Gone....but not forgotten!

We ran across this clipping recently and spent a while recalling memories of Whitney school graduates and their reunions over the years –  sometimes they took place in Crawford, others in Chadron and some even in Whitney.....imagine that!

The photo and caption above appeared in the Whitney News section of the Chadron Record on Wednesday, July 6, 1977.  It was a gathering of Whitney High School grads for their 50th Class Reunion conducted in the Crawford City Park.  We don't have an actual photographic print – but this newspaper clipping sufficed in conjuring up lots of memories of these attendees.  I believe the clipping was passed along to me years ago by my late mother-in-law, Eva (Cunningham) Galey.  While I knew some of these folks better than others – I certainly remember all of their family names....and many of their family members.

The last Whitney School reunion of which I'm aware took place more than a decade ago......on May 29, 1911 in the "new" Whitney School, which – like the  – is no longer a school......but remains standing.  For a gallery of photos from that event, visit our WHITNEY SCHOOL REUNION .

NEW! School photograph from 1953-54

Many thanks to Pat Cardona of Moore, Oklahoma for contacting us and sharing this 1953-54 class photograph at Whitney School.   Pat is among the many students shown here.  Who are these good looking lads and lassies?   Answer:  CLICK HERE to visit a higher resolution version of this image in our Whitney School Gallery.  Names are included!

Beverly Daniels (1922-2021)

Beverly Daniels, 98, of Lexington, NE (formerly of Whitney, NE), passed away at Wel-Life Assisted Living on February 27, 2021. She was born September 17, 1922 at Gregory, SD to William and Myrle Hawkins. She received her elementary education in several rural schools and graduated high school at Edgemont, SD with the class of 1940.

Beverly was preceded in death by her parents, husband Leo, son Neil, brother-in-law Arthur Klaus and wife Martha, brother-in-law Elvin Daniels and wife Emma, and sister-in-law Mary Daniels. She leaves to celebrate her life, daughter Marita Anthony (Tim) of Lexington, NE, daughter-in- law Dorine Daniels of Chadron, NE, grandchildren Bret Daniels of Fruita, CO, Scot Daniels of Albion, NE, Courtney Litzenberger (Matthew) of Lexington, NE, step-grandchildren Carrie Cox of North Platte, NE, Greg Failla (Megan) of Gig Harbor, WA, six great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

On November 20, 1941 she married Leo Daniels of Whitney, NE. The couple was blessed with two children, Neil and Marita. Beverly worked with Leo on their farm north of Whitney and later in the livestock and trucking business they owned. She was always active in the Whitney community. She taught piano lessons, Sunday school, was a 4-H leader, and was involved in the PTA and church.

Beverly was a devout Christian; her life was a witness to Christ’s love. She was a hard worker and a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved her family and friends deeply.

Graveside services were scheduled at the Whitney Cemetery south of Whitney, NE on June 26, 2021. Memorials can be made to the Whitney Methodist Church or Lexington Christian Church.

Three Whitney High seniors of 1940

From the 1940 Whitney Mustang yearbook...

Another early image of Whitney...

This photograph of Whitney, Nebraska is one of the earliest we've ever seen – likely taken just before the end of the 19th century.  It was among a small collection of photos belonging to Marie (Miller) Derrick.

We've added a higher resolution version of this photograph to our Whitney Reflections Gallery, along with several other new images.  The one above was captured, we believe, between about 1890 and 1900.  Both the Whitney School and Warring Methodist-Episcopal Church were built in the late 1880s and can be seen in the background at the upper right.

Although we've had these photos for many years, this one – along with a couple of dozen other images – we've only recently begun sorting through them and examining them more closely.  It's an eclectic collection with a few family pictures, and it includes many taken in Whitney and the surrounding area during the  Blizzard of 1949

Not all of these "new" photos have captions, and in many instances the captions are a bit terse.  Full captions will be "coming soon."   We hope you find time to visit the gallery!

