USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Cooper County, Missouri > Part 46
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Jan. 22, 1886, Henry A. Allen was united in marriage to Addie Ander- son, who was born in Cooper County, and to this union four daughters have been born, namely: Mary E., wife of Troy Neal, of Saline town- ship; Maud, born on June 26, 1889, wife of A. Hagan Windsor, of Clarks Fork township: Novel, Dec. 2, 1891, wife of William Lamm, Overton, who was born in the vicinity of Wooldridge, July 12, 1891, and Bessie, May 21,
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MR. AND MRS. HENRY ALLEN
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MR. AND MRS. FRITZ SIECKMAN
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1893, wife of William Diehl, of Boonville, who is now (spring of 1919) with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. William Diehl en- listed May 23, 1918, for service in the World War and sailed in July fol- lowing for overseas service, a member of the 351st Infantry, 88th Divi- sion and was at the front when the armistice was signed. He was hon- orably discharged and arrived home June 5, 1919. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have four grandchildren, Thelma Rae, Allen Walker, and Orville Fluke Neal, and Agnes Ruth Lamm. Mrs. Allen was born in Saline township, a daughter of John Anderson and wife, both long since deceased. Mr. John Anderson was a Union veteran. Her mother died when she was but an infant and she was reared in the family of William Eager, with whom she was making her home at the time of her marriage to Mr. Allen. She was the last born of the four children born to her parents and she has three sisters, Rena, wife of Mel Bailey, of Overton; Loretta, wife of Thomas Douglas, of Windsor, and Sarah, wife of John Ainsworth, of Franklin.
Edgar Thomas Hale, county surveyor, and county engineer of Cooper County, is making a record for thorough and conscientious work in his profession that has given him a reputation as an engineer second to none in Central Missouri. Mr. Hale is also filling the post of city engineer for Boonville and is one of the busiest county officials in Cooper County. He was first elected to the office in 1904 and has served in the capacity of county surveyor since Jan., 1905. Many fine bridges have been erected under his supervision and planning in Cooper County and the splendid system of county roads have been graded during his period of service. The Turley bridge across the Lamine River, also the Dick bridge, across the Blackwater, five miles east of the town of Blackwater, were erected under his supervision. Mr. Hale has had' sole charge of all of the modern bridge, culvert and road work in Cooper County during the past few years. He surveyed the site for the Laura Speed Elliot High School building, the new court house and had charge of all street improvement, paving and bridge work in the city.
Mr. Hale was born in a log cabin on the Hale farm six miles southcast of Boonville, and is a son of Thomas Wagner Hale, former well known farmer of Cooper County. Thomas Wagner Hale was born in Tennessee in 1832, of Holland Dutch descent and died in 1907. His wife was Eliza- beth Partis born in 1844 and departed this life in 1911. She was born in London, England, a daughter of David Partis, a cooper by trade who after
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making several trips to America, decided to settle in this country. He settled in Cooper County in 1850, locating 10 miles southwest of Boon- ville where he followed his trade until his death. Thomas Wagner Hale was the son of Thomas Hale of Tennessee who settled in Cooper County on a farm adjoining the Partis place in 1837. William Hale, a son of Thomas Hale, crossed the Great Plains in 1849, went to the gold fields of California and never returned. During his lifetime, Thomas Wag- ner Hale developed a fine farm of 107 acres and about six months prior to his death he located in Boonville. He served in the 45th Missouri Regiment during the Civil War and fought with the Union forces in Mis- souri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, contracting a severe illness. He was treated in the Jefferson City Hospital for some months and as a result of his illness he lost the power of speech and never regained it during the remainder of his life. He was father of seven children, as follows: Mrs. Rosa H. Smith, Liberty; Dr. Byron L. Hale, Cherryvale, Kan .; William D. Hale, deceased ; Mrs. Millie A. Monroe, Boonville ; Street L., deceased ; Edgar Thomas Hale of this review; and Dr. Tyre H. Hale, of 801 Easton avenue, St. Louis, Mo.
E. T. Hale was educated in the Hooper Institute. Clarksburg, the State Normal School at Denton, Texas, and the State Normal School at Warrensburg, Mo. He holds a State teachers certifice in both Texas and Missouri and taught school for five years in Texas. While engaged in teaching he specialized in engineering and began his professional career in 1904 in his native county. Success has marked his efforts. Mr. Hale recently disposed of the old Hale Farm which had come into his possession.
