Butte, Nebraska Diamond Jubilee 1890 - 1965
Pages 57-9

For eighty years the name REISER has been a familiar one in Boyd County, Nebraska.

Nicolaus REISER [born 1836, Luxenberg, Germany] came to LaMotte, Iowa from Luxemburg, Germany, at the age of eighteen. After five years he returned to Luxemburg and married Miss Susanna PUETZ [born August 16, 1840, Germany] of Simmer. They settled on a farm near LaMotte where their seven sons and four daughters were born. The children are:
1. Susan (RESIER) WAHLER, b. circa 1863; d. Jan 1929, Alton IA
2. Peter REISER, b. circa 1864; d. 1929, Englewood CA
    married Kate BRADY
3. John Francis "Frank" REISER, Sr., b. circa 1866; d. 1950
    married 19 Jun 1894, Atkinson NE Barbara Lucy ENGLEHAUPT
    interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
4. Joseph Sebastian "Joe" REISER, b. 23 May 1869; d. 05 Oct 1952, Butte NE
    married Mary MLINAR, b. 29 Jan 1874, Mt. Ayr IA; d. 16 Dec 1950, Lynch NE
    Children:
      1. Clara A. REISER, b. Mar 1893, NE
      2. Daniel RESIER, b. Jan 1895, NE
      3. Roy REISER, b. Nov 1897, NE
      4. Earl REISER, b. 1905, Butte NE; d. 1971; married Laura JAMES
5. Adolf REISER, b. circa 1870
6. Charles "Charley" REISER, b. 1872; d. 1950
    married Barbara ENGELHAUPT, b. 1868; d. 1943
    interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
7. Mary (REISER) HENRICK, b. circa 1873; residence Centerville, SD
8. Anna (REISER) CUPP, b. 09 Sep 1874; d. 22 Dec 1934, Defiance OH
    interment St.Michaels Catholic Cemetery, Adams Ridge OH
    2nd wife of Henry John CUPP, b. 25 Jan 1866; d. 25 Jul 1945, Defiance OH
9. John Benedict "Ben" REISER, b. 04 Dec 1876; residence Saratoga NE; d. 11 Jun 1965
    interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
10. Agnes V. (REISER) LUEKEN, b. 1879; d. 1949
      married George H. LUEKEN, b.1876; d. 1955
      interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
11. James T. "Jim" REISER, b. 08 Mar 1888; 26 Aug 1931
      interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE; See Obituary below

The last eight named lived or are living in the Butte area.

The family came to Holt County, Nebraska in 1885 and settled on a ranch near the Niobrara River south of Butte. The Sioux Indians were encamped across the river from the ranch, and were friendly to the REISERS, visiting them often during the early years. One son, Ben and his niece, Miss Dolly REISER, still live on the original ranch [1965].

In 1891, three of the sons, Frank, Joe and Adolph took adjoining claims (east to west) in Boyd County NE about four miles southeast of Butte. Joe and Adolph lived on their claims the remainder of their lives. Peter took a claim in 1892 and then sold his claim to his brother Charley.

Peter REISER brought his wife, who had been Kate BRADY, and their small children from Iowa to his parents' ranch in 1892. They lived there in a small house until Peter took a claim in Boyd County. The claim was located south of Adolph's claim. He built a house in a corner of the quarter section, and their son Frank was born here. After selling the claim to Charley, Peter and his family returned to the family home, where six months later Mrs. REISER died [December 7, 1919, interment at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte, Nebraska]. The children, Ed, Charley, Frank and Dollie grew up in their grandparents' care. Ed and Charlie took homestead claims in Mead County, South Dakota, near Faith. Ed later moved to California where he married. Charley remained in South Dakota and married Miss Mamie ARMSTRONG. All three sons are now deceased.

Miss Dollie has spent all her life on the ranch with her grandparents and uncles since the death of her mother.

NOTE: Nicholas REISER died December 6, 1920, with interment at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte, Nebraska.