Remembering the Howard family of Whitney

It was almost five years ago – 31 May, 2015 – that long-time Whitney resident Naomi Howard McCafferty passed away at age 90.  Her husband, Jim McCafferty, died in 2012.  

Naomi was the granddaughter of Dawes County pioneer John F. Howard and his wife Elizabeth.  

Howard family marker - Whitney Cemetery

According to a Howard family profile that was written by Naomi for the 1985 book, Dawes County Nebraska – The First 100 Years – John Howard first came to Dawes County in 1885. He "batched" it before bringing his family to the area south of Whitney two years later.  

It was there that John  established a successful farming operation and raised his family. His son William would later take over the place, marrying local school teacher Irene Goodell.  The Howard family donated a parcel of land to Whitney for a cemetery.  Mother Elizabeth Howard died in 1905 and was the first person to be buried in the new cemetery.

In March of 1925, John Howard died.  Five months later, his granddaughter Naomi Joyce was born to "Will" and Irene Howard and was their only child.

What follows is a biographical sketch of John F. Howard as it appeared in the 1909 publication Compendium of History, Reminiscence & Biography of Western Nebraska.

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JOHN FLANNERY HOWARD

John F. Howard, residing in Whitney, Dawes county, is one of the oldest settlers in western Nebraska, and by his efforts he has aided materially in the development of the agricultural and commercial resources of his county. Mr. Howard is a gentleman of most estimable character, highly respected in the community and one of the leading old-timers of the section.

Mr. Howard was born in Clark county, Missouri, in December, 1839. His father, Isaac Howard, was of old American stock, born and raised in Virginia, who married Miss Elizabeth Morris, of Kentucky, the latter dying April 7, 1907, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years and five months. At this writing the father is still living in Iowa and is ninety years old. Our subject's grandfather and great-grandfather were also American born, the latter serving in the Revolutionary War.

When our subject was twelve years of age the family moved to Iowa, where he grew to manhood on a farm, helping his parents in all the hard work of building up a farm and home in a new country, and attending the country schools where he received his early education, later attending college at Birmingham, Iowa. Our subject enlisted in Company H, Third Iowa Cavalry, August 15, 1861, served during the war. being first mustered out January 1, 1864, and then re-entering the service was finally mustered out August 9, 1865. 

Mr. Howard, was truly a war veteran, seeing service though Georgia and Alabama and all through the south and west. He started farming in Iowa in 1866 and remained there up to 1885, then came to Dawes county, filing on a homestead in section 1, township 32, range 51. At that time the railroad was only laid as far as Chadron. He spent three years here, starting his farm, and "batching it," part of the time working at the carpenter's trade, his first house being a plank shanty 12 x 14 in size and lived in this shack for two years, then his family joined him here and they built up a good home and farm. 

In Iowa Mr. Howard was a pioneer and handled ox teams, leading a regular frontierman's (sic) life, then came to Nebraska and went through the same experiences, so that nearly his entire lifetime has been spent in building up a new country. In Iowa he lived in different counties, - Van Buren, Madison and Warren county. 

After coming to Nebraska he met with failures of crops, caused by drouths, and had many discouragements, but has succeeded in accumulating a nice property, and owns one thousand two hundred acres of land, which includes a son's homestead. He cultivates sixty acres, and has a seventy-acre field of alfalfa, engaging quite extensively in stock raising, running seventy head of cattle and fourteen horses. His place is well improved with good buildings, fences, etc., and he has plenty of timber, water and fruit.

Mr. Howard is now serving as assessor for his district. He has been justice of the peace for several years, also on the school board for sixteen years, and was one of the organizers of different schools in his section. He is a strong Republican.

Mr. Howard was united in marriage in Iowa in 1867, to Miss Elizabeth Moore, daughter of Littleton L. Moore, a retired farmer and old settler in Van Buren county. Mrs. Howard was born in Ohio in 1845, and she died in Dawes county May 28. 1905. leaving a family of seven children, named as follows: Walter C., Minnie M., Lula M., Arthur E., Earl V., William N., and Mabel (deceased).

