ISOM, NELLIE BOYER

by Ed and Pauline Macke

Entry F212 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Nellie Isom 90 years old.

Nellie Boyer Isom was the Daughter of
John and Rose (Osborne) Phipps. She was
the 3rd of eight children born to that union.
Enoch, Ethel, Nellie, Dora, Ollie, Byrd, Detta
and Ralph. She lived at Emerick, Nebraska
until she finished her schooling. At that time
she came to the Mullen area and for a short
time she worked in a Cafe owned by Mack
Boyer in Thermopolis Wyoming and then
worked in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Bar in
Hyannis, Ne. and later as a cook in a cafe in
Mullen.

She married Willie Boyer in 1911. They
lived 9 miles north and 1 mile west of Mullen.
There was 5 children born to this union,
Marie, who passed away in October of 1985,
Juanita, who died at the age of three years,
Margaret, Pauline and Stanley.

Willie came to the Sandhills with his
Parents in 1886. They put up a sod house
about 9 miles north of Mullen. One source of
income for he and his brothers was to shoot
and dress prairie chickens and ship them to
the eastern markets. Willie had his own
Homestead near that of his Parents, when he
became old enough and when his Father
passed away, he negotiated for the ownership
of his Parents holding which joined his
property. At one time there were 4 other
Brothers who had Homesteads adjoining.
They were, Fiels, Boyd, Charles and Roby.
Willie passed away in 1925, the results of a
brain Tumor.

In 1928, Nellie was married to Charley
Isom. One son was born to this marriage, Lee
Isom.

When Charley's first wife passed away,
(Matty Carr) He was left with one daughter
and four sons, Virginia, Boyd, Ivan, Paul and
Johnie. When Charley and Nellie were
married, she took his children into her home
and treated them as her own.

In 1935, they left the ranch and moved to
Mullen for school. Nellie made her home
there until her death in July of 1984.

Nellie Isom loved the outdoors and her life
on the ranch. After her family was grown up
and on their own, she often said, "If I could
only work like I used to, I would certainly be
right back on the Ranch."