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Descendants of William Lake


58. JOHN LINN4 LAKE (GEORGE WASHINGTON3, GEORGE B.2, WILLIAM1) was born February 21, 1853, and died January 21, 1931 in Marion County, WV. He married ADELINE (ADDIE) MORAN November 25, 1886 in Platte County, Nebraska, daughter of ROBERT MORAN and SARAH PRIDE. She was born February 12, 1867 in Marion County, WV, and died May 03, 1931 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

Notes for JOHN LINN LAKE:
John was a teacher for many years. He and Addie were married at her brother's home (Robert Camden Moran) on Thanksgiving day, 1886. They were married while a blizzard raged outside. Following their marriage, they homesteaded in Julesburg, Colorado for four years after which time they moved to West Virginia where they resided for several years. In 1898 they returned to Platte County, Nebraska and farmed southeast of Creston. John taught in the Creston public schools for several years. Years later, he and Addie separated and John returned to Fairmont, West Virginia, but left his family in Nebraska. His departure was very quiet. One day he appeared at the home of his niece, Ida Moran and asked her to make him some sandwiches. She complied without asking any questions. John thanked her and boarded the next train out of Creston. John Lake is buried at the Lake Cemetery on Bunner Ridge, near Fairmont, West Virginia.

Addie was the daughter of Robert and Sarah (Sally) Pride Moran, the youngest of eight children. Her mother was a sister to Mrs. Harmon (Nancy) Travis, great grandparents of the author. Addie was born in Marion County, West Virginia and moved with her family to Nebraska at the age of nine. She is buried at Wheeler's Cemetery, Platte County, Nebraska. She died in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska.

(1) Marion County Birth Book 2 - Page 24 (Roy).
(2) Marion County Death Book 6 - Page 246 (John).
(3) Linn Family History.
(4) Letters from Flora (Florida) and Elsie Lake to the author.
(5) Marion County Record of Fiduciary - Page 216.
(6) Information on John and Adeline from Robert Moran of Pingree, Nebraska (1996).


WILL OF JOHN LINN LAKE - JANUARY 16, 1925


I, John L. Lake, being of sound mind and knowing the certainty of death, do make this my last will.

First: That I be buried in the Cemetery at the Glady Creek Church.

Second: Dress me in my summer suit and put no shoes on my feet.

Third: Place as large a monument at my grave as the money I leave will admit of.

Fourth: Put all my good clothes in my trunk and crate the trunk well and send it by freight prepaid to my boy Roy Lake at Creston, Nebraska.

Fifth: I appoint Mr. W. H. Rudy administrator of my estate.

Sixth: This is written by myself on Friday the 16th day of January, 1925.

John L. Lake


Stella Poe
Allen Henderson

Witnessed in court the above was actually in the handwriting of the deceased John L. Lake, that he was of sound mind and that they had known him some 35 - 40 years.     
1931


Observations by the author: Buried in the Lake Cemetery, not the Glady Creek Cemetery and there is no marker on his grave (1993).


(1) Marion County Will Book 10 - Page 345.


Note - March 25, 2001: John Lake finally has a marker on his grave. In 1999, I (the author, L. Rex Lake) had a request from John Lake's relatives in Tulare, South Dakota. His granddaughter, Virginia Reisdorff, sent me a note asking me to investigate the cost of having a marker installed. After a few letters back and forth and some checking on my part, she sent me the money and I arranged to have a marker installed. I copied the following from my diary:

Tuesday November 30, 1999:

I rode out to the Lake Cemetery with two guys from Stewart Granite Works and showed them where to place the grave marker for John Linn Lake. His grandkids (Virginia Reisdorff, daughter of Robert Roy Lake) from South Dakota sent me money this summer and asked that we get a marker for their grandfather. I made the arrangements and paid the bill and they picked the first snowy day of the winter to install it, but they did a great job and it is now in place. John is buried beside his dad, mother and two sisters and he has resided there since 1931 without a marker. I'm proud to have been a part in getting that corrected. I have a copy of John Lake's will and in that will he states that he wants to be buried in his best summer suit and with no shoes on his feet. He probably did not know that he was going to die in February but even at that, I wonder what was on his mind when he made such a request. It was snowing while the men from Stewart's were putting in the marker and it was cold - about 32 degrees. With the brisk wind it felt much colder. As I stood there freezing, I tried to imagine the sorrowful times that were represented there in that old cemetery. Some of the markers go back to dates in the 1700's and there are many marked only with rocks picked out of the fields, their identity lost forever. I would love to be able to peep into the past and see what had been witnessed there on that lonely hill. (The author, L. Rex Lake).

