History of Nemaha County, Kansas, Part 79

Author: Tennal, Ralph 1872-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 964

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tion to the farm which he owns, he also rents twenty acres from his father and finds this profitable, as it increases his yield without corre- spondingly increasing his labor.

Mr. Johnstone was married to Lillie M. Swart, February 2, 1910, and three children have been born to them: Glenn Martin, aged four; Elmer John, aged three; Pearl Elizabeth, aged seven months. Mrs. Johnstone is the daughter of John M. and Louise Swart, of whom an extended account is written in another part of this history. Mrs. Lillie Johnstone was born August 6, 1892, in Riley county, Kansas, and was brought up on her father's farm. After receiving a common school ed- ucation, she lived with her parents until she was married to Mr. John- stone.

Mr. Johnstone is a member of the .Methodist Episcopal church and also holds several offices of honor. One of these is as secretary of the Farmers' Union at Maple Shade, known as Local No. 1378, and another is as secretary of the Union business at Goff. He votes the Republican ticket and takes an active interest in the public affairs of his township and county, although he has never sought political preferment.

Louis Schuneman, owner of 200 acres of farm lands in Adams town- ship, is a native of Germany, and one of that sturdy class of Americans of German birth who have made good in Kansas. He is a son of Carl and Wilhelmina (Senn) Schuneman, the former of whom was born in the Fatherland in 1824, learned the trade of blacksmith when a boy and became owner of a small farm in Germany. He followed farming and operated a blacksmith shop until his demise in 1883. His wife, Wil- helmina, was born in 1840, married in 1860, and immigrated to America in 1902 in order to keep house for her son, Albert, at Baileyvile, Kans. She spends her time among her children, nearly all of whom emigrated from Germany to this country, and have settled here, as follows: Theo- dore, deceased; Gustave, a farmer in Bourbon county, Kansas ; Louis, the subject of this review ; Mrs. Augusta Ming, Berlin, Germany ; Fred- erick, a clerk in Germany ; Minnie, living with Gustave; Albert, in the · United States mail service at Kansas City, Mo .; Henry, deceased ; one child died in infancy.

Louis Schuneman was born February 25, 1866, in Germany, and was reared on his father's farm. He served for three years in the German army, and after working at home for two years after his army service. he immigrated to the United States. He located on a farm near Seneca, and worked as a farm laborer for five years, imbued with the firm intention to one day own a farm of his own. He carefully saved his money until he was able to rent and stock up a farm of eighty acres. His venture as a farmer on his own account proving profitable, two years later he invested his hard earned savings in a tract of 120 acres in Adams town- ship, to which he has since added eighty acres adjoining. Mr. Schune- man has 160 acres in cultivation, and is a successful farmer

Mr. Schuneman was married February 5, 1899, to Vina Hansz, a

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daughter of Michael and Marguerite (Stermer) Hansz. Michael Hansz, her father, was born January 24, 1835, in France, and emigrated from his native land to America in 1864. He located in Nemaha county, Kansas, and bought 160 acres of land in the Nemaha valley, which had been granted to Zenas Dunbar, musician and captain of Castle's Company, New York militia of the War of 1812. Dunbar assigned his rights to M. Hansz in consideration of $1.25 an acre, and the deed of conveyance was signed by Abraham Lincoln, September 16, 1864. Mr. Hansz later sold 120 acres of the original tract for $125 an acre. He is now living in Seneca. Marguerite Hansz, mother of Mrs. Schuneman, was born near Schweinfurt-on-the-Main, Germany, March 15, 1839, and came to Chi- cago, Ill., in 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Hansz were married in Illinois in 1859. Mrs. Hansz died in 1910. They were the parents of eight children, as fol- lows: Mrs. Louise Graham, a widow, Seneca, Kans .; George, dead ; Mrs. Mary Robbins, Soldier, Kans .; Vina, wife of Louis Schuneman ; Mrs. Rosa Hart, Seneca, Kans .; one child died in infancy; Edward, Seneca, Kans .; the first born died in infancy. Mrs. Vina Schuneman was born on a farm near Seneca, April 12, 1872. Nine children have been born to Louis and Vina Schuneman, namely: Helen, aged six- teen years; Clarence, fourteen years old; Paul, thirteen; Alice, eleven years old ; Gracie, nine years old ; Earle, aged seven ; Harry, five years of age ; Francis, aged two years ; Willis, an infant.

Mr. Schuneman is a Republican in politics but finds.very little time outside of his farming interests to take any active part in political affairs.

