USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 25
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Rev. C. Stauffer, Susanna Stauffer, Phillip Christman, Mrs. P. Christman, Charles Christman, Fred Christman, Caroline Christman, Michael Fye, Mrs. M. Fye, Jacob Wise, John Stauffer, Mrs. J. Stauffer, John C. Bower, Fred- erika Schnaufer, Henry Schnaufer, Fer- dinand Wester, Mrs. F. Wester.
This class worshiped in the Short school house until the year 1870, when they hired a hall in Bethel, Missouri, and in this year our first church Sunday school in Shelby county was organized and it has been an evergreen Sunday school for forty years.
In the summer of 1879 the class moved
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their place of worship back to the Short school house and under the able leader- ship of Rev. C. Linge they laid the foundation for a church building on see- tion 36, township 59, range 11 west. This building was finished that year and formally dedicated to the worship of God in April of the following year by Rev. J. G. Pfeifer, who was at this time a presiding elder in the Kansas Confer- ence.
For thirty years this church has been the center of religious activity in that community. In the Sunday school, Young People's Alliance and preaching services this church has advocated a genuine experience in the forgiveness of sins; this to be manifested always by a righteous life.
From this congregation have come four noted workers in our church, name- ly. Rev. W. A. Schuttee, a former pre- siding elder in the Illinois Conference of the Evangelical Association, now the pastor of the First Evangelieal church at Naperville, Ill., and Rev. Wesley Stauffer, who died April 12, 1900, at Holton, Kan., in the fourth year of his pastorate of the Evangelical church in that city. These two noted brethren, with their wives, are a quartette of work- ers that any church would be glad to honor. They were converted through the labors of our ministers, trained in our Sunday Schools, educated in our eol- lege, and went out into the Lord's har- vest field with the endorsement of the Zion elass, and under the blessing of God became workmen that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.
This church was one of the strong country churches of Shelby county, but
today it is reduced in numbers. Is its mission about finished ? We hope not, but trust that it may stand for thirty years more, telling to the traveler the faith of man in an Omnipotent God.
The Ebenezer Class.
Rev. J. G. Pfeifer on his trips from Bloomington to Bethel, in the years of 1866 to 1868. often stopped in the com- munity about seven miles north of where Clarence, Mo., is now situated. He was asked by the people of this neighbor- hood to christen their children and to perform other duties pertaining to his calling. The majority of the people in this community were English and Rev. J. G. Pfeifer usually preached in Ger- man. There was little preaching done by him in this neighborhood.
The Rev. C. Timmer, Rev. B. Hoffman, Rev. Koepsal, Rev. Ferdinand Harder, also visited among the people in this neighborhood as they went from their home in Bloomington to preach to the Evangelical congregation at Bethel. Mo.
In the years 1874 and 1875 the Rev. M. Alsbalch, who had charge of the Evangelieal congregations at Blooming- ton and Bethel. preached occasionally in this neighborhood.
In the year 1875 Rev. C. Stauffer had charge of the work at Bloomington and Bethel, commenced regular preaching services in the Rawson school house and organized a class with the following charter members:
John Schwada, Clara Schwada, Henry Leuteherding, Lydia Leuteherding, Richard Dove, Henry Wilkie. Sophia Wilkie. S. Rawson, Mrs. R. Rawson, George Farber, Louise Farber, Rosa Farber.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
Some time in the year 1878 the people living in the neighborhood of the Raw- son school house concluded to build a union church building. This church was dedicated as the "Rawson Chapel" by Rudolph Dubbs, a bishop of the Evan- gelical church. This chapel was used by the various religious societies in that community, the Evangelical society hav- ing a stated time each month that the preacher in charge of their work was expected to preach. This building was destroyed by fire in the beginning of the year 1894.
The Evangelical congregation having no place to worship, determined to build a church building of their own. Under the leadership of Rev. M. Walter the building was finished in the fall of 1894 and on November 11 of the same year it was dedicated as "The Ebenezer Church" of the Shelby Mission Field by John J. Esher, a bishop in the Evan- gelical church.
A church Sunday School was organ- ized and is one of the evergreen Sunday Schools in the rural districts of Shelby county.
