CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - BARKER ROWELL, Mrs. William ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp Permission Granted by Rod Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== Cedar County News 1 –8- 1930 Mrs. William Rowell one of the early day pioneers of Cedar county, quietly celebrated her eighty-sixth birthday last Monday at her home in St. James spending the day receiving many friends who called to offer congratulations and best wishes. This remarkable pioneer woman, because of her keen memory, is able to recall a number of most interesting experiences of the early days. Her life as a pioneer is typical of the many whose untiring efforts and courage made it possible to develop this great commonwealth. Born in York County, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 6, 1844, she moved to Morocco, Indiana, when at 11 years of age, and lived there until her marriage to John Barker. Having decided to come west, they started their long journey by covered wagon with four yoke of oxen. The Henry Mallatt family accompanied them on the trip. After being on the road for ten weeks they arrived in Cedar County and took up a homestead near Waucapona in 1868. This farm is now owned by Matt Burbach. During the trip west, they caught up with the William Sullivan family in Iowa and the three families journeyed on together to this county. The Mallatt and Sullivan families also took homesteads near Waucapona, not far from that on which the Barkers settled. In 1873, owing to Mr. Barker’s poor health, they left the farm and moved to St. James, where Mr. barker died the following year. On May 26, 1876, this pioneer woman was united in marriage to William Rowell, and in May 1926, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their home in St. James, receiving congratulations from a host of friends. Mr. Rowell died in May 1928, and Mrs. Rowell continues to live in the home in which she has resided continuously for over 56 years. Mrs. Rowell was one of Cedar County’s early school teachers, having taught at the Ames Creek school when they had just a little log building for a school house. She also taught at Waucapona. Indians came often to Mrs. Rowell’s home in the early days, especially in the fall of the year when they were out on their hunting trips and sometimes as many as 50 would be in the yard at one time. Mrs. Rowell smilingly recalls one time when a band of Indians stopped at her home wishing to trade her a butcher knife for a dog she had. She made the trade, and that night the Indians camped by the creek not far from her home, held a real pow-wow butchered and ate the dog. Until the last year or two Mrs. Rowell has been very active and she loved to work among her flowers of which she has many and varied kinds. In the summertime her yard is one mass of bloom, and friends calling on her seldom leave without a choice bouquet. On Decoration Day and other special days when flowers are needed, Mrs. Rowell has always been very generous. A short time ago, Mrs. Rowell presented her great-granddaughter who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Soost of near Bloomfield, with a little flat iron which she had used to iron with when she was a little girl, and which is over 75 years old. Mrs. Soost is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T.R. Barker of near Hartington, Mr. Barker being Mrs. Rowell’s son. The figure 6 seems to have played quite an important part in Mrs. Rowell’s life history. She was born on January 6, came to Cedar County in 1868, was married on May 26, 1876, and at the age of 86 has lived in the same house for 56 years.