History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 60

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

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John A. Brandes has followed farming all his life and has met with a gratifying measure of success. He received his schooling in the district schools. Upon beginning operations on his own account he bought from his father 80 acres which formerly was known as the Swanger farm and as his affairs prospered he added to that until he now has 137 acres, well improved and under cultivation. He has built all the improvements on this place and has a well kept farm, including two stock barns, one 42x50 feet and the other 43x32 feet, and other farm buildings. Mr. Brandes pays considerable attention to the raising of registered Galaway cattle and Poland China hogs and is doing well with his stock. He is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Elevator at Bunceton and gives his thoughtful attention to general local business conditions.

Nov. 16, 1899, John A. Brandes was married to Laura Hoerl, who was born in this county, and to this union three children have been born, Alvin M., Lawrence B. and Ilda. Mrs. Brandes is a daughter of Martin and Ida (Selck) Hoerl, the latter of whom died on June 17, 1897,

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MR. AND MRS. JOHN A. BRANDES AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

and is buried at Lone Elm. Martin Hoerl is still living in Clarks Fork township. To him and his wife were born five children, those besides Mrs. Laura Brandes being Mrs. Elizabeth Brandes, who lives in North Moniteau township; Leonard Hoerl, of Clarks Fork township; Mrs. Dora Timm, also of Clarks Fork township, and Elmer Hoerl, of Bunceton. Mr. and Mrs. Brandes are members of the Lutheran Church at Lone Elm and Mr. Brandes is a member of the board of directors of the parochial school at that place. He is also a memebr of the Board of Directors of the Clarks Fork Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company.

Otto G. Schmidt, proprietor of "Locust Grove Farm," in Saline town- ship, is one of Cooper County's most valued citizens, a native son of Saline township. Mr. Schmidt was born Jan. 30, 1867, in the residence on the farm now owned by him, a son of Herman and Theresa (Spieler) Schmidt.

Herman Schmidt was born in Germany, a son of Andreas Schmidt. Father and son came to America in 1833 and settled on the farm now owned by Otto G. Schmidt. They purchased 80 acres of land for $10 an acre. A log house, 16x20 feet, now used as a chicken house, was then the residence. Here, Andreas Schmidt died when he was about 80 years of age and interment was made in the family burial ground on the farm, where the remains of his wife were also laid to rest. Herman Schmidt resided on this farm for the remainder of his life and he was 16 years of age when his father settled here. Herman and Theresa (Spieler) Schmidt were the parents of the following children: Henry, who died at the age of 19 years ; Mrs. Ida Hobrecht, of California, Mo .; Mrs. Emma Hasenbach, of Boonville; Herman, Jr., of Boonville; Bertha, who died at the age of 21 years; and Otto G., the subject of this sketch. Both father and mother are now deceased and their remains rest in the family burial ground. Mrs. Schmidt died Dec. 29, 1906, at the age of 81 years. The Schmidt Cemetery contains about 75 interments, the remains of Cooper County pioneers. The first burial made there was that of Gustav Schmidt, 11 years of age, who died in 1833. He was a brother of Herman Schmdit.

Otto G. Schmidt attended school at Connor school-house in Saline township, at Woodland school-house, and six months at a German school in Boonville. Leaving school, Mr. Schmidt returned to the farm, where he now resides. "Locust Grove Farm" comprises 170 acres of land, located eight miles east of Boonville, and is considered one of the best farms in the county. It is conveniently located one and a half miles west of Overton. Mr. Schmidt is engaged in general farming and stock rais-

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ing. He raises cattle, sheep, and hogs. The farm is neatly kept and the residence, built by Mr. Schmidt's father in 1850, is a good, substantial house, in excellent repair.

Oct. 25, 1891, Otto G. Schmidt and Fannie Kramer, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Kramer, were united in marriage in Saline township. Both parents of Mrs. Schmidt came from Germany to America and settled in Cooper County about 1835. They are now deceased and are buried in the Schmidt Cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Kramer were the parents of the following children: Henry B., of Overton; Herman, of Boonville; Jacob, who resides in the State of Washigton; Mrs. Otto G. Schmidt, the wife of the subject of this review; Mary, deceased. To Otto G. and Fannie Schmidt has been born one child, a son, Oscar G., who is 19 years of age and is at home with his parents.

