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Last Updated: Monday, February 2, 2016

The Family of Ahart S. and Julia M. French
by Audrey French

Ahart Staley French and Julia M Highland were united in marriage on March 25, 1894. Julia was born November 7, 1870 at Dwight, Illinois to Robert M. and Annie Highland. Ahart Staley French was born October 31, 1868 at Matoon, Illinois to Joseph and Emily (Staley) French.
In 1907, A.S. French and his two brothers, Al and George French, came from Culbertson, Nebraska to Tryon and started building a house three miles south of Tryon. Julia and their ten children came to Tryon with him in 1908 and they homesteaded 240 acres and bought enough more land to make 800 acres.
In 1913, the family moved into Tryon after selling the homestead and land south of town. They lived in a house located in the north part of town, about where the Dallas Wilkie family now lives. They built and operated a general store north of the box cars which are owned by Eva Haddy.
The family moved to Ringgold, Nebraska in 1920 and rented the Ide Heldenbrand place south of Ringgold. In 1924, they bought the Reneau house and moved back to Tryon.
A.S. French (who was also known as Tim French and S.A. French) moved and remodeled a number of houses in Tryon. He built the main part of the house where Louelva Hatch now lives. After moving back to Tryon he bought a threshing machine and he and his sons did a great deal of threshing in the Stapleton and Tryon areas. This huge machine was pulled by an old Titon tractor. With the aid of two tractors, he moved the District 4 schoolhouse from where the old Hatch garage now sets, to the south side of the road at the east edge of Tryon.
Julia French was also very busy in those days with her ten children, large gardens, quilting and other work. She was called on to help deliver a number of new babies in the community. Her son, Paul, says he remembers that she delivered fresh milk to Berry's cafe for 5 cents a bucket.
The names and birthdates of their children were as follows: Bertha Beryl (French) Wendling, born January 13, 1895 at Trenton, Nebraska; Hazel Claire (French) Chapman, born August 26, 1896 at Arapahoe, Nebraska; Joseph Arthur French, born February 6, 1898 at Arapahoe, Nebraska; Bernace (French) Meyers, born November 28, 1899 at Trenton, Nebraska; Robert Paul French, born June 17, 1901 at Trenton, Nebraska; Doii Anna (French) Allen, born February 15, 1903 at Trenton, Nebraska; Fredrick Theodore (Ted) French, born July 18, 1904 at Trenton, Nebraska; Bernard French and Urcell (French) Bartruff (twins), born July 8, 1906 at Trenton, Nebraska; and Avis M. French, born March 24, 1908 at Trenton, Nebraska (died July 8, 1923 at Ringgold at the age of 15 years of diphtheria).
of those ten children, four still survive.(this book was written in 1984) They are Mrs. beryl Wendling at the rest home in Mullen, Nebraska; Paul French of Tryon; Bernard French of North Platte; and Mrs Urcell Bartruff of Eustis, Nebraska.
On Sunday, March 28, 1954, A.S. and Julia French celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and the following account of that celebration was written in the April 1, 1954 edition of The Tryon Graphic:
MR. and MRS. S.A. FRENCH CELEBRATE 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, SUNDAY, March 28, 1954
Mr. and Mrs. S.A. French celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Sunday, March 28th, by holding open house from the hours of 2 to 4 in the afternoon, at the home of their oldest daughter, Mrs. Beryl Wedling of south of Tryon.
The couple was married on Easter Sunday, March 25, 1894, in a top buggy in Hitchcock County, Trenton, Nebraska. They moved to Tryon, Nebraska in a covered wagon with their ten children, where they settled on a homestead three miles south of Tryon in 1910.
Mr. and Mrs. French have eight living children: Mrs. Beryl Wendling of Tryon, Nebraska; Mrs. Claire Chapman of Ovid, Colorado; Artie French of Scottsbluff, Nebraska; Mrs. Bernace Meyer of Cozad, Nebraska; Paul French of Tryon, Nebraksa; Ted French of Emmett, Idaho; Mrs. Otto (Urcell) Bartruff of Eustis, Nebraska; and Bernard French of Sidney, Nebraska.
The couple have 31 grandchildren and 38 great grandchildren.
Six of their living children were able to be present. Two sons, Artie and Bernard, were unable to attend. A large number of grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as neighbors and friends, were also in attendance.
Mrs. Urcell Bartruff of Eustis, and Paul French of Tryon brought the beautiful four and three-tier wedding cakes, baked especially for the occasion.
The serving table was lovely with a four-tier wedding cake, topped with a miniture bride and groom and surrounded by lavender sweet peas and similax. On each side was a lovely plant of Easter lilies.
Mrs. Beryl Wendling poured coffee, Mrs. Urcell Bartruff and Mrs. Bernace Meyer cut and served the wedding cake. Mrs. Claire Chapman took charge of the guest book, and granddaughter, Mrs. Clayton Dobbins and Miss Patricia Baer, were in charge of the gift table.

