USA > Kansas > Marshall County > History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions > Part 54
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Mr. Wells was identified with the Republican party and while he was not a seeker after office, he took great interest in local affairs and was one of the influential men of the township. as well as the county. He and his wife were long members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were prom- inent in the social and the religious life of the community, where they were held in high regard. Mr. Wells was for many years one of the prominent men of the township and his advice was often sought in matters relative to the civic life of the district. He was a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and had much to do with the growth and success of the local society. His life was a worthy one and at 'his death the community felt they had lost a good friend and a most worthy adviser.
James and Julia Wells were the parents of the following children: Mary Belle, Ida, Ora and Frank. Mary Belle Miller is a resident of Oklahoma, where her husband is one of the worthy and successful men of the section in which they live. They are the parents of the following children: Lucy, Ray. Ethel, Ruth, Gladys and Denis. Ida Stimson and her husband reside
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at Houston, Texas, and they are the parents of five children: Edward, Carl, Maude, Cora and Homer. Ora Traxler is a resident of Emporia, Kansas, and she and Mr. Traxler are the parents of two children, Arthur and Ora May. Frank is a successful farmer of Blue Ridge township, Marshall county, and is married to Della Johnson and to them the following children have been born : Dorothy, Clyde, Edith and Lloyd. Mrs. Wells is still active in the work of the church, since the death of her husband, who was a veteran of the Civil War, having served with the Ninth Kansas Regiment and later received his discharge on account of disability.
CORNELIUS W. ALSPACH.
Cornelius W. Alspach, a well-known and substantial retired farmer of Marshall county, now living at Axtell, is a native of Ohio, but has been a resident of this county since pioneer days, having come here in 1871. He was born on a farm in Fairfield county, Ohio, June 15, 1844, son of John D. and Elizabeth ( Heimbaugh) Alspach, both of whom are long since deceased. having spent their last days in Ohio. John D. Alspach was born in Ohio, of Pennsylvania-Dutch parentage, and was twice married, having children by both marriages.
Reared on the home farm in Ohio, Cornelius W. Alspach remained there until after he was twenty-five years of age, when, in the spring of 1871, he came to Kansas and homesteaded a tract of eighty acres southeast of Beattie. in Rock township, this county, and proceeded to develop the same. Four years later he married and presently traded his improved homestead for a tract of two hundred acres in Murray township, where he established his home and where he continued farming for thirty years or more, becoming one of the most substantial farmers in that neighborhood. Mr. Alspach gave considerable attention to the raising of cattle and hogs and did very well in his operations. He added to his land holdings in Murray township and now owns three hundred and seventy-eight acres in section 4 and eighteen acres in section 14 of that township, continuing to take an active interest in the management of the place, even though he has for years been retired from the active labors of the farm. It was in 1904 that Mr. Alspach retired from the farm and moved to his present home near Axtell. There he owns eighteen acres on the edge of the city and hie and his family are very pleas- antly and comfortably situated. Mr. Alspach is a Democrat and has ever
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given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs. During his long residence in Murray township he held numerous township offices and was for years a member of the school board in his home district.
In 1874 Cornelius W. Alspach was united in marriage to Barbara Wolf- gang, who was born in Pennsylvania in February, 1856, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Schwartz) Wolfgang, both of whom were born in that same state and who came to Kansas with their family in 1870, settling on a home- stead farm south of Beattie. To Mr. and Mrs. Alspach eleven children have been born, namely: Mrs. Priscilla M. Brooks, of Kansas City, Missouri, to whom two children have been born, one of whom is dead: Sarah, who mar- ried 11. T. Totten, a farmer living northeast of Mina, this county, and has two children : Cornelius F., who is employed in the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe railroad shops at Topeka and who married Edith Kirk and has two chil- dren : Della, who married Fred Lower. of Centerville, Iowa, and has two chil- dren : Mrs. Nellie Graham, who lives south of Beattie and has two children : Alta, who married H. B. Huddleston, a farmer living near Axtell, and has four children: Charles, who is running an elevator at Kensington, in Smith county, this state, and who married Dora Douglas and has one child: Mrs. Ruby Rodkey, of Blue Rapids, who has two children : Harry, who is at home : Grace, also at home. and Effie, who is deceased. The Alspachs have a very pleasant home near .Axtell and have ever taken a proper part in the general social life of the vicinity. Mr. Alspach is a charter member of the Masonic lodge at Axtell and has ever taken an active interest in the affairs of the same. He also is a member of the local lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
GEORGE L. OLSON.
