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#6, Herman Garrelt Casper is the son of Garrelt Jacob Casper and Teda Dirks Conrad.

Born 18 Jul 1871 in Benson, IL. Died 30 Apr 1940 at Belvidere, Thayer Co., NE.

Herman was baptized at Benson in Woodford Co. His parents moved to Iroquois Co. while he was still a boy and it was there he received his education, was confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and grew to manhood.

In 1893, shortly after his January marriage that year to Johanna Folkerts, they moved to Silver Creek, NE where in November his first son, Harm, was born, only to die 6 weeks later on a trip to IL to have him baptized and visit parents and relatives. Shortly afterward, they moved back to a farm near Milford, IL. The farm, with its rolling hills pasture just behind the home, was a source of pleasure to the children who recall happy memories of play and rounding up the cattle at milking time. Herman, his wife, and their children attended St. John's Lutheran church (the Schwer Church) northwest of Milford, and it was there their children were baptized. They often visited Herman's parents who lived only about a quarter mile from the church.

Illinois had a lot of rain which caused the soil to become boggy when wet, making farming difficult and causing equipment to mire down. Tired of fighting mud, Herman and Johanna decided in 1911 to return to Nebraska. They settled in Bruning, living in town for nearly a year in a home which is, in 1990, 3rd from the west edge of town on the south side of the street. It was apparently between 1911 and 1922 that the family name evolved from "Caspers" to "Casper."

After doing carpentering and odd jobs during that year in town, in the Spring of 1912 the family moved to a fairly new home on a farm 2 miles south and a quarter mile east of town; the old home, still there, was used as a summer kitchen. It was in their home where Theda and Grace had their wedding receptions, huge affairs with about 300 people; for Grace's, in the Winter, they added a room to the home just for the occasion.

The home was equipped with the then latest carbide lighting system, fueled by a 6' diameter tank in the basement into which carbide crystals dropped, forming a gas which was piped to chandeliers in the parlor and dining room. Herman would turn on the petcock, allowing the gas to flow, and then light each light. Each light had its own flint to light it, but they usually did not work. Use of those lights was discontinued in later years when Harm and his family lived there ecause of the odorous gas fumes emitted. The home also had what looked like a large chest against the wall, but which, when pulled down, turned out to be a bed.

In the early 1920's Theda and Grace and their husbands owned a large hotel with wide verandas in Hyanis, NE about 39 miles from Mullen where John and Theda lived. Guests would sit on the verandas, visiting and listening to singing birds and multi-colored parrots in cages. On one of his visits, Herman, who always wore a hat, was standing close to a caged parrot trying to get the parrot to talk when the bird leaned through the bars and took a large bite from Herman's hat brim. Everyone had a good laugh, except Herman who was much embarrassed.

In 1923, after Harm's marriage when he assumed responsibility for managing the family farm, Herman and Hannah moved from the family's farm to another home east of the Lutheran cemetery and parochial shoolhouse, the home which the parochial school teacher subsequently lived in. By then all of their children were married, except Emma and Dena, who at this time went to Lincoln to live. Herman and Hannah kept a couple milk cows and chickens and sold milk and eggs. He also worked at the Bruning Grain Elevator. In August, 1925, they drove their Ford sedan to Mullen to visit their children. When they returned, they brought home their 11-year old granddaughter, Jeanette to start school in Bruning since her parents would be moving back to Bruning as soon as they could finish disposing of their cattle and other belongings. Herman walked with her to and from school her first few days in Bruning.

Christmas in 1925 was joyous, the first one in ten years that all their children were home; Garrelt and Theda had moved back from the Sandhills area. After the Lutheran Church's Children's Christmas Eve program, they all gathered together; the parlor door was shut tight and no one dared open it until Santa was heard outside crying "Merry Christmas to all!" On opening the door, there stood a beautifully decorated tree, almost touching the ceiling, with a multitude of shining tiny colored tallow candles in metal clips. Beneath the tree were packages, together with bags of fruit and candy. Behind the tree stood seven sturdy grey benches, each 30 inches long and 10 inches wide, which Herman had made; one for each family or child, and one for Hannah. The benches were enjoyed for many years; they were used as an extra seat at the table for children, or a flower stand, or an extra bench for wash day, or for men to use washing up outside during harvest season before entering the home for dinner.

In the Spring of 1926, they moved to a farm a mile north and a quarter mile west of Belvidere. Although they lived there only a couple years, it was the scene of their daughter Emma's wedding reception.

Herman sold State Farm Insurance to supplement his income; he enjoyed meeting and talking to people. Eventually he was promoted to District Manager, so they moved to Geneva to be closer to the center of his district. They lived in a large 2-story home east of the park (containing the swimming pool) on the southeast corner of town. Adjacent to the home was a small pasture in which they kept some Jersey cows; the milk they sold to S. D. Wixon, owner of "Jersey Dale Dairy." Their daughter Dena's wedding reception was held at their Geneva home.

Herman never managed to save a lot of money, but enjoyed life. His children describe him as authoritative and firm in the discipline of his family, but at the same time he was a friendly, jolly good fellow liked by everyone. He was a "cocky" sort of person who enjoyed the pampering of his wife, Johanna. While not a drinker, he was not above having a shot of whiskey before dinner from a bottle kept in a convenient location.

In the early 1930's they travelled to Illinois to visit relatives and take in the Chicago World's Fair. In 1932, to be closer to their family, they bought a large home in Belvidere a block east of the main street southeast of the grain elevator. John and Theda owned some pasture land along the creek on the south edge of town where they kept their milk cows. They would take the cows home in the evening for milking, milk them again in the morning, and return them to the pasture each day. The milk they sold, along with eggs from their chickens, for grocery money. A garden provided vegetables, and their children kept them supplied with meat.

Shortly after Hannah died in April of 1936, Herman went to Oregon to visit his son Garrelt and his family.

In 1939 Herman developed cancer of the urinary tract which caused him great suffering. He passed away on April 30, 1940 at the age of 68. Memorial services were held at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Bruning and interment was in the Bruning cemetery.

He married Johanna Folkerts on 19 Apr 1893..

After she died, he married, second, Florence Harp on 21 Feb 1937. She was born 23 Jan 1879 and died 1 Jan 1946.