From an old Fairmont Newspaper clipping in 1886 supplied by Pearl Rickards Smith comes this fascinating account of John and Addie's wedding in Nebraska:

"Married, at the residence of R.C. Moran (Robert Camden Moran - Addie's brother), in Creston, Nebraska, at 3 o'clock p.m., November 25th, Mr. J. L. Lake and Miss Addie Moran, youngest daughter of Col. Robert Moran. All parties named will be recognized as former residents of this county, and Mr. Lake will be remembered as a student for a long time of the State Normal School (now Fairmont State College - 2001) at this place. He went west in the early part of 1885, has been engaged in teaching and has a fine homestead in Colorado. His bride has been a resident of Nebraska since 1876, when she went thither with her father and has lived there since, except while attending school in Illinois. She is spoken of as a fine young lady of rare good qualities. After the marriage ceremony, the happy couple went to Colfax County, to the home the groom had prepared, where a bountiful supper awaited them, prepared by Mrs. Fast and Mrs. Summers, both late of Marion County. We are indebted to our friend, C. J. Garlow, Esq., of Columbus, Nebraska, also a former Marion County citizen, for the above particulars of this interesting event."

And also from Iola Pearl Rickards Smith comes the following:

Introduction: "The following is a transcript of Grandpa John Linn Lake's journal that he kept from June 9, 1886 to August 20, 1886. The old Empire notebook is faded and brittle, the pages are yellow and some torn, so I copied it verbatim as best I could so everyone could read it. I found it recently in some of Mom's things. Her note on the outside is as follows: 'My father's trip to Julesburg, Colorado to get his claim, John Linn Lake, my father. Give to Merlin.' Since Merlin is deceased, I have it, unaware of her wishes. I know of no other way to preserve it.

'I have concluded that Grandpa came to Nebraska from West Virginia in October 1885, wanting to marry Grandma Addie Moran and since several men had found homesteads, he wanted to do likewise, necessitating his trek in Colorado to find some land not already claimed. Mom told me that he never got his claim, probably due to the litigation he mentions. He apparently accomplished what he wanted as he and Grandma were married on Thanksgiving Day, 1886 at the home of her brother in Creston because her father did not approve. She had a seamstress make her a dark green velvet dress in preparation for the ceremony. We found the notes made in reference to the cost of the materials to make the dress in her old trunk which Aunt Elsie gave to me. I wish I could hear all the tales that trunk could tell. Aunt Elsie said the trunk was always behind the kitchen stove. In it was Grandpa Moran's Civil War revolver (now in possession of Hattie Moran Leudtke, Longman's son) given to him by Aunt Elsie, a wedding quilt and another old-old quilt, a lap robe and Great Grandpa's Civil War sword which was given to Robert Lake.

'Ruby Lake, our mom, was born in Julesburg, Colorado on September 21, 1887. When she was four years old, Grandpa took her on the train to West Virginia. He had been a schoolteacher in West Virginia as had his brother Joe Lake. Mom said that he built a house for them to live in and that for the first ten years of her life, she lived in West Virginia, until they returned to Nebraska where Grandpa Moran deeded an 80 acre farm to her on condition that she could not sell or mortgage it. So Grandpa lived there for awhile, didn't like the wind, etc., and finally went back alone to West Virginia. Susie Moran, Mom's first cousin, stated that he came to her house one day and asked her to pack him a lunch as he was taking the train to West Virginia. After some time, he wanted to come back, so Grandma wrote to him spelling out on what conditions he could return. He must not have liked them, because he never returned. He died in West Virginia in 1931 and Grandma died in Omaha, Nebraska in 1931. They lived out their day miles apart. We grandchildren never got to see them." Prepared by Pearl Rickards Smith, a granddaughter, Autumn, year 2000.

We begin John Lake's diary on June 9, 1886:

Wednesday June 9, 1886:
We started from Mr. A. H. Millers - arrived at Columbus at 2:30 p.m. - passed Duncan and camped near railroad ten miles west of Columbus - mosquitoes and knats.

