Yuma County, Colorado
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Yuma County Pioneers -

Frederick Kailey


Samuel Kailey, per # 177301557 died in Angola Indiana in 1881.
"Samuel was born in Penn. In 1832 he married Nancy Kirley in Lebanon, PA.
They had 9 children together. By 1850 the family had moved to Bryan, Ohio. There were 5 boys & 4 girls in the family.
Samuel's occupation was a brickmaker/farmer. He passed these occupations down to his sons.
It should be noted that of the 5 sons, 4 of the them served our country in the Civil War. Sadly, Henry contracted disease in the war and died from it.
After the war, the other 4 sons moved to Furnas County, town of Arapahoe, Nebraska & worked as brickmasons to build houses. Several of the buildings remain.
Samuel died at the home of his daughter, Mary Ann, in Angola, Indiana at the age of 73."

In 1870 Williams County, Ohio, Joseph Kailey is 36, "Rhebe" 34, William 12, Alice 9, Ada 5, and "Lydia" 1.

Alice M. Kailey, born in Ohio, married John F. McDonald in Eaton, Michigan June 10, 1877.
They're in Gosper County, Nebraska in 1900.
Their son Frank McDonald was in Yuma County, Colorado, Mildred precinct, born August 11, 1878, married to Deilia Mcdonald.

In 1850 Stark County, Ohio, Samuel "Kaly" is 42, Nancy 40, Joseph 17, Henry 15, Harrison 12, Frederick 8, Mary Ann 7, William 4, Christianna 3, Catharine 2, and Susan 1.

Frederick Kailey enlisted in C, Ohio 14th Infantry on April 27, 1861, mustered out August 15, 1861???, enlisted K, Ohio 3rd Cavalry on October 4, 1862, mustered out March 16, 1863.
Frederick Kailey married Frances "Hornet" in William County Ohio on April 3, 1865.

"Otto Kailey was the son of Frederick & Mary Francis "Aunt Frank" (Harned) Kailey. Otto & his mother "Aunt Frank" died the day of the Easter blizzard of 1873."
Otto 1869-1873 is buried in Hamilton County, Nebraska # 19848864, with Mary 1859-1873 # 19848807.


Mary Kailey and her small son, Otto, who died in the Easter Blizzard of 1873.

"Mary was a sister of Buckskin Charlie"

By Janene (Written when she was a fourth grade student at Heartland Community School, Henderson, Nebraska.)

It was April 13, 1873 on an Easter Sunday in the prairie of Nebraska. At the first sign of sunrise, it began to rain lightly. Fred Kailey and Charles White, known as Buckskin Charlie, had been working diligently trying to finish Fred Kailey's log cabin.

When Fred and his wife, Mary, and baby son, Otto, moved to Nebraska in 1870 to homestead 160 acres of land that the government had given Fred, he built a log cabin. Then when Fred went on a hunting journey with his brother-in-law, Buckskin Charlie, his cabin was struck by lightning and burned to ashes on the ground. That's why Fred Kailey and Buckskin Charlie are building a new cabin on Easter Sunday, 1873.

Fred Kailey and Buckskin Charlie were cold from working on the cabin because of the wind outside. The wind was blowing the snow between the cracks on the logs because the logs hadn't been chinked. Immediately, Fred Kailey's wife, Mary, started a fire with corncobs and lit it with a flint rock. As soon as the fire was giving off some warmth, Fred Kailey, Mary and baby Otto and Buckskin Charlie huddled together in blankets to keep warm.

Since the weather was getting worse, Buckskin Charlie decided to go back home to his worried wife. So Buckskin Charlie got on his horse and rode to his house which was about one mile from Fred Kailey's farm.

That Sunday evening, Mary, Otto, and Fred Kailey dressed in their warmest clothes and huddled, together in all of the blankets that they owned. Then the Kailey family snuggled near the fire trying to keep as warm as possible.

All through the next three days, Fred and his young wife, Mary, held Otto closely trying to keep as warm as they could. Yet, the tiny snowflakes flew through the cracks of the unchinked logs and melted as soon as the snowflakes were inside. Therefore the Kaileys were soaking wet.

