M.A. Pache, proprietor of the Calvert lumber yard, was born in Germany; his parents moved to Marshall county when he was 4 years of age. Ten years ago he moved to Calvert and entered the lumber business, and since that time he has built up a big business. In the early part of this year Mr. Pache was burned out, but the next day was up and doing business as usual. In order to show their appreciation of the man, the people in the surrounding country offered him the use of $2,000 with which to continue business, but being far sighted and conservative, he had laid aside money for a rainy day, and while he appreciated the support offered, he was able to rebuild his business with practically no help, and out of the ruins a greater business grew, and today Calvert has one of the best stocked lumber yards in the county. (page 102)
H. M. Painter, who is now in barber business here, was born in Norton 1897. He has just opened a shop across from the Rock Island station. Mr. Painter married Miss Nina Hicks in 1915. (page 32)
Frank E. Palmer, one of Norton’s younger and successful business men, was born in 1884 in Grant township, in Norton county. He is a graduate of the Norton County High School. In December, 1905, he started clerking for the Norton Mercantile Company and was manager of the Long Island store, owned by that company, for a year and a half. He has been a partner in the Elrod store since 1910. In 1912 he was united in marriage with Miss Elsie Conklin a popular Norton teacher and a daughter of the present Democratic nominee for the office of county treasurer. Mr. Palmer is a member of the Christian church and his wife is a member of the Baptist. Mr. Palmer is at this time superintendent of the Bible School, is a member of the Odd Fellows and the M. W.A. (page 21)
J. E. Palmer was born in 1859 at Rockford, Illinois and came to Norton County in 1879, where he homesteaded in Grant township. In 1883 he married Tinny Hays. They have three children – Frank, born in 1884, now a partner in Elrod’s dry goods store; Ethel, who married Jesse McFarland; and Harry, who is now farming two miles east of Norcatur. Mr. Palmer is a member of the Christian Church – in fact the whole family without an exception are members of the same church; a fact well to be proud of. Mr. Palmer has been in the grain and coal business for the past fifteen years. He is a member of the I.O.O.F. and the M.W.A. (page 90)
The Oronoque Hotel and livery are conducted by R.S. Palmer, who has lived in the State of Kansas for 43 years. Before coming to Oronoque, he was in the mercantile business at Superior, Nebraska. He serves as good meals as are to be found at any hotel in the country. (page 103)
E. L. Pease, “Uncle Pease,” as he was called, was the postmaster in old and new Clayton for about 21 years. Was succeeded by G.W. Bressler, who held the office from 1901 to 1906, and was succeeded by C.C. Whistler, who continued in office until 1913, when the present postmaster, Forest Castle, was appointed. (page 97)
A. Personett was born in Republic county in 1879. He ran the Edmond hotel until it burned in 1914 when he went in the restaurant business. In 1905 he married Bertha Crukshauk [Cruickshank?], who was born in Iowa. They have three children, Thelma, who was born in 1907, Lela, born in 1911, Jaunite, born in 1915. Mr. Personett has made a distinct success, for six years ago he had practically nothing, and today owns several pieces of town property besides a fine stock of goods and a nice restaurant business. He is a member of the M.W.A.
J. Pickering was born in 1872 in Iowa, and came to Norton county in 1885, and his father homesteaded four miles west of Edmond. He is a member of the Odd Fellows. (page 85)
W. T. Pickering was born in 1883 in Cloud county, Kansas. He was married to Miss Maud Cramer, a Norton county girl in 1907. They have three children, Lena, born in 1909, Ethel, born in 1911, and Hazel, born in 1915. Mr. Pickering is a member of the M.W.A. and the Odd Fellows. [Edmond] (page 85)
Porter, Jake (see Lofgreen, Burdge)
Emmett Powell, the present assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Almena, was born in 1869 at Glenwood, Iowa, and came to this county in 1879 with his father, W. H. Powell, who homesteaded in Aldine township. He died in 1885. In 1895 E. H. Powell married Laura Davis and they have three children. He is a member of the A.O.U.W. and the Masons. (page 76)
William Pratt came to Kansas in 1867 and has been in Almena for the past 21 years. (page 76) [My great grandfather – Ardie]
B. W. Pryor was born in 1873 in Harrison county, Missouri, and was in the produce business at Bethany county, Missouri, for 21 years. He is the father of three children, Willis G., born in 1886; Garvin, born in 1888 and Bert, born in 1916. Mr. Pryor bought out the produce business of J. H. Lockard in 1916, and in this he is sure to make a success for he is a hustler, an accommodating business man of the type that makes a success of whatever he undertakes. (page 66)
