Notes
Note N1962
Index
A picture of Otis Clinton (O. C.) Lewis is contained in "History of Wayne County Nebraska, Its Pioneers, Settlement, Growth and Development Together with a View of the Territory in 1938" by Dorothy Nuse Nyberg, page 233. His service as sheriff is listed in the following sequence: "1914, George T. Porter; 1918, O.C. Lewis; 1922, O.C. Lewis; 1923, A.E. Gildersleeve, appointed at the death of O.C. Lewis". Information provided on 4 Oct 1993 by LeRoy Janssen, Wayne County Sheriff.
A taped interview by Brenda Dollar Leebrick in December 1992 with Lucille Denny Leebrick uncovered the following additional information. Lucille went to kindergarten in Wayne, Nebr at the request of her grandfather, Otis Clinton Lewis. Remembers Mrs. Lewis (Harriett Gordon) as being a " very quiet person". Another taped interview that month by Brenda with my dad confirms Otis' service as a sheriff.
The 1920 Census of Wayne County, Nebraska, Wayne city, Supervisor's District 93, Enumeration district 225, family #35, gives Otis' age as 63 and occupation as county sheriff. His wife's name is given as Francis, age as 50 and birthplace as Ohio. This person must be a second wife. This census shows that two teenage prisoners were living at their home.
"Wayne--O. C. Lewis, who is finishing his first term as sheriff of Wayne county, has filed as a candidate to succeed himself."--5 Mar 1922, The (Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal
His name does not appear in the 1900 Census in either Atchison county, Mo or Wayne county, Neb. It also does not appear in the 1910 Wayne county, Neb census.
The 1880 Census of Atchison County, Missouri, Buchanan township, page 388, family #4 shows that Otis and his young family was living with two brothers, John H. and Albert Allen who were farmers and stock raisers. Otis served as a hired hand (farm laborer) and his wife "Hattie" served as their housekeeper. At the time of this census, Otis and Hattie had two children, Etta age 3 and Araminta age 1. Hattie's birthplace is given as Ohio while the two children's birthplace is given as Iowa. This census further shows that two more farm laborers worked for the brothers, John H McKean and Albert Hamlin as well as a cook, Corrilla Ciroles (sp?) and her one year old daughter Florence. This Corrilla is probably one of Otis' sisters.
The 1870 Census of Atchison County, Missouri, Buchanan township, family #12, gives the names of Otis' six brothers and sisters as well as his parent's names. It also indicates that five farm laborers helped on their farm.
Otis is mentioned in his father's will as follows "I give and bequeath to my son Otis Lewis Twenty Two acres more or less of land lying west of Venables Mill which I own in Nemaha County in the State of Nebraska".
JeanAnn W. Carhart responded to a posting I made in the ROOTS-L Location list with the following information. First from the front page of "The Nebraska Democrat", published in Wayne, Wayne county, Nebraska (date unknown):
O.C. LEWIS, SHERIFF AND PIONEER OF COUNTY DIES. For a number of months past, Sheriff Lewis was in failing health, and for the past two months he was not able to attend the duties of his office, which had been unusually heavy, owing to inability of many to meet obligations as they came due; and to his ambition to give full service, is in measure the cause of his broken health. After he could no longer keep going, he went to Sioux City and under the care of a specialist, tried to stamp out disease and rebuild his wasted energies. The only hope lay in an operation; but he had not vitality sufficient to regain health, and was brought home six days before the end came, after it was known that all possible had been done.
Otis Clinton Lewis was born April 16, 1855 in Atkinson (sp) county, Missouri, where his boyhood days were spent. He died at his home in this city, Saturday, November 17, 1923 at the age of 68 years, 7 months and 1 day. He is survived by his wife, Francis Lewis, two daughters, Mrs. Etta May Jones of Gorman, South Dakota, and Mrs. Minta Leebrick of McDonald, Kansas; and one sister, Mrs. C. Leehan of San Leandro, California, and Master Wailan Jones, who has been given a home with Mr. and Mrs. Lewis since an infant.
The funeral services were held from the Methodist church Wednesday afternoon, the Masons attending in a body and giving their ritual service at the Greenwood cemetery where he was placed in his family lot beside the body of the wife who passed away some six or seven years ago.
The funeral service was conducted by a former pastor, Rev. S.A. Drais, now of Wisner, a friend of the family, who was pastor of the Winside and Grace churches for four years when Mr. Lewis was a member of their church organization. A wealth of flowers from many sources attested the high esteem in which he was held by all.
Mr. Lewis moved to Wayne county in 1886 from near Afton, Iowa and has since been a citizen of the county, first owning and occupying a farm in Brenna precinct, and later selling it and buying a farm just east of Carroll. Fourteen years ago, he sold that land and moved to Wayne and has since made his home here. In addition to his church affiliations, he was a member of the Modern Woodmen and the Odd Fellows.
He served as sheriff of the county five years, having been elected for the second term at the last election. Among those from outside to attend the funeral were sheriffs from a number of adjoining counties.
Mrs. Lewis and the boy will soon leave for her former home in Ohio, where she has two brothers living, who need her services in the old home.
In the passing of O.C. Lewis this community sustains a great loss, for he was a good fellow, public spirited, and a willing helper in any and all enterprises that looked to the advancement of all good community uplift.
