USA > Missouri > A history of northeast Missouri, Vol. 2 pt 2 > Part 6
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John W. Northcutt was born in 1824, in the state of Kentucky, the son of southern farming people who migrated to Missouri when John W. was only a small child. He grew to manhood in Warren county, Mis- souri, receiving his education in the primitive district schools of his period, and followed the vocation of his father, that of farming. In 1884 he removed to Audrain county, settling on a farm of 160 acres near the present property of John E. Northcutt, where he continued to reside until his death ten years later, making numerous improvements in land and buildings, and in addition accumulating 210 acres of land in two other farms. He married Mary R. Kite, whose parents came from Virginia to Warren county, Missouri, at an early day, and to this union there were born five children, as follows: Mrs. Anne Kennedy, of Au- drain county; Mrs. Ida Darnell and Mrs. Emma Middleton, who also lives in this county ; Margaret, a resident of Texas; and John E.
John E. Northcutt received some training in the district school- houses of Warren county, Missouri, but the greater part of his educa- tion was received in the school of hard work. He accompanied his parents to Audrain county in 1884, and continued to remain under the parental roof until he was twenty-five years of age, at which time he removed to the farm of his own, located four miles from the city limits of Vandalia. There he resided until 1894, when he came to his present property, one of the finest of its size in this section of the county. He has given his attention to the growing of hay, corn and oats, and has been likewise successful in breeding high-grade cattle, hogs and horses. A man of wide experience, progressive in his methods and ideas, he represents the best type of modern agriculturist, and as such is often consulted on matters pertaining to farming and cattle raising. The Democratic party has received his support in matters of a public nature, and he is known as one of the active supporters of its candidates and principles in this section, although he has not held public office him- self. Mr. and Mrs. Northcutt are well known to the members of the Methodist church, of which they are themselves consistent members, and where they have numerous friends.
On December 31, 1891, Mr. Northcutt was united in marriage with
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Miss Florence Keiser, and they have had six children: Lois, who was born in 1896; Marie, born in 1898; one who died in infancy ; Harold, born in 1904; Earl, born in 1906; and Norma, born in 1910.
HARRISON L. KELLY is one of the substantial farmers who do so much toward making Missouri what it is-the home of industry and real man- hood. He has succeeded in making his land yield him a prosperous in- come and has won the respect of his community by his industry and honesty. Of powerful physique, weighing about two hundred and fifty pounds, he has the appearance of a strong and true son of the soil, and his genial face reflects his innate kindness and hospitality.
The birth of Harrison Kelly occurred near Greenville, Michigan, on January 10, 1863. His father was George V. Kelly, who was born in Livingston county, New York, on the 4th of August, 1825, the son of William Kelly, a native of Kentucky. William Kelly was a soldier in the War of 1812, and did not move to New York until that brief. struggle was at an end. He was married in Livingston county, New York, to Harriet Whiting, and died in the same locality, in the year 1832, when his son George was only seven years old. After the demise of his father, George Kelly went to live with a neighbor. When the child was twelve years old, he moved with his foster parents to Michi- gan, where he grew to manhood.
The first experience of George Kelly as a wage-earner was gained in the capacity of a teacher in the country schools of Michigan. He taught several terms, and finally, in the year 1847, was married on the 15th of March, to Julia A. Dewey. Mrs. Kelly was born in Vermont, but came to Michigan as a child with her parents, Levi and Amanda Dewey. Her family was related to the famous Admiral George Dewey, who achieved such prominence in the Spanish-American war, and in after years, the admiral entertained some of them at his home in Wash- ington. After his marriage, Mr. Kelly continued to teach school for a while in Washburn county, Michigan, and working nights and mornings, made barrels while teaching. In 1849, however, he laid aside the teacher's ferrule and took up the plow handle, establishing himself on a farm in Montcalm county, Michigan, where he remained until 1869.