January 13, 1908, he was united in marriage to Miss Flora Lohse, of Boonville, who died Feb. 13, 1916. Mrs. Flora (Lohse) Hale was a daugh- ter of M. Lohse of Boonville, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Mr. Hale is a republican. He attends the Sunday School and Divine services at the Methodist Episcopal church and is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
William L. Koenig .- Fair dealing and honesty in business trans- actions are keynotes of the business policy pursued by the Koenig Auto Sales Company at the Corner of Main and Chestnut streets, Boonville. The concern was established Jan. 25, 1918, by William L. Koenig and has met with success from its very inception. The Hudson, Essex and Chevrolet automobiles are sold by Mr. Koenig over a considerable extent of territory. The Essex is a new automobile manufactured by the Hud- son Motor Car Company of Detroit and is a splendid machine which is
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rapidly becoming a prime favorite among auto lovers. During the past season it has been almost impossible to supply the demands for this auto- mobile. so universal has been the acclaim accorded it on the standpoint of utility, compactness and beauty of design, speed and action on the load. A storage room is operated in connection with the sales depart- ment of the Koenig Company with space 90x90 feet, a show room and a repair department operated by expert mechanics is also maintained.
William L. Koenig is a native of Cooper County and was born at Prairie Lick, June 23, 1886. His father, William Koenig, was born in 1853 and died in 1909. William Koenig was a native of Wisconsin and was a son of Joseph Koenig, a native of Germany, who first settled in the woods of Wisconsin and then came to Cooper County where he settled in 1865 in the Prairie Lick neighborhood. Mr. Koenig was reared on the farm at Prairie Lick and followed farming until his removal to Boonville in 1891. Here he engaged in the implement business and became inter- ested in politics, serving two terms as sheriff of Cooper County. During his period of service he officiated at the hanging of three convicted mur- derers. During his first term of sheriff the murderer "Jacko" paid the penalty of his crime for the killing of the city marshal and met death upon the scaffold. During William Koenig's second term he officiated at the hanging of Spinner Reeves who was convicted of brutally mur- dering his wife. After his second term as sheriff expired, Mr. Koenig engaged in the hardware and seed business but again entered politics and was elected county collector. He died while serving the county in this capacity, a popular and highly· esteemed county official. His son, William L. Koenig, was appointed to fill the unexpired term made vacant by his father's death.
William Koenig married Miss Louisa Hirsch who was born in 1862. To this marriage were born four sons and three daughters: George, liv- ing in Chicago, Ill .; Mamie, deceased; William L., of this review; Mrs. Rosa True, St. Louis, Mo .; Clara, deceased, and Lawrence.
Lawrence Koenig enlisted in the National Army on Jan., 1918, and became a member of the Aviation Corps as a pilot. At this writing he is in training at Riverside, Cal.
After attending the public and high schools of Boonville, William L. Koenig pursued a course at Central Business College, Sedalia, Mo. From 1904 to 1907 he was in the employ of Kingman's Implement Company, St. Louis, Mo. He returned to Boonville in 1907 and entered upon his duties as deputy county collector under his father. Upon his father's
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death in 1909 he filled out the unexpired term until 1911. During the fall of 1910 he was a candidate for election to the office and was elected for another term of four years, serving as county collector until 1915. Mr. Koenig then purchased a local bus and transfer business and oper- ated this until Feb. 11, 1917. Disposing of the transfer business he entered the employ of the Viertel Garage as automobile salesman until beginning business on his own account in 1918. Mr. Koenig formerly had the agency for the Dodge cars but sold this agency to George Esser.
July 13, 1909, William L. Koenig and Miss Emma Schnack were united in marriage. Mrs. Koenig is a daughter of Herman Schnack of Boonville.
Mr. Koenig is a democrat and has generally taken an active part in the affairs of his party. He is a thorough business man, a good sales- man, and an excellent citizen who has the best interests of his native county and city at heart.
Colbey Coward Groom, who died at his farm home, the old Kickashear place, at the edge of Overton in Saline township in 1912, was a Virginian. He was born in Louisa County, in 1859, a son of Samuel and Sallie (Smith) Groom, and was reared and educated in that county. Samuel Groom was born in Kentucky but in 1812 his parents returned to Virginia. Samuel was a babe in arms at the time being carried in the arms of his mother, who made the trip on horseback. Of the 12 children born to Samuel Groom and wife two are now living, John M. Groom, of Bunceton, and James Groom, Shady Side, Ohio.
