Arnold Ochsner, Sutton Cobbler - 1945-1974...

This article about Sutton cobbler, Arnold Ochsner appeared in The Clay County News on July 11, 1974.

Bob Stone Retired from Teaching in 1997

The June 19, 1997 issue of the Clay County News carried the story of Bob Stone's retirement.

1932 Burlington Rail Pass Found Blowing Around Town

This 1932 Burlington rail pass was found in a plastic zip-lock bag blown up against the fence of a dog run in Sutton this week (early April 2022). 

Among the fun consequences of being associated with a local historical society is that this kind of thing finds its way to our attention. Our learned,  and developed curiosity then kicks into gear.

William Chandler was born in Smith County, Kansas on 24 Oct 1904 and died in Harvard on 27 Nov 1969. He is buried in the Harvard cemetery.

William Joseph Chandler appears in the 1920 census as the 16-year old son of Vern and Rosa Chandler in Clay Center. He was in Harvard in 1940 with his wife Lottie and two children. He identified himself as an assistant welder for the Burlington railroad. 

The rail pass has been well preserved and from all appearances, has been kept for almost 90 years as some kind of memorabilia. So how did it come to be blowing loose on the streets of Sutton in 2022?

I dunno. Contact us if you lost this item, or have information about how or why it is still around.

1922 Clay Co Homes and Mini-Bios

The Clay County Sun newspaper in Clay Center sent one of their fellows out to visit the good people of the county 1922 and to report their stories to the readers. 

These first two clippings were from the Sun on February 9, 1922 and the next two were published two weeks later on the 23rd of February.

The first article by Mr. Hall went over so well that the Sun did it again publishing this article on February 23, 1922.

Stella's Brother, Admiral J.J. "Jocko" Clark

There is a Sutton connection, close enough for our purposes, with one of the more fascinating heroes of Naval aviation.

Admiral J.J. "Jocko" Clark was an older brother of Stella (Clark) Olinger, wife of LeRoy (Roy) Olinger, Sutton residents who owned farms northwest of town. The Sutton story appears at the end of this article.

Joseph James Clark and Stella Clark were born on a farm near Chelsea in Oklahoma Indian Territory, J.J. in 1893, Stella in early 1900. Their parents were William and Lillie Clark. An older brother died in infancy, eight Clark children survived.

This photo of William Clark's family appears in Chapter 1 of "One the Warpath in the Pacific" by Clark G. Reynolds. The farmhouse was near Alluwe, Indian Territory in 1906. Left to right Joe, 12 with his dogs; "Papa" Will Clark, 45; Mary, 8; Stella, 6; "Mama" Lillie Belle, 33; twins Bill, Jr. and Dollie; and Lucy, 11.  

Joseph Clark received an appointment to the U.S. Navy Academy in Annapolis and in 1917 became the first native American to graduate from the academy. Tradition calls for plebes to receive a nickname, Midshipman Clark became "Jocko" a name that stuck with him throughout his career in WWI, WWII, to the end of the Korean War. 

He was assigned to one of the earliest aircraft carriers and immediately was attracted to flying becoming a Naval Aviator in 1925. 

Early in his career, he was the only aviator assigned to an inspection team evaluating new carrier aircraft and procedures for carriers and their aircraft. He was involved in developing carrier tactics until the end of his career, tactics that are key to naval carrier operations today.

Jocko developed a well-earned reputation for his aggressive nature and leadership. He became known as "Patton of the Pacific." Several videos about the admiral live on youtube.

Patton of the Pacific from Cherokee Nation Archivists. 

Admiral Jocko Clark and the Battleship New Jersey - The New Jersey was Admiral Clark's flagship in the Korean War.

After the Yorktown (CV-5) was sunk at Midway, a carrier that was under construction on the east coast was renamed the Yorktown CV-10). Then-Captain Clark was assigned as the new commander and he picked up the carrier before all interior work was done. Crews completed the ship as Jocko drove it through the Panama Canal and to the war in the South Pacific. He was launching aircraft into combat six months later.

