Obituary printed in the Dec. 31, 1962 Pilot Tribune, Blair, Nebraska

Guy Slader Died At Calhoun on December 28th

By Miss Edith L. Neale

By the rule of the Washington County Pioneer and Old Settlers Association, Guy Slader, who died December 28, 1962, fell four years short of being a Washington County pioneer, for he was born in 1871, four years after Nebraska became a state. But Guy’s attitude toward work and play and civic responsibilities was typically that of the pioneer. He was of a pioneer family who came to Nebraska by wagon from New Hampshire in the mid-1860’s.

There were three brothers in the first generation of Nebraska Sladers—Dean, who served in the territorial legislature; Chas., who built the stately brick house at DeSoto, present home of the Roland Smith family; and Norman, who owned the farm south of Fort Calhoun on which Guy and his sisters, Myrtle (Mrs. Wm. Lonergan), Daisy and Birdie, and his brothers, Marq and Roy were born and raised.

When Guy attended the country school, it was not unusual for Indians to come quietly and unannounced into the school room to warm themselves. Guy used to tell that one day a boy, who had recently arrived from New York, looked up from his book to see an Indian at his elbow. The boy made a leap for the half-opened window, knocking out the prop from the sash as he went. The screaming boy was held fast by the falling sash. The Indian shook with silent laughter.

The Slader home was known throughout the countryside for its hospitality. For many, many years it was the scene of the community picnic and patriotic exercises on the Fourth of July. The Sladers were singers and they loved fun; so hteir home attracted like-minded folks. Rehearsals for literary society and Slader School plays and other entertainment went on there.

Here was pioneer entertainment at its best.

Guy married Martha Mortensen of the Mads Mortensen family, also early settlers in Nebraska. They built their home across the road from the Slader homestead, and carried on the traditions of hospitality and love of reading and good fun of their two families. Their three children are Ellen Ann (Mrs. Sherman Pinto) of Tacoma, Washington, Dean C., who lives on the home farm, and Guy C., of Wilmington, Delaware.

Guy lived his life on the farm on which he was born. It cannot rightly be said that he ever retired from farming. At the age of 81 he husked a thousand bushels of corn by hand. He never lost interest in farm activities, nor his sense of humor, nor his feeling of responsibility as a citizen. He served for many years on the school board and on election board. His voting record is perfect, for he went to the polls and cast his ballot from 1892 to November of 1962. There are not many left among us whose life is so characteristic of the Nebraska farmer of the “old days.”

2nd Obituary, printed in a Dec. 31 1962 Washington County newspaper

Guy Slader, Ft. Calhoun, Died Friday

Rites Monday For Senior Male Citizen of Calhoun

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at the Fort Calhoun Presbyterian Church for Guy Slader, 91 years of age, with interment in the Fort Calhoun cemetery.

Mr. Slader, the senior male resident of the Fort Calhoun area, is survived by two sons: Dean Slader of Fort Calhoun and Guy C. Slader of Wilmington, Del.; a daughter, Mrs. Sherman Pinton of Tacoma, Wash.; three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Mr. Slader, lifetime resident of Fort Calhoun, was born April 23, 1871 on the farm home where he lived most of his life.

The longtime Fort Calhoun resident died Friday at Memorial Community Hospital.

Pallbearers were Art Clausen, Gordon Clausen, Joe Stratbucker, Bill Eill, Olaf Kaer and John Weise.

The Sievers Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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

FindaGrave memorial # 8976765