CARPENTER, GEORGE AND GERTRUDE (THARP)
Eleazer Carpenter and family came to Nebraska from Wisconsin with 2 covered wagons drawn by 2 teams of oxen. They settled on Plum Creek near what is now known as Kearney, Ne. Eleazer was the first postmaster of Majors which is no longer there. His oldest son John rode horseback with the wagons, herding the livestock they brought along. They also brought chickens in crates for eggs along the way.
John and Clara Anne McDonald eloped and were married by a Justice of The Peace, in Tuckerville without the blessing of Anne's father. John worked with the gangs building the Burlington Railroad as far as Whitman, NE where Anne managed the Hotel and cooked for the laborers. They later settled on a homestead north of Whitman.
Their son, George and Gertrude Thart were married Christmas day 1907 at the home of his parents and moved to his homestead, a sod house, north of Whitman, near the Carver ranch where he worked. Their first child, Georgia Marian, was born in 1909. She lived only 4 days. She was buried in Survey Valley Cemetery on the Curtis Ranch. Inez was born in 1911. Neither birth was attended by a Doctor. Another daughter, Emily was born at the ranch home of George's sister, Emily Manning, south of Hyannis, NE. George rode horseback to town to get the Doctor and he was on a call north of town. At that time Doctors were few and far between.
When Inez was school age the folks sold their place and moved to Mullen, NE where a son, George Donnen was born in 1916.
George bought the livery stable from George Hawley and Arthur Isom. It was a good business until horses were replaced by automobiles. On Saturdays, Holidays, Rodeo days and other celebrations, wagons and buggies would be lined up around 3 blocks. The horses were unhitched and watered from the big tanks and put in the barns where they were fed hay and grain for 30 cents a day.
Some of the townspeople had milk cows and the Carpenter kids had th job of riding their horses and taking the cows to a pasture about a mile south of town every morning and back in the evening for milking. Every one took part in the town and school activities and helped in every way they could. The basketball teams from other towns came on the trains and stayed in private homes after the games, returning to their towns the next day. There were barn dances, box and pie socials, all kinds of family entertainment. In the winter the town would flood the livery barn lot for ice skating.
Inez, Emily, and Don all graduated from Mullen High School.
Inez married Lewis Folk. Has two boys and 2 girls including twins, and has 12 grandchild-ren. Emily married Joe King and has 2 daughters. Don married Joy Taylor and has 1 daughter and 3 granddaughters.
George died in February 1939 and Ger-trude in 1957.