GEORGE F. AND JOSEPHINE [WEAVER] MOTT
George F. Mott was born September 9, 1848, in Ohio. His wife,
Josephine Weaver, was born February 19, 1857, in Bohemia,
Austria-Hungary. She came to America when she was 14 years old with
her sister and husband and their little girl. The rest of her family
went back to Austria later, but Josephine had to stay because she
didn’t have enough money. She worked in people’s homes for a living.
Josephine also took up dressmaking and made suits for men and
ladies.
[pg 343 PHOTO George F. and Josephine Mott and sons]
Josephine could never read or write American - not even her name.
When George died, she had to sign an “X” for her name. However,
Josephine did learn to speak English.
Josephine married George F. Mott on February 9, 1876, at Boonsboro,
Iowa. George and Josephine lived 15 years in Iowa and then moved to
Knox County, Nebraska, where they owned 840 acres in Walnut Grove
and Washington Townships. In 1903 this homestead consisted of all of
Section 21 in Walnut Grove Township except for 40 acres in the
southwest corner of the Northwest Quarter. The Northwest Quarter and
the West Half of the Northeast Quarter in Section 28 of the same
township completed the homestead. George later purchased 120 acres
in Washington Township of Section 18. This consisted of the South
Half of the Northeast Quarter and 40 acres in the southeast corner
of the Northwest Quarter. The Motts were breeders of Chester White
Hogs and their farm was known as the “Mott Valley Ranch.”
When George J. and James, sons of George and Josephine, married,
George gave each of them 120 acres of his land so they could begin
farming on their own. In 1920 George F. Mott was registered in the
Knox County Plat Book as owning 760 acres in Walnut Grove and
Washington Townships.
Later George and Josephine retired and moved to Verdigre, residing
in the house that is now occupied by Ben Mladys. They lived here
until their deaths.
On February 9, 1926, George and Josephine celebrated their 50th
Wedding Anniversary.
To this union 14 children were born: Mary Christina, born December
25, 1876, married John Hansen on January 4, 1897, and passed away on
April 15, 1968; Josephine, born February 13, 1878, passed away
August 15, 1878; Francis Silas, born September 21, 1879, married
Minnie Mohr on March 12, 1906, and passed away on September 28,
1956; George Jacob, born March 31, 1882, married Ida Mae Knight on
March 22, 1910, and passed away on November 17, 1983; Josephine
Catherine, born September 28, 1883, married Berthold Carl Groeling
on March 16, 1909, and passed away on September 11, 1972; Laura
Emma, born August 13, 1885, and passed away on November 19, 1891;
James Albert, born May 22, 1887, married Julia Jelinek on March 30,
1910, and passed away on November 30, 1963; Hatty Belle, born
February 13, 1889, and passed away March 3, 1889; Lillian Ovilla,
born February 16, 1890, married Walter Bramon on April 6, 1910, and
passed away on October 24, 1972; Minnie Matty, born March 20, 1892,
and passed away February 28, 1894; Julie Augusta, born July 31,
1894, and passed away June 5, 1958; William John, born October 31,
1896, married Laura Hines on April 15, 1925, and passed away
November 20, 1981; Edna Hilda, born January 7, 1899, and married
Samuel Walton on March 19, 1919; and Peter Joseph, born March 19,
1901, married Myrtle LaBranch on January 14, 1926, and passed away
February 14, 1979.
George passed away on April 13, 1929, and Josephine died on March
11, 1942, at Verdigre, Nebraska. Their bodies were laid to rest at
the Grimton Cemetery located 2 ˝ miles south-west of the farm home
at which they had resided for many years. Also buried there are a
number of their children.
-Submitted by Brian Mlady
Pages
343, 344
