USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 81
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Mr. Taylor is a native of Clay town- ship, Shelby county, where he was born in 1863. His parents, F. P. and Mary H. (Henniger) Taylor, have registered
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themselves among the most sterling and Hattie Belle, the wife of Charles Carroll, useful citizens of the county and won the of this county. regard and good will of the people by their acceptable lives and faithful atten- tion to every duty in private and general life. The father, who was a son of Major Taylor, of Kentucky, was born in that state, but was brought by his parents to Missouri before he was a year old. He was reared in Shelby county and edu- cated in the primitive schools of his day. After reaching years of maturity he be- gan farming, and this pursuit he adhered to until his death in 1902.
Being a firm believer in the doctrine of state rights, when the Civil war began he enlisted in the Confederate army, and during the whole of our sanguinary sec- tional strife was in the field in defense of his convictions. He was through life an adherent of the Democratic party in politics and one of its most active and zealous supporters. He lived acceptably long years among this people, winning their favor by his valor in war and his industry, frugality and deep and service- able interest in the general welfare of his community in peace.
The mother, who is a daughter of Wil- liam and Susan (Kimball) Henniger, is still living at the age of seventy-eight years. Her marriage with Mr. Taylor took place in 1849, and they became the parents of nine children, eight of whom are living: Nathan R .; Susan E., the wife of H. C. Cross; William M .; Vir- ginia, the wife of W. E. Warren, of Great Falls, Montana ; Francis H., whose home is in Montana ; Reuben L., the sub- jeet of this memoir; Milton H., another resident of the state of Montana; and
Reuben Lee Taylor attended the dis- triet schools of Shelby county and also a school of higher grade in Clarence. He selected the vocation of farmer and rais- ing stock early in life as his work for a livelihood, and as soon as he completed his scholastic training according to the opportunities available to him entered upon it with energy and a determination to make a success of it. He now owns and cultivates 300 acres of first rate land and carries on a flourishing business in raising stock in connection with his farm- ing operations, and in both he has real- ized the determination of his youth, be- ing at this time one of the most success- ful and progressive farmers in the town- ship in which he lives.
In the public affairs of his township and county he has at all times taken an active and serviceable interest, giving his energetic and effective support to all undertakings for the improvement of the region of his home and stimulating oth- ers to exertion by the force of his exam- ple. He has been a member of the school board during the last ten years and for the greater part of the period its presi- dent. His religious connection is with the Southern Methodist church, and in the congregation to which he belongs he is one of the most active and zealous workers. He served as superintendent of its Sunday school for fourteen years, and in many other ways has been poten- tial in promoting its welfare and extend- ing its usefulness. In political adher- ence he has always been an ardent Demo- crat, with an earnest interest in the suc-
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cess of his party and great efficiency in working for it.
In 1885 Mr. Taylor was united in mar- riage with Miss Hollie Evans, a daugh- ter of William and Susan (Byars) Evans, and a native of Clarence in this county. She and her husband have had seven children, five of whom are living, William E., Perry P., Paul E., Reede L. and Frank, all of whom are as well thought of in the community as their pa- rents.
ISAAC NOAH BAKER.
"Contentment, like the speedwell, grows along the common, beaten path." So sang a celebrated English poet long years ago, and so has life been found by Isaac N. Baker, one of the prosperous, enterprising and progressive farmers of Jefferson township, in this county. He has not sought the world's acclaim in official station of high or low degree. He has followed the beaten path of his chosen vocation as a farmer and stock man, and in its congenial duties and good returns for his labor he has found con- tentment, comfort and substantial prog- ress, along with the opportunity to do much for the advancement of the town- ship and county of his home and the gen- eral welfare of the people living in them, for he has been true to their every inter- est.