William M. Sourk, for many years a farmer in Harrison township, is one of the largest shippers and farmers in this part of the county and annually sends large shipments of stock and grain to the markets over the special railroad spur which has been built to his farm. He is a prominent citizen in many other respects also, for his interest in relig- ious work and in political matters leads him to take an important part in the activities of his community.

He is a son of William and Amanda J. (Mitchel) Sourk, of whom an account is given in the biographical sketch of George W. Sourk, which appears in another part of this volume.

William M. Sourk, of whom this review is to treat at length, was born in Stark county, Illinois, April 10, 1863. His boyhood and youth was spent on his father's farm and he lived much the same life as did the average farmer's son of that day, working hard when needed, and play- ing hard when he was not needed around the farm. He went to school as much as the limited opportunities in the rural districts of those days would permit. He did not leave his home place until he was forty-four years old, having spent his younger years in helping his father. As the latter grew more aged and wished to give up the strenuous labors of the field, his son worked all the more steadfastly and took the burden from his father's aging shoulders. For many years, in fact, he managed the farm without profit to himself, accepting only as compensation his

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bare living expenses. At the death of his father, William and his sis- ters, Addie M. and Mattie A., bought the home place of 320 acres and his sisters lived with him and kept house for him until his marriage in 1913. He then traded an eighty of the home place to Mattie and an eighty of his own place, which he had bought previously to the death of his father, and consisting of 160 acres, in 1886, the southeast quarter of section 21, adjoining the Sourk home place, for Addie's interest. This land adjoined the family estate and William Sourk worked it as part of the father's place, turning all profits to the latter. In 1899 he also, by shrewd trading, bought another 160 acres, situated one mile north of the original farm, in northeast quarter of section 17, making a section of contiguous territory which William was required to look after and keep in repair. In 1912 he traded a quarter section of this land on the purchase of his present home place and now has 320 acres in section 21, two sisters owning the remaining quarter, and the Sourk heirs owning 160 acres in northeast part of section 21. Mr. Sourk deals extensively in live stock and keeps as high as five hundred head of cattle, hogs and sheep. At the time the writer called, Mr. Sourk's stock was at the low- est condition it had been for years and he had sixty-eight head of sheep, forty-nine head of cattle, thirty-one hogs, fifteen horses and one mule. The railroad company has built a spur into his farm so that he can ship stock and grain more conveniently. This is known as Sourk's spur and is officially designated as a flag station.

March 23, 1913, he was married to Ernestine (Hall) Cox, a widow of Thomas Cox, and to this union one child has been born, William M .. Jr., born May 9, 1915.

Mrs. Sourk's first husband, Thomas Cox, was born near Bancroft, Kans., in 1879, and died in 1903 at Goff, Kans. He was reared on the farm and received a district schooling and followed farming the greater part of his life. To this marriage one child was born, Thomas L., born January 29, 1903, who lives with his mother. Mrs. Sourk is the dangh- ter of Armsted and Emaline L. (Harper) Hall. Her father was a pioneer in Nemaha county, who for more than thirty-five years lived in the Ontario neighborhood. He was born November 22, 1825, in Pat- rick county, Virginia, and at the age of twenty-five years, came to Mis- souri but soon crossed the plains for Oregon. Later he went to San Francisco and returned by way of the Isthmus of Panama and sailed to New York. In 1857 he returned to Missouri and when the Civil war broke out shortly afterward he joined General Marmaduke Price's reg- iment and took part in many of his adventurous expeditions. Before enlisting he was married to Margaret Jane Green, who bore him two children, Emma Esther, now Mrs. Isaac Cobb, and Francis Marion, of Colorado. In 1878 he was married to Emma L. McCormick and to this union were born three children, Minerva Virginia, now Mrs. Armour Lynde ; Laura Ernestine, now Mrs. William Sourk, and Armsted Clyde. At the age of thirty Mr. Hall united with the Christian church and was active in its affairs until his death.

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Mrs. Ernestine Hall (Cox) Sourk was born near Bancroft, Kans., Oc- tober 1, 1881, and was reared on the farm. After receiving a common school education, she helped her parents around the house until the date of her marriage in 1901. After the death of her first husband, she did much sewing to add to her income and later went to New Mexico to prove up a claim of one hundred and sixty acres. After living there a year, she sold out and came back to Kansas where she resumed her sewing. In 1913 she was married to Mr. Sourk. She is a member of the Christian church and belongs to the Royal Neighbors and Rebecca lodges.

