George was the son of Fredric W. Spelbring born in 1832 Prussia and Mary J. Spelbring born 1839 Indiana.
As a very young man he pursued a college education and became a professor of music, also teaching grammer and mathemetics.
He was teaching at Shenandoah Normal when he met his future bride. That college burned in the late 1890s and both he and his students resumed their careers at Lincoln Normal in Nebraska. In 1893, a year of economic panic, the professor married Sarah Cordelia Greenwood, daughter of Charles Gower Greenwood. The latter had brought his family of four daughters and one son to Silver City from Chatsworth, Illinois in 1880. His early business in coal, lumber, and shipment of farm products helped establish the Wabash railroad service from Omaha to St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Spelbring and his bride lived in several small Nebraska towns following their marriage. He taught school, sometimes not being paid because of financial shortages, but created other opportunties such as editor and publisher of the town newspaper. A son, Paul was born in Salem, Nebraksa in 1896 and a daughter Fern, was born in Sterling, Nebraska in 1899.
By 1900 Mr. Greenwood had established lumber and bankiing interests in Silver City. He incorporated the Greenwood Lumber Company with himself as President, his son, Davis, as Vice-President and two sons-in-law were respetively secretary and treasurer. They were G.A. Spelbring and Maurice Kehoe. There were lumber yards in Silver City, Dumfries and Emerson, later in Imogene and Sidney, Iowa.
Mr. Spelbring quickly became involved in the cultural and econmic growth of the town. In addition to management of the lumber yard, he educated himself to serve as heating, lighting, water systems engineer and dealt independently in the sale, installation and performance of these improvements in the fine homes growing in the town and adjoining rural areas. At one time he formed an Ice Company with the backing of Mr. Greenwood and Richard Bada. A large pond was dug and was filled with clear pure water by constant pumping. It the winter when the ice was frozen to depth of 21 to 24 inches, Mr. Spelbring headed an ice-harvest crew which cut and stored the ice blocks in sawdust in an ice house. Daily delivery in town, by horse drawn wagon during the summer and service at the ice house allowed residents of the area the first refrigeration they had.
By 1909 there were three more daughters in the Spelbring family; Margaret b. 1902, Genevieve b. 1904, and Eva b. 1909. Mr. Spebring's pride in his family and his dedication to music and education motivated him to help create cultural activity and an atmosphere of contentment at home in the town, so that the children of all the families would have a good school system, could provide good music for their churches, and would have entertainment that would keep them at home. He was ambitious to have musicians for a band and orchestra, so in addition to serving some 30 years on the school board and perhaps a few less on the town council he gave almost all other evening hours to private instruction on wind and string instruments. His bands or concert orchestras performed at early chatauquas, county fairs, farmers-merchants picnics, old settlers reunions and when radio opened a field of entertainment, his orchestra was among the first to perform at Henry Field's station in Shenandoah and at the Woodmen of the World Radio station in Omaha.
About 1918 he acquired a two-story building on Main Street and remodeled it to make a movie theater on the first floor and party hall on the second. This preceeded a gymnasium in the school building and provided a place for school and community gathering. The theater ran first-run movies and featured the weekly serial and china give aways. One of the first showings was "Birth of a Nation."
A few attemtps were made to bring a winter series of entertainment known as theatrical or lyceum traveling shows but winter travel to Silver City was too difficult.
The Spelbring children all attended college.
Mrs. Spelbring was a gifted mother and homemaker. She contributed to the music making as piano player but was mainly involved in the betterment of the community. Her cooking and baking for her church were notable contributions.
Silver City History, 1879-1979
As a very young man he pursued a college education and became a professor of music, also teaching grammer and mathemetics.
He was teaching at Shenandoah Normal when he met his future bride. That college burned in the late 1890s and both he and his students resumed their careers at Lincoln Normal in Nebraska. In 1893, a year of economic panic, the professor married Sarah Cordelia Greenwood, daughter of Charles Gower Greenwood. The latter had brought his family of four daughters and one son to Silver City from Chatsworth, Illinois in 1880. His early business in coal, lumber, and shipment of farm products helped establish the Wabash railroad service from Omaha to St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Spelbring and his bride lived in several small Nebraska towns following their marriage. He taught school, sometimes not being paid because of financial shortages, but created other opportunties such as editor and publisher of the town newspaper. A son, Paul was born in Salem, Nebraksa in 1896 and a daughter Fern, was born in Sterling, Nebraska in 1899.
By 1900 Mr. Greenwood had established lumber and bankiing interests in Silver City. He incorporated the Greenwood Lumber Company with himself as President, his son, Davis, as Vice-President and two sons-in-law were respetively secretary and treasurer. They were G.A. Spelbring and Maurice Kehoe. There were lumber yards in Silver City, Dumfries and Emerson, later in Imogene and Sidney, Iowa.
