USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > A Biographical history of Nodaway and Atchison counties, Missouri : compendium of national biography > Part 37
USA > Missouri > Atchison County > A Biographical history of Nodaway and Atchison counties, Missouri : compendium of national biography > Part 37
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Mr. Peck has lately built one of the hand- somest residences in Westboro, at a cost of thirty-five hundred dollars. It is of modern structure and fitted up with all the latest de- vices for convenience and comfort. Person- ally our subject is popular, possessing the courteous manner that always wins friends. He is an important factor in both public and social life in Westboro and may be consid- ered a representative citizen.
CHARLES A. ELLIS, M. D.
The profession of medicine in its practice in flourishing country towns, is not usually unpleasant or unprofitable. The successful
practitioner in such environments has ample opportunity to know his patients and their families thoroughly and to inform himself as to previous diseases, even pre-natal in- fluences which have affected the health of any patient. In the case of Dr. Charles .A. Ellis, the physician has the still further advantage of having grown up among his patrons, and of adding to his knowledge of therapeutics a thorough knowledge of drugs and medi- cines acquired by many years' experience in the drug trade.
Charles .A. Ellis, M. D., of Maryville, a representative of one of the early families of Nodaway county, was born in Maryville. August 4, 1862. He is a son of Leander T. Ellis, a pioneer teacher, politician and local preacher, who died in Maryville in 1869. That citizen so prominent in his day was born in North Carolina in 1797, and was reared and married in Kentucky. He came into Missouri and settled upon the Platte Purchase when a young man and was one of the conspicuous characters of Nodaway county from 1848, the date of his arrival, to. the date of his death. When not holding some public office he was engaged in teach- ing. He hield the office of school commis- sioner, which corresponded to the present of- fice of county superintendent of schools, and was the judge of the county court. He was a man of much religious zeal and enthu- siasm, preaching and exhorting and doing other labor for the advancement of the cause of Christianity, for many years, and with- out charge. His first wife was a Miss Hum- ber and those of their children who grew tc manhood and womanhood are : Dr. T. C. Ellis, of Barnard, Missouri; Mary .A .. who married James . A. Key and lives in Nodaway county ; Amanda, who became Mrs. Ditte- more and lives in California; Lizzie. non-
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Mrs. Henderson, living in California ; Han- nah, the wife of John Grant, of Lexington, Missouri: L. G .. of California: N. D .. living in southern Missouri; William C., of California : Patia, Mrs. Blackman, of Okla- homa : Sarah J., who lives in California, and i. the wife of John Ferguson; and the late Albert T. Ellis, of Maryville. His second wife was Mrs. Elizabeth (Carr) Cross, whose acquaintance he made and whom he married in Nodaway county. They had three children: Alexander C., deceased ; Dr. Charles .A. : and Alvah C., of Leadville, Colorado. Mrs. Elizabeth Ellis was the vilow of Asa Cross and three of her chil- dren by her first marriage lived to maturity. Almira married E. L. Cook and died in Idaho: Aldello was a soklier in the Union army in the Civil war and died not long after the close of the war as the result of disabil- ities contracted in the service; Diedrick was accidentally killed in Nodaway county.
Dr. Charles A. Ellis, the immediate sub- ject of this sketch, was educated in the city of Maryville. His first entrance to business was as a clerk for his brother in the drug trade. He remained with that once prominent concern for fifteen years, and, while so con- nected, was elected the mayor of Maryville and was, perhaps, the most youthful chief "Veentive the city ever had. While he was a Democratic candidate, the young Republi- cans flocked to his aid to such an extent as to make him mayor of a Republican city. Ile navle a canvass for nomination as county re- o fder and was defeated only in a close con- tet. The strength he showed in that can- longn made him the leading candidate for tem mation at the next convention and four years later, in 1804. he was nominated, but that year was an off year for the Missouri Dum pracy, the state went Republican for
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the first time in its history, and Doctor Ellis suffered defeat with the other nominees on his ticket. Dr. Ellis is a Mason and a mem- ber of both orders of Woodmen and of Lin- coln Legion of Honor, of Maryville. He married. December 16, 1883. Miss Lulu MI. AAnderson, a daughter of E. M. Anderson, of Maryville. Dr. Ellis's career as a druggist and licensed pharmacist prepared the way for an early entry upon the practice of med- icine, after his retirement from the drug bus- iness. Ile took the prescribed lecture course in the Kentucky school of medicine at Louis- ville, and was graduated at that institution June 29. 1898. Clinic and hospital work formed an important feature of his course and he received a diploma also from the Louisville City Hospital.