Mr. Baker is a native of Randolph county, Missouri, born on October 21, 1844. His father, whose name also was Isaae, was a native of Kentucky and came to Missouri at an early day, being one of the first three settlers in what is now Randolph county. His early home in this state was among the Indians, and
as he always treated them honestly and fairly, they were always friendly in their dealings with him and held him in high esteen. The mother, whose maiden name was Jane MeCully, was a native of Ten- nessee. They were the parents of twelve children, all of whom grew to maturity. Five of them are living : Charles Thomas, who has his home at Albany, Texas; Nancy, the widow of William Tedford, who resides in California; Fanny, the wife of James Davis, of Moberly, Mis- souri ; Sarah, the wife of Jefferson Snod- grass, of Oklahoma ; and Isaac Noah, the subject of this writing. The mother died in 1871 and the father in 1896. They were highly respected and looked upon as among the most worthy and estimable citizens of the community in which they lived.
Their son Isaac Noah obtained his ed- ucation in the district schools of his na- tive county, and after completing it worked on the home farm with his father and assisted the family for a number of years. Ile then set up for himself on a farm and engaged in general farming and raising live stock in Randolph coun- ty for a time. In 1877 he moved to Shel- by county and took up his residence in Jefferson township. He has an attrae- tive and valuable farm and gives it close attention, intelligent supervision and skillful cultivation. It is well improved with good buildings and fully equipped with everything needed for its work ae- cording to the most approved modern methods in agriculture. The stock indus- try conducted on it is also well managed and as extensive as the circumstances and good business sense will permit, and both are profitable to their owner.
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Mr. Baker was married in 1875 to Miss Sarah E. Bishop, a native of the town- ship in which she now lives and a daugh- ter of James Bishop, an esteemed resi- dent of that township. Six of the nine children born of the union are living. They are: Nettie, Earl, Mabel, Roy, El- sie and Lulu May. The father is a firm and faithful member of the Democratic party in politics and always a zealous and effective worker for its success. He served acceptably and with credit four years as a member of the school board, giving his official duties careful, judi- cious and intelligent attention, and mak- ing the schools feel the impulse of the vigor of his management and his cordial interest in their welfare and advance- ment. In religious faith and allegiance he is a Methodist. No residents of the township are more favorably known or more highly esteemed than he and his wife, and they are well worthy of the general regard and good will bestowed upon them in all parts of the county where they are known.
JOHN HENRY MAUPIN.
School teacher, soldier and merchant, John Henry Maupin, of Mand, Jefferson township, in this county, has shown his adaptability to circumstances and re- quirements, and the able and faithful manner in which he has performed his duties in every occupation demonstrates that he is not only a man of adaptability, but one of ability, too, and well qualified for usefulness in any employment which he consents to take or any line of en- deavor in which he chooses to engage. He has made a good record in every field
of action in which he has labored, and his demonstrated progressiveness as a citi- zen and worth as a man have won for him the high regard of the people of the whole township and other parts of the county in which he is known.
Mr. Maupin was born on July 31, 1836, in Augusta county, Virginia. His father, James Dabney Maupin, and his grand- father, Daniel Maupin, were born and reared in Albemarle county, Virginia. The father came to Missouri in 1851, bringing his family with him and locat- ing in Monroe county, where he was suc- cessfully and profitably engaged in farm- ing until his death in 1889. His wife, whose maiden name was Dorinda V. Kennerly, was also born and reared in Virginia. She was a daughter of Reu- ben and Tabitha (Wyatt) Kennerly, the former a native of South Carolina and the latter of Virginia. The children born in the Maupin household of this union were nine in number, and all grew to ma- turity. Six of them are living: Harriet K., the wife of P. M. Hanger, of Shel- bina ; Mary C., the wife of L. D. Kenner- ly; John Henry, the subject of this me- moir; Tabitha, the wife of Nathaniel Threlkeld, of Shelbina ; and Benjamin F. and Lee K. Their mother died in 1878. The father was a life-long Democrat of the most reliable kind, and was always active in the service of his party, but he never aspired to office or desired any of the preferments of public life or the hon- ors or emoluments of official station.
John Henry Maupin obtained his edu- cation in part in the country schools of Virginia and this state, and completed it at the college in Paris, Missouri. After completing the course of instruction at
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that institution he taught school for about twenty-five years, his service in this capacity being continuons except during the years of the Civil war and two years afterward. In June, 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army, Com- pany F, Missouri Infantry, and was soon afterward daring death on the battle- field. He took part in the engagements at Boonville, Pea Ridge, Newark, Kirks- ville and numerous others, but, while some of the fields on which he fought were very sanguinary, he escaped un- harmed. He rose to the rank of lienten- ant of his company and made a credit- able record for gallantry on the field and fidelity to duty in every phase of the service.
