TOMPKINS, GLEN T. AND CLAUDIA B.

by Claudia Machlan Tompkins

Entry F422 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Claudia and Glen Tompkins, 35th Anniversary, October 23, 1976.

July 1986, Four Generations. Back to front: Cheryl Tompkins Valdes,
Robin Valdes, Crissy Valdes, Daryl Tompkins, Eric Tompkins, Trevor Tompkins,
Claudia Tompkins, daughter of Edythe E. Eggers 89 years, Ronald Tompkins,
Michaela Tompkins, Christopher Tompkins.

Glen was born in Alliance, Nebraska, May
19, 1916. Claudia Machlan was born in
Weldon, Iowa June 1917. Glen and Claudia
were married October 23, 1941, following
Glen's volunteering for military service Feb-
ruary 1941. Glen served four years including
three years overseas during WWII. Claudia,
in the meantime was teaching in the Mullen
Elementary School following four years
teaching in the rural schools, Mullen district.

Rural schools in the `30's and before were
usually located as early as possible between
families. Youngsters and teachers often had
to walk or ride horses three or more miles in
all kinds of weather. There were no phones,
electric lights, gas heat and seldom any
playground equipment. Quite a contrast to
the few present day rural schools that still
exist in the neighboring county.

Glen returned from overseas in `44 and was
stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas as a
platoon Sgt. in leadership and training.
Claudia joined him until his medical dis-
charge. January 5, `45 their infant son Russell
H. was born and he left us January 8th. We
lived a short time in Alliance where Glen was
employed as Fireman on R.R. engines. We
then settled in Mullen. Glen was employed
by the City Light Plant. Son Ronald was born
`46. Due to a teacher shortage,
Claudia returned to teaching in the Mullen
School for two years. In `51, twins
Cheryl and Daryl arrived with Dr. Melvin
Hoyt and his wife, Lucille R.N. in attendance
at the Ruth Huddle Nursing Home,in Mul-
len.

In the winter of `49, Glen was out in a truck
during the first part of that terrible blizzard,
a blizzard that everyone in the Sandhills will
not forget. In 1951, Glen bought Les Beeler's
plumbing business and later sold that busi-
ness to J.E. Macke and the family moved to
Gooding, Idaho for two years. We returned
to Mullen (once a Sandhiller, always a
sandhiller). Glen worked a time on the R/M
ranch and Claudia returned to teaching.

In `63, Glen and Claudia, with son Ronald,
drew up an original blueprint for a home,
which had been Glen's dream of building
himself. The dream became a reality by
August of `64 when the family moved in with
each member having a feeling of satisfaction
in helping mix mud, pound nails, etc. In `74,
Glen and Claudia laid up a big block building
for a workshop and studio. Glen enjoys
woodworking when not playing golf. Claudia
paints, sculps original ceramics, does engra-
ving and calligraphy and Church work.

Glen worked fifteen years as High School
Custodian and retired from that due to
health but continued driving a school bus for
seven years. Claudia retired after 29 years of
teaching, eight of which was as an Art
instructor in both Elementary and High
School in Mullen. Three ofthe eight were also
spent with a team-teacher, Mabell Cox,
traveling to rural schools in the afternoons
teaching Music and Art. They drove a school
utility bus (without a CB) nearly 1000 miles
a month over sandhill trails and battled many
snow drifts and undesirable weather. Claudia
added five more years to her record of
teaching by substituting in the schools thus
completing her teaching career.

Some past experiences of Claudia's young
life in Hooker County are as follows: (Glen's
boyhood was spent in Box Butte County).
The Machlan family in the `20's went to visit
a relative in McPherson County with a team
and buggy as transportation. The bridge was
washed out so they attempted to cross the
Dismal River, south of Seneca, only to get
stuck in the quicksand. The horses were
quickly unhitched, and Russell carried 5 year
old Claudia and helped Edythe to the shore
then went for help to get the buggy out, as it
was sinking. Another experience that was
looked forward to, was the rounding up and
driving cattle to the stockyards either in
Mullen or Seneca for shipment to Omaha by
rail, in the fall ofthe year. Claudia remembers
her first white Indian pony, with an Indian's
symbol on it's hip, that she rode over three
miles to school in Seneca also the experience
of driving a single horse in shafts one year to
the same school. A very unforgettable and
terrifying experience was in walking over
three miles in a blinding blizzard from the
school where she was teaching, to home. She
used her feet to kick the banks of the sand
trail to keep on course, resulting in over three
hours of slow travel, a frost-bitten face, legs
and feet, however very thankful to have
arrived safely at home. Anyone that has
known the many unusual, frightening experi-
ences of the past have to be appreciative and
thankful for the present day means of
communication, transportation and the com-
forts that we now have.

The couple's oldest son, Ronald lives in
Lincoln with his wife Janet, son Christopher
and daughter, Michaela. Ron works in elec-
tronics. Daughter Cheryl lives in Colorado
Springs, daughters Robin and Crissy. She
works in the City Library. Daryl lives in
Kearney with wife R.N., Trudi and sons,
Trevor and Eric. He is a District Manager in
Insurance.