By Thursday, the Kailey family was in a very serious situation. Snow was piling up on top of the Kailey's roof, and melting from the warmth of their bodies making Fred, Mary, and Otto even wetter.

Fred Kailey knew that his only hope for survival was to leave the snow covered cabin and go for help to their nearby neighbor. If they didn't, they would surely freeze to death.

Very soon, the Kaileys decided to go to their neighbor, Roger Shepherd. So they bundled up in their driest clothes. Then with all of his strength, Fred push the cabin door open and the three frightened Kaileys walked out into the fierce wind with violent snow whirling around them.

As the Kailey family struggled through the deep snow, the powerful wind whirled the snowflakes against their faces making it very hard for the family to see clearly. However the desperate Kaileys struggled on trying to find their nearest neighbor's house, Roger Shepherd. Mr. Shepherd's sod house was their only hope for survival.

Suddenly little Otto dropped down to his knees, so Fred knelt down and scooped up his exhausted child into his arms. As the Kaileys continued walking toward Roger Shepherd's house, Mary collapsed from exhaustion. Soon Fred was struggling in the deep snow carrying both his wife and child.

Within moments, Fred realized it was impossible for him to continue walking in the direction of their nearest neighbor's house. The next thing Fred knew, he was lying in the icy, cold, snow beside his wife and child. Since Roger Shepherd's house was nowhere to be seen, the Kailey's had no hope for survival because they were very sure they were lost.

Soon Fred knew that he would have to go for help, otherwise the Kailey's would perish. Next Fred explained to his loving wife and Otto to have courage until he returned with help. So after wrapping his arms around Mary and Otto, Fred turned around and started walking towards Buckskin Charlie's homestead.

Even though Fred was completely exhausted, he made every effort to continue pushing on. When Fred was only a quarter of a mile from Buckskin Charlie's homestead, he fell down onto the icy ground. Yet, Fred crawled on his hands and knees the rest of the way to Buckskin Charlie's log cabin.

After Fred crawled onto Buckskin's front porch, he desperately pounded on the door and yelled in a hoarse voice, "Charlie, help me!" Immediately Charlie opened the door and helped his brother-in-law into the cozy, warm house that was very comfortable.

When Fred got inside Buckskin Charlie's cozy house, he explained everything to Buckskin Charlie and his new wife about Mary and Otto lying in the snow out in the cold blizzard. As Charlie's new wife went to get some warm, dry clothes and blankets for Fred, Charlie went to the barn to hitch up his horses and their sleigh.

Soon Fred and Charlie jumped onto the sleigh, and Mrs. White handed them some warm bricks and blankets to keep their feet and body warm. Then they rushed across the snow covered field in search of Mary and Otto. While Charlie drove the horses and the sleigh in the direction of Roger Shepherd's sod home, Fred was very hopeful that Mary and Otto would still be alive.

Since the snow was blowing fiercely, Charlie and Fred had difficulty seeing where they were going. The time seemed to move very slowly for Fred as he kept looking at his pocket watch. The time was very precious to Fred because his wife, Mary, and his little son, Otto, were suffering out in the blizzard.

Way off in the distance, Fred noticed a familiar hump in the snow. As the blowing snow whirled around them, Fred shouted loudly in a hoarse voice, "Charlie, go that way. That might be them down the hill." At that moment Fred recognized a small piece of Mary's plaid dress sticking out of the big hump. Charlie quickly turned the sleigh around and finally Fred saw Mary and Otto lying motionless in the snow.

Immediately, Fred jumped off the sleigh into the deep snow and hurried over to Mary and Otto, lying in the cold snow. Then Fred dropped down on his knees and brushed the snowflakes off Mary's pale and cold face. Next Fred grabbed Mary's shoulders and shook her with all of his might as he yelled, "Mary, wake up! It's Fred!" She didn't respond or move at all.

As soon as Fred realized that Mary was dead, he gently lifted Otto into his big, warm arms as his eyes began to water. Fred's heart was aching very hard because he loved his family very much. He knew they were gone forever. By now, many big, warm tears poured down his rosy red, chapped cheeks and dropped down onto his frozen son, Otto.

Finally, Fred realized that there was no way to wake Mary or Otto because they had perished in the 1873 Easter blizzard that had lasted for three depressing days. Even though Fred had many troubles, he struggled to get Mary and Otto so he could save his beloved family. Then, when he did find them, he was too late. They were already frozen.