NOTE: Dollie REISER was born June 22, 1890, and died December 15, 1982, with interment at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte, Nebraska.

Peter traveled a great deal in his later years. He died in 1929 while visiting at the home of his son Frank in Engelwood, California.

Frank REISER married Barbara ENGELHAUPT, who had come with her parents to this country in the year 1873 from Germany. The Frank REISERS lived on a homestead south of Butte for many years, and later moved to a farm on the south edge of Butte.

Barbara Lucy ENGLEHAUPT was born April 6, 1873, Bayern, Germany, the daughter of Michael and Anna Mary (SCHELLENBERGER) ENGLEHAUPT, and died October 6, 1943. Frank died There were eleven children:

1. Marie T. (REISER) WITTRY, d. 05 Jan 2005, Creighton NE; married 26 Jan 1937 Chris WITTRY
2. John A. REISER, b. 23 May 1895; d. 19 Apr 1965
3. Michael C. "Mike" REISER, 10 Sep 1896, NE; d. 05 Apr 1993, Butte NE
    interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
    married 1st 15 Nov 1916 Ida M. ERTZ, b. 1894; d. 1933; inter. Saints Peter & Paul Cem. Butte NE
    7 Children, including:
       Norbert A. REISER
       Arthur M. "Art" REISER, b. 1923, Butte NE; d. 27 Feb 2004
          married 19 Jan 1949, CA Marguerite QUICK, b. 28 Feb 1925; d. 18 May 2004
          interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
    Mike married 2nd 19 Jun 1934 Mary C. RICHTER, b. 1905; d. 2003
4. Leonard E. "Leo" REISER, b. 26 Jan 1899; d. 21 Mar 1981
    married Agnes LIEWER, b. 05 Feb 1908; d. 25 Jul 1984
    interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
5. Frank M. REISER, Jr., b. 03 Nov 1900; d. 05 Sep 1987
    married Mary C. DOPHEIDE, b. 23 Aug 1899; d. 17 Dec 1995
    interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte NE
6. Helen (REISER) REIMAN, b. 19 Aug 1902; d. 26 Jul 1985; married Lawrence REIMAN
7. Irene (REISER) HEUMANN, b. 26 Jun 1904; married Henry HEUMANN
8. Magdalene (REISER) LAMPMAN, b. 16 Jul 1906; d. 09 Mary 1942; married John LAMPMAN
9. Max R. REISER, b. 03 Jun 1908; d. 25 Jun 1967; inter. Saints Peter and Paul Cem. Butte NE
10. Pauline (REISER) LAMPMAN, b. 01 Dec 1910; d. 08 Jul 1978; married William LAMPMAN
11. Margaret Suzayne (REISER) NOLAN, b. 19 Dec 1915, Butte NE; d. 09 May 1997, Los Angeles CA

Frank died in 1950 and his wife, died in 1943. This couple had forty-six grandchildren and ninety-eight great-grandchildren were tallied in 1965.

Many of the Frank REISER children have continued to farm in the Butte area. John farmed for almost all of his life here. Mike was a bachelor on the quarter north of his father's claim with John, and in 1916, after a house had been built, he married Ida M. ERTZ. They later moved to the Ed REISER place. Nine children were born to this union. Ida passed away in 1933. Mike later married Mary RICHTER, and they have three children. There were thirty-nine grandchildren.

Leo E. married Agnes LIEWER and began farming on the quarter north of Frank Sr.'s homestead claim. The Leo REISERS had eight children, and now have nineteen grandchildren. Leo improved several quarters near the original claim by planting thousands of trees there.

Frank Jr. married Mary DOPHEIDE who had come with her parents from Iowa in 1909. This couple had ten children and also adopted a little girl. They now [1965] have twenty-five grandchildren. They moved the first frame building constructed in Butte to this farm and it is now used as a garage. Their son, Father Philip REISER, is the only priest to be ordained to the Priesthood from Butte. Father Phillip REISER was born March 13, 1926, ordained May 27, 1961, and died June 25, 1994, with interment at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte, Nebraska.

