Feb 10,1959 Atkinson Graphic
CHAS BIGELOW OF STUART IS DEAD AT 92
Charles N Bigelow, 92, one of Stuart’s oldest pioneer residents, died Mon morning, Feb 9, at St Anthony’s Hospital, O’Neill, where he had been a patient about 11 weeks.
Mr Bigelow, hotel owner, former farm operator, and dealer in livestock, grain and hay for many years, was one of western Holt County’s earliest settlers. A native of Kankaakee, Ill, he came to this county with his parents in 1881.
Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Wed afternoon at the Stuart Community Church with the Rev Herbert Young, pastor, officiating.
Burial was in the Stuart Cem under the direction of the Seger Funeral Home of Atkinson. The pallbearers were Pat Murphy, George Wallinger, Donald Krotter, Hubert Kohle, and Tom MeGuire, all of Stuart and Claude F Humphreys of Atkinson.
Charles Newell Bigelow, son of Dana N and Sarah Warren Bigelow, was born Sept 8,1866 at Kankakee, Ill.
He came to Holt County, Nebr at the age of 22 with his parents and his brother, Frank in the spring of 1881. The family settled on a homestead on the Sandy, northeast of Stuart.
Tragedy struck the family in Aug 1881, when Charlie’s father, Dana and his father’s brother, George, were trapped in a cave in while digging a well on the homestead. They were down approximately 30 feet when the shoring gave way and the center section of the well caved in on them.
George died of suffocation the first day of the accident, but Charlie’s father, still trapped in the well, lived for three days and was able to talk to members of the rescue party. He died just a few hours before he was removed from the well.
Men from the construction crew which was building the railroad through this section of the country at that time went to the Bigelow place and helped dig out the trapped homesteaders.
After Mr Bigelow’s death, the family moved to Stuart in 1882 and built the Stuart House, a hotel which Charles Bigelow still owned when he died and where he made his home.
Mr Bigelow was married to Belle Eldrige on March 7,1897, at O’Neill. His wife died in childbirth in 1901 and the baby also was lost.
He is survived by one brother, Frank W Bigelow of Atkinson; six nephews and nieces, F Dana Bigelow of Stuart; Maurice and John N Bigelow of Los Angeles, Cal; Mrs Frank Kennelly of Denver, Colo; Mrs Marion Sack of Los Angeles; and Mrs Leo F Seger of Atkinson; also his friend, Miss Minnie Haskins, who for many years has rented and operated the hotel where he made his home.
Stuart Centennial, A One Hundred Year History of Stuart, Nebraska
1884-1984
Page 211
Has picture of Frank and Margaret Carberry Bigelow with their two sons, Maurice and F Dana.
Dana N Bigelow and born in Ill in 1844. He married Sarah S Warren in Nov 1865. Sarah was born in NJ, April 30, 1848. She moved with her parents and family to Ill in 1854.
Dana N and Sarah lived at Essex, Kankakee Co, Ill. 2 sons were born to them; Charlie N on Sept 8,1866; and Frank Warren on Nov 10,1869.
In the winter of 1880-81 the Bigelow family came to Nebr from Ill. Dana loaded his wife and family into a glorified box car called an immigrant car during Christmas week of 1880. They were accompanied by Dana’s brother, George W. They traveled to Niobrara, Nebr and were met there by a winter of heavy snow. As they did not have a place to live, they stayed in the immigrant car along with their cattle and horses until March of 1881. At that time, they left the box car and homesteaded on the Sandy Creek northeast of Stuart.
‘During the summer of that year, Dana N Bigelow who was a most estimable and worthy man, with the assistance of his brother, George, was digging a well upon his homestead. They were both in the well and down to a depth of 28 feet when the curbing gave way and they were imprisoned. This was on Thur about 1 o’clock. Neighbors from all around, many citizens from Atkinson and many of the hands who were working on the Elkhorn road came to render assistance but for some unaccountable reason, the rescue was not accomplished until 6 o’clock pm on Sun. George showed evidence of having been dead some time but the body of Dana was still warm and he probably had not been dead more than an hour or two. Dana died on April 10,1881 at the age of 37.