Mr. Sourk is an active member of the Christian church and for years has been an elder in this denomination. When revival meetings were to be held at Goff in July, 1914, he was selected as superintendent of construction of the big tabernacle which was to be built at Goff, Kans. This structure, which was forty by fifty-six feet in size, was built in one day, a remarkable feat of building and a result of the won- derful co-operative industry of Goff's citizens. Mr. Sourk furnished the greater portion of the material, hauled from his place for the building. Mr. Sourk usually votes the Republican ticket. Since he was twenty- one years he has been a member of the election board almost contin- uously and in only two election has he failed to serve. One of these was in 1908 when he was busy settling up his father's estate, and in 1902 when he refused to serve in order to do more active work in support of one of his close friends who was a candidate for county com- missioner. Mr. Sourk is an active citizen among his neighbors and holds membership in the Masonic lodge and in the Modern Woodmen of America. He was president of the Farmers Union for a number of years prior to January 1, 1915, and is now president of the Cemetery Association and is a member of the school board. This concludes the list of activities of this prominent man. One has only to read them to see what character and industry must lie behind the name of a man who is as respected in his community as is Mr. Sourk.

John Sherman Sourk .- One of the widely known farmers of Harri- son township is John Sherman Sourk, who owns 280 acres of well im- proved farming land in this township. He is a son of William and Amanda J. (Mitchel) Sourk, of whom more is told in the biographical review of the life of George Sourk, which appears on other pages of this volume.

John S. Sourk was born in Stark county, Illinois, on December 12, 1866, and grew up on his father's farm, receiving a common schooling, while living on the farm. He taught a total of seventy-nine months, and attended Campbell University at Holton two years. He started out for himself at the age of twenty-three and, after his period of school teach- ing, he began to farm on the 120 acres he had bought in 1895, while he was still teaching school. In 1902, he bought eighty acres adjoining his original holdings and, in 1910, he bought another eighty acres two

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and one-half miles northwest of his home place. He rents his farming land now, and keeps only the pasture land for his own use, and raises a considerable number of cattle, horses and Poland China hogs. At pres- ent, he has twenty-six head of Poland China hogs, fifteen head of fine Norman horses, and thirty-two head of white face and Shorthorn cattle which is an average amount of stock. He raises chiefly corn on his land. On April 29; he was married to Hettie Edith Barnes, and to this mar- riage, four children have been born: One who died in infancy ; Orval L., cleven years old, in school ; Gerald F., four years old ; Ruth E., five months old, living at home. Mrs. Sourk is the daughter of John and Elverna (Moyer) Barnes, whose life histories are set down elsewhere in this book. Mrs. Sourk was born near Goff, Kans., October 26, 1883, and was reared on the farm. She lived at home until her marriage in 1900. She is a member of the Christian church.

Mr. Sourk is a member of the Christian church, in which he is a deacon and trustee. He is auditor of the Farmers' Union, and is very active in its affairs. Mr. Sourk is a Republican voter and takes an inter- est in all public affairs, both of his locality and those of the Nation. He is one of the foremost men in his neighborhood in trying to improve the welfare of the neighborhood, and much credit should be given him for what he has done.

John H. Barnes .- One of the well known farmers of Granada town- ship is John H. Barnes, the son of James and Mary Ann (Page) Barnes, who were pioneer settlers in Ohio. The father, James Barnes, was born in Maryland, in 1812. He came to Leavenworth, Kans., in 1857. Six months later, he moved to Granada township, Nemaha county, where Mr. Barnes pre-empted a piece of land and farmed it for sixteen years. Meanwhile, he was traveling and teaching. When he grew too old to actively engage in his work, he divided the eighty acres among his chil- dren, and lived in retirement until his death in 1877. He was a member of the Baptist church, and for some time, he acted as pastor, and through- out his life, he was an able and constant worker in his church. In poli- tics, Mr. Barnes was a Republican.

His wife, Mary Ann Barnes, was born in New York City in 1813. She was married to Mr. Barnes in 1838, and twelve children were born to them : One child, who died in infancy ; Mrs. Sarah Chasem, deceased ; Wesley, deceased : Mrs. Ruth Hicks, deceased; James, deceased ; Mrs. Catherine Thompson, deceased; Jacob, deceased; Henry, deceased ; Samuel, farmer, Granada township; Mrs. Emily Clifton, retired widow, Goff : John H .; Luke, deceased.

