GOTTLOB, WILLIAM AND REBEKAH "BECKY"

by Pauline Gottlob Thurston

Entry F166 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Gottlob Family 1928. L to R Back, Janet, "Kick", Pauline.
Front, William, Alma and Mother "Becky".

William Tecumseh "Bill" Gottlob was born
August 11, 1868 at Lyons, Iowa. Rebekah
"Becky" was born January 3, 1880 at Des
Moines, Iowa and moved to Omaha when she
was seven years old.

Bill learned the harness trade and went to
work for the Sickles Saddlery Company in St.
Louis, Missouri. Becky learned the Millinery
trade and worked for a Minnie Pfeiffer in
Council Bluffs, Iowa. Bill traveled from St.
Louis to Denver, Colorado selling saddles,
harness and other leather merchandise. He
always stopped at Council Bluffs to visit
Minnie Pfeiffer, (aunt) and there he met
Becky. They were married June 1911, and
went west. Their first son was stillborn;
Pauline was born March 3, 1913 in the office
of the 101 headquarters, ten days ahead ofthe
big '13 blizzard. Janet was born April 15, 1914
on the homestead. Janet and Pauline were
baptized by Dean Ware, and A.G. and Clara
Humphrey were the God Parents. William
Tecumseh Jr. was born January 4, 1916; Alma
was born December 31, 1918. In April of 1919,
Bill and Becky lost another son in infancy.

The Gottlob family moved to Mullen from
Hecla, Nebraska to Mullen for the children
to attend High School, from there to Atkin-
son, Nebraska where they operated a motel.
A few months later they moved to Chadron,
Nebraska where Bill worked in the leather
department of a hardware store and they also
operated an apartment house. In the mean-
time the Reveres (see Hecla History) sold the
Hecla Homestead and moved to the Gilbert
Revere ranch, north of Hyannis, Nebraska.
While spending the Christmas Holiday at the
Revere ranch, Bill was fatally burned and is
buried in the Hyannis Cemetery. Becky
moved to the Revere Ranch to help care for
Uncle Joe Revere, who had become an
invalid. Rebekan died September 22, 1958 of
an heart attack.

Pauline married Eugene Thurston, an
Ashby, Nebraska rancher. Their four chil-
dren: Bill, John (deceased), Joy, and Marilyn.

Janet joined the Army and became a
registered nurse and is now retired as an
Army Major and lives in Denver, Colorado.

William Jr. "Kick", married Pauline Bes-
tal. Their children are David, Neil and Dolly.
They live in Kalispell, Montana.

Alma married Floyd "Red" Edelman and
they have three daughters; Thelma, Marga-
ret, and Frances. "Red" passed away in July
and Alma resides at Hyannis, Nebraska and
is in the ranch business.

Pauline has 8 grandchildren, "Kick" has 4
grandchildren and Alma has 5 grandchildren
and 2 great-grandchildren.