THIS HISTORY OF THE CALBREATHS, AVIS', AND HUTTS
WAS WRITTEN BY ETHEL AVIS HUTT
-1966- PRESENTED TO HER SON
GLEN HUTT
-CHRISTMAS 1966-

 

Calbreath Family Tree


John Hamilton Calbreath lived in Illinois, was quite well-to-do at one time but had no money when he died in 1898. I never saw him. He is buried at Lebanon, Illinois.
He married Rhoda Penn, a distant relative of William Penn. She died in 1875 from cancer of the breast.

They were the parents of four daughters: Sarah died when a small child, Caroline Andrews, Josephine Nixon, and Theodosia Avis.
 

Caroline was born in 1849 in Illinois, died in 1926 at Fitzgerald , Georgia and is buried at Fitzgerald, Georgia. She was the mother of three sons (all deceased)--John, Walter, and Napoleon.
They moved from Illinois to Georgia in the late 1800's. I have visited in her home in Georgia two times, have visited all of her sons. She was a widow for many years. Her husband was a Civil War Veteran.

Josephine was born in 1851 near Lebanon, Illinois. She moved to St. Louis when she was about 25 years old, was a dressmaker. She married John Nixon. No children. She was a widow for many years. She died in 1933 and is buried at Lebanon, Illinois. Her husband was a Civil War Veteran. I visited her in St. Louis three times.

 

AVIS FAMILY TREE

Colbert Avis was born February 28, 1832 near Columbus, Ohio. He died at Ashland, Nebraska February 26, 1891. Margery Bryan Avis was born October 10, 1844. She died May 20, 1870 age 26 years.
To this union three children were born: Charles born October 17, 1867 died 1875; Edmond Joseph born February 26, 1865 died 1953 (buried in Cliff Cemetery 10 miles west of Merna, Nebraska); Gilmore born about 1870, died 1930, lived most of his life in St. Louis, Missouri.
Gilmore and Clara Avis were the parents of three sons:
Wesley, Francis, and Clarence lived in St. Louis. Clarence died in 1965.
 

Gilmore R. Avis and Clara Hess Avis lived in St. Louis most of their married life. He was in the real estate business. He was blind several years before his death. Clara passed away in 1949. I visited them three times, last time was 1921.
 

Theodosia Calbreath Avis was born near Lebanon, Illinois
August 22, 1864, lived there until 1888, moved to Ashland, Nebraska.
From there they moved to Merna, Nebraska. She passed away in
1953--one week after her husband. They are buried in the Cliff
Cemetery about 10 miles west of Merna. She was noted for her
keen memory and played the piano.

 

Arthur Avis was born November 6, 1884 at Lebanon, Illinois. He lived with his parents until they passed away in 1952. The remainder of his life he spent in the home of his sister and brother-in-law Ethel and Bert Hutt. He suffered for many years with arthritis, passed away at Newcastle, Wyoming November 4, 1964. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery at Newcastle. He was a reader, he read many books and magazines.  Ethel Avis Hutt was born at Ashland, Nebraska March 17, 1889. A more complete history of her life will be found on other pages of this book.
 

Clarence Avis was born March 26, 1897 near Merna, Nebraska. He married Bertha Carlson. She passed away in 1960 after a marriage of eight years. He worked on farms. He is now at the soldiers home at Grand Island, Nebraska. He enlisted in World War I but only served a few months.

Maude Avis Heddendorp was born June 27, 1904 near Merna, Nebraska. At present she is living at Dunning, Nebraska. In 1954 she married Charles Rice. He passed away in 1955. In 1957 she married Chas Swanson. He died in 1959. Then in 1962 she married Ben Heddendorp.

 

HUTT FAMILY TREE


Albert Edward Hutt was born June 20, 1887 near Merna, Nebraska. He had a brother Ben 2 1/2 years older. Bert, as he was called, fell out of a spring wagon when he was 8 years old and broke his leg.
Bert and Ben attended country schools. They lived 2 miles from the schoolhouse. When they were old enough to drive horses, they would take a team and hayrack. After school they would fill the hayrack with straw and take it home for feed for the horses and cattle.
Bert attended college in Broken Bow, and also went to York College at York, Nebraska one year.
He clerked in a furniture store in Broken Bow. He lived with his parents on 5 different farms near Merna, Nebraska and Broken Bow, Nebraska. He did some carpenter work but was a mechanic. He mounted a corn sheller on a truck, which shelled many thousands bushels of corn. He owned and operated threshing machines for many years and graded roads in Custer County, Nebraska.