Helen married Lawrence REIMAN, who farms just east of Butte on the old Henry REINHEIMER place. This family has five children and fourteen grandchildren.

Marie married Chris WITTRY, and they continue to farm the old Frank REISER place just south and west of Butte, on which the Harvey BUTTES are located. They live on the place just east, which was formerly the DeREG property. Marie and Chris are the parents of four children and have two grandchildren.

Magdalene was married to John LAMPMAN, and at her untimely death left three children. The John LAMPMAN farmed east of Butte.

Irene married Henry HEUMANN of Clearfield, South Dakota, and Pauline is married to William LAMPMAN who farms near Spencer. Margaret is Mrs. NOLAN and has been living in California.

Joe REISER came to Holt County in 1885 with his brothers, to join his father who was building a home for the family. He homesteaded his claim south east of Butte in 1891, and a cabin he built there is still [1965] standing on the farm today. He hewed the cottonwood logs and hauled them from the Niobrara River. The original roof was sod. In January, 1892 he married Mary MLINAR of Ringgold County, Iowa. Joe broke his land with a walking plow, and drove to Atkinson and O'Neill for supplies, as none were available at that time in Mankato.

Three of the Joe REISER children were born in the log cabin: Clara in 1893, Dan in 1895 and Roy in 1897. Roy died at the age of five. The youngest son, Earl was born in the new frame house in 1904.

The daughter, Clara married Walter COUNTS of Butte in 1914. For a time they lived on a farm owned by Mrs. Adolph REISER. Walter then bought a farm south of Butte, which is now owned by Robert REISER. They were the parents of five children: Harry who died in infancy, Raymond, Evelyn, Richard and Elaine.

Dan REISER farmed with his father until his marriage in 1925 to Anna Mae LEWIS. They began housekeeping on the farm where they are now living, which was homesteaded by Edward SCHEILDS. Part of their house is made of logs, but it has been sided so no logs show.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl REISER are living on his father's homestead where Earl has lived all his life. Mrs. Earl REISER was Laura JAMES before her marriage.

Joe REISER died in 1952.

Adolph REISER also came with his brothers in 1885, when the parental home was being built. He homesteaded west of Frank, and the two brothers made a dugout. They then purchased a log cabin from Swift Bear's tribe on the river, and set it down on the property line, so that each claim was improved with a house.

Adolph married Lena HOEGER who was born at Sutton, Nebraska. They had one daughter, Rena, who is now Mrs. Lawrence ENGELHAUPT. Rena and Lawrence farm southeast of Butte and the old windmill which used to stand in Butte's Main Street is still [1965] in use on their farm. Adolph died in 1947 and his wife died in 1945. Adolph was one of the few men of this area who witnessed the signing of the treaty with the Indians when the area was taken over by the government.

Agnes married George LUEKEN, one of Butte's earliest barbers.

Charles and Ben, two of the youngest sons of Nicholaus REISER, remained on the family ranch. Charles died in 1931, but Ben has been active on the ranch all of his life.

Dolly REISER, daughter of Peter has also lived there since childhood. A new house was built in 1927, and this is now their home.

Jim married Lena BUSCH and died in 1931.

During the blizzard of 1888 two of the sons, Frank and Joe and a neighbor, Fred SPEARS, were caught in the blizzard while hauling three wagon loads of hogs to Atkinson NE. In the blinding snow they became lost, but a rancher heard their wagons and called to them. They heard and answered him and turned their head team around and back to the rancher's yard where they spent the night. The rancher had no feed for them, however, so when the storm abated Fred SPEARS took the men's sled and drove to Atkinson for feed for the hogs which had survived.

Another event remembered by some members of the family happened the first year when Mr. REISER and his sons were preparing the home for the rest of the family. They were reading letters just received from the family in Iowa when a sudden gust of strong wind and a dimming sun caused them to rush outside. They discovered a prairie fire and helped to put it out. Upon returning to the house they found that all the letters from the family back in Iowa had blown away, and they never did find them.

