Notes
Note H557
Index
[Robert Ruhl and Mary Farrier 20081222.GED]
Sources:
Title: Conser Family Tree on www.rootsweb.com posted by Jim Bish
Repository:
Call Number:
Media: Book
[2485774[1].GED]
Jacob Emery Conser was born near Gilson in Haw Creek Township, Knox County, Illinois to hi s parents, John and Mary Magdalena (Grenoble) Conser, on March 17, 1851at their farm. He jo ined one sister and one brother at home. Nine more children were later born to his parents a t the farmstead in Knox County. Jacob Emery spent the first twenty years of his live at th e farm of his parents.
At the age of twenty, Jacob and his older brother, William B. Conser, left Illinois wit h the objective of securing land farther west. They removed to York County, Nebraska where bo th secured homesteads in Henderson Township. Family tradition maintains that Jacob walked th e whole distance from York County to the land office in Lincoln, arriving on March 17, 1851 , Jacob's twenty-first Birthday, the legal age of filing for a Homestead to claim 80 acres lo cated in Section 21 of Henderson Township, York County, Nebraska. His brother, William, homes teaded land only about a mile from Jacob's claim.
On December 31, 1876, Jacob married Elisabeth Thomas, daughter of George and Orlena Thom as at the Thomas household in rural Hamilton County, Nebraska. After marriage, Jacob and Eli sabeth lived on Jacob's homestead on which he made final proof in October, 1879. Meanwhile , Jacob and Elisabeth would have additions to their household. George Clark Conser was born a t the homestead on October 21, 1877 and Clarence Emery was born on September 26, 1880. Trage dy hit the Conser household on September 28, 1879 as George Clark died of dipheria and was bu ried at the Lushton, Nebraska Cemetery.
About this time, Elisabeth's brother, David Thomas, married Jacob's younger sister, Mati lda Anna Conser. Jacob and Elisabeth remained on their farm with their only son Clarence Eme ry throughout the decade. Tragedy again struck the Conser family during June 29, 1890 as Elis abeth suddenly died leaving Jacob alone with his young son, Clarence. It appears that at thi s time, Jacob worked along side his double brother-in-law, David Thomas, at a mercantile stor e David owned in Oxford, Nebraska, where Jacob's parents were now living. Jacob probably onl y did this in the months that it was not necessary for him to be at his York County farm an d his family in Oxford probably helped
with the raising of Clarence at this time.
While Jacob was back in the York and Hamilton County area, he met a young woman, Mary An n Cox, who lived on a farm with her parents, Harrison and Matilda Cox, southeast of Hampton , Nebraska. Jacob and Mary Ann were married in York County on November 29, 1891, just a wee k before the death of Jacob's father, John, on December 4th at Oxford, Nebraska. More joyou s news followed the next year as on August 2, 1892 Leroy "Roy" Newton Conser joined the famil y on the farm with his parents and the eleven-year-old brother Clarence. On September 13, 18 93 Arthur Martin Conser was born into the household.
The early 1890s were difficult farming years in Nebraska. Crops were poor and credit ex pensive. A national financial crisis occurred that year that made the outlook even worse. W ithin this setting, Jacob Conser decided to move elsewhere. In 1894, Jacob put his homestea d up for sale and in September 1894 he sold his homestead for $1,600. He evidently made thi s decision with other members of his wife's family. Later that year Jacob and Mary Conser an d family, Harrison and Matilda Cox (Mary Conser's parents),
and Lyman Cox moved to Woodside Township, Oregon County, Missouri. Jacob and Mary Conser pur chased sixty acres of land in section 17 and 20 in December 1894. At that time the ages of J acob Conser's children were: Clarence - 14, Roy - 2, and Arthur - 1.