Mr. Spelbring quickly became involved in the cultural and econmic growth of the town. In addition to management of the lumber yard, he educated himself to serve as heating, lighting, water systems engineer and dealt independently in the sale, installation and performance of these improvements in the fine homes growing in the town and adjoining rural areas. At one time he formed an Ice Company with the backing of Mr. Greenwood and Richard Bada. A large pond was dug and was filled with clear pure water by constant pumping. It the winter when the ice was frozen to depth of 21 to 24 inches, Mr. Spelbring headed an ice-harvest crew which cut and stored the ice blocks in sawdust in an ice house. Daily delivery in town, by horse drawn wagon during the summer and service at the ice house allowed residents of the area the first refrigeration they had.
By 1909 there were three more daughters in the Spelbring family; Margaret b. 1902, Genevieve b. 1904, and Eva b. 1909. Mr. Spebring's pride in his family and his dedication to music and education motivated him to help create cultural activity and an atmosphere of contentment at home in the town, so that the children of all the families would have a good school system, could provide good music for their churches, and would have entertainment that would keep them at home. He was ambitious to have musicians for a band and orchestra, so in addition to serving some 30 years on the school board and perhaps a few less on the town council he gave almost all other evening hours to private instruction on wind and string instruments. His bands or concert orchestras performed at early chatauquas, county fairs, farmers-merchants picnics, old settlers reunions and when radio opened a field of entertainment, his orchestra was among the first to perform at Henry Field's station in Shenandoah and at the Woodmen of the World Radio station in Omaha.
About 1918 he acquired a two-story building on Main Street and remodeled it to make a movie theater on the first floor and party hall on the second. This preceeded a gymnasium in the school building and provided a place for school and community gathering. The theater ran first-run movies and featured the weekly serial and china give aways. One of the first showings was "Birth of a Nation."
A few attemtps were made to bring a winter series of entertainment known as theatrical or lyceum traveling shows but winter travel to Silver City was too difficult.
The Spelbring children all attended college.
Mrs. Spelbring was a gifted mother and homemaker. She contributed to the music making as piano player but was mainly involved in the betterment of the community. Her cooking and baking for her church were notable contributions.
Silver City History, 1879-1979
George was the son of Fredric W. Spelbring born in 1832 Prussia and Mary J. Spelbring born 1839 Indiana.
As a very young man he pursued a college education and became a professor of music, also teaching grammer and mathemetics.
He was teaching at Shenandoah Normal when he met his future bride. That college burned in the late 1890s and both he and his students resumed their careers at Lincoln Normal in Nebraska. In 1893, a year of economic panic, the professor married Sarah Cordelia Greenwood, daughter of Charles Gower Greenwood. The latter had brought his family of four daughters and one son to Silver City from Chatsworth, Illinois in 1880. His early business in coal, lumber, and shipment of farm products helped establish the Wabash railroad service from Omaha to St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Spelbring and his bride lived in several small Nebraska towns following their marriage. He taught school, sometimes not being paid because of financial shortages, but created other opportunties such as editor and publisher of the town newspaper. A son, Paul was born in Salem, Nebraksa in 1896 and a daughter Fern, was born in Sterling, Nebraska in 1899.
By 1900 Mr. Greenwood had established lumber and bankiing interests in Silver City. He incorporated the Greenwood Lumber Company with himself as President, his son, Davis, as Vice-President and two sons-in-law were respetively secretary and treasurer. They were G.A. Spelbring and Maurice Kehoe. There were lumber yards in Silver City, Dumfries and Emerson, later in Imogene and Sidney, Iowa.
Mr. Spelbring quickly became involved in the cultural and econmic growth of the town. In addition to management of the lumber yard, he educated himself to serve as heating, lighting, water systems engineer and dealt independently in the sale, installation and performance of these improvements in the fine homes growing in the town and adjoining rural areas. At one time he formed an Ice Company with the backing of Mr. Greenwood and Richard Bada. A large pond was dug and was filled with clear pure water by constant pumping. It the winter when the ice was frozen to depth of 21 to 24 inches, Mr. Spelbring headed an ice-harvest crew which cut and stored the ice blocks in sawdust in an ice house. Daily delivery in town, by horse drawn wagon during the summer and service at the ice house allowed residents of the area the first refrigeration they had.
By 1909 there were three more daughters in the Spelbring family; Margaret b. 1902, Genevieve b. 1904, and Eva b. 1909. Mr. Spebring's pride in his family and his dedication to music and education motivated him to help create cultural activity and an atmosphere of contentment at home in the town, so that the children of all the families would have a good school system, could provide good music for their churches, and would have entertainment that would keep them at home. He was ambitious to have musicians for a band and orchestra, so in addition to serving some 30 years on the school board and perhaps a few less on the town council he gave almost all other evening hours to private instruction on wind and string instruments. His bands or concert orchestras performed at early chatauquas, county fairs, farmers-merchants picnics, old settlers reunions and when radio opened a field of entertainment, his orchestra was among the first to perform at Henry Field's station in Shenandoah and at the Woodmen of the World Radio station in Omaha.
About 1918 he acquired a two-story building on Main Street and remodeled it to make a movie theater on the first floor and party hall on the second. This preceeded a gymnasium in the school building and provided a place for school and community gathering. The theater ran first-run movies and featured the weekly serial and china give aways. One of the first showings was "Birth of a Nation."
A few attemtps were made to bring a winter series of entertainment known as theatrical or lyceum traveling shows but winter travel to Silver City was too difficult.
The Spelbring children all attended college.
Mrs. Spelbring was a gifted mother and homemaker. She contributed to the music making as piano player but was mainly involved in the betterment of the community. Her cooking and baking for her church were notable contributions.
Silver City History, 1879-1979
As a very young man he pursued a college education and became a professor of music, also teaching grammer and mathemetics.
He was teaching at Shenandoah Normal when he met his future bride. That college burned in the late 1890s and both he and his students resumed their careers at Lincoln Normal in Nebraska. In 1893, a year of economic panic, the professor married Sarah Cordelia Greenwood, daughter of Charles Gower Greenwood. The latter had brought his family of four daughters and one son to Silver City from Chatsworth, Illinois in 1880. His early business in coal, lumber, and shipment of farm products helped establish the Wabash railroad service from Omaha to St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Spelbring and his bride lived in several small Nebraska towns following their marriage. He taught school, sometimes not being paid because of financial shortages, but created other opportunties such as editor and publisher of the town newspaper. A son, Paul was born in Salem, Nebraksa in 1896 and a daughter Fern, was born in Sterling, Nebraska in 1899.
By 1900 Mr. Greenwood had established lumber and bankiing interests in Silver City. He incorporated the Greenwood Lumber Company with himself as President, his son, Davis, as Vice-President and two sons-in-law were respetively secretary and treasurer. They were G.A. Spelbring and Maurice Kehoe. There were lumber yards in Silver City, Dumfries and Emerson, later in Imogene and Sidney, Iowa.
Mr. Spelbring quickly became involved in the cultural and econmic growth of the town. In addition to management of the lumber yard, he educated himself to serve as heating, lighting, water systems engineer and dealt independently in the sale, installation and performance of these improvements in the fine homes growing in the town and adjoining rural areas. At one time he formed an Ice Company with the backing of Mr. Greenwood and Richard Bada. A large pond was dug and was filled with clear pure water by constant pumping. It the winter when the ice was frozen to depth of 21 to 24 inches, Mr. Spelbring headed an ice-harvest crew which cut and stored the ice blocks in sawdust in an ice house. Daily delivery in town, by horse drawn wagon during the summer and service at the ice house allowed residents of the area the first refrigeration they had.
By 1909 there were three more daughters in the Spelbring family; Margaret b. 1902, Genevieve b. 1904, and Eva b. 1909. Mr. Spebring's pride in his family and his dedication to music and education motivated him to help create cultural activity and an atmosphere of contentment at home in the town, so that the children of all the families would have a good school system, could provide good music for their churches, and would have entertainment that would keep them at home. He was ambitious to have musicians for a band and orchestra, so in addition to serving some 30 years on the school board and perhaps a few less on the town council he gave almost all other evening hours to private instruction on wind and string instruments. His bands or concert orchestras performed at early chatauquas, county fairs, farmers-merchants picnics, old settlers reunions and when radio opened a field of entertainment, his orchestra was among the first to perform at Henry Field's station in Shenandoah and at the Woodmen of the World Radio station in Omaha.
About 1918 he acquired a two-story building on Main Street and remodeled it to make a movie theater on the first floor and party hall on the second. This preceeded a gymnasium in the school building and provided a place for school and community gathering. The theater ran first-run movies and featured the weekly serial and china give aways. One of the first showings was "Birth of a Nation."
A few attemtps were made to bring a winter series of entertainment known as theatrical or lyceum traveling shows but winter travel to Silver City was too difficult.
The Spelbring children all attended college.
Mrs. Spelbring was a gifted mother and homemaker. She contributed to the music making as piano player but was mainly involved in the betterment of the community. Her cooking and baking for her church were notable contributions.
Silver City History, 1879-1979
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