John Olson, father of George 1 .. Olson, was born on a farm near the city of Stockholm, Sweden, October 26, 1839, and his young manhood was spent as a herder. He later became a coachman and remained in his native land until he was about thirty years of age, when, in 1868, he came to this country and settled in Missouri. A year later, in 1869. he came to Kansas and located in Marshall county, where he ever since has made his home, one of the substantial pioneer residents of this county. Upon coming to this county Mr. Olson settled in Murray township, where he presently married, and where he worked as a farm hand until he had saved about twelve hun-
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dred dollars, when he bought a tract of eighty acres of unimproved land in the Axtell neighborhood and there established his home, building a small three-room house on the place. There he farmed for about eight years, at the end of which time he sold his place and bought a quarter section of land in Lincoln township, where he made his home until 1912, when he retired from the farm and moved to Axtell, where he and his wife are now living and where they are very comfortably situated. During the early period of his residence in Marshall county, John Olson assisted in the construction of the Grand Island railroad and also helped in the quarrying of the rock for the bridge across the Missouri river at St. Joseph, the stones for that bridge being secured from the quarry near Beattie, this county.
It was not long after his settlement in this county that John Olson was united in marriage to Mary Johnson, who also was born in Sweden, March 31, 1859, and who was but fifteen years of age when she came to this country with her parents. To that union nine children were born, of whom the sub- ject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as fol- low: Dora, who is conducting a general merchandise store at Frankfort, this county: Sadie, who married J. V. Johnson, of Lincoln township. this county : Mrs. Hilma Lamm, also of Lincoln township : Robert, who is engaged in business at Axtell, in partnership with his brother, George L. Olson: Etta. a teacher in the business college at Salina: Louisa, a teacher in the public schools of Marshall county ; Josephine, deceased, and Kermit, who is at home with his parents.
George L. Olson was reared on the home farm in Murray township and later in Lincoln township, completing his schooling in the common schools in the high school at Axtell and supplementing the same by a course of three years in Campbell College at Holton. He then worked for his father a while and on April 1, 1903, began his mercantile career as a clerk in a general store at Axtell. Eighteen months later he engaged in business for himself, starting a general store at Axtell, in partnership with D. C. Henderson, and was thus engaged until January, 1910, when he sold his interest in that store and bought the William McMahon store at Beattie, where he ever since has been engaged in business and where he has done very well. The Olson store is well equipped in up-to-date fashion, carries a complete line of goods and is widely patron- ized by the people of Beattie and the country surrounding that thriving village.
On June 8. 1910, George L. Olson was united in marriage to Gertrude Grazier, who was born at Decorah, Iowa, October 29, 1883, a daughter of Darius and Della (Taylor) Grazier, natives of Pennsylvania, who are now
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living at Topeka, this state, where Mr. Grazier is engaged in business as the secretary of the Topeka Pasteurized Pure Milk Company, which he helped to organize and of which he is one of the principal stockholders. Mrs. Olson completed her schooling at the Kansas Wesleyan College and at Washburn College at Topeka, from both of which institutions she was graduated, and was the assistant principal of the schools at Axtell at the time of her mar- riage to Mr. Olson.
Mr. Olson is independent in his political views and takes a good citizen's interest in the general civic affairs of his home community, but has not been a seeker after office. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Axtell and both he and his wife are members of the local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, in the affairs of both of which organizations they take a warm interest, as well as in the general social affairs of the community in which they live, helpful in promoting all causes having to do with the advancement of the com- mon welfare thereabout.
