Decatur County Last Indian Raid Museum

05/25/2026

Even though I have retired from the Decatur County Museum ... and this is NO longer the official page for the museum ... I still do a lot of history and wanted to share this history ...

Glen Schmoker entered the U.S. Merchant Marine Aug 1941. On 9 Nov 1942 departed New York on the ship "Brilliant" enroute to Belfast. On 18 Nov 1942 Glen's ship was torpedoed by U-Boat 43, killing 8 seamen on board, including Glen. Body was never recovered. Glen graduated with the DCHS Class of 1941.

05/25/2026

Even though I have retired from the Decatur County Museum ... and this is NO longer the official page for the museum ... I still do a lot of history and wanted to share this history

Carl Lee McChesney gave his all on October 10, 1944 in the Battle of Mt. St. Jean near Nancy, France. Let us NOT Forget. He was a graduate with the DCHS Class of 1943.

05/21/2026

Even though I have retired from the Decatur County Museum ... and this is NO longer the official page for the museum ... I still do a lot of history and wanted to share this history of the Shirley/Bell Cemetery.

Shirley/Bell … has 32 known graves but if the truth be known there are probably many more. In doing some research for this I found at least two more people that are buried here.
In the winter of 1886/1887 William B Shirley established this cemetery on his farm to bury the neighbor’s son, John H Summit in February, 24, 1887. Who died of lung fever.
I also found the family history of the Shirley and Bell Families. Family Histories are a lot more detailed and personal than articles out of the newspaper.
This is from that story: That Spring, April 8, 1887, a fire started in the second floor of the new carpenter shop in Norcatur which destroyed half the town, and was swept northward by high wind toward the Shirley and Bell farms. Most of the family was in Norton that day for a memorial service and William Shirley, his youngest son, Willis and son-in-law Will Mayes were at home on the farm five miles north. They saw the fire coming. They had been warned by old-timers “You can’t outrun a prairie fire”. They were doing all they could to prevent the coming fire from taking the farm, but it came to fast. Remember this is 1887 no Rural Fire Department. William Shirley was ahead of the others, plowing fire breaks and the younger men were burning the grass between the plowed and furrows, to starve and stop the fire. Suddenly they discovered that the fire had separated them from the father. By the time they reached him, he had been overcome by flames, heat and smoke and all his clothing had been burned off of him. He had only his boots left and in terrible agony. They got him to shelter and treatment as soon as possible, but his burns and internal damage were so severe that he died the next day. He was 71 years old.
Another sad story here, Alva Yost, Sept 18. 1887 who died from rattlesnake bites after chasing the snake around the home and playing with it.
Ron Temple and his daughter Lisa are buried in the corner.

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05/16/2026

Even though I have retired from the Decatur County Museum ... and this is NO longer the official page for the museum ... I still do a lot of history and wanted to share this story of on the history of the Norcatur Cemetery ... The citizens of Norcatur are to be congratulated on their success in securing a good cemetery. The grounds have been properly surveyed and platted by owner J. W, Ballard on April 18, 1888. The Norcatur Cemetery is situated in the SW1/4 of section 30 in Township 2 Range 25 in Norton County, Kansas. And in less than 2 years the Ballard’s son Joel died at age 4 and buried here in the Cemetery next to his parents in Old Section 40.
Another interesting article I found in the Norcatur Register from Feb. 1889…. We understand that the Ward brothers, assisted by their neighbors, exhumed the remains of their friends that had been buried in different locations and placed them in the Norcatur Cemetery. Now that we have a good cemetery, we think it would be well for all other who can and who live adjacent to our town, to remove their dead from the corners of claims and re-inter them in the cemetery where their ashes can rest in peace and not be trampled over by teams and plowmen.
August 1888 … three infants have been buried at the Norcatur Cemetery in the last 2 weeks.
There are 1,845 with one more to be buried here in the next couple of weeks. Even though this is in Norton County we still recognize it for Decatur since the town is in Decatur. It is the second largest with Oberlin having 4,962 …. Jennings having 930 and Kanona with 284.
Couple more facts …. There are 172 veterans buried here with 38 being Civil War veterans.

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05/12/2026

Even though I have retired from the Decatur County Museum ... and this is NO longer the official page for the museum ... I still do a lot of history and wanted to share this story of one of Decatur County's victims of WWII ... Let us not forget them this Memorial Day.

Private Franklyn Jackson was one of fifteen airmen killed in the crash of U.S. Army Air Corps B-29 Superfortress #42-93832, 25 miles southwest of Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico.
He was the son of Blanche A. Jackson and husband of Verna M. Jackson.

Served with the 234th Combat Crew Training
Squadron.

