May Birthdays

Violet Relph - May 1
Vicky Harford-May 3
Marlin Crouse - May 7
LaNeta Carlock - May 7
Melba Harford-May 14
Shelby Trussel-May 19
Karen Harford - May 20
Paul Freehling - May 23
Dick Gregory - May 29


If you know of a birthday we don't have listed, just send an email and it will be added.

Reverend Catlett - 1920s

I have a photo of the Methodist church and parsonage from the 1920s when my Grandfather Charles E. Catlett was minister.

I was curious to find out if the church and parsonage were still there.

John Christensen
P.S. My family is from Wauneta and Bartley.

Reverend Charles E. Catlett and family

In answer to your question - The church and parsonage are still in use. The church was remodeled in 1949. It was raised up from its foundation and a basement was dug underneath, plumbing was installed and a kitchen and bathrooms were added.


The parsonage was built in 1910 and was the first house in Haigler to have indoor plumbing

Here is another early view of the church.

Sympathy for Family of Craig Clark

Prayers for the Clark and Smith families as they grieve for the loss of Craig.

Services are Monday, April 27 10:30 AM at the Haigler Methodist Church.

The mortuary is Spellman Schmidt Funeral Home, Wray Colorado.

1959 Haigler Businesses

1959 in Haigler was very different than it is today. The Baby Boomers were becoming teenagers and they were preparing for the 1960's when the world would change and they would be a part of a shift from innocence to war, assassinations, racial upheavel, sexual revolution and government corruption. Changes in the music, clothing, hair styles, technology and travel would rock even our little town.

But! in 1959 Haigler was a booming little town where we "dragged Main" on Saturday night and sipped malts in Anna's Cafe and went to church every week. We worked on the family farm or business and had "supper" every night around the family table.

Oh yes!! 1959 was a GOOD year!! It WAS the Goood Old Days!

Here are the businesses that advertised in "The Eagle" in 1959. It seems to me that there are some missing: Like Bill Wall's, Ed Odenbach's, Buck Ryan's Conoco and Motel cabins, The Rock Shop and, of course, The Post Office, to name a few. Can you remember any others?

Your comments are welcome; Email the Editor or Make a comment at the bottom of this post.



Identy of people in picture: Pat Wheaton and Gwen Dexter. Do you know the others?

Karen (White) Lindell writes:

Hey there, I think Gene Mahon, Gene Schwartz and Colleen Hoover are the other three.

McKay's looks like Gene Mahon and Norm Beeson. These are so much fun to look at. GOOD JOB.

I think we called this "The Bay Station".... at least that is what our family called it. Can you identify whose car it is and who is filling the tank? Is that Gene standing there with his class jacket on?








Identy: Don Trembly, Jim Dexter, Pat Wheaton, Gwen Dexter and ------?


Several people in the community purchased Edsel's in 1959. They would be worth ALOT more these days!!


Floyd Trembly is patiently helping "the kids" get ice cream.

Miss Laura Johnson

The 1959 Haigler annual, "The Eagle", was dedicated to Miss Laura Johnson. Under her picture are these words of tribute:

"We, the seniors of 1959, dedicate this annual to Miss Laura Johnson. Miss Johnson has shown kind and active interest and untiring effort in our behalf. She has been a source of inspiration for all of us. In our appreciation, we dedicate The Eagle."

Card Shower for Maxine (Zuege) Romano

Hey All,

My Aunt Maxine (Zuege) Romano, second oldest daughter of William and Alberta Zuege (deceased) will be celebrating her 85th birthday on the 16th of April 2009.

She graduated from Haigler High School in the middle 40’s and moved to Denver, Colorado as so many kids did then and started her family as Mrs. Stockmyer. After her sons Wayne and Milton were raised and on their own, she remarried and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona with her new husband, Fred Romano.

Well Fred, passed away a few years ago now and my Mother Kathleen (Zuege) Waterworth, Aunt Maxine’s Baby Sister, now stays with her and they both help take care of each other as best as two eighty year old plus ladies can.

