LE LA CHUER FAMILY

by Elva Phipps

Entry F240 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

The LeLaCheur children about '30 or '31 L-R-Alta, Clarence
Violet, Elva, Orval, Mary and Hazel

Mary Jane Bliss LeLaCheur (Mrs. Elisha) and her three sons and wives (behind
their wives) L-R Front- William, Mary Jane, Frank and John, Annie (Gibson)
Ella (Wickham), Maggie (Stevenson) about 1909.

Frank Windsor and Ella (Wickham) LeLaCheur Family May 1914. L-R Back-
Clarence, Violet, Elva, Alta, Front-Orval, Frank, Hazel, Mary, Ella

On the Island of Guernsey, off the coast of
France in the early 1700's, Elizabeth Roma-
nof married David Windsor, an Englishman,
among the children born to them was Eliz-
abeth who married John LeLaCheur, a
seafaring man.

About 1801, John and Elizabeth emigrated
to Charlottetown, the capital of Prince
Edward Island, Canada. They arrived with
three sons, Bartholomew, James, and John
Windsor who was Elva's great great Grand-
father. They also had 3 daughters, Harriett,
Elizabeth, and Anne, twin sons Elisha and
Charles and daughter Jane born on Prince
Edward Island.

John Windsor married Elizabeth Sensa-
baugh, a Brooklyn girl whose forebearers
came from Holland about 100 years previous
and bought Long Island for $23.00 from the
Indians.

John and Elizabeth donated ground for a
cemetery at Murray Harbour, on it stands a
monument with the nine family names on it,
it was unveiled in 1906, Elva's cousin Guy
Gay attended the ceremony.

John and Elizabeth had five sons and three
daughters, all born on Prince Edward Island,
Elisha, being one of them.

John hearing of the good land in Iowa and
its promises, sent his son Elisha to look into
this. He was pleased and preemped 160 acres
for $200, this was close to Greeley, Iowa. Here
Elisha met and married Mary Jane Bliss,
daughter of Clark and Phoebe Bliss. To this
union were born Phoebe Elizabeth, Frank
Windsor, John Ross, and Wm. Horton. This
family traveled to Fullerton, Nebraska before
coming on to Mullen, Nebraska in 1887 and
filing on a homestead 12 miles north of
Mullen, this consisted of 160 acres at that
time and if trees were planted, it entitled
them to another 160 acres.

Frank, who was born May 6, 1872 soon
became old enough for his 160 acres. At that
time there was not enough grass to feed
livestock. Frank walked from Mullen to
Fullerton, Nebraska to find work, his mother
packed food to eat along the way. He worked
for a farmer named Laird in Nance County
for several years for $23 a month.

In October, 1884 he was called home by the
death of his father Elisha and Uncle John
Bliss who perished in a prairie fire that
started 25 miles west of them on the John
Carpenter place. They were watching smoke
coming toward them and John walked to the
top of a hill to see how close the fire was, its
force knocked him to the ground, Elisha tried
to help him and both men had their clothes
burned off. They walked to the house with
hats and boots on. John died that night and
Elisha the next day. Uncle John, second son
of Elisha had been plowing fire guards to
protect some hay, he headed the horses to a
plowed field to save his life. the horses were
scared and squealed and ran their best but
he hung on to the reins but had his hair
singed.

After this Frank and John worked on the
Rail-Road out of Seneca, that was when the
old Roundhouse was located there. Ella
Wickham was waiting tables at the Seneca
Cafe, there she met Frank. they were married
at Broken Bow on December 27, 1895.

Mary Jane moved to Mullen after the fire,
she lived there until her death on October
1910 - she was 63 years old. Her home is now
owned by Ruth Barnebey, it was there Elva
LeLaCheur (Phipps) was born in 1903.

All four of Elisha and Mary Jane's children
lived to observe their 50th anniversary. Frank
died from a heart attack in April 1955, Ella
celebrated her 100th birthday November 13,
1975 and died December 1, 1975. Frank and
Ella raised 7 children, Alta married Clarence
Pecht, and had Paul and Marlene. All are
deceased, leaving five grandchildren. Clar-
ence G. married Catherine Harding, daughter
of L.E. Harding, a Mullen Auctioneer. Clar-
ence died February 14, 1978 and Catherine
is in a rest home in Spokane, Washington.
Their children are Evelyn, Mildred, Viola
(Polly) Norman and Daniel.

Violet May was a school teacher and active
in the Ministry over 50 years and is still doing
God's work. Elva married Russell Phipps,
who was born at Macon, Mo. and came to
Nebraska at 1 1/2 years. (He died July 4,
1980). Their children are Leonard Russell,
Willard Douglas and Robert LeRoy. Robert
(Bob) died May 4, 1958.

F. Orvel married Ivorita Wood, they live
near Vancouver, Washington and have two
married daughters, Pauline and Rose and
their families. Mary Ella married Chas
Anderson and they had 3 sons, Marvin,
Wallace, and Kenneth. Mary died in Febru-
ary 1938. Hazel Olive married Clarence
Anderson and they have two sons, Deloss and
Edward.

Uncle John married Maggie Stevenson and
they lived 12 miles north of Mullen. They had
3 children, Clyde C. Ross Floyd, and Gladyce
Marie. John was thrown from a horse and was
crippled for over 50 years. Clyde married
Alma Coble and they had one son, Curtiss,
who had 3 boys and a girl. Alma died
February 17, 1979. Clyde sold his ranch and
is now living at the Pawnee Retirement Hotel
in North Platte, Nebraska. He loves to play
the violin as did his Uncle Frank and great
Uncle Jimmy LeLaCheur. Ross is married to
Beulah Becker and they have a daughter
Diane who lives near Salt Lake City. Gladyce
married Cleon Denny.