CLEAVENGER, GEORGE M. AND ISABELLE LAVERING
George Monroe Cleavenger and his wife Arminda Isabelle (Belle) Lavering moved to Mullen, Nebraska in 1898 from Moorhead, Montana. They were considered among Mullen's first residents. George was born Nov. 8, 1847 to Thomas and Eliza E. Holbert Cleavenger at Ritchie, Virginia and died Nov. 9, 1912 at Mullen, Nebraska. His wife Belle was born Oct. 10, 1853 to William and Ann Lavering at Sarpy Co. Iowa and passed away April 29, 1930 at Mullen, Nebraska. They were united in marriage at Washington, Kansas in 1870. To this union eight children were born, Elva Brockett, Mae Davis, Geor-gia Kelly, Grace Hall, Estellyne Doyle, Frank and Charles. A baby daughter died in infancy.
The Cleavengers lived for many years on a farm near Washington, Kansas. After having experienced two or three years of Kansas drought, grasshoppers and hog chole-ra they decided to move west, having received letters from a relative telling of the wonderful opportunities of Wyoming they decided to make it their new home. George traveled to Wyoming in spring and Belle followed in the late fall with the children and a few house hold goods and personal belongings. They traveled to Whitewood, South Dakota, the nearest railroad point for northeastern Wyo-ming. In Whitewood they loaded their be-longings on two prairie schooners and started for Belle's brothers ranch on the Big Powder River. George had built a large one room cabin where they lived for several months. Later he took a homestead farther down the river across the Montana line. The little ranch was located in a valley of the Powder River. The nearest town or trading point for several years was Miles City, Montana, a distance of 125 miles, a ten day trip by wagon.
After George's health began to fail he sold his ranch and cattle and traded his horses for Nebraska land. In 1898 the family moved to Mullen, Nebraska. In the early days he served as county commissioner and occupied various other positions of public trust. He raised horses for breeding and market purposes and was considered to be one of the best judges of horses in the region, well known all over this county. The Cleavengers were members of St. Joseph's Episcopal Church and are buried in the Cederview Cemetery at Mullen, Nebraska.
Frank and Charles Cleavenger lived most of their lives in Mullen. Frank married Alta Kerns. To this union five boys, Cecil, Herb, Bernard, Carl and one daughter Ione Howard were born. Charles married Mary Ann (Mayme) Totten and to this union one son Jack Monroe and two daughters Ruth Au-drey Brantley and Mary Alice Elliott were born. Mary married Almond Dean Elliott and still resides in Mullen. They have five children, a son Dean and four daughters, Alice (Mrs. Charles Schoene) Patsy (Mrs. Nick Phipps) Lillie (Mrs. James Fackler) and Judy (Mrs. Jerry Cool) . Almond and Mary have ten grandchildren, seven boys and three girls. Almond passed away in 1986 and is buried in the Cederview Cemetery at Mullen.