The Union Ledger, Friday, March 8,1912
WILLIAM FRANS was born March 1,1831, in Mead county [sic], Kentucky. Died at 1:20 p.m. Saturday, March 2,1912, in Union, Nebraska.
The death of this pioneer settler occurred the day following his 81st birthday, and while death came as a relief from many months suffering, it caused great sorrow among the relatives and many friends in this county who have known this kind old gentleman so long. Mr. Frans' illness began about seven years ago with kidney trouble, but did not assume a dangerous form until two years ago, his health slowly failing since that time. He was unable to be out of the house the past few months and was confined to bed the last three weeks. Funeral services were held in the Baptist church at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. W.A. Taylor, and a large number of the deceased's neighbors and many acquaintances from all parts of the county were present to bid a final farewell to their beloved friend. The remains were then conveyed to the cemetery just west of town and laid to rest beside the wife, whose death occurred Oct. 20,1910. The pallbearers were four sons and two sons-in-law — Robert H., Chas. W,, Call R.(Colmore) and Harry M. Frans, Wm. W. Wolfe and W.P. Hutcheson.
William Frans left his native state (Kentucky) at the age of 14, going with his parents to Buchanan county, Mo., where he grew up to manhood and was married to Miss Rebecca Spiers. They resided in
Missouri until 1851, when they removed to Fremont county, Iowa, and in 1854 they crossed the Missouri river and settled at the town of Rock Bluffs, in this county, he being engaged in freighting across the plains to Denver. In 1862 they went back to Missouri, and in 1883 returned to this county, locating at Factoryville (at
that time a small town two miles southwest of here) and engaged in the mercantile business in partnership with his son Robert H. Frans. When the town of Union was established in 1887, they moved their store and families to this place and resided here ever after. William Frans retired from business about ten years ago.
The deceased and his wife were the parents of eleven children, all of whom are living and all were here to attend the funeral excepting Augustus Frans, of Oklahoma and Mrs. Rose Cogdill of Bancroft, Neb., who were unable to come. The children are Augustus Frans, Kingfisher, Okla.; Robert H. and Charles W. of Union, Flora, widow of Joseph Sands, Rock Bluffs; Lavina, wife of Wm. W. Wolfe, Union; Call R., Plattsmouth; Harry M., Union; and Emma, wife of W.R. Cross, Union.
Deceased was well known as an honorable Christian man, and had been an active and faithful member of the Baptist church forty-five years, a kind husband and father, and one whose influence for good was felt in many ways in this community.
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CARD OF THANKS
We desire to thank our friends for their sympathy and assistance during the sickness and after the
death of our father, Wm. Frans Sr.
THE CHILDREN
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Union Ledger May 8,1901
Wedding Anniversary.
May 8,1851, at Agency, Mo., there was a wedding in which William Frans and Miss Rebecca Spiers were the principals, and Wednesday being the 50th anniversary of the event, the relatives prepared to honor the occasion by having a dinner and re-union. They assembled at the home about noon and spent an hour in social pleasantries, then Rev. S. R. Cook made a few appropriate remarks and offered prayer. Then followed the wedding dinner such as could be prepared only by the most skillful hands, and all enjoyed the feast to
their hearts' (or stomachs') content.
In addition to the sons and daughters, there were present Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Holmes of Plattsmouth,Rev. and Mrs. R. S. Cook, Mrs Eliza Barnum, Elias Peck and wife, Thomas Baker and wife, James Frans and wife, John Klaurens and wife of Murray, Mrs. I. N. Applegate, P. T. Wilson of Omaha, Miss Mattie Cook, Mrs. R. N. Frans, Mrs. Lelia Dugay, Mrs. R. H. Frans, Mrs. H. M. Frans, W. A. Frans and wife. G. W. Garrison and William Wolfe. Of the eleven sons and daughters all were present excepting Mrs. W. P. Hutchinson of Rock Bluffs and Gus A. Frans of Oklahoma. Those present were Robert H. Grans and Charles W. Frans of Union, Mrs. Joseph Sans of Rock Bluffs, Mrs. Robert Cogdill of Union, Mrs. M. L. Thomas of Eagle, Mrs. Wm. Wolfe of Union, Coll R. Frans, Harry M. Frans and Mrs. W. R. Cross of Union.
