Our Ancestors, George William & Anna Elizabeth Lange Palser

 
The history of the Palser family goes back to Virginia in the early 1800's. Our forefather, Henry Palser was an immigrant from Holland, we believe. He was born around 1790 and we assume that he came to America as a young man to seek his fortune. He married Elizabeth Hawk and they became parents of four children. Joel, our ancestor was the oldest,  Francis, Lydia, and Adeline. They lived in the Rockingham County area near Harrisonburg, Virginia. David & Carolyn Palser visited that area several years ago. From courthouse records they were able to find the actual home place of the Palser family. The younger son Francis moved to Greenville County, Tennessee, later moving on west to Texas. Joel and Lucinda were the parents of the following children: our great grandfather George William, Sarah and Mary Jane. George married Anna Elizabeth Lange in Virginia but later moved to Pocahontas County, West Virginia along with some of the Overholt relatives. John Ashton, Mary Moody, George Neal and Maude Erman were born before they moved west to Nebraska in the early 1870's. Their young daughter Maude died after reaching Nebraska and is buried in Grand Island. Our father, William Harvey was born in a sod dugout in Valley County, Nebraska in the community of Davis Creek. Three other children were born to George & Anna, namely, Edgar Seymour, Florence Elizabeth and Joel Jay. In 1891 a typhoid epidemic swept through that region, taking the life of the grandfather, Joel. The following year, George and young son Jay died of the same illness. After the death of her husband son, Lucinda moved back to West Virginia and lived her remaining years with a nephew, Marcellus Dorman. Her grave is located in the Buckeye Cemetery in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. After George's death, his widow Anna and daughter Florence moved into North Loup to live. The boys that were still at home stayed with John and his wife Kate (Johnson) on the farm in the Davis Creek Community. A few years later, George and Will traveled to the Northwest United States & British Columbia where they were employed in the lumber industry. Around 1918 their younger brother Edgar who had married Alice Wood, came to western Nebraska. He found great opportunity in the community of Big Springs and encouraged his brothers to join him in farming. By this time, George had married Blanche Cummins and Will had married Grace Taylor. The three brothers formed a partnership, including their brother-in-law, Ross Smith, husband of their sister, Florence. Palser Bros & Smith engaged in farming and raising purebred livestock in Deuel and Perkins counties. After several years, Ross and Florence, along with their children, Bernard,. Dean, Mary & Don moved to St Paul, in Howard County Nebraska. Anna continued to live in North Loup and later in Grand Island with her daughter, Mary McCall. She died in 1925 of cancer and is buried in the Davis Creek cemetery at North Loup. George, William and Edgar lived and died in the Big Springs community and have many descendants who are proud to bear the name of "Palser"

This scene is looking north from the cemetery hill toward the schoolhouse. The home place of the Palser's was farther toward the north. Will Palser met his future bride, Grace Belle Taylor while she was teaching at this school It was remodeled and Jim & Patty Robertson call it their home. Jim keeps the Davis Creek cemetery in nice shape for Memorial Day. Jim is a son of Ivan's cousin Janice Whitehead Robertson (on his mother's side).

    MUSIC:  OUR STATE SONG

Beautiful Nebraska
Written by: Jim Fras

Beautiful Nebraska, peaceful prairieland,
Laced with many rivers, and the hills of sand;
Dark green valleys cradled in the earth,
Rain and sunshine bring abundant birth.

Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,
You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground;
All these wonders by the Master's hand;
Beautiful Nebraska land.

We are so proud of this state where we live,
There is no place that has so much to give.

Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,
You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground;
All these wonders by the Master's hand,
Beautiful Nebraska land.