"Gus" was 77 years old when he died. He spoke with a heavy German accent. Rock County was the first permanent home of Gus and Bessie. The bought what was known as the Lowery ranch from Bert Kreitman. Previous to that time they lived or camped where ever they might buy winter feed or rent summer pasture. At times, they lived in a bunkhouse or pitched a tent on a haysled, calling it home, moving with the cattle. They lived at times in Cherry, Holt & Rock Counties.

They built a new house and barn on the Lowery ranch and planted some roses. Gus stated that he would see the roses
bloom one time and he did, dying on January 29, 1942.

This is a private ranch with no access.

Wonderful stories about Bessie from the owner of Keller Ranch.

I have not been up to see the graves of Bessie yet. But here are a couple of stories about her.
They moved in to the country with a team of horses hitched to a flatbed hay wagon with all there possessions piled on
it. They bought land in Lay precinct south of Bassett where they started a small ranch that grew to the size of about
1000 acres.
As a child I remember Bessie, but not her husband. I don't think that they had children. At least not any that I knew of.

I remember when I was about 7 years old and we had a herd of mustang horses. My grandfather decided to sell them
and it was closer to Bessie place to load them, than it was to our place. My grandfather ask and got permission to use
her corrals and loading shut. We got the horses in the corral, and the truck backed up to the loading shut. When the
trucker got out of his truck he picked up a hot shot (a battery operated shocking device to make cattle move). As he
turned around, Bessie met him face to face and announced in an authoritative voice "We do use that around here." The
trucker looked at my grandfather Claude. Claude said, "It's her place," and the trucker promptly put it back in to the
truck.

Another story (before my time) that I have heard from several sources, so I believe it is true.
Bessy was driving cattle down a section line when a man in a model T ford met them. (I have been told who the man
was but don't remember his name, but he was a prominent citizen of Rock County and thought he was a big shot.)
Instead of just parking on the side of the road and letting Bessy drive the cattle by him, he proceeded right through
the middle of them, honking his horn and scaring the cattle. Bessy road up on her horse and told him to quit it (and
probably what she thought of his actions). The man got out of the car to confront Bessy. She pulled out the revolver
that she was wearing and shot off the heel of his boot. The man had Bessy arrested and hauled in to court. The
Judge asked Bessy if she shot with the intent to do bodily harm to the man. Bessy replied "Judge, you know that I am
a better shot than that." The Judge dismissed the charges. (I remember seeing Bessy wear that revolver when I was
up helping load the horses)
She died in the barn taking care of her animals. I believe that it was a nephew that found her.