The family record of Mr, and Mrs. William Frans is one that probably has no equal in this county. They are the parents of eleven children, all living and all married, and all in good health. Mr. Frans is 70 years of age and feels so young that he boasted that he could roll the editor in the dust. Mrs. Frans is 66 years of age.
They first came to Nebraska in 1856 and located at rock Bluffs. From there they moved to Missouri in 1862 and remained there until 1884, when they came to this precinct and settled at Factoryville, then came to Union soon after the town sprang into existence. They are properly classed as our most worthy citizens, and The Ledger desires to express the hope that they may spend many more years with us, with every anniversary as pleasant as the one just past.
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Title: Portrait and Biographical Album of Otoe and Cass Counties, Nebraska containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States.
Publication; Chapman Brothers, Chicago, Illinois (1889)
Abbrev: Hist/Otoe & Cass Co., NE, 1889

1061 Cass County

WILLIAM FRANS and his son R. H. are carrying on an extensive mercantile business in the town of Union, and they may well be classed among the leading merchants of this part of Cass County. Mr. Frans was one of the original settlers of Cass County, and during the first decade of the settlement of Nebraska he was one of its active pioneers. There are but few people now living in this State who visited it as early as he did, and saw it in all its primeval wildness when it was the domain of the Indian, with scarcely a trace of civilization, and some time before its great possibilities were realized, or it was dreamed that it would one day become a powerful commonwealth, occupying a proud position as one of the States of the great American Union. The time of Mr. Frans' first visit here to which we refer was 1848. He was in the Government service, it being the last year of the Mexican War, when he, an adventurous, high-spirited youth of eighteen, crossed the Missouri River at Ft. Kearney, now Nebraska City, to enter the employ of the Government as teamster. The fort was then occupied by five companies of United States troops, known as the Oregon Battalion, that had been
recruited in Missouri for service in the Mexican War if needed, and had been sent from Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., to take possession of the unoccupied post at Nebraska City. In the fall of that year old Ft. Kearney was finally abandoned, and the garrison moved to what was afterward known is new Ft. Kearney, in the southern portion of the State, on the Platte River. Our subject was engaged in hauling supplies to the new fort, making three trips during the year, and on the last one he went in a diagonal direction across the Territories from new Ft. Kearney to Ft. Leavenworth, where he was discharged from the service, having been in the Government employ just five months. He then returned to his home in Buchanan County, Mo., and remained there until 1851, when he took up a claim near Plum Hollow in Fremont County, Iowa, and made several improvements on his 80-acre tract of land, continuing to reside on it until 1854. He then crossed the Missouri River at a place known as Thompson Ferry, which he himself had managed in 1833, and found himself once again in
the Territory of Nebraska, this time as a settler he took up a claim where the old town of Rock-Bluff was first laid out, and with his father-in-law and a son of the latter who had come with him, each of whom took up claims, paid the Indiana a tribute of $13 for the privilege of being allowed to stay and not be molested, as those settlers who refused to pay the tribute exacted were run off by the natives to whom the land then belonged. Our subject and his kinsmen remained on their farms until 1862, and during that time had
materially aided in building up the now defunct town of Rock Bluff, which was at that time.

1062
CASS COUNTY.
a thriving little village, and one of the foremost in the county on the Missouri River. In 1862 Mr, Frans sold all his interests in the Territory, and again took up his abode in Buchanan County, Mo. While a resident of Nebraska he had engaged to some extent in freighting, and from the 17th of March, 1861, until Jan. 10, 1862, had made three trips to Denver on his own account. He afterward made two other trips across the plains, one to Denver, Col., and one to Jewelburg, Neb, Mr. Frans did not escape the vicissitudes of life in a pioneer country, and avers that it was desperately hard times for the pioneers in 1858 to 1861, and the only way to make money was to freight provisions across the plains, and at that business he was financially successful.