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(NOTE:  Thanks to Jim Sheaffer of Chadron for the photograph of the Howard family marker located in the Whitney Cemetery – and for the thousands of other photos he has provided over the years to the Nebraska Gravestone Photo Project, now containing more than 326,000 images!)

John Castek was early Superintendent at Whitney

Many mid-20th century rural school students in Dawes County will remember the name John Castek, who was a long-time Dawes County School Superintendent and also had served as superintendent at Whitney School.  His teaching chores included Latin, English, algebra, geometry and history.  He received his college preparatory training at Chadron Normal and earned his B.A. degree at the University of Nebraska.  He taught at Ardmore, S.D. before taking a job in Whitney, according to the 1942 "Souvenir Issue" of the Whitney "Shunga" school newspaper.  Born in 1894, John's parents immigrated from Moravia, the region now known as the Czech Republic, and they settled on land south of Chadron.  The elder Castek was also named John, and his biography was among those included in the 1909 Compendium of History Reminiscence and Biography of Western Nebraska distributed by the Alden Publishing Company of Chicago.  That biography is shared here.

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John Castek, one of the prominent and successful farmers of Dawes county, Nebraska, comes of Bohemian stock, and is a worthy representative of the best traits of his race and blood.

He was born on a farm in Moravia in 1863. His father was a carpenter who lived and died in his native land. Our subject grew up there until he was sixteen years of age, then came to America, landing in New York city in June, 1880, and came west at once to Colfax county, Nebraska, following farm work in the eastern part of the state for several years.

In the spring of 1886 he moved to Dawes county, locating on his present farm, in section 31, township 31, range 48, and there built a dugout and hatched for awhile. His first team were oxen, and he owned a half interest in a plow and wagon, with which the farm was broken up and crops put in. Soon after coming here the drouths struck the section, and as he was unable to raise anything on his land he tried to sell out, offering his place for two hundred dollars, but even at that price could get no buyer so was compelled to stay. He kept on trying to improve his farm, and in '89 had the finest prospects for a good crop and was getting ready to harvest, when a hail storm struck the region and completely ruined his crop.

Mr. and Mrs. John Castek

The next year he took out hail insurance and mortgaged his team to pay the assessment, and was again hailed out, but when he tried to collect damage, he was unable to get a cent, but he kept on carrying insurance for several years, but for some reason dropped it one year, and that very year he was again completely hailed out, having this experience for four years altogether.

During late years he has raised good crops, and he has plenty of hay and pasture for his cattle of which he keeps a large number, most of the time having two hundred head, besides running them for other farmers. He has about nine horses and his range is admirably adapted to stock raising of all kinds.

In 1889 Mr. Castek was married to Miss Anny Potmesil, and she died June 16, 1896, leaving a family of two children, Francis, born August 14, 1892; and John, born September 6, 1894.

In 1898 Mr. Castek was married again, to Miss Jennie Kratochvil, born in Bohemia, daughter of Joseph Kratochvil. Mrs. Castek came to America in 1893 together with a sister, they coming to Chadron, Dawes county, Nebraska.

Mr. Castek spends all his time on his ranch building up his home, and is one of the well-to-do and progressive agriculturists in the county. He is a Republican, and keeps well up with the time in politics locally. He is a genial, whole-souled gentleman and is full of social qualities that bring him many friends. On another page of this volume will be found a picture of their residence and also portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Castek.

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Note:  The younger John Castek received a good formal education, followed by teaching jobs in North Dakota, South Dakota.  He was selected Dawes County School Superintendent and served in that capacity for many years.  His wife, Mildred, was a long-time and well-known legal secretary in Chadron.  Their son, Jack, graduated from Chadron High School in 1961 and also pursued a long and successful career in education.