A glance over the list of members be- longing to this church during the last sixteen years reveals the names of many an earnest, quiet worker in the Lord's vineyard who received their early re- ligious training in its Sunday School, the Young People's Alliance, Women's Missionary Society and prayer meetings held by this Evangelical congregation.
This plain chapel has been the birth- place of many a soul; here they found the Pearl of Great Price and commenced a life of service for God and humanity in the church militant which finally ended in the church triumphant.
When it was destroyed by fire De- cember 25, 1910, the members and friends gathered around its smoking embers with tears in their eyes and sad- ness in their hearts, for it had been a veritable Bethel to many of them. They said with one accord: We must rebuild this church; we cannot let our children grow up without the influence of God's word and ministry. May God bless the new church edifice and the future con- gregations that gather within her walls as He did the old church and her con- gregations. God grant that the glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former house.
Leslie Church.
Rev. J. S. Stamm, an assistant pastor under Rev. J. B. Gresser, commenced preaching services in the Brewington school house in the spring of 1900. These services were continued that year with some success. The following year Rev. J. B. Gresser took charge of work and as there was no assistant pastor that year Rev. Gresser could not devote as much time to this new appointment as it ought to have received.
In 1902 Rev. W. H. Manshardt was appointed to the Shelby mission field as preacher in charge, but was not able to give this appointment any preaching service. However, he secured pledges from men living in that neighborhood to the amount of nearly eight hundred dol- lars for a church building in that neigh- borhood.
In the spring of 1903 Rev. I. H. Hauptfuehrer took charge of the Shelby mission field and after a successful arbor meeting held near Mrs. Eliza Van Hou- ton's farm in August of that year or-
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ganized a class with the following char- ter members :
George Crawford, Mary Crawford, Charles Crawford, J. F. Webb, Cather- ine Webb, Relda Webb, Rosa Shepherd, Clarence Messick, Ruby Messick, L. L. Wheeler, Cora E. Wheeler, Nora Beu- lalı Wheeler, E. Agnes Wheeler, Vineil Wheeler, J. B. Dehner, Katie Dehner, Mary E. Heathman, Mary Oneal, Nathan Gibson, Mollie Thresher, Ada Thresher, Bertha Copenhaver, Mandie Hall. Mary
Whitby, Theodore Dove, Maria Craw- ford, Rosa Hopper.
A church building was started in the fall of 1903 and dedicated by Rev. C. F. Errfmeyer, presiding elder of the Kan- sas City district, in May, 1904.
The Shelby mission field built a good, substantial parsonage in the year of 1910 in the Culver addition to the city of Clarence, Mo., and is well prepared to take good care of her future pastors.
PHILIP DIMMITT, M. D.
BIOGRAPHICAL
PHILIP DIMMITT, M. D.
The late Dr. Philip Demmitt, wliose death on November 23, 1898, at the age of seventy-one years cast a shadow over all of Shelby and the adjoining connties of this state, was one of the leading physicians and surgeons in this portion of the country, and also one of the most extensive and progressive farmers Shel- by county has ever known and one of its most prominent and influential citizens, giving close and intelligent attention to public affairs and rendering the general public excellent service in various ways besides the advantages they derived from his professional work and his farm- ing operations.
Dr. Dimmitt was born in Washington county, Kentucky, on December 11, 1824, and was a son of Judge Walter B. and Louisa (Hughes) Dimmitt, also Ken- tuckians by birth, the father having been, like the son, a native of Washington county. He was, however, reared and educated at Harrodsburg, in the adjoin- ing county of Mercer, and for a time was assistant county clerk of that county. Later he returned to Washington connty and served as sheriff there. In 1829 he moved his family to what is now Marion county, Missouri, arriving in this state and that portion of it before the gov- ernment surveys were made. He made
a wise selection of his location and pre- empted a large body of land, on which he carried on extensively as a planter and general farmer. He also rose to prominence and influence in local affairs, served as county judge for a number of years, and was everywhere regarded as one of the most public-spirited and rep- resentative citizens of the section of the state in which he lived. His death oc- curred in 1849, and that of his widow, whom he married in Kentucky, in 1872.