At the close of the war he returned home and a little while later went West, where he engaged in freighting for about two years. He then came back to his Monroe county, Missouri, home and again engaged in teaching school. In 1883 he came to Shelby county and took up his residence at Maud, in Jefferson township, where he has ever since lived. Here he opened a drug store, which has occupied him from that time until the present. He has built up a fine trade, won the confidence of the people in his business and made his store one of the established and most appreciated insti- tutions in the mercantile life of the township.
Mr. Maupin was married in 1887 to Miss Betty Harris, a daughter of Thomas H. and Betsy (Maupin) Harris, natives of Albemarle county, Virginia, but long esteemed residents of this eoun- ty at the time of the marriage. The one child born of the union is now deceased.
In his political faith and allegiance Mr. Maupin is a pronounced Democrat and has at all times been very energetic and effective in the service of his party. He served as a justice of the peace for more than six years and as a member of the school board about the same length of time, rendering service satisfactory to the people in each capacity, winning a good name for himself as a public offi- cial and contributing as such essentially to the welfare and advancement of the township. In fraternal life he is con- nected with the Masonic order. In all the relations of life Mr. Maupin has lived ac- ceptably and uprightly. He has been very successful in business and always taken an earnest and helpful interest in all that concerns the good of the region in which he lives, by whose people he is held in the highest esteem.
FRANCIS MARION DALE.
Although not a native of Shelby eoun- ty, Francis Marion Dale, one of the sub- stantial and progressive farmers of Jef- ferson township, has been a resident of it for a period of almost thirty years, and is therefore well known to its people and also knows them well. He has been an active and effective worker for the improvement and progress of the town- ship in which he lives, and given close and energetic attention to the welfare of the whole county in many ways. By entering into the spirit of their enter- prise and aspirations and taking his place and doing his full share of the work of promoting their interests he has won the confidence, esteem and lasting good will of the people and become truly
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representative of all that is best among them.
Mr. Dale was born on January 16, 1849, in Randolph county, Missouri, and is a grandson of Philip and son of Jacob Dale. The latter was also a native of Missouri and one of its prosperous and progressive farmers. He was an active, working Democrat during the whole of his mature life, zealons in the service of his party and also in reference to every form of public improvement of the local- ity in which he had his home. The mother was Miss Minerva Chitwood be- fore her marriage to Mr. Dale, a danghi- ter of Chedwick Chitwood, who was born and reared in Virginia and came to this state in early life. Mr. and Mrs. Dale had seven children, six of whom are liv- ing: Francis M., John William, George A., Mary Catherine, the wife of Samnel Bland, of Randolph county, Missouri; Sarah N., the wife of William Faught; and Lucy Margaret, the wife of Frank Powers, of La Plata, Missouri. The mother of these children died in 1863, and the father afterward married Miss Nancy Hines. Six children were born of this union, all of whom are living. They are: Thomas B., Lewis F., James M., Elizabeth, Barbara and Alice. The father died in 1875.
Francis Marion Dale was reared on his father's farm in Randolph county and obtained his education in the dis- triet schools of that county, but his at- tendance at them was irregular and only for a few years. After leaving school he worked on farms in the neighborhood of his home as a hired hand for a time. He then engaged in operating a saw mill for two years. At the end of that time he
turned his attention to farming for him- self in Randolph county, remaining there and following that occupation eight years. In 1882 he moved to Shelby county and located on the farm in Jeffer- son township on which he now lives. He has been actively, successfully and pro- gressively engaged in farming ever since, and in connection with his farming oper- ations has carried on an extensive and profitable general live stock industry. His farm comprises 120 acres of supe- rior land and he has it all under cultiva- tion, well improved and brought to a high state of productiveness.