In that year, he moved to Missouri, where he first located on Hickory creek, Audrain county, and two years later moved to the farm six miles southwest of Vandalia, on which land his son is now engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. George Varner Kelly was one of the first to fence in and improve an all prairie farm. In the days when he secured and put under cultivation his two hundred and fifty acres, the entire sur- rounding prairie was like a vast common, dotted with the herds of graz- ing cattle owned by the farmers of the vicinity. Accustomed to differ- ent methods of farming, however, and interested in the raising of crops rather than in the growing of stock, Mr. Kelly fenced in his land, and in time converted the rolling prairie into well tilled fields, which yielded him a comfortable income.
George Varner Kelly died at Greenville, Michigan, the home of his youth, on June 22, 1894, and his wife followed him into the Beyond on July 16, 1902. Both lie in the Greenville cemetery. Their children were Dewey, who died at Phoenix, Arizona, in 1895, at the age of forty- five; Altha C., who married Frank Rogers, and resides in Chicago; Emma A. and Ida J., whose deaths occurred at a short interval apart, while the bright and attractive young women were still in early life, and whose untimely departure cast a shadow over the lives of their family and friends; Eunice Eula, who is the wife of Charles Dewey, and resides near Greenville, Michigan; Harrison L., the worthy subject of this short sketelı.
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Harrison L. Kelly was only six years old when he came to Missouri with his parents. Upon reaching the age of discretion, he became a partner to his father in the discharge of the duties of the farm, and finally the full management of the place was placed in his hands. Upon the death of his mother, when the estate passed into his possession, Harrison Kelly found himself the owner not only of one hundred and fifty acres of the original two hundred and fifty, which his father had accumulated, but of quite a large amount of stock in the Bank of Farber, of which his father had been one of the founders. Harrison Kelly re- tained this stock for two or three years, during which time he served as president of the institution. At the end of that period, he sold out, and proceeded to devote his life to the cultivation of the farm his father had settled in 1871.
By hard work and careful management, Mr. Kelly added eighty acres to the tract of land which he originally received from his father. He has also become the owner of town lots in Vandalia, which anyone familiar with that thriving town will recognize as a good investment. He has made many improvements to the farm property. His home, and the other buildings on the place are substantial and well built, and he has installed every necessity for progressive and up-to-date farming. He raises grain extensively, and has fattened a great many hogs for market. He has been very careful not to exhaust the fertility of the soil, and has so successfully kept his acres productive, that the land which cost about five or six dollars per acre in 1871, is now worth more than one hundred dollars per acre.
Although his position in the community might warrant his seeking public prominence, Mr. Kelly has ever been satisfied in playing his part as a private citizen, and has never sought or received office. He is an earnest worker in the Mt. Olivet Presbyterian church, and has given his services for some years as a deacon in that congregation.
The marriage of Mr. Harrison Kelly to Mary Margaret Barnes took place December 17, 1885. Mrs. Kelly was the daughter of William and Margaret (Hill) Barnes, both of whom were born and married in Pennsylvania. After their marriage the parents of Mrs. Kelly moved at once to Pike county, Illinois, where they located on a farm on the road between Pittsfield and Bary, Illinois. In 1881, they moved to Audrain county, where they bought some land six miles west of Van- dalia. They lived on this property until their deaths, Mrs. Barnes pass- ing away in 1886, and her husband on July 18, 1908, when in his eightieth year. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes had five sons, John, William, David and Albert, all of whom live in the vicinity of their old home, and Thomas, who died at the age of thirty-nine, at Black Hills, South Dakota. They also were the parents of two daughters, Sarah, who is the wife of George W. Pines, of Audrain county, and Mrs. Kelly.
Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have no children of their own. They adopted a little girl, Mabel Isabel Talmage, when she was five years old, and kept her with them until her marriage. She is now the wife of Ira Peas, who lives near Vandalia.
JOHN GRAFFERT. Among the highly esteemed citizens of Audrain county, one who devoted the period covering his active years in the cultivation of the soil and did much to materially advance the welfare of his section was the late John Graffert. A self-made man in all that the word implies, while advancing his own affairs he never forgot the needs of his community or its people, and as a result was looked upon as one of his section's most desirable citizens. MI. Graffert was born May 31, 1840, in Pike county, Missouri, and was a son of Thomas and
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Nancy A. (Smith) Graffert, and a grandson of John and Mary (Dea- cons) Graffert, who were of Scotch origin.
