A history of northeast Missouri, Vol. 2 pt 2, Part 3

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864- , ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 912

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FRANK P. DYE. Probably were Frank P. Dye asked to define the secret of success in life, from his own standpoint and experience, his reply would be, no doubt, that it is hard work, availing itself of fair opportunities. Always and everywhere he remembers that his busi- ness career has been a successful one, and that to himself and all north- eastern Missouri men of his caliber, is peculiarly applicable the well- worn maxim, that "nothing succeeds like success." Mr. Dye, who is now conducting a flourishing general mercantile establishment at Van- dalia, was born one mile south of this city, in Audrain county, Missouri, and is a son of James A. and Selina L. (Graffert) Dye. His father was born in Pike county, Missouri, June 10, 1848, being a son of Kenneth and Martha (Burroughs) Dye, and Kenneth Dye was born in Mason county, Kentucky, April 29, 1812, and died May 16, 1878. His parents were Peter and Abigail Dye, of Virginia. Kenneth Dye came to Pike county, Missouri, in 1837, and the next year was there married to Martha A. Burroughs. He was a brick mason by trade and was a con- tractor and builder for several years, but in 1866 settled some three miles southeast of Laddonia, in Audrain county, where he continued to reside until his death. His old home was on the Mexico road, and no man for a distance of fifty miles along that greatly traveled highway was more widely and favorably known. He kept open house, no person ever being turned away empty-handed from his door, and to the ministers of the Christian faith, of which he was an ardent adherent, it was home. He was a successful farmer, a public-spirited citizen, a faithful friend and a Christian gentleman, and was universally respected throughout Au- drain county. He was the father of nine children, and each one had superlative qualities of body and mind. All were keenly intelligent, the sons becoming highly respected citizens, while the daughters were all endowed with natural charm of person, each possessing elements of beauty both of lineament and character that caused them to be celebrated and greatly sought. Their bodily charms were enhanced by a keenness

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of wit and readiness in conversation that made them leaders of the county society and which undoubtedly would have given them high rank in the social centers of this day. Vandalia and vicinity have boasted of many handsome and charming ladies, none of whom, however, could surpass in beauty and native charm the daughters of Kenneth Dye.

Of James A. Dye, it is a pleasure tinged with sadness for any one who knew him as intimately as any one could, to write. Richly endowed with keenness of intellect and personal address, when but eighteen years of age he became deputy sheriff of his county, and so served with great efficiency for some years. Entering the government service, under Capt. M. M. Modisett, he saw considerable active field work, which extended over southern Missouri and to almost every battlefield of that section. Making the acquaintance of Miss Selina L. Graffert, a young lady of rare personal attraction, he pressed his suit with such ardor that her heart was won, but to secure her it was necessary to take her against her father's will, although in his quiet way Thomas Graffert really ad- mired the determination of his daughter's suitor. With no capital but willing heart and hardy muscles, they began to fight the battles of the world for themselves, and with unflagging energy and by taking advantage of opportunities, Mr. Dye soon acquired a fine farm and a financial competence. Removing to Vandalia, he opened a grocery store and thenceforth made the village his home. He took part in every movement for general advancement and though shadows fell and some- what darkened his latter years, no blot stained his character and he never lost the friendship of earlier companions. Vandalia has had many high-grade citizens, but none in whose honesty of purpose, integrity of character, faithfulness to friends and nobility of mind, was held in greater measure than in James A. Dye. His death occurred September 25, 1892, his wife having passed away September 1, 1886. They were the parents of three children : Frank P .; Arthur K., who lives in Seattle, Washington ; and Joseph M., who is his brother's partner in the general merchandise business.