A movie production crew accompanied the Yorktown filming what became an hour-long navy promotional movie called "The Fighting Lady." The narrator (Robert Taylor of Clay Center fame) purposely did not name the Yorktown to honor all carrier crews and airmen in the flick.

The Fighting Lady - an hour-long movie by 20th Century Fox.

The film is illustrated by navy combat film. A commentator pointed out that the Yorktown was the only ship with color film so all color photography in the film came from Jocko's ship. Jocko gets good coverage especially of him chewing out the crew and directing traffic on deck. The original film had no sound so we enjoy Jocko's words in a voice-over.

Back to the Sutton connection. Jocko's sister Stella Clarinda married LeRoy (Roy) Olinger in Oklahoma in 1918. Roy and his sister Bertha (wife of Dr. Fred Figi) were Sutton High grads in 1914 and 1913. (Dr. Figi in '12). 

Roy and Stella's daughter Jody married Paul McBeth and farmed an Olinger farm northwest of town. (I scooped corn with Paul many a time on our neighborhood corn-shelling crew.) Their daughter Paula was my classmate, class of '61. Second daughter Jody ('65) lives in Omaha - we had a great conversation about her great uncle Jocko and the books. Elizabeth was in the class of '72 and Dr. William McBeth in '74. 

Clark G. Reynolds assisted Jocko with his autobiography. Reynolds was the nephew of Admiral Clark's personal aide and snagged the gig when he was 19. Writing the book had to wait until Reynolds had his PhD from Duke years later. 

Reynolds was upset that the editor cut the story of Jocko's early years (including all mention of Stella) so that the autobiography concentrated on the admiral's career on carriers. So, we now have a full-fledged biography that does include the admiral's formative years in Indian Territory, hi-jinx at Annapolis (oh yeah), and pretty robust genealogy coverage of the admiral's various lines, including the Cherokee ancestry.

Jody and I captured the last copies of "Warpath" at amazon, so if you're interested (I recommend it) you'll have to wait or find another source.

Arlene (Kessler) Reighter WWII Red Cross Volunteer - 1946

Arlene Kessler, Sutton High Class of 1936, came home in May 1946 from Red Cross service in Europe during WWII.

Her parents were Arthur Sr. (1887-1975) and Zella (Lamb) (1896-1974) Kessler. Arlene was born 25 Nov 1919 and died 23 Sep 2009 in Lincoln at the age of 89. She is buried in the Reighter plot in the Sutton cemetery.

Arlene Kessler was listed in the 1940 census at age 20 living with her parents in Sutton and teaching grade school in "public school" - likely Sutton Schools (or in a rural school?)

This article appeared in The Sutton News on May 23, 1946.

Sarah (Brening) Everett - Founder of Runza Restaurants

Sarah Edna (Sally) Brening was born on 12 Aug 1912 near Sutton. In 1920 her parents Alex and Katherina Sophia (Sophie) (Leur) Brening were farming in Momence Township in Fillmore County east of Sutton. Sarah Brening married Wilbert T. Everett on 1 June 1938 in Lincoln.

She started the Runza business with her brother Alex (b. 1 Jan 1916).

Alex Brening (Sr.) arrived in New York on 18 Nov 1907 on the ship Caronia with his brother David. Ship records identify Sutton, Nebraska as their destination and Hy Reifschneider as their contact person. Alex Brening listed his home as the village of Popofka, Saratof (Saratov), Russia. The Saratov origins survive on the Runza Restaurant Wikipedia entry where the recipe is attributed to German Volga immigrants.

Sarah Everett died 23 Jan 1989 at the age of 76 and is buried at Lincoln Memorial Park.

Hosea Gray & Party arrived May 4, 1871

Hosea Wilson Gray

Colonel Hosea Wilson Gray, his son John M. Gray, his son-in-law George W. Bemis, and W. Cunning and his wife arrived at the Luther French dugout on May 4, 1871. 

The Gray party's arrival marked the beginning of the 1871 growth spurt that took Sutton from one farmer on the banks of School Creek to a bustling community on the Burlington Railroad by the end of the year.

Hosea Gray was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, spent some time in Indiana and came to Marion, Iowa in 1837. He practiced law in Marion for several years, was the first sheriff of Linn County and served for four terms.

