G. A. R.

Grand Army of the Republic

Kearney Hub, August 1898 – Pensions
James & John O’Kane, two well known GAR men had their pensions raised from $8 to $10 a month.

[Mattie O’Kane in Kearney Cemetery in plot owned by James. Died in 1903, no age given. No other O’Kane burials]
 

Kearney Hub, Oct. 20, 1933
Freeman Merryman died age 88. Buffalo County resident 50 years.
One of five surviving GAR members in Kearney.

[Born 1845, was 16 in 1861]
 

From GAR file in Archives

Civil War vets died after 1910, buried in Buffalo Co.

Elahan Burks widow filed in Idaho 1-26-1925 [was at Miller]
George Forrester, d. 1912 – Miller
Joseph Stevens, d 1917 – Miller
Clark Perkins, 1919 – Pleasanton
George Gillming, 1915 – Prairie Center

Email from Doug Reckard, Northwood, NH http://www.rootsweb,com/~nhnhs, <dreckard@worldpath.net> –he was researching M A Young in Majors community back in 2000-2001. He stumbled across a website which had GAR Post memberships and sent the information to me 28 Jan. 2001.

The site he found is <http:/dp120.denver.lib.co.us/dpl/whg/Nebraska/>

New address: http://history.denverlibrary.org/research/civil_war_gar_neb/GARposts.html

Lists Posts but not memberships in those posts.


From Bassett's History of Buffalo County, Vol. I, p. 202-204

SEDGWICK POST NO. 1, G. A. R.

          Sedgwick Post No. 1, Department of Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, has the distinction of being the first G. A. R. post organized in Nebraska.
          Past Post Commander A. H. Boltin furnishes the following history of the post: Sedgwick Post was organized at Fort Kearney in the year 1870, under jurisdiction of the Department of Illinois. In 1874, at Kearney, the post was reorganized under jurisdiction of the Department of Iowa. On December 1, 1879, the post was again reorganized and chartered as Sedgwick Post No. 1, Department of Nebraska.
In the life of this post thirty-three comrades have served as post commanders in order as follows: E. C. Calkins, J. W. Wilson, Joseph Black, Robert La Fountain, James Jenkins, A. H. Boltin, J. W. Parker, W. J. Perkins, R. M. Grimes, J. M. Tisdell, W. Smith, D. A. Dorsey, I. A. Arnold, I. B. Wambaugh, John Barnd, Dr. H. S. Bell, Dwight Phelps, Henry Seaman, W. W. Dye, J. C. McKeene, Phil Bessor, B. H. Goulding, John Hoge, J. C. Beswick, E. W. Thomas, George N. Smith, George C. Ray, Freeman Merryman, J. A. Larimer, Rev. Henry Wood, Simon Landis, A. D. Rice, Lorenzo Smith.
          In the year 1915 the post was in a flourishing condition, with seventy members. There are buried in the cemetery at Kearney 162 soldiers of the Civil war.

SEDGWICK WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS NO. 1, G. A. R.

          Sedgwick Woman's Relief Corps No. 1, Department of Nebraska, G. A. R, was organized at Kearney in January, 1884, with the following charter members: Josephine Gillespie, president; Julia McKelvey, Mary La Fountain, Maria Miles, Mrs. Lacy, Laura Perkins, Sarah Parker, Mrs. Fields, Mrs. Fitch, Mrs. Vanhorn, Mary Lotterman, Mrs. Harding, Sarah Hoge, Mrs. R. M. Grimes, Mrs. Shiers, Mrs. William Hunt, Martha Goulding, Mrs. J. W. Wilson, Mary Jenkins, Mrs. Bicknell, Harriet Worley, Mrs. Wilks.
          In the year 1915 the corps had a membership of thirty-five. Its officers: Grace Hardy, president; Lucinda Ball, S. V. P.; Melissa Wiley, J. V. P.; Effie Boltin, chaplain; Phoebe J. Lancaster, secretary; Aurelia Whitney, treasurer; Anna Kilgore, conductor; Louisa Lowe, A. C.; Louisa Haase, guard; Mary Bailey, A. G.; Effie Boltin, patriotic instructor; Anna Kilgore, press correspondent; color bearers, Elizabeth Smith, Jennie Shiers, Maria Reed, Mary Harper.
          This was the first corps organized in the Department of Nebraska.