Frank P. Dye has passed his entire life in and near Vandalia. Al- though he attended the district schools, the greater part of his educa- tion has been acquired outside of books, and few men have the business sense more naturally active or more fully developed. Entering the store with his father when he was fifteen years of age, he found himself in his natural element, and readily adapted himself to the details of successful merchandising. Ambitious beyond the limits of a retail grocery, he spent five years in the general store of George Daniels, but in 1893 established a general store on a modest scale, and through energy, industry and perseverance has developed a business that has kept fully abreast of the city's growth. This establishment was incor- porated in 1908 as F. P. Dye & Brother Mercantile Company, and capit- alized at $20,000, all of the stock being owned by Mr. Dye and his brother, Joseph, except a small amount that has been taken up by two clerks who have long been employed in the business. The building, a structure 60x100 feet, is owned by F. P. Dye and W. S. Boyd, but was erected for the store. A stock valued at from $65,000 to $70,000 is carried. For fifteen years Mr. Dye has been the leading merchant of Vandalia. His present establishment is modern in all particulars, having large, well-equipped rooms that are already proving inadequate to accommo- date the constantly expanding trade. The capital has been many times doubled, in order to keep abreast of the development of the business. Single-minded the proprietor keeps his finger upon the public pulse every throb being noted and business conditions conformed to. Per- sistence, tenacity, honesty, open dealing and strict attention to the Vol. III-2

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demands of trade have won for him not only a competence and a satis- factory income, but, what is more, the regard and confidence of a wide custom, the respect of his competitors and the loyalty of the wholesale merchants.

Mr. Dye was married in 1902, to Miss Carrie Branstetter, daughter of James Branstetter, of Pike county, a charming lady who is a repre- sentative of one of the large and highly esteemed families of the county. Mr. Dye resides in a large and desirable modern residence in Vandalia, which is a center of culture and social refinement.

THOMAS GRAFFERT. Among the older residents of Vandalia, the name of the late Thomas Graffert will be readily recalled, and it will be no effort to conjure up a picture of the pleasant, genial old man, whose flowing gray locks gave him such a distinguished appearance, and whose kindly life was reflected in his honest eyes. Many there are who will remember him for some special act of benevolence or beneficence, but to all those who lived in his day he will be called back to mind as one whose optimistic nature led him to always look on the bright side of life and to assist others in so doing. Mr. Graffert was born in the District of Columbia, February 14, 1803, and was a son of John and Mary (Deacons) Graffert, who were of Scotch origin.

Thomas Graffert grew to manhood in Fairfax county, Virginia, whence his parents had removed when he was still a lad, and in 1826 he removed to Bourbon county, Kentucky. There he was married October 10, 1830, to Nancy A. Smith, and six years later they went to Indiana. After spending three years in the Hoosier State, Mr. and Mrs. Graffert came to Pike county, Missouri, but in 1857 settled one mile south of the present town of Vandalia, where he spent some thirty years, his declining days being passed in the city, where he was a conspicuous figure. A pleasant greeting and kindly smile and word for all who met him, caused him to be greatly beloved, and especially did his benevolence show itself in his regard for those who were afflicted or in need. It was the writer's privilege to know him well, and while he was not highly educated, his conversation was crowded with valuable suggestions and advice, and gave evidence of deep thought. He lived a life consecrated to duty and to his God, and passed finally into the shadow with a sublime trust in the promises upon which his faith was builded. He ever stood for the right, and the world was better for his having lived in it. Mr. Graffert lost his wife by death soon after coming to Audrain county, but he was blessed and comforted in having an excellent family of children, none of whom but reflected honor and credit upon their worthy sire. Mar- garet, the oldest child, became her father's housekeeper at the time of her mother's death, and her entire life was one of unselfish devotion to the family, thought for self being never harbored. Though she died a maiden, her life was one of self-sacrifice for others, and her brothers and sisters recognized and appreciated her many lovable qualities of character. Selina L. was the wife of James A. Dye, and the mother of Frank P. Dye, the widely-known merchant of Vandalia. Susan became the wife of Simeon Furber, who survives her. Of the sons, John W. and Daniel D. were probably the best known. Most readers will recall the tragic death of the former, who with his wife was found dead in their home. He had been an esteemed and successful farmer of near Vandalia. Daniel Davis Graffert was one of God's noblemen, with a heart on his sleeve and a kind word and ready hand for all who were in distress. While he died young and poor in worldly wealth, he was rich in kind- ness and benevolence and in all those excellent qualities of mind and heart that endear man to his fellows. If the writer, who knew him inti-

MR. AND MRS. FREDERICK SCHAEFER.