The early years of the life of our subject were passed in Meade County, Ky., on the banks of the Ohio River, where he was born March 1,1831. His father, Tazwell Frans, was a Virginian by birth, and spent the first few years of his life in the Old Dominion, but while he was still a boy his parents, likewise natives of Virginia, moved from there to Kentucky and settled among the pioneers of that State. They built a home in Meade County, and there John Frans and his wife, the grandparents of our subject, passed away, full of years, leaving the blessed memory of well-spent lives. They were Missionary Baptists in their religious faith, and held tenaciously to the tenets of their church. The father of our subject grew to manhood in his father's home on the beautiful banks of the Ohio, and there he and Ruan Hardin united their lives for better or for worse, and began their wedded life on a farm in that vicinity (sic). Mrs. Frans was a relative of the celebrated Ben Hardin. The most of their family were born there, and in 1844 they migrated to Missouri and
settled in what was commonly called Platte Purchase, being the northwest corner of the State of Missouri. Their remaining years were passed there, the father dying in 1864, in the opening month of the year, and the mother preceding him in death six months before, having died in July, 1863, and they were both aged sixty-three years. They were of the Baptist faith, and were strictly honorable, upright people. Of the sixteen children, eight sons and eight daughters, born of their marriage, thirteen lived to marry and settle in life, and twelve are yet living.
Our subject, who was the fourth child of that large family, was a lad of fourteen years when he accompanied his parents to their new home in Missouri. We have seen that two or three years later he
started out in the world for himself, and have traced his life to his return to Buchanan County, and we will now resume the thread at that point. After his return from the mountains he left Nebraska in 1862 and went to Buchanan County, Mo. he there turned his attention to farming, which occupation he laid aside awhile in 1864, at the call of duty, to enlist with the State troops for the protection of the State. He was in the service for seven months, and was then honorably discharged without having taken part in any battles. He continued to reside in Buchanan and DeKalb Counties until 1884. In the latter county he sold his interests and in the year last mentioned returned to Nebraska, and in Factoryville, this county, entered into the mercantile business with his son R. H., who had established himself there the year before. They continued to conduct
their business in Factoryville until October, 1887, when they moved their stock of goods to this point, regarding the location as more favorable for their trade. They have a new and commodious store, 36x40 feet in dimensions, with a wareroom at the rear, 20x16 feet, a fine basement beneath the whole, and a comfortable tenement above. They carry about $10,000 worth of stock, and have an annual sale of about $20,000 of general merchandise, having to supply all the country trade for miles around. The post-office is also in the store, and R. H. Frans has held the position of Postmaster for several years, while our subject is Deputy Postmaster. Mr. Frans is a staunch Democrat, and takes an active interest in local and National politics. He is a man of honor, who is cordially liked by all with whom he has dealings, and his credit stands high in the commercial world. He is a man of deep religious feelings, and has been for years Deacon of the Baptist Church, of which his wife and all but their three youngest children are also valued members.
Mr. Frans and Miss Rebecca Spiers were united in marriage in Buchanan County, MO. Mrs. Frans is a native of Ohio, born in Coshocton County, Sept. 9,1835, and is a daughter of Benedict and Ruphena (Rife) Spiers. They were natives of Germany, born near the famous Rhine, where they were reared and married. Soon after the latter event they came to America and located in Ohio, where Mr. Spiers carried on farming and milling, being a professional miller. In 1843 the family made their way to Buchanan County, Mo., and there Mr. Spiers was engaged as a miller for some time. In 1854 he and his family came to Nebraska, and settled in Rock Bluff Precinct. In 1875 he left his Cass County home, and with his wife and son moved to
Kansas, and settled in Smith County, where they are yet living, the parents both being past eighty years of age.
Mrs. Frans was quite young when her parents moved to Missouri, and there she completed her education. Of her marriage with our subject eleven children have been born, all of whom are living, and the following is recorded of them: Augustus lives in DeKalb County as a merchant, and he married Clara Jones; R. H., in business with his father, married Jennie Fitch; Charles W,, a farmer in Wyoming Precinct, Otoe County, married Belle Fitch for his second wife, his first wife having died some years ago; Florilda is the wife of Joseph Sands, a farmer near old Rock Bluff Village; Rosanna is the wife of Robert Cogdill, a farmer of Factoryville; Isabel is the wife of Dr. M. L. Thomas, a physician of Union; Betsy is the wife of Wyatt
Hutchinson, a farmer in Rock Bluff Precinct; Lavinia is the wife of William W. Wolfe, a blacksmith at Union; Colmore R. is a clerk in the store, and lives at home; Harry is also at home and a clerk in the drugstore of Dr. Thomas; Emma is at home.