice cream bus; 1926 with John Cady pur Farmers Union Store, 1926-29 oprd as Cady & Dunlap Gen Store, Cairo; 1929-32 in various vocations, Kearney; 1933- owner & opr Dennies Cafe & Parlor, Cairo; 1939- co-owner & opr Cairo Impl Co; ch mbr Comml Club; hobbies, fishing, hunting; res Cairo,

DUNN, ARTHUR LEROY Business College President; b Greenleaf Kas Apr 18, 1886; s of Benjamin Joseph Dunn-Mary Elizabeth Rines; ed Washington Co Kas; HS in Marshall Co Kas; Grand, Island Bus Coll; m Astella Clara Gingherick June 14, 1911 Grand Island; d Nina Leanore (Mrs R Frederick Sinkbeil); prior to 1906 tchr, Washington Co Kas, emp short time by lbr co in Washington Co Kas; 1906-12 tchr at Grand Island Bus Coll, founded 1883 by Andrew M Hargis; 1912- pres Grand Island Bus Coll; dir Neb Coll of Commerce in Hastings; C of C; life mbr Nebraskana Soc; master AF&AM; Scot Rite 32o, Tehama Shrine, Hastings; BPOE; father was 1st sgt 9th Penn vol cavalry 1861-65; mother a native of Asbury N J, & granddaughter of Obadiah Evans who enl in the Revolutionary War with the establishment of the N J Continental line Feb 28, 1776 & served until end of war; First Meth Ch; res 1501 W Division, Grand Island.

ERICKSEN, GUS Hardware, Merchant; b Howard Co, Neb Oct 30, 1879; s of Jacob Ericksen-Cecilia Sorensen; ed Howard Co; m Anna M Eggers, 1912 Grand Island; d Sophie M (Mrs ___ Pope); 1893-96 worked on farm; 1896-98 emp in blacksmith shop, Boelus; 1898-1901 emp in plow factory, Superior; 1902-05 with brother in blacksmith shop, Cairo; 1905-07 farmed near Cairo; 1907-09 oprd cream station, Cairo; 1910 oprd city water works; 1910-16 city water commr; 1916-20 emp by Carl Rasmussen in windmill & well bus, Cairo; 1920- in hdw, well windmill bus, Cairo; past mbr bd of edn; mbr city bd; past mbr municipal band; Comml Club; res Cairo.

EVANS, VIRDEN ELVON Insurance, Real Estate & Loan Agent; b Henderson, Ia Apr 2, 1883; s of John W Evans-Maggie McMullen; ed St Paul; St Paul Bus & Normal Coll; m Lyda Paulson Sept 2, 1905 St Paul; s Gordon L, Clayton M; 1892 came to Neb, asstd father with farming; 1904-05 emp in legal & abstract off of J A Haggard, St Paul; 1906-11 org, cash Cushing State

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Who's Who in Nebraska ----- Hall County

Bank; 1909-11 oprd Ford Agcy, Cushing; 1911-29 in Glass-Evans Auto Co, Grand Island; 1915-25 org, dir, pres State Bank of Grand Island until merger with First Natl Bank; 1929-35 pres Amer Securities Co, & loan representative for Prudential Life Ins Co, Grand Island; 1935 Amer Securities & Flower & Porterfield Inc Consolidated under name Flower-Evans Co, 1935- pres; dir & chmn discount com First Natl Bank; Neb Assn of Ins Agts; Natl Assn of Life Underwriters; past dir C of C; ch mbr Rotary; Woodland Country Club; life mbr ARC; Gun Club; Amer Trapshooting Assn; Liederkranz Soc; past treas Cushing MWA; hobbies, motor travel, trap shooting; off 210 N Wheeler; res 1223 W 2nd, Grand Island.