With this sad and crushing blow, begun the life of Sarah in Holt County. In 1882, Mrs Bigelow built the Stuart House, moved to this place and operated the same until her demise.
Sarah was a woman of strong character, strict integrity, indomitable energy and industry, was a good manager and possessed of more than ordinary ability. Through the duties that devolved upon her were arduous in the extreme, she met them bravely. She husbanded her affairs well, dealt honorably, kept her credit good and strove to bring up her family in the way they should go. A large circle of acquaintances will attest to the truth of this.
The cause of the sad and untimely death of Sarah (on Aug 16,1896) was a cancerous tumor in the breast, which begun its growth sometime over two years ago. On account of the duties devolving upon her, she procrastinated giving herself medical assistance until the latter part of last year when she made arrangement’s to go into the Woman’s Hospital of Chicago, to be operated upon by Dr Byford, one of the most eminent specialist of that city. A spell of sickness detained her and she did not reach the hospital until the middle of Feb. The operation was performed on Feb 17. It was a very severe one. Later a second one was performed. On May 19th in a very debilitated condition physically, she left the hospital and went to Essex, Kankanee Co, Ill to recuperate sufficiently to get home. The ten weeks spent with her relatives she was confined to her bed all the time in much distress and pain. It was then decided to bring her home. This was accomplished without injury to the patient by means of the sleeper on the 30th and 31st of July. While returning to the pure and bracing air of Nebr benefited her for a time, she could not, though she struggled hard and bravely, free herself from the octopus that was slowly but surely wrapping its tentacles about her and drawing her down to the valley and the shadow. She took suddenly worse on the 14th and on the 16th succumbed.
Sarah was the youngest of a family of 5 boys and 3 girls, all of whom together with their mother were still living near Essex, Ill. She was the favorite of the family and a general favorite among her associates.- Stuart Ledger Aug 20,1896.
Dana and Sarah’s sons, Charlie and Frank, virtually lived the rest of their lives in and around Stuart.
Charlie married Belle Eldridge (born 1875) at O’Neill, Nebr on March 7,1897. 4 years later in Aug 1901, Belle tragically died at the age of 26 during childbirth. Charlie remained in Stuart but never remarried. He died Feb 10,1959 at the age of 92 eyars. Both Belle and Charlie are buried in the Stuart Cemetery.
Frank married Margaret Julia Carberry on Dec 29,1891 at Stuart. Margaret was the daughter of John and Mary Stuart Carberry. During Frank’s life, he was active in ranching. He bought and sold livestock and hay. He was joined in the business by his oldest son, F Dana.
Margaret Julia passed away Aug 14,1937, after a long illness at the age of 64. Frank passed away on Feb 8,1965, at the age of 95, both are buried at St Joseph’s Cem in Atkinson.
Frank and Margaret had 7 children; Helen who died in infancy; Frances Dana, Maurice Charles, John Norman, Margaret Theresa, Blanche Anne, and Marion Genevieve.
Maurice (1898-1960) married Mary Smith and had one dau, Mary Margaret “Mickey”. She married Al Ettlin and had 7 children. They live at Canyon Lake, Cal.
John (1905-1973) married Teresa Collins and had 2 dau. Jackie who has 4 children, lives in Santa Barbara, Cal; and Maureen Smith who has 3 boys and lives in La Habre, Cal.
Margaret (June 16,1909- ) married Frank Kennelly and lives in Denver, Colo. They had a dau, Kathy, who married John Brock and lives in Denver.
Blanche “Pat” (Nov 4,1910- April 30,1964) married Leo F Seger of Atkinson. They have 4 children; Patti Lee, Paul, Margaret and Mary. Pattie married Ed Callahan, has 7 children, lives in Omaha. Paul married Karen Kaup, has 8 children, lives in Atkinson. Margaret married Gary Burkholder, has 2 children, lives in Omaha. Mary married Orlon Braun , has 3 children, lives in Atkinson.
Marion (1913-1974) married Lyndell Sack, had a son, John , who lives in Cal.
F Dana (Nov 5,1894-Feb 18,1983) married Marcella Kunz in 1935. Marcella born Jan 14,1909, dau of Donat and Emma Pettinger Kunz. Except for the time earning a degree at the U of Nebr and serving in the Army, F Dana lived most of his life in Stuart. He took over the family business as his father, Frank, grew older. F Dana was active in the business until shortly before his death in Feb 1983.
F Dana and Marcella have 6 children; Marcia (Mrs Jim Hindmarsh) who lives in Fremont, Cal; Sharon (Mrs Morgan Berthrong) who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo; Barbara (Mrs Dominic Tripp) who lives in Omaha; Dana F who lives in Wauwatosa, Wis.; Thomas C who lives in Garden City, Kan; George W who lives in Omaha. They brought up their family in the Bigelow house at the edge of Stuart. This house was built by John Carberry in 1894, just south of where he had built a soddie. The house has made the transition from John Carberry to Frank Bigelow to F Dana Bigelow. It is presently the home of F Dana’s wife, Marcella.
Written by Marcella Bigelow and son, George.
Stuart Centennial, A One Hundred Year History of Stuart, Nebraska
1884-1984
Page 214
John Carberry, one of the founders of Stuart, was born in County Kerry near Dublin, Ireland on Oct 4,1835. John appeared on the scene in Soctland when it became necessary for him to flee Ireland because of the civil unrest in that country.
John’s future wife, Mary Stuart, was a member of a family who also figured prominently in Stuart’s history. She was born in South Leith, Scotland, Oct 24,1846, and received her early education in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the dau of Peter Stuart, a sea captain who was a native of Scotland and a descendant of the reigning Stuarts. Peter came to Stuart and became the town’s first postmaster. The town of Stuart derives its name from him.
The courtship between John and Mary was brief because, even in Scotland, John’s life was in danger. A search of the Irish rebel was being conducted by loyal British subjects. After John and Mary’s marriage on May 18,1863, it was necessary for John to flee to America.
In 1867, John sailed to NY. Later Mary and their two year old son, Peter, arrived in NY where they made their home for one year. They then moved to Harrison Co, Steubenville, Ohio. John was engaged in the real estate business for a number of years in the eastern states. The lure of Nebr attracted John and in 1875 he packed up his family and moved west with General O’Neill.
The family first stopped in Wisner, Nebr. When John came to Holt County, he filed a pre emption on the present town site of Atkinson. The site, church property and Cemetery of that city are a lasting monument to the Carberry’s unbounded generosity since they gave the land to Atkinson.
In the spring of 1879 John filed a homestead in the area which was to become the town of Stuart. He built a sod house north of where the Bigelow house now stands. From this soddie, he sold and bartered food, tools, and other necessities that he brought up from Atkinson.
In those days, the railroad did not come to Stuart. John and Orange Hallock, another land owner, wanted the railroad to come to Stuart for obvious practical and economic reasons, so they both gave land to the railroad. However, each wanted the depot in his section of town. Neither could persuade the other that his site was preferable so they compromised. This explains why the first depot was approximately in the middle of what is now Main Street and thus bordered each man’s property.
The Carberry’s prospered in Nebr and at one time the Stuart township, almost in its entirety was the property of the Carberry family.Mary was a woman of high intellectual attainments and of considerable travel, since the Carberrys had resided in many parts of the US.
John passed away on May 19,1896. Mary passed away on Feb 9,1918. both died in Stuart, but they are buried in the St Joseph Cem, in Atkinson. Mary’s father, Captain Peter Stuart, was injured in a runaway accident in Stuart and died a couple weeks later. He is also buried at St Joseph’s.
John and Mary had 11 children; Peter C, Margaret, Minnie, Theresa, Lizzie, Anna, John, Clement, Thomas and two children who died in infancy, and could not be traced.
Peter C was born 1865, passed away 1931.
Lizzie never married, passed away 1887.
Clement was born 1891, passed away as a small child in 1893.
Minnie was born 1878 and married a McNulty. She had two dau, Jean and Maureen who are both deceased. Minnie passed away 1895.
