Married 5 JAN 1886 at Oakdale,Nebraska, to Elizabeth Anne Storrs. He was a great Granddad but really did not play with us and worked all the time to the best of his ability till the last. When he was young he came West to see the world and lore has it that his cousin, Bigler Storrs accompanied him from Standing Stone, Bradford Co. Pa. Bigler was best man at his wedding. and his first cousin. He is reported by Fred Kleber, his grandson who knew him well, to have worked for the Warren Cattle Company for the Hashknife Outfit in their sheep business.When he first married in Oakdale, Nebr, he owned 160 acres of land in Antelope Co. Nebr. I have the a copy of the 1889 deed. He later went to Lincoln Co. Colorado and ranched sheep but blizzards and poor partners took all he made. Then, in dry land farming, he also had bad luck with the weather as he lost all in the dust bowl of the plains in the early thirties I saw him stack Russian Thistles ( Tumbleweeds ) when they were green to use as cattle feed. When a cow would die and they cut her open they would find mud balls in her stomach. The weeds would fill up the fences and then dirt would drift to make mound and the cattle would walk over the fence on the dirt drift so in blizzards they could wander most anywhere to freeze. He sort of ran a church and Sunday school at the rural school that was East of the house. Grandmother was very arthritic and could not walk so he cared for her as best he could with the help of Ruth Stevens,his daughter-in-law. The following is an extract from WHERE THE WAGONS ROLLED. Edward H. Stevens, who was born Dec 11, 1858, at Standing Stone, Pa. Was an early-day stockman of the north part of Lincoln Co. Colorado. He first came to the State in 1879 and then went to Wyoming where he worked as a cowboy on several ranches. His wife, Margaret, was born in Oakdale, Nebraska, on Dec 21, 1862. They first settled in Washington Co.Colo, after leaving Nebraska, in 1896 and in 1900 bought the place on the Arickaree north of Genoa. He was a County Commissioner in 1910 and Margaret belonged to the Eastern Star in Hugo. They later moved to Joes and then to Ault, Colo. where Ed died at the age of 87 and Margaret died 5 March, 1943. They had five children, Roy, Storrs,Marion Cady,John and Beth Kleber.
There is some Stevens lore that is best saved here as it applies to Ed. Stevens as well as the family in general. I picked up these remarks at Standing Stone, Bradford Co. Pa. from Nelson Stevens a descendant of another branch.Penn. They always referred to the slow Stevens as they never were on time. They would come across the river to the William R. Storrs home in Penna. as they loved to sing and play instruments. Even as a child I remember the dance bands made up of Granddad and Mother on the Violin, Uncle Storrs Z. Stevens on the banjo and someone else on the organ. Also I remeber waiting in the Model T Ford touring car . We were ready for church having bathed in a number 3 wash tub in the kitchen and waiting in the car to keep clean. Then here would come granddad from the barns wilh a couple of milk pails and in his overalls .Then he had to change and bathe as we waited. He was a very poor driver and looked at the crops as he drove. We were frequently in the bar ditch and back on the road.The Stevens did not drink or smoke but one time my Uncles made some home made brew and it was bottled and put in the stock tank to keep cool. Granddad saw the preacher driving up the road toward the house and panicked as he knew that they would have to look over the place as usual. He gave me a stick and had me stir up the mud in the bottom of the tank so that the beer would not show. In those days the best way to keep anything cool was to put it in the running water from the windmill .There were many homemade systems to have the water run over milk and butter ect. to keep them cool and fresh. Granddad was a great father and Grandfather. I always felt that grandmother ruled the family and spoiled the children and he did his best to keep everyone happy. Bird Haug Somerville says at the age of 99 said that her memory picture of Ed Stevens was of him playing the violin. I don't think that we could have had a dance without him. As the evening grew later he'd sort of close his eye and play on. Storrs accompanied him on the orgon. -----------------------------------------------------------------