Mr. Dale was married in December, 1871, to Miss Maria J. Humphrey, a . daughter of J. J. and Lavinia J. Hum- phrey, who came to this state from North Carolina. The children born in the Dale household numbered eight, and six of them are living: Homer C., Oliver C., Charles D., Beulah F., the wife of Wil- liam J. Stewart, of Maud, in this county ; Lora and Hugh J. In polities the father is a Democrat, and in religious connec- tion a member of the Christian church. To both party and church he is true and faithful, working for the welfare of each to the limit of his circumstances and ren- dering both excellent service. He served as a member of the school board more than ten years. He has been successful in his business, upright in his living, energetic and square in his citizenship and true and zealous in every other rela- tion in life, and is universally esteemed as a man.
SAMUEL GORBY.
Having reached the patriarchal age of four-score years and over, the reflec-
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tions of this venerable man are mainly retrospective. But the retrospect must be pleasing, as he has lived worthily and usefully, and has contributed essentially and considerably to the betterment of the people among whom his years of ae- tive industry were passed, and is now giving an excellent example of true and upright manhood and elevated citizen- ship to the men younger than he is who know him, all of whom hold him in the highest esteem for what he is, what he has been and what he has done.
Mr. Gorby is a native of Stark county, Ohio, born on May 4, 1829. His father, Jonathan Gorby, was born in the state of Delaware. He was a farmer all his life from youth, following this occupation in the state of his nativity and that of his adoption. In early life he moved to Ohio, when that now great common- wealth was a part of the Northwest Ter- ritory, and was still largely under the dominion of its savage tenants, who had held it in thrall for many generations, with mneh of its soil still virgin to the plow and the greater part of its vegeta- tion only the wild growth of unpruned Nature. He created a good farm in the wilderness and on it reared to maturity all of his nine children. His wife, whose maiden name was Anne Davis, was a na- tive of Virginia. Of their offspring their son Samuel is the only one now living. The mother died in 1833 and the father in 1841.
Samuel Gorby attended the primitive country schools in the vicinity of his home and later received instruction from a private tutor. His education was far in advance of that of his youthful com- panions, and after its completion he
taught school in his native state for a number of years. In 1854 he followed the tide of migration to the farther West and came to Missouri. Locating in the eity of Hannibal, he resumed his voca- tion as a school teacher and followed it there for about three years. In 1857 he moved to Shelby county and in Jefferson township he continued his ministrations to the welfare of his fellow men as a teacher, doing something in this line also in Monroe county. In all he was en- gaged in teaching for a period of forty years. After giving up his work as a teacher he devoted his energies for a long time to dealing in live stock. But for a number of years he has not been engaged in any active work. The rest he is enjoying has been well earned, and it is a source of great gratification to his countless friends and admirers that he has good health and continued vigor to enjoy the ease which is now his portion. Ilis long day of toil was full of adven- ture and excitement. It laid him under many privations and exactions. It brought him during a great part of it only the erude and homely comforts of the frontier. But his evening is mild and benignant, and all the more agreeable and enjoyable because of the strenuous life he was called upon to endure during its period of labor-the heat and burden of the day.
Mr. Gorby was married in 1854 to Miss Eliza Firestine, also a native of Ohio. They had seven children, all of whom grew to maturity, but only two are now living. They are Ethel, the wife of John Swearingen, of California, and John, who lives in this county. Their mother died in 1884, and in 1888 the father mar-
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ried a second wife, his choiee on this oe- casion being Mrs. Mary (McCloskey) Benson, who was born in Pennsylvania. Mr. Gorby has been a lifelong Democrat in political relations and always an ar- dent and conseientious worker for the success of his party. He served as a member of the school board many years and rendered other valuable service to the publie in many lines of useful effort.
OLIVER COMMODORE PERRY.
Clay township in this county numbers among its people some of the most en- lightened and progressive farmers in the county-men who are up to the period in every feature of their business and make themselves examples to others by the manner in which they conduet it, show- ing hitherto unexpected possibilities in this part of the state in the way of agri- enlture and developing them to their limits, greatly to their own advantage and the benefit of the county and all its inhabitants.