My Aunt Maxine really loves to receive cards and notes and especially would love to get any from someone who remembers her from her old Haigler days.

Please be kind and send her a birthday card or note to:

Maxine Romano
4633 North 31st Street.
Phoenix, Arizona
85016-5012

Thank you so much in advance and I love reading about the town I spent so, so many summers in and on my Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles farms, and ranches’ growing up.

Sincerely

Joey Waterworth

bigjoeyw (at)comcast . net

Pauline Wagner - Another Centurian

Miss Pauline Wagner at age 102, wrote of her family's coming to America in 1886. As in many pioneer stories, circumstances, rather than planning, brought them to western Kansas and Nebraska. The Wagner and Crabtree families settled in the same area in Cheyenne County, Kansas. Mary (Wagner) Freehling was a sister of Miss Pauline. The Dan Rath sisters were friends of some Wagner relatives.

"They had been to Cheyenne County through the Lincoln Land Company and were planning to move there. It was through the Raths, who came by covered wagon, that we decided to go west (from Aurora) also. We came by train to Haigler, where we were met by the Raths and taken to their home until we moved on the preemption. Later father also homesteaded as did my Grandmother Hahn. When I was of age I also took a homestead. Our land joined. We all lived in dugouts. My dugout was near the schoolhouse where I taught my first term. The schoolhouse was a mile from our home. Occasionally one of the pupils would stay all night with me in the dugout."

Miss Wagner lives alone in St. Francis, Kansas. She recently participated in St. Francis centennial celebration.

-- Taken from The 1986 Haigler Centennial book , p. 216

Bert Leake

After his death, on August 26, 1978, census records were obtained which indicated that Bert Leake was born a year earlier than he thought, making him 100 years old on May, 1978. This birthday and the previous birthdays were celebrated with the Rex Daniels family in their home.

Bert spent 92 years in and around the Haigler area.

--Taken from the 1986 Haigler Centiennial book, p. 216

Happiest State: Nebraska

We live in the "Happiest State" according to the Happiness Index and reported by Mainstreet.com.

With low unemployment, forclosures and non-mortgage debt our state was barely above Kansas and Iowa who were 2nd and 3rd Happiest States.

You can read about the Happiness Index here: Mainstreet.com

The Mystery Building

After the Benkelman Post published the ‘Mystery Picture’ of the building with Judge Putnam and Harry Muir standing in the doorway, Four people have identified the building as being the former Jesse Littlefield garage/Nash dealership, Arlyn Myers, Sharon Kamla, Bonnie Mullanix, and Boyd Stroup. Knoly also owned the Littlefield building, which used to be located on the east edge of Benkelman and was used to set up machinery, cultivators, Farmall loaders, etc. The view of the building shows the back end for unloading.

We are pretty sure this is the correct identification, but other suggestions were: the old Haigler Co-op building; Not in Benkelman and Knole’s garage.

7th Calvary Bugle

Calvin Freehling shown playing a 7th Calvary Bugle (Custer's Company) at a recent Legion gathering. This bugle was a prop used by MGM (Metro Golden Mayer) in a movie of Custer's Last Stand and owned by Calvin.

Nebraska Gravestones Project

If you have ever searched for information about your ancestors to learn about your family history and record your findings in your genealogy book or computer database, you will appreciate the Nebraska Gravestone Project. Volunteers from all over the state have been taking pictures of every gravestone in every cemetery in the state of Nebraska. This time Dundy County has not been left out due to the hard work and concentrated efforts of a Benkelman resident, Bill Hardwick.

Bill has located every cemetery in the county and taken photos of every stone in them. He has compiled and maintains accurate and up-to-date lists of the cemeteries, and has spent many hours transcribing obituaries from the county that have been collected through the years.

Also thanks to Betty Deyle, Dee Fries and many other county residents our history is being preserved through the Dundy County Museum and the Dundy County Historical Society.