GINKENS, LLOYD, SR. AND SARA (FRENCH)

by Mrs. Sara French Ginkens

Entry F163 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Lloyd L. Ginkens Sr. Family, 1967. Lloyd L. Jr., Jim, Miriam (Morris),
Lloyd L. Sr., Carol (Henderson) and Sara.

Barneby School, 1934. Lorna Haines, Teacher, Ginkens and Barnebey
Children - Margie G., Alice G., Eugene G., Jack B., Lucille G.,
Carol G., Lloyd Jr. G., Miriam G., Jim G., and Roger B.

LLoyd Ginkens and Sara French were
married May 31, 1923 at the home of his
sister, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Haines, about 6
miles southeast of Mullen. Lloyd's sister
Lelan and John Barnebey were married at
the same time. Rev. Basil Daugherty, the
Methodist minister, performed the cere-
mony. The brides wore identical dresses
made of crepe de shine and brocaded satin,
which we made. We rented a car from
Stickley's garage to drive to Broken Bow for
our honeymoon. The road was a sandy two
track trail all the way. We had gotten stuck
twice, so it was mid-night by the time we
arrived at Anselmo. We got rooms there, and
went on the next morning to Broken Bow,
Nebraska. We had our pictures taken and
returned home the following day.

Our first home was a one room school house
moved to the Ginkens ranch and located a
short distance north of Alice Ginkens house.
We had four children: Carolyn Alice, Lloyd
Leonard Jr., Jerald James, and Miriam
Blanche.

The only fruit available was the choke-
cherries, wild plums and grapes grown along
the rivers. The Ginkens and Barnebeys would
take a lunch and go in a wagon to the Dismal
River to pick the fruit. We took the fruit
home in 5 gallon milk cans.

For almost 6 years Austin and Lloyd
Ginkens, and John Barnebey's children made
up the total enrollment of the Barnebey
School. Lorna Gene Haines, a cousin taught
the school for two years. Alice Ginkens was
the grand-mother to the teacher and all the
pupils at the time.

When our children were small, I would go
about 5 miles with team and wagon to wash
clothes at my parents home. They had hot
and cold water and a Maytag washer with an
electric motor. I did the washing for both
families while my mother spent the day
baking bread or making cookies with the help
of the grand-children. About 1938, we pur-
chased a new Maytag with a gasoline motor
from Lowe Company for $95.

In 1935, because of drought and hard times,
we turned the cattle and land over to the
bank. With a 1928 Buick, $90. and four
children, we started to Oregon to look for
work. Near Eugene, Oregon we spent the
summer camping out, picking green beans
and hops. No permanent work was found so
we returned to Hooker County and lived with
Albert French's for about 2 years. Lloyd
worked for neighbors for $1. a day, also the
Works Progress Act (WPA), cutting soap-
weeds on the hills and putting them in sandy
places in the roads to make them passable.

In the spring of 1937, we moved north of
Mullen, along the Middle Loup River, on a
place owned by Bramer and McCully. At this
time Lloyd was employed by the County,
running the "caterpillar" road grader. He was
janitor at the new grade school one year,
1941-'42.

We moved into Mullen in the spring of 1942
and Lloyd went to work for Johnson's Feed
Store where he worked for 30 years. Illness
forced his retirement in 1971. He passed away
in December of 1971.

Our present home at 3rd. and Lalrd St. was
purchased in July 1945 from Mrs. Anspach
of Seneca, Nebr. for 900 dollars and was
moved by Ray Sexton onto a Lot 75 x 125 feet
that was bought from Mrs. Pruitt for $20 and
taxes, which was $161. I taught the McPher-
son school, 13 miles southeast of Mullen that
fall. The salary for the year was $1000. which
paid for the house. I am still at home at this
address.

Carolyn "Carol" married Leon Hen-
drickson in 1943 alter teaching one year in
Cherry County and one year in Scottsbluff
County. They lived in Western, Nebr. until
June, 1956 when they moved to Nampa,
Idaho. Leon was employed as a carpenter.
Carol was a hospital PBX Operator and
Admission Clerk. They have 2 sons, Leon
Paul of Weiser, Idano and Gordon of Wellton,
Arizona.

Lloyd L. Jr. "Ginks", has lived his entire
life in Hooker County except for the time he
was in the service during WWII. He was
inducted into the Infantry Febr. 22, 1944, was
wounded in April 1945, then discharged on
December 21, 1945. He and Betty Joe Fosdick
of Mullen were married June 14, 1949. They
have 2 sons, Tom of Overton, Nebr. and Dale
of Mullen, Nebr. One daughter, Jean, Mrs.
Ron Jones, lives in Hastings, Nebr. Lloyd Jr.
is the Mullen Postmaster, having had this job
since 1959.

Jim is a rancher at Gordon, Nebr. He
married Louise Goodin of Gordon, Febr. 10,
1957. They have 4 children: daughter, Cheryl
(Mrs. Doug Woodmen) of Lexington and
three sons, Wesley, Roger, and Edward living
in Gordon area. Jim has worked for a number
of ranchers in Hooker County also Grant and
Cherry. In 1964, they moved to Gordon to
manage the Goodin Angus Cattle Company
Inc. a family corporation.

Miriam worked at the Bank of Mullen alter
graduation. She went to Torrington, Wyo-
ming and was employed by a Bank until her
marriage to John Morris Sept. 11, 1953. They
have one daughter, Nancy Jo Berry of
Lexington, Nebr. and John Lloyd "Jack" of
Lincoln, Nebr. They lived for a time in
Mullen and John worked for Macke's Food
Store. They moved to Grand Island, Ne., then
to David City, Ne. to manage the Jack and
Jill Store, and later purchased that store.
Miriam passed away March 25, 1978 at David
City, Ne.

Our home has housed many. Lloyd's nieces,
Margie Burgess and Lucille Towne lived with
us while attending High School. After Lloyd's
sister's death in 1942, John Barnebey and his
son Roger and Lloyd's brother Austin made
their home with us. We also boarded teachers
and High School students.