Edna Hammans was born, January 7, 1899, in
rural Custer County, Nebraska, on the farm homesteaded in 1884 by her father,
John Hammans, of Drakesville, Iowa. He returned to Drakesville for his bride in 1886. Although her two brothers, Earl and Francis were born in the sod house on the homestead, Edna was born in the new frame house, which was readied for her birth.
The family moved to Buffalo County to a farm near Gibbon in 1906. District #4, the one-room school she attended through eighth grade was about one-half mile from her home.
She attended Gibbon High School, driving a horse and buggy to Gibbon and picking up a classmate, who lived along the way to Gibbon. The horse was taken to the livery stable to be kept until the end of the school day. The proprietor of the livery stable would have the horse harnessed and hooked up to the buggy, ready for her return home. At times during the winter, Edna stayed in Gibbon during the week with a lady who rented rooms.
Edna graduated from Gibbon High School in 1916, having taken normal training as one of the courses. She attended Kearney Normal that summer to prepare her for teaching in the one-room school. Living a short distance from the railroad, she could flag a Union Pacific passenger train, and for 25 cents, could ride the train to Kearney for college classes.
After high school graduation Edna was hired to teach at District #4. She later taught in Odessa when that school had two elementary teachers and one high school teacher, and she roomed with the other grade school teacher during the week in Odessa. Her formal teaching career ended with her marriage, as was the custom then.
In 1920, Edna married Floyd Randall who had served in the Army in World War I.
They moved to a farm a few miles away from her home in the Gibbon area, which was later known as the Ravenna Road. At the time they moved there the dirt road ended at their house, not continuing over the hills to Ravenna. Later the road was extended to Ravenna, and eventually became a hard-surface road. Floyd and Edna lived on the same farm for 77 years, and Edna continued to live there until a few months before her death in 2005 at age 106.
Edna had the distinction of having lived in three centuries, and enjoyed reminiscing of the days of being a student and a teacher in Buffalo County.
The family moved to Buffalo County to a farm near Gibbon in 1906. District #4, the one-room school she attended through eighth grade was about one-half mile from her home.
She attended Gibbon High School, driving a horse and buggy to Gibbon and picking up a classmate, who lived along the way to Gibbon. The horse was taken to the livery stable to be kept until the end of the school day. The proprietor of the livery stable would have the horse harnessed and hooked up to the buggy, ready for her return home. At times during the winter, Edna stayed in Gibbon during the week with a lady who rented rooms.
Edna graduated from Gibbon High School in 1916, having taken normal training as one of the courses. She attended Kearney Normal that summer to prepare her for teaching in the one-room school. Living a short distance from the railroad, she could flag a Union Pacific passenger train, and for 25 cents, could ride the train to Kearney for college classes.
After high school graduation Edna was hired to teach at District #4. She later taught in Odessa when that school had two elementary teachers and one high school teacher, and she roomed with the other grade school teacher during the week in Odessa. Her formal teaching career ended with her marriage, as was the custom then.
In 1920, Edna married Floyd Randall who had served in the Army in World War I.
They moved to a farm a few miles away from her home in the Gibbon area, which was later known as the Ravenna Road. At the time they moved there the dirt road ended at their house, not continuing over the hills to Ravenna. Later the road was extended to Ravenna, and eventually became a hard-surface road. Floyd and Edna lived on the same farm for 77 years, and Edna continued to live there until a few months before her death in 2005 at age 106.
Edna had the distinction of having lived in three centuries, and enjoyed reminiscing of the days of being a student and a teacher in Buffalo County.