~~~His headstone has the spelling of his first name, Urbin~~~

#1-Published in the Blair Pilot 11 Jan 1928

One of the Oldest Pioneers in the State, Coming to Omaha in 1856

Funeral Held Here Monday

Urban Cachelin passed peacefully away at his home in old DeSoto at 7:45 last Saturday morning, following an illness of but a week with bronchial pneumonia. Being almost 84 years of age he was unable to throw off the disease which is so often too much for younger men to do.

The funeral service was held at the Methodist church in this city at 2:30 Monday afternoon, January 9th, within two days of his 84th birthday anniversary. Rev. Carl G. Bader officiated conducting the last sad rites over the body of this pioneer and defender of his country in the days of its greatest peril.

Mr. Cachelin was born in Mobile, Alabama, January 11th, 1844, of French parentage, and came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Constant Cachelin, to St. Louis, Mo., when he was seven years of age.

In the spring of 1856 the family came by boat to Omaha and his father purchased land that is now in the heart of that metropolis of Nebraska. Omaha wasn’t much of a city then and that same year the family moved to DeSoto to what was then a promising town a little over a year old, having been laid out in 1854 but wasn’t really settled in until ’55.

Constant Cachelin took a homestead near the new townsite and there his family grew to manhood and womanhood, so there was probably no earlier pioneer in the state than his son, Urban, who has just passed away at the ripe old age of 84 years.

Urban Cachelin died at his home in DeSoto on Saturday morning. He was one of the early Washington county pioneers and G.A.R. veterans.

#2-Published in the Blair Pilot 11 Jan 1928

(Photo)

U. Cachelin Died Saturday

Urban was 17 years old when the war broke out and went east to do his bit in the way of service. He was employed in the construction of the noted Monitor, known as “The Yankee Cheese Box” when he enlisted May 9th, 1864 in the 1st Missouri calvalry, serving until the close of the war, being honorable discharged August 4th , 1865.

Mr. Cachelin carried mail from DeSoto to Decatur for the government for a year starting in 1857. He also made a trip to the Black Hills when the gold rush was there. It took him about three weeks to get there, he stayed but a week and found it was no place for him.

At the close of the war he returned to his DeSoto home and on October 20th, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Frances Church at DeSoto, then in the height of its glory, with some 750 population.

Eight children were born to them the eldest son, Nelson dying in infancy, Nellie, the eldest daughter, met a tragic death about ten years ago. Of the five living daughters, Elizabeth always made her home with her father. Maud, Mrs. Justin F. Badgerow, Ada, Mrs. C. L. Dalby, and Daisy, Mrs. E. N. Bowles, all live in Omaha, Goldie, Mrs. J. E. Miller lives in Chicago and Edward Cachelin lives in Ft. Calhoun.

He is survived by one brother George and seven grandchildren.

Mr. Cachelin was a member of the John A. Dix post, of the G.A.R. of this city, and was proud of his honorable war record. He met with the old soldiers on Memorial and Decoration days each year and attended the regular meetings of the Post whenever he could.

His wife passed away April 18, 1925, since which time his faithful and loving daughter, Elizabeth, has been his housekeeper and almost constant companion. The bereaved children have the sincere sympathy of many friends.

#3-Published in the Tribune 12 Jan 1928

Early Pioneer Dies

Urban Cachelin Passes Away at Age of 83 Years

Urban Cachelin, a pioneer of Washington county, died at his home in DeSoto, last Saturday at the age of 83 years. The deceased was born in Mobile, Alabama, January 11, 1844, and at the age of seven years moved with his parents to St. Louis, Missouri. In the spring of 1856 the family came by boat to Omaha and later settled at De Soto, which at that time was located about half way between Blair and the present site of DeSoto. He was a son of the late Constant Cachelin, who acquired considerable land holdings near the old site of DeSoto.

In 1864 he went to St. Louis and for some time assisted in the construction of government gunboats. Shortly before he was of age he enlisted in the First Missouri Artillery and took part in some of the important battles of the war. He served to the close of the war and was given an honorable discharge the fore part of August, 1865. He later returned to DeSoto and was married to Miss Frances Church of that place on October 28, 1868, and was a resident of this county up until the time of his death. Mrs. Cachelin passed away in April, 1925. He was one of the old settlers of Washington county and endured the hardships that were so common to the pioneers. He had a wide acquaintance through the county and has a host of friends who will mourn his loss.

He leaves to survive him one son, Edward, of Calhoun; and five daughters, Mrs. J. E. Miller of Chicago; Mrs. J. F. Badgerow, Mrs. E. N. Bowles and Mrs. C. L. Dalbey, all of Omaha; and Miss Elizabeth Cachelin of DeSoto. Funeral services were held from the Methodist church in this city at 2:30 o’clock on Monday afternoon, the Rev. Carl G. Bader officiating, after which interment was made in Blair cemetery.