FAHRNBRUCH, OTTO A Manager Storage Co; b Crete, Neb May 16, 1901; s of John Fahrnbruch- Margaret ___; ed Crete HS; LBC 1923; m Gertrude E Beuthner May 17, 1927 Lincoln; d Melva Joyce; 1914-20 mgr parts dept Ford Garage, Crete; 1920-22 in hdw dept, Budge & Guenzel, Lincoln; 1923-26 secy-treas Star Van & Storage Co, Lincoln; 1936- mgr Sullivans Storage Co, Grand Island; Mayflower Warehousemen's Assn; Amer Warehousemen's Assn; Neb Comml Truckers Assn; Amer Trucking Assn; past dir & past VP Jr C of C, past dir at Lincoln; membership chmn Sr C of C; past secy-treas, past pres Cosmopolitan Club; Young People's Dancing Club: Liederkranz Soc; past chmn of bd, elder, chmn of finance bd, Trinity Luth Ch, Lincoln; Luth Ch, Grand Island; hobbies, pingpong, softball, horseshoes, bowling; off 311 W 4th; res 1314 W Louise, Grand Island.

FALLDORF, HENRY H Retired; b Nienburg, Germany Sept 7, 1864; s of Henry Falldorf-Maria Holman; ed Germany; Grand Island; spec study in civil engineering; m Mary I Timpke May 17, 1887 Grand Island; d Amelia E (Mrs Albert T Hein); 1880-89 studied, journeyman in stairbuilders & cabinet makers trade, 1889-1920 gen contr; 1920- ret; built Hall Co Courthouse, pub library, CB&Q RR passenger depot, Liederkranz Soc clubhouse & bldgs, bus bldgs, whol houses & residences in Grand Island; has done construction work for the state of Neb, built many bldgs at Neb St Hosp, Ingleside; mbr city coun 8 years; AF&AM; Plattdeutsche Verein; hobby, wood carving; off & res 203 S Locust, Grand Island.

FARNSWORTH, EARL E Physician; b Middlebury, Vt May 24, 1881; s of Luther F Farnsworth-Delia Pearson; ed priv sch, Middlebury Vt; Grand Island HS 1899; U of N, mbr N Club; Cornell U, Ithaca N Y, BA 1903, pres of tennis team 1903; Creighton U; Highland Park Coll of Pharm, Des Moines Ia; 1904 bus course in New York City; correspondence course in pharm 1904-05; Harvard U, MD 1912; Phi Delta Theta; Phi Rho; m Jessie Kistle June 27, 1912 Le Mars Ia; 9 William K, Richard P; 1903-04 emp on Denver Post, bkkpr for Denver Colo metal co, helped mining engr, Denver; 1904 with auditing co & with Dun & Bradstreet, New York City; 1904-05 mgr supply store, Canon City Colo; 1905 emp several mos in father's pharm, Grand Island; 1906-08 owner & opr drug store, Chapman; 1912-22 prac med with Dr A H Farnsworth, Grand Island; 1922- with Drs H A Farnsworth, W J Arrasmith, W W Arrasmith & W H Hombach org & oprd Grand Island Clinic; instr of med for nurses at St Francis Hosp, past pres of staff; past Neb St tennis champion; interstate champion of doubles, Omaha, holds 9 other state championships; past tri-state tennis champion 3 years; known as father of tennis in Grand Island, built first tennis court in Neb; org BSA Grand Island; an org & life mbr Hall Co Hist Soc; helped org City Improvement Club; during World War examiner for drafted men at Grand Island; Hall Co Med Soc, past pres; Tri Co Med Soc, past pres; Neb St & AMA; FACP since 1928; dir & past pres C of C; past pres Rotary; BPOE 604; AF&AM, past mbr; past mbr Shrine; hobbies, home, family, flowers, fishing, sports; res 1504 W 1st, Grand Island.

