MUSSER, SAM AND MINNIE (BASSETT)

by Doris Griffith (Musser)

Entry F306 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

In the spring of 1928 Sam and Minnie
Musser moved from Grant County and leased
the Zahner place in Hooker County. The ten
section ranch was to be their home for the
next eleven years and their six children,
Helen, Sam Jr., Elsie, Doris, Don and Dolly
grew up there. There were several ranches for
rent near the Dismal - all were owned by
insurance companies and other loan compan-
ies. Every place for rent was sandy, had very
poor improvements, only one windmill
usually, to water all the livestock. This was
located somewhere between the house and
barn. A hill of sand was always north of the
buildings and deep sandy trails led to the
well. Sand blew around the buildings, drifted
over fences, and up against the door step. The
Zahnner ranch was between North and South
Creek on the Dismal, and Spring Creek ran
through the middle of the place. The fresh
running water must have been the determi-
ning factor for where the Mussers settled.

Minnie was the daughter of John and Elsie
Bassett. The Bassett family originated in
England. They came to the United States
about 1830. Sam was the son of John and Ida
Musser. The Musser ancestory were from
Germany and came to the United States in
1732. Sam and Minnie were working on
neighboring ranches south of Hyannis when
they decided to marry. Minnie had just taken
19 head of colts to break to ride at $5.00 a
piece, so Mussers rode to Hershey, Nebraska
to marry and took along the 19 colts to break
on the trip.

Minnie had the reputation of being an
excellent horse woman, and while Sam
farmed 2 or 3 fields of corn, Minnie broke the
horses and cared for the cattle. They worked
side by side during the years ofthe depression
and drouth and were able to pay debts, and
build a cow herd and raise their family. They
did not believe in milking cows, only for the
family use. Minnie had a trap line strung
every fall, and would sell a load of furs right
before Christmas, to give her family gifts they
could not have had otherwise. In 1928 Sam
bought and paid for a new car. This was
driven until 1931 when it broke down and was
later traded for horses to work. The next 8
years their only means of transportation was
horse back. When Sam became ill and needed
a doctor, he saddled his horse and rose 8 miles
to the highway, south of Mullen. He caught
a ride with a man headed north. After
consulting Dr. Walker Sam found a car
headed south to where his waiting horse stood
tied, so was able to get home that night.

Pasturing cattle helped with the income,
and when Sam pastured cattle for Charley
Kramer, Sr., times had gotten worse. When
fall came and time to take the cows home to
hay, Charley could not pay so Sam let him
take them out as they needed feed. Spring
came and still no money was received. Sam
found a penny, laid it on the window sill, and
said if he had one more cent he could write
to see if he could get his money. The kids
always hunted arrow heads, and one evening
while looking in the sand around the corral,
found an old penny which was used to mail
the letter to Kramer. This letter was answer-
ed promptly, and with full payment enclosed.

One fall Sam sold his calves for $12.00
head. He felt his neighbors laughed at him,
as he sold so quick and cheap. However,
prices dropped lower, and 2 or 3 men stopped
by to ask who he sold too. Sam was an
energetic, plain spoken man who often
philosophized that the Lord required a
certain amount of sweat from everyone.
Better to work while you were young and seat
it out, than loafing when young and have to
work and sweat when you got old. Minnie
wassa small, slim woman and always very
independent. When his horse fell and broke
Sam's shoulder, Minnie picked the corn crop
alone. Everyday she lifted a hundred pound
sack of cottoncake to the saddle of her big
white horse and fed the cows. She never
complained and had a happy disposition. She
could ride all day with the men, and after her
horse was taken care of' she'd hurry and fry
beef steak and make biscuits and coffee
before the men were washed for supper.

One by one the loan companies sold out
several neighbors, and people moved away.
As the Zahnner place was only leased by
Mussers, it sold to Ross Hager in 1938.
Mussers bought a ranch south of the Dismal.

Sam died in North Platte in 1947 at age 58.
Minnie passed away at home in 1972 at age
78. Minnie and Sam are buried at Eclipse
Cemetery near the Dismal River, where their
lives were spent in the hills they loved.

To quote Badger Clark "Now sand is sifted
in their tracks, and they are gone".