My Genealogy Hound

FRED URWILLER, one of the first settlers of Gardner township, Buffalo county, Nebr., is a native of Switzerland; was born May 21, 1849, and accompanied his parents to the United States in 1854. His father was a silk weaver by trade, but engaged in mercantile pursuits some, while a resident of his native country. The family lived at Rochester, N. Y., three years after landing in this country, and this consisted of eight children, five of whom died in the old country. In 1857 they moved to Marshall, Calhoun county, Mich. A farm was purchased near that place and successfully cultivated by Mr. Urwiller and his three sons, who proved themselves to be hard-working, industrious young men. The parents were both zealous members of the Lutheran church and were among the most respected citizens of the community. The educational advantages of Fred Urwiller were limited to the common district school, which he was only permitted to attend during the winter months. He assisted his father on the farm until he was twenty, when he began learning the carpenter trade.

In the fall of 1878, Fred Urwiller, accompanied by his two elder brothers, Jacob and Samuel, came to Buffalo county, Nebr., in search of land. They finally filed claims in Gardner township and began the arduous work of founding a home on the frontier of civilization. They were the first settlers in that immediate locality and the surroundings were indeed anything but encouraging. Fred came with limited means and borrowed money to procure material for a house. He erected a small, comfortable frame house, and when he got it finished he had but $25.00 left to carry himself and family through the winter. He worked out when he could get work, and earned what he could whenever opportunity afforded. He and his brother Samuel worked at Shelton and would often wade home through the deep snow to see how their families were getting along. Spring opened, crops were planted, and harvest time awaited with great eagerness by Mr. Urwiller and his neighbors. The harvests gathered were not always abundant, but Mr. Urwiller has never sown but what he reaped, though the harvest may have sometimes been small.

On New Year’s day, 1873, Mr. Urwiller was united in marriage with Miss Nevada Paul, a native of Michigan and a daughter of Arthur Paul, who was born in New York. This union has been blessed with five children, as follows — Cora M., born January 12, 1874; Cornelia, born September 24, 1877; Frank D., born November 9, 1882; Lillie, born April 9, 1886, and Florence E., born April 13, 1890. While Mr. Urwiller has not been a seeker after public office, he has, nevertheless, been called upon to fill various responsible positions of public trust. He has served as town treasurer, also as justice of the peace, and at this present time is a member of the county board of supervisors. He and his estimable wife are devoted members of the Presbyterian church, and are liberal contributors to every worthy cause. Mr. Urwiller has one of the best improved farms in the township and under his careful and judicious management it produces equal to any of the same number of acres in the county. As above stated, Mr. Urwiller came here with very limited means; he has tasted some of the bitter and disagreeable things of life, but he has boldly and courageously overcome every obstacle in this way; and by hard work, good management and rigid economy, has succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations. He has denied himself and family many of the luxuries of life to avoid getting in debt, and to this, perhaps more than any other one thing, is due his success.