My Genealogy Hound

EUGENE L. LINDSAY was born January 27, 1859, in Frederick county, Maryland. He is a splendid example of that much-abused individual, the “self-made man.” Deprived of the guardianship and tender care of his parents at an early age, he grew up under the roof of his paternal grandparents and received only such attention as could be bestowed upon him as a member of a large household. At the age of fourteen he was hired out to learn the milling trade, to make his own way in the world. His term of service covered four years, and he received $6.00 a month for the first three years and $10.00 per month for the last year. He had the privilege of attending the district schools during the winter months, and in this way secured the rudiments of a common English education. In 1877 he started West in pursuit of his fortune, and made his first stop in McDonough county, Ill. But he had only been there about two years when he was forced to leave that locality on account of its unhealthfulness. Returning to Maryland he remained there a short time, and then, going back to McDonough county, Ill., in 1882, he married a lady whom he had previously met there, Miss Mary Wilcox, and that same year moved to Nebraska, settling in Harlan county. A year and a half later he moved to Kearney county, purchasing a farm in the southwest part of the county, where he settled and has since resided. His beginning, in accordance with his means, was modest. He started with the proverbial sod-house, and the first few years witnessed something of a struggle; but for this Mr. Lindsay was prepared, his whole life having been more or less a struggle and he having been inured to hardships and privations from childhood up. He has begun to reap the reward of his patient toil and self-sacrifice. He has become one of the most prosperous and highly esteemed citizens of the locality where he lives, and is in a fair way to carve his fortunes in after life with greater ease and more marked success than have attended his efforts heretofore. He has filled such offices of a local nature as have been assigned to him and he has discharged their duties with zeal and fidelity. He affiliates with the democratic party, but is not a politician even in the mildest sense of the word. His own personal affairs absorb his time and attention, and around his own fireside cling his chief hopes and ambitions. In that home abides for him a well-spring of joy in the person of an affectionate wife and two promising little daughters, Jessie Lee and Mabel E., aged respectively seven and three.