Standley Family History & Genealogy

George Larson emmigrated from Copenhagen, Denmark with his wife, Mary. They made one of Nebraska's pioneer families. They came here at the tender ages of 25 and 26 years old in 1882,and were some of the original settlers of Bennett, NE. Together they built a farm and a family and raised 4 sons: Victor, Anton, Henry, Albert (Peter and Julius died as children) and 3 daughters: Rose, Christine(aka Sally) and Gertrude (My Grandmother)- Mary died as a child.

Jorgen (born 11/1/1856) and Maren (born 1/23/1857) - their Danish names - were a hard working couple and dedicated to their family, church and community. While they never lived outside of NE, most of their children went west and became a part of the building of California at one level or another.

Some of their addresses in Lincoln, Nebraska were:
3100 O Street, where George died in 1929 (May 13th)
123 South Twenty-Eigth Street, where Mary died in 1944 (February 12)

Their daughter, Gertrude Dagmar Larson, was my grandmother. She married a widow, James Harvey Standey, with 5 children, and then had four of her own. She used to recall proudly the day she went as a newly wed to the orphanage and picked up her husband's brood: Violet, Brea, Pauline, Raymond and adopted son Freddie. Gert went on to bear my father, James H. Standley Jr., and his siblings Paul, Getrude and Shirley. Her husband died when their youngest children were still toddlers and left his new wife overwhelmed and destitute. Gertrude Larson Standley overcame this loss with great difficulty and fortitude, possible because of her strong character and Danish background. Working as a domestic until her children were grown, she raised them alone during the depression.

In the end, she remarried after coming to California and spent the years after that husband's death with her daughter Shirley and my father, Jim, in Lodi, California. She is buried in Lincoln, NE aong side her family in Bennett, with history and great pride.

My father, James Harvey Standley, Jr. died on Valentines Day 2/14/2006 and was a U.S. Merchant Seaman. At his request his ashes were spread beneath the Golden Gate Bridge where we still visit to honor him. He raced Indian Motorcycles in his youth and was a man of great character and mechanical skil, and tremendous love for his family.