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mately, were to be asked to indicate whom, of all the young men who had grown up within a circle of miles covering eastern Audrian, western Pike and southeastern Ralls counties, most fully possessed those qualities that one accords the perfect gentleman, his answer would be promptly given : "Dee Graffert,"

FREDERICK SCHAEFER is an extensive farmer of Calumet district, and a considerable share of the prominence of the Mississippi valley in Pike county as a profitable agricultural region is due to the efforts of "Fritz" Schaefer and his sons.

The father of the subject, Fritz Schaefer, was born near the hamlet of Rehme in the district of Kersminden, Kingdom of Prussia, Septem- ber 6, 1839. For generations untold this family lived in that com- munity, where its men were mechanics and farmers and where the industry of its women folk knew no bounds. Carpenters and cabinet makers seem to have predominated among the men, and Fritz Schaefer, Sr., father of Frederick, followed that trade. He married Frederica Hiljenberger for his first wife and their four children were Fritz, Henry, Frederica and Caroline. Henry followed Fritz to America and located in Gasconade county, Missouri, where he left a family at his death ; Frederica married and passed her life in Gasconade county, also; Caroline became the wife of Henry Kanke and resides in St. Louis. By the father's second marriage, Charles, Louisa, and Lottie were born, all of whom reside in the fatherland.

Fritz Schaefer, Jr., acquired a fair education in the homeland, the German laws compelling the attendance of children up to the age of fourteen, and when he had finished school, he studied with his father and became a skillful workman in mechanics, being an accomplished woodworker when he came to America. He also had learned something of iron working from his father, and was thus wel fortified in mechan- ical skill in his early manhood. He was but seventeen years old when he emigrated to America, thus evading the period of army service required by the German regulations. He followed the path blazed by other Kersminden emigrants to the New World, and reached Warren county, Missouri, in 1855, without untoward incident.

The demand for skilled labor in his line at that time in Missouri was so slight that Mr. Schaefer turned to the farm for employment and worked for wages as a farm "hand" for some time. He remained in the neighborhood of Pinkney for a few years and finally engaged in farming there. In 1862 when the first call for troops from the state came, Mr. Schaefer joined Company K of the Fifth Missouri Cavalry, Missouri Reserves, with Captain Muerstet in command of the company and General Warns the regiment. It was mustered in at Warrenton, Missouri, and during the nine months in which the company existed, Mr. Schaefer chased bushwhackers chiefly. His soldier life ended in the summer of 1863 and he resumed peaceful pursuits upon the farm once more. He settled between Troy and Wright city in Lincoln county, married there during the war and made his first substantial advance toward material independence upon his own farm there. He remained in that section until 1882, when he disposed of his land and sought a broader and more promising field in Pike county.

Coming into Pike county, Mr. Schaefer purchased the old McCoy tract of 700 acres near Kissinger station on the Burlington, and this fertile domain has since been the scene of his mixed agricultural and stock-raising ventures. Freely and oft times lavishly has his property responded to the touch of the husbandman and the abundance of its harvests has marked the household of Schaefer conspicuously among

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the reliable farmers of the county. His holdings now embrace an area of eight hundred and fifty-three acres and of this expanse nearly one half is in yearly cultivation. His farm abounds in stock, and coupled with the interests of his sons, his tool houses and yard make a display like an implement store. Steam plows turn the soil for their plant- ing, steam threshers take care of their small grain; binders and mowers- for the cutting of grain and grass lands indicate pointedly the extent to which the energies of the younger men are bending themselves. They are abreast of the procession for quick transportation with autos always ready, and motor boats add to their pleasure in the waters of the Mis- sissippi.

Thus has Fritz Schaefer made for himself a name in Pike county and built up a fortune independent of outside influences. His pros- perity is of stable nature, represented by his magnificent farm and all those accessories which go to make up a well equipped and properly conducted agricultural business. He has won not alone a high degree of prosperity, but a name for all those qualities which make for the best of American citizenship, and none stands higher in the esteem and regard of his fellow citizens than does Mr. Schaefer. His life has been one of worthy precept, and is an eloquent testimonial of what may be accomplished by the application of concentrated energy, mixed with good judgment and upright and honorable methods.