Mr. Schmidt is affiliated with the republican party. He is keenly interested in matters of public interest, but he has never sought or cared to seek political office. Fraternally, he is a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been a member of the former for 25 years and of the latter for 16 years. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt are members of the German Evangelical Church at Boonville. Otto G. Schmidt is now 52 years of age and he has never in his life smoked or been in a saloon. The Schmidt family is widely and favorably known in Cooper County, and Mr. Schmidt ranks highly among the intelligent, progressive men of his community.

Z. R. Neal, proprietor of "Locust Hurst Farm," in Saline township, is a member of one of Missouri's first families, a native of Morgan County, a son of one of Cooper County's honored pioneer ministers. Mr. Neal was born Aug. 25, 1849, near Otterville, a son of Rev. Minor and Nancy (Amick) Neal, both deceased.

Reverend Neal was a well-known minister of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church and one of the early preachers of Moniteau and Cooper Counties. Reverend Minor and Nancy Neal were the parents of the fol- lowing children: George. James Q., and Thomas L., of Lebanon; Mrs. T. B. Young, of Sedalia; Mrs. May Hixon, of Pilot Grove; and Z. R., the subject of this review.

Z. R. Neal attended the public school of Mount Zion. He has fol- lowed farming and stock raising practically all his life and since 1901 has resided on the farm where he now lives. "Locust Hurst Farm" comprises 340 acres of some of the most valuable land in Cooper County. This country place is located 10 miles southeast of Boonville. The residence

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

was built in 1901, a modern structure, equipped with acetylene lights. There are two good barns on the place, which is well arranged for the handling of stock and grain.

In 1875, Z. R. Neal and Mary E. Fluke, a daughter of John Fluke, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume in connection with the biography of G. F. Fluke, were united in marriage. Mrs. Neal was born on the farm where she now resides on March 4, 1853, and she attended the public schools of Highland district. To Z. R. and Mary E. Neal have been born six children: John M., who died in infancy; William W., at home; Ollie H., who married Ella Givens, of Saline township, now an engi- neer, residing in Parsons, Kans .; Troy W., who married Mary Allen, of Saline township, and they reside on the home farm; Stella R., the wife of Rev. C. C. Cox, of Chicago, Ill., a minister of the Presbyterian Church; and Dorsey M., who is a teacher at Highland school and one of the favor- ably known teachers of Cooper county.

Mr. and Mrs. Neal have reared and educated as fine a family as can be found in the State and now they are spending the eventide of life in contentment on their farm, one of the pretty country places of Saline township.

H. E. Schnuck, proprietor of "Walnut Range Stock Farm," in Saline township, one of the most beautiful country places in this section of the State, was born in Saline township, Nov. 25, 1866, on a farm located one- half mile east of Big Lick. Mr. Schnuck is a son of John and Catherine (Meyer) Schnuck, the former a native of Germany, and the latter, of Moniteau County.

John Schnuck was born in 1830 and in the early fifties he immi- grated to America and settled in Missouri on a farm near Gooch's Mills. Mr. Schnuck died in 1880 and he was laid to rest in the cemetery at Pleasant Grove. His widow now makes her home with their son, John, in Boonville township. The children of John and Catherine Schnuck are: Mary, the wife of Samuel Oerly, of Saline township; Elizabeth, the wife of Henry Renken, of Clarks Fork township; Mrs. Catherine Smith, de- ceased; H. E., the subject of this sketch; Anna, the wife of Ed Twillman, of St. Louis County ; and John H., of Boonville township.