George LEUKEN, one of Butte's first barbers, was born March 3, 1876 to Rosina and Henry LEUKEN at Ferdinand, Indiana. He was one of eleven children. His mother died when he was thirteen, and soon after he left home, traveling extensively until he arrived in this area in 1903.

For a short time he worked at the SHORT Ranch on the Niobrara River south of Butte. The following fall he purchased a barber shop from the HONKE brothers. Later he sold the shop and barbered as a journeyman at Bonesteel, Fairfax, and Kennebec, South Dakota. He returned to Butte in 1905 and bought a second shop from Shell KENASTON, which he operated until 1948.

George LEUKEN was married to Agnes REISER, youngest daughter of Nicolaus REISER, on May 13, 1910. They spent their entire married life in Butte, where a son and daughter were born to them. Mrs. LEUKEN passed away in 1949, and George then went to live with his son Melvin at Lynch. Father and son, operated a barber shop together until Mr. LEUKEN died in 1955. He also cared for the barbering needs of the hospital patients until age and illness prevented this. His son Melvin married Mary WARNKE and the daughter, Monica married Joseph STAKEVICZ.

Ben REISER, was born in Breda, Iowa, in 1878 and his wife, Ottilia REICHER, came from New Vienna, Iowa, She was born in 1881. The REISERS were married in 1903 in Sacred Heart Church of Templeton, Iowa, and resided in Templeton until the spring of 1909 when they moved to a farm east of Butte. They were the parents of eleven children. Four were born in Iowa and all the others in Butte. One son, Lambert, drowned in 1919. Two sons, Maurice and Vincent [b. 09 Dec. 1923; d. 24 Mar 1995; interment Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte, Nebraska], were in the Navy. Maurice, who lives in California, was in Pearl Harbor when the second World War broke out. Vincent passed away at the age of 39. Other children are Lawrence of Butte; Rosalie who is Mrs. Ivan BRIGHT; Julius; Avla; Virgil; Norbert; Celestine and Rita. There are seventeen grandchildren. Mrs REISER passed away in 1939 and Mr. REISER in 1963.

Four sons live in the Butte area, Lawrence and his wife, the former Helen REISER, have raised their five children here. Lawrence has had a corn sheller for the past forty two years, and has shelled corn all over Boyd County. He also threshed for farmers in the area before combines took over. Alva works throughout the community on various farms. Virgil has lived here all his life, he married Marie LIEWER, and they have one child. Twenty-five years ago he started farming and trucking and worked at both until five years ago when he gave up the trucking to devote his time to farming. Three years ago Virgil and his brother-in-law, Frank LIEWER, built the Butte bowling alley known as Butte Lanes. They operate this business now, but continue to farm. Norbert lives on the home place, where his father settled when he came to Butte in 19109. Norbert's wife is the former Margaret LIEWER. And this couple have four children. Norbert also operates another farm known as the B. S. SMITH farm, or the Yellow Buildings between Butte and Fairfax, South Dakota.

Joseph Sebastian "Joe" REISER, who was born in LaMotte, Iowa, and came to a claim in Holt County, Nebraska in 1885, filed for a homestead in Boyd County, Nebraska in 1891. The homestead was 5 1/2 miles west of Spencer.

Mary MLINAR, who was born in Ringold, Iowa, and came to a claim south of Atkinson, Nebraska with her parents in 1883, married Joe REISER in Jan., 1892 and came to live on Joe's homestead. They were the parents of 4 children; Clara, Dan, Roy, and Earl.

Clara was married to Walter COUNTS on Jan 7, 1914. Dan married Anna May LEWIS; Earl married Laura JAMES and Roy died when five-years-old.

Mary REISER died in 1950. Joe REISER died in 1952. Dan REISER died in 1969. Earl REISER died in 1971. Clara (REISER) COUNTS died in 1949. The Earl and Dan REISER families had no children.

Clara and Walter COUNTS had five children: Harry, who died when one-yearold, Raymond, Evelyn, Richard and Elaine. Their children were all born and raised on the family farm 2 1/4 miles south of Butte.