He had a sister Lillie ten years younger than he,

a brother Frank twelve years younger than he.

He filed on a homestead in Wyoming June 1918, then went into the service in World War I. While in the service he drove a caterpillar tractor across France and was discharged February 1919. He said he had a sight seeing trip out of it.
After coming home from the army he graded roads, shelled corn, and did threshing in Custer County, Nebraska. He was married in 1922, moved to Wyoming in 1929. He farmed there quite extensively for some years but it was not a paying proposition. He liked to see the fields of grain and they grew well when we had sufficient rainfall.
He was progressive and served on several different boards. He was very much interested in Farm Bureau and any organization that he thought may help mankind. He was chairman of the Fair Board and worked very hard at the Weston County Fair.

BIOGRAPHY OF ETHEL AVIS HUTT
-Written 1966-

I, Ethel Avis was born near Ashland, Nebraska March 17, 1889. I had a brother Arthur 3 years old. I lived here until spring of 1893 when we moved 7 miles west of Merna, Nebraska. Lived one year at this place.
We then moved on a homestead in this community. We lived in a sod house that leaked. I have seen bull snakes crawl up the inside walls. Water was quite a problem as the wells were very deep and only a few. We hauled water from a well three miles away. Don't remember of going hungry but did go thirsty. The canyons (which were near us) had an abundance of wild fruit growing in them.
I started to school when I was six years old, walked one mile. The name of the country school was Maple Grove, as there were a few maple trees growing which had been planted. The same problem confronted the school was water. Two of us would carry it in a pail a distance of 1/2 mile. By the time we reached the schoolhouse much of it had splashed over the top. We used slates to write on. Water being scarce, we spit on them to clean them (very sanitary). We wrote with the quill of a feather dipped in ink. (Who wants the good old days? Not I.)
We moved in 1897 to another place in the same community. Continued to go to the same school but now had 1 1/2 miles to walk.
Many times after walking home from school I had to walk 1/2 mile to 3/4 mile farther to get the milk cows. After I found them I had a cow I could ride home. We burned corn cobs for fuel in the cook stove The ears of corn were fed to the hogs. Then the cobs were picked up after corn was eaten from them by the hogs. Another job was to pick up cobs.


My brother Clarence was born March 26, 1897. On this place we lived in a good 2-room frame house, and had a good well which produced plenty of water for us, and several of the neighbors hauled water from it. This farm was 160 acres--about half farmland and half pasture. We paid $100 cash rent.
We had about one acre garden patch. My Dad planted half of it to seed onions. My job was to keep the weeds out of those onions. I had to weed so many rows each day. In the fall we sold enough onions at $1 per bushel to pay the rent. Not bad for a small girl, but I don't care for seed onions. Wonder why?
We lived on this place until 1903. For several years we had owned some land near it, but in 1903 my Dad had a well drilled on it and he (who was a carpenter) built a 5-room house and some outbuildings. A few years later built a large barn, which burned but was rebuilt. This was the first home my folks had owned. My father loved trees and flowers. He planted many on this place, had a nice orchard. I went to a different school which built a new schoolhouse. I went there 2 years then commenced teaching school.

Maude Avis was born June 20, 1904.

The first school I taught was the Clover Hill School. I boarded at Steve Hutt's, an uncle of Bert Hutt's. This was where I first met Bert. I visited this school in 1958. The schoolhouse had been moved to a different location and re-modeled. The building was new when I taught there more than 50 years before. I taught here 2 years. Also taught here my 2 last years. I attended a summer school in Broken Bow, Nebraska in summers. I went one year to Custer College, a private operated school at Broken Bow, Nebraska.


I taught our home school 2 years, stayed at home. I walked 1 1/2 miles to school. The trail was along the edge of canyons. Numerous rattlesnakes crawled into the canyons evidently to spend the winter. I killed dozens of little ones and some large ones while walking to and from school.
Next I taught Dale School, mostly a Catholic school. Lilly McCarty Kane (who now resides at Sheridan, Wyoming) was a girl 11 years old. She and her sisters were some of my pupils. I taught the Cliff School, Spring Creek school and others not far from my home.
About 1918 I thought I would try a warmer climate. My Aunt Caroline and her 2 sons lived in Georgia, so I spent a year with them and taught first, second, and third grades in a consolidated school near Fitzgerald, Georgia. I stayed with my aunt: had 60 pupils who attended very irregularly, had pupils 12 and 13 years old who were in the first grade. This was more than I could do justice to, so I only stayed one year.
I came back home, taught 2 more years and married Albert E. Hutt December 5, 1922. A sketch of our married life will be found on another page.