DR. L. H. STEPHENS.
Doctor Stephens, a well-known and prominent dentist of Summerfield. is a native of the West. and located in Summerfield in his profession in 1901, since which time he has met with much success. He has been asso- ciated with the practice of dentistry since boyhood. Doctor Stephens re- ceived his education in colleges at Omaha, Kansas City and Chicago. . 1s a young practitioner he was associated with his brother. Dr. C. A. Stephens. in the old Indian Territory, where they had an extensive practice in the Quapaw nation and throughout the northeast part of the territory. They later practiced in Blue Rapids, Kansas, prior to the location of Doctor Stephens in Summerfield.
Since locating in Summerfield Doctor Stephens has served as a mem- ber of the city council for several years and was in the spring of 1915 clected mayor of the city and re-elected in 1917. During his official life he has demonstrated his ability as an able law maker and executive. The present administration have extended their lighting system to Burchard. Nebraska, thus adding a substantial revenue to their home treasury. He took a most active part in the endeavor of the city to issue bonds for the installation of the present light plant, which is today one of the substantial institutions of the city, and in which all take the greatest pride. The old board sidewalks have been abolished and cement walks have been placed in
DR. L. H. STEPHENS.
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all parts of the city. The park has been reconstructed and many improve- ments have been made, including the planting of trees and the removal of old stumps and dead trees. A new cement sidewalk to the cemetery, one-half mile distant, has been completed, and the home-beautiful and tree- planting movement has been encouraged. A beautiful silver loving-cup was given for the best-kept lawn, and a prize, "The Summerfield Beautiful Trophy," for the best-kept residence. These had a most desirable effect and many substantial improvements were made in the city. Another inno- vation that brought much good to the city and the surrounding country is the good roads work of the Interstate Good Roads Association, of which the Doctor is president. Hills have been removed, grades established. bridges raised and trees planted by the roadside. The street from the town to the cemetery has been beautified by the planting of trees along the walk.
In addition to the physical development of the country, Doctor Stephens has always taken a keen interest in the educational development of his home community, and has encouraged the building of the best school houses and the employment of the most efficient teachers. When the school house burned in 1905 he was prominent in establishing a subscription school board for the purpose of renting a building in which the interrupted term of school could be finished and hiring the regular teachers, so that the senior class of the school completed their work and were graduated, in spite of diffi- culties. A new school building was in time erected, to which has since been added a substantial addition. It has always been one of Doctor Stephens' greatest ambitions to help and assist the young man or young woman who shows a disposition to help themselves.
Fraternally, Doctor Stephens is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and has attained the thirty-second degree. He has three times served as master of his lodge at Summerfield. During his admin- istration as mayor of the city, a ladies' rest-room has been erected, and is one of the best in the county. It is entirely modern, with reading room. rest rooms and toilets, all under the supervision of a caretaker, and is a most comfortable and attractive place.
Doctor Stephens is identified with the Republican party and has rep- resented his party in Marshall county at the state convention. He has for several years been a member of the central committee from St. Bridget township. While taking the greatest interest in all civic life of his city and county and always working for the best interest of the people, he has never in any sense been an office seeker, and while he has served as a mem- ber of the city council and as mayor the honors came to him unsolicited.
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Doctor Stephens has always taken much interest in outdoor sports and is at present the president of the "National Coursing Association." As a hunter he is recognized as one of the genuine sportsmen of this section of the country. He maintains one of the leading kennels of greyhounds in America. A portion of his vacation each year is spent in the West, where he has many friends and acquaintances and where he always finds a hearty welcome with the ranchmen and is accepted as one of them on their rides and hunts.
Doctor Stephens' life has been a most active one, it being his good for- tumme to take a broad view of life and to find genuine delight in everything which goes to make living worth while, whether it be a delicate problem in science or art, or a rough one of the big out-doors.
JOHN P. TOEDTER.