John H. Barnes was born in Ohio, March 8, 1854. At the age of fourteen, he started out for himself, and his first job was as hired man at wages of ten dollars a month. He worked as a farm hand for about nine years, when he bought forty acres in Harrison township, which he farmed four years, and then left to buy eighty acres in Granada town- ship. He moved on this property, and is renting the other farm.

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He was married in 1879 to Elverna Moyer, and eight children were born to them, four dying at a tender age. Those now living are: Mrs. Daisy Hawley, Granada township; Mrs. John S. Sourk, Harrison town- ship; Mrs. Ethel Bondrager, Granada township; Mrs. Estelle Pittman, wife of a Granada township farmer. Mrs. Barnes was the daughter of Augustus and Ellen Moyer. Her father was born in Pennsylvania in 1830. He followed farming all of his life, and came to Kansas in the sixties, and lived most of the time in Granada township.

Elverna Barnes was born in Pennsylvania in 1863, and died in June, 1905. Mr. Barnes was married a second time in 1907 to Lydia Porter.

Mr. Barnes is a well liked man, and belongs to a great many organ- izations, among which are: Masonic, in which he was escort; Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, was escort and treasurer ; Knights of Pythias; Farmers' Alliance, was treasurer; Grangers; Modern Wooden of Amer- ica, was treasurer six years. He is widely known in this district, and is highly respected by all who know him.

Chester G. Sourk, a prosperous farmer of Harrison township, is a son of Chester M. and Harriett A. (Cox) Sourk. Chester M. Sourk was born in Illinois, May 17, 1861, and was raised on the farm. At the age of twenty-two years he started out for himself and though he was in poor health, he worked hard, most of the time on a hay bailer, which he ran eight years. Then he bought 120 acres near Goff, which he farmed until his death, December 26, 1912. He was a member of the Christian church, and of the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodges. For several years he was venerable counsel for the Woodmen. On April 3, 1880, he was married to Harriett A. Cox and two children were born to them: Ches- ter G., of whom this biographical account is to deal, and Mrs. Ada E. Porter, wife of a Brown county, Kansas, farmer, and mother of one child. Mrs. Sourk was born in London, England, April 3, 1863, and came to the United States with her parents when she was a very small child. She lived with her parents until her marriage and did a large part of the housework for them. She is a member of the Baptist church. She died in 1901.

Chester G. Sourk was born in Harrison township, Nemaha county, August 23, 1892, and was reared on his father's farm. After receiving a common school education, he went to Kansas City, Mo., where he studied shorthand and typewriting. At the age of twenty, he rented his father's place of 120 acres. He keeps high grade Jersey red hogs, having about twenty-eight head at present. Besides this he owns eight head of cattle and twelve horses. He grows mostly corn and wheat on his place.

September 6, 1911, he was married to Grace B. Porter, daugh- ter of William and Nancy (Cullum) Porter. Two children have been born to them: Clyde, three years ; Jessie, one and a half years old. Mrs.

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Sourk's father was born in Missouri in 1832 and died in Nemaha county, Kansas, in 1908. He started out for himself when he was quite young and in 1870 came to Kansas, locating in Nemaha county, seven miles northeast of Goff, where he bought 400 acres on which he lived until his death, though he had sold 140 acres before he died in 1908. He was a member of the Christian church and for several years was a township officer and was a member of the school board.

In 1874 he was married to Nancy Cullum, who was born in Nash- ville, Tenn., in 1849. She lived on the farm with her parents until her marriage. She belonged to the Christian Church and is now living at Wetmore, Kans. Eleven children were born to them: James, farmer near Wetmore; five children; Mrs. Bertha Pendergrass, farmer, Rosalia, Kans; Mrs. Manda Lynn, farmer, Brown county, Kansas; Mrs. Jennie Johnson, wife of hardware merchant, Caldwell, Kans .; Mrs. Ella Mc- Kee, wife of Nemaha county farmer; Mrs. Jessie Bright, wife of Ne- maha county farmer; Mrs. Ethel Lee, wife of farmer near Wetmore, Kans; William, farmer near Wetmore; Mrs. Edna Bontrager, Axtell, Kans., wife of farmer; Grace, wife of subject of this review; Leslie, living at Wetmore with his mother.

Mrs. Chester Sourk was born March 5, 1892, in Wetmore, Kans., and was reared on the farm. She lived with her mother until her mar- riage. She attends the Christian Church regularly.