JAMES A. HUNTER, M. D.
Dr. James .A. Hunter, a public-spirited citizen and prominent physician of AAtchison county, Missouri, is a descendant of one of the honored pioneer families of that county, lle is a son of James and Elizabeth (Mlc- Kay) Hunter, and was born in Atchison county, August 16. 1850. Robert Hunter. the grandfather of our subject, was a na- tive of Scotland, but for many years lived in Nova Scotia. Ilis children were : William. who died in Atchison county; John, who died in Nevada; James, the father of our subject : and Janet, who was Mrs. Casey. and died in Atchison county in 1894. James Hunter. the father of our subject, was born in Scotland, but moved with his parents to Nova Scotia, where he lived until after three of his children were born. He then moved to Atchison county, Missouri, in 1847. where he carried on farming until the time of his death, which occurred in October,
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1885. He was a prominent Republican, and served as county judge for twelve years. A man of sterling integrity, and of upright character, he won many friends all through life and his death was much regretted by all who knew him. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and also a Mason. He married Elizabeth Mckay, who was a native of Nova Scotia, but of Scotch descent. Her death occurred April 2, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter had eight children, all of whom are now living. They are: Robert, of Rockport; Mrs. Isabelle Bush, of Wyoming; William, a farmer of this county; James A., the subject of this sketch; Jennie K. Campbell; George T., a live-stock commissioner of St. Joseph, Mis- souri; John W., in the stock business in Wyoming; and Una, the wife of J. Bailey.
Dr. James A. Hunter was reared and educated in this county. He began his edu- cation in the common schools of his native town and attended. McGee College, in Ma- con county, Missouri, for three years. He then taught school one year, and in 1872 be- gan reading medicine with Dr. J. L. Tracy, of Rockport, Missouri, as his preceptor. In 1872-5 he attended lectures at the St. Louis Medical College, and was graduated in the spring of 1875. Dr. Hunter was a thorough student and started in practice well equipped in the knowledge necessary in the practice of his profession. After practicing six years in Milton, Missouri, he took a course at Bellevue Hospital, New York, graduat- ing there in 1881. He then located in Fair- fax, buying the first lot sold in the town. His practice is large and lucrative, and he has many patients throughout the county, where by his kind and courteous manner he has won a host of warm friends. He is now engaged with the Elliot Hunter Drug Com-
pany, where all modern medical appliances may be obtained. Dr. Hunter has a fine residence and office, and besides this owns considerable property at Fairfax. He is a loyal and upright citizen, always lending his assistance in anything which tends to develop the town in which he lives. Po- litically the Doctor is a firm Republican, but has never aspired to office.
February 29, 1876, Dr. Hunter was united in marriage with Amanda Graves, a daughter of J. P. Graves, formerly of Kentucky, but for many years a prominent farmer of Atchison county. J. P. Graves had nine children, who are as follows : Will- iam J .; Sarah, who was Mrs. J. R. Treat ; David ; Mary, the wife of J. Galliway; Eliza- beth, deceased; John H .; Amanda, the wife of our subject ; Julia ; and Emma, who mar- ried W. W. Scarlett.
Dr. Hunter and his wife are the par- ents of five children : Owen A., born Jan- uary 5, 1877, a practicing physician of Corning, Missouri; Zita, born August 21, 1879; J. Don, born June 13, 1881 ; Beulalı, born November 9, 1887; and Basil, born April 27, 1889. The parents are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church ; and Dr. Hunter is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Missouri Valley Medical Society.
SHELLENBERGER BROTHERS.
Prominent among the business men of Atchison county, Missouri, are W. H. and H. L. Shellenberger, of the well-known firm of Shellenberger Brothers, of Westboro, where they do an extensive business as dealers in general merchandise. They occupy a brick block 45x105 feet in dimensions, and have a complete modern department store which
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will compare favorably with those of many large cities. They carry a fine line of dry goods, groceries, clothing. boots and shoes. their stock being valued at twenty thousand dollars. They have been in business in Westboro about six years and have built up an excellent trade, which is constantly increasing. They are western men by birth and training and possess the energy which characterizes the men of the Mississippi valley.
