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“SAMUEL HEXTER.-One of the men who came in the early days to Grand Island, and through good citizenship greatly assisted in the remarkable development of the city, is found in Samuel Hexter, a highly esteemed retired citizen, whose comfortable home is at No. 708 West First street. For many years Mr. Hexter was active in business circles and became well and favorably known over the county.
Samuel Hexter was born in Germany, February 4, 1845. His parents were Judah and Miriam (Strauss) Hexter, natives of Germany, his mother being a sister of Johann Strauss, the great musical composer. The father of Mr. Hexter was in the grain business, a man of high character and prominent in the Orthodox Jewish church. There were seven children in the family, four of whom at one time lived in Hall County. Mrs. Sophia Rothschild and Mrs. Rosa Boehm are deceased, but Samuel and David Hexter still reside here.
In June, 1860, well educated in the schools and trained for business, Samuel Hexter came to the United States. For a short time he lived in New York City, then went to North Carolina and from there proceeded to Petersburg, Virginia, where he was practically a prisoner because the siege of the city by the Federal troops followed and he was forced to remain there until the close of the Civil War. Mr. Hexter then joined his brother-in-law, J. Rothschild, in Baltimore, Maryland, subsequently becoming his manager of stores at Aurora, Illinois, and Columbus, Kansas. From the latter place, in 1883, he came to Hall County and entered the employ of the Wolbach Bros. Company, a firm that did much to develop (sic) Grand Island, remaining in the employ of that concern for seventeen years. Mr. Hexter then embarked in business for himself, in 1899, continuing in the commercial field for twelve years, during which time he added to the excellent reputation he already made for honesty and good citizenship. Because of the sale of the building for other purposes, Mr. Hexter found himself obliged to close out his store in 1911, and as he had been in business for so many years he decided to retire rather than build up a new connection.
On March 5, 1884, Mr. Hexter married Miss Bertha Yost, who was born in the city of New York, a daughter of Abraham and Clara (Freund) Yost. Her father was born in Baden and her mother in Bavaria, Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Hexter have four children: Miriam, the wife of Oscar Veit, of Grand Island; Florence, the wife of Solomon Hirsch, of St. Joeseph, Missouri; Maud, a teacher in the public schools, and one who is deceased. Mr. Hexter was a Democrat, but the issues that came up during the first administration of President McKinley, caused him to change his opinions and he has been identified with the Republican party since then. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and has had the honor of twice being master of his lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Hexter remember when Grand Island was nothing but a country village, with no permanent sidewalks, no lights, no water or sewer system. Mr. Hexter has been one of the enterprising and progressive men who have helped to bring about present modern conditions.” [2]
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Our Family History
1848 - 1922 (74 years)