In 1880, Colbey C. Groom came to Cooper County. Not long after coming here he bought a part of the farm now owned by Henry Schnuck in Saline township and settled there in 1883. Not long afterward, how- ever, he sold that place to Mr. Schnuck and then bought from Mrs. Mai- garet Kickashear, his wife's mother, the farm at the edge of Overton on which he spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1912. He is buried in the Clayton cemetery. It was on that farm on Oct. 29, 1883, that Colbey C. Groom was married to Emma Kickashear, her parents having moved there when she was but a child, she receiving her schooling in the Highland school. The Groom farm is one of the best in that section of Cooper County and is admirably located just at the southeast edge of Overton. Of the 300 acres in the farm 110 acres is Missouri River bot- tom land and the rest upland, the place thus not only being an excellent grain producer but well adapted to stock raising. Mr. Groom was a man of excellent qualities and left a good memory in the neighborhood. He
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was a member of the Woodmen of the World at Gooch's Mill, the Modern Woodmen of America at Overton and of the Modern Brotherhood at Wooldridge, and in the affairs of these several organizations, as well as in church work and in the general social affairs of the community took a hearty interest, he and his family having been among the organizers of the Sunday school of the Highland Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Emma K. Groom is a daughter of Joseph and Margaret (Rymel) Kickashear and was born on the place on which she is now living. The cabin in which she was born and in which her parents began housekeeping is still standing on the place. This cabin originally occupied the site of the present farm house, but when the latter was erected was moved over to make room for the new house and is carefully preserved as a relic of pioneer days. Joseph Kickashear was an Italian who came to America in the days of his young manhood and in 1852 became a resident of Cooper County. His name was Chicazolla, but the soft Italian pronunciation of this name apparently was too difficult for his Missouri neighbors, who by common consent "Americanized" it to Kickashear, a process to which Mr. Chicazolla offered no serious objection and in this latter form it has now been the family name for three generations. In 1855 Joseph Kicka- shear married Margaret Rymel, a member of one of the pioneer families of this neighborhood, and settled on the farm on which his widow is still living. Mrs. Kickashear now 83 years of age, is the only living charter member of the Highland Cumberland Presbyterian Church and still main- tains her interest in that organization, a constant attendant at Sunday school and otherwise interested in the work of the church. She is well and active and during the recent war knit 50 pair of socks for the Red Cross. She and her husband were the parents of seven children, of whom four are still living, those besides Mrs. Groom being the following: Mary Frances, Aberdeen, Wash., widow of George Johnson; Andrew J., Sedalia ; and Virginia Leta, wife of Fred Schilb, postmaster at Prairie Home. The deceased members of this family are Martha, who died in infancy ; George, who died at the age of 21 years, and Morris, who married Kate Hickman and who, as well as his wife, died, leaving a son Joseph, then 10 years of age, who was reared by Mrs. Groom and who died at the age of 19 in 1914.
To Colbey C. and Emma (Kickashear) Groom were born seven chil- dren. Of these a son, the third in order of birth, and a daughter, the fifth in order of birth, died in infancy, the others being as follows: Joseph Hurt Groom, named in honor of his maternal grandfather and Dr. Hurt, of Boonville, and who is now farming in Saline township; Bessie, wife of
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Ernest H. Ambrose, farmer, Overton; John Clay Groom, farmer, Saline township; George K., who died at the age of 20 years, and Colbey Coward Groom, who is farming the home place. He married Dena Grannemann, of Saline township, and has a daughter, Dorothy Pauline. Mrs. Groom has seven grandchildren, Zerelda Hazel and George Ambrose, Laura Vir- ginia, Jessie Madeline and Dorothy Pauline Groom and Paul and Chapman Groom. As noted above, Mrs. Groom and her husband were the chief promoters of the organization of the Sunday school of the Highland Cum- berland Presbyterian Church and during the 21 years of that school's service she has missed voluntarily attendance but four Sundays and for 20 grars was the teacher of one ciass.
Emil H. Mueller, one of the best known and successful citizens of Boonville, is a native of Germany. He was born Sept. 10, 1865, at Zeller- feld, Hanover, Germany, and is a son of Edward and Julia (Hoehne) Mueller, the former of whom was a well educated man who followed the profession of mining engineer in his native country. The father died in Germany in 1918, and his widow still resides in her native town, aged 73 years. Edward and Julia Mueller were parents of six children, all of whom were sons: Albert, who followed the teaching profession in Ger- many, is deceased : Emil H., subject of this review; Hugo died in infancy ; Herman died at the age of 14 years; Leopold, who is following in his father's footsteps and is a mining engineer in his native country ; Fred- erick, a postal service official in Germany.