Their father. Joseph Shellenberger, is a prominent and wealthy citizen of Mound City, Missouri, who is of German descent, and was born, reared and educated in Penn- sylvania. Coming to Missouri in 1865 he located in AAndrew county, and in the de- velopment of a large farm gave his sons plenty of opportunity to work, their educa- tion being principally of a practical kind. One son, E. D., is now a prominent business man of Mound City, his business amount- ing to over one hundred and thirty-two thousand dollars per annum. W. H. and Il. L. Shellenberger were born and reared on the old home farm in Andrew county, early becoming familiar with honest toil. W. 11. clerked in a store in that county for some time and then went to Ran- som. Ness county, Kansas, where he en- gaged in business on his own account for five years. He was married in his native county. in 1800, at the age of twenty-six years, to Miss Eva Liggett, a lady of culture and refinement and a daughter of John Liggett, of Andrew county. By that union were born two children. Hazel and Clare. In 1800 11. 1 .. Shellenberger was united in marriage with Miss Mollie Livingston, by whom he has three daughters -- Ruby, Nell and Helen.
The brothers and their families are ac
tive workers in the Methodist Episcopal church and Sunday-school, and also sing in the choir. They are wide-awake, ener- getic business men, very progressive and en- terprising, and by their untiring industry and sound judgment have won a merited success in their undertakings. They have the entire confidence and respect of their fel- low citizens and are well worthy the high regard in which they are held.
HON. HERVEY H. WILLSIE.
The citizens of Atchison county, Mis- souri, have in the Hon. Hervey H. Willsie, familiarly known as "Hub" Willsie, a rep- resentative in the state legislature to whom they may safely entrust their best interests, for Mr. Willsie, who is a prominent citizen of Tarkio, is not only a plain, common citizen, as all his ancestors have been before him, but has in every relation of life demonstrat- ed that confidence may be reposed in him to the fullest extent.
Mr. Willsie's great-grandfathers were among the Knickerbockers in New York and he possesses the same sturdy, upright character that distinguished them. He was born at Burr Oak, Winneshick county, Jowa, June 24. 1856, a son of William H. and Cynthia ( Harden ) Willsie. His fa- ther was born and reared near Lake Cham- plain, and his mother, who was born in Canada, came from an English family. They located early in Jowa, where Mr. Will- sie was in business as a hardware merchant, at Oskaloosa, for a number of years. From lowa the family removed to Missouri, in 1867, since which time Mr. Willsie has been a resident of the state. William Il. and Cynthia ( Harden ) Willsie, who lived ont
UB A NEW
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their days in Missouri, had seven daughters and three sons, of whom nine are living. One of these, Mathilda Sage, lives in Davis, South Dakota. Mrs. Lou Beatty lives at Mishawaka, St. Joseph county, Indiana. Mrs. Helen Leggett lives at Rogers, Ar- kansas. McClelland Willsie is a well-known lawyer at Des Moines, Iowa. Lucinda Willsie lives at Evanston, Illinois. I. G. Willsie lives at Parker, South Dakota; and Mary is the wife of Ed F. Rankin, of Atchison county, Missouri. The father of these children, who died at the age of sixty- five years, became prominent as a farmer and stockman in Missouri and was known as a man of enterprise and integrity and was highly respected by all who knew him. During the latter part of his life he was a member of the Greenback party.
Ilervey H. Willsie was brought up on the farm and taught that all good and necessary things may be won by hard work. His educational advantages were not great, but by reading and observation he became a well informed man. Political questions have commanded his attention since he was a mere youth. He came to Atchison county thirty-three years ago and has since that time been actively engaged in the pursuit of farming. He owns a fine farm of four hundred acres, with ample buildings and plenty of good stock, and is one of the most progressive and successful farmers in the county and is associated in business enter- prises with Ed F. Rankin. Politically he is a member of the Populist party, for the success of which he is a zealous and active worker and in the councils of which he is very influential. He was the judge of the north district in 1896-98, and no man ever occupied that position with more fair- ness or more ability. In 1900 he was elect- 18
ed, by a fusion of the Democrats and Popu- lists, to represent Atchison county in the state legislature and those who know him best say that he will be a representative of the whole people and that every vote cast for him was cast in the interest of the com- mon people of Atchison county. He is a splendid type of the stalwart farmer and a safe leader in all public affairs, with a happy faculty of making and retaining friends, and is abundantly able to discharge the im- portant duties devolving upon him.
