NEAL, JOHN LUTHER (LOUIE), JR.

by Anna Neal Crouse

Entry F309 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

L-R: J.L. Neal Jr., Mary A.R. Herncall Neal, Mary Hickey, Joseph Herncall

John Luther (Louie) Neal, Jr. son of John
L. Sr. and Julia Prudilla (Davis) Neal was
born Febr. 7, 1875 in Iowa. Julia Neal died
in 1881 in Iowa. John Sr's sister, Matilda
(Neal) Bedell and Hugh Bedell a Wesleyan
Baptist Minister cared for John Sr's youngest
son William.

In 1887, John Sr. and boys, the Hugh
Bedells, and others came to McPherson Co.,
Nebr. There were still friendly Indians in the
area. John Sr. was the second person to
receive a patent for a homestead in the
county, first being John Hogg. John Sr's
patent was dated 19 July 1893, located
between the present Archie Neal and Lloyd
Connell ranches. John made a home for his
boys while still being near William. The older
boys worked on neighboring ranches' herding
cattle on the open range.

Louis Neal, born Febr. 7, 1875 was twelve
when they came west; early teens; an oppor-
tunity to help drive a herd of horses to
Eastern Wyoming; worked for 101 Ranch for
some time; learned to shear sheep, worked
with a crew contracting a shear large bands
of sheep each spring; hay crews in summer;
winter work was isolated camp herding,
rancher's cattle. When Homesteads became
available, he returned to Nebraska; filed on
a homestead, just west of brother Elmer's;
built a sod house; married the school-teacher,
Mary A.R. Herncall on jan. 1, 1907. Theodore
Roosevelt signed his deed for 160 acre
homestead in Hooker Co. on Febr. 25, 1907;
# 1609, SE 1/4 S27 T21 N. of R 32 West of 6th
PM.

After Louie and Mary (Lou) were married,
John Neal, Sr. made his home with them until
his death Aug. 14, 1914. He is buried at
Audubon, Iowa beside Julia. Louie and Mary
(Lou) had nine children; Joseph, Francis,
Alois, Regina, Alicia, Anna, Peter, James and
Mary Dorothy. Alicia and Peter lived only a
few hours. Mary (Lou) Herncall Neal was
oldest daughter of W.K. Herncall & M.
Barbara Bame; they sold their store in
Hemingford, Ne. and homesteaded west of
Hecla early 1900's. Mary (Lou) had taught
school in Box Butte Co. before teaching
Hecla, had attended Peru Normal summer
school, in 1904 she contracted for Sunflower
Valley School, District #6 Hooker co., Ne.
School Officials were: R.H. Shimmin, Direc-
tor; D.J. Lewis, Treasurer; H.G. Lillard,
Moderator. Pupils were Katy, Bobby, Harry,
George, Jessie, Frank Shimmin; Peter Shear-
er; Johnnie, Hettie, Bert, Thelma Thompson.
Frank and Jessie were twins just starting
school, Mary (Lou) boarded there and took
the children to school. The time of spelling
bees and Literaries!

The community had wonderful Sunday
baseball games, gatherings after Church; first
one and another family had a dance or party
games at their homes. when the fence-line
telephone was installed it drew the area closer
together. A few of the closest neighbors.
Elmer Neal, Grace Wickham; Hall's, Pur-
dums; Giles; Joe and Ella Wagner; Stan
Fuller; Florence Allen; Jessie Cooper; Arthur
Moore; Jordans; Bessie Showalter; Blan-
chards; Ira Comston; Cling; George Fuller;
Homer Gibbs; Johnny Powers; Uptons;
Shimmins; Lillards; Thompsons. With some-
one on half or whole section made for close
neighbors. R.H. Shimmin had the Dunwell
Post-office. Louie Neal was County Commis-
sioner at this time and was instrumental in
getting work done on the Dismal River
Bridge.

In summer families would get together to
pick fruit on the Dismal; Cherries; berries,
currants plums, grapes; a couple families to
a wagon, a picnic dinner, fried potatoes and
onions, a pail for each to pick fruit in. When
it was full of fruit there would be a swim in
the river, cold but refreshing. July 4th was
saved for John M. Neal's picnic in his grove,
men played horseshoes and baseball, visited;
women traded recipes, patterns; boys showed
off their ponies, rode calves, girls watched on
or took part.

The fall of 1924, Louie Neals older boys
were ready for high school, Mary and the
family went to Mullen for school; next fall the
family moved to town for school, boys were
janitors at the high school; Louie worked odd
jobs, Marshal in town. Spring of 1928 while
working with the shearing crew in Wyoming,
he got "Tick fever"; few people survived this,
he did went on to do hard labor; yard,
smoothed the sides of the new oiled road with
team and slip or fresno. Mary (Lou) served
as Librarian while the Library was in the
County Commissioners room in the Court-
house, then in the new building, Northwest
corner of the courtyard. Women's Club
managed the Library at this time. Their
children were grown so Louie and Mary
shared their home with people needing a
home near the Doctor, in need or care, W.K.
Herncall, Mary's father lived with them 1930
through 1940's. Near neighbors on the block;
Laura Kime; W. Bramer; E.P. Ericksen;
Theo. Folk; Frank Cleavenger, Lafe Ston-
er,V. Wrobluski.