BARNEBEY, CHARLIE MACK AND NINA “FLORENCE” (GARRETT)
The eldest son of William and Lydia Barnebey, Charlie Mack was born March 21, 1879, near Downing (Schuyler County), Missouri. The family moved to Iowa and were settled on a farm at New Sharon when Charlie was four years old. It was from here they they came first to Broken Bow, Nebras-ka, then on to Hooker County in June, 1887, about the time the Burlington Railroad reached the settlement that was soon to become Mullen.
Charlie lived with his family on their homestead a few miles south of Mullen. After finishing the tenth grade, Charlie started teaching in the country schools at 17 years of age. He continued to be involved in the schools of Hooker County as a member of the first board of regents of Hooker County High School and also as a director of District #2 school board for many years. From 1943 until his retirement, Charlie worked as grade school custodian and then carpenter/repair-man for both schools in Mullen. In addition he was well known as a craftsman, doing furniture repair and picture framing with a specialty in arrowhead display frames for the many arrowhead hunters in the area.
During his life in Mullen, Charlie served many years in various public offices. He was first elected Justice of the Peace and then County Judge, but soon resigned this position to travel to Idaho and Washington. During the time he was County Judge, Charlie tells of officiating at a marriage for a man who said he would come back in six months and pay him according to what it was worth. True to his word, the man did return and gave him half a pumpkin.
After returning from the Northwest, Char-lie served several years as County Clerk, receiving no salary except fees, and was also County Treasurer for a couple of years. He was visible in the community in many capacities over the years, including real estate agent, auctioneer, bank cashier of MuIlen Citizens Bank, insurance salesman, carpenter and school janitor. He helped put up the first telephone lines in Mullen and played in the community band during the early 1900's. He also had the first motorized dray in Mullen.
Charlie was involved in a number of the “firsts'' in Mullen, including being a member of the first class when the Methodist Church organized in 1891. His signature is included on their articles of incorporation in August, 1903, and he was a faithful member who held most of the layman's offices at one time or another. He was a charter member of the Mullen Lodge A.F. & A.M., and also belonged to the Order of Eastern Star, holding num-erous offices in both organizations over the years.
An item in 1903 Hooker County "Tribune" says “Charlie Barnebey thought he was playing a joke on his friends when he stole away into the country last week to lead one of Hooker county's fairest and most highly accomplished young ladies to the matrimo-nial altar.'' The fair young lady who married Charlie on October 29, 1903 was Nina Florence Garrett, daughter of James and Alice Garrett who had moved to Hooker County with their family in 1888. They came in a covered wagon from the territory which is now the state of Oklahoma when Florence was 12 years old, and made their home on a farm south of Mullen. Like her husband, Florence taught in the rural schools of Hooker County. The Barnebeys lived in Mullen all but a period from 1920 to 1942, during which time they resided in Lakeside, Nebraska. The four children born at their Mullen home to Charlie and Florence were Olin, Zelma (Scott), Walter and Ruth.
Florence died of cancer at their home on August 12, 1948. Ruth continued living at home to care for Charlie and Olin. Walter and Zelma both married and moved elsewhere with their families, but each returned to live in Mullen during their retirement years. Charlie died on January 13, 1968, following a heart attack, and he is buried beside his wife, Florence, in the Cedarview Cemetery at Mullen.