FISHING
Water color by lifetime Historical Society member Carmen (Chris) Cerra, 2015
Charles Blecha, shared by Historical Society member Luella Hinrichsen. Charles' children included Stanley Blecha of Table Rock. Photo 1800.
Fred Muscheites and friends --
and fish! A family photo shared by Historical Society member Terry Korell, Fred's granddaughter. Photo 1563.
June 16, 1898
A family photo shared by Historical Society member Gary Frank, no date and don't know who it is, but those are nice fish! Photo 3742.
April 28, 1923 -- carload of fish shipped in for the new Nemaha River channel
Fishing at the Nemaha River, photo by charter Historical Society member Mary Snabl Sturgeon (1914-2003). It was taken in 1930 and shows her class members on their sophomore picnic, The sophomores graduated in 1932. Mary donated a photo album with pictures of her class from elementary school through years of many alumni reunions. Photo 801
August 2, 1900 - Mr. Parker's "piscatorial art" results in a great catch -- he says....
This photo of Wilber Buchholz was shared by his granddaughter Valerie Binder.
The caption on the back reads, "Wilber with one nights catch. 6 beautiful fish. Summer 1951. Our pickup 1949 Ford truck." Photo 4065.
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Lance Binder & his grandpa Gary Buchholz in April 2020 -- after a fishing trip. Gary is Wilber Buchholz's son. Photo 8597, shared by grandma Jan Buchholz.
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"Wilber cutting willow bank lines, April 1949." Photo 4066, another photo shared of her grandpa by Valerie Binder.
Missy Freeman tells what a bank line is: "Bank lines are placed along the banks of the river. You attach a line and usually live bait to, to catch fish. Dead fallen trees along the bank are the best. You leave it on the bank and check on it once or twice a day." Jackie Uhri says, too: "Bank lines are the best. Been there, done that!" Missy and Jackie say that the lines could be made by leaving the tree where it was and bending it to the water or by cutting the tree off. |
August 16, 1898 -- At the City Meat Market, F. M. Linn proprietor -- fresh fish & mutton every week!
This is a family photo from Ines Roberts (1903-1989). She lived several places in Table Rock, the last years of her life in a small house across from the northwest corner of the cemetery, on the lot in which Historical Society member Amy Hunzeker's house now stands. This is Emanuel "Manny" Jeffers (1864-1938), cousin of Ines's husband Sam Roberts' (1893-1962) with Sam's good friend "Peke" Furnas, both of Brownville, are showing a catfish caught in the Missouri River. Ines, her husband, and a partner, operated a ferry across the river until after a bridge was built. Photo shared by Historical Society member Sharla Cerra.
true fish stories
Historical Society member Sharla Cerra shares some family stories:
The mother of my mother Becky Sitzman (1934-2007) was Ines Roberts (1903-1989). She and her husband Sam lived on the banks of the Nemaha River at Brownville for many years. When Grandma had first got married just weeks after meeting Grandpa, she discovered her new husband loved to hunt and fish. She had come down from Rosalie, Nebraska and in Brownville she found herself going out on many a fishing and hunting trip. Anyway, at Brownville, they operated a ferry across the Missouri River, with partner Fritz Leseberg, but Grandpa also had a fish shack by the river where he sold fish he had caught.
Grandma told me that Grandpa once caught a huge catfish. There were many large catfish to be caught in those days before the Missouri River was straightened and when the river meandered. But this one outdid them all. It was so big that if you stretched it across the backseat of the Model T it would stick out on both sides.
Grandpa took the fish to the Nemaha County fair and exhibited it in a cattle tank. You could see it for 25 cents and that was a lot of money in those days. However, it was quite a fish to see and there were a lot of takers. Eventually, of course, the fish was ready to kick the bucket; the cattle tank was not big enough. Grandpa then sold the fish to a restaurant where it was cut up into catfish steaks, fried, and sold. There were probably quite a few people eating off that fish!
July 26, 1900
This is Crystal Gaskill Knapp (1905-1998). She and her husband Jeff operated Knapp's IGA for many years. It was on the southside of the Square in the Purcell buildings, which is long gone. Crystal loved to fish, and did so to the end of her days. She didn't care what size the fish were, she just enjoyed the doing of it. It was her way of relaxing, not a sport. She fished at Taylor Branch, the Nemaha, the Humboldt lake, Joe's lake, and anywhere there was a body of water. It was not an uncommon sight to see her walking up Luzerne from the river or the branch with her day's catch. This is a family photo of Historical Society member Sharla Cerra. Crystal's mother and Sharla's great great aunt Della Gaskill were sisters.
Bob Sitzman (1930-2013) out fishing. When the kids were younger, camping out overnight on the Nemaha River for a fishing trip was an occasional thing, although not practical as the family grew. He didn't do much fishing as he got older, but he enjoyed it. This is a family photo of Historical Society member Sharla Cerra.
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You can't make him out, but that's Steve Burger with a fish he caught on a school picnic, probably at Burchard Lake. This is a family photo of Sharla Cerra; the Burger and Sitzman famiiies were good friends.
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Photo 4079. Sister Ermaline of the convent at St. Anthony's in Steinauer, and also serving Table Rock. This was taken at Burchard Lake at the same picnic as the one of Steve Burger above. Photo 4079.
Here's my dad, Bob Pope. He was really proud of this catch. He spent many hours fishing on the banks with people like Joe Tomek, Harlan Findlay, Wilbur Buchholz, Jess Fencl, and Phil Rabstejnek. Kim Pope Sharpe
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Bob Pope, Photo 5200
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And another from Kim Pope Sharpe:
Photo 8001, Lloyd Wright & Bob Pope
Roy Stevens and his granddaughter Kelly Freeman; Roy died a few months after this picture was taken in 1994. Photo 4072, shared by Missy Freeman, his daughter.
Photo 7071, Sharylin Vrtiska Knock with some fish, shared by Sharylin.
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Becky Blecha, about age 5, and her dad Howard, circa 2002, with a catfish from their pond, shared by Becky's mom Debbie.
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history in the making
Rudy Vrtiska, son of Historical Society member Kim Vrtiska and descendant of one of the very first settlers here, Peter Foale, who came in 1856, and Jan Vrtiska who came to America in 1866 and began farming in Table Rock in 1875. Photo 4063.
Josh Bursovsky. Photo 5075, shared by his mother, Vicky Bursovsky
Shafer Cumro, Photo 4074
Wilbur Frederick, circa 2020 - Photo 10748
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Ryan Binder fishing at Kirkman's cove in 2011, shared by his mom, Valerie
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Connor Freeman & Chase Hain with flathead catfish caught in the Nemaha River, 55 and 45 pounds. Photo 4073. shared by Connor's mom, Missy Freeman.