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Section 7. James William Rightmire and Alice Margaret Usher
(James William4, William3, Benjamin2, James1, Sr.)

(4) James William Rightmire was born in Bureau County, Illinois, March 26, 1870. He married Alice Margaret Usher in Gosper County in 1898. Much of the James William and Alice Margaret story comes from Alice Beyke. James William Rightmire was her Grandfather.

Alice Margaret Usher was the daughter of Elijah and Lucinda Eastman Usher. She was born in South Wayne, Wisconsin, on January 11, 1877. She came to Gosper County Nebraska with her parents as a young girl. Jim and Alice farmed near Smithfield and later Bertrand Nebraska in Gosper County. They raised ten children. In the late thirties they retired to Arapahoe, Furnas County, Nebraska. On November 7, 1943, Jim rode to town with a friend, lay his head over on his friend's shoulder in the auto and quietly passed away. He was buried in the Smithfield, Nebraska Cemetery in rural Gosper County, Nebraska. Alice lived for another 21 years making her home with her children. She died November 26, 1964, at the Holdredge, Nebraska Hospital and was buried along side her husband. James William and Alice Margaret Rightmire had ten children.

(5) Laura Marie Rightmire was born June 18, 1899, in rural Smithfield, Nebraska. She was a registered nurse and worked for the Pullman railroad car company in Chicago as a nurse for many years. She helped some of her younger brothers and sisters move to Chicago and get jobs during the depression years. She married Wendell Bechtel and they had two children: (6) Jack Bechtel was born April 10, 1927. He died in Illinois on March 4, 1992; and (6) Lorraine Bechtel . Laura Marie Rightmire died in Hazel Crest, Illinois in September 1980 at the age of 81.

(5) Grace Eunice Rightmire was born June 3, 1900. She was a housewife and a remarkable seamstress. She married Forrest Coy; he sold insurance. They lived at Lexington, Nebraska, and later Denver, Colorado. They had one son: (6) Donald Coy was born in Colorado on October 27, 1927. He died in October 1969. Grace Eunice died September 1969 and Forrest died one month later, in October 1969.

(5) Lucille Lucinda Rightmire was born February 1, 1902 at rural Smithfield, Nebraska. She married Merten Franey. They moved to McMinnville, Oregon. She died of leukemia. They had two sons: (6) Rolland "Ron" Franey and (6) James Franey

(5) Roger William Rightmire was born Smithfield, Gosper County, Nebraska on July 12, 1905. Roger farmed in Gosper County, Nebraska his entire life. He married Neita Wolcott. They had two daughters: (6) Virginia Rightmire and (6) Marilyn Rightmire. Roger died September 24, 1975. Neita died very recently, on September 27, 1998.

(5) Helen Claire Rightmire was born April 22, 1907; the first of the children born near rural Elwood, Gosper County, Nebraska. She was a registered nurse. She married Lester McCauliffe and they had two sons: (6) Tom McCauliffe and (6) Dick. McCauliffe.

(5) Mariam Genevieve Rightmire was born February 20, 1909. Mariam was a registered nurse and married Dr. Frank Rollins. They lives in L'anse and other locations in Michigan. They had four children: (6) Fred Rollins; (6) Patricia Rollins; (6) Mary Anne Rollins; and (6) Frankie Alice Rollins. Mariam Genevieve Rollins died January 8, 1992.

(5) Raymond L. Rightmire was born March 10, 1911. He married Maxine Stout. As a young man he farmed near Maywood and Arapahoe, Nebraska. He moved to Aloha, Oregon, and was a carpenter and welder. They had six children: (6) Marlene Rightmire, (6) Laura Rightmire, (6) Robert Rightmire, (6) James Rightmire, (6) Alice Margaret Rightmire, and (6) Allen Rightmire. Raymond Rightmire died February 1975.

(5) Eleanor Alice Rightmire was born November 14 1913. She married Louis Karash. He owned a janitor service at Hastings, Nebraska. They had four children: (6) Alice Mary Karash, (6) L. Stanley Karash, (6) Esther L. Karash, (6) William Robert Karash. Eleanor Alice Karash died January 26, 1991.

Alice Beyke, a source of much of this information, is Alice Mary Karash, daughter of Eleanor Alice Karash. Alice married Joe Beyke and is now living in Hastings, Nebraska. Alice's brother "Bill" (William Robert) died in an accident at age 18. Her sister, Esther now lives in Beatrice, Nebraska, a town about 45 miles south of Lincoln, Nebraska.

(5) Mark Wilber Rightmire was born March 21, 1915. He was an auto parts salesman in the Chicago Illinois area. He married Marge Adams. They have three children: (6) James Rightmire, (6) Janet Rightmire, and (6) Jean Rightmire. Alice Beyke reports that "Mark is still living and divides his time between Chicago and Florida."

(5) Margaret Pauline Rightmire was born September 9, 1917. She married Ed Kolar. They lived in Cisero, Illinois and had four children: (6) Carol Kolar, (6) Roger Kolar, (6) Phillip Kolar, and (6) Edward Kolar. Margaret Kolar died November 1972.

This is only a partial list of the family of James William Rightmire. Many of the children listed now have families, but I don't have any data on them, as yet.