Jacob, Mary and family remained on the Oregon County, Missouri farm for the next seven y ears. While living in Missouri stillborn twin daughters, Matilda and Magdalena, were born t o Jacob and Mary on January 22, 1896. Better news followed on March 25, 1899 as another daug hter, Viva Cordelia, was born. Evidently, financial prosperity continued to elude the Conse r family while in Missouri, as it did most other Midwest farmers. By 1901, Jacob and Mary de cided to move back to Nebraska following her parents and brother who already had returned. J acob and Mary sold their Oregon County farm and purchased a home in Hampton, Nebraska to be n ear Marys parents whom also removed there. Jacobs son, Clarence was now twenty-one, Roy wa s nine,
Arthur was eight, and Viva was two. The three younger children all attended Hampton Public S chool over the years. Jacob, now over 50 years of age, gave up farming for himself and worke d out doing a variety of jobs, including working for area farmers and local people in and aro und Hampton. Much of Jacob and Marys time involved taking care of Marys aging parents. Ja cobs mother, Mary M. Conser, passed away in December 1910 at the home of Jacobs brother, Ar thur, in Edison, Nebraska and she was buried in Oxford. Marys father, Harrison Cox, passe d away three years later on January 23, 1913 and was buried at Hampton Cemetery.
Meanwhile, the Conser boys were growing into adults and going off on their own. Clarenc e was now married with two children of his own, Edison and Vivian. Roy and Arthur complete d their education in Hampton and were now working in the Hampton area. Viva was still attend ing Hampton High School. It was also a time of national tension as the early days of World Wa r I began in Europe. America was gradually drawn into this conflict and in April 1917, Ameri ca declared war on Germany. Roy, then working at a hardware store in Falls City, Nebraska, w as refused enlistment in the Army for medical reasons, but was allowed to join the Navy, so h e became a sailor. Arthur joined the Army
and both Conser boys were now sent for training for the war.
Roy was sent to training in Illinois and later was sent to England in 1918. Arthur wa s sent for training in New Mexico and sent to the European Front in 1918. Roy was engaged i n naval operations supplying the allied bomber force in the North Sea while Arthur was sent t o the front in France. Arthur participated in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive from September t o November 1918 until the German Army surrendered. After that, Arthur served in the Army o f Occupation near Coblenz, Germany. At this time, Arthur contracted a deadly influenza viru s that swept across Europe and the United States. The influenza developed into pneumonia an d Arthur died on February 21, 1919 in Coblenz. Arthurs death came as a great loss to the wh ole family. Arthur was buried for a
short time in a National Cemetery in Germany, but later his body was removed to Hampton Cemet ery. Meanwhile, Roy was discharged from the Navy in 1919.
After the war, a life of more normalcy returned to the Conser Family. Roy returned to w ork at the hardware business in Falls City and on June 30, 1920 he married longtime sweethear t, Hazel Green. Roy earlier met Hazel while she taught at Hampton High School and they mad e their home in Falls City where she secured a teaching positionand he continued working i n the hardware business. Viva married Harl Holm Petersen, also a World War I veteran from Ha milton County, on January 20, 1921. In 1926, Mary Consers mother, Matilda Cox, passed awa y in Hampton and was buried next to her
husband, Harrison, in Hamptons Cemetery. More grandchildren appeared during the decade. M erle Petersen was born to Harl and Viva in 1922 and Jane Ann Conser was born to Roy and Haze l in 1928.
Jacob Emery Conser died suddenly on January 17, 1930. He was 78 years old at his death . Funeral services were held on Sunday, January 19, 1930 at the English Lutheran Church in H ampton and burial was near his son, Arthur, in Hamptons Cemetery. After Jacobs death, Mar y Conser continued to live at her Hampton house. She often stayed large portions of the yea r with her daughter, Viva, or her son, Roy. She continued to keep a garden of flowers and ve getables and canned many fruits and vegetables every summer. In addition to gardening, she q uilted many fine quilts over the years, many that are still in family hands. About 1952, sh e went to live permanently with her daughter, Viva. Mary Ann (Cox) Conser died on March 13, 1 954 in Grand Island,Nebraska. Funeral services were held in Hampton and burial was next to h er husband in Hampton Cemetery on March 17,1954.