Emil H. Mueller received an excellent education in the public schools of his native city and attended a private school at Clausthal, Hanover. He entered the mercantile business and received a thorough training in this business in Germany until 1889 when he emigrated to America. Prior to this time he had served for two years in the German army, from 1885 to 1887. He first located at Versailles, Mo., and was there engaged in the mercantile business for one year; then spent one year at Deepwater. Mo. After two and a half years in business at Pilot Grove, Mo., he came to Boonville and established himself in the retail liquor business in 1895.
Whatever may be said about the saloon business by its opponents it can be stated of Mr. Mueller that he always endeavored to conduct a quiet orderly place in Boonville and carried on his business strictly in : errdance with the laws regulations. He is a striking exception to the usual influence which the conduct of the business has had upon the saloon man and has been an excellent citizen who has carefully saved his profits and heavily invested in Boonville real estate. Now that national legis-
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lation has put an end to the business which Mr. Mueller has followed for 30 many years he has no regrets and no incriminations against the oppon- ents of the liquor traffic. He owns one of the finest brick residences in Boonville, modern in every respect, erected in 1916 on lots which he pur- chased in 1901. He is also owner of six residence properties in the city most of which are acreage tracts, besides two business properties on Main street. Mr. Mueller is a genial, well informed citizen, who is a booster for Boonville's prosperity and growth at any and all times.
May 6, 1897, Emil H. Mueller and Miss Sallie Smith of Pilot Grove were united in marriage. Two children were born of this union: Helen Mueller, born March 26, 1898: Edward Mueller, born Sept. 13, 1899. Mrs. Sallie (Smith) Mueller is a daughter of Squire John E. and Lucy (Marshall) Smith both of whom were old and well known residents of Cooper County. Squire Smith died in 1915 and his widow makes her home with Mr. Mueller, having attained the advanced age of 72 years.
Mr. Mueller is a republican and is a member of the Evangelical church. He is fraternally affiliated with the Knights of Pythias.
August Brueckner .- When a building site for the location of the splendid. new St. Joseph's Hospital was desired in Boonville, the pro- moters had little difficulty in finding a place on the high bluffs of the Missouri River just east of the main part of the city. A more ideal loca- tion for the hospital could not be desired and it was the public spirited and kindly impulse of August Brueckner to dispose of 11 acres of his land for this purpose at less than its actual value, the sale price being $200 per acre. The remaining 30 acres of the Brueckner land is devoted to fruit raising and is one of the most valuable fruit farms in Cooper County. Mr. Brueckner moved to this place from his farm in 1904, erected a large handsome brick residence facing the grounds of the Missouri Training School and set out an orchard. His orchard was planted in 1905 and con- sists of peaches, pears and plums, containing 500 peach trees, and 50 pear trees, 60 cherry trees and embracing five acres in all. Mr. Brueckner raises alfalfa as well as small fruits and is kept busily employed in caring for his orchards.
August Brueckner was born on a farm one mile south of Boonville. Aug. 28, 1855. He is a son of John M. and Margaret Brueckner both of whom were born in Germany. His parents emigrated from Germany in 1852 and John M. Brueckner settled on his farm and resided thereon until his death in 1906 at the age of 82 years. He reared a family of five sons and a daughter: George, the eldest son was killed by lightning; August,
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subject of this review; Gustav A., lives in Boonville; William L., retired farmer living in Boonville; John lives in Henry County, Mo .; Louisa, wife of Rudolph Kennis, Boonville.
When he was 26 years, August Brueckner rented land from his father. He was industrious and saving and in 1890 he was enabled to purchase his own farm of 136 acres. This tract was without improve- ments of any value and Mr. Brueckner, in the course of a few years placed excellent improvements on the farm and from year to year made money. In 1904, the condition of his wife's health demanded that he leave the farm and he accordingly sold out and purchased his present place. The old Brueckner farm is now owned by G. A. Brownfield.
Mr. Brueckner was married in 1890 to Miss Bettie Smith of Cooper Cooper County, a daughter of Nicholas Smith. Three children have been born to this marriage: Laura, at home with her parents; Nettie, wife of George Neff, St. Louis, Mo .; Victor A., bookkeeper in the office of Roeder & Weyland.
Mr. Brueckner is inclined to support the republican party but has little time to devote to political matters. He is a member of the Evang- elical Lutheran church and is a good, progressive citizen who loves his home county and is whole souled, genial and kindly.
