Neace family in Mont. & Wash.
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls Tribune newspaper
Monday, 15 Sept. 1924
Pioneers of Melstone Visit Former Holdings
Special to The Tribune
Melstone, Sept. 14 –
Mr. and Mrs. L.T. Neace and daughter have arrived here from Walla Walla, Wash., for a visit at the home of their son and brother, Byron Neace, and to look after business interests which they still hold here.
This family played quite a part in the early settlement of this locality, coming here to reside in 1898, Mr. Neace having been here some time previous, when he had purchased a large body of land south and west of Melstone, much of which is now considered the most valuable in this section.They were successful stock raisers and farmers.
Several years ago the family, with the exception of Byron, moved to the state of Washington, where they have since made their home, and where wheat raising is carried out on a large scale.In that section of Washington wheat raising is not attempted, except on summer fallowed land, and it was doubtless due largely to the western success of this method that the Neace acres here have been so successfully farmed for several years past, producing some of the largest yields of this part of Montana.
Two well improved ranch properties here will long remain a monument to the industry and foresight of this family.
1920 census – Montana, Musselshell Co., School Dist. 64
26 Jan. 1920 – Sheet 9 A – Pg. 221
Farm 179 / 189
Neace, Byron L. – head – rents – m/w – age 26 – md. – b. Wash. – Wash / Wash.
Farmer / Gen. farm
Neace, Evelyn N. – wife – f/w – age 20 – md. – b. Minn. – Minn / Minn
1920 census – Washington – Columbia Co., Turner Precinct
8 June 1920 – Sheet 1 B – Pg. 266
Farm 18 /18
Neace, Merwin L. – head – rents – m/w – age 29 – md. – b. Wash. – Wash / Wash.
Farmer / Gen. Farm
Neace, Verna E. – wife – f/wage 29 – md. – b. Mont. – Ill. / Ill.
Neace, Margaret – daug. – f/w – age 4 yrs 7/12 mo’s – b. Mont. – Wash / Mont.
Neace, Laurence T. – son – m/w – age 4/12 mo’s – b. Wash. – Wash / Mont.
1920 census – Washington – Walla Walla Co., Ward 1 – Thorne Precinct
6 Jan. 1920 – Sheet 3 B – Pg. 166
Thorne (rd or st ?) #610
71 / 71
Neace, Louis T. – head – owns / free – m/w – age 51 – md. – b. Wash.
Germany / Missouri – occ. none
Neace, Annie – wife – f/w – age 47 - md. – b.Wash. – Delaware / Illinois
Neace, Charlotte – daug. – f/w – age 19 – single – b. Wash. – Wash / Wash.
The Illustrated History of Whitman County, State of Washington
pg. 441 & 442
LEWIS T. NEACE, one of the successful farmers and stockmen of Whitman county, has the distinction of being a native of the Evergreen state, having been born in Columbia county, to Lewis and Elizabeth Neace, of Waitsburg, on August 14, 1867.He was reared and educated there, and when the time came that he must start in life for himself he chose the occupation in which his energies had found their first field for exercise, namely, farming and cattle-raising.
In 1896 he came to this county, located on Union flat, seven miles southeast of Endicott, and resumed the same dual occupation he had heretofore followed.At the present time he is giving he greater part of his time and attention to stock-raising, and he is justly regarded as one of the leading cattlemen in the county.He is the owner of sixteen hundred and forty acres of excellent land and at the present time keeps about two hundred head of high grade cattle.Mr. Neace is a man of great energy and forcefulness, active, industrious, assiduous and ever wife awake to an opportunity of advancing the interest of his business.He exercises excellent judgment in all his dealings and is acquainted with all the details of his business and watchful to take advantage of every tide which may help bear him on to the highest success.Few men anywhere are his superiors in his line of industry.
Fraternally, our subject is quite active, maintaining a membership in the time-honored F.& A.M.,as also in the A.O.U.W. and the W. of W., his home lodge in each case being in Waitsburg.On January 20, 1890, in the town of Waitsburg, Mr. Neace married Anna Denney, a native of Walla Walla county and a daughter of N.B. Denney, one of its most respected citizens.They have three children, Merwin, Byron and Charlotte.
The obit for Byron L. Neace is in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, Walla Walla, Wash.
1976 December 1.It states Bryon L. Neace age 84 died in College Place, Wash. with
burial in Waitsburg, Wash.He married Evelyn Eagles in Roundup, Montana.Besides his widow he is survived by his son Denney O. Neace; and his sister Charlotte Mikkelson.– Byron L. Neace died 30 Nov. 1976.