SMITH GAVITT POST NO. 290, G. A. R.

          Smith Gavitt Post No. 200, G. A. R., of Kearney, received its charter March 4, 1890, with the following charter members: John Tottersman, L. O. Hyatt, James P. Tucker, James M. Duley, Franklin W. Nichols, John Larimer, Stewart W. Calhoun, Joseph McKain, William M. Woodruff, H. H. Wade, Benedict Streigel, Joseph Worsley, J. A. Larimer, William B. Ray, John H. Boatwright, Andrew J. Snow, John R. Mote.
          The officers elected and installed were: John W. Totterman, commander; James M. Duley, S. V.; John Larimer, J. V.; Andrew J. Snow, Q. M.; Franklin W. Nichols, surgeon; William M. Boatwright, chaplain; H. H. Wade, O. D.; J. J. Boatwright, O. G.; Joseph Worsley, adjutant; S. A. Hyatt, S. M.; W. B. Hay, Q. M. Sergt.
          In 1915 the post had a membership of fifty-three. Its officers: M. Hopkins, commander; S. Bell, S. V.; J. S. Wiley, J. V.; W. H. Marshall, O. D.; Robert Haines, chaplain; J. A. Larimer, Q. M.; F. J. Switz, adjutant; D. T. Hostetter, O. G.

SMITH GAVITT WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS NO. 106, G. A. R.

          Smith Gavitt Woman's Relief Corps No. 106 at Kearney received its charter March 18, 1890, and was instituted with the following officers and charter members: Marie Y. Miles, president; Mary J. Tottersman, S. V.; Hattie J. Worsley, J. V.; Lucy A. Willoughby, secretary; Estelle Rogers, treasurer; Maggie McKain, chaplin; Frances Woodruff, conductor; Sarah A. Seaman, G.; Kate A. Tucker, A. G.; Nancy Murphy, A. G.; May Demar, Jennie Coleman, Mary A. Webbert, Mary J. Triggs, Hannah N. Hyatt, Mattie O'Kane, Jennie Wood, Martha E. Tague, Eva Uhrig, Lucy Willoughby, Jennie Calhoun, Victoria Brundage, Marion Steigle, Cleronne Ray, Eleanor Hawk, Ada Caswell.

          In the year 1915 the corps had a membership of twenty-five. Its officers: Mrs. Barbara Scheiling, president; Liddie Bonser, S. V.; Elizabeth Marshall, J. V.; Emma L. Hostetter, treasurer; Nellie M. Stimpson, secretary; Mary M. Page, conductor; Celia Talbert, chaplain; Olie Springer, G.; Amanda Green, Emily McKinney, Henrietta Pickerel and Costelia Rogers, color bearers; Emma L. Hostetter, patriotic instructor ; Melissa Hemmingway, press correspondent.

PHIL KEARNEY CIRCLE NO. 4, LADIES OF THE G. A. R.

          Phil Kearney Circle No. 4, Department of Nebraska, Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, was organized at Kearney, May 12, 1904; with ten charter members. The first officers were: Lizzie Trimble, president; Christie Hoge, S. V. P.; Lizzie Wambaugh, J. V. P.; Josephine Stephenson, secretary; Jane Larimer, treasurer; Mary J. Stear, chaplain.
          In 1915 the membership of the circle was seventy-five. The officers: Flora Rawell, president; Fannie Wilson, S. V. P.; Mary Webbert, J. V. P.; Effie Sullivan, secretary; Anna Warren, treasurer; Lillie Rahn, chaplain; patriotic instructor, Emily Stark; Sophia Brown, guard.
 

Kearney HUB – 1910
 

May 3 – Capt. A. M. Trimble, adjunct general
May 20 – Mrs. Clara Heffner elected jr. vp of WRC at Fairbury state convention
May 27 – Committee in charge of Memorial Day ceremony at cemetery:
                Joseph Black
                J. R. Latimer
               W. W. Dye
               Services under supervision of Sedgwick #1

Oct. 25 – Dedication of soldiers monument

Jan 4, 1911 – H. Wood, commander

May 26, 1911 – Memorial Day committee
                          J. R. Arnold
                         Robert Haines
                         J. A. Latimer