In 1861 Mr. Schaefer married Miss Hannah Eversmeyers, in Lin- coln county, the daughter of native Germans. Six children were born to them: Fritz, who is associated with his brothers in a farming ven- ture in Pike county; William, married to Lucy Davis, also a farmer; Josephine, the wife of William Schulze, a farmer of Warren county, Missouri ; Miss Minnie, who shares the parental home; Amelia, the wife of Lee Middleton of Clarksville; and Otto, who is the junior partner of the firm of Schaefer Brothers, whose farming operations are widely known. The Schaefer men folk are Republican in their political faith, and the parents are members of the Methodist Church South.

ERNEST ALBERT IRVINE. Since Ernest Albert Irvine, or Professor Irvine, as he is more commonly known in his home community, first made his appearance in educational circles in Vandalia, Missouri, as principal of the high school, he has made his influence most strongly felt in every question that has arisen in connection with the instruction of the young. Although still a young man, scarcely thirty-three years of age, he already holds the responsible position of superintendent of the city schools, and discharges the manifold duties of his office with a suc- cess that would do credit to a much older man.

Professor Irvine comes of a family long established in the north- eastern portion of Missouri. His great-grandfather, Robert Irvine, came to Pike county in 1818, from Kentucky, the state in which he was born in 1781. In those early days of the nineteenth century, the trip from Kentucky to Missouri was by no means the simple thing it is now- adays. The little party, which included Rachel Hill Irvine, the wife of Robert, and William Irvine, his fourteen-year-old son, was beset by many hardships. The rough trails traversed on horseback proved too much for Mrs. Irvine, and she succumbed ere the final destination was reached. Mournfully her sorrowing husband and son made a rude grave for her in an Indian fort, at Troy, Missouri, and proceeded on their desolate way to a point near Ashley, where they made their settlement. The land on which Robert Irvine located with his few meagre possessions, and three or four slaves which he had brought from his old home, was distinguished by what was generally known as the "Sixteen Springs."

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and is still the dwelling place of some of the hardy pioneer's descend- ants.

After having lived in his new home for a time, Robert Irvine was married for the second time to Nancy Smithers of Shawneetown, Illi- nois. Seven children were born of this union. Josephus was the oldest of these; then came Bedora, John, Nancy, Robert, Jesse, and A. J. Mrs. Irvine died in 1870, in March, seven years after the death of her hus- band, who passed away in October, 1863. During his lifetime, Robert Irvine was known as a great hustler. He dealt in real estate to a great extent, buying and selling a great deal of farm land in his locality. He also built a distillery, which he operated with profit. He gained con- siderable prominence in the neighborhood as justice of the peace in which capacity he served for twenty years.

William Irvine, the grandfather of the subject of this short history, was born in Logan county, Kentucky, January 9, 1804, and came to Missouri with his father, as mentioned above. After the family had been in Pike county for about five years, William left his father's farm near Ashley, and moved into Indian township, Pike county, onto the farm still owned by his posterity. He was one of the first settlers of the western portion of the county, taking up a government claim on "wild" land. He prospered in his new home, and before his death, which occurred in 1881, he was one of the richest men in his community. A large amount of his wealth was accumulated in the raising and selling of swine, which he fattened on mast. The house in which he lived still stands on the old farm, and at the time it was built, in the year 1836, it was one of the largest houses in that section of the country. Although he was once robbed of several thousand dollars, he had a considerable fortune to leave at his death.

The wife of William Irvine was Catherine House, a daughter of Nimrod House, a pioneer of Pike county. Mrs. William Irvine survived her husband by a number of years, dying in 1888, having been the mother of nine children. These were Melvina, Sarah, Will, James R., Dora, Jane, Elizabeth, John Wesley and Jessie.