The Dimmitt family was of French origin. Its progenitors in the United States came to this country at an early day and took up their residence in Mary- land. But the spirit of adventure and desire for better conditions in life and opportunity that brought them across the Atlantic led them to leave the older and more settled part of the country and seek a new home in Kentucky when that now great and progressive state was a part of our expansive frontier, and to brave the hazards and privations of pio- neer life. The same spirit impelled the Doctor's parents to come to Missonri when it, too, was on the frontier, and repeat on its soil the performances and achievements of their forefathers on that of Kentucky.
Dr. Philip Dimmitt, who was one of the most successful and distinguished
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members of the family in the New World, began his scholastic training in the primitive country schools of his boy- hood and youth and completed it at Marion College. At the age of twenty- one he began the study of medicine un- der the direction of Dr. J. H. Kibby, of Palmyra, Missouri. After a sufficient preparatory course of reading he en- tered Missouri Medical College, and from that institution he was graduated in 1849. But he was not satisfied with his professional acquirements, even as a beginner, and after a practice covering a number of months he matriculated at the St. Louis Medical College, where he pursued a more extended course and from which he was graduated in 1852. During the next four years he practiced his profession at Monticello, in Lewis county. In 1856 he changed this to Boonville, Cooper county, where he re- mained four years.
But in the meantime he visited Shelby county in 1860 and bought a farm four miles northeast of Shelbyville, which be- came his final home and from it as a center he conducted a very active and extensive practice for a period of four- teen years in addition to farming on a very extensive seale. At the time al- luded to the Doctor owned a number of slaves, and as he would neither sell nor hire any of them to other persons, lie was obliged to keep them employed him- self and he added to his landed estate until at one period he and his sons farmed over 1,400 acres of land, and he was one of the busiest, most extensive and most successful cattle feeders in Shelby county, and by his progressive methods one of the most valued con-
tributors to raising the standard of live stock in this portion of the state.
Still, large and exacting as were his farming and stock operations, they did not curtail his professional activity. He was universally considered the leading physician of Shelby county while he re- mained in active practice, which he did until he reached the age of fifty years, retiring in 1874. In that year he found- ed the Shelby County Savings Bank and became its cashier. Some years later this institution was converted into the private banking house of Cooper & Dim- mitt, and as such it continued in business and flourished many years. For data concerning this banking institution see sketch of J. T. Cooper on another page of this volume.
On January 31, 1850, Dr. Dimmitt was united in marriage with Mrs. C. F. (Agee) Henderson, the widow of Addi- son J. Henderson, and at the time of her marriage to the Doctor only twenty-two years old. They became the parents of six children, all of whom are living: Walter A .. a leading farmer of this county, a sketch of whom will be found in this work; Frank, who is president of the Old Bank of Shelbina, and whose life story is also recorded in this vol- ume ; Marvin, a banker in Clarence, this county; Prince, the president of The Bank of Shelbyville, an account of whose useful life adds to the interest and value of this history; Pope, who is a resident of the city of St. Lonis; and Lee, whose home is in Shelby county.
The mother of these children died on July 6, 1893, and the father, as has been stated, on November 23, 1898. He was united in a second marriage with Mrs.
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Hattie Hillias, the ceremony being per- formed in 1897. She is still living. The Doctor's first wife was regarded as one of the most estimable ladies in the coun- ty. In fraternal life the Doctor was a Freemason and active in the order for a long time. ITis religions affiliation was with the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and in its affairs he also took a zealous and serviceable part. In all the relations of life he was worthy and fully entitled to the high rank he held in the regard of the people as a man and citi- zen. In his profession he was highly cul- tivated and exhibited great practical skill. In business he was upright, con- scientious and progressive, and in con- nection with public affairs and the gen- eral welfare of the people he was one of the most enterprising and far-seeing, as well as one of the most helpful and in- spiring men in the community.
WILLIAM H. WARREN.
The late William H. Warren, who passed the greater part of his life of sev- enty-two years in this state and much of it in Shelby county, and whose death on September 7, 1898, was universally de- plored, was one of the leading and most representative citizens of the state. He was prominent in business and social cir- eles, dignified and adorned domestic life by the practice of every manly virtue and took an active and helpful part in huild- ing up and improving the city of his home.
