58 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos should
show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or
activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Text may be edited and photos adjusted
for reproduction. All photos will be returned.
Steve Van Meter, my dad (on the left), and Sam Spearman with
a stringer of catfish caught on the Platte River south of Wood River
back in 1974. Steve went to high school in Arapahoe, and Sam
was originally from Ainsworth. They became friends while attending
Kearney State Teacher's College. Steve went on to a long career as
Elementary Principal at Gibbon, Nebraska, while Sam spent most
of his career teaching elementary physical education with Papillion
Public Schools. Steve was a lifetime hunter and fisherman, and
while he is no longer with us, he passed on that love of the outdoors
to me and my daughters.
– Nate Van Meter, Bennet, Nebraska
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A unique glimpse of Indian Cave back on Oct. 28, 1905, complete
with carvings and petroglyphs.
Standing (right) is Emma Miller, my aunt. Standing (left) is
Caroline Greenwald Miller (sister-in-law of Emma). The woman
seated is a family friend, Edna Weber. All three were from Falls City
and drove a buggy to Indian Cave that day for an adventure.
– Fred Miller, Walton, Nebraska