John Wesley Irvine, the father of Ernest Albert Irvine, was born at the old homestead, which is situated on the Louisiana-Mexico road, about five miles southeast of Vandalia, on the fourteenth of February, 1845. He spent his youth on the old farm, and his manhood as well, continuing the culture of the land after his father's death, and adding many improvements to the place in the long years which intervened before his death which transpired on January 2, 1911. John Irvine was a quiet, unpretentious man, never seeking public office. IIe was a Democrat in politics, and was affiliated with one fraternal order-the Masonic body. He was married in Pike county on Christmas day, 1874, to Mary Eliza- beth Branstetter, the daughter of Achilles and Peggy (Goodman) Bran- stetter. The union of John and Mary Irvine was blessed with three children, Arthur, who died in infancy, Ernest, and Verda, who is now the wife of J. T. Whitledge, and resides in Vandalia.

On November 27, 1879, Ernest Albert Irvine first saw the light of day in a log house on the old homestead in Pike county, Missouri. After a childhood spent amid rural scenes, he started in at the district school. Upon finishing his work there, he attended the high school at Vandalia. Then, after one year at Campbell University, Holton, Kansas, he took a four-year course at the University of Missouri. At this last-named institution, after specializing in literary work, he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and obtained in addition a life certificate from the teachers' college.

In 1903, immediately after his graduation, Professor Irvine was made

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principal of the high school at Vandalia. He held that position for two years, during which time he showed such an aptitude for educational work, that he was regarded as eligible for the still more responsible posi- tion of superintendent of the city schools, in which capacity he has served ever since. In spite of his strong leaning toward study, Pro- fessor Irvine has not lost his inbred taste for agriculture, and still re- tains some interest in farming. Beside the land which he owns in the vicinity of Vandalia, he has in his possession a quarter of a section of land in Kiowa county, Oklahoma. In politics, Professor Irvine follows the example of his father, being a stanch Democrat. He is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias.

June 10, 1908, Professor Irvine was united in marriage with Miss . Georgia Anna Daniel, the daughter of George and Mary (Bowen) Daniel, residents of Vandalia. They have one child, Mamie Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine are members of the Christian church.

HON. EDWIN CAREY WATERS. A man who as a holder of city, county, and state offices has made his influence strongly felt in his com- munity is surely worthy of some note in the history of his locality, espe- cially if he has discharged his duties as a public official faithfully and conscientiously, as the subject of this brief history has done. Edwin C. Waters has long been a potent factor in the Democratic political circles of the state of Missouri, and that his fellow-citizens have vested great confidence in him is evidenced by the fact that they have honored him with some of the most responsible offices of which they have control. Mr. Waters was born in Ralls county, Missouri, about twenty-five miles north of Vandalia, on the twentieth of August, 1854. He was the son of George and Mary Coontz Waters.

George Waters was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, in the year 1795. When he was a mere child between ten and fifteen years of age, he went westward to Tennessee, where he made his home until 1826, when he continued his journey toward the setting sun until he reached Missouri. While in Tennessee, though only a stripling of seventeen at the time, he took part in the War of 1812, in which combat he had the privilege of serving under Gen. Andrew Jackson. He was present at the bloody battle of New Orleans under that general, and was doubtless one of the brave Tennesseans who did so much toward winning the fight for the United States.

The trip to Missouri overland from Tennessee was made by George Waters and his family in company with the Clark and Dowell families. He settled in Pike county near Spencerburg, at first, but several years later moved to Ralls county, where he lived until his death, which oc- curred on September 21, 1869. During his life he was known in north- east Missouri as a man of decided convictions and a strong personality. He amassed a good deal of land, and was a slave holder previous to the war. He was a Democrat, and took a great interest in political affairs, although he was not an aspirant for public honors. His chief interest, however, was in things spiritual rather than things temporal. Before he left Tennessee, and after he had returned from the war, he had become a preacher in the Christian church. On his arrival in Missouri, he con- tinued in this calling, and became one of the earnest, sacrificing pioneers in the establishment of his church in that section of the state in which he made his home.

Previous to leaving his Tennessee home, Mr. Waters was married to Polly Clark, who bore him six children. Of these, Nimrod Waters, who died in Ralls county in 1904, was one. Nimrod Waters was a man of some prominence in his locality, and served for some time as county

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A history of northeast Missouri, Vol. 2 pt 2, Part 3

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864- , ed Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 912

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864- , ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 912