H. E. Schnuck attended the public schools of Cooper County and spent one year in attendance at Hooper Institute at Clarksburg, Mo. Leaving school, Mr. Schnuck was for nine years in the mercantile and milling business at Big Lick, or Gooch's Mills. In 1897, he moved to the farm where he now resides. "Walnut Range Farm" is one of the splen-

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did stock farms of the county, a part of the original Kelly Ragland farm of nearly 2000 acres. Mr. Schnuck owns the old home place, a farm of 300 acres of land, in addition to 110 acres of river bottom land. Kelly Ragland, one of the wealthiest men in Missouri in the days gone by, was at one time owner of 100 slaves. He was a Virginian. Mr. Ragland built the residence in which Mr. Schnuck now lives, a two-story structure, "T-shape," made from brick from a kiln on the farm. The style of archi- tecture is that of Colonial days. There are 10 rooms in the residence, all unusually large, and originally each contained a huge fireplace. A sec- ond brick residence, which was built for the Ragland slaves, is now used as a granary and storehouse. Kelly Ragland died shortly after the Civil War. His heirs sold the farm to Emanuel Oerly, who sold the place to H. E. Schnuck in 1897. "Walnut Range Stock Farm" is conveniently located 12 miles from Boonville and two miles from Overton. Mr. Schnuck is engaged in general farming and stockraising. He raises reg- istered Poland China hogs, Shorthorn cattle, and black-face sheep. A registered Shorthorn male leads the herd of cattle. Mr. Schnuck raises annually from 200 to 500 chickens, White Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, all pure breds. The Schnuck place is well equipped in every particular to take care of large herds of stock and flocks of chickens. There are four barns, two tenant houses, a large granary on the home place and a good residence on the river bottom land. Mr. Schnuck is very proud of a splendid chicken house, 20x24 feet, exclusive of an extra shed called "The Fool Proof." The building has excellent ventilation and is vermin proof. Everything is done on a large scale at "Walnut Range Stock Farm," a country place to which the citizens of Cooper County point with pride. Mr. Schnuck has improved the appearance of the old homestead by the addition of concrete porches and cement walks.

Nov. 25, 1897, H. E. Schnuck was united in marriage with Ida Vieth, a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabet (Selck) Vieth, both of whom are now residing on a farm in Kelly township, near Bunceton. Mrs. Schnuck is one of the following children born to her parents: Ida, the wife of the subject of this review; Emma, at home; Tillie, the wife of Charles Barta, of Kansas City, Mo .; Henry and Carrie, at home. To Mr. and Mrs. Schnuck have been born four children: Lorine, Arthur and Lloyd and Wilbur, the latter deceased.

Mr. Schnuck is a republican. He is a valued member of the Pleas- ant Grove Lutheran Church. Honest, industrious. capable, Mr. Schnuck stands very high in his community, and he and Mrs. Schnuck are num- bered among Cooper County's most respected citizens.

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

William J. Wooldridge, merchant, miller, lumberman, and an "all round hustler," was born in Cooper County, near the town of Wooldridge, Sept. 11, 1870, a son of H. H. and Sallie (Eager) Wooldridge, the former, a native of Hardin County, Ky., and the latter of Cooper County, Mo.

H. H. Wooldridge was a son of Jesse Wooldridge, a native of Vir- ginia. Jesse Wooldridge migrated from Virginia to Kentucky and thence to Missouri, where he settled in Cooper County in 1858, on land where the town of Wooldridge now is located. He purchased a section of land, improved his farm, and there died in the latter seventies. The remains of Jesse Wooldridge rest in the family burial ground. His son, H. H. Wooldridge, was a merchant, farmer, and stockman. He owned 400 acres of land, a part of which was the townsite of Wooldridge. The town was laid out in 1901, when the railroad came. H. H. Wooldridge was for 30 years engaged in the mercantile business at Overton, Mo. He died on the last day of the year 1916, and his remains were interred in the family cemetery. His widow still survives him and is now residing on the old homeplace. The Wooldridge children are: W. J., the subject of this sketch ; Mrs. A. F. Nixon, of Wooldridge, and H. H., Jr.

