The Goodspeed Publishing Co., History of Tennessee, 1887
Biographical Sketches, Shelby County TN
Transcribed by Helen Rowland
N Surnames
Rev. Father NEMESIUS Rohde, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, Memphis, was born in Rietburg, Westphalia, diocese of Baderborn. After attending the gymnasium of his native town, he went to Baderborn and completed the course at the gymnasium there, taking nine years in order to do so. For two years he reviewed the work previously gone over in the order of St. Francis, and at the same place spent two years in the study of philosophy and four years in the study of theology, being ordained March 13, 1870. For five years he was pastor in the old country, and then being expelled by Bismarck from Germany, in the time of “Cultur Kampf,” he went over to Holland with all the fathers of his order, and in 1876 came to America. For eight years he was pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Chicago, and in 1885 came to Memphis to administer to the spiritual wants of his present church. In all his trials and persecutions Father Nemesius has ever been found subserving the best interests of his church.
Capt. W. N. NEVILL was born in Tippah County, Miss., November 1, 1840. His father, Mathew Nevill, was born in Orange County, N.C., and immigrated to Tennessee when twenty-two years of age and settled in the western part of the State. He was married before leaving North Carolina to Mahala Kirby. Two sons and six daughters were the result of this marriage, our subject being the sixth child. After remaining two years in Tennessee the father moved to Tippah County, Miss., where he lived until 1847, when he returned to Tennessee and settled in Shelby County. He was a farmer, and is now living with our subject. The mother was a native of North Carolina and died in Shelby County, Tenn., in 1848. Our subject has always made farming his business. He enlisted in the Confederate Army and belonged to the Thirty-eighth Tennessee Infantry, under Col. R. F. Looney, and participated in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and was in the retreat from Dalton to Atlanta, and in the siege of Atlanta and at the battle of Franklin. He was slightly wounded at Chickamauga and was surrendered at Jonesboro, N.C. Mr. Nevill was married in Shelby County, Tenn., in February, 1866, to Miss Jennie Turbiville, daughter of R. W. and Ara (Harrison) Turbiville. The children born to this union are Minnie Lou, Emma T., Charlie R. and Mary. Mrs. Nevill was born in Virginia, April 21, 1844. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Mr. Nevill is a Democrat. He owns 200 acres of land on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, five miles west of Colliersville, Tenn. He is greatly esteemed by his acquaintances as a man of find character and correct business principles.
A. W. NEWSOM, a member of the firm of Lawhorn & Newsom, general
commission merchants and dealers in fruits and produce, 344 and 346 Front Street, is a native of this city and began business in 1866 in the grocery trade, wholesale and retail, continuing until 1868, when he engaged with Sherman & Co. in the produce trade, and in 1873 engaged in the latter business on his own responsibility, continuing until 1878, at which date the present firm was formed. The old firm of L. Lawhorn & Co. was established in 1868, and was succeeded by the present firm. They now do an annual business of from $150,000 to $200,000. In 1873 Mr. Newsom was united in marriage with Miss Emma Blair, a native of this city, who has borne five children, of whom three are living. He is a director in the Mercantile Bank and in the Merchants’ Exchange, and in 1873 was elected city treasurer to fill the unexpired term of his father. The father, John, came to Memphis in 1828, and was city tax collector from 1846 to 1864. He was a native of Virginia, and died in 1873. The mother was also a native of Virginia, and is yet living in this city.
T. L. NOLLEY, dealer in general merchandise, is a native of Paris, Tenn., and at the age of two years went with his father to Fayette County, where he lived until he became of age, after which he went to Louisiana and engaged in planting and merchandising. He remained there till 1878, when he came to this village and engaged in the saw-mill business. In 1880 he began merchandising in the same village and is engaged in that at the present time. His parents, Alexander and Joyce (Langley) Nolley, were both natives of Virginia. The father, by profession, was a school teacher, and at the time of his death, which occurred in 1865, was living in Oakland, Fayette County. The mother died previous to this in 1850. In 1862 our subject enlisted in the Confederate service, Third Louisiana Cavalry and remained in service until the close of the war. In 1880 he married Mrs. J. H. (Henning) Saddle, of the city of Memphis. To this union four children have been born—one son and three daughters.
D. B. NUGENT was born June 12, 1850, at Cobourg, Canada West, and is the son of H. B. Nugent, a native of New York City, and Miranda (Hart) Nugent, a native of Canada West and now a resident of Wisconsin. In 1882 our subject was united in marriage to Maud R. Watson, a native of Marshall, Mo., and the daughter of B. F. and Sallie E. (Halk) Watson. To these parents was born one child, Frank H. Mr. Nugent has been engaged in the lumber business for a number of years in Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee, and is now engaged in manufacturing lumber in northern Mississippi. He is a wide-awake, thorough-going business man and has the confidence and respect of all who know him. His prospects are bright for the future. He permanently located in Memphis in the year 1881, and is now one of the most enterprising business men of whom the city can boast.
NUTZELL, Wade Wagon Company, first-class repairers of carriages, buggies, etc., established their business in August, 1884, and are situated at 60 and 62 Hernando Street, Memphis. Few companies have succeeded in business as has the above named firm, who began with experience only, and now control a trade second to none of the kind in the city. They employ in this firm fifteen skilled workmen. Mr. Nutzell, the senior member of this firm, is a native of Germany, who came to the United States in 1852 and in 1853 came to Memphis. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate service and remained until December, 1864, when he was taken prisoner and retained until May, 1865. He participated in many of the principal battles fought, being under the following generals: Bragg, Johnston and Hood. In 1871 he married Rosa Hammerly of this city, and to them were born five children, one of whom died during the yellow fever scourge of 1879. Mr. Nutzell’s family are members of the Catholic Church. M. B. Wade, one of the members of this firm, is a native of Chicot County, Ark., and came to Memphis in 1872. He began learning his trade in 1867 and is a first-class mechanic. In 1873 he married Caroline Arnold of Memphis, and by their union has seven children, four of whom are now living. The parents of our subject are Tobias and America Wade, they having died when our subject was quite young. Thomas J. Kane, the junior member of the firm, is a native of Memphis and the son of William and Mary Kane. The parents are natives of Ireland and came to the United States in 1850 and 1848, respectively. Our subject began learning his trade in 1879, and in 1885 he became a member of this firm.