The Cotton Family
Source: A Century of Progress-1874-1974, Cambridge, Nebraska, Osborne County Farmer, Osborne, Kansas.
Garret G Cotton, married Mariah Jeffrey.
The family moved from Joliet, Illinois, to Gardner, Illinois, where their children grew up. Their order of birth is not known.
Children:
Alfred Garret Cotton, was born 28 July 1857, in Joliet, Illinois.
He was married 18 February 1876, in the Methodist Church, in Morris, Illinois, to Sarah Alice Shellenburger, who was born 10 November 1861, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Alfred and Alice farmed near Gardner, Illinois. Alfred farmed in the summer, and worked in the strip mines during the winter.
In 1884, Alfred and his brother George each obtained a Land Seeker�s Excursion. They made a trip, �way out west,� to Nebraska where each bought a quarter of land about ten miles from each other. Alfred paid $500 for his quarter. Five years later in 1889, bringing one cow, five head of horses and their furniture they came to Cambridge, Nebraska by train. They had six children at the time. The Cottons lived in town until a two-room frame house was built and a well dug. They bought more land, built a huge barn, remodeled their house, and improved their farm.
Sarah died from blood poisoning 30 August 1913.
Alfred was married/2 on 10 March 1915, to Edna Thompson. In 1916, they moved into Cambridge.
Alfred died in Omaha, Nebraska on 1 December 1927. The children grew up 10 miles North West of Cambridge. Their birth order is not certain.
Children: