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Submitted: 11/15/07 • Approved: 11/15/07 • Last Updated: 2/17/13 • R38275-G0-S3
Leo is buried between his wife, Josephine's grave and that of his mother, Rhoda Filura Edna Eckley Daniels.
He was born Aug 07, 1884 at Vulcan, Menominee County, Michigan to Rhoda and Sanders W. Daniels and died Dec 04, 1959 at Bayard, Morrill County, Nebraska.
Leo Daniels is mentioned in a book about Bayard, Nebraska. He was one of the people that was instrumental in getting electric power to the farms in the area.
Notes from Leo Daniels as told to daughter-in-law Margaret Daniels:
"Leo's parents moved to Crawford County, Pennsylvania when he was about 2 years until 1892, then moved to Brown County, Kansas. In January, 1900, they moved to North Platte Valley with incoming of the Burlington R. R. Sanders and Leo both homesteaded in 1905, 6 1/2 miles East of Bayard. Both filed for homesteads on Leo's twenty-first birthday. Sanders lived on his homestead until Jan. 20, 1920, the year he died. Rhoda died in 1905. Sanders married Addie Vandventer in 1913.
Leo rode the Alliance ditch in 1906, that fall he went to Wyoming where he was employed at the P. F. Ranch south of Lingel. In the Spring of 1907 he went to Clearmont, Wyoming where he worked for the U Cross Ranch, owned by the Levi Leiter Estate, also fired on the Burlington Railroad for a short time. The panic hit and he was on the extra board, so, end of railroad career. The railroad continued running without him. He came back to the homestead. That winter his father built his home on his homestead, and Leo stayed there during the winter. The cows broke into the shack while he was gone and trampled down the bed, and his food supply.
He worked for Bill Vanetta in 1908, clearing a field, and seeding it for alfalfa. That fall he went to the Black Hills and worked for the McLaughlin Tie and Timber Company. He had several close calls while lumbering. They loaded timber on slides to get it out. They have to be loaded so they balance so they can be steered.
In 1910, Leo started farming for himself, and has been at it ever since. In 1921, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Farmer's Irrigation District, and served on the board until the fall of 1944. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of Chimney Rock Public Power District in 1935. His turn expires in December 1958, and he will not file for another term.
Leo and Josephine Hoag were married March 11, 1918 in Denver, Colorado. He signed three sets of enlistment papers for World War I and he was placed in a deferred classification.
In August 1916, Leo suffered a ruptured appendix - the first case in this country to live through it. In 1918, during the flu epidemic, Leo and Josephine helped families down with the flu. They did the washings for all of neighbors. Jo said that she washed more dirty diapers than Brigham Young's hired girl.
George Nelson Daniels, their son, was born in January 13, 1920 in Alliance, Nebraska. Leo wasn't there for the event, as he was in Omaha with a shipment of sheep. When he arrived back at Alliance the following day, he met his son, and thought he was a red faced baby, but Jo said he was a beautiful pink.
Leo had several chances to get into politics, but stayed away from them. The closest he came to politics was road over-seer and precinct assessor of Yockey precinct.
In February 1924, He made a trip to Washington, DC as a delegate for the Tri-States, representing the Farmer's Irrigation District. He met with the Reclamation officials. They accomplished what they set out to do. Their bonds were re-financed. On that trip he also visited N. Y. City where he met with the Bond Holders Committee. While in Washington, DC, he met and talked with President Harding.
Irrigation came to the table land, lying north of the river in 1910 and west of Red Willow. Before that very little was raised but feed.
In 1913, lands East of the Willow and 8 mi. East of Bayard received their first water. In 1920 the land under the Northport irrigation received their first water. "
FROM HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA & ITS PEOPLE, Vol. III page 431 under S. E. Daniels: Written in the 1920s.
"Leo Daniels, the eldest son of S. W. Daniels, was born in Nenominee county, Michigan, August 7, 1884. He was educated in the public schools and remained with his father, accompanying him to Morrill county in 1900. In 1910, he homesteaded for himself and now has a very good property consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, all ditched. He carries on general farming and takes much interest in his Shorthorn cattle, all thoroughbred. He annually feeds many hogs and raises horses and poultry for home use. He is considered one of the very successful young farmers of this section of the county. Mr. Daniels was married March 11, 1918, to Miss Josephine Hoag, who was born near Blue Hill, Nebraska. Mr. Daniels has substantially improved his farm and they have very pleasant and comfortable surrounding. Like his father, Mr. Daniels is a Republican in politics."
Contributed on 11/15/07 by LornaSmith37
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Record #: 38275