John J. Recht, the well known Norton jeweler was born in 1878 at Atchinson, Kansas, and came to Norton county in 1900. In the same year he was married to Miss Nellie Vining, a daughter of J. W. Vining who died in 1912. To this union were born three children – Harold J., born in 1901; Gerald, born in 1902, both of whom died in their infancy, and Luda, born 1907, who is the living light of the Recht home. Mr. Recht is a member of the Masonic lodge, Elks, and the M. W. A. In 1901 he bought out the jewelry store of Hobart Kelley and started in business. The firm was known as Vining & Recht and was located north of the court house. In 1915 they moved to their present location. Mr. Recht is an experienced jeweler of twenty-four years and has made a great success of the jewelry business; he now has two jewelers besides himself working. (page 18)
C. E. [Charley] Reed was born in 1879 in Oskaloosa, Iowa and came to this county in 1881. Mr. Reed entered into the photographic business and in 1901, he married Miss Belle Snyder and they have three children. Mr. Reed is well advertised in this historical edition by the many pictures he has taken. [Norton] (page 19)
While we are enjoying all of the luxuries of today let us not forget all the hardships that a few pioneers had to endure to make all of them possible. When Mr. J.H. Reeves came to Almena in 1874, Fort Kearney was the nearest railway point and it took a week to make the trip. All the supplies had to be shipped overland from there. It is to men of the Reeves type who blazed the trail, that we owe the modern towns in Norton county today. Mr. Reeves is in the grain business and enjoying well earned prosperity. [Almena] (page 67)
O. T. Regester was born in 1885 in Norton and has always lived here. He is a sign painter by profession, and now owns the Cary Optical Company. In 1913 he married Viola Miller and they have one child, Benjamin, born in 1915. Mr. Regester is a member of the M. W. A. (page 17)
D. M. Reno was born in 1888. In 1909 he married Miss Cora Buchanan and they have two children, Raymond Gynn, born in 1911 and Neva L., born in 1913. Mr. Reno has been in the automobile business for five years and in 1915 he became local manager for R. A. and R. L. Kent and has been very successful in this. (page 61)
John Reno was born in 1886. He came to Norton county with his father, J.C. Reno in 1887. His father died in 1891. Mr. Reno is a member of the Christian church and at the present time is in the Fairness store where he is employed as a clerk. (page 82)
Robert H. Rhoades was born in Marysville, Kansas, in 1879, and came to Norton county with his parents in 1883. He is a graduate of the Norton County High School. He was elected County Clerk in 1912 and again in 1914. His father, an old settler, died in 1899. In 1905 Mr. Rhoades was married to Sylvia Joint, daughter of Henry Joint. (page 93)
F. A. Rice, the popular restaurant man of Clayton, has only been here a short time but his meals are known as the best in this part of the county. We do not know if Mrs. Rice cooks the meals or not, but if she does she is an accomplished cook. Mr. Rice was born in Missouri in 1879. In 1901 he married Mrs. Mamie Smith, a Clay county, Nebraska, girl. They have five children, three boys and two girls. (page 99)
Floyd D. Roberts was born in McCook, Nebraska, in 1895. In 1913 he married Miss Eulad Baldwin a popular Smith Center girl. They have one child, Eugene, born in 1914. Mr. Roberts is at present employed at the Norton Marble Works. (page 82)
C. L. Rose was born in 1881 in Fon Du Lac [sic], Wis. He came to Norton county in 1887. He was married to Ethel Schaffer in 1913. Mr. Rose is a good newspaper man and has been connected with several newspaper enterprises in and around Almena. He is a member of the A.O.U.W. (page 67)
Mrs. Round, one of the Norton milliners, and a daughter of J. H. Hurst, was born in Otoe county, Nebraska, coming to Norton with her father. She has been in the millinery here two years and keeps an up-to-date stock. (page 93)
T. J. Rouse was born in Osborne county in 1885 and came to Norton county in 1913 and has been in business here since that time. In 1910 he married Hazel McCarthy. They have two children – Eugene, born in 1913 and Herbert, born in 1911. He is a member of the M.E. church.
B. M. Rowh was born in Doddridge county, W. Va., in 1862, came to Decatur county in 1904 and moved to Clayton and went into the harness business in 1915. He was married in 1893. Three children were born to this union, Carl H., born in 1893, Carson, born in 1894, Fonda M., in 1903. Mr. Rowh is a member of the United Brethren Church and a member of the M.W.A. (page 101)
J. E. Rule located here, as a stock buyer and lumber dealer in 1898. He was succeeded by the Chicago Lumber Co. He helped to incorporate the city, and later was a member of the city council. (page 97)
J. E. Rule was born in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, and came to Norton county in 1899 and is now in the grain business at Clayton. He is the father of one child. He is a member of the United Brethren church, the M.W.A., the A.O.U.W. and the Knights and Ladies of Security. Mr. Rule is a hard working citizen and Clayton owes much to him. (page 98)