His early education was sadly neglected and when the war began he had scarcely a common school education, but made great advance when at garrison duty, as the soldier boys, many of them were glad of a chance to learn and there were many who were capable and willing to teach. So when he returned home he had a fair education. For a personal account of his activities in the Civil War, refer to the letter he wrote to his children.

He returned to West Union, Iowa after the war and was married to Sarah J. Eastman, who lived but a little more than a year when she died, leaving a baby a week old. The child lived but 16 months when it also died.

On 1 November 1868, he married Jane Cynthia Babcock while teaching as a principal of the Auburn, Iowa schools for two years, while his wife taught the primary department. He moved to Fredericksburg, Iowa in December when Lynn Arthur was born, but he taught for only one year. His health was still poor enough to require outdoor work, so he tried farming. A crop failure discouraged him so he tried teaching once again, this time at Clermont, Iowa. The family lived there 3 years and a second child, Grace, was born. Soon after he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the County Superintendent office, was twice elected, thus serving 5 « years. Next, he moved to West Union, Iowa where Claud was born and in 1876 moved to Sumner, Iowa for three years of teaching.

At this point he was tired of the job insecurity offered teachers and principals and he moved on back to Clermont and took up the study of law. While he studied he took on a part time job as a salesman for a Chicago book company and in 1880 moved to Humboldt, Iowa as a full fledged lawyer. It was here that their last child was born, Zoe.

In 1885 he sold out and came to Nebraska and took a pre-emption 3 miles north from Neiligh, Nebraska where he lived and practiced law in town, driving back and forth. Then moved to Plainview, Nebraska where he lived one year. He was elected County Attorney so he moved to the county seat, Pierce, where he lived until 1912 when he moved to Mitchell, Nebraska. Three years earlier (1909) he bought a relinquishment on a homestead 2 miles north of Mitchell at the urging of his son-in-law, Jacob Ummel (Zoe's husband), who was working for the United States Department of Reclamation there.

In 1913 his wife died and he moved in with his daughter and son-in-law, the Ummels, while still maintaining his law practice. In 1922 he and his other daughter, Grace, were struck by an automobile while the latter dying from injuries and William received but a few bruises.

In July of 1924 (age 82) he again followed his daughter and her husband from Mitchell to Denver, Colorado and then to Seattle, Washington two years later where Mr. Ummel was in charge of the Pacific Coast and Alaska District of the Reclamation Bureau. He remained there until his death in 1928. His body was reunited with that of his wife's in Mitchell, Nebraska.

Received from Michael Wilson of Salt Lake City, Utah on 12 March 1997

WILLIAM QUIVEY, one of the well known members of the Mitchell bar, is a lawyer of ability who has been in active practice in the Panhandle for more than a decade and during that time has taken a leading part in legal affairs of the Platte valley. He is also a business man who stands high in this section as he is naturally constructive and has assisted in the development of this section since making Mitchell his home.

Mr. Quivey was born at Charleston, Coles county, Illinois, July 19, 1842. When he was six years old the family moved to Wisconsin and, in 1850, to West Union, Iowa, where the boy was reared and educated. He attended the public schools, then graduated from the high school about the time of the outbreak of the Civil War. August 24, 1861, Mr. Quivey was attending the university but gave up his college course and with more than eighty other young men enlisted in the Union army as a private, being a member of Company C, Twelfth Iowa Infantry.

He participated in the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donaldson, where he was wounded and sent to the hospital for four months. He then returned to his company for further service and in 1864 enlisted in Battery K, First Missouri Light Artillery to serve until the close of the war. During that time he was in armies that took part in the battles of Donaldson, Shiloh, Corinth, Helena, Arkansas, and many other skirmishes and light engagements. He was mustered out of the service at St. Louis, August 4, 1865, and returned home to take up his interrupted education.

For two years he was a student in the academy, then began to teach, a vocation he followed for ten years. During that time he was principal of the school and at the same time began to read law, being admitted to practice at West Union, Iowa in 1880. Having served as county superintendent of schools three terms, Mr. Quivey was well acquainted with the people and had gained their confidence. He went to Humbolt, Iowa, and opened an office to practice law, being engaged in professional work there five years before moving to Pierce, Nebraska, and was soon elected prosecuting attorney of Pierce county; was re-elected two terms and remained in practice there until 1910.

Mr. Quivey then came to this county and took up a homestead two and a half miles north of Mitchell, where he lived a year to get his patent to the land. Later he sold some of the property. After this year on the farm he came into Mitchell, opened an office and has been practicing here ever since. Today Mr. Quivey is recognized as one of the able and prominent men of the legal profession in the Panhandle, a place which he has won by his hard work, high standards and ability.

November 1, 1868, Mr. Quivey married Miss Jennie C. Babcock, a native of Ohio, who was reared in Iowa. She was a teacher before her marriage. Mrs. Quivey died in 1913, leaving three children: L. A., professor of literature at the University of Utah; Grace, the widow of C. F. Montrose, now makes her home in Scottsbluff, where she has taught the past year, having taught in Pierce previously; Zoe Marie, the wife of J. R. Ummell, of Mitchell. There was one child that died in infancy. Mr. Quivey is a Mason, is a member of the Methodist church, and four years ago entered the Federated church here. He is a Republican. From first coming to Mitchell he has taken an active and interested part in civic affairs and supports the movements for the improvement of the county and town.

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA & IT'S PEOPLE, VOLUME III
The Western Publishing & Engraving Company, Lincoln, Nebraska 1921, p.562
received 31 May 2001, via internet, http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/OLLibrary/hwnep/voliii/hwnp561.htm