My Genealogy Hound

RICHARD F. WATERS is a son of Allen and Frances (Foster) Waters, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania. He was a devoted member and liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church, and he enjoyed the reputation of being a good, honest, christian man, and was not conscious of having an enemy. In politics he was a whig. Mrs. Waters was a native of Ireland, and came to America in 1828, settling first in Ohio. Mrs. Waters was also a member of the Presbyterian church, and was looked upon as a kind, consistent, christian lady. In 1889 Mrs. Waters departed this life, entitled to the plaudit, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Mr. and Mrs. Waters’ union was blessed with seven children — Catherine, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Joseph A., Richard F., Margarette and Andrew.

Richard F., the subject of this sketch, was one of the pioneers of Buffalo county, and, while he has not distinguished himself in any public capacity, he has distinguished himself as an honest, straightforward, reliable man, always encouraging anything that is in the interest of the county. He was born in Ohio, in 1849. His school advantages were meager, being chiefly tutored by that stern teacher — Experience — which, no doubt, was a principal factor in making Mr. Waters the cautious, frugal, thrifty man that he is.

In 1864 he enlisted as a one-hundred-day man in the One Hundred and Forty-third Ohio infantry, under General Butler, and was in the engagement at Petersburgh. He was mustered out at Camp Chase, Ohio, the same year. In 1866 he moved to Scotland county, Mo., and there engaged in farming. From there he came to Buffalo county, Nebr., in 1873, settling on section 30, Odessa township.

In the winter of the same year, while camping on his claim, he experienced a terrible storm, in which hundreds of cattle and two persons near Gibbon were frozen; but Mr. Waters, only sheltered by his wagon, escaped unharmed. Mr. Waters’ next encounter was with the grasshopper plague. In this he shared the common fate, losing his crops for three years, but since that time has had good crops. In 1870 Mr Waters was married in Scotland county, Mo., to Miss Jane Hage, a native of West Virginia. To them have been born eight children — Ida, Thomas A., Mabel, Roy, Cecelia, Mary, Hugh and Gracie.