THE FREDRICK BUTTERFIELD FAMILY
Fredrick Schuyler Butterfield was born in Newton Center, Buchanan
County, Iowa, on April 4, 1862, and passed away March 26, 1939, in
his home near O’Neill, Nebraska. He came to the Walnut community
where he was one of the pioneers who helped develop the country and
lived throughout the trials and victories encountered by dwellers in
Nebraska. He came to Knox County, Nebraska, with his parents, Justus
C. and Jane E. (Auten-Walton) Butterfield in 1879. They homesteaded
near Walnut. Justus was born in New York about 1829. Jane was born
in Hector Township, New York, on June 13, 1829.
In 1884, Fred married Martha Sterling. They had one son Leon. In
1886 he married Lillian Belle Vorce. Always known as Belle, she was
born May 13, 1867, in Detroit, Michigan, to Charles Hammond and Lea
Vorce. Fred and Belle lived 2 ½ miles south of the Walnut store when
they were first married. They established a “Timber Claim” two miles
west and one mile south of Walnut. In 1889 they moved to Jones Mill
which was west of Creighton on the South Branch Creek. At one time
the creek banks had Indians camping in tents. They would come to the
door for food. Belle would hold her finger to her lips so the little
girls would be very quiet. Fred butchered and would give what they
wouldn’t eat to the Indians. They patted him on the shoulder saying,
“Good man, good man.” Belle walked the girls past the tents to
school. One time an Indian woman was washing dishes in a spider
(cast iron skillet). Belle never did say what she saw, but grabbed
the girls and ran to school. They never went that way again.
Around 1895, they and their five little girls moved to the homestead
which was 1 mile west, 1 ¼ mile south, and ¼ west of Walnut along
the Middle Branch Creek.
[pg212 PHOTO The Fred and Edith [Butterfield[ Boelter family -
front from left: Vera, Cecil, Homer, Jane, and Reno. Back from left:
Edith [mother], Leonard [Shorty], Fred [father] holding Boyd, and
Ray. A son, Kem, and daughter, Lucille, were born after this picture
was taken.]
[pg213 PHOTO The Fred Butterfield family - back row: Ethel, Lulu,
Edith, Edna, Orva, Adabell; middle: June, Evadell, Belle, Beulah,
Fred, Lila; front: Helen.
Around 1911 they moved to Chambers and operated a hotel. About 1916
they moved to Orchard where they also operated a hotel. In 1928 Fred
moved to Inman and on August 18, 1928, he married Bessie Shipman.
Fred and Bessie had a daughter, Maxine May Simmons (Wilbur).
Belle and her younger daughters remained in Orchard so the girls
could attend school. Belle had a stroke and lived with some of her
daughters until she passed away June 27, 1942, in Portland, Oregon.
Fred and Belle are both buried at Enterprise Cemetery.
Fred and Belle’s children are Edith Boelter (Fred), Edna Boelter
(Carl), Orva Ickler (Henry) Sivesind (Roy), Lulu Eyer (Roy) Sessions
(Harry Henry), June Eyer (Floyd), Lila Maple (Clyde) Stamp (Emmet),
Ethel Jenkinson (Ed), Fredrick, who passed away in infancy, Adabell
Rice (Floyd), her twin Evadell Francisco (Freman), Beulah May
(Melvin) Krimbel (Robert) and Helen Gertrude Race (Floyd) Beondi
(Francois).
Pages
212, 213
