CARR, LEE AND JANET

Eddie Lee Carr was the oldest son of Thomas W. Carr and Mary Jane (Boyer) Carr. He was born April 1, 188 near Emerick in Madison Co., Nebr.

When he was 12 Years old he drove one of the covered wagons when the family moved to South Cherry Co. , where they home-steaded in “Dry Valley''.

His parents were helpful in getting the Dry Valley Church built and Sunday School organized. A younger brother, Teddy, was one of the first to be buried in the new cemetery.

Lee worked on several ranches and also “freighted'' for some. He worked for big Creek Ranch some 20 years.

On Sept. 19, 1917, he answered his countrys call, serving in the 355th Field Hospital of the 89th Division from Camp Funston, Kansas to France and Germany. He was discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa on June 4, 1919.

Sept. 30, 1925 he was married to Janet A. Hogg of Berwyn, Nebr. She had been teach-ing the Stanbaugh school north of Big Creek.

Their only child, Mary Adeline, was born August 12, 1927 at Alliance, Nebr. Since she was several months premature, Lee always told her she looked like a “skinned rabbit'', the first time he saw her. They were living at Big Creek where he was foreman when she was born. They purchased his folks place and they moved there in the spring of 1932.

Lee passed away at the Veterans Hospital in Hot Springs, South Dakota, June 8, 1938 at the age of 50. The body was taken the 1/2 mile from home to Dry Valley cemetery with American Legion Members from Mullen, Thedford and Hyannis marching behind. It was reported to be the largest military funeral to be held in the area.

Janet and Mary A. stayed on the place with the help of Lee's brothers Floyd and John and nephews until 1943 when she leased the place to Cecil Baldwin and she and Mary lived in Mullen while Mary attended High School. Janet worked for Ruth Stoughton, the County Clerk and later for John Motl at the Drug Store.

Mary went to work for the “Northwestern Bell'' Telephone Office in Broken Bow after she graduated from High School in 1945. Janet came down to see her in August and was put in the hospital with pneumonia, where she died August 31, 1945. Hers was the last funeral held in the Dry Valley Church and the stage of the church was completely covered with flowers.

Janet was an active member in Extension and 4-H club work, Eastern Star and Ameri-can Legion Auxiliary. Dearest of all was her church work. In the Dry Valley Church and Mullen Methodist Church.

Mary married Ray Swendener December 24, 1945. They had three sons and she still lives on the old “Carr Homestead'' in Dry Valley.