#4- Published in the Fort Calhoun Chronicle, Jan 12, 1928

Urbin Cachelin

Urbin Cachelin was born Jan. 11, 1844, at Mobile, Alabama, and died at his home in DeSoto, Neb., Jan. 7, 1928, having lacked but four days of reaching the age of 84 years.

When he was 7 years old he removed with his parents to St. Louis, Mo., and in 1856 the family came to DeSoto, being one of the first pioneer families of this county and state.

Mr. Cachelin enlisted in the 1st Missouri Artillery of the army of the blue at the age of 19 years and served the last two years of the civil war, participating in most of the major engagements of his regiment.

Thus passes another of those grand men who not only helped build the foundation of the great western empire, but did his share in contributing to its development and fought for his country in its hour of peril—truly a record of which any man could be proud.

Mr. Cachelin was always a pioneer and a soldier of the highest type—always working towards the better things and faithful in his discharge of every duty. His industry never flagged and in his later years his hobby was caring for his vegetable and flower gardens, which were always models of neatness. His pioneer spirit was evidenced again by his filing on and proving up on a homestead in So. Dakota after he had passed the age of three score and ten.

His wife died three years ago, and his surviving children are Mrs. J.T. Bradshaw of Florence, Mrs. E.N. Bowles of Omaha, Elizabeth at home, Mrs. E. Miller of Chicago, Ed. Of Ft. Calhoun and Mrs. Leon Dalboy of Omaha. One brother, George Cachelin, also of this vicinity, survives.

Impressive funeral services of a military nature were held in the Blair Methodist church Monday afternoon, Rev. Bader preaching the sermon. Burial was in the Blair cemetery.

#5-Published in The Enterprise January 12, 1928

URBAN CACHELIN PASSES AWAY-Early Pioneer Settler Answers Last Call at Age of 84 Years-Settled With Parents in DeSoto In 1856-Oldest Pioneer at Death-SERVED IN CIVIL WAR-Was Foremost in Civic Improvements-Had Full Charge of Agricultural Exhibits for Years

(Photo)

Urban Cachelin, Washington County pioneer of 1856, passed away at his home at DeSoto last Saturday morning, January 7, at 7:45 a.m. after an illness of bronchial pneumonia of a week’s duration.

Deceased was born in Mobile, Alabama, January 11, 1844 and when a lad of seven years of age moved to St. Louis and in 1856 the family came by boat to Omaha. After a few months to DeSoto, then a thriving town located a few miles south of the present site of Blair.

Constant Cachelin, father of Urban Cachelin, acquired a homestead in DeSoto Township and here he moved his family and reared his children, Urban being the eldest.

When twenty years of age Urban returned to St. Louis. The war spirit was abroad in the land and Urban obtained work on the “Monitor” which was then under construction and continued at this work until the call of his county became so strong that he joined the army, enlisting as a private in the First Missouri Artillery.

At the close of the war he received his discharge and returned home and shortly afterwards was married to Miss Frances Church, who with her father and brother had come from Michigan to pioneer in the west.

After his marriage he continued to make his home in DeSoto and to them a family of eight children were born, one passing away in infancy and one daughter, Nellie Nethaway meeting a tragic death in 1917.

During all these years of the early development of the county Mr. Cachelin was always ready to do his part in the civic development. For a number of years he had full charge of the county agriculture display put on at the state fair and was one of the first men thought of in any movement for the betterment of social welfare of his community.

His life was filled with first experiences of the pioneering. From his earliest remembrances he was a pioneer, enlisting in the army when he had hardly reached the stage of manhood, serving as a mail carrier between DeSoto and Decatur when the route was made on horseback, joining the gold rush to the Black Hills and dealing with the problems of frontier, all making him a real pioneer.

Yet with all of his experiences he was a very quiet unassuming character. Exceptionally mild in his disposition, the personification of kindness. He loved his home and his friends and was passionately fond of flowers and each year his garden ran riot in the most beautiful flowers that one could find and his greatest joy was in presenting his friends with lavish bouquets of his own rearing.

To his old friends his passing is a great sorrow and to his family his place in their hearts will be held as a shrine made sacrid by his life which would be one for all to emulate.

His wife passed away two years ago but not until they celebrated their fifty-sixth wedding anniversary. Of his late years his greatest pleasure was in attending the G.A.R. meetings and mingling with old comrades.

He leaves six children to mourn his loss: Miss Elizabeth of DeSoto; Edward of Ft. Calhoun: Mrs. Elmer Mill or Chicago: Mrs. J. F. Badegrow, Mrs. E. N. Bowles and Mrs. C. L. Dalbey of Omaha, also seven grandchildren and one brother, George Cachelin of DeSoto.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

FindaGrave 97056236