Fred never did remarry because of his love for his wife, Mary, and his four year old son, Otto. Maybe he didn't want to forget or put the previous years behind him that he had spent with Mary and Otto, moving to Nebraska and making new friends.

This story is based on the true story of Fred Kailey and the Easter Blizzard of 1873 and how his wife, Mary, and his four year old son, Otto, died in York County during the blizzard. Mary and Otto Kailey are buried in the Farmer's Valley Cemetery in Hamilton County, Nebraska.  

In 1860 Williams County Ohio, Wm. Harned is 41, Elizabeth 40, Julia 18, Isaac 15, John 13 (CHARLIE), SAamuel 12, Francis 10, and Clemtina 7.

"Buckskin" Charlie White's first wife - Ella Littlefield, married July 23, 1871 in Hamilton County, Nebraska, having one son and two daughters - had died, and on December 7, 1900 he was married again to Louise A. Vosburg and moved to Colorado in 1908. He settled east of Colorado Springs, Whit Station. and died in 1923.
Ella is buried in Hamilton County 1854-1894 # 19848965.
Their daughter Myrtle (Hunnell)(Osborn) is buried in Kalispell Montana 1878-1956 # 82076117
Another daughter Lettie A. Owen 1876-1950 is buried in Mitchell, Nebraska 18288772.

Charles White is a blacksmith in 1920 El Paso County, 72, with Louisa 49.

He's buried in Colorado Springs 1846-1923 # 27468193 "Born John Harned, son of William and Elizabeth (Rihards) Harned.


In 1880 York County, Nebraska, Frederick is 40, farming, living alone.

Frederick Kailey claimed a quarter in section 30, 9N 4W in 1881, now York County.

Fred Kailey is in York County, Nebraska in 1885, farming, 45. His sister Susan Kailey is 25.

Christiana Kailey married a Clark and is widowed in 1910 Hamilton County, Nebraska, - her brother Fred Kailey 70 widowed is living with her.
In 1910 Hamilton County, Nebraska, Fred Kailey 70 is living with sister Christina Clark 64 born in Ohio and her son James W. Clark 26 born in ILlinois.

Fred 1842-1916 is buried in the Mildred cemetery, Yuma County # 52182893.
September 6, 1917

His niece Lillie (Kailey) Watkins was in Laird, Colorado for a short time, but that was about thirty miles away and ten years away from Fred's death.

J.S. Carpenter is in Taylor County, Iowa in 1870, farming, single, 23 born in Ohio.

That's John S. Carpenter 1846-1926 buried in Arapahoe Nebraska cemetery with Ruth A. (Smith) Carpetn34 1855-196 # 14115984.

In 1880 Gosper County, Nebraska, Joseph A. Kailey is a brickmaker 46, Phoebe 44, both born in Ohio. William H. 22 is a brickmaker, Ida I. 15, both born in Ohio, Viola V. 11, Harriet 8, and Orva J. 6 born in Michigan.

Joseph A. Kailey cash-claimed eighty acres in 11, 5N 24W, Nebraska, on May 3, 1886 at the Loll/Bloomington land office.

Albert F. Kailey married Hattie E. Alstot in Furnas County, Nebraska on January 6, 1904.)
1910 "ALBERT F. KAILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arapahoe, in the county of Furnas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoof-Knives;"

Hattie E. Kailey married Benjamin Sherwood in Furnas County May 8, 1899.
Cora Watkins married Elmo Zike in Furnas County December 25, 1895.
Irwin Watkins married Effie Hogenkamp in Furnas County June 11, 1898.
Joseph, born January 1833 in Pennsylvania, and Phoebe, December 1836 in Pennsylvania, are living with son William in 1900 Furnas County, and Joseph is widowed in 1910, living with William. He's 76.

Joseph Kailey is buried in the Arapahoe Cemetery # 178022321. So is Phoebe # 178022494.

"Clara Kailey (Cawthra) was Gilbert Kailey's sister. There were 6 siblings: William, Levi, Henry, Joseph, Clara and Gilbert. They were all born in Arapahoe Nebraska, to William and Eunice Kailey."

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