Thomas Graffert was born in the District of Columbia, February 14, 1803, and grew to manhood in Fairfax county, Virginia, whence his parents had removed when he was still a lad. In 1826 he removed to Bourbon county, Kentucky, where he was married October 10, 1830, to Nancy A. Smith. Six years after this event they removed to Indiana, but after spending three years in that state they came to Pike county, Missouri, from whence, in 1857, they removed to a farm situated one mile south of the present city of Vandalia. Mr. Graffert spent some thirty years in agricultural pursuits on that property, but during his declining years moved to Vandalia, where he became a conspicuous fig- ure on the city's streets. Soon after coming to Audrain county, the wife of Thomas Graffert passed away, but he was blessed in the evening of life by a large family of children, who all reflected honor and credit' upon their worthy sire. Margaret, his oldest child, became her father's housekeeper at the time of her mother's death, and continued to reside with her father until he died; Selina L. married James A. Dye, and became the mother of Frank P. Dye, the well known merchant of Van- dalia; Susan, deceased, was the wife of Simeon Furber; John was the next in order of birth ; and Daniel D., affectionately known as "Dee" to a host of friends, passed away when still in young manhood.
About the time of the Civil war, John Graffert, who had been given a good education, went to the state of Illinois, but subsequently removed to Iowa, and in Epworth, Dubuque county, in that state, was married July 19, 1867, to Miss Sarah Margaret Moore, then a young lady of nine- teen years, who was born in Pennsylvania, and brought to Iowa by her parents when a child. Mr. and Mrs. Graffert remained in Epworth until 1872, Mr. Graffert working for a time on his father's place, and on the farms of other agriculturists in that section. Subsequently he came to Pike county, Missouri, where he worked for a short period on the farm of his sister's husband, Frank Shepard, and then bought the old family home near Pleasant Plain, seven and three-quarters miles southwest of Vandalia, for which he paid about twelve dollars per acre. He added to his land until he was the owner of 120 acres, all in a high state of cultivation, made numerous improvements, and developed one of the best properties in his part of the county, continuing to reside thereon until 1908. In that year his adopted daughter and her husband took charge of the property, and Mr. Graffert and his wife moved to Vandalia, and bought a neat home, where they lived until October 22, 1910, when both were found dead. Mr. and Mrs. Graffert were discov- ered dead by neighbors who had become alarmed at their non-appearance, Mr. Graffert being in bed and his wife being on the floor, between the foot of the bed and the wall. Both had been ailing for some time with acute indigestion and were being treated by their physician, and it is supposed that this, with heart failure, caused their demise. Both were highly esteemed throughout the vicinity of their home, their many ad- mirable qualities of mind and heart having endeared them to a wide circle of friends. These noble Christian characters, who throughout their lives thought always first of others, are buried side by side in the Van- dalia cemetery. They were faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. and Mrs. Graffert left no children of their own, their two sons having died in infancy, but an adopted daughter, Maude Moore, was left to mourn their deaths. She was a daughter of Mrs. Graffert's brother, and came into their lives when she was four years of age, being legally adopted. She was married August 18, 1907, to Russell Nuckles,
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who was born in Audrain county, Missouri, six miles south of Vandalia, January 13, 1883, a son of Thomas and Nannie (Reel) Nuckles. Mr. Nuckles inherited the old family homestead farm, which he is operating with a great deal of success. He has the 120 acres in a fine state of cul- tivation, and engages in general farming and dairy work, the latter being given the greater part of his time and attention. Mr. Nuckles is also a breeder of pure-bred Duroc Jersey hogs. He is one of the pro- gressive and enterprising young men of his section, and has shown an active interest in Republican politics, although not to the extent of seek- ing public preferment. He and his wife have three bright and interest- ing children : Roscoe, who is four years of age; Vernon, who is two and one-half years old; and Otis Truman.