Mr. Warren was a native of Kentucky, born in the famous county of Bourbon on July 23, 1827. He was a son of Wil- liam and Charlotte (Harrington) War- ren. They were horn and reared in Ken-
tucky. They were the parents of eight children, four of whom are living. These are: Amanda, the wife of W. P. Sidner, of Clarence, this county; Nan, the wife of James Combs, of Los Angeles, Cali- fornia: Georgiana, the wife of S. A. Sparks, of Blackwell, Oklahoma; and Sallie, the wife of J. T. Smith, of Monroe county, Missouri. In politics the father was a Democrat and in church affiliation a Baptist. He moved to Kentucky with his parents in his childhood and to Mis- souri in his early manhood. In this state he was profitably engaged in farming and raising live stock in Monroe and Ma- rion counties until his death in 1872.
William H. Warren grew to manhood on his father's farm in Monroe county and obtained his education in the public schools near his home. The period of his childhood and youth was one of hard- ship, privation and toil, for the country in which he was reared was still wild and undeveloped, and to bring it to produc- tiveness and civilization required the energies of all who lived in it. His op- portunities for schooling were therefore very limited and embraced in their scope only the rudimental branches of scholas- tie training. But the purpose of Nature seemed to be to breed in our Western wilds a race of men rather than scholars, and fit it for conquest over the wide do- main of fertility through which the savage denizens of the plain and forest were still roaming. And in doing this she was preparing the children of her seeming neglect, but real providence and care, for any duty that might subsequently de- volve upon them. The demands of the time were for men of capacity in useful, practical affairs, and accordingly, after leaving school, Mr. Warren learned the
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carpenter trade, and for a number of years worked at it steadily. In this way he acquired a warm and serviceable in- terest in the welfare of the people which lie exhibited throughout all his later ot- cupations.
Soon after he reached his maturity the voice of trade was heard loudly calling for recruits in the land and he hearkened to the call. He turned his attention to extensive dealing in tobacco and followed that for a period of sixteen years. He then became a lumber merchant, and dur- ing the next fifteen years devoted his energies and broadening capacities to supplying the needs of the people in ma- terials for homes and the improvements they necessitated. When the hour was ripe for more extensive financial facili- ties, he became one of the founders of the Old Bank of Shelbina, with which he was connected until his death, giving it excel- lent service for a number of years as president and general director of its affairs.
He served three years in the Confed- erate army during the Civil war, being under the command of General Price, and participated in a number of impor- tant and sanguinary battles, from all of which he escaped without disaster, ex- cept. of course, the hardships and priva- tions incident to the service.
In politics Mr. Warren was a life-long and consistent Democrat, and although he never held or sought public office for himself, his interest in the welfare of his state and country never faltered or was abated for a day of his long and useful life. He belonged to the Order of Odd Fellows and was a member of the Baptist church. On October 17, 1870, he united in mar- riage with Miss Uney Lewis, of Monroe
county, in this state. They had no chil- dren, but reared the daughter of Patrick List, of Shelbina, whom they took into their home as an adopted child when she was four years old. In 1893 she was married to Senator George W. Hum- phrey, a brief account of whose life ap- pears in this volume.
Mr. Warren died on September 7, 1898, full of years and of honor. His career was creditable to the citizenship of the county. His life was useful among its people. His example of upright and productive manhood had produced and is still producing good results in the ae- tivities of those who followed it, and when he passed away there was universal sorrow throughout his own and the ad- joining counties. During all the years of his manhood he was a hard worker and a judicious and frugal man, and when he died he left a considerable estate for the enjoyment of his widow, who had helped him to win it. She is still living and has her home in Shelbina, where she is held in the highest esteem. She is now sixty- four years old, but still hale, vigorous and active, and she exemplifies now, in her devotion to every worthy undertak- ing for the good of those who live around her the spirit of enterprise and progress which has governed her through life, in this way keeping alive, in the most prac- tical way, the memory of her esteemed husband and doing well her part as a useful member of society.
WILLIAM W. MORGAN.
William W. Morgan is a member of a family well known and held in the high- ost esteem in Shelbina, where he was born on January 23, 1861. His parents
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were David and Mary E. (Williams) Morgan, the latter of whom is still living and has her home with him. A sketch of the life of the father will be found else- where in this work.