Thursday June 10, 1886:
Ate breakfast at sunup and started at 5:20 a.m. - passed Silver Creek Station at 8 o'clock - crossed the Platte River at Silver Creek Station at 8 o'clock and followed the bottom for 30 miles or more. Camped near Mr. S. B. Pugh's in Hamilton County, a West Virginian from Preston County.

Friday June 11, 1886:
We had a good nights sleep and arose at 5 a.m. Took breakfast with Mr. Pugh and started at 6:50 a.m. - passed through Marquette and Aurora, the county seat of Hamilton County. Arrived at Mr. U. S. Patterson's at noon. Mr. Patterson is an extensive farmer and cattle shipper and resides in a sod house. After dinner, we took a drive with Mr. Patterson's horse and buggy and took supper with Mr. S. C. Wineman and came back to Mr. Patterson's, remaining overnight.

Saturday June 12, 1886:
After getting our lunch box replenished, we once more started on the western journey after having a most excellent visit. We arrived at Harvard in Lay County at 10 a.m. - took dinner at Mr. Felix Gravit's - passed county seat of Adams County and stayed Saturday with Mr. Samuel Wright's, a Pennsylvanian who has been in every county in West Virginia and almost every county ……….(unreadable).

Sunday June 13, 1886:
We left Mr. Wright's at 1 p.m. - came to Sunday school and stayed for preaching - preacher was not an able one. We passed Hartwell in Kearney County and camped about three miles from Hartwell.

Monday June 14, 2001:
Passed through Winden, the county seat of Kearney County. West of Winden is a nice country. We camped for dinner one mile over in Phelps County - passed through Holdridge, the county seat of Phelps County and camped at a small town on the railroad called Loomis and slept in a farmer's barn. West of Holdridge is a perfectly level country, almost all of it in it's wild state.

Tuesday June 15, 1886:
Rained last night - started at 7 o'clock - passed through Bertrand at 9 o'clock. It is almost perfectly level country around Bertrand. Bertrand is one year old and has 400 in population. Stopped for dinner and wood in Gasper, a town one year old and 200 in population, just 300 feet to water. Water is 15 cents a barrel. Traded horses with a fellow in the western edge of Frontier County. Saw some very rough country between Bertrand, Elwood and Eustace. Camped at Eustace, a new town probably 2 months old with all the houses built wrong side out and in a rough country here. Mr. Miller bought eggs and got chick-chiseled. Land in Gosper and the eastern part of the frontier can be had for from $7 to $15 per acre and it is good land.

Wednesday June 16, 1886:
Started at 7 o'clock - had a good rain and some wind last night. The hotel shook considerably. Passed some rough country this afternoon, arrived at Keystone in Dawson County at 10:30, remained for dinner at the hotel. After dinner, took a drive 3 miles south to look at a school section, which by the way, was very rough. We left Keystone at 3 o'clock and followed the railroad as near as we could and passed some of the roughest country we had yet seen. It abounds in canyons, the sides of which are rugged and steep, all from 20 to 100 feet high. The bottoms of these canyons are from 2 to 10 rods in width. We came to Deer Creek at 5 o'clock and found very rough country, which consists principally fo canyons and rivers and then a nice tableland of from 10 to 40 acres. We passed several railroad camps, one that was composed of about 500 men and 1,000 mules, a few women and horses and a few dogs thrown in to fill out the camp. We drove into a canyon and camped for the night, but unfortunately we had to use water out of a pond, which we happened to find in the canyon.

Thursday June 17, 1886:
Arose this morning at 5:30 - had a good nights sleep. Did not even hear a coyote or wolf. Started at 6:45 and passed down the canyon and over a hog back ridge, then from one canyon to another all forenoon. Passed Moorefield at 8:00, a new town with one store and the railroad and situated on a high hill. Passed from one canyon to another till we came to Curtis, a fine new town in the site of the railroad in Frontier County. East of Curtis is an old-fashioned rail fence and some timber. Camped for dinner at 1:30 p.m. Arrived at John McAllister's at 3:30. John lives in a dugout and sod combined. I went to G. W. McAllister's and stayed overnight. John McAllister's well is 225 feet deep and dug by hand.