He left Iowa for Nebraska in 1871 arriving in Clay County along the expected route of the Burlington Railroad. His wife Nancy, daughter-in-law Emma, and daughter Ada shortly joined their husbands in their new home.

W. Cunning's wife Kate has been credited with being the first married woman onto the land that became Sutton. I'm unsure why there is the distinction that she was married. Does that imply there may have been a single woman here? Where? Unaccompanied? The only inhabitant was Luther French. Surely not.

Hosea Gray was active in politics helping to form the Republican Party in Iowa. He served in Iowa's Constitutional Convention in 1856 and his portrait hangs in the state capitol.

 

When the Civil War broke out, Hosea Gray organized Company A of the 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was commissioned a Captain serving nearly three years before sickness forced him to leave the army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was promoted to brevet Colonel at the end of the war.

Hosea Gray practiced law in Sutton with his partner A.A. McCoy engaging in land deals in the new community. He was the senior partner with son John in the Gray lumber company located to the northwest of the intersection of Maple Street and Way Avenue on the Hunzeker property and on the grounds of the Sutton Museum. Two houses built by John Gray house the museum. 

Hosea Wilson Gray died on April 28, 1885 and is buried in the Sutton cemetery.

Dr. John W. Thompson - Biography

Dr. John  W. Thompson was a doctor in Sutton in the early 1900's. His daughter-in-law wrote this biography of him which was serialized in The Sutton News in early 1946.

 

Lillian King, Wife and Mother of County Newspaper publishers

Lillian King was the wife and mother of the long-time publishers of The Clay County News. She died in 1971

 

Griess Name & Sutton was Featured in 1922 Lincoln Paper

This article in a 1995 issue of The Clay County News told the story of a 1922 article in The Lincoln Sunday Star about the Griess family of Sutton. 

The original 1922 article follows.

-------------------------

The headline banner of the Lincoln paper on July 30, 1922 surely caught the eye of Sutton locals.

This collage of photos was the centerpiece of the 1922 Lincoln Sunday Star article.

Obituary of Henry & Alice Vauck - Killed 11 Nov 1957 at Sutton Downtown RR Crossing

 The automatic railroad crossing guards in the middle of downtown Sutton were installed after this accident.

Henry Vauck served as Clay County Judge for several years. His brother in law, Roy Oakley served as County Clerk for 33 years. Both men had lost a leg in childhood accidents, both turning those losses into the opportunity to receive an education, teach in rural schools, and serve as county officials. 

Henry and Alice Vauck were highly valued members of the Sutton community and their tragic loss that afternoon hit the town of Sutton hard.

Obituary of Francis M. Brown - 1919

H. C. King Lamenting the Saturday Evening Post - with mention of Herbert Johnson

This 1969 article by Clay County News publisher emeritus, H. C. King describes the demise of the national magazine, Saturday Evening Post. He mentions Sutton's own Herbert Johnson who drew cover cartoons for this magazine, Country Gentleman and other publications. 

Herbert Johnson also produced hundreds of political cartoons during the 1930's. We have a book of 90 of those cartoons in the Sutton Museum.

This 2017 article on the blog tells the Herbert Johnson Story.

Francis M. Brown Died 100 Years ago - March 20, 1919

Our lead entry in the 1919 section of the museum's newspaper column today, March 20, 2019 was the account of the death of Sutton pioneer Francis Marion Brown:

Long-time Sutton publisher Francis M. Brown died March 20, 1919 at the age of 78. He’d worked at his desk until February 24. He and three brothers homesteaded on Section 10 of School Creek Township in the spring of 1871. He was the first county clerk and the first clerk of the district court when Clay County was formed in October 1871. He purchased The Sutton Register newspaper in 1886 later operating it with his son Charles. Francis Brown was Sutton’s first mayor, or chairman of the board of trustees serving three terms and was police judge for 18 terms. 

He enlisted in Co. B, 14^th Indiana Infantry at the beginning of the Civil war serving until the unit was mustered out in Indianapolis at war’s end. The pall bearers were Mayor Jacob Bender, Samuel Carney, Melchoir Figi, A. W. Clark, C. E. Wieland and Fred Hanke. Those familiar with Sutton history recognize this list of the Town Fathers of that era. 