John P. Toedter, one of Marshall county's substantial retired farmers, the owner of a fine farm of eight hundred and thirteen acres in Balderson and Franklin townships, who now lives in the village of Home, where he and his wife are very well situated to enjoy the rewards of the toil they endured in pioneer days, is a native of Germany, but has been a resident of this country since he was eighteen years of age. He was born in the province of Hanover, November 2, 1851, son of Christ and Elizabeth ( Dearsan) Toedter, natives of that same province, who were the parents of two children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Mrs. Mary Wedeman, who continues to make her home in her native land.
U'pon completing his schooling in his native land, John P. Toedter came to this country, leaving port on May 1, 1869, and on his arrival here located at Peru, Illinois, in the neighborhood of which place he became engaged at farm lahor and was thus engaged there for nine years. He left home with but twenty dollars in money and thus had nothing to give him a start over here save his strong hands and his willing heart, but his energy and thrift presently set him on the way to a competence, and at the time of his marriage in 1877 he had quite a comfortable little bank roll. In 1878, the year following his marriage, he and his wife came to Kansas and he bought a tract of eighty acres of partly-improved land in section 18 of Franklin township, this county, paying for the same the sum of one thousand dollars. On that place he built
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a small house and barn and established his home. From the beginning of his operations his affairs prospered and in 1881 he bought a quarter of a. section of land adjoining, the tract on which the school house in district No. 57 later was erected. To these holdings Mr. Toedter later added until he became the owner of eight hundred and thirteen acres of well-improved land in Balderson and Franklin townships. In addition to his general farming, Mr. Toedter always gave considerable attention to the raising of live stock and did very well, it not having been long after his location in Franklin town- ship that he began to be recognized as one of the most progressive and sub- stantial farmers and stockmen in that part of the county. There he lived until 1909, in which year he retired from the active labors of the farm and moved to the village of Home, where he has a comfortable brick house and where he and his wife are very pleasantly situated.
In 1877, while living at Peru, Illinois, John P. Toedter was united in marriage to Mary Brauch, who was born at that place on August 18, 1860, daughter of Henry and Henrietta (Diederick) Brauch, natives of the province of Hanover, Germany, who came to this county from Illinois in 1878, at the same time Mr. Toedter and his wife came and settled on a farm here. Henry Brauch was killed in a runaway accident in 1880, he then being fifty-three years of age, and was the second person buried in the ceme- tery at Marysville. His widow died in August, 1893, in the sixty-fourth year of her age. They were the parents of nine children, of whom Mrs. Toedter was the sixth in order of birth.
To John P. and Mary ( Brauch) Toedter seven children have been born, namely : Henry, now managing the old home place, who married Lizzie Ruette and has four children, one son and three daughters; Louise, who mar- ried Charles Nollar, living three and one-half miles north of Home, and has two children, a son and a daughter; Rosa, who married Emil Weber, of Balderson township and has two sons; John W., living on one of his father's farms in Franklin township, who married Nellie Warren and has two chil- dren, a son and a daughter; Henriette, who married Luie Reinhardt, of Franklin township, and has one son; August, also farming in Franklin town- ship, who married Emma Schwartz and has one son, and Louis, who is working for his father. The family are members of the German Lutheran church and have ever taken an active interest in the affairs of the same, Mr. Toedter having been treasurer of the local congregation for a number of vears. He is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has not been included in the office-seeking class.
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WILLIAM JOHN STEWART, M. D.
William John Stewart, one of the most successful and prominent physi- cians of Summerfield. Marshall county, Kansas, was born on a farm in Lake county, Indiana, on July 7. 1869, the son of John and Melissa (Young) Stewart.