Also from Ms. Carhart, comes a note from "The Wayne Herald" of Thursday November 22, 1923 entitled "A. E. Gildersleeve is Appointed Co. Sheriff".
Named by Co. Board to Fill Vacancy Caused by Death of O.C. Lewis. At a special meeting of the county commissioners this morning, A. E. Gildersleeve, living south of town was appointed county sheriff to fill the vacancy caused by the death of O.C. Lewis.
The following citizens filed as applicants for the place: J.S. Liver..., W.C. Martin, Charles. A. ..., A. W. Stephens, P.G. James, Chas. E. Classon. A.E. Gildersleeve, Gen. T. Porter and A.A. Chance.
"The Wayne Republican" November 23, 1895 (Vol 2, No. 40) lists O.C. Lewis among those presenting bills before the Commissioners. Otis's bill was $78 for road work. In the Feb 5, 1896 issue of the same paper (Vol 2 No 51), Otis was appointed to overseer of District No. 19 and his bond was approved by the Commissioners. At the same meeting, Otis presented a bill for $29.50, which was paid. In the June 17, 1896 issue of the same paper (Vol 3, No. 18) District 19 was appropriated a budget of $70 for road repairs. O.C.Lewis is listed as overseer. In the same issue of the paper, it is reported that O.C. Lewis was elected a delegate from Winside precinct to the county convention. In the October 21, 1896 issue of the same paper (Vol 3, No. 36), O.C. Lewis was elected a judge in Brenna Precinct. In the November18, 1896 issue of the same paper (Vol 3, No. 40), O.C. Lewis was reimbursed $4.00 by the county commissioners for duties performed on the board of election. At the same meeting, O.C. was reimbursed $52.00 for road work. In the March 3, 1897 issue of the same paper (Vol 4, No. 3), Otis's name was among those drawn to serve as jurors in the April term of the court. These extracts are all contained in Maureen M. Lee's book "Wayne County, Nebraska Newspaper Abstracts 1876-1899" by Heritage Books.
Otis may have briefly attended Shenandoah College in Shenandoah, Iowa.
In his teens, Otis was one of the cowboys who drove cattle on the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Kansas City, the nearest railroad for shipment. In 1879 or 1880, they were living in Hamburg, Iowa on the Missouri River. Otis owned a team and wagon and was doing jobs like trucking. There was a huge flood that year, which flooded much of the town of Hamburg. Our family did not have a great deal of furniture for Father was always finding a better place to live or work. In 1880 or 1882, we were near Red Oak, Iowa, on a farm about a mile out of town. While we lived there, Father broke wild ponies that were sold at the auction. In 1885 we went to Nebraska by team and a spring buggy, with a colt following. Father was the foreman of a big ranch and Mother cooked. We were living on this ranch when the blizzard of 1888 swept over the plains. In the morning, Father had taken a load of straw to the small town of Carroll, Nebraska, to use as bedding in the stock cars they used to ship out cattle. He had to stay in the general store with others who were caught there. The next morning the sun was bright, the air clear, but the snow was drifting from ground wind. Father came home that morning with the team. He had left the wagon in town. In the spring of 1889 we moved to a farm seven or eight miles from the county seat of Wayne County which was the town of Wayne, Nebraska. Here we had neighbors and the school was near. At first, they lived in a sod house, but soon Father built a new house. There was a country church near there and a Methodist minister came out from the town of Carroll. Now we were going to school in earnest and we did try to get somewhere. Father had a sale and rented the farm for two years. We were now living in Wayne Neb. Source - Etta Jones.
"WAYNE, Neb., July 28--The Republican county convention was held here this afternoon and was well attended and a thoroughly harmonious one...The following delegates were selected to the different conventions:...To Senatorial Convention - W.H. McNeal, Charles Bebee, C.D. Jones, A. Bohlander, C. Templin, Peter Kantz, F.M. Northrup, J.J. Williams, O.C. Lewis"--29 Jul 1906, Omaha (NE) Daily Bee
"Notice of Application. STATE OF MISSOURI, County of Atchison,} ss In the Probate County of Atchison county, Mo. The State of Missouri to Albert Butler, Administrator of the estate of Susan Lewis, deceased. William H. Lewis, Elizabeth Fidelia Weller and Philip Weller, her husband, Otis C. Lewis, Robert M. Lewis, Carilla B. Coles and Frank Coles, her husband, Wilson Williams, William Hunter and Albert H. Hunter,
GREETING: You are hereby notified that application by petition has been made to the Probate Court of Atchison county, in the State of Missouri, by John H. Allen and Albert P. Allen, for an order of said court for t he division of partition of the personal property of Susan Lewis, late of said county, deceased, in equal parts in kind between said John H. Allen and Albert P. Allen and William H. Lewis, Elizabeth Fidelia Weller and Philip Weller, her husband, Otis C. Lewis, Robert M. Lewis, Carilla B. Coles and Frank Coles, her husband, Wilson Williams, William Hunter and Albert H. Hunter, as children, grand children and only heirs of said deceased, and that said applicant on will be heard at the court house in the city of Rock Port, the county seat of said county, on the 1st day of April, adjourned term thereof, to be held on the 14th day of April, 1884, and such order will be made in the premises as may be meet and proper. FRANK M. JOSLYN. Judge Probate Court."--14 Feb 1884, The Atchison County (MO) Mail