CLEAVENGER, GEORGE M. AND ISABELLE LAVERING

by Mary Elliott

Entry F74 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

George Monroe Cleavenger and his wife
Arminda Isabelle (Belle) Lavering moved to
Mullen, Nebraska in 1898 from Moorhead,
Montana. They were considered among
Mullen's first residents. George was born
Nov. 8, 1847 to Thomas and Eliza E. Holbert
Cleavenger at Ritchie, Virginia and died Nov.
9, 1912 at Mullen, Nebraska. His wife Belle
was born Oct. 10, 1853 to William and Ann
Lavering at Sarpy Co. Iowa and passed away
April 29, 1930 at Mullen, Nebraska. They
were united in marriage at Washington,
Kansas in 1870. To this union eight children
were born, Elva Brockett, Mae Davis, Geor-
gia Kelly, Grace Hall, Estellyne Doyle, Frank
and Charles. A baby daughter died in infancy.

The Cleavengers lived for many years on
a farm near Washington, Kansas. After
having experienced two or three years of
Kansas drought, grasshoppers and hog chole-
ra they decided to move west, having received
letters from a relative telling of the wonderful
opportunities of Wyoming they decided to
make it their new home. George traveled to
Wyoming in spring and Belle followed in the
late fall with the children and a few house
hold goods and personal belongings. They
traveled to Whitewood, South Dakota, the
nearest railroad point for northeastern Wyo-
ming. In Whitewood they loaded their be-
longings on two prairie schooners and started
for Belle's brothers ranch on the Big Powder
River. George had built a large one room
cabin where they lived for several months.
Later he took a homestead farther down the
river across the Montana line. The little
ranch was located in a valley of the Powder
River. The nearest town or trading point for
several years was Miles City, Montana, a
distance of 125 miles, a ten day trip by wagon.

After George's health began to fail he sold
his ranch and cattle and traded his horses for
Nebraska land. In 1898 the family moved to
Mullen, Nebraska. In the early days he served
as county commissioner and occupied various
other positions of public trust. He raised
horses for breeding and market purposes and
was considered to be one of the best judges
of horses in the region, well known all over
this county. The Cleavengers were members
of St. Joseph's Episcopal Church and are
buried in the Cederview Cemetery at Mullen,
Nebraska.

Frank and Charles Cleavenger lived most
of their lives in Mullen. Frank married Alta
Kerns. To this union five boys, Cecil, Herb,
Bernard, Carl and one daughter Ione Howard
were born. Charles married Mary Ann
(Mayme) Totten and to this union one son
Jack Monroe and two daughters Ruth Au-
drey Brantley and Mary Alice Elliott were
born. Mary married Almond Dean Elliott and
still resides in Mullen. They have five
children, a son Dean and four daughters,
Alice (Mrs. Charles Schoene) Patsy (Mrs.
Nick Phipps) Lillie (Mrs. James Fackler) and
Judy (Mrs. Jerry Cool) . Almond and Mary
have ten grandchildren, seven boys and three
girls. Almond passed away in 1986 and is
buried in the Cederview Cemetery at Mullen.