ADAM GRUNDY BRANSTETTER. Pre-eminently courageous and re- sourceful, the struggling settlers on the frontier of northeastern Mis- souri displayed a wonderful readiness in adapting themselves to condi- tions and meeting emergencies. Hardihood and energy were their chief stock in trade, combined with capable hands and willing hearts, and the work that they accomplished in building up the resources of this great section of country cannot be overestimated. The late Adam Grundy Branstetter, veteran of the gold rush of 1849, was for fifty-eight years a resident of Audrain county, and in his death, which occurred September 14, 1911, this section lost one of its best and most honored citizens. Mr. Branstetter was born near Ashley, in Pike county, Missouri, a son of Frederick Branstetter, whose parents had come from Virginia to Mis- souri at an early date. Mr. Branstetter's mother was born on a farm in Missouri and died when Adam G. was a small lad.
Adam Grundy Branstetter received his education in the primitive public schools of Pike county, and was reared to the life and work of an agriculturist. He was just past his majority when the news of the wonderful discovery of gold in California became known to the world, and in company with other hardy Pike county men he set across the burning plains on foot to seek his fortune as a miner. About 1852 or 1853 Mr. Branstetter returned to Missouri with the result of his labors in the gold fields, something like $1,000, which he wisely invested in Audrain county land, paying $2.25 per acre for a part, securing another tract at 121/2 cents per acre, and paying as high as $5.00 per acre for a third property. In selecting his property he rode all over the country, and when he found that the demand for land was steadily growing, lie and his brother rode to Palmyra at night in order to anticipate another party. This land reached across Cuivre Bottoms and lay ten miles south of Vandalia. The nearest trading point was Middletown, and trips were frequently made to Louisiana, a village forty miles distant, in Pike county. To the north of this there were no settlers for many miles, probably for sixteen or twenty miles, at Spencer creek and Salt river, and northwest for thirty or forty miles into Monroe county. At the outbreak of the Civil war, Mr. Branstetter did not enlist in the army, but hired a substitute. During the years that followed he put nearly all of his land under cultivation, engaging in general farm- ing and for many years breeding stock on the wide range about him. For some years he also was interested in railroad building, carrying on contract work for the Chicago & Alton Railroad, in supply- ing timber, and in one instance furnished timber one foot square by thirty-two feet long, of the strongest and most desirable kind. He was a faithful member of the Presbyterian church of Mount Olivet, but prior to this had started prayer meetings as soon as he located in Au- drain county, these being carried on at his home. Finally he succeeded
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in organizing Mt. Olivet church, of which he was deacon and elder for many years, and which he attended regularly, although it was two and one-quarter miles west of his home. A man of the highest intelligence, absolutely honest in every walk of life, it was only natural that he should be called upon during the early days to settle disputes between his neighbors, and throughout his life he continued to be called by the name given him during the pioneer settlement, i. e .: "The Great Arbi- trator." In political matters he was a Democrat, but never sought polit- ical preferment, preferring to give his time to his farm, his home and his church.
During the winter of 1852 Mr. Branstetter was united in marriage with Miss Mary Caldwell, of Pike county, who died after being the mother of nine children. Mr. Branstetter was married (second) to Mrs. Nancy Toelsen, also of Pike county, in 1873, and she still lives on the old home farm. Mrs. Branstetter, who was born in Kentucky, bore the maiden name of Nancy Shackleford, and was married to Mr. Toelsen soon after coming to Missouri. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Branstetter, namely : Forrest M .; and Orla M., wife of Fred F. Fletcher, son of Henry and Cynthia Fletcher. Forrest M. Branstetter was born July 9, 1874, in the home in which he still lives, and which was built in 1853. He has 220 acres of the old homestead, all under cultivation, and possesses the original sheepskin that was signed by President Pierce, granting his father the land. Mr. Branstetter was married in 1895 to Della Oglesby, and they have three children, namely : Lera, Rupert and Richard.
RICHARD MARION SHANNON, a prominent farmer and worthy citizen of Andrain county, is a representative of a family that has lived in northeastern Missouri for nearly one hundred years. He was born five miles west of Louisiana, Missouri, on the road to Paris, Missouri, on May 18, 1858. His father was John E. Shannon, who was born near Lexington, Kentucky, September 16, 1821, the son of William Shannon.
The year after the birth of John E. Shannon, his father moved to Missouri, in company with some other Kentuckians, and settled on Peno creek, twelve miles west of Louisiana. The Biggs and MeCune families, also from Kentucky, located in the same neighborhood, and their descendants have intermarried until at present the three families are all related in some manner. William Shannon became a successful farmer in his new home. He was a large slave holder, and left a great deal of property at his death. Married twice, the second time to Widow Rule, a sister of his first wife, William Shannon had but two children, John Easton, the father of the subject of this history, and Emily, who married John Wright, a resident of Pike county. Emily died at an early age, leaving three children, William Joseph, Lizzie, and Henry Clay, who were brought up by their uncle, John E. William Joseph now resides on the old Shannon place on Peno creek; Lizzie is the widow of Clark Gillum, of Bowling Green, Missouri, and Henry Clay makes his home north of Curryville.
John E. Shannon remained at the old home until about 1845, when he bought the farm on the Paris road where his son, R. M. Shannon, was born. By diligence and perseverance he soon had his land yielding him a good profit. He had a large orchard of sixty acres, which bore five thousand barrels some years. In his early days, he was particularly interested in the raising of mules, and in 1864 went to California with a drove of those animals. Later, when he was once more established at home, he turned his attention more completely to the growing and feed-
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ing of cattle. He was the first to introduce Jersey and Alderny cattle into the vicinity, and for many years he operated a dairy.
Not content with securing his own success, John Shannon bought three or four tracts of land in addition to the one he operated, and estab- lished his sons upon them, fitting them out with the necessities for a start in life. He was a hard-headed, practical man, who taught his sons to be afraid of the poorhouse. He was content to do his work quietly, as his conscience dictated, and did not aspire to public recog- nition, although, as a Democrat, he faithfully did his duty as a voter. His one recreation was in hunting. For years, in company with others from his locality, he would go hunting in southeastern Missouri, and in Arkansas for bear, deer, and other game, much more abundant in his early days than now. Even when his eyesight had faded, and he was really too old for the fatigue of the chase, he kept up his old custom, and the starting of a fine buck would never fail to awaken a thrill of ex- citement in his breast.
John E. Shannon died January 19, 1902, and his wife survived him by a year and a half. Both Mr. and Mrs. Shannon were prominent workers in the Baptist church, and Mr. Shannon made provision in his will for the support of the pastor of Bethany church, which was situated near his old home. The remainder of his estate was divided equally be- tween his children. He had provided prairie lands for three of his sons, had established two on property in Audrain county, and had given the sixth a tract in Montgomery county. His children were as follows:
Emma, who first married Walter Gillum, a farmer of Ashley, Pike county, Missouri, and who, after the death of Mr. Gillum, married Dr. Salmons, as whose widow she now lives in Columbia, Missouri; William O., who lives on a farm four miles southeast of Vandalia ; McCune, who died in 1884, at the age of twenty-eight, having been engaged in farming near Wellsville, Missouri, leaving at his death a widow, who now resides in Curryville; Richard Marion; Minnie, who married M. B. Holliday, a farmer who lives near Louisiana, Missouri; John Byram, who occupies the old homestead on Paris road; Peggy L., who is the wife of W. E. Holliday, a farmer of Pike county.
Margaret B. Shannon, the mother of these children, was the daugh- ter of William and Elizabeth McCune Biggs, who were neighbors of the Shannons when they settled the old homestead on Peno creek.
Having spent the early years of his life at his father's farm on the Paris road, in 1879, the year in which he reached his majority, Richard Marion Shannon moved to his present farm, which is located about seven miles due south of Vandalia. At the time when he took the prop- erty in hand, it was mostly open prairie, only a small part of it having been fenced in. It was not long, however, before he had everything about his original three hundred and twenty acres in ship shape, and was able to give his attention to adding to his property. He now owns more than five hundred acres, and has improved the land with all modern accessories for agriculture, including commodious barns for his stock, and a comfortable dwelling for himself and his family. He spe- cializes in the raising of black cattle and red hogs, growing his own stock, and feeding a carload for market each year.
Mr. Shannon holds to the political convictions of his father, being a Democrat. He is not, however, any more emulous of public office than John E. Shannon was before him. He is an active member of the Pleasant Plains Baptist church, and aids the work of the congregation with both his moral and financial support. He inherits a strong love for hunting and fishing, and each fall goes on a shooting trip into Arkansas.
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