ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN was born Oct. 29, 1863, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, the son of JOHN McCRACKEN and MARY McGUIRE. He died April 10, 1916, in Sterling, Nebraska.He married BRIDGET ELLEN RODDEN, daughter of WILLIAM RODDEN and ELIZABETH SHEA. She was born October 25, 1863, and died October 17, 1897 in Bayard, Nebraska. They had five children: EDWARD McCRACKEN, ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN, FRANK LAWRENCE McCRACKEN, WILLIAM LEO McCRACKEN and LEO McCRACKEN.
See Bridget Rodden McCracken & Rodden-Shea Family home page.ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN later married NETTIE BELLE AUSTIN on March 28, 1905, in St. Martin's Catholic Church, Douglas, Nebraska. She was born December 22, 1879, in Lenoir, North Carolina, the daughter of CHARLES AUSTIN and REBECCA MAIN. She died Sept. 12, 1970, in Bridgeport, Nebraska. They had five children: CHARLES DAVID McCRACKEN, JAMES DOUGLAS McCRACKEN, AGNES McCRACKEN, JOHN VIRGIL (PAT) McCRACKEN AND MABEL McCRACKEN.See Nettie Austin McCracken & Austin Family home page.ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN was a pioneer farmer in western Nebraska, filing on land just south of the little village of Bayard just as the community was getting its start. Leon A. Moomaw's book, "Pioneering in the Shadow of Chimney Rock," notes that ROBERT J. McCRACKEN came west and filed on land just south of the little village of Bayard just as the community was getting its start (p. 331-332).According to word of mouth information, ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN was said to have died from a cerebral hemorrhage while at home after being in bed for a period of time. Later paperwork slates that he also had a hernia and had sustained an injury from a saddle horn that contributed to his death. According to CHARLES McCRACKEN (who was born in 1905), ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN was working with a colt and was hurt. ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN called his son FRANK to his bedside and instructed him, "to take care of Net and the little ones," which he did.
According to additional word of mouth information, ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN was supposed to have been diagnosed with Bright's Disease (kidney) years before. He had related this to his second wife, NETTIE, along with information that the doctor had said he might have 10 or 11 more ears to live but they decided to get married anyway.
ROBERT McCRACKEN and BRIDGET RODDEN had five children:
1. EDWARD McCRACKEN. Born February 17, 1888, Nebraska City, Nebraska. Died May 12, 1949[48?], Bayard, Nebraska. He served overseas during World War I and later farmed in the Bayard, Nebraska, area.ROBERT McCRACKEN and NETTIE AUSTIN had five children:See Edward McCracken home page.2. ROBERT JOHN McCRACKEN. Born June 03, 1890, Bayard, Nebraska. Died September 18, 1951, Bayard, Nebraska. Married April 4, 1917, to Laura May Snyder.
3. FRANK LAWRENCE McCRACKEN. Born Sept. 3, 1892, in Bayard, Nebraska. Died August, 1952, Bayard, Nebraska. He is buried in Bayard, Nebraska. He lived all his life in the Bayard area and had farmed for 28 years.
See Frank McCracken home page.4. WILLIAM LEO McCRACKEN. Born October 27, 1895, in Bayard, Nebraska. Died August 9, 1956, Sidney, Nebraska. He is buried at Bayard, Nebraska. He served in the military during World War I and was a farmer in the Bayard area for 25 years.See William Leo McCracken home page.5. LEO McCRACKEN. Born June 9, 1897, Bayard, Nebraska. Died August 28, 1897, Bayard, Nebraska. He is buried at Bayard, Nebraska.Photos of Robert John McCracken & Bridget Rodden McCracken/Nettie Austin McCracken Family.1. CHARI.ES DAVID McCRACKEN. Born December 19, 1905, in Sterling, Nebraska. Died Aug. 9, 2001 at Bayard, Nebraska. He was a farmer all his life.
See Charles David McCracken home page.2. JAMES DOUGLAS McCRACKEN. Born November 29, 1908, in Douglas, Nebraska. Died Nov. 19, 1944. He was a GoldenGloves boxer, and served in World War II.
See James Douglas McCracken home page.3. AGNES Mc CRACKEN. Born June 20, 1911, Adams, Nebraska.4. JOHN VIRGIL (Pat) McCRACKEN. Born June 13, 1914, Sterling, Nebraska. Died November 06, 1995, Bridgeport, Nebraska.
5. MABEL Mc CRACKEN.