In October, 1884, Mr. Willsie married Miss Jennie Wishard, of Atchison county, a woman of much intelligence and educa- tion, who was born at Canton, Illinois, a daughter of Edward and Amanda (Smith) Wishard, now of Stanton, Stanton conn- ty, Nebraska, who was reared and edit- cated at Bushnell, Illinois. He is a meinl- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. Since he grew to manhood he has had the welfare of Atchison coun- ty near his heart and has most de- votedly done everything in his power to advance its most important interests. He regards the people of the county as his peo- ple and has never lost an opportunity to aid their progress and prosperity. He is a genial, whole-souled man who invites the approach of every one whom he can serve and his integrity has been so many times tried and proven good that the trite saying "his word is as good as his bond" applies to him as fully and as exactly as to any man in the world. His ability is such that he has been found adequate to all demands upon him, and should his fellow citizens call him to places of still higher responsi- bility those who know him best believe that he will fill them manfully and patriotically and with an eye single to the public weal.
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GEORGE WILLIAM FINK.
The hotel business is one of the chief in- terests of a city and one in which the com- forts and conveniences of the traveling pub- lie can be so attended to or so neglected as to make or mar the reputation of a city for hospitality. The hotels of Maryville. Nord- away county, Missouri, have not always been in good hands, and the business men of the place were more than glad when George W. Fink, the proprietor of the Linville and Ream hotels, practically took the business of public entertainment in Maryville into his own hands and put himself at the head of one of the city's essential and in some ways most important enterprises. In July, 1894. Mr. Fink leased the Linville hotel and ap- plied his methods to its conduct with the result that its reputation has been so fully recovered and built up that it has become one of the popular and first-class houses in northwestern Missouri. In 1897 he secured control of the old Arlington hotel, now the Ream hotel, and conducts it as a "dollar- a day" house. These two properties give Mr. Fink possession and practical control of the best business in his line and afford the city of Maryville two good houses for the entertainment of her guests.
Mr. Fink was born at Bremen, Indiana, July 9, 1864. His father, Martin Fink, was from Pennsylvania and was for a time a mer- chant, but for the most part a farmer. He emigrated to Marshall county, Indiana, be- fore the war and died at Bremen in Octo- ber, 1888. His wife, who was Polly Weaver, died at Bremen in May, 1803. Their children were: Lewis, of Bloomfield, Missouri : Mary, the wife of Michael Wahl. of Bremen. Indiana; Morgan, of Bremen : FI. deceased : Ellen, now Mrs. Solomon
Huff, of Argos, Indiana : Charles and Larin- da, deceased : Nettie, living at the Ream hotel, Maryville: Eliza, the wife of Oscar Hans, of South Bend, Indiana: and George W., our subject.
George W. Fink passed his childhood and boyhood in the schools of Bremen until. at the age of seventeen, he became a grocery clerk in his father's grocery store in that village. Then, when his first two years' business experience was acquired, he left his home and his native town at nineteen and sought the opportunities of the west. He located at Hastings. Nebraska, and secured a night clerkship in the Lepin hotel there. He served in that position nearly two years and left it to take the management of the Commercial hotel in the same city. He re- mained with this house a little less than three years and left it to go into business for him- self at Fairbury, Nebraska, where he leased the Commercial hotel and operated it suc- cessfully for six years. With his eleven years' experience in looking after the wants and comforts of the "knights of the grip" and with his natural adaptability to the work -for he is a born landlord-he transferred his energies to Maryville with the result that the hotel business there has been greatly improved and popularized.
His connection with the hotel business and his untiring efforts in behalf of the commercial men have not been alone for the glory and the name. He has so managed his affairs as to have ample reward for his services, as such reward comes in country places. He left h's Indiana home with one hundred dollars in cash and from that sun Ins progress in financial matters must be compared and estimated. He has bought two farms in Nodaway county, aggregating two hundred and forty acres, one of which
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he has stocked and manages personally. This gives him an outing during each fine day during the warm season, changes his oc- cupation and brings him rest and recreation when it is needed.
Mr. Fink married, at Hastings, Nebras- ka, December 8, 1886, Miss Agnes, a dangh- ter of John Wesley Blodgett, of Three Rivers, Michigan. Her mother was Mary Bridgeman. Mrs. Fink is one of six chil- dren. Mr. Fink is the past chancellor of Tancred Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of Maryville, and is a devoted and well-ad- vanced Mason, belonging to lodge, chapter and Maryville Commandery, No. 40. He is a friendly and genial man. very popular with his fellow townsmen and the traveling public.
