Turner, Snodgrass, Walker, Vrana families

The obituary for Doris Jean Bogert in today's Seward Independent prompted some research because of past relationships between her family and mine. Doris was born to Glen and Dorothy (Alley) Snograss in Seward in 1934. Dorothy's family, the Pearl Alley's, were our “next door” neighbors in Seward till we moved to the farm in 1932. Dorothy's younger brothers Dale and Clifford were some of my first friends as shown in this picture of my 5^th birthday party. Don and Orville Jones were also neighbor boy buddies. I don't believe Dorothy is pictured but her younger sister Evelyn is shown behind my sister Vivan who is standing behind the kneeling Jones and Alley boys. Dorothy wrote a "story" of the Alley family in a Seward County Historical Society book published in 1982. In it she tells of her folks, the Pearl Alley's living on 13th Street, north of the Hughes Brothers plant. Their house is shown in the trees beyond the plant and an Oil distribution plant.

Our house is at the upper part of the picture  and to the left of the Alley's. The insert is a close up of it. Dorothy also tells of meeting her husband Glen Snodgress who had come to Seward County to husk corn for Tom and Fred Turner, my Great Uncles. Glen then went to help my Uncle Clarence Walker husk corn which is where Dorothy was staying while teaching the Middle Creek country school. Glen was known as an excellent corn husker and my folks had him come up to help them for a short time. She and Glen were married and farmed my Uncle Bert Walker's place for one year during the drought and depression before coming to Seward where he worked for "Red" Rolfsmeier and she at the "Egg" plant.  Glen and Dorothy were blessed with Phyllis, Carole, Marilyn, Doris, and son Ron.   My Uncle Clarence Walker and Glen Snodgrass were good friends and often worked together throughout their lifetimes for the State Highway Department,  Wake, Cattle Co. etc. It is most interesting in a small, stable community how families relate over the years even without any formal connections.