Herman Kaiser, Sr., one of the real "old-timers" of Saline township, was born in Hanover, June 30, 1837, and was 22 years of age when in 1860 he came to this country with his parents, Henry and Mary (Warneck) Kaiser. They settled on the place in Saline township now owned by Mr. Kaiser, who has been a continuous resident of that place since coming here more than 59 years ago. When the Kaiser family settled there in 1860 the place was an unimproved woodland tract and the task of making a clearing for the home and getting the place under cultivation was no small one. At that time Jacob Schilb, Henry Meyer, Isaac Glass, Joseph Pursley and Colonel Dalton were about the only neighbors anyways near the Kaiser place and Gooch's Mill was the trading point of the settlement. John Clayton being the proprietor of the only store there at that time. On that pioneer farm Henry Kaiser and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, the latter dying in 1870 and the former in 1875, and both are buried in the Lutheran church yard. Of the children born to this pioneer pair and who accompanied them here from Hanover, the subject of this sketch is the only one now living.
During the Civil War Herman Kaiser served as a member of the Home Guard, and on account of the numerous Confederate forays made
HERMAN KAISER. WIFE AND GRANDCHILDREN.
HERMAN KAISER, WIFE AND DAUGHTERS
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HERMAN KAISER, WIFE AND SONS
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through this section saw considerable active service and had a number of exciting experiences. He married in 1866 and established his home on the home place, where he ever since has resided, in time coming into full ownership of the same, and as time passed made improvements until all the original buildings on the place had been supplanted by newer and more commodious buildings and an excellent farm plant was created. In ad- dition to his general farming Mr. Kaiser also for years has been more or less actively engaged in the raising of live stock. Of late years he has lived practically retired from the active management of the farm, turn- ing the same over to his son, Herman Kaiser, Jr. He recalls that Luth- wick Haxel owned the first "self-binder" reaping machine brought to this neighborhood and that immediately afterward, in the same season, he bought a "binder", Ulrich Oerly buying one at the same time. The junior Herman Kaiser, who is now in charge of the farm, has the same pro- gressive spirit as his father and is doing well.
Herman Kaiser, Sr., has been twice married. In 1866 he was united in marriage to Mary Gatchet, who was born on April 3, 1844, and to that union 10 children were born, namely: John, born Nov. 28, 1866, died at the age of 19 years; Elizabeth, Dec. 15, 1867, wife of Charles Schrader, Saline township; Wilhelm, Feb. 1, 1869, Wooldridge; H. Heinrich, Dec. 28. 1870 ; Emma C., Jan. 19, 1873, married C. R. Diehl and died Nov. 19, 1908; R. Sophia, Feb. 17, 1875, died Oct. 13, following ; M. Louisa, Aug. 10, 1876, wife of Henry Hazel, Prairie Home township; A. Catherine, Oct. 15, 1878, married Martin Lohse and died May 2, 1907; Anna C., Jan. 15, 1881, wife of Otto Stock, Moniteau County, and Ida M., Dec., 17, 1884, married Edward McFall and died Nov. 19, 1906. The mother of these children died Aug. 21, 1885, and Sept. 3, 1886, Mr. Kaiser married Mrs. Louisa (Heckermann) Broer, widow of Carl Broer, and to this union two children have been born, L. Marie, born Aug. 2, 1887, wife of Emil Klatt, Moniteau County, and A. W. Kaiser, Nov. 30, 1888. Mrs. Kaiser's first husband, Carl Broer, died June 30. 1874. She married him in 1869 and to that union were born two children, Charles Broer, born Feb. 9, 1870, now liv- ing in St. Louis, and Cordelia, Nov. 14, 1871, wife of H. Winkelmeyer. of Boonville. Mrs. Kaiser was born in Germany and received her school- ing in the private school at Pleasant Grove, her first teacher there having been the Reverend Juengel, who had about 40 pupils. The Kaisers have ever taken an interested part in church work.
Matthew Cleary, farmer and stockman, and well known dealer in live stock, residing at 626 East Morgan street is a native born citizen of
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Cooper County. Mr. Cleary was born on a farm near Buneeton, Jan. 21, 1863.
John Cleary, his father, was born in Ireland in 1812 and died in Cooper County, 1884. He came to America in 1852 and for some years he was employed in railroad construction work. Following the line of the railroad his work eventually brought him to Cooper County, Mo. Mr. Cleary rightly decided that this beautiful and productive country was the best place on earth in which to buy a farm, settle and rear a family. He had married Catherine Clifford, a native of Ireland. and to this marriage. seven children were born, three of whom are living, viz: John Cleary, Wichita, Kan .; Edward Cleary, Boonville, Mo .; and Matthew, subject of this review. The mother of this family died in 1869. John Cleary later married Martha Johnson who bore him two children: Mrs. Eliza Farris, Boonville, Mo .; and Helen, deceased.
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