| Description |
: |
THOMAS BAYER PASSES AWAY
--------------------
Was One of the County's Earliest Settlers
Thomas Bayer, aged 92, pioneer resident of Kearney County, passed peacefully away at his home in Minden at 1 o'clock Sunday morning. No pain, no illness marred his going. He died as he had lived, quietly, unassumingly, in the full faith of a life well lived.
A man, who had worked for Mr. Bayer in years gone by said, "He was the finest, fairest, kindest man I ever worked for." No eulogy that we might give can add or detract from this brief description of the man.
Mr. Bayer was born in...
Read More
|
THOMAS BAYER PASSES AWAY
--------------------
Was One of the County's Earliest Settlers
Thomas Bayer, aged 92, pioneer resident of Kearney County, passed peacefully away at his home in Minden at 1 o'clock Sunday morning. No pain, no illness marred his going. He died as he had lived, quietly, unassumingly, in the full faith of a life well lived.
A man, who had worked for Mr. Bayer in years gone by said, "He was the finest, fairest, kindest man I ever worked for." No eulogy that we might give can add or detract from this brief description of the man.
Mr. Bayer was born in Plan, Bohemia, December 21, 1831, the third child of Anthony and Barbara Bayer. He grew to manhood there, remaining until 1863, at which time he was serving in the Austrian army, then at war with Italy. Feeling the war to be an unjust one and having no desire to give his life in the defense of royalty he escaped from the service and fled to America, reaching Castle Garden, N.Y., April 17, 1863 at 4 o'clock in the morning. At 11 o'clock the same day he declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States. From New York he went to Illinois and later to Missouri, where at Chillicothe, April 20, 1864, he was united in marriage to Miss Frances Schaub. To this union were born seven children, four sons and three daughters, who with the wife, 31 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, survive Mr. Bayer, his being the first death in the family. The children are Frank, Joseph, Anthony and John; Mrs. Barbara Poore of Norman, Mrs. Mary Empie of Sutherland, Neb.; and Mrs. Anna Hamilton of Nampa, Idaho.
It was in 1873 that Mr. Bayer first came to Nebraska and on October 24 of that year filed on a homestead northeast of Minden. Returning to Missouri, he brought his family to Kearney county and settled upon this homestead, April 9, 1874.
In this county he remained until his death, rearing his family and helping in the building up of the country to which he had sworn allegiance on the day of his arrival. While of the Catholic faith and faithful to this belief he reared his family without political or religious prejudice, feeling that is was for them to decide for themselves in these matters. he prided himself upon his open-mindedness in these things.
Mr. Bayer was a very successful farmer, having by industry and good judgment acquired considerable property, when in 1904 he moved to Minden to spend his declining years, remaining a resident here until the end.
The funeral services were conducted Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock by Father Lombardi from St. John's church, the body being laid to rest in Minden cemetery.
Mrs. Bayer and all of the children except Frank were present.
~~Minden Courier--April 1924
Courtesy of Coffeehouse 3 |