William J. Wooldridge obtained his education in the public schools of Cooper County and at Hooper Institute at Clarksburg. For ten years, Mr. Wooldridge was engaged in teaching in the Hooper Institute. Leav- ing the teaching profession, Mr. Wooldridge has since been engaged in the mercantile business, in farming and stockraising. After two years at Clarksburg, three years at Corticelli, and three years at Linn Creek, William J. Wooldridge located at his old home, Wooldridge, about 1897. He now conducts a lumber yard and grain elevator at Overton, and since 1914 a feed and flour mill at Wooldridge, the last named having a capacity of 60 barrels a day. In 1914, he had drilled near the mill an artesian well, 197 feet in depth, the only one of the kind in this part of the state .. Mr. Wooldridge is president of the Bank of Wooldridge. In addition to the manifold responsibilities of his mercantile and financial business, Mr. Wooldridge operates his farm of 1350 acres near the town of Wool- dridge, and at the time of this writing he and W. R. Freeman are feeding 800 head of hogs and 141 head of cattle. Mr. Wooldridge has a hand- some, modern home in the town of Wooldridge.

In 1890, William J. Wooldridge and Lily Hooper, a daughter of Pro- fessor J. N. and Georgia Hooper, were united in marriage. The Hoopers were from Clarksburg, Mo. Professor Hooper is deceased since 1892, and his remains are interred in the cemetery at Clarksburg. The widowed mother now makes her home with her son-in-law, W. J. Wooldridge. To

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Mr. and Mrs. Wooldridge were born seven children: Flossie M., the wife of Lon Freeman, of Wooldridge; Hooper E., Willie Fay, Georgia Hazel, Jessie Lee, William J., Jr., and Harry. Mrs. Wooldridge was the oldest of three children born to her parents: W. E., of Wooldridge; Dorsey E., a dentist of Warsaw, and Mrs. W. J. Wooldridge, who died April 27, 1915, at the age of 44 years.

The history of the Wooldridge family is inseparably linked with the history of Cooper County, and for more than 60 years the name has stood for all that is best in manhood and womanhood. No man stands higher in the respect of his fellowmen than does William J. Wooldridge. He is a democrat in politics. He is a member of the Baptist Church and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World, Modern Brotherhood, Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

Holman Lee, a well-known farmer and stockman of Boonville town- ship, is a member of a highly respected, colonial family, a son of one of Missouri's honored pioneers. Mr. Lee was born Sept. 18, 1879, in Howard County, Mo., son of John and Susan (Talbott) Lee, the latter, a native of Kentucky.

John Lee was born March 5, 1816, in Richmond, Va., son of John Lee, Sr., and Susan (Owen) Lee, natives of Virginia. John Lee, Sr. was a son of Joel Lee, a soldier of the Revolution of 1776, who served under General Washington. The elder John Lee, with his wife and children, came from Virginia to Missouri in 1819 and this family was one of the first families of the state. John Lee, Jr. was one of the leading farmers and stockmen of Howard County, Mo., and he was also a prominent financier of Boonville, one of the organizers of the bank of Ahle, Lee & Duncia at Boonville, which bank was conducted until 1882, when Mr. Lee became head of the banking institution known as John Lee & Son, Bank- ers. In 1885, John Lee, Jr. sold his interest in this bank and assisted in the organization of the Commercial Bank, becoming a director, a posi- tion he held until his death in 1893.

The father died at his home at Old Franklin on Dec. 18, 1893, at the advanced age of 77 years. Mr. Lee was widely known in this section of the state. His home and farm were at Old Franklin in Howard County, but his chief business interests are in Boonville. By a former marriage, John Lee, Jr., was the father of two children, who are now living: Mrs. Ida Swinney, wife of E. F. Swinney, a prosperous banker of Kansas City, Mo., and Samuel, of Kansas City.

