WILLIAM H. SAILORS.

       The late William H. Sailors, who died at his home in the precinct of Barada on December 5, 1909, and who for many years was one of the best known farmers of that precinct, was a native of the old Hoosier state, but had been a resident of Richardson county since pioneer days, he and his wife  and those of their children who were horn in Indiana, having come here in the spring of 1870.  He was horn on a farm in Rush county, Indiana. April 9, 1837, son of Washington and Asenath (Scott) Sailors, natives of that same state, members of pioneer families in that part of [ndiana, and who were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this memorial sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow John, deceased; James A., who was a soldier of the Union army during the Civil War, having served for three years as a member of the Second Indiana Cavalry; Scott, deceased; Mrs. Mahala Allison, deceased; Andrew, now a resident of Hitchcock county, this state; Lot G., a resident of Bancroft, this state, and George, of Hitchcock county.

       Reared on the home farm in Indiana, William H. Sailors grew up there a practical farmer and after his marriage in the fall of 1860 established his home on a farm in Wabash county, Indiana, remaining there until the spring of 1870, when he came with his family to Nebraska, arriving in this county on March 8 of that year. Upon his arrival here he bought a tract of land in the precinct of Barada and there established his home, thus being a resident of this region at the time of the destructive visitation of grasshoppers some years later. Conditions of living- were pretty hard for some time thereafter, but he presently began to prosper and as he prospered he gradually added to his land holdings until he became the owner of more than seven hundred acres of land in Barada precinct and was long accounted one of the most substantial farmers and stockmen in that part of the county. He also took an active part in local civic affairs and was for some time a member of the board of supervisors, giving to the public service his most thoughtful and intelligent attention. He was an active member of the Christian church and he and his wife were ever interested in local good works, helpful in promoting all agencies having to do with the advancement of the common welfare in the community in which they lived. William H. Sailors died on December 5, 1909. and on May 20, 1915, his widow left the old home farm and moved to the village of Barada, where she is now living. She is the owner of two hundred and forty acres of excellent land in sections 18 and 19 of Barada precinct.

       On October 25, 1860, in Grant county, Indiana, William H. Sailors was united in marriage to Mary E. Miller, who was horn in Fayette county, that same state, February 18, 1845, a daughter of George W. and Harriet (Bloomheart) Miller, the former a native of the state of Virginia and the latter of the state of New York, who had moved to Indiana with their respective parents in the days of their youth and had there grown up and married. George W. Miller was the son of Andrew and Elizabeth Miller, natives of Virginia, and his wife was the daughter of Daniel and Clarissa (Gilmore) Bloomheart, natives, respectively, of Holland and of the state of New York. George W. Miller was born on April 5, 1817, and died in 1903. His wife, also born in 1817, preceded him to the grave many years, her death having occurred in 1857.

Contributed by Linda Sailors (Duffey) McKiernan Feb. 2009