Family:Joseph Woolery and Maud Suit (1)

Written by Muriel Vernin Woolery Reichman, granddaughter of Dick Woolery:

  "Joseph Richard "Dick" Woolery was born in Pleasant Green, Pettis County, Mo., on Apr, 1, 1864.  He was the sixth of nine children born to Joseph Perry Woolery and Eliza (Carpenter) Woolery.  His great-grandfather, Lawrence Woolery, emigrated from Pennsylvania to Missouri prior to 1810.  Descendents of his grandfather, Steven Woolery, and father, Joseph Perry Woolery, still live in Missouri.
  Dick was orphaned at age 12 and lived with his uncle, Thomas Woolery, until age 18.  Then he was employed as a farm worker for $13.00 per month.  At age 21, he moved to Kansas and was employed in ranch work.  After three years, he moved to Denver, Colo., and was engaged in teaming for about a year.  He came to Deuel County (Garden County was formed from Deuel County in 1909) in 1890 at age 26.  He homesteaded eight miles west of Oshkosh, Nebr., (SE 1/4  S.10, T.17, R.45).  In 1900, he took another homestead one mile west of the original site (NW 1/4  S.9, T.17, R.45).  Dick chose the land  just east of the Bower brothers horse ranch.  He loved all animals, but especially horses.  Dick and Will Bower bred, raised and trained quarter horses on a track constructed near the Bower ranch.  They rode their own horses in the races in Oshkosh, Nebr. on Saturdays.  A lot of money changed hands at these races, and few horses could beat Dick's horse, Zebedee.  Zebedee and another stallion were kept at stud at the Woolery farm.
  On May 26, 1895, Dick married Maud Vernin Suit, daughter of Salathial Buckner Suit and Samantha Ellen "Helen" (Kimbel) Suit.  Maud was born Dec. 17, 1877 in Kanesville (now known as Council Bluffs), Iowa.  Maud's father, Salathial had emigrated from Indiana to Iowa.  Maud's mother, Helen, was born in the Utah Territory as her parents, William Zattoo Kimbel and Sabra Catherine Van Leuven traveled the Mormon trail.  The family later returned to Council Bluffs.  Maud moved with her parents to western Nebraska in 1887 and they became pioneer farmers west of Oshkosh, Nebr. 
  Dick brought his bride to a one-room sod house that he had constructed.  Later, a larger three-room sod house was constructed.  In the winter of 1903-04, a rock house was built on the site of the original one-room house.  Munson Starkane constructed this house for $100 plus his board and room.  The rock was quarried from the Woolery homestead.  The lumber was brought from Chappell, Nebr., by team and wagon, fording the North Platte River south of the homestead.  Dick avoided another long trip to Chappell, by sawing a different type of rock into brick sixe pieces for the chimney. 
  Dick and Maud had three children:  Joseph Percy on Jan. 5, 1898, married Ruth Sothman; Mildred Verna on June 16, 1901, married John Frates, then Fred Buswell; and Cecil Gwendoleen "Peg" on Nov. 20, 1904, married Monte Smith.  The children received their education in neighborhood homes, if and when school was held and a teacher was available.  A school was built later.
  Dick was a substantial stockgrower of the county, raising cattle, horses and hogs.  He kept an average of 50 head of cattle and shipped a carload of hogs annually.  He was one of the stockholders in the Farmer's Elevator and in the Farmer's Mercantile Co., in Lisco, Nebr.  Dick was always ready and willing to help neighbors in time of need.  Dick was influential in public affairs in Garden County.  He served as County Commissioner from Lisco., Nebr. from 1912 to 1920.
  Dick and Maud's firt telephone was installed in about 1909, with the neighbors building and maintaining their own telephone lines.  They were the proud owners of the first 'Ford' in Garden County.  After driving it for about a year, and in a three-way trade in 1911, they ended up with a house in Oshkosh, Nebr., valued at $600.  They sold it in 1916 for $1200.  In 1918, they bought a second home in Oshkosh for $3600, and moved there in 1919.
  Maud died from septecemia on Febr. 15, 1920 at age 42, in a North Platte, Nebr. hospital.  Dick died on Aug. 4, 1947 at age 83 in the Oshkosh Community Hospital, having suffered a heat stroke a few days earlier. Both are buried in the Oshkosh Cemetery."