ED B. FELLOWS.
Ed B. Fellows, who carries on farming and stock raising in Atchison county, was born in Dodge county, Wisconsin, November 10, 1846, his parents being Isaac and Mar- garet (Elmore) Fellows. The father was a native of New Hampshire and was of English lineage. In New York he was mar- ried, the lady of his choice being a native of Canada, born at Quebec, of Scotch par- entage. After their marriage they removed to Dodge county, Wisconsin, and in 1849 took up their abode in Waukesha county. near Milwaukee, locating in the midst of the forest, the father clearing some of the land upon which the city of Milwaukee has since been built. At that early day he sold wood to steamboats on the lake. All the surround- ing country was a dense forest and coal was little used for fuel, but wood could be ob- tained in almost limitless quantities. The forest was so dense that he was at one time
lost for four and a half days in the woods, but eventually made his way back to the ciearing. At different times he cleared and improved various Wisconsin farms and in 1.865 lie came to Missouri, purchasing a large tract of land in Andrew county, where he spent his remaining days, his death oc- curring in 1886, while his wife passed away in 1872. He was six feet in height, large and strong, and was an indefatigable worker in his earlier days. As a result of his tin- tiring energy and his irreproachable honesty he accumulated a good estate. He was a worthy and consistent member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belonged, and in politics he was a stal- wart Republican. In his family were ten children, namely : William, who served dur- ing the war of the Rebellion in the First Wisconsin Cavalry and died in Savannah, Missouri: Mary, a resident of Nebraska ; Maria, who is living in Denver, Colorado; Lewis, who joined the Twenty-fourth Wis- consin Infantry and died in the service, at the age of eighteen years; Edward B .; George, deceased ; John H .; Charles, a rail- road employe ; and O. R. and Newton, de- ceased.
Mr. Fellows, whose name introduces this review, was reared to honest toil on the home farm and acquired his education in the dis- trict and graded schools. He came with his parents to Missouri in 1865 and assisted the father in the cultivation of the home farm until his marriage, on the 23d of March, 1871. He then began farming on his own account and two years later he removed to Green township. Nodaway county, where, in connection with agricultural pursuits, he began handling stock. After four years he came to Atchison county, in 1877, settling near Fairfax, in Clark township, where he
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purchased eighty acres of land, to the im- provement of which he long devoted his en- ergies. As his financial resources increased he extended the boundaries of his place by additional purchase until he now owns three hundred and sixty acres of rich land, much of which is under a high state of cultiva- tion. He annually feeds about one hundred and sixty head of cattle and his business is extensive and profitable. He has been very successful and now owns a fine farm, on which are seen handsome and substantial improvements, including a commodious two- story frame residence, large barns and all necessary outbuildings. His home is sur- rounded by a beautiful grove of forest trees of his own planting, and on the place is a good bearing orchard. The home is pleas- antly and conveniently located two miles northeast of Fairfax, and the owner is re- garded as one of the substantial citizens and reliable business men of his community.
The lady who bore the name of Mrs. Fellows was in her maidenhood Miss Louise Miller. She was born in Andrew county, Missouri, April 10, 1849. and represents one of the honored pioneer families there, her parents being Allen D. and Mary Miller. U'nto Mr. and Mrs. Fellows were born nine children, of whom seven are yet living : Alma, now Mrs. Mann, of Spokane, Wash- ington ; Allen D. and Ed, who are engaged in the stock business at Hyannis, Nebras- ka: Maggie, at home; Pearl, who died in 1899, at the age of eighteen years; Ethel; Flood; and James. The mother of these children was called to her final rest April 8. 1800, Banving many friends as well as her husband and children to mourn her loss. She was a consistent member of the Chris- tan church, and in that church Mr. Fel- lows also holds membership. He is now
serving as one of its deacons and is doing all in his power to promote church work. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a broad-minded. en . terprising and public-spirited citizen, who is charitable to the poor and needy, withhold- ing not his aid from those who need help. In politics he is an uncompromising Re- publican. unswerving in his advocacy of the principles of the party. He has ever main- tained in his business career a high standing. Although he had little capital when he start- ed out in life for himself, his labors have been diligently prosecuted through many years and he is to-day the owner of one of the finest farms in the county, the place standing as a monument to his thrift and enterprise.
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