and Ruth VanDyke
and Ruth VanDyke |
Russell Dean Adams, Jr., son of Russell Dean and Arminta (Oliver) Adams was born on a farm in Obrian Co., Iowa, near Primghar, Iowa, on September 22, 1889. When Russell was three years old the family moved to Nebraska, living first at Rising City for two years then moving to Bellwood where they lived until 1906 when Russell's father bought a farm home in Sherman County near Huxley, Nebraska. Russell was 16 years old when they moved to Sherman Co. and he took over the responsibility of helping plant and care for the farm crops.
Russell was educated in rural country schools. However, Custer College in Broken Bow had short winter terms and encouraged rural students to further their education by attending college in the winter when they weren't needed on the farm.Russell took advantage of those short winter terms, graduating from the elementary business course in June 1910. The following winter he enrolled in a business college in Fremont, Nebraska, where he studied advanced bookkeeping and typewriting.
Russell's sister, Mae Adams, was teaching her fifth term of school at Lone Elm, their home district. Russell was staying at home and he and Mae decided to put on a play for entertainment at the schoolhouse. Besides the school children, several young folks in the neighborhood were asked to take part. One of these was Ruth VanDyke. About that time Russell had purchased a team of bronco ponies and a new top buggy, a beautiful buggy with red wheels and hard rubber tires. The back and side curtains had oval windows. It was by far the nicest buggy in the neighborhood. People began to notice, when Russell began picking Ruth up to take her to play practice, and then to parties.
Ruth Gladys VanDyke, daughter of Loyal Boyd and Mary Minerva (Hogg) VanDyke, was born on December 8th, 1894, in a little frame house on the Stockwell ranch, southeast of Shelton, Nebraska. The following year, the family moved to Colorado, living in Fruita for 2 years, where Ruth's father worked for a nursury that supplied the developing fruit orchards in the area. Then Ruth's father rented several farms in the area of Mesa, Colorado, and they lived in cabins on the farms for several years.
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In 1900, Loyal was quite sick, and decided to moved the family back to Nebraska, living in a frame house on the Judd place, a farm Ruth's grandfather John Hogg had rented for them, about a mile south of his farm. By 1910, the family had outgrown this farm, and Loyal rented a large ranch 12 miles west of Loup City. In June of 1911, Ruth first met Russell Adams.
Russell and Ruth were married in Broken Bow, Nebraska on April 23, 1913. They moved into a sod house on a 640-acre farm that Russell had purchased in the sandhills near Halsey, Nebraska. When Russell determined farming in the sandhills was not practical, he and Ruth moved back to Broken Bow, where Russell worked for Ruth's father for 2 years. Over the next 30 years, Russell and Ruth farmed in Nebraska, renting several farms during this period. Finally, in 1943, the family rented the Roger's Ranch, a large ranch on Muddy Creek, near Broken Bow, Nebraska. In 1950, they purchased the ranch, and it was the family home for the balance of their lives.
Russell and Ruth had eight children:
| Wayne Kermit Adams | Born December 27, 1914. |
| Margaret Ann Adams | Born Novenber 15, 1916. |
| May Janice Adams | Born January 22, 1919. |
| Russell Dean Adams | Born December 28, 1921 |
| Robert William Adams | Born July 3rd, 1927. |
| Mildred Ruth Adams | Born April 21, 1930. |
| Francis Loyal Adams | Born October 25, 1931. |
| Gladys Kathleen Adams | Born February 16, 1934. |
Ruth documented her life in rich detail in her memoirs, included in a book on family history she published entitled "Lest We Forget". Russell died on October 30, 1979. In 1985, Ruth moved into the Sandhills Manor Nursing Home, near Broken Bow, where she lived until her death on May 4th, 1994, just seven months short of her 100th birthday.
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 Front: Francis, Mildred, Bob, Kathy |
 Front: Francis, Bob, Kathleen, Mildred |
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