MARRIED LIFE OF
ALBERT (BERT) E. HUTT AND ETHEL

Albert (Bert) Edward Hutt and Ethel Grace Avis were married December 5, 1922 at Hyannis Nebraska. The name Grace was automatically dropped and Avis was used as a middle name after marriage.
Bert had proved up on a homestead near Newcastle, Wyoming. I filed on my homestead the day before our marriage. We lived winters on it and with Bert's folks in summer. I proved up on my homestead (640 acres) June 1925. We lived in Broken Bow, Nebraska 1925-1929 in a house I had previously bought which was near Bert's folks. We had Ruth Humes, a niece of Bert's, the last year we lived in Broken Bow. She went to school. Her teacher was Pearl Wright.
We moved to Wyoming May 1929. Robert and Ralph Humes came to live with us, so now we had Ruth, Robert, and Ralph. May 21, 1930 our son Glen Albert Hutt was born at Newcastle, Wyoming. He was quite a sickly baby. It took 6 months to get him straightened out. Then he did very well.
We lived rather meager--was dry and depression from 1930-1935. We never went hungry. The cellar was well filled in the fall. Two years in succession 1000 quarts of food was canned each year.
We had a well drilled in 1934. It was on a hill, so we had pressure. This well produced plenty of water. So we moved our buildings near the well. With this water we were able to grow a wonderful garden.
Bert liked farming, so he purchased tractors and machinery and farmed quite extensively. The prices were cheap, so wasn't very paying.

The children rode a bus to the Morrisey consolidated school. There were 2 rooms in the schoolhouse with living quarters in basement for teacher. Built in 1928. At one time there were 50 pupils, 2 teachers, and 2 bus drivers. 150 people lived in the school district. The school was closed in 1962 due to lack of children. Now there are about 25 people living in the community (1966). Glen started to school in 1936. His first teacher was Olive Hansen Zumbrennan. He was in 11th grade when he quit. Robert and Ralph were in 9th grade. Ruth graduated from 12th grade in Newcastle 1936.
The years from 1935 to 1939 were quite prosperous. 1939 was very dry. We had 200 cows with calves. We sold most of them the spring of 1939 due to lack of feed--got $50 for a cow and calf. That was hard on us as cattle increased in price. We bought our first sheep in the fall of 1939. We did very well with them.
We travelled over Wyoming, was in Yellowstone Park and Salt lake City the summer of 1939. Ruth, whose husband (Howard Miller) was killed in a truck accident April 1939, was working in a laundry at Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park.
World War 2 started in December 1941. Ruth had re-married. Her husband's name is Miles Floretta from Sheridan, Wyoming. He was in the service. Also Robert, Ralph, and Franklin.
Our house and contents burned August 1944. Ruth, her daughter Karen, and Grandpa Hutt was living with us. We could not buy and replace our possessions due to war. Neighbors gave us many things. We moved into a bunk house and were quite comfortable. Help was hard to get during war. Many things were rationed--especially sugar.

Glen married Mary Lou Hatch 1947; They lived at the ranch. 5 children were born to this union: Cheryl Rosanne 1949, Daniel Edward 1950, Ilene Avis 1951, Michael Glen 1953, Mary Kathleen 1954--she passed away at age of 4 months.
We leased our land in 1947 for oil, also some royalty. There was a boom around Newcastle for several years.
I made a trip to Michigan 1947, visited some of Mrs. Tessin's relatives at Kalamazoo and Three Rivers, then went to Detroit, Michigan. Spent some time with a cousin by marriage Lydia Andrews and her son and daughter. Spent one day at Windsor, Canada--first time I had been out of U.S.
We both went through clinic at Rochester, Minnesota 1949 but found nothing seriously wrong. I went again in 1952.
In 1950 Robert Humes bought a new Pontiac car and took us to California. We had a very nice trip. We visited Bert's brother Frank Hutt and family at Glendale, California and other friends and relatives. We went to Paso Robles, California to see Grandpa Hutt and Bert's brother Ben, wife Hazel, daughter Kathryn. We drove to San Francisco sight seeing. Was in Mexico a day--my second time out of U.S. We were gone a month.
In 1954 we bought a house in Newcastle, Wyoming. Moved in November 1954. We had many improvements to make on our new home--320 S. Sonora. We put in a basement and fixed the yard, sowed some bluegrass etc., built on a new room.
In September 1955 we spent a week at Jackson, Wyoming, enjoyed the beautiful scenery--Jenny Lake, the wonderful Teton Mountains.
Bert enjoyed very much working in the fairgrounds while we lived in Newcastle.