FARNSWORTH, MRS JESSIE KISTLE Homemaker; b Le Mars Ia Nov 29, 1890; d of William Thomas Kistle-Elizabeth Margaret Wallace; ed Le Mars Ia HS 1909; New England Conservatory of Music, Boston Mass; m Dr Earl E Farnsworth June 27, 1912 Le Mars Ia; s William K, Richard P; music tchr in Boston Mass before marriage; 1912 came with husband to Grand Island; VP city lib bd 8 years; VP, Hall Co Hist Co Soc; VP Hall Co Concert Assn; VP League of Women Voters; treas Grand Island Fine Arts Soc; past pres womens aux of Neb St Med Assn; past pres Tri-Co Med Soc auxiliary; past secy 2 years Federated Womens Club; during World War in ARC work; Riverside Country Club; Presby Ch; hobbies, home, music, books, cabin, gardening; res 1504 W 1st, Grand Island.

FEARN, ORIS C Advertising Salesman; b Red Cloud, Neb Oct 9, 1892; s of Charles Edmund Fearn-Martha Alice Newhouse; ed Red Cloud HS; m Mertie Colwell Aug 1938 Grand Island; s Ward Orrison; d Shirley Nadene, Eilene Marie; 1907-10 printer's devil, Webster Co Argus; 1910-33 night clk Old Union Hotel at Superior, also worked on York Times, Norfolk Press, McCook Gazette, Franklin Progress, Bartley Interocean, Adams Co Democrat, Hastings Daily Tribune; 1933- with Augustine Co, Grand Island; mbr municipal band; dir local comm choirs & orchestra; Presby Ch, choir dir; Meth Ch; hobby, music; off 118 E 2nd; res 524 W 2nd, Grand Island.

FINCH, DANIEL ALBERT Dentist; b Florence, N Y Nov 19, 1863; s of Daniel Finch-Maria Livesey; ed Florence N Y; Camden N Y HS; private tutoring under preceptor; m Addie Hall Mar 17, 1887 Hiawatha, Kas (dec Jan 6, 1917); d Grace; m Jessie Cosh July 30, 1929 Omaha; 1885- prac dentistry, Grand Island; one of three oldest practicing dentists in Neb, oldest in Grand Island & central Neb; past secy bd of edn; one of earliest mbrs, life mbr, past VP Neb St Dental Assn; ADA; past mbr Rotary; Riverside Country Club; Liederkranz Soc; past mbr BPOE; Presby ch; hobbies, fishing, golf; off 218 1/2 N Locust; res 1210 W 1st, Grand Island.

FLOWER, CLAYTON THOMSON Real Estate, Loan & Insurance Agent; b Bay City Mich Feb 2, 1877; s of Selden Andrew Flower-Margaret Thomson; ed Rapid City S D; m Cora Neff, Grand Island (dec Sept 1911); m Amanda Etting Omaha; d Caroline Thomson; 1886 brought by parents to Rapid City S D when state was still Dakota Territory; remembers early frontier characters, Deadwood Dick, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock, Poker Alice, Bat Masterson, Buffalo Bill, also recalls Battle of Wounded Knee; 1893 emp on Rapid City Daily Republican, also in printing establishment of George McManus, Rapid City S D; 1894 ent law off Wood & Buell, Rapid City S D, studied law & stenography; 1896 became emp in law off of John R Wilson, Deadwood S D, studied law under S C Polley of Rice & Polley; 1899 became assoc with First Natl Bank, Deadwood S D; 1902-10 in merc reporting & ins bus under name of J P Hymer Co, later Flower & Neff, Deadwood S D; 1910 emp in timber sales in & near Seattle, Wash; 1912 pur Grand Island Real Est & Ins Co, 1917 became ptr of E M Porterfield; 1932 after ptr's death became opr & owner Flower & Porterfield, Inc; 1935 Flower & Porterfield Inc consolidated with Amer Securities Co & name changed to Flower-Evans Co, 1935- owner & opr, Grand Island; 1915 & 1924 pres Neb Assn of Ins Agts; Natl Assn of Ins Agts; past mbr exec com Insurance Fedn of Nebraska; pres C of C 1921-22; past mbr Rotary; Riverside Country Club; AF&AM; Liederkranz Soc; mbr 42 years BPOE, past mbr Deadwood, S D; Presby Ch; off 210 N Wheeler; res 1422 W John, Grand Island.

