James H. Nickerson, the second of ten children of Milo W. Nickerson and Mary Louisa (Drake) Nickerson, was born May 28, 1855, at Montville, Ohio. He spent his early years in the Montville area farming, working at the local rock quarry, and teaching school. He attended Chadron High School in Chardon, Ohio.

In 1884, at the age of 29, he came to Frontier County, Nebraska and took a homestead (NW 1/4 26-7-26) containing 160 acres. He received the land patent from the Government in 1891. In 1885, his father, Milo W. Nickerson, and most of his sisters and brothers also came to Frontier County to homestead.

Once in Frontier County, James continued to farm but always seemed to wind up teaching. He rode a horse to Wallace, Nebraska, to teach for a term and while there met Clarissa A. Stevens, whose parents had homesteaded a farm northwest of Wallace.

On May 31, 1888, James and 'Clara' were married at the Stevens' home. Their first child, Milo James, was born the next year, also at the Stevens' home. In the 1890's, James continued to teach in several small towns in Frontier County...Maywood, Eustis, Curtis and finally became Superintendent of Schools in the county seat, Stockville. Also, during these years, five more children were born, Fred, Howard, Henry, Clifford, and Lelia.

On October 6, 1901, James died of typhoid fever at age 46, leaving his wife, Clara, and six small children. Clara stayed on the farm until 1908, when she moved the family to Montrose, Colorado, where her sister, Jennie, was living. Milo stayed behind and took over the farm. He was married later that year to Goldie E. Kilburn.

In 1910, Clara returned to Nebraska and lived and worked in Farnam, Nebraska, until 1912. On January 31, 1912, she married her brother-in-law, Benjamin Marion Messersmith. After his death in 1931, Clara lived in Cambridge, Nebraska, for a while and spent much of her time living with her sister, Jennie Faw, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was living with her son, Henry, in Gothenburg, Nebraska when she passed away on March 13, 1945. She was 79 years of age.

James Hawley Nickerson and Clarissa 'Clara' Stevens Nickerson Messersmith are buried at the Farnam cemetery, Farnam, Nebraska.

Source: Personal collection of a family member.