The Wesselowski Van Wert Family Tree

The following is from the database of Marjorie Slaughter:

Name: Cyrus NEES
Sex: M
Birth: 1865 in IL
Burial: Couch Cemetery, Brown's Creek Twp, Jewell Co, KS
Census: 1910 Davis Twp, Pottawatomie Co, OK; image 3 of 15
Death: 1945
Note: The KS State Census has his name listed as Silas.

JC REPUBLICAN, 06 JAN 1905, TWENTY YEARS AGO, pg 5: Cyrus Nees, of Brown's Creek, a big good-natured lad, 18 or 19 years old, attempted last week, while herding sheep on L.D. Morton's farm to descend a bored well after a rabbit which had fallen in. He squeezed his body into the tube and wiggled down until his arms became pinioned and he couldn't budge. He then realized that he was in a fix, and commenced to yell. This he kept up for about three hours, when Mr. Morton's little boy was attracted by the noise and discovered Cy's unhappy condition. He ran to the house and told his mother about it and Mrs. Morton procured ropes and attempted to "rescue the perishing." About that time our townsman, W.M. Jones, came along and with his aid the boy was hoisted out. We would advise Cyrus next time to put salt on their tails or go down headfirst, so he can see what he is doing.

JC REPUBLICAN, 31 MAR 1905, pg 8: HIS SKULL BROKEN! A Rock Falls on Cyrus Nees While he was Working in a Well. His Injuries May Not Prove Fatal. Last Tuesday while Cyrus Nees was cleaning a well 55 feet deep, on the B.F. Wallace farm east of town, a rock from the wall near the top of the well was knocked loose by the bucket, and fell, striking Cyrus on the back of the head. Jerry Kane had been handling the bucket and Wallace himself was looking after the horse by means of which the bucket was hoisted; but Jerry had gone to the house for something and in his absence Ora Taylor was lowering the bucket. About four feet from the top of the well was a pump stock through which the water from the eaves of the barn was conveyed into the well. It projected a little, and the bucket struck it, jaring loose a stone about the size of a man's fist. When young Taylor yelled that Cy had been hurt, Jerry ran to the well, jumped into the bucket and went down. He kept Cy's head out of the water but was unable to load him and bring him up until other help came. Then he was taken up. In the meantime the doctors and the injured man's father had been telephoned. The doctors found the hurt a very serious one. Dr. Hughes showed us five pieces of skull, some larger than a penny, that were taken out, exposing the brain. It injured the leg area of the brain, and the right leg is paralized. The patient regained consciousness and is now resting well. The doctors think he will live and come out all right, but this is by no means certain. Same article published in the ADVERTISER, 06 APR 1905, Front page.

JC REPUBLICAN, 05 MAY 1905, Brown's Creek items, pg 5: Cyrus Nees who was so badly hurt in that well, will always remember the 1st day of May, 1905 as the day his friends came in with their teams and listers and planted his sixty acres of corn for him. There were eight listers running in the forenoon and ten in the afternoon. Several women came along and had a quiltingbee for Mrs. Nees.

JC ADVERTISER, 11 MAY 1905, From the Jewell Republican, Front page: Cyrus Nees who was so badly hurt in that well, will always remember the 1st day of May, 1905 as the day his friends came in with their teams and listers and planted his sixty acres of corn for him. There were eight listers running in the forenoon and ten in the afternoon. Several women came along and had a quilting bee for Mrs. Nees.--Brownscreek Cor.

JC REPUBLICAN, 25 SEPT 1908, Sweet Home items, pg 5: Cyrus Nees is improving very fast since he had his eye removed.

JC REPUBLICAN, 11 DEC 1908, Brown's Creek items, pg 7: Cyrus Nees is going to drive to Shawnee, Oklahoma, with two teams, and move his family that way. They may have some winter weather to travel in, but they will be going south all the time.