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

Holman Lee, subject of this review, attended Coopers Institute and the Culver Military Academy, Culver, Ind., completing his school work with a business course at Gem City Business College, Quincy, Ill. After completing the course, Mr. Lee began farming and stockraising in Howard County, Mo., where he resided until 1909, when he came to Cooper County and located on his present farm of 245 acres of well improved land. He has made unusual success in sheepraising. Mr. Lee has a herd of 600 black-faced Shropshires, 100 head of feeding cattle, 15 head of horses and mules, and 100 head of Poland China hogs.

Nov. 4, 1903, Holman Lee and Elizabeth Blackburn, adopted daughter of Carroll and Mary T. Logsdon, were united in marriage. Carroll Logs- don, grandfather and foster-father of Mrs. Lee, was one of the earliest settlers and largest landowners in Saline County, Mo. Mrs. Lee is a graduate of William Woods College, Fulton, Mo., a member of the class of 1903 and is successfully engaged in raising poultry, keeping the best Barred Plymouth Rocks, for which she finds a ready market. Mr. and Mrs. Holman Lee are the parents of three children: Carroll, Suzanne, and Holman, Jr. The Lee family has long been highly valued in the com- munity and respected throughout the county.

Sid A. Lusk, farmer and stockman, Bunceton, Mo., although one of the younger generation of stockmen in Cooper County, is one of the most successful. Mr. Lusk sold a farm of 321 acres west of Bunceton, on Feb. 1, 1918. He has purchased one of the finest homes in Bunceton and has bought another farm of 240 acres about one-half mile southwest of Bunce- ton in Kelly township. Sid A. Lusk was born on the Lusk homestead, March 10, 1888.

William M. Lusk, his father, was born in Polk County, near Brighton, Mo., in 1850, and died in April, 1912. He was a son of James B. Lusk, a native of Tennessee and a Missouri pioneer. James B. Lusk lived in Polk County until 1861 when he came to Cooper County, and bought a farm near Harrison Station. His children were: Mediothe, John, Hugh, Wiley, Lafayette, Benjamin and William M., and Hamilton. William M. Lusk was reared in Cooper County and married Mattie Collins who was born in 1858 and died in June, 1896. To William M. and Mattie Lusk were born seven children: James lives in Kansas ; Tucker lives in St. Paul, Minn .; Mrs. Willie Cook lives in Sedalia, Mo .; Benjamin resides in Kansas City, Mo .; Sid A., of this review; Mrs. Abbie Davidson, lives in Sedalia. Mo .; Harry died in infancy; William M. Lusk resided on a farm in Lebanon township until he settled on what is known as the Lusk homestead in

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

1880. After his father's death, his son, Sid A. Luck, came into possession of the homestead through inheritance and purchase.

Sid A. Lusk was married in June, 1913, to Miss Arlotta Windsor, born in Cooper County, a daughter of Edward Windsor, who was born in 1862, and is a resident of the Pleasant Green neighborhood. Her mother is Ruth (Davis) Windsor, who was born in Cooper County in 1875. The Windsors have four children: Mrs. Arlotta Lusk, of this review; Mrs. Speed Boulware of near Bunceton; Grosvenor and Edward.

Three children have been born to Sid A. and Arlotta Lusk, as follows: Bill, born March 21, 1914; Helen Wiley, born June 27, 1916; and Martha Ruth, born Feb. 15, 1918.

Mr. Lusk is a democrat. He is an Episcopalian and a member of the Elks at Sedalia.

Charles Timothy Grathwohl .- "Twin Springs Stock Farm", of 235 acres situated just south of the valley of the Petit Saline River, five and a half miles south of Boonville, is a fertile well developed and substan- tially improved farm. This farm is owned and operated by Charles T. Grathwohl, one of the most successful farmers of Cooper County, and is devoted to wheat growing and stock raising. A handsome farm residence reached by a driveway, stands on the hill overlooking the beautiful river valley. This home was built in 1914. A large barn built of stone quar- ried on the place and from oak timber cut and sawed from the woods on the Grathwohl farm was erected in 1916. A silo of 150 tons capacity is built of re-inforced concrete. Mr. Grathwohl feeds a carload of pure bred Shorthorn cattle yearly for the markets, keