William Herman Rood.
Yes, Herman has gone, and as yet we have not been able to realize it - can not make ourself believe, he will not come into the office as he has done almost daily for months - can not believe that the brother with whom we have been closely associated in a social way as long as we can remember has gone from us and will never return.
Herman was born in Rock county, Wisconsin, December 20, 1848 and on the day of his death, October 20, 1917, he lacked but two months of being 69 years of age. When he was about three years of age, the family moved to Waushara, Wisconsin. Here Herman remained with his parents and increasing number of brothers and sisters till in the fall of 1864, November 22, he enlisted with his father in Co. G Wisconsin infantry and went south under the flag to defend his country's honor. Herman was fifteen years of age when he enlisted, but he made a good soldier and was sent directly into a regiment that had seen lots of hard service. At the close of the war he was in the Grand Review at Washington with his father and his oldest brother Hosea.
In the fall of 1871 together with his father, C. P. Rood, John Sheldon and Mansell Davis he came to Valley county over land from Wisconsin to search out a better land for a colony of Seventh-day Baptists. They camped on the river just over the line south of the Mansell Davis farm October 30. An extract from his diary of that date says, 'After getting a good breakfast we set our faces towards the bluffs (the bluffs are the Chalk hills near Scotia). Camped for dinner before crossing the bluffs. We boys followed the river, while father crossed the hills with the team to the valley above. Went into camp all tired out at some willows on the river. We are now at our journey's end; indeed we feel as tho we are out west for all settlers are below us. The day has been fine; antelope are plentiful, but we have no time to hunt them.' Another entry in his diary tells of their crossing the Missouri into Nebraska. That entry was October 22, 1872, just 46 years ago Monday. Herman kept a diary for many years, in fact till his health failed him.
On this trip Mansell and John homesteaded - 46 years ago this fall. Of the members of the two committees sent out by the Wisconsin colony, only John Sheldon is living - two, Mansell and Herman, have gone to another country within the past year.
Herman's next visit to this country was in the spring of 1872 when he came thru by rail accompanying Oscar Babcock and family to their new home. In the summer of 1873 he went to Omaha where he worked with H. A. Babcock and later in the summer he went to Minnesota with his brother Charlie to labor in the harvest fields. They worked for the father of B. H. Johnson. Herman went on to Wisconsin and the next spring again started overland for Nebraska accompanied by his sister, Mrs. Emma Terry, of Boulder, Colorado. The party drove thru a lot of stock belonging to those who had started earlier in the spring and who did not want to be bothered with the stock.
From that time on Herman's life has been a part of the history of Valley county, especially of North Loup. He was an officer in the militia organized to protect the citizens against the Indians; he had held every office in the township, was an active, efficient member of the school board - always taking an active interest in public affairs. For a number of years he was the postmaster in the village, succeeding Oscar Babcock. He was for nearly a quarter of a century, recorder for the local A. O. U. W. lodge, was active in the councils of the Degree of Honor and was the life of Lombard Post G. A. R. He was its youngest member and a constituent one of the Post. He was also a member of the Masonic order. When a young man he was a teacher in the S. D. B. Sabbath school, and tho he never became a member of the church, his sympathies were with its teachings and with its work.
April 7, 1880, Herman was united in marriage with Miss Linda Pierce at the Pierce home across the river in the Big Bend country. To them was born one daughter, now Mrs. O. R. Hill. Mrs. Rood died May 30, 1912, since which time Herman had lived in his own house except such times as he spent with his daughter or in visiting relatives and friends. During his last sickness his daughter gave him the very best of care and attention and was with him day and night.
It was only a few weeks before his death that Herman went to Omaha to consult a specialist. He was told he was suffering from a cancer in his stomach and lungs, and that there was no hope for him. He came home, settled his business affairs and calmly waited the end which he knew was not far away.
If ever there was a trust committed to Herman Rood to which he was not true, to which he did not give his best endeavors, to which he did not give the best there was in him we do not know what it was. He was more than usually thotful of others, was generous to a fault, was sympathetic, but was not demonstrative, was true to his friends, loyal to his family, a great lover of children - was never more happy than when playing with children. We who knew him best knew his virtues and his faults and knew best how to appreciate him.
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the S. D. B. church conducted by pastor A. L. Davis. The services were attended in a body by A. O. U. W., the Degree of Honor and the G. A. R. Beautiful and appreciated music was furnished by a mixed double quartet. The body was laid beside the body of his wife in the cemetery which commands a view of the valley Herman first saw forty-six years before his death.
