William Henry Karr

William Henry Karr, the oldest son of George Phillip and Mary Catherine (Arter) Karr, was born April 1, 1867 at Manhatten, Illinois. In the spring of 1888, his parents moved to the Blue Hill, Nebraska area. February 18, 1890, he married Dora Baker in Hastings, Nebraska. Dora was the eldest daughter of Jacob and Frances (Falley) Baker, born at Arrowsmith, Illinois, April 20, 1870. She was widely known and a popular young lady and has many warm friends. He is reported to be a prosperous and well to do young farmer. They lived on a farm near Blue Hill. Three children were born to them, Blanche Sylvia, William Phillip and Hester Ellen

Dora became an invalid and was bedfast when her youngest child, Hester was born and as she was unable to care for her baby, grandparents, Phillip and Mary Karr took Hester to live with them at an early age. The family lived on a farm three and one half miles west of Blue Hill on the south road to Bladen at the time. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to a farm in the Riverton, Nebraska area. On August 17, 1898, after a long illness, Dora passed away at age twenty eight. Her sister, Lillian (Baker)Sanders thought she may have had M.S. or M.D. Funeral services were held in the Christian Church in Blue Hill with burial in the Blue Hill Cemetery. Blanche and Willie went to live with the Karr grandparents. After a few years they went to live with their father and Hester continued to stay with the grandparents. According to talk among family members, the maternal grandparents wanted to take the oldest child, Blanche, but their father didn’t want to separate them. There were hard feelings over this and the grandmother did not visit the children in spite of the fact that they lived down the road a quarter of a mile. In 1900 the Bakers moved to Grand Island.

On January 15, 1913, at Normal, Illinois, William H. married Rebecca Virginia Shutts, daughter of Michael and Sarah Shutts. Born October 11, 1864 in Center Hall, Pennsylvania. She was a member of the Baptist Church in her youth and after moving to Blue Hill, worked in the Methodist Church. She passed away February 12,1954 at the Maynard Hospital in Red Cloud, Nebraska. Burial in the Blue Hill Cemetery. William made his home with his sister, Sadie Zimmerman after the death of his wife. He passed away August 30, 1958 at Red Cloud, Nebraska. Burial in Blue Hill Cemetery.

Source:
Information courtesy of Delores (Karr) Krichau’s family history compilation