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From "History of Dodge and Washington Counties
and their People"
edited by Rev. William H. Buss, Fremont,
and Thomas T. Osterman, Blair
published by The American Historical Society, Chicago
in 1921.
From a list of mayors of North Bend, Nebraska:
Alex Thom, mayor, 1908
Alex Thom, mayor, 1918
Alex Thom, mayor, 1919
Alex Thom, mayor, 1920.
"ALEXANDER THOM came to Nebraska in January, 1882, and after having
long been actively and successfully identified with agricultural and
livestock industry in Dodge County he retired from the farm and
established his home at North Bend, where he has since continued to
enjoy the merited prosperity gained through former years of earnest
endeavor. He has passed the psalmist's span of threescore years and
ten and is a sterling citizen to whom is accorded the fullest measure
of popular esteem.
Mr. Thom was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, September 25, 1847, and
is a son of William and Christina (Chalmers) Thom, who there passed
their entire lives, the father having been fifty-three years of age
at the time of his death and the mother having passed to eternal rest
at the age of sixty-eight years. William Thom was a farmer by vocation
and both he and his wife were zealous members of the Free Church of
Scotland, in which he served as an elder for a number of years prior
to his death. Of the six children three came to the United States:
William, who became a resident of Nebraska and whose death occurred
in a hospital at Omaha, December 13, 1919; Isabelle, who became the
wife of James Thain, of Illinois, and who was in the home of her
brother, Alexander, of this review, at the time of her death; and
Alexander, whose name initiates this sketch. Of the other three children,
James and George died, in Scotland, and there Andrew has been for half
a century pastor of a church in Stirlingshire, as a representative
clergyman of the Free Church of Scotland in that section of the land
of hills and heather.
Alexander Thom was afforded the advantages of the schools of his native
land and there continued his association with farm enterprise until 1877,
when he came to the United States and became foreman of the large farm
estate of Henry B. Sherman in Dodge County, Wisconsin. He retained this
position five years, and in January, 1882, he came to Nebraska and became
associated with the firm of Smith & Mallon, at North Bend, an important
concern engaged in the importing of horses. In the interests of this firm
Mr. Thom purchased high grade horses in Scotland and shipped the stock to
the United States, his operations in this field of enterprise having
continued about four years. He then purchased land in Dodge County and
turned his attention, with characteristic vigor and judgment, to general
farming and stock-raising, in which connection he made a specialty of
raising blooded Clydesdale horses and Chester White swine. On his farm,
comprising 320 acres he made the best of improvements, including the
erection of a barn that is still considered the finest in the county, and
he continued his active work on the farm until 1892, since which time he
has lived virtually retired, at North Bend, his farm property still
remaining in his possession.
Mr. Thom was one of the organizers and incorporators of the First State
Bank of North Bend, of which he has continuously served as president from
the inception of the enterprise and to the success of which his mature
business judgment and conservative policies have contributed in large
degree. He is an elder and member of the board of trustees of the United
Presbyterian Church at North Bend, and as a citizen of his adopted state
he is most loyal and appreciative.
In 1887 Mr. Thom wedded Miss Margaret Agen, a native of the state of
Illinois, and she passed to the life eternal in 1892. Of the three
children of this union two died in infancy, and the one surviving is Mabel,
wife of Dr. Andrew Harvey, a representative physician at Fremont, judicial
center of Dodge County, of whom mention is made on other pages of this work.
For his second wife Mr. Thom married Anna Collins, and she passed away a
few years later, the only child of this marriage likewise being deceased.
April 15, 1913, recorded the marriage of Mr. Thom to Laura Miller, who was
born and reared in Dodge County and who is the popular chatelaine of their
pleasant home.
Mr. Thom is a radical prohibitionist in his political allegiance and has
been active and zealous in furtherance of national prohibition, the success
of the great movement being a source of marked gratification to him. He has
a high place in the confidence and esteem of his home community and the year
1920 finds him serving his third consecutive term as mayor of North Bend."
MILLAR-THOM
Wednesday evening at eight-thirty at the family home of the Millars occurred
the marriage of Miss Laura M. Millar to Mr. Alexander Thom. The house was
simply and very prettily decorated for the occasion with pink and white sweet
peas, pink and white being the prevailing colors in the decorations.
Large boquets of these fragrant flowers were in each room; the dining room
table having an especially pretty arrangement of them in the form of a low
mound which occupied the center of the table. In the bay window of the parlor
were potted plants in bloom.
Very promptly at the appointed hour Mr. John Tapster sang "The Song of a
Heart," Mrs. Wm. Thom accompanying him at the piano. Immediately following
this, Mrs. Thom continued to play soft strains, to the music of which the bridal
party descended the stairs to their places. The little flower girl and ring
bearer proceding. Roberta Tapster charmingly dressed in a sheer white
embroidered frock over pink with pink sash and hair ribbon acted as flower girl
and carried the beautiful shower boquet of white roses and white sweet peas and
maiden hair fern, while little Marian Smith, niece of the bride, dressed equally
daintily in a frock of all over lace over pink with pink ribbons acted as ring
bearer and carried the wedding ring on a white satin cushion decorated with pink
sweet peas. These two little maids carried their part in the ceremony with such
demure seriousness that they won all hearts. After them came the bride and groom,
the bride attired in a strikingly handsome gown of white crepe de chene with pearl
trimmings and net yoke and undersleeves. Rev. W.C. Davidson of the United
Presbyterian church spoke the beautiful and solemn words of the ring ceremony
which made them man and wife, after which he introduced Mr. and Mrs. Thom to
the guests.
Following the congratulations, refreshments of ice cream and cake were served,
four nephews of the bride doing the serving. These were Wilmar Millar, Raymond
Watson, Harold Millar and Willis Millar and very handsome and dignified did the
boys look in their light trousers and dark coats with a pink rose in each coat
lapel. Punch was served in the dining room, Miss Grace McVicker presiding here.
After refreshments the remainder of the evening was spent in a social way and
in viewing the lovely gifts which were received by the bride and groom.
It seems almost superfluous to attempt to say anything about two people who are
as prominent in the life of North Bend as are Mr. and Mrs. Thom. The bride has
spent her entire life here, having been born in the home from which she now goes
forth as a bride. She has always been faithful in whatever she has undertaken;
first of all as a home girl she has been faithful to the very important trusts
which were placed upon her there; as a worker in the United Presbyterian church
she has been loyal and earnest, having acted as organist and choir director for
many years. In the several organizations with which she is connected her record
is the same, enthusiastic, willing, abounding in good works.
Mr. Thom has been identified with the business and public affairs of North Bend
for many years, and is also prominent in the work of the church. North Bend is
to be congratulated that the forming of these new ties will not take Mr. and Mrs.
Thom away from the city but that they will continue to make their home here where
they have so many friends and where they occupy such important places in the
community.
The guests at the wedding were as follows: Mr. and Mrs. W.J. McVicker, Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Millar, (Wagner, S.D.,) Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Millar and Wilmar Millar, Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Millar and Harold, Gilbert and Willis Millar, F.S. Millar, Wm. J. Millar, Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Millar, Wm. Thom and Mrs. Jeannie Neikirk, (Lombard, Illinois), Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Thom, Dr. and Mrs. Jas. A. Thom, Mr. and Mrs. C.K. Watson, Raymond and Marjorie Watson, Miss Grace McVicker, Mr. and Mrs. Fred McVicker, (Benson, Nebraska), Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Emerson, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Keiser (Fremont), Mr. and Mrs. Geo. [missing rest of article]