John born 1886, passed away 1929, was married, but had no children.
Thomas never married
Anna born 1880, married H D Caddy. Had three children; Frank who lives in Colo; Helen and Agnes who are deceased. Anna passed away 1926.
Theresa was born June 22,1878, married Frank S Stuart at Deadwood, SD in 1900. Her husband was an early day ranch partner of James Kahlman who later was mayor of Omaha for many years. They lived in Deadwood for several years, returned to Stuart for a brief stay, then moved to Casper, Wyo where they owned and operated a Ladies ready to wear store. After her husband’s death, Theresa moved to Cal where she died from a heart attack Dec 25,1961, at the age of 83. Theresa and Frank had no children.
Margaret Julia was the fourth child and was born Steubenville, Ohio Jan 14,1873. she married Frank Warren Bigelow at Stuart on Dec 29,1891. They had seven children. Helen, Francis Dana, Maurice Charles, John Norman, Margaret Thersa, Blanche Ann, Marion Genevive.
Margaret Julia Carberry Bigelow passed away Aug 14,1937 after a long illness at the age of 64. Frank died on Feb 3,1965 at the age of 95. Both are buried at St Joseph’s Cemetery
Written by F Dana’s wife, Marcella Bigelow and son, George.
Page 9
John Carberry was born in Ireland on Oct 4,1835. John became involved in the political scene in Scotland and it became necessary for him to flee because of the civil unrest in that country. Due to the unrest it became necessary to make his courtship brief and in 1863 he married Mary Stuart of Scotland, the daughter of a sea captain.
In 1867 John fled Scotland and sailed to America, arriving in New York. His wife, Mary, and two year old son, came later and stayed in New York for one year. Then they moved to Ohio where John was engaged in the real estate business for a number of years.
The lure of Nebraska attracted John and in1876, he packed his family and moved west with General O’Neill. When John came to Holt County, he filed a pre-emption on the present town site of Atkinson. The site, church property, and cemetery of Atkinson are a lasting monument to the Carberry’s unbounded generosity as they gave the land for the purpose of building a Catholic Church.
The Carberry’s prospered in Nebraska, and at one time, the Stuart, Nebraska, township was the property of the Carberry’s. John and Mary were people of high intellectual attainments. John died in 1896 and Mary passed away in 1918. They are buried in St Joseph’s Cemetery.
The Atkinson Graphic - May 21,1896
Last Tuesday morning about 9 o’clock John Carberry, a resident of Stuart, but a former resident of Atkinson, having come through here twenty years ago, walked through his house from the front to the back porch, saw the sheriff coming, placed a revolver to the right side of his head, back of the ear, and fired with deadly effects.
From: The Atkinson Graphic - Aug 20,1937
MRS FRANK BIGELOW OF STUART IS DEAD
Was Dau of John Carberry, First Settler in Atkinson and Stuart Communities
Mrs Frank W Bigelow of Stuart, dau of the man who first settled on the sites of Atkinson and Stuart, died Sat, Aug 14. She was 64 years of age. Funeral rites were held Mon morning at St Boniface Catholic Church in Stuart, and burial was in St Joseph’s Cem, Atkinson.
Before her marriage in Stuart on Dec 29,1891 to Mr Bigelow, she was Margaret Julia Carberry, dau of John Carberry who in 1876 took a tree claim on the site that later became Atkinson, and in 1877 homesteaded the present site of Stuart. She also was a granddaughter of Captain Stuart, after whom the western Holt county village of Stuart was named.
Mrs Bigelow was born Jan 14,1873 in Steubenville, Ohio. She is survived by her husband, Frank W Bigelow, of Stuart, and 6 children; Francis Dana of Stuart; Maurice Charles of Washington DC; John Norman of Los Angeles, Cal; Margaret Theresa (Mrs Frank Kennelly ) of Casper, Wyo; Blanche Ann (Mrs Leo Seger) of Broken Bow; and Marion Genevieve of Stuart; a sister, Mrs Theresa Stuart, lives in Casper, Wyo. One daughter, Helen, preceded her in death.
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