Mr. Sourk attends the Christian Church and is a Republican in politics. He is a member of the Farmers' Union and is a director in that organization. He is one of the younger men of the county and is a progressive and wideawake farmer, who without doubt will make a name for himself.

Bayard Taylor, of Harrison township, Nemaha county, Kansas, was a son of Joseph Willard Taylor, who was born on a farm in Hendricks county, Indiana, in 1830. When he was very young, his father died, leaving a widowed mother, whom it was the duty of Joseph Willard Tay- lor to support. This he did in a most manful way, and until he was twenty years old, he and his sister, Sarah, lived with his mother, and cared for her welfare. Then, taking a wife, because he cherished his strong love for his mother, and brought her into his new home to live with him and his wife. She lived alternately with her son and her daughter, Mrs. Sarah Yates, until her death. Joseph Taylor was of an enterprising na- ture, and soon after his marriage, he started a general merchandise store in Cartersburg, Indiana, which he conducted for some time. For a term of four years, he was assessor of Hendricks county, Indiana. He mi- grated to Kansas in August, 1862. When the Civil war broke out, Mr. Taylor was a young man of thirty. Because of his ability in leading men, he was made captain of a Kansas militia company, which fought against General Price's army when the rebel general made his raid toward Kansas and was stopped at Westport, Mo. He also served as paymaster for the Federal Government during a later period of the war,

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and passed through many exciting situations during the bloody struggle. Once when he was engaged in a particularly dangerous piece of work, he disguised himself in the hope of avoiding capture. In 1862, he came to Kansas and bought 200 acres of land five miles north of 'Holton, in Jackson county, which he farmed for three years. Then he moved to Holton, where he went into the general merchandise business in partner- ship with "Uncle Tom" Adamson, who was well known in Holton. He conducted this business for three years, during which period he rented his farm, but finding farm life more attractive, he sold his business inter- est in the merchandise store, and returned to his farm near Holton. Once when Jackson county needed a good assessor, Joseph Taylor was appointed and executed the duties of this office with skill and satisfac- tion to all concerned during his two-year term. While filling this office, he was elected justice of the peace of his precinct. Office holding had few attractions for him, and he returned to his farm. He later had the honor of naming his home township-Liberty township. In 1882, after he had consummated many business deals, in which he traded his farm for another one and that for a third one, he went into the general mer- chandise business again on a special trade. Mr. Taylor had for several years been dealing in trades and leaving his son, Bayard Taylor, to manage the farm. He has also done considerable cattle buying, and by driving them to Leavenworth, was able to ship them at a great profit. In the fall of 1882, he made one of his characteristically shrewd trades, this time with Edmund Abbott of Goff, Kans., in which he traded eighty acres of land and 700 head of sheep for Mr. Abbott's general mer- chandise store, at Goff, Kansas. In thirty days, however, Mr. Taylor made a deal with the hotel keeper in Goff, by which he traded his gen- eral merchandise store for the hostelry. He kept this for several months, when he traded it for a hardware store, which he operated successfully for a year. Selling out at a favorable price, he moved to Corning, where he bought a general merchandise store, which he operated for a year, when he came back to Goff to buy a hardware store again. After con- ducting it for four years with remarkable success, he traded it to James Conville for a farm of 160 acres. Then he bought a livery stable from his son, and ran it a year, after which he went into partnership with George Bickle in the general merchandise business. After a year, he sold his interest to his partner, and went to Bancroft, where he took charge of a lumber yard and hardware store, which he conducted. for twelve years. Selling out this establishment, he returned to Goff, where he lived in retirement until his death on April 4, 1911. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and for many years of his life, he belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge. In 1851, he was married to Elizabeth Pope, and to this union, six children were born, as follows: Mrs. May Rafter, widow and mother of four children, living in Holton; Mrs. Rose Dunn, wife of cashier of Holton State Bank, and mother of two children; Bayard, subject of this review ;

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Mrs. Eva Plaxton, of Florida, where her husband is a gardener, and who is the mother of seven children; Mack, cattleman in Greeley county, Kansas, and father of one boy, and Ula, who died in infancy. Mrs. Tay- lor was born in Hendricks county, Indiana, in 1830, and was reared in a hotel where her parents lived. After having completed her common school education, she lived with her parents until her marriage. She died February 17, 1914. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and of the Rebekah lodge.

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History of Nemaha County, Kansas, Part 79

Author: Tennal, Ralph 1872- Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Company Number of Pages: 964

Author: Tennal, Ralph 1872-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Lawrence, Kan., Standard Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 964