DIED

BROWNER--John Browner, one of the pioneers and one of the organizers of the city of Columbus, died at his home two miles northeast of town Monday morning at 8:30, after several weeks' illness and a number of years of disability.
Mr. Browner was born June 24, 1820, in Wexford county, Ireland. He came to America in 1852, and after a few months' stay in New York moved to Illinois, coming to Columbus in 1856. He took a timber claim on Shell Creek and for several years spent about six months of the year on his claim, going in the summer time to Omaha as mason and bricklayer. In 1869, he was married to Mrs. Margaret Curry, who died in May 1890, leaving two children by her first husband, Sam and John Curry. Mr. Browner leaves four children: Mrs. Sam Drinnin, Will, James and Miss Nellie Browner.
Mr. Browner was the fifth sheriff of this county, his official duties extending to the western boundary of the state, the counties west of Platte being unorganized.
There have been preserved, and treasured as among the jewels of Platte county's historic crown, many instances of his fidelity to duty and his efficiency in serving the public who entrusted him with their most important functions, in those days, of the chief executive or peace officer of the county.
He had lived on his farm the past twenty-seven years, the last third of his life being in full consonance with the first of it. He had lived a long and useful life, departing in the full noon of the 81st year of his earth pilgrimage, to the spirit land, after seeing his family grown to full manhood and womanhood.
The memory of his goodness of heart, of his wisdom of life, and the pungent pleasantness of his conversation, will remain as a benefaction to relatives, neighbors and acquaintances.
A good citizen, a just and kindly neighbor, a loving father, has gone to his reward, and on this side the veil we know there is weeping and that sorrow will not end in a day, but on the other side, let us believe that there is joy with departed friends, who have gone before.
The funeral services will be held at St. Bonaventura church this Wednesday at 3 o'clock p.m., with burial in the cemetery near-by.

BIO
JOHN BROWNER

John Browner, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Browner, was born June 24, 1820, at County Wexford, Ireland, and died in Columbus, January 14, 1901. His father and mother were natives of County Wexford. His father was a cabinet maker and operated a furniture shop in Wexford, a town located on St. George's Channel. John attended a private school there. He later worked in his father's shop, and studied auditing.

In 1852, John Browner came to America with his brother, William, and a sister. They all lived together in New York City, where John kept the books for two years for a dress-shirt laundry, and finished a course in accountancy at night school.

In 1854, he went to Amboy, Illinois, where he worked in the office of the North Western Railroad Company with Michael Egan, who was later a railroad executive.

In October, 1855, John Browner and Frank Egan rode on horseback from Amboy, Illinois, into the new Nebraska Territory. They stopped enroute in the frontier town of Omaha to file on land. John remained in Omaha, where he worked for a few months with John Wolfel at the building trades of carpentry and masonry.

Early in March, 1856, he was one of the group of men who organized the Columbus Town Company at the old Douglas House in Omaha. He was one of the thirteen men of the Town Company who arrived by ox-team at a point not far from the confluence of the Loup and Platte Rivers toward evening, on May 29, 1856, to found the town of Columbus.

In October, 1856, he filed on a claim on Shell Creek, and hauled building material for a cabin to the site by ox-team. He lived at the Old Company House that year and was one of the little band of twelve who stayed in the colony during that first severe winter of 1856-1857

He worked as bookkeeper and buyer for the John Wolfel and J. P. Becker stores in Columbus, and also for their frontier store at North Platte. In 1857 he was an auditor for the government store at Genoa. Mr. Browner was an early secretary of the Columbus Town Company and was also the auditor for several early Columbus businesses.

In 1859, he participated in the Indian War in Nebraska, serving as a sergeant in the Columbus Infantry with Michael Weaver, captain, and William Gruman, first lieutenant. His commanding officers were Governor Samuel M. Black, Commander-in-Chief, and John M. Thayer, Major General, in command of the expedition.

During the years of 1865-1867, John Browner served as sheriff of Platte County. His territory then extended to the western border of Nebraska Territory. He also served as the first sheriff after Nebraska was made a state.

Mr. Browner was interested in farming and stock raising. On January 1, 1861, he bought forty acres of land northeast of Columbus. On April 10, 1861, he bought one hundred and sixty acres. In 1869, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of school land and increased his holdings to three hundred and sixty acres.

