LOWE, LOUIS W. AND LILLIE C. (CRAIN)

by Maxine James

Entry F264 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

50th Wedding Anniversary, 1962. Louis and Lillie Lowe.

Louis William Lowe was born in Goodland,
Kansas in Jan. 25, 1891 and came with his
parents, Henry J. and Mary A. Lowe to this
area in a covered wagon when he was 3. That
first winter was such a cold hard winter the
family started back to Kansas when Henry
traded their possessions for the General
Merchandise Store in Mullen.

Louis finished school in Mullen Schools
1907. He was Pres. of his class, A.G. Hum-
phrey was Principal, Clara Jeffords was
Assistant. Louis then attended Brown's
Business College in Lincoln 2 yrs.

Lillie C. Crain was born south of mullen,
Aug. 18, 1892. Her parents, Esquire & Martha
B. Crain, had come from Indiana to Broken
Bow, Ne by train and on to Mullen in a wagon
1887. Their first home was a dugout where
her brother, Walter, was born. When Clara,
Lillie and Pearl were born, the family was
living in a sod house.

Lillie attended a country school south of
Mullen & in Mullen to 10th grade. She
completed High School in Thedford, then
attended summer school in Alliance, prepar-
ing to teach. However, her Mother was
crippled because of a wounded knee that
never healed (her leg was later amputated) so
Lillie stayed home to help and never did
teach school.

Lillie & Louis were married Nov. 6, 1912
at the Crain home and moved to their ranch
northeast of Mullen. Louis had homesteaded
S. 17, T. 26, R. 30. Lester Harding and Pearl
Crain were married in 1916 and moved to the
ranch with the Lowes where they were
partners for about 2 years.

Louis Kenneth was born May 10, 1914 and
Mary Maxine was born March 31 1919. While
Maxine was still a baby, the family moved
into Mullen where Kenneth started school.
The Ed Wadlows managed the ranch during
that time. In 1924 the Lowes moved back to
the ranch where Maxine started to school.
After Henry Lowe's death, Louis's family
moved back to Mullen to live with Mary Lowe
in March, 1927.

Louis helped in County Treasurer's office
when his uncle, John Kudrna, was ill and for
a while after his death, 1927-28. By taking in
roomers and boarders, milking and delivering
milk at 8 cents a qt. and Louis selling an
occasional insurance policy, the family sur-
vived the Great Depression. He built &
operated a filling station in early '30's.

As a young man Louis played on Mullen's
baseball team and in Mullen's Band which
was formed and lead by John Kudrna. He had
one of the first automobiles in the county
which provided transportation for the many
fishing trips the Lowes, the Charlie Camp-
bells and JOhn Motls took.

A story he told on himself - he loved
popcorn so quite often took a panful with him
when he went out south to feed a few head
of cattle. One day when he got to the pasture,
he had his popcorn but had forgotten feed for
the cattle. One of his greatest pastimes was
playing cards, with or without popcorn.

In 1944 Louis purchased the Lowe Com-
pany from his brother, Elliott who moved to
Denver and then to Sheriday, Wyo. In 1949
he retired and turned the store over to his
son, Kenneth and son-in-law, Wes James. He
was active in Episcopal Church, having been
a member 57 years; was a member of Masonic
Lodge, and served on Draft Board during
WWII. He died of a heart attack Jan. 3, 1966.

Lillie was a hardworking, devoted house-
wife, mother and grandmother. She joined
the Episcopal Church 1918 & was active in
the Guild all her life. She was a Charter
member of Eastern Star; a member of Legion
Aux. & Hospital Aux. She did beautiful
embroidery cutwork. She too enjoyed playing
cards in later years. She was 83 when she died
in March 1975 but as her Granddaughter
said, "She was the Best - she was never old."