Nathan A. Tyler - Confederate Soldier - Sutton Cemetery

Nathan A. Tyler is one of at least two Confederate soldiers buried in the Sutton cemetery (Leonard Jarrett).

He advertised his tree business in The Sutton News in early 1919.

Nathan Tyler's grave flies a Confederate banner on memorial occasions. He enlisted as a Sergeant in Company D, North Caroline 1st Infantry Regiment on 13 June 1861, two months after the attack on Fort Sumner. He was mustered out 6 April 1862, early in the Civil War.

Tyler's tombstone does not indicate the date of his death. He appeared in the 1920 census, but not in 1930. Other research puts estimates of his death around 1928.

Nathan Tyler listed his occupation in the 1920 census as janitor at the telephone company. His entry for 1910 was "monuments" suggesting that he sold, and/or inscribed monuments, likely tombstones, for instance. Do you suppose that he continued that business into the 1920's and may have still been the local monument supplier at the time of his death? If so, could that be the explanation of why the date of his death did not get inscribed on his own tombstone?

History is not an exact science.

EXPLORER! - The Story of Sutton's own Walter Wellman

We've had earlier posts about Walter Wellman, who, among other things, was the publisher of Sutton's first newspaper. Among those posts is:

Earlier Walter Wellman post: "Sutton's Arctic Explorer" 

A book about our local hero was published about two years ago. It is historical fiction, that is, the author used Wellman's incredible story as a basis for his book but took the liberty to tell the story with fictional dialogue and detail to give us a credible adventure story. And, as far as I can tell, stick to the historical basis of Wellman's story very well.

Recommended. Available at Amazon.com for $15 for the paperback or $2.99 for your Kindle. Amazon's blurb is copied below this image of the cover.

Enjoy

Explorer! is historical fiction. That is, the dialogue is fictional, but events and many of the people mentioned were real. 

Certainly, Walter Wellman was a real person who had vision, determination, and leadership—all traits needed during his attempts to be the first to reach the North Pole. When that goal could no longer be realized, he regrouped his forces and set his sights on being the first to fly across the Atlantic. He conceived this idea right after Beloit, in an aircraft that was little more than a kite with an engine, succeeded in being the first to fly from Calais, France, to Dover, England—a distance of about thirty-five miles. 

Explorer follows in the wake of The Ice Age Saga trilogy—The Shaman’s Song, The Sojourner’s Tale, and Crooked Foot. Similarities between The Ice Age trilogy and Explorer! are due to the fact that they are all written as action-adventure stories and are meant to entertain readers of all ages.

Johnny Bender, Sutton Football Hero

Who is Sutton’s Number One individual sports figure?

About five years ago, we suggested that the 1922 Sutton High basketball team was Sutton’s No. 1 sports story, and no one has questioned that assessment. This month we suggest that Johnny Bender was the top individual sports figure of our community.

Johnny Bender left a broad legacy across the world of sports. He was an outstanding collegiate athlete but his bigger impact was as a coach.

He was a graduate of the Sutton High Class of ’00 and as much as we’d like to detail his high school career, we lack details to tell that story. 

Johnny Reinhold "Johnny" Bender was born in Sutton in 1882 and was in the
Sutton High School Class of 1900.

Let’s move on to college.

Johnny Bender was one of the first Nebraska football stars. The pertinent entry on the all-time list of Nebraska lettermen reads, “Bender, Johnny, 1900-01-02-03-04. Yes, you saw that correctly. Johnny Bender was a 5-year letterman the University of Nebraska football team. He was one of only two players to have that record. John Ringer from Lincoln did it one year earlier, 1899 – 1903. That is a record that will stand for all time, unless the NCAA makes some major rule changes.

Johnny Bender arrived on the Nebraska campus in 1900 along with the new coach, Walter C. “Bummy” Booth who had graduated from Princeton that spring. Booth compiled a 46-8-1 record in his six years at Nebraska, five of those years with Johnny Bender as his star halfback. One Husker recruiting website states that Bender arrived at Nebraska on a scholarship to play quarterback.