Friday June 18, 1886:
We stayed with John L. McAllister until 3:30 p.m., then went southeast to Laird Post Office in Frontier County. Crossed the Medicine on a pole bridge that was not safe, then crossed the divide to Brushy Creek and camped near Mr. Jay Doyle's for the night. We saw a few rocks today near the Laird Post Office, the first and only ones that I have seen in Nebraska. We also saw some log houses today on the Medicine.

Saturday June 19, 1886:
Slept last night on the floor at Mr. Doyle's. Had a small rain last night. Arose this morning at 4:30 and started at 6 o'clock. Crossed the Brushy, then a hogback into Frazier Canyon, the largest canyon we had yet seen, then along a divide for several miles where there are no wells, to Red Willow Creek where we stopped for dinner. Saw a claim about one year old that had the best corn on it that we have seen. We saw our first prairie wolf this forenoon, 3 miles before we came to Red Willow. The country that we passed today is rough except on the divide. We saw a large drove of cattle this forenoon coming down to Red Willow for water. Started at 1:30 p.m. - passed McCook in Red Willow County on the Republican & B & W Railroad at 5:00 o'clock. McCook is a beautiful town of 2,000 inhabitants. Went 5 miles west and camped for the night near a small town on the B & M called Perry. Perry is in Hitchcock County. We camped in Red Willow near a man's house by the name of M. H. Bacon. We made our bed down on his floor and slept sound as a dollar.

Sunday June 20, 1886:
Started at 6 o'clock this morning by western time. When we passed McCook, we were in western time. We have driven about 3 miles this morning and now we are in Hitchcock County and we are sheltered in a half dugout and half sod house 3 miles east of Culbertson. We passed Culbertson at 9:00 o'clock. It is a small town and west of it we saw several farmers cultivating corn. We passed near Palisade at 5:00 o'clock. We saw some very rough and rugged rock ledges near Palisade on Frenchman's Creek Fork. We went up the Frenchman's Fork and then crossed the divide to the stinking water in Hays County and stopped for the night at Estell. The country se saw today is rough except in the river bottom. It is of a sandy soil.

Monday June 21, 1886:
We slept last night on the floor of Mr. Bill True's kitchen in the city of Estell. Estell consists of two buildings, one of which is a store structure and the other a small frame, also a stone corral. The country is rolling except in the valley. We did not leave Estell until 2:45 p.m. on account of rain. We passed west on the divide between Frenchman's Fork and the stinking water. This divide is broader than they are east of here. We came to the place on this divide where we could look to 3 points of the compass and not see a house or a bush. This divide is nice land. We even took a prairie schooner and camped for the night on top of the divide near a lagoon where we got water for our coffee.

Tuesday June 22, 1886:
Arose at 4:45 a.m. - had a good nights rest - ate breakfast and started at 7 o'clock. We passed over some nice level land. Got water for the horses at a well 3 miles west of Imperial. The wells on this divide are about 80 to 100 feet deep. Near Imperial we saw Mr. Bragg, a Summers County, West Virginian who had taken a claim. Came to Imperial at 10 o'clock and took dinner at the Imperial Hotel. Imperial is a small new town of about 20 houses. It is beautifully situated on the divide. After noon, I took a horse back ride to look at a claim two and one half miles southeast of town that could be bought for $250. The country around town is sandy. It is also sandy east of town and on the bottoms.

Wednesday June 23, 1886:
Slept last night under our wagon in the town of Imperial. Arose at 4:15, ate breakfast and it began to rain. Rained for one hour. We left Imperial at 8 o'clock, went northwest over some level, sandy land for about 10 or 12 miles, then we came to some better soil. The soil is somewhat sandy but none to injure it from being a good farming country. The soil has a great deal of magnesium in it, a whitish substance resembling and having the properties of lime. We camped for dinner at a man's house where they are digging a well, then we went west into town 8, range 41 west, section 23 and stopped for the remainder of the day. This is as nice a country as we have seen. It is almost perfectly level and we can look as far as we can see and not see a tree or a fence or a bush, nothing but a few sand hills on the northeast in Keith County about 6 or 8 miles distant. This part of Chase County has all been settled in the last year.

