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Homestead

Centennial Farm Family honored by Ak-Sar-Ben at 2008 Webster County Fair

July 31, 2012 By Wade Leave a Comment

Otto T. Skjelver
SE1/4 28-3-12

Webster County, Neb.

Otto Skjelver Sr., born in Norway in 1849, came to America as a young man. He settled in the SE quarter of Section 28, Catherton Precinct in Webster County, Nebraska, where he raised his family of five daughters and two sons. In the late 1880’s, the post office was named in his honor as “Otto” Post Office.

Otto Sr. died March 13, 1925. His son, Otto Jr., inherited the land and raised his family of four daughters there. At one time, the telephone switchboard between Campbell and Inavale was in their home. Otto Jr. raised corn, wheat, cattle and hogs.

When Otto Jr. died, his oldest daughter, Bonnie, bought the land, and she and her late husband, Johnnie, farmed the land for many years until their son, Robert and his wife Diana, began farming it in 1974. Rob and his wife are still farming the land today. They raise Hereford cattle and hope to pass the land on to their two daughters, Laci and Amber and their families.

Over the years, Otto Skjelver Sr.’s descendants have played an integral part in the success of the Webster County Fair. While Bonnie volunteered as an Open Class Superintendent for many years, Rob has also volunteered his time as a past 4-H leader and a current Fair Board member. Rob’s family helps every year working at the fair, ensuring that the tradition of the Webster County Fair stays alive. There have been three generations of the family who are current 4-H members in attendance at the Webster County Fair over the span of the last several decades.



Filed Under: Family History, Skjelver, Wilson Tagged With: Award, Homestead, Newspaper Clipping, Pioneer Farm Award, Red Cloud Chief

Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award – Payne Homestead 1977

July 31, 2012 By Wade Leave a Comment

In June of 1977, Johnny and Bonnie Wilson were presented with the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award for the Payne Homestead ground being in the family for more than 100 years. This award is given by the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben and is traditionally presented at the county fair.

Filed Under: Family History, Payne, Wilson Tagged With: Award, Homestead, Pioneer Farm Award

Ed Payne Homestead

July 4, 2012 By Wade Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Family History, Payne, Wilson Tagged With: Adelle "Della" (Wilson) Bean, Daisy (Wilson) Duval, Francis E. "Ed" Payne, Homestead, Map, Picture, Webster County Visions of the Past, Wilella (Payne) Wilson

Skjelver Homestead

May 1, 2011 By Wade Leave a Comment

Otto Skjelver, Sr. homesteaded the Southeast Quarter (SE 1/4) of Section Twenty-eight (28) in Township Three (3) north, Range Twelve (12), west of the 6th P.M in Webster County, Nebraska.

The Homestead Certificate below is dated December 10, 1883, and this piece of ground has been in the family ever since.


This is a current satellite image of the Skjelver quarter today.


Filed Under: Family History, Skjelver, Wilson Tagged With: Homestead, Otto Skjelver Sr.

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