S.A. French passed away November 22, 1955 at St. Mary's Hospital in North Platte, Nebraska at the age of 87 years and 22 days. He was buried at Miller Cemetery northeast of Tryon.
Julia M. French died at the Marzolf Rest Home at North Platte, Nebraska on November 6, 1962 at the age of 91 years. She was also laid to rest in the Miller Cemetery near Tryon, Nebraska.

The Paul French Family
by Audrey French

Robert Paul French and Opal Lucinda Shriver were united in marriage on October 8, 1925, at North Platte, Nebraska. Paul was born at Trenton, Nebraska, June 17, 1901 to Ahart Staley French and Julia M. (Highland) French. Opal was born June 7, 1908 at Stockville, Nebraska to Hector Andrew and Iva (Wilson) Shriver.
The young couple began their married life at Tryon and lived in a house on Russell Hill for a few years.
In 1929, they moved into a sod house east of Tryon on the Crane place. This place is located a short distance north of where Albert and Mae Schmidt now live.
It was in this sod house that their first daughter, Alice Lucile, was born on May 24, 1928. Doctor Carr was called from Stapleton to deliver the baby.
When their second daughter, Pauline Julia, arrived on June 20, 1930, Opal was staying at the Chapman home between Tryon and Stapleton. Mrs. Guy (Claire) Chapman was Paul's sister.
In 1930, they purchased an 18 by 20 foot frame house located about two and a half miles north of Tryon, from Luther Worden. They moved this house with eight head of horses and two wagons to their present location at the west edge of Tryon. There was no floor in the house so a good deal of work went into fixing it up. Later, more rooms were added to the house for their growing family.
Opal again stayed with the Chapman family in Stapleton while waiting for the arrival of their son, Arthur Martin French, who was born August 5, 1931. Dr. Carr again came to make the delivery.
Their youngest child, Burrell Otis French was born August 2, 1934 at their home in Tryon, and he too was delivered by Dr. Carr of Stapleton.
Times were hard during the 1930's, and Paul did whatever work he could find. He worked for the county, hauling straw and hay to put on the sandy streets and roads. He helped lay out the road west of Tryon, and he and George Downing were camped eight miles west of tryon when the cyclone hit in 1932. The two men were not aware of the extensive damage that had been done by the storm in Tryon until someone came to tell them about it the next morning. Paul said that his first concern was for Opal and their three small children who were at home alone during the storm. And, he was very relieved when he learned that no damage had been done to their home.
Paul also worked at "Black's Cash Store" for Oval Black for six years. In 1952 he went to work for the State of Nebraska, Department of Roads, for sixteen years and maintained gravel roads west and north of Tryon. After retiring from the Road Department in 1968, he worked part time for Taft and Eva Haddy at the David Store.
During their married life together Opal has kept quite busy gardening, sewing, canning and preserving food and piecing quilts. She has created many beautiful hand-made quilts to give as wedding gifts to her children and grandchildren. She has also made some beautiful crocheted items, including a bedspread. She became an expert at making homemade pies, not only for her own family, but for the cafes in town as well.
All four of their children attended school at Tryon and graduated from the McPherson County High School. Alice and her husband, Clayton Dobbins, live at Anderson, Texas, and are presently teaching at the Huntsville Correctional Center. Pauline and her husband, Don Nicholson, live in Tryon where Don is presently serving as Sheriff of McPherson County. Arthur French lives at Stapleton and is the publisher of three newspapers, The Stapleton Enterprise, The Tryon Graphic and The Thomas County Herald. Burrell french lives at Houston, Texas, where he has worked at the NASA Space Center for over twenty years.
Besides their children, Paul and Opal have fourteen grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren.
The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, August 2, 1975, with an open house and basket supper, hosted by their children and grandchildren, at the Tryon Lodge Hall. They are now looking forward to their 60th anniversary in 1985.