SAMUEL HALLER DIES AT AGE NINETY-THREE

HAD FINE RECORD OF ENLISTMENT DURING CIVIL WAR

(Civil War veteran)

Samuel Godfrey Haller was born December 25, 1837, at East Troy, Wisc., and passed away at his home on west Lincoln street Tuesday shortly after noon, following an illness of about eight months duration. Despite his advanced age, Mr. Haller had been able to be active until last August, since which time he had been bedfast.

He was married to Miss Elizabeth Koehl at East Troy July 12, 1865, and this union six children were born, all of whom survive him. The children are: Benjamin Franklin of St. Maries, Idaho; George Joseph of Omaha; Edwin Samuel of Blair; Ervin Eugene of Beaver Crossing; Mrs. Nellie Elizabeth Aye of Omaha; and Milo Haller of Blair. There are nineteen grandchildren and thirty great-grandchildren. Mrs. Haller passed away in July 1880 and in 1883 Mr. Haller married Mrs. Sarah Beales Case. No children were born to this union but three devoted step daughters survive: Mrs. Nettie Stockton of Schuyler, Mrs. Jessie Smith of Red Elm, South Dakota, and Mrs. Olga Allen of Blair. Mr. Haller is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Frazier of East Troy, Wisc., and Mrs. Rosetta Castetter of Blair.

Mr. Haller led an eventful life having enlisted in the Ninth light artillery of Wisconsin volunteers on August 13, 1861. In February 1862 his company moved to Benton Barracks, Mo., thence to Leavenworth, Kansas, by boat on the Missouri river, where they were issued cannon and equipment. In the spring they started to Denver, it taking 38 days to make the trip. Large herds of buffalo were on the plains at that time. The company was stationed at Ft. Lyons, Colorado. They were a light artillery of 155 men and horses guarding against a camp of 1800 Arapahoe Indians who were hostile. The warrior chief, Left Hand, was educated in St. Louis but remained with his tribe and acted as peace maker. The company later moved across the country to Baton Rouge into New Mexico. Mr. Haller’s enlistment record is 17,500 miles and they traveled for three years and five months.

Mr. Haller’s parents were born in Berne, Switzerland, and were said to have come to Cabbert, Vermont, in 1833. The father, Jacob Haller, started to Wisconsin in 1836 on foot with 63 cents and an axe as his assets. His wife and baby daughter, the late Mary E. Kemp, followed later with a neighbor. They landed in East Troy township later paying $1.25 an acre for land. Mr. Haller came to Blair in 1881 and has made his home here since that time.

Funeral services are being conducted from the home this afternoon at 2:00 o’clock, after which interment will be in the Calhoun cemetery.

#2-7 May, 1931 - The Enterprise

SAMUEL G. HALLER

Again the Grim Reaper has entered the ranks of our Civil War veterans and claimed for his own our townsman and early settler, Samuel G. Haller, who passed away at his home in Blair on Tuesday, May 5 at two o’clock p.m.

Deceased was born in East Troy, Wisconsin on December 25, 1837. Here he grew to manhood. He enlisted in the army at the outbreak of the Civil War, enlisting in the 9th Light Artillery of Wisconsin August 13, 1861.

On Feb. 3, 1862 his company was moved to Brunton Barrack, Mo. and later to Leavenworth, Kansas making the trip by boat on the Missouri river. Here they were issued cannon and equipment, and in the spring started to Denver. The trip took thirty eight days, every day of which was filled with wonder to the company. Untold numbers of buffalo were roaming the plains and game was plentiful. The company of light artillery consisted of 155 men and horses stationed at Ft. Lyons, Colorado as guard against a camp of 1800 hostile Arapaho Indians. The chief Surtanta made rather a picturesque figure as he rode the plains with a team of mules and a buggy and adopted further civilized habits of wearing a silk hat. One of his warriors, Chief Left Hand, was an educated Indian, having received his education in St. Louis, but still remaining with the tribe, proved of great value to the whites as he acted as peacemaker. From Ft. Lyons the company moved cross country to Baton Rouge and into New Mexico. During his term of enlistment, his company covered 17,500 miles.

He came of a race of pioneers. His parents were born in Berne, Switzerland, coming to Vermont in 1833. Jacob Haller, the father, started to Wisconsin about in 1837 on foot and with but sixty three cents and an axe as his assets. His wife and baby, the late Mary E. Kemp followed with a neighbor and family in a wagon. They landed in Troy, Wis. where they purchased land at $1.25 per acre.

After the deceased was discharged from the army, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Koehl on July 12, 1865, and to this union six children were born: Benjamin J. of St. Marys, Idaho; George of Omaha; Ed of Arlington; Erve of Beaver Crossing, Nebr; Mrs. Nettie Stockton of Schuyler; Mrs. Jessie Smith of Redeem, South Dakota; Milo of Arlington and Mrs. Nellie Aye of Omaha.

On July 8, 1880 the wife died, and the next year Mr. Haller moved to Blair where he has since resided.

On October 16, 1883 he was married to Mrs. Sara Case of Blair who survives him. This marriage brought two stepchildren into the family: Fred, now deceased and Mrs. Olga Allen of Blair.

It isn’t often that man reaches the age of 93 years, and it is but few men now living who have seen and realized the pioneer experiences of the early days as has the deceased. His early life was one of adventure, his maturity was spent as a good citizen shouldering the burdens common to mankind, doing his bit towards establishing and caring for a home, and his old age was spent in peace surrounded by those who loved and revered him.

The funeral services are to be held at the home this afternoon at two o’clock, and interment is to be made in the Calhoun cemetery under the auspices of the American Legion.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Association; newspaper clippings on file at the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

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