Thursday June 24, 1886:
Slept last night on the floor in Mr. W. E. Howell's house - remained at his house for the day as there was an election held in the county today to locate the county seat of Chase County. There were three locations to be voted on, Imperial, Hamilton and Eldrege. We heard of some vacant land today. We killed our first rattlesnake this morning. We left Mr. Howell's at 6 p.m. and drove 4 miles east to Anterburn and land locating agents. We ate some antelope for supper and biscuits baked by Mr. Anterburn in a gasoline stove.

Friday June 25, 1886:
We had a big rain last night. It ran into our house, which was a dugout and frame combined. There were eight of us men slept in it. A house 12 by 14. We were all bachelors except Mr. Miller, my partner. We left in company of Mr. Low at 8:30 to look at some vacant land in Keith County northeast of where we were last night. This land lays well and is very sandy. This evening, we are still in Keith County at Mr. Anterburn's house. Mr. Anterburn is not at home and Mr. George Low is our cook. We took dinner today with Mr. W. L. Dihel, a former acquaintance of Mr. Miller. The land we looked at today was a perfect sand bed to the depth of about four or five feet and is situated in the sand hills. We drove 2 miles and back to get water for our horses and ourselves. We found it in the sand hills in what the people called a ……..(page missing here through June 26).

Sunday June 27, 1886:
We slept last night under our wagon in Mr. Howell's yard, arose at 4:20 and started at 6:20 a.m. We went south to look at a claim for sale. Then we went west to the Colorado line. We saw the Colorado line at 9 o'clock. We went north along the state line for some 8 or 10 miles and camped for dinner near Mr. Sharley's, where we found a well in a draw 8 feet deep. This draw is filled in with gravel and is narrow - no more than 30 feet wide. We killed a big rattlesnake this forenoon in Colorado. It had nine rattles on it. This part of Nebraska and Colorado is very nice. It is a little rolling. We saw the largest dog town today that we have seen. It contained as much as 200 acres. We are camped here until Monday to look for a location and to wait for a location to come home. (?)

Monday June 28, 1886:
It is nine months this morning since I left my West Virginia home, but id does not seem near so long to me. The last three months have appeared longer to me than the other six did. We slept soundly under our wagon near the state line in Range 41, township 9, section 6. We arose at 5 o'clock and went nearly east to Mr. Waybeur's, a blacksmith, where we got our wagon tongue straightened. Afterward, we went east 6 miles to Mr. U. S. Farrs, a locator, where we ate dinner and after dinner, we went one mile south to look at a claim that is for sale. Price $75. This country is nice but a little rolling and good soil.

Tuesday June 29, 1886:
We had a bed last night in Mr. Farr's barn. This morning it was raining and we were not in a hurry to leave Mr. Farr's. We went west a mile to look at a claim for sale, then back to the road to Mr. Farr's and then we started for Ogalalla. Now we have stopped at a dry lagoon for dinner, but we have no water either for ourselves or for our horses. This is the longest drive we have made without water. This is a very nice country, sparsely inhabited but vegetation looks well on it. It is high table land.

Wednesday June 30, 1886:
We arrived at Ogalalla yesterday evening at 5:30. This is a snug little town situated on the Platte River between the bluffs. The valley at this place is about two miles wide and the bluffs are steep and rough. We slept last night under our wagon near a jail, a small stone building in Ogalalla. We stayed in Ogalalla until afternoon, as we wanted to find out certain things. We started at 1:30 p.m. west for Big Springs in Cheyman County. The country between Ogalalla and Big Springs is somewhat rough and sandy and there is a great deal of gravel in places. Big Springs is a small town in a bluffy country. The bluffs are near the town. We camped west of town with two other emigrant wagons near a big spring on the bluffs.

Thursday July 1, 1886:
We slept soundly on the floor of Mr. Clark's house in the town of Big Springs last night. We started at 6:30 a.m. and arrived at Denver Junction in Colorado at 9:30 a.m. where we remained for dinner. The country around the town is nice on the bottom, which is 3 or 4 miles wide. The bluffs are not so rugged as they are east in places. This is a nice town in a beautiful situation. We left Denver Junction at 3:30 p.m. and went southwest 18 miles to Mr. Brooks. After we left the bluffs and got on the tableland, we saw the nicest land we have seen since we started. It is gently rolling and one can see as far in al directions as the vision will carry. This is not very thickly settled, only a small house now and then. Denver Junction changes it's name today to Julesburg.