In October 1958 we went to Nebraska. Purpose was to visit old friends and the few relatives that lived there. We stayed with Edd and Maude Hutt. We were in 53 different homes. We stayed 5 weeks and enjoyed it very much. Saw people we hadn't seen for 50 years.
Bert passed away November 1959. So now I was to go on alone which only those who have gone through with it know.
My brother Arthur who had lived with us since 1953 passed away November 1964.
Now I was alone. I spent 2 winters in California with my sister-in-law Hazel Hutt whose husband had passed away in June 1964. Also made another visit to Nebraska--so nice to see and visit with old friends.
I keep busy and have very good health for my age 77 years.

MORE HUTT FAMILY TREE

John Corbin Hutt was born January 20, 1856 in Illinois. His parents, brother Steve, and he, moved from Illinois to Iowa
when John was a small boy. They moved by wagon--crossing the
Mississippi River on the ice. His mother carried Steve and led
John and walked across on the ice.
John Hutt and Mary Clark were married in Iowa, September 1879. They moved to near Newman Grove, Nebraska soon after marriage. In 1884 they moved to Custer County, Nebraska west of Merna and lived on a homestead. One of the teams they drove from Newman Grove (a distance of 150 miles) was a team of oxen. They were used for plowing et cetera.
John and Mary endured many hardships--droughts, grasshoppers, prairie fires, et cetera; they had to haul water from a distance. One of the early years he served on the Board of County Supervisors. They lived 20 miles from Broken Bow, the county seat. The road was ungraded. He rode a bicycle to attend sessions--it was saving on horse feed and livery stable expenses.
In 1894 they made a trip in a spring-wagon to Newman Grove. They later made trips there by automobile. In 1939 he went by airplane with his grandson Harold as pilot. He liked airplanes.
In 1946 his grandson John Hutt as pilot flew him to Cheyenne; from there he flew to Los Angeles.
His wife passed away in 1933. He lived to be 98 years old. He had no worldly possessions to leave but left a pleasant memory. We all hope we can grow old so graciously.

Ben Hutt was born near Newman Grove, Nebraska April 22, 1883. He clerked in Bowen's Grocery Store in Broken Bow, Nebraska. He married Hazel Austin. She clerked in Post Office in Broken Bow. In 1918 they took a homestead near Newcastle, Wyoming, lived there from 1918 to 1921, then returned to the farm they had moved from. They moved to California in 1944. Passed away June 1964. They were the parents of four children: Harold who was killed in an airplane accident in California while piloting his own plane in 1940, Alice who married Dick O'Harren, John who married Margaret Wehling, Kathryn married Harold Simms.

Fannie Richards Penny, neice of Mary Klinkenbeard Hutt, was reared in the Andrew Hutt family. She is the mother of Leona Watson Ackley of Newcastle, Wyo. She died when Leona was two weeks old. They lived near Newman's Grove, Nebraska at that time,

Andrew Jackson Hutt and Mary Klinkenbeard Hutt had four children:
John C., George, Stephen, and Fannie Hutt Eng.
I have seen Grandpa and Grandma Hutt in about 1906. At that time they were living on a homestead near John C. Hutt's (They are buried at Newman Grove. We visited their graves in 1955.) I was boarding with Steve Hutt's in 1906 and teaching school.
John Corbin Hutt and Mary Clark Hutt's family are Frank O. Hutt, Albert E. Hutt, Benjamin Hutt (mentioned above) and Lillie Hutt Humes Scott. Frank O, Hutt lives at Laguna, California. Albert deceased 1959. Benjamin deceased 1964. Lillie lives near Manilla, Utah.

 

George Hutt married a Krockstom, sister to Steve's wife. She and the baby burned to death, lived in Eastern Nebraska. There were two other children--Blanche and Earl. I knew very little about them. George farmed with John Hutt 1921 & 1922 near Broken Bow.