On February 6, 1869, John Browner was married to Mrs. Margaret O'Connor Curry, the widow of Captain Samuel B. Curry. Mrs. Browner was born in Charlevielle, County Limerick, Ireland, and came to Boston at the age of twelve with an older sister, Eliza O'Connor. She attended school there and studied music. She was married to Samuel B. Curry in Boston, and after their marriage, they lived in Washington, D. C., during the Civil War. After the war, Captain and Mrs. Curry went to Fort Phil Kearney, where Captain Curry died. In September, 1868, she came to Columbus with her two sons, Samuel, Jr., and John, where she was married in February, 1869, to John Browner.

After their marriage, they lived at *1903 Sixth Street until 1874, when Mr. Browner built a spacious house on his farm in Columbus Township, and moved his family there.

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NOTE: * hand overstruck - believe it was 1903 originally, hand written over that, 1803. Written below the paragraph, 1806)
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Besides Samuel and John Curry, John and Margaret O'Connor Browner had four children: Catherine, Mrs. S. P. Drinnin; Helen, Mrs. Albert H. Gehner, of St. Louis, Missouri; William F.; and James C. Browner; All attended the Columbus High. School and the Fremont Normal School. William and James were engaged in farming and stock raising, and were the owners of pure bred horses. Catherine taught school in Platte and Colfax Counties, also in District 1, in Columbus. Mrs. Browner died on May 13, 1890

In 1860, John Browner was instrumental with others in the organization of St. John's Catholic Church, the first church in Columbus. The church was served by Reverend Father Fourmont, a French priest.

Mr. Browner was also one of the organizers and a charter member of the Columbus Cemetery Association, organized in 1864. The Association purchased eight acres at the east end of Eleventh Street, north of the Jacob Louis farm, and improved it for a cemetery. The charter members of the Columbus Cemetery Association besides John Browner included: John P. Becker, John Rickly, Vincent Kummer, J. C. Wolfel, C. A. Speice, Jacob Ernst, Michael Weaver, F. G. Becher, C. B. Stillman, H. J. Hudson, and G. W. Stevens.

John Browner died in Columbus on January 14, 1901.


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The Columbus Weekly Telegram, May 15, 1890
DIED
BROWNER--Mrs. Browner, wife of John Browner, a pioneer settler of Platte county, died at her home a few miles northeast of this city, yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Browner was pretty well along on the pathway of life before the sickle of the Grim Reaper caught her. She leaves a husband and several grown children to mourn her demise.

[...and...]

BROWNER--May 13th at 1:30 p.m., of tumor of the liver, after an illness of seven months, Margaret, wife of John Browner, aged 47 years, 5 months and 1 day.
Margaret Connor was born at Charleville, county Limerick, Ireland, Dec. 12, 1842; came to America in 1857. At Boston she was married to Samuel Curry in 1861; to them were born Samuel and John, who survive them. Mr. Curry died at Fort Phil Kearney, Wyo., Sept. 10, 1866. In Sept. 1868 Mrs. Curry came to Columbus and on Feb. 6th, 1869, was married to John Browner; their children who survive their mother are Kate, Willie, Nellie and James, the youngest being twelve years old. The funeral took place, three o'clock Friday afternoon, from the church of St. Bona Ventura, Rev. Father Pacificus preaching the sermon to a large congregation, and Rev. Father Anastasia assisting in the impressive ceremonies. The body was laid to its final rest in the Catholic cemetery, the bright sun shining, but all hearts touched by the deep sorrow of the husband and elder children, and the inconsolable grief of the young children at the departure into the spirit world of their beloved wife and mother. Mrs. Browner had very many warm friends wherever she was known. Always cheerful, she communicated her happiness to those about her, and was beloved by all who knew her.

The funeral services over the remains of Mrs. John Browner, who died Tuesday, will be held at St. Bonaventura Catholic church in this city at 2 o'clock this afternoon.


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You can find the brief obit about John Browner from the old newspapers located on the website of Platte County, Nebraska Researchers located HERE it's listed under 1901.

The Bio of his life was taken from M. Curry and is located HERE