Cambridge, Nebraska | Bef 1990 |
Description:
TROSPER FAMILY
Benjamin Franklin Trosper, better known as Frank,
was born 11 May 1865 near Breckenridge, Caldwell County,
Missouri. Dicie Jane Runkle was born 23 June, 1867 in a log
cabin one mile west of Collamer, Whitley County, Indiana.
In 1871 with her parents moved via covered wagon to Davies
County, Missouri, her seat for the journey was a two gallon
stone jar turned upside down. Frank and Dicie grew up in
the Missouri community and were married 15 April 1883. In
1884 with their young son Ollie, their household effects,
one cow, a plow, a team of horses started westward via
covered wagon for Nebraska.
They located 4 December 1884 four and one half miles
southeast of Bartley, Red Willow County, Nebraska (NE1/4
Section 20-3-26) and made the filings on this Homestead in
1885 paying $1.25 per acre. They lived in a dugout in a
canyon bank until 1888. All of the water they used that
first year was hauled one half mile. Frank and Dicie dug
their own water well, which was one hundred twenty five feet
deep, by hand using rope and bucket. They traded this
property for a preemption homestead (W1/2NW1/4 and W1/2SW1/4
of Section 20-3-45) Furnas County, Nebraska, finished
paying a balance of $4.00 due to the United States on the
20 June 1891. This farm was located four miles south and
one half mile west of Cambridge, Nebraska and had a one room
sod house, a dug well, and a sod school house. The school
house was in the pasture to the southeast of their home.
Mother said she would wrap gunny sacks around the older boys
feet and legs in the winter when they had school.
More land was purchased (W1/2SW1/4 Section 17-3-25
and E1/2SE1/4 Section 18-3-25) Furnas County, Nebraska on 5
March 1888 for the sum of twelve hundred dollars. In 1892 a
new 1-1/2 story, six room frame house was built in the
southwest corner of Section 17 just across the road north of
the sod house. Later a new barn was built, across the road
west of the new house, on Section 18.
A terrible drought came in 1894, in the fall they
moved back to Missouri where they remained about eighteen
months. In the spring of 1896 they moved back to their home
in Nebraska.
September 22, 1894 they gave a deed for an acre of
land for a new frame one room school building, known as
"Prospect Ridge School" which was later changed to District
#45 Furnas County, Nebraska. The new school was one half
mile south of their new home with the road passing close by.
Their children, Ollie, Ottie, Oscar, Dora, Orva,
Ada, Ethel, Grace and Elmus received their elementary
education in this school. Ollie and Ottie also attended
school in the sod school and in Missouri. Five of the
children continued their education and graduated from the
Cambridge High School.
Oliver (Ollie) married Maude Cotton both deceased,
their children Glen, Alfred and Irene; Alfred deceased,
lived in Wyoming.
Ottie married Ella Hagie, Hazel Purvis all deceased,
children Lester deceased, Cecil and Elvin live in Idaho.
Oscar married Alice Purvis both deceased, children,
Harley, Harold, Charles, Vera, Donald, Marjorie, Bernice all
deceased, Phyllis and Kenneth living in Oregon.
Dora taught one term of school previous to her
marriage to Elton Kirkpatrick, both deceased, children,
Benjamin, Helen and Cleo.
Ada taught school eleven years previous to her
marriage to Floyd R. Waters, farmer, she passed away 6
January 1934.
Grace graduated from the Cambridge High School,
taught school four years. She spent the next twenty three
years in her Hair and Cosmetologist Shop, six years in
Fairbury and seventeen in Omaha, Nebraska prior to her
marriage to Floyd R. Waters. Floyd passed away 1977.
Elmus a farmer and school teacher, graduated from
Cambridge High School. Attended Kearney State Teachers Col-
lege and graduated with a BA Degree from the Colorado State
College of Education at Greeley, Colorado. His teaching
career was 27 years. He was a pedestrian in a crosswalk
when hit and killed by a car in 1974.
Orva married Josephine Heitmann 25 December 1915.
He was born 7 August 1893 in the new farm home south and
west of Cambridge, died 1 June 1961. Josephine is the
daughter of Frederick and Hattie (Shewmaker) Heitmann was
born 28 August 1898 in Helena, Andrew County, Missouri.
Their children, Geneva, Roberta, Mildred, Fredrick, Donna,
Wren, Ardis, Joyce, Dixie and Gary.
Geneva married Clyde Fuller, son Jimmie married
Montrae Pywell, their daughters Ginger and Valerie. Clyde
died January 1966.
Mildred married Roy Farr, children, Roger and Linda.
Roger married Dorothy Wrenfrow. Roger teaches in Walnut and
Dorothy teaches Home Economics in High School, Grand Island,
Nebraska. Linda married David Long who is employed by the
Telephone Company. Linda is employed in a
Real Estate and Insurance Company. Their sons are Dale and
Eddie and they live in Alma, NE.
Fredrick married Nellie Jean Williams, he operates
the Phillips 66 Serice, Nellie Jean the Frontier Cafe.
Their children, Norman, Connie and Donald. Norman and wife
Joyce have the Dairy Queen, children, Tammy, Dain, Ann,
Debbie, Amy, Dusty and Becky. Tammy married Robert Sexton
Jr. and have a son Matthew Robert. Connie married Everett
Mount, children, Stephanie, Bonnie and Stephen. Donald
married Janet Ankeman, they have the Trosper Body Shop,
daughters, Gloria and Dawn.
Donna married George Wier, farmer, two children
Barbara married Phillip Johnson, farmer, three children,
Scott, Chad, and Amy. Stanley married Kathy Groshong,
children, Julia, Andrew and Amy. Stanley was killed in
an accident 17 November 1973.
Wren married Donna Mills, he is employed by the City
of Cambridge, three children, Kathy, Doreen and Robert.
Kathy and Doreen have been employees of the Dayco-McCook
Plant for several years. Robert is still in school.
Kathy, Doreen and Robert are members of the Archaeology
Society of Nebraska.
Ardis married Willard Larimer, mechanic, Ardis
employed by the Dayco-McCook Plant, children, Tena employed
in Lincoln; Michael a mechanic married Peggy Yost, two
children Justin and Christanis; Mark, mechanic, married Tina
Janousek, have a daughter Holly.
Joyce married Rodney Burke, farmer, two daughters
Rhonda and Vicky. Rodney died 14 April 1960, farm accident.
Joyce married Raymond P Boyer 10 August 1963 a music
teacher Smith Center, Kansas, one daughter Brigitte. Rhoda
Burke married Steven Overmiller, farmer, four children,
Michelle, Justin, Eric and Kaley. Vicky Burke married
Richard J. Davolt of Grand Island, NE, a son Scott.
Brigitte Boyer married Kelly W. Lyon, farmer of Athol,
Kansas, have a daughter Brittany Rae.
Dixie married Leonard Swanson, farmer, Curtis, NE,
two children, Lorri married Henry A. Martin, Herndon,
Kansas, a son Nathaniel. Terry Swanson married Terry K.
Moore, living at Nashville, Tennessee, two children, Kira
Sue, and Joshua.
Gary married Mary Marguerite Ruppert, Gary is
employed by Industrial Pipelines, Indianola, NE. Mary is a
school bus driver. Both are active in the Cambridge
Sportsman Club and teach Hunters Safety Classes. Mary is
also a CPR instructor and an Ambulance Attendant with the
Cambridge Rescue Squad. They have three children, Gregory,
Benny and Sharla. Gregory and Benny graduated from the
Cambridge High School. Gregory married Pamela Sue Raney and
is employed and lives in Texas. Benny is attending the
Goodland, Kansas Tech School studing Electric Technology and
will graduate in July. Sharla Marie is a Junior in the
Cambridge High School, very active, just finished an EMTA
College Course to be an Ambulance Attendant with the Rescue
Squad, is a lifeguard at the Cambridge pool and loves
skiing.
As time passed and opportunity came, Father would
buy a piece of land near or adjoining his previous holdings
of divide farm land. He had always wanted a valley farm.
The last farm they bought was a three hundred twenty acre
valley farm in November 1931 which was about two miles
southwest of Cambridge. They moved there from the old home
place.
Having endured the hardship of the early pioneers
they succeeded and prospered, became one of the successful
farmers and stock growers of the community.
Frank and Dice celebrated their golden wedding
anniversary in April 1933 with all of their children present
for this happy occasion.
Mother passed away 1 January 1936 and Father 5
January 1946.
Ethel married Grover D Fattig, farmer, a few days
after graduating from the Cambridge High School. We farmed
until the drought years forced us to quit and seek other
employment. We did various work and when the Sun Valley
Resort was being built near Ketchum, Idaho, Grover had
steady employment there. We both were employed during the
War at the Boeing Airplane Company at Seattle, Washington.
Father wanted us to come live with him and farm,
which we did, arriving the evening of his 80th birthday, 11
May 1945. We bought the one hundred sixty acre farm at the
Estate sale and I have lived here ever since. Grover passed
away 23 July 1970.
Our daughter, Audra married Harry C. McGee,
Harry deceased 16 September 1976, have three children,
Sandra, Mary, and H. Dean. Sandra married Curtis Holliday,
they have four children, Michael who is attending North-
western Michigan College; Kathy, employed at North County
Typesetting; Kristy, a Junior in High School, Troy, in
Junior High School. Sandra and Curtis own and operate Panic
Printing and North County Typesetting. Mary married Nikki
Killman, painter, and have three sons, Jonnathan, and twins
William and Daniel, are in elementary school. Mary is
Assistant Manager of AAA Office in Lansing, Michigan. H.
Dean McGee has a Master Plumbers license, graduated from
Oakland University with a BS Degree and a Masters Degree in
Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is employed at GMF
Robotics Corporation. All living in Michigan.
Ethel Fattig