Steve Hutt married Hilda Krockstom. They had two children, Nannie Hutt Kaupp and Edd Hutt. They lived ten miles west and three miles south of Merna. I boarded in this home my first and second year teaching school. Then later I taught two years and boarded with Nannie Hutt Kaupp. Steve Hutt and his wife are buried in Cliff Cemetery.
Nannie Hutt Eng lived near Newman Grove. Her husband Oscar Eng passed away in 1946 and she in 1955. Bert and I attended her funeral at Newman Grove. They had one daughter, Mertie Eng Carlson, who always lived with them.
Mary Clark Hutt was born at Des Moines, Iowa. Her mother died when she was small. An aunt--whose husband was an uncle of J. C. Hutt--raised her. Their name was Henson (Billie). Her father re-married.
She was very ambitious and liked to do the tasks which provided comfort for her family. She took pride in growing a good garden and having good food for her family and the many who stopped at their home for the night--as it was a stopping place for those who travelled the road in team and buggy days from Arnold to Broken Bow.
She is buried at Broken Bow, Nebraska. She passed away at Broken Bow in March 1933.
 

Harold Hutt graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1934--was killed in a plane accident in 1940 in California. Picture, 1934.

Alice Hutt O'Harren graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1934. She married Dick O'Harren. They have two sons--Dickie married Betty, a nice girl, Mike is a Junior in high school. They all live in suburbs of Los Angeles.
 

Edd and Maude Hutt have five children--Erma married Edgar Olson (They have three children, live in Albany, Oregon.), Roxy married Walter Fillman which was a second marriage (She had a daughter by first marriage.) Cecil and Evelyn live at Lexington, Nebraska--they have four children. Hubert and Reba live at McCook Nebraska--they have five children.

Nannie and Howard Kaupp live at Broken Bow, Nebraska winters and still operate ranch in summers. They have two daughters: Maxine married Donald Stapleman, live at Miller, Nebraska. They have one son Dennis. Kathryn married Hal Chase. They live at Batesland, South Dakata, have four children.

Lillie's children: Ruby Zimmerman is the mother of two daughters by a previous marriage--Carolyn Mosely Haller has one son Danny Joe, live on a farm near Shelton, Nebraska; Barbara Mosely Andersen is living in Denver. She is working, husband Chas attending school.

Ruth Floretta lives near Sheridan Wyo., has four children--Karen married Ron Loutch, live in Seattle, Washington, have two children; Mark at present time is in Seattle working at Boeing Aircraft, Paul junior at Sheridan High School, David a freshman. Husband Miles Floretta is a mechanic.


Robert Humes and wife Betty are living at Moorecroft Wyoming. They have five children--Chrisie, ten years, Robbie, seven years, Deanne, four years, Ronnie three years, Rodney one year.
Ralph Humes and Lucille live at Moorecroft, he is running Standard Oil station. They are parents of three sons--Jerry in service, Johnie deceased, and Jimmy at home.
Franklin and Donna Humes are parents of Susan, fifteen, and Eddie, thirteen. They live in Newcastle, Wyoming. He is manager of Co-op.
Jack Wilson and Lee live in Dallas, Texas. He has two sons by a previous marriage and one son by second marriage. He is a welder.
Louise Woodward is a widow, lives in Portland, Oregon. She has five children--James Edward, sixteen years, Jeanne Louise, twelve years, Patrick Charles, ten years, David Allen, seven years, Michael Paul, four years.
Margaret and Joe Story live in Fort Collins, Colorado. They have one child Jodey, one year. She has five children by a previous marriage--James Bruce, twelve years, Brenda Fay, eleven years, Kristine Bernice, ten years, Wayne Alvin, eight years, Frank Leroy, five years.
Richard Wilson unmarried is making a career of the armed forces.
Kathryn Hutt Simms and Harold Simms are the parents of three daughters and one son. They live near Paso Robles, California. Children--Kathy, Karen, Barbara, and Harold.

John Hutt graduated from Van Nuys High School in California. He married Margaret Wehling. They are the parents of five children--Louise married Joe Keene and has three sons, they live at Taos, New Nexico. She is a graduated nurse.
Shirley married Ronald Barstad, they live in Denver. Shirley is a beauty operator. Charles Robert is attending School of Mines at Butte, Montana.
Allan and Wanda are at home both attending school Allan, eigth grade, Wanda, first grade. John Hutt's live on ranch near Newcastle, Wyoming.