THE HERINGS - SETTLERS IN THE 19TH CENTURY
Jeri Southern - real name Genevieve Lillian Hering was born
on August 5th ,1926 in Jessup , Nebraska in a millhouse on
the Verdigris River close by the present day village of Royal
in Antelope County .Her father owned and worked his milling business , " Hering's Mill " , in a now long since gone small settlement just four and a half miles north of the present day
village of Royal .
Antelope County with a then population of aproximately 15,000 , was largely a corn growing district.
Fifty seven years earlier ( in 1869 ) Genevieve's grandfather had been one of the first white settlers there.He'd made his way from Germany and struck Nebraska's Sarpy County when its settlers were very few in number.Eventually , after ten years working in a mill , he moved into Antelope County to make a homestead claim . Since the settlers there were also few in number his (circa)1879 claim got him a fine choice of location , one that he considered to be " as nicely situated as any in the county " .Its location being in sections fifteen and twenty-two , township twenty-eight ,range seven .
In those years , though deer and antelope were still plentiful , such pioneers as Mr.Julias Hering faced many hardships and crisis .Prairie fires being a particular hazard to life and property . The record shows that Jessup's township neighbour , Royal , was established as a community in the year 1890 though it was then known by the place-name " Savage " . However its social history certainly dates from the time that the previously mentioned " Hering's Mill " in Jessup was built . Unfortunately for the optimistic people of the developing Jessup site further investment and expansion plans were abandoned and high hopes suddenly dashed when plans for a railroad line to Jessup were changed in favour of a slightly more southerly route .
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MR . JULIAS HERING
Mr.Hering first built himself a sod house and then a mill and a mill race . Though he did most of the work himself , his wife Ida (ne Field)who he has married on December 23rd , 1874 ,helped him shingle the mill .
The couple were to have eight children , Augusta , Francis , Bertha , Hattie , Roy , Stella , George and Edward .
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MR . ROYAL THAYER
In the early years of the twentieth century - with the building of a railroad to " Savage " - the efforts of a man named Royal Thayer brought about the establishment of , a post office there . ( Its first appointed postmaster being Jim Welch .) The new Post Office was appropriately named " Royal " after Mr. Royal Thayer its proposer . Later however , the locality's name itself was changed . The unpopular , with some , place-name "Savage" was abandoned in favour of the more popularly favoured name "Royal" . The internet website of Royal , Nebraska as of August , 2005 states just why the place-name "Savage" had originally been adopted : " It was called Savage because a doctor from Sioux City had promised to build a school in any town along the Pacific Short Line that would be named after him . After a few years , when he had failed to fulfill his promise , the town changed the name to Royal in honor of Royal Thayer , who had been instrumental in establishing the post office . "
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HARD TIMES
Genevieve Lillian Hering was born at the Herings' flour mill , being the younget child of five - the others being Joe , Helen , Bob , and Mary . She was aged three years when her family moved into the Royal township itself , their flour business having ben sold to become Jessup Roller Mills . Life had suddenly become very hard for the Herings . In 1928 with the Great Depression hitting hard rust got into the wheat fields . The mill's then business head , Mr.Roy Hering , had no option other than to sell his mill . With his livelihood lost he began a shoe repair business .For her part , his wife offered elecution lessons to local girls and began as a news correspondent ( or journalist ) for many newspapers and magazines . As such she is listed in the 1940 " Who's Who " of Nebraska .
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