BOYER, HUGH BEE AND SARAH ANN (HUNTSMAN)

by Gussie Boyer Osborne

Entry F38 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Hugh B. Boyer Family Front - Hugh B. Gussie,
Sarah. Back - Lessie and Haskle D.

Hugh Bee Boyer and his wife Sarah came
to Mullen by train from Elkhart, Texas in
1900, with their 3 children, Haskle 6, Lessie
4, and Gussie 8 months. Born in Mercer
County, West Virginia 4 June 1871, he
traveled by team and wagon with his parents,
Dennis & Sarah E. Fielder Boyer, to Tennes-
see in 1872, then on to Anderson County,
Texas in 1878, where he grew to manhood on
a farm near Elkhart. Hugh and Sarah were
married near Crockett, Texas on Easter
Sunday, 12 April 1891. She was the oldest
child of Charles and Amanda Jane (Hassell)
Huntsman of Crockett.

Sarah wrote in 1956 about their experi-
ences as follows: " . . . we sold what we had,
which was not much and took the train to
arrive in Mullen March 21, 1900 at 3 A.M. It
was cold and sprinkling a little snow. There
was a box car depot, a small hotel, one general
store which handled lumber, coal, posts, wire,
hardware, dry goods and groceries. The post
office was in the same building. The owner,
H.J. Lowe and wife Mary, two sons, Lewis &
Elliott, lived in a soddy back of the store.
There was also a saloon and pool hall with a
barber. There was one tree in the town and
two livery barns. We went to the country with
Uncle Steve James to Dennis Boyer's home-
stead. We then found a place two miles from
Hugh's parents and filed on the homestead
of 160 acres. With the help of Uncle Steve and
Uncle Hugh Boyer and their boys we soon
had a sod house and a good well. We bought
2 milk cows, 4 horses and some chickens. Also
a mowing machine and rake. We planted
garden in the sod which had been plower for
a fire guard. We raised two wagon loads of
pumpkins, watermelons and squash and
shared with anyone who needed them. Also
a nice field of corn on 12 acres of sod & put
up a nice bunch of hay. All was so new to us,
with no weeds or sandburrs to bother, and no
cultivation necessary as required in the south
where we had raised cotton. We planted a few
boxelder roots and they grew real well. In a
few years we had a little shade. Later we
planted some other trees and by that time
other folks had planted trees. Now there is
a nice grove of trees in most every valley. The
first prairie-fire we witnessed started 20
miles north in October 1900. It burned clear
to the Loup River east of Mullen. There was
not much loss other than range land, as the
settlers knew they must have good fire guards
plowed around their homes.

"There was no school, doctor, or minster
among the few settlers, and none in town 7 1/2
miles away. There were no roads only as you
made one by driving the same way each time.
I remarked to some of the other settlers that
I did not want to stay if we could not have a
Sunday-school, so immediately one was
organized. We met at Uncle Steve James' and
people attended from 10 to 15 miles around.
We then built a two story house 16' X 20' with
a hall between the frame and soddy. It was
finished in time to put up our Christmas tree
and a few families came in and spent
Christmas eve with us. The trimming on the
tree was paper chains made of colored
wrapping paper and strings of popcorn. We
were all happy and enjoyed what we had
immensely.

"The next need was a school, so the
neighbors got together and built a school
house. The first year we just had a 3-month
school in the spring about one mile from our
home. We had Sunday school in the school
house and soon got the preacher that came
to Mullen, to come out and preach for us once
a month. Grandpa Deaton was one of the
early preachers. We would gather at the
school house for box suppers to help pay the
preacher.

"On the 4th of July we had picnics, foot
races, nail driving contests, some bucking
horses and a big dinner all together. In 1908
we tore the frame house down and built a 7-
room frame house with two porches. In 1917,
Hugh's asthma got so bad he could no longer
work with the livestock. Haskle had just
finished Ag school at Lincoln, but could not
help as he was called to the Army. We built
a new brick house on the hill in southeast
Mullen and moved in 1917, November. Our
daughter, Lessie and husband, John Goldiz-
en, moved back from Wyoming and took over
the ranch. In the spring of 1919 the ranch
house caught fire during the night and
burned down. Lessie and John fixed up a
small house to do until a better house could
be built, but after the crop was in, they moved
back to Wyoming."

In completing her story, Mrs. Boyer said,
"Now in 1956 I have seven grand-children, all
in homes of their own and good christian
families. I feel the seeds were sown out there
at those little gatherings and l enjoy thinking,
"God led me then as now. "

Hugh and Sarah were active workers in the
Methodist Church. Hugh painted houses in
Mullen and painted many of the one-room
school houses which were common. He was
also county assessor for many years. Sarah
was known for the many quilts she made and
helping others in times of sickness or trouble.
They kept many roomers and boarders
through the years and were frequently sent
guests from out of town when the hotel was
full.

Hugh died 17 March 1954 at the age of 82,
and Sarah 5 March 1968 at the age of 94. Both
are buried in Cedarview Cemetery at Mullen.

Their children, Haskle, married Elvia May
Fox 15 June 1920, had 6 children. Lessie
married John Goldizen 8 May 1915 and had
one daughter. Gussie married Mac Osborne
18 May 1924, they had one son. Gussie lives
in Mullen.