William grew to manhood in Shelbina and obtained his education in its schools, beginning it in the great university of the people, the district schools, and com- pleting it at the Shelbina Collegiate In- stitute. After leaving school he went into business with his father, aiding him in conducting an extensive enterprise in the manufacture of wagons and dealings in vehicles of all kinds and general farm- ing implements. He is still engaged in the same line of endeavor and doing well at the undertaking, having his brother, James H. Morgan, an account of whose life will be found elsewhere in this vol- ume, associated with him. When the partnership was formed the father was living and the firm name was D. Morgan & Sons. Although the father has been dead a number of years the sons still ad- here to this name and do their trading under it.
Mr. Morgan has been very successful in business and has also risen to promi- nenee in the public life of the community. He served six years as city clerk of Shel- bina, giving the duties of the office care- ful attention and satisfying all classes of the people by his administration of it. In politics he is a pronounced and un- wavering Democrat, active and zealous in the service of his party and enjoying the full confidence of its leaders and also of the rank and file. His church affilia- tion is with the Baptists, and fraternally he is a member of the Masonie order.
DAVID MORGAN, JR.
This gentleman is a worthy follower of his well known and highly esteemed father, the late David Morgan, of Shel- bina, a brief account of whose nseful life will be found elsewhere in this work. The younger David Morgan, who is the immediate subject of these paragraphs, was born at Shelbina on April 24, 1871. He grew to manhood in his father's home and was educated in the public schools of the village of his nativity and at Shel- bina Collegiate Institute. After leaving the institute he pursned a special course of business training at the Southwestern Business College of Wichita, Kansas.
When he was twenty-two years of age he took up his residence in Monroe coun- ty, this state, where for nine years he was actively and prosperously engaged in farming. He then moved to Shelbina and began operations as a real estate dealer, a line of business in which he is still engaged. Ile is also interested in the manufacture of concrete blocks for building, paving and other work of con- struetion. In all his undertakings he has been eminently successful, rising to the first rank among the business men of Shelbina and winning a wide and lasting popularity as a citizen.
Like his father and brothers, Mr. Mor- gan adheres to the Democratic party in polities and gives it his earnest support at all times. He is a member of the Christian church and belongs to the Or- der of Knights of Pythias. On January 23, 1893, he was married to Miss Clara Pearl Sears, a native of Monroe county, in this state. They have had seven chil- dren, all of whom are living. They are
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Lucille Marie, Gladys Pearl, David gent interest in public affairs, ardently Sears, Thelma Nadine, Joseph William Chilton, John Lyell and Anna Marian. The father is a very active man in behalf of the welfare of the community and warmly supports every enterprise for its promotion.
JAMES H. MORGAN.
Worthy son of a worthy sire, and true to the teaching and examples given him at the parental fireside, James H. Mor- gan is justly accounted one of the leading business men and best citizens of Shel- hina. He was born in that town on Sep- tember 24, 1862, a son of the late David Morgan and brother of John R. Morgan, in a sketch of whom on another page of this volume a brief account of the fath- er's life is given.
James H. Morgan grew to manhood and obtained his education in Shelbina, and after leaving school learned his trade as a blacksmith under the tuition of his father. In 1885 he and his brother William entered into partnership with their father under the firm name of Da- vid Morgan & Sons, and together they conducted a flourishing business in manu- faeturing wagons and dealing in road ve- hieles of various kinds and farming im- plements of all kinds. The sons are still carrying on the business under the old firm name. and their enterprise is one of the leaders of the kind in this part of the state. Their operations are exten- sive and profitable, and they give the business their whole attention. using every means at their command to expand their trade and fully satisfy their patrons.
Mr. Morgan takes an active and intelli-
supporting the principles and candidates of the Democratic party. He is an Odd Fellow in fraternal relations, and a very active and useful man in promoting all that makes for the betterment of the community, or contributes to the comfort or convenience of its people. He was married in Monroe county on September 11, 1894, to Miss Jennie Threlkeld, who was born and reared in this state. They have two children, their sons Harold and Clarence. Their home is a center of so- cial culture and generous and grateful hospitality.
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