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W. R. Case of the firm of Case Bros. stock breeders of Spring Green, Nebraska; Jean Case of
same place and business; Emma, wife of J. W Brown, merchant at Little Valley, New York; John D. Case of Case Bros., Spring Green; Andrew J. Case of same place and business; Jessie, wife of J. H. Barnard, farmer near Spring Green, Nebraska. Mrs. Case died in 1868 and Mr. Case again married, this time to Miss Maria E. Dolbeir to whom was born one son and one daughter. The son, Edwin, is in the dairy and fruit business New York state; the daughter, Mabel is still with her parents. In 1873 two of his oldest sons, Wm. and Jean, having settled in Furnas county, Nebraska. Mr. Case determined to test the qualities of prairie soil and moved to Nebraska locating in October 1873 near his sons on the Sappa in Furnas county. About this time Mr. Case met with a severe financial loss through the failure of the banking firm of S. S. Marsh in Little Valley, New York, sweeping away much of the hard accumulation of years. Although the strength of his youth had begun to wane, and crippled financially the old fire and ambition still remained; proving up on his first settlement in 1874 he homesteaded the same year, land in Norton county one mile northwest of Norton. He remained on this land until 1880 He then moved to Norton. Mrs. Case opened a millinery store. Mr. Case was engaged in numrious (sic) enterprises on a small scale. He became a shareholder in the Norton town company and was at one time President of the association. He has a well disciplined mind and would speak on public questions with great force and originality in our debating societies. His outward appearance was cold and austere; but close acquaintance showed him to be companionable and communicative, although he never smiled. The expression of his face spoke volumes. He owned the Wm Maudlin farm, six miles east of Norton, and lived out there for a short time. Beginning to feel the weight of years and longing for old familliar (sic) scenes of his native state, in 1884 he returned to his old home in Little Valley. Having in his day perhaps subdued as many acres and planted as many orchards as any man now living, giving employment to hundreds, he has undoubtedly earned a quiet and peaceful old age. He now lives in retirement at Little Valley, New York. Politically Mr. Case has of late years been a prohibitionist. Always a temperate man it is his boast that he never has tasted whisky or tobacco, and takes a just pride in his vigor which he attributes to his temperate habits, neither has he a son or grandson who uses either of them although he represents twenty-one male descendents. In religions matters Mr. Case might be termed a "Free |
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