That 1900 season was also the first year Nebraska played as The Cornhuskers.

Nebraska was undefeated through the 1902 and 1903 seasons ripping off 24 consecutive wins until a 6-0 loss to Colorado in the third game of the 1904 season. That record stood until the Tom Osborne led Huskers won 26 in a row, ending with the 19-0 loss to Pat Tillman and the Arizona State Wildcats in the second game of 1996.

The 1902 team was not scored on; the 1903 team gave up 5 points to Knox College though Lincoln High did score 6 points on them in an exhibition game. Johnny Bender was the captain of the 1903 team. He held the Nebraska career scoring record when he left the Huskers.

His Wikipedia entry claims that he balked at playing against Minnesota one year until the school made good on his pay demands. Could be.

John Reinhold Bender was born in Sutton on May 14, 1882, the son of Jacob Andrew Bender and Eugenia “Jennie” Reuss. Jacob Bender was from the Russian village of Balzer along the Volga River, his wife was from the nearby village of Moor. Their arrival in Sutton in 1875 was as part of the migration of Germans from Russia after 1872.

The oldest Bender child was Henry who became a Sutton auctioneer. Emilie Bender married Elmer Trabert; Theresia Bender was the wife of Dr. Herman Bening. John Reinhold “Johnny” was the fourth child in the family. Nathaniel Gustave “Gus” followed Johnny and Irmengarde Bender was married to Joseph Hash.

Eugenia Bender died in 1898 within a year after Irmengarde was born. Jacob married Amalia Heinz in 1902; she died in 1912. He then married Pauline Leonhardt in 1913. Jacob died in 1928.

The Bender business was the John Deere Implement dealership
that operated in Sutton for about 125 years. Johnny's father
Jacob built this building in 1906.

Jacob Bender began business with Mr. Zimblemen with the Bender & Zimbleman implement dealership. The partnership ended and the business was soon named Jacob Bender & Son with Gus Bender as the partner. The business operated for about 125 years, later in the hands of the three sons of Gus Bender and Clara Henrietta Landmann, Paul, Fritz and Wally. (Paul Jacob, Frederick Gustave, and Wallace Niel). It was a large John Deere franchise earning performance awards from that company regularly.

But back to Johnny.

Johnny Bender’s first coaching job was at Washington State University where his 1906 team went 6-0 and the next year posted a 7-1 record. He also had the head basketball coaching gig where his team was 12-3, the schools best mark so far, by far. And he was the baseball coach.

His next job was at the Haskell Indian Nations University where his 1908 and 1909 teams were 3-6-1 and 7-2.

Then onto Saint Louis University in 1910 and 1911 where Johnny Bender entered sports folklore.

A St. Louis sportswriter thought that Coach Johnny
Bender looked like the Billiken doll leading to the
Saint Louis U. sports teams becoming the Billikens
and they still are.

There was a doll on the market in those days, designed by a Kansas City art teacher that was called the Billiken. Wikipedia describes the doll as, “…elephant-like with pointed ears, a mischievous smile and a tuft of hair on its pointed head. His arms were short and he was generally sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him. Billiken was known as ‘The God of Things as They Ought to Be.’” The doll was associated with good luck. A St. Louis sports reporter also thought it looked a little like Johnny Bender.

Locals began to refer to the Saint Louis football team as “Bender’s Billikens” and the name stuck. It is still the nickname and mascot of teams at Saint Louis University St. Louis University High School.

The cultural reach of Sutton history stretches far and wide.

Bender’s next move was rare among coaches. He returned to Washington State for the 1912-1914 seasons giving him five seasons with that school divided into two separate appearances. Did any other coach, and school, do such a thing?

Next was a one-year stop at Kansas State and a mediocre 3-4-1 season but Johnny Bender did have two lasting contributions to that institution. He started the annual homecoming event and named his team the “Wildcats”.

We come to a singular event in collegiate coaching history with Bender’s next move, at least, I can’t find another like it. Coach Bender swapped jobs with Tennessee head football coach Zora G. Clevenger between the 1915 and 1916 seasons. Coach Bender was at Tennessee from 1916 through 1920 posting an 6-0-1 record in 1916, 3-3-3 in 1919 and 7-2 in 1920. The school did not field teams in ’17 and ’18 as the nation had a distraction for its young men during those years.