In this number is to be elassed Oliver Commodore Perry, who lives in Clarence. He has a model farm south of Clarence and shows himself to be a model farmer. He is a native of Shelby county, born in Salt River township on December 7, 1846, and a son of Richard and Mary (Selsor) Perry, natives of Virginia. The father came to Missouri in 1833 and lo- cated in Shelby county, where he was ac- tively and successfully engaged in farm- ing for a number of years. He was a very religious man and took great inter- est in church work. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, five of whom are living: Martha, the wife of
the late Nathan Byars, of Taylor town- ship, this county ; Joseph S., whose home is in Knox county ; Oliver C., a resident of Clarence ; Delilah, the wife of the late John Colvert, of Oklahoma City; and Katharine, the wife of Wesley Sharpe, of California. Their mother died in 1866 and their father in 1889.
Oliver C. Perry obtained a limited ed- neation in the primitive country schools of his boyhood and youth, and after com- pleting their course of study went to Montana, where he was engaged in gold mining for two years. At the end of that period he returned to Shelby county con- tent to seek his advancement in life in the peaceful pursuit of tilling the soil and leave to others the strenuous life of the mining camp, and all other forms of adventurous and exciting existence. He turned his whole attention to farming in Jefferson township. But of late years has turned it over to his son Floyd. He also deals in improved real estate and owns considerable property in Clarence. He pushes his business with every atten- tion to its most exacting requirements, keeping himself well posted as to values and the trend of the market. In bothı lines of endeavor he has been very suc- cessful.
Mr. Perry has also taken an earnest and helpful interest in the welfare of his township and county. He is a member of the Democratic party in his political affil- iation and an effective and determined worker for the success of the organiza- tion. He rendered the community excel- lent service as a member of the school board for more than ten years, and in all other ways has done his duty faithfully as an upright and patriotic citizen. In
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religious connection he is allied with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
On December 19, 1867, Mr. Perry was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Ran- dol, a native of Shelby county, Missouri. They have had seven children, six of whom are living : John H., a resident of Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Emma, the wife of Dr. Gaines, of Las Animas, Colo- rado; Ora, the wife of Edward Phillips, of Hannibal; Floyd, whose home is in Jefferson township; Leo, the wife of N. P. Turner, of Raton, New Mexico; and Harry, who is living at Clarence. The parents are accounted as among the worthiest and most estimable citizens of Clarence, and the other members of the family, in their several locations and sta- tions in life are daily exemplars of the lessons and training inculcated around the family fireside while they remained under the parental rooftree and the con- trol of their parents.
JAMES RICHARD BAKER.
For more than half a century this pro- gressive farmer and representative citi- zen of Jefferson township has lived in Shelby county, actively engaged in one of its leading industries, helping to pro- mote its welfare and contributing es- sentially to the consequence and bene- fit of its people. He is a native of this state, born in Monroe county on Sep- tember 25, 1842, and became a resident of Shelby county in 1857, coming to the county with his father at the age of fif- teen years.
His parents, Carter and Lucinda (Crim) Baker, were born and reared in
Kentucky, and came to Missouri soon after they reached their maturity. The father located in Monroe county and farmed there until 1857, when he moved to Shelby county. Here he continued his farming operations until his death, in August, 1866. His widow survived him thirty years, dying on June 18, 1896. They were the parents of ten children, five of whom are living: Sarah Eliza- beth (Newton), James Richard, Sam- uel E., Elijah B., and Carter A. At the beginning of the Civil war the father enlisted in a company of Missouri in- fantry. But he never got far into the active military operations of the great contest, participating only in a few skirmishes.
His son, James Richard Baker, grew to manhood on his father's farm in Mon- roe and Shelby counties and obtained his education in the district schools. At the beginning of the war, when he was but nineteen years old, he enlisted in Company D, Sharpshooters, and for a time saw very active and strenuous serv- ice. He took part in the battles of Lex- ington, Kirksville, Pleasant Hill and a number of others. But early in his mili- tary career he was captured by the other army, and from then until the close of the war languished in a military prison. At the close of the memorable conflict he was released from prison and dis- charged from the service at Shreveport, Louisiana. He then returned to his Mis- souri home and resumed his farming op- erations, beginning a career for himself in this line of endeavor, which he is still expanding. He now owns 189 acres of good land, nearly all of which is under
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