The airmen lost were:

Capt. Thomas R Opie pilot
Capt. John S Baldwin Instr. pilot
1st Lt. Noble J Klink
2nd Lt. Robert J Creecy, Jr
2nd Lt. Anselmo Quian
2nd Lt. Charles H Ziegel
T/Sgt. John K Crowther
T/Sgt. Walter Lewkowicz
Sgt. James B Perry
Cpl. Wilbur E Miller
PFC Duane W Duman
PFC Max Freund
PFC William E Harris
PFC John A Nelson
Pvt. Franklyn B Jackson
Information submitted by Tim Cook, FAG #46481904.

NARA records list this soldiers Home of Record as Decatur County, Kansas...Died Non-Battle.

01/24/2026

Norcatur Dispatch, December 26, 1918
Meets Death in Storm … Burlington Crashes Head-On … Snow Storm Blinds Engineer of Extra
Passenger Engineer Killed, Others Injured…Wreck Occurred Near Depot in Raging Snow Storm

The big storm Monday night brought death and disaster to the Burlington employees in the local yards, in Norcatur. The snowstorm had drifted badly in the cuts west of town during the afternoon Monday, and when the eastbound passenger left Kanona, it had difficulty in getting thru several drifts, and much delayed, through a large crew of snow shovelers were along working. The dispatcher ordered the freight engine and crew going west to abandon the train at Norton and proceed to Norcatur and help the passenger out. At Oronoque the agent informed the engine crew that the train was stuck three miles west of Norcatur, and to hit the drifts hard, through they had orders to sidetrack here. The passenger had got thru and to town within fifty feet of the water tank when the engine went dead. Except the engineer the crew and men passengers went up town for supper leaving the women in the chair car, the men promising them they would bring their lunch thru the storm to them. The engineer was eating of his lunch when the freight engine, with a car of coal and caboose, running at good speed, suddenly thru the storm saw the depot lights before them, and with a warning whistle and tightening brakes they plunged into the passenger engine.
The engineer of the passenger hearing the low warning whistle evidently plunged for the open gangway and was caught fair between crashing tender and cab, crushing him horribly, killing him instantly, with the unchewed food yet in his mouth. Both engines were badly damaged, the passenger engine being badly crushed, but neither being turned over.
The dead engineer, Ed Sanburn, married and several grown children, home at McCook, age about 50, was taken to the Kious Undertaking room, where the body remained until Tuesday. Deputy Sheriff Betts impaneled a jury and held an inquest Tuesday morning, and the Superintendent and crew were on the Job early Tuesday morning clearing the wreckage.
Several of the women passengers were badly shaken, and the fright crew bruised somewhat, but miraculously no other lives were lost.
Express and mail car, and the smoker were considerably damaged.
SW

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01/12/2026

This will be a great watch.

Just one week to go!
The Moccasin Speaks premieres on Smoky Hills PBS in seven days. This moving documentary explores a story that has echoed across the High Plains for more than a century.
Watch with us 📺 January 8th!

12/07/2025

11/25/2025

Because of a change in directors, we've had to create a new page for the Decatur County Museum. Please follow this new page - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584038883498

A wonderful museum with 16 buildings. Plan at least 1.5 to 2 hours for your visit.

11/21/2025

The Oberlin Times - November 20, 1925
The first wedding in the Oberlin United Methodist Church

“A wedding of considerable note took place last Saturday evening at the Methodist Church when Rev. Anderson performed the ceremony that united in marriage Miss Jessie McMullen and Mr. Marion Bremer, both of this county.

The bride is the charming and accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George McMullen and is a young lady who is well and favorably known by everyone in the community.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bremer of the Dresden country and is one of the most worthy young fellows in the entire county.

The happy couple will take up housekeeping at once on the groom's farm near Dresden where they will be at home to their many friends. The Times joins with their host of other friends in wishing them the best this life affords.”

Jessie and Marion Bremer are the parents of Jody Betts, who recently donated her mother’s wedding dress to the museum. Jody wore the same dress when she married Herschel Betts in 1949, and their daughter Susan also wore the dress in 1982 when she married Charles McMonagle III.

Jessie bought her wedding dress at Lord and Taylor’s in New York City. She had been working as a nurse in New York before returning to Oberlin to marry Marion.

From the Oberlin Herald February 4, 1982: Susan “chose to wear her mother's wedding gown of sheer white marquisette over white silk taffeta. It was designed with a fitted bodice and a neckline insertion of Chantilly lace, long pointed sleeves and a full skirt edged with ruffles of matching Chantilly lace caught up at the sides and lengthening into an aisle-wide train. Her fingertip veil of silk illusion was scalloped and fell from a Juliet cap of lace with an open crown, crossed with folds of tulle and held in place with seed pearls.”

Matron of honor at Mr. and Mrs. Herschel Betts’ wedding was Dorothy Avery. Bridesmaids were Miss Phyllis Betts, sister of the groom, and Miss Jeanne Petracek, cousin of the bride.

Best man was the groom’s brother, James Betts. Ushers were Fred Bremer, cousin of the bride, and Jack Hague.

Larry Ward and Linda Jo Bremer, cousins of the bride, served as ring bearers. Candlelighters were Miss Marjorie Landau and Miss Billie Bowman