Friday July 2, 1886:
We slept last night on the floor at Mr. Brook's. We had a rain last night and considerable wind, thus we passed our first night in the great centennial state of Colorado. After breakfast we went west 2 miles, then 1 mile north to look at a vacant section which is very nice land and good soil. While we were hunting for section corners, we saw a herd of antelope and one of them separated from the others and stayed near us and we set a greyhound after it. Afterwards, we saw it and 2 young ones near the same spot. The young ones had been hid in the grass. After dinner we drove back to Denver Junction.

Saturday July 3, 1886:
Today while we are camped at Denver Junction, our friends at home are enjoying themselves (Probably a reference to the July 4 holiday?). We had a small rain last night and some wind with very sharp lightning and heavy thunder. We left Denver Junction at 5 o'clock and came southeast about 25 miles to the same well where we camped last Sunday at noon. So we have made a circuit of several miles in the last week and saw some nice country.

Sunday July 4, 1886:
All was nice and quiet at the Junction yesterday and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. We came across the prairie yesterday in coming here, most of the time without a road. We drove until 10 p.m. Tonight I am at Mr. Frank Kingsley's. Today, we took dinner with Mr. Gail Richmond's and they had an excellent dinner for the 4th. They had turkey and we did it all the justice we could.

Monday July 5, 1886:
I slept soundly last night and arose at 5:40. This is a beautiful morning.

Saturday July 10, 1886:
Mr. Miller left me Sunday evening and I stayed two nights with Mr. R. F. Kingsley and Wednesday with Mr. M. S. Farr. I went to Ogalalla and back Thursday afternoon. I sent in my filing on my claim on Thursday and found it in contest case for trial afterward. Today, I helped Mr. Farr pile some lumber and in the afternoon, I went two miles to see Mr. Babcock.

Sunday July 10, 1886:
This morning Mr. Farr and I went 2 and one half miles for water and got 2 loads. We went before breakfast. It is very hot today and I am lying in the barn most of the time.

Sunday July 18, 1886:
This morning I had to do all the chores as Mr. Farr and Mr. J. C. Leonardson were in bed as they worked all night. I wrote three letters, one consisted of three letter sheets and one of this notebook, one to Mr. McKee and one to Matt. This is a nice day.

Wednesday Night, July 28, 1886:
Mr. Miller came to me at Mr. Farr's on Monday July 26 and on Tuesday morning we left for Ogalalla. We enjoyed a big rain and hailstorm just before we came to Ogalalla, part of which we were in and the remainder of it we were in a small stable. This morning, we started at 10 o'clock for Denver Junction. We stayed last night at the W.P. Hotel. We arrived at the Junction at 7 o'clock. We saw a herd of horses today east of the Junction - 165 head. Tonight we are at Mr. L. M. Fairchild's north of town a mile or less. It is a good place to be.

Thursday July 29, 1886:
We left Denver Junction this morning and came out southwest ten miles to Mr. Miller's claim. This has been a fine day.

Friday July 30, 1886:
We slept last night in Mr. Miller's shanty. This morning it was foggy and we started at 7:40 for Denver City. We went southwest and passed through the north of the sand hills. We saw several antelope this forenoon, as many as 12 or 15. We ate dinner at a spring in 10 - 46 where there were two women for water, a Mrs. Slawson and a Mrs. Kenney. After dinner we went southwest to the river west of Sledgewick and crossed the river at Red Lion where we saw a large herd of range cattle - 300 or 400. Then we followed the railroad till we came to Crook where we now are. Red Lion has six houses. Crook has only three and one of them is the station. It is raining now. The country we saw today is somewhat hilly and the bottom is a little on the sandy order, but it is broad in most places and it is settled up. We only saw two or three settler houses today. The north side of the river is more settled on account of the railroad. The bottom at Crook is nice and broad.