John and Melissa Stewart were natives of Ireland and the state of Ohio, respectively, the former having been born in 1842 and the latter in 1844. .At the age of two years, John Stewart came with his parents to America in 1844. William Stewart, the father, located in the city of Philadelphia, where they lived for a time, and later established their home in Lake county, Indi- ana. There Mr. Stewart homesteaded land and engaged in general farm- ing, and was known as one of the substantial and influential men of the county. There the son, John, was reared on the home farm and educated in the public schools. Later he was united in marriage to Melissa Young and their children were born and reared on the old homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were the parents of the following children: William John, Clayton, Alice, Frank, Ross, Nellie, Agnes May, Elizabeth and Harry. Clayton is on a large ranch in Texas: Wice Vickers is a resident of Sioux City, Iowa: Frank is a well-known physician of Eskridge, Kansas: Ross is a resident of Indiana : Nellie Gibbs also resides in the state of Indiana, as do Agnes May Simpson and Elizabeth Simpson and Harry is on the old home place. The parents were prominent in the social and the religious life of the community in which they lived and where they were held in the highest regard and esteem by all who knew them. Being early settlers in the locality in which they lived in Indiana, they had much to do with the development and growth of their home township and county. In August, 1862, John Stewart enlisted in the Ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry and served until the close of the Civil War.
William John Stewart received his education in the common schools of Indiana and at the university at Bloomington and at Valparaiso, having taken a preparatory course as well as a business and teacher's course in the uni- versities. For one year he taught school and won much praise as a success- ful instructor. lle then came to Kansas and for seven years engaged in general farming, near Eskridge. He then decided to complete his education. and entered the Washburn medical school of the University of Kansas and was graduated from that institution in 1909. He also received his diploma from the university of Kansas in 1914. Soon after his graduation from the
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medical school, he engaged in general practice at Topeka, Kansas, but later established himself at Summerfield, where he now has a good practice. Doc- tor Stewart practically worked his way through school, and during his career in college hie operated a store in Topeka.
In 1896 Doctor Stewart was united in marriage to Mary A. Baird, of Crown Point, Indiana, and to this union two children have been born, Ger- trude, who is a student in the Tarkio College at Tarkio. Missouri, and Martha, who is in the schools at Summerfield. Doctor and Mrs. Stewart are active members of the United Presbyterian church and have long been prominent in the social life of their home city, where they are held in the highest regard. They take much interest in the betterment of the moral and social conditions of the district, and are active in all that tends to the betterment of their beautiful little city. Doctor Stewart, being a man of much ability and a strong personality, has much influence in all enterprises that has a tendency toward the growth and development of the district. Mrs. Stewart is a woman of education and refinement and with her husband is interested in the betterment of the schools, as well as the moral and social conditions of Summerfield. To such people, as Doctor and Mrs. Stewart, is due the excellent condition of the city today : the excellent schools, beautiful homes, well-kept streets and churches, that are doing much to make the city of Summerfield an ideal residence place. Doctor Stewart is one of the directors and stockholders of the First National Bank of Summerfield, which is being started at this writing.
C. E. CUMMINGS.
Among the successful business men and bankers of Marshall county, is C. E. Cummings, the efficient cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Blue Rapids, who was born on June 13, 1873, at Centralia, Kansas, the son of C. S. and Mary K. (Smith) Cummings, natives of New Jersey and Illinois, respectively.
C. S. Cummings was reared in Michigan, near Pontiac, where his par- ents were among the early settlers in that section. There he grew to man- hood on the farm and early in life followed agricultural pursuits. He was educated in the country schools and became one of the sturdy young men of that section. On reaching manhood he came to Illinois, where lie engaged in general farming and later was married. Shortly after his marriage he
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and his wife moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, where they lived for two years, when they moved to Centralia and there Mr. Cummings engaged in the hard- ware business. After many years of active life as a successful merchant, he retired and on December 24, 1908, he died, at the age of seventy-three years. He was an active Republican and represented his district in the Legislature for two terms, during which time he made an enviable record and won the respect of the entire county. Mrs. Cummings died in October, 1913, at the age of seventy-three years. They were the parents of two children, Oscar S., who formerly engaged in banking and is now a resident of Houston. Texas, and C. E. Cummings.
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