FONNER, AUGUST LEWIS Farmer; b Grand Island, Neb Mar 1, 1873; s of John Fonner-Lizzie Martin, ed Grand Island; Grand Island Bus Coll; Northern Ind Normal Coll, Valparaiso Ind; as young man assisted father in bus, since 1913 oprs 3 farms, one the home Place O K farm, site of old O K store of Koenig & Wiebe & formerly only store between Columbus & Kearney; during Sp-Amer War, civilian packer instr; during World War, mbr natl coun of defense; during Indian uprisings & Battle of Wounded Knee, emp by Charlie (Hash Knife) Hishum of Hash Knife Ranch in issuing beef to Pine Ridge Sioux Indians, Chadron; early Neb & Hall Co historian; so far as known owns largest & most complete collection of Indian & pioneer relics in Hall Co & this section of state; dir & curator Hall Co Hist Soc; Episc Ch; hobbies, travel, good livestock, spotted horses & mules; maternal grandfather located 12 mi E of Grand Island 1859; father came to Grand Island 1866 estab butcher shop on present site of Wolbach Store & financed by Fred Evans; first Hall Co clk; also in livery & livestock bus; off & res O K Farm, Grand Island.

FOREMAN, HAROLD LOPER Creamery Manager; b Humeston, Ia, May 14, 1896; s of John L Foreman-Iva E Loper; ed Council Bluffs Ia; m Laura J Evans Jan 14, 1923 Concordia Kas; s John David, Mark Eldon; d Iva Marie; 1915-19 manager service & repair dept Fisk Rubber Co, Omaha; 1919 in sales dept Ford

515

Who's Who in Nebraska ----- Hall County

Motor Co of Crete; 1920 in sales dept, Fairmont Creamery Co of Crete, 1921-26 in produce procurement dept, 1927-28 mgr branch houses of Crete plant; 1928-32 mgr Grand Island territory of Fairmont Creamery Co, 1932- mgr Grand Island plant; mbr sch bd; during World War ent U S army Sept 1917 stationed at Camp Funston Kas, Camp Pike Ark & Camp Dix N J, 11 mos O/S with 87th div 335th field arty, sgt, disch May 1919 Camp Dodge Ia; Amer Leg; past pres Rotary; C of C; Uni Club, Lincoln; Izaak Walton; AF&AM; BPOE; UCT; Bapt Ch; Rep; hobbies, saddle horses, hunting, fishing; off 324 N Vine; res 1928 N Lafayette, Grand Island.

FRANK, WILLIAM Real Estate Dealer; b Indiana May 14, 1861; s of William T Frank-Evelyn Sonner; ed Ind; DePauw U, Greencastle Ind 1882-85; m Mattie Ashcraft Dec 17, 1885 Ky; s Owen A, William E; 1882 came to Neb; 1887-1900 in title, abstract & farm loan bus, Grand Island; 1901- real estate dealer with CB&Q RR, active in development of Scottsbluff section of Neb; probably sold more land than any other individual in Neb; with CB&Q RR instrumental in bringing sugar factories into Scottsbluff section of Neb & known as daddy of the section; recognized as outstanding authority on water resources & development of land values in Neb; owns land, industrial & residential properties; past mbr bd of edn; BPOE; hobby, Neb history; off & res 820 S Locust, ?rand Island.

FRYAR, STANLEY B Assistant Treasurer Radio Station; b Clay Center, Neb Oct 23, 1894; s of Louis F Fryar-Laura A Bancroft; ed Clay Center; LBC; m Myrtle W Garvin Apr 6, 1918 Lincoln; 1913-18 & 1919-36 worked for M M Johnson, Lincoln; 1936- asst treas KMMJ, Grand Island; during World War ent US army Apr 30, 1918, Co G 355th inf, 89th div, disch June 3, 1919; Amer Leg; C of C; AF&AM, Scot Rite; hobbies, fishing, hunting, golf; off KMMJ; res Grand Island.

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