Raymond married Maxine NORDQUIST and after living in Spencer several years moved to Lynch, Nebraska. Evelyn married Floyd McNAIR of Spencer, Nebraska. Richard married Ines ROCKFORD of Butte and now resides in Lynch, Nebraska. Elaine married Clayton KLASNA of Spencer and has been a resident of that town since.

Joe and Mary had to endure many hardships as pioneers that their children and grandchildren were spared. They lived in a log cabin and had 3 children before building a frame house in 1904. They had to battle prairie files, rattlesnakes, wandering herds of cattle, and gather buffalo chips and cow chips for fuel to burn. Joe broke his land with a walking plow, and had to drive a team and wagon to Atkinson or O'Neill for lumber to build with.

Evelyn married Floyd McNAIR of Atkinson, Nebr and moved to a farm southwest of Spencer in January of 1948. Later they purchased the farm and resided there until Dec 1980 when they moved into Spencer in a home they built and retired. McNAIRS were the parents of a son Darold and daughter Audrey. The children attended District 1 thru the 8th grade, and graduated from Spencer High School. Darold married and moved to Eugene, Oregon. They were the parents of 2 daughters. Audry married and moved to Chanute, Kansas and had one daughter.

Laura JAMES married Earl REISER on Sep 28, 1925. Earl was born 1904 in Butte, Boyd County, Nebraska, the son of Joseph Sebastian and Mary (MLINAR) REISER. In 1891 Joe and his brothers, Frank and Adolph, took adjoining claims in Boyd County [Nebraska] west of Spencer. Joe built a log cabin, hewing the cottonwood logs, and hauling them from the Niobrara River. The original roof of the cabin was sod, which was later replaced by a rolled roofing then by shingles.

Three of [Earl and Laura's] children, Clara, Dan and Roy, were born in the log cabin. The fourth child, Earl, was born in the new frame house. Roy died when he was five-years-old in the new frame house.

Earl and Laura (JAMES) REISER owned and lived on the original homestead, where Earl lived all his life. They had hardships as common to early pioneers, hail storms, blizzards, droughts, etc.

Earl died in 1971 and Laura moved into Spencer in Nov. 1974.

Atkinson Graphic
Atkinson, Nebraska
August 28, 1931

The body of Jim T. REISER, 50, prominent Atkinson rancher, was found burned beyond recognition in the smoldering ruins of his new barn on the REISER ranch 21 miles northeast of here Wednesday evening. A shotgun, in the barrel of which was an empty shell bearing the dent of the firing pin, was found near the body, giving evidence that the rancher had taken his own life after setting fire to the barn and other buildings on the place.

Relatives of the dead man do not believe that he committed suicide because they know of nothing that would cause him to do so. The shotgun always hung in the barn and they say the discovery of it near the body does not indicate to them that he took his own life.

The condition of the body prevented determining definitely whether or not the man's death was caused by a shotgun wound.

Mr. REISER was married just two weeks ago, on Wednesday, Aug 12 to Miss Helena BAUSCH, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen BAUSCH of Omaha, former neighbors of Mr. RIESER.

Neither relatives nor friends can advance any reason why Mr. REISER might have taken his own life. He and his bride had been happily getting their home in order, arranging new furniture and having various things fixed up about the house.

A few hours before the tragedy they were in a jolly mood, and Mrs Reiser took the car and drove to the Henry GOTTCHALK place, a short distance, to arrange to take some relatives to town. She left shortly after noon and was not at home when the fires were discovered by M. W. ROBERTS, Atkinson, a carpenter who was working near the house.

Mr. ROBERTS had been working at the REISER place and was there for lunch that day. He says that Mr. REISER seemingly was in good spirit when along about 2:30 he came out where Mr. ROBERTS was working and said, "Well I see you're getting along pretty good." Jim then went in the house, and that is the last time Mr. ROBERTS saw him.

