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Growing Memories

Francis E. "Ed" Payne

F.E. Payne Death Announcement & Obituary

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Ed Payne, prominent and well known Webster county farmer, died suddenly of heart failure while at work in the field on his farm in Catherton Township Wednesday afternoon about four o’clock. Mr. Payne was at work driving a riding plow and apparently was in his usual good health. Employees on the farm noticed the team standing at one corner of the field with Mr. Payne in the seat but in a leaning position. Upon investigation it was found that life was extinct and that he had fallen forward and the body had caught in the machinery and to all appearances he had died instantly.

Source:
Bladen Enterprise
Friday, May 11, 1917
Page 1, Column 4 

F.E. Payne was born in Frederick County, Virginia, September 23, 1850 and was aged 66 years, 8 months and 16 days. He received a common school education in his native state, and at the age of twenty-two years he began life for himself as a farmer, following that occupation with success in Virginia until 1877, when he came to Nebraska, homesteading on 320 acres in Catherton township, where he continued to reside until the time of his death. He took an active part in local and state politics, and in 1914 was chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee. Mr. Payne was always ready and willing to take an interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare and advancement of the state, county and community, and during the past winter he devoted much time to the Federal Road Act. He was a man possessing all the qualities of a gentleman, kind and loving father, and husband, a good neighbor and an upright christian man, having been a member of the Baptist church for many years. In July, 1881 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Vernie Clutter, to this union was born one daughter, Wilella, now Mrs. C M Wilson. Mrs. Payne preceded him to the great beyond in the year of 1885(sic). He is survived by one daughter, four grandchildren, one brother and three sisters. Funeral services were conducted at the New Virginia church Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock by Rev R B E Hill of McCool, and was largely attended by neighbors and friends of deceased, and the remains were laid to rest in the new Virginia cemetery.

Source:
Bladen Enterprise
Friday, May 18, 1917
Page 1, Column 4 

Ed Payne Homestead

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Francis “Ed” Payne came in 1877 and entered a homestead and timberclaim in section 34, eventually owning all of that section. Ed Payne’s parents, Richard T. Payne, came in 1883, along with daughters Carrie and Pinkney, and son, Bruce Payne.

Source:
Webster County: Visions of the Past
By Mabel Cooper Skjelver
Published 1980
Page 63

Ed Payne Homestead 1886

Photograph courtesy of John Wilson, grandson of F.E. Payne

Ed Payne is holding his daughter, Wilella, with his mother, Mrs. Richard T. Payne in the background. His sister, Carrie, later Mrs. Noah Harvey, is in the foreground with her hand on a post. Two neighbor friends, Daisy Wilson, later Duval, and Della Wilson, later Bean, are in the foreground.

Source:
Webster County: Visions of the Past
By Mabel Cooper Skjelver
Published 1980
Page 69

Current location of Payne homestead pictured above. Also location of the original Otto Post Office, of which F.E. Payne was the first Postmaster.

Otto Post Office

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The Otto post office was established September 12, 1884, with Francis E. “Ed” Payne as postmaster. It too was named for Otto Skjelver. In 1890, William Brethour had the mail contract to carry mail from Inavale to Otto. The post office remained in the F.E. Payne residence in the NW 1/4 of section 34 until December 11, 1894, with Ed Payne’s sister Mary, (Mrs. A.A. Cooper) performing the duties of postmistress. Ada Skjelver, daughter of Otto Skjelver, pointed out that the District 66 school teachers boarded with the Coopers – in the Ed Payne house – “so it was no trouble to get the young men to ride over there for the mail in the evening once or twice a week!” Anne E. Marker was the next postmistress until July 7, 1898 with the post office in the Alford Marker residence. The post office was then moved to the Eric J. Peterson farm, with Mr. Peterson as postmaster. The Otto post office remained at the Peterson farm until January 14, 1904, when the mail was sent to Inavale post office for distribution to the residents of southern Catherton precinct.

The Farmers Creek Telephone Company was formed in 1903, with lines strung from Inavale to the Otto post office. Another line came up the middle fork of Farmers Creek to the A.A. Cooper farm. A telephone line from Campbell came to the Otto Skjelver and the E.J. Peterson farms. Thus families in the area could go through the “switches” at the Cooper, Skjelver or Peterson farms to talk to neighbors on another line without paying toll. Also in 1903, the Webster County Argus reported that the “Rural mail route was ‘running full blast’ and the farmers who live several miles from town now enjoy reading a daily paper.”

Source:
Webster County: Visions of the Past
By Mabel Cooper Skjelver
Published 1980
Pages 66-67

The Otto post office was at the E.J. Peterson farm residence from July 7, 1898 to January 14, 1904, when the post office was closed and mail ordered distributed from Inavale. This event was commemorated by the mail patrons of the area who brought a basket dinner to the Peterson residence. Some thirty families were present who had taken their mail from the Otto post office regularly, and they presented the E.J. Peterson with a library table in appreciation of their service.

Source:
Webster County: Visions of the Past
By Mabel Cooper Skjelver
Published 1980
Page 65

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Here is a plat map of Catherton township from 1900.  It shows the Otto Post Office located on E.J. Peterson’s ground, as mentioned in the article above.  The Otto Post Office was originally located on the Payne homestead.