John Bender served in the 360^th Infantry during World War I. He was a captain when he filled out his WWI draft registration card listing his wife’s home address in Knox, Indiana and his employment at Ft. Bliss near El Paso, Texas. He attained the rank of major in the army.

Tennessee had a lousy football program in those years. Bender’s team shocked the southeast, including Tennessee fans with an upset of Vanderbilt one year. A book called “Legends of the Tennessee Volunteers” by Marvin West illustrated the weakness of the program by pointing out that Coach Bender resigned at UT because Knoxville High made him a better offer. Maybe. Could be. Anyhow, Robert Neyland arrived in the mid-1920’s fixing things for the Volunteers.

Coach Bender’s contribution to football strategy while at Tennessee was the short punt formation.

And our coach had the Tennessee basketball program in 1917, 1920 and 1921 with a 29-15 record; and was coach of the baseball team in ’17 and ’20.

 

Sutton's Johnny Bender was the first star running back for
the Cornhuskers and made his name in collegiate coaching.

Johnny Bender’s career in coaching major college football ended at Tennessee. He took a job as a physical education instructor at a small college in Houston where he coached a squad of volunteer football players. He named them the Cougars after his Washington State team. The college newspaper picked up “The Cougar” name. The small college grew into the University of Houston still using that name.

Johnny Bender had married Pearl Josephine Cassell in Knox, Indiana in 1909. They had three children, John Jacob, Margaret Josephine and William Cassell and were living in Houston when John Bender died on July 24, 1928.

He is buried in the Sutton Cemetery where the flagpole was dedicated by Pearl in 1933 in memory of Major Bender.

Pearl Cassell’s name had a personal interest for me. Cassell was my mother’s name. The Cassell surname has at least two separate origins. Ours is Scotland where the Cassels clan is a sept of Clan Kennedy. The German Cassell name originates in the city of Kassel. Spellings in both branches became innovative.

 

Johnny Bender is buried in the Sutton Cemetery

While we are talking about individual sports figures, we’ll briefly mention one more, not a Sutton story, but an area story.

Clarence Mitchell was born in Franklin, Nebraska on February 22, 1891. He was a baseball pitcher in the major leagues from 1911 to 1932 playing for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, Brooklyn Robins, Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a spitball pitcher.

For the youngsters in the crowd, the spitball was an especially effective pitch that was enhanced by placing a foreign substance on the ball affecting the balance of the ball. The most readily available substance was expectorate, yes, spit. The subject still comes up when an umpire detects evidence – there are rules.

The rule against the spitter went into effect in 1920. A number of spitball pitchers, 8 to 17 depending on your reading choices, were allowed to continue to throw their spitter through the end of their careers – they were “grandfathered”. Clarence Mitchell was a left-handed pitcher. He was the “Only Grandfathered Left-Handed Spitball Pitcher” in the major leagues. A singular distinction.

But after Mitchell retired and was running a bar in Aurora, Nebraska, his spitball pitching distinction was not what he capitalized on.

Mitchell was with the Brooklyn Dodgers (aka Robins) in the 1920 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. In Game 5, Clarence Mtichell came up to bat with men on first and second and hit a line drive to Cleveland second baseman Bill Wambsganss who then stepped on second base and then tagged the oncoming runner from first completing the only unassisted triple play in World Series history. A big enough deal, but in Mitchell’s next at-bat, he hit into a double play accounting for five outs in two consecutive at-bats, in a World Series game – a serious record.

Clarence Mitchell’s post-career Aurora bar featured a swizzle stick stamped with the account of his ignominious World Series batting feat.

Oh, yes, game 5 of the 1920 World Series also saw the first World Series grand slam home run AND the first World Series home run by a pitcher – not Clarence Mitchell. And Brooklyn outhit Cleveland in that game but lost 8-1.

Clarence Mitchell is buried in the Aurora Cemetery where his tombstone has to make the short list for "most interesting".