Saturday July 31, 1886:
We made our bed on the floor of a large house and slept last night at Crook. This morning at daybreak, we had a good rain with considerable wind and some hail. We saw a large herd of horses between Crook and Iliff this morning, about three or four hundred head. We passed Iliff at 10 o'clock a.m. West of Iliff, we saw our first irrigating ditch. We took dinner 4 miles west of Iliff.
This is the last evening of the last day of July and we are camped at Atwood, a small town on the railroad. We passed Sterling at 4 o'clock. Sterling is a nice town of 400 or 500 inhabitants. The bottoms are broad and somewhat sandy. Sterling has some very nice residences in it, but it is most too low land to be a good location. Atwood is a small town of 10 or 12 buildings and situated in a wide draw between the hills which is low. We are in the shell of a new house and it is raining a good rain. Those who say it doesn't rain in Colorado don't know anything about it.

Sunday August 1, 1886:
We slept soundly on the floor of Mr. A. L. Phillips house in Atwood. This morning, we started at 7 o'clock and passed Moreno where we saw a large field of alfalfa clover, which had been cut once and there was a large crop standing on the ground. We camped at a cottonwood grove where there had been a sod house at one time, the remains of which were still to be seen. Then we passed some very rough and sandy land till we came in sight of Sidney where we crossed the Platte River and went 6 miles southwest to Bush, a station on the B & M Railroad and we had not been there long when it began to rain so we had another big rain. But we were fortunate enough to get into a tent house belonging to Mr. Ash. Bush is situated on the tableland and before it rained it appeared as if it did not rain in this vicinity.

Monday August 2, 1886:
We slept last night on the floor of Mr. Ash's tent house and arose at sun up, ate breakfast and started. We saw some corn and some good oats and a field of 160 acres of wheat that the sunflowers had taken before we came to Ft. Morgan.

(Unfortunately, Family Tree Maker runs out of space at this point)








More About JOHN LINN LAKE:
Burial: Lake Cemetery on Finch farm near Fairmont, WV
Occupation: Teacher
Will: January 16, 1925, Marion County, WV (See Notes)

More About ADELINE (ADDIE) MORAN:
Burial: Wheelers Cemetery, Platte County, Nebraska

More About JOHN LAKE and ADELINE MORAN:
Marriage: November 25, 1886, Platte County, Nebraska
     
Children of JOHN LAKE and ADELINE MORAN are:
129. i.   ROXIE RUBY5 LAKE, b. September 21, 1887; d. April 18, 1977, Shelton, Washington.
  ii.   FLORIDA ISABEL LAKE, b. February 12, 1890; d. December 1974.
  Notes for FLORIDA ISABEL LAKE:
Florida shortened her name to Flora. She never married and made her home with her sister, Elsie. She was a school teacher until 1919, when she left the teaching profession to accept employment with the newly founded National American Fire Insurance Company, working for its' founder, William Ahmanson. She was employed there through the reign of five presidents, retiring in December 1962. At the time of her retirement, she was Assistant Treasurer. She is buried in Omaha, Nebraska, where she died in December 1974.

A letter from her niece, Iola Pearl Smith, dated December 11, 1976 best describes the type of person the world knew as Flora Lake:

"I guess I have to admit that I looked to her with respect and admiration from the first moment I saw her. During our childhood days, growing up during the depression, Christmas was always fulfilled when the package came from Aunt 'Flory' with a smaller package inside for each of us (f brothers and a sister) along with some goodies to devour - nuts, dates and the like. The presents were always something to wear, a warm sweater, a skirt or both."


(1) Letters from Flora and Elsie Lake and Iola Pearl Lake Smith.



  More About FLORIDA ISABEL LAKE:
Burial: Omaha, Nebraska
Occupation: Assistant Treasurer
Retirement: December 1962, National American Fire Insurance Co.
130. iii.   ROBERT ROY LAKE, b. June 21, 1894, Marion County, WV; d. October 1958.
  iv.   EDNA ELSIE LAKE, b. April 02, 1897; d. April 12, 1983.
  Notes for EDNA ELSIE LAKE:
Elsie never married. She made her home with her sister Flora in Omaha, Nebraska. She worked for many years in various clerical positions. At the time of her retirement, she was working for the Union Pacific Railway in Omaha. At the time of her death, she was incapacitated with a broken hip, but she died of lukemia.



(1) Letters from Iola Pearl Lake Smith, Flora and Elsie Lake.
(2) Death date from Iola Pearl Lake Smith.



  More About EDNA ELSIE LAKE:
Burial: Omaha, Nebraska
Occupation: Clerical - Union Pacific Railway


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