About thirty minutes later, the carpenter smelled feathers burning and saw smoke coming from the house. He called but received no answer so he rushed into the house to investigate. He said he found some pillows burning near the davenport in the parlor. They were new ones and were in the boxes in which they came. He then discovered fire in another room, where some clothing was burning in a closet.

Mr. REISER was nowhere about, so ROBERTS telephoned for help, getting the D. F. SCOTT place after much frantic ringing. ROBERTS says when he went out the door to carry water from the stock tank, he discovered the whole side of the barn was ablaze.

Neighbors soon arrived and succeeded in extinguishing the fire in the house, but the barn and a few other buildings were too far gone to get under control.

The strange disappearance of Mr. REISER deeply concerned relatives and neighbors who gathered at the place, and it first was thought that he might have gone out in the pasture. A thorough search of the place was made but he could not be found. Fears were then that he was caught in the barn and did not escape.

It was six o'clock that evening before the fire subsided enough so that the charred body of the rancher was discovered lying in the center of the ruins, in what was the driveway through the middle of the barn. The shotgun was found close to the body.

Identification was made by a watch, which relatives recognized as that worn by Mr. REISER, and an examination fo the teeth, which were checked with a dental chart on file in the office of Dr. HARMON in Atkinson.

County coroner Julius D. CRONIN, who arrived at the REISER place shortly after the body was discovered, said that no inquest would be held.

Mr. REISER was one of the prominent ranchers of this section. He is well known in Atkinson and all of north Holt County, where the REISER families have lived for many years. His ranch consisted of 2000 acres, which he had owned for the past 18 years. For 8 years he lived on the place, a bachelor. He recently sold 50 head of steers and had a considerable number of cattle on the ranch. Apparently he was not in financial difficulty.

The barn which burned was built last summer. It was a structure 34 x 40. A granery and two sheds were also destroyed by fire. There was no livestock in the barn, but 2 wagons, about 100 bushels of oats and other feed were lost. The buildings were partly covered by insurance.

The home was saved without considerable damage and an old barn, the newly built garage and a few sheds were not burned.

The body of Mr. REISER was brought to Kilmurry undertaking parlors Wednesday night.

Atkinson Graphic
Atkinson, Nebraska
September 4, 1931

Funeral service for James T. REISER, rancher whose charred body was found Wednesday, last week, in the ruins of a burned barn on his ranch 21 miles northeast of Atkinson, were held Saturday, at St Joseph's Catholic Church, Atkinson. Burial was in St. Joseph's Cemetery (sic, Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, Butte, Nebraska).

James T. REISER, son of Nicholas and Susan REISER, was born March 8, 1888 at Lamont, Iowa. His tragic death occurred at his ranch home 21 miles northeast of Atkinson on Aug 26, 1931, where his body was found in the ruins of his barn, which was destroyed by fire. His age was 43 years, 4 months 26 days.

Mr. REISER came to Holt County with his parents in 1890 and the family settled on a ranch on the Niobrara River about 6 miles south of Butte. His mother passed away 10 years ago and his father 9 years ago. They are buried at Butte.

Ever since coming to Holt County, the REISER family has been indentified with extensive ranching operations and cattle raising. Mr. REISER for many years was in partnership with his brother Ben, who is living on the home place. 12 years ago he moved to the Old ELLIS Ranch, which he had purchased, where he was living at the time of his death.

Two weeks before his death, Mr. REISER was married to Miss Helena BAUSCH of Omaha, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen BAUSCH, former neighbors. His death brought a sudden stop to the happy work these two were doing in preparing a comfortable home on their ranch.

Mr. REISER was one of a family of 11 children, all of whom survive him, except one sister, Mrs. Susan WAHLER, who died at Alton, Iowa in Jan 1929. The others are Mrs. Mary HENRICH of Centerville, SD; Mrs. Anna CUPP of Defiance, Mrs. Agnes LUEKEN of Butte; Peter, Frank, Adolph, Charles, J. Ben of Butte and Joseph of Spencer. His wife also survives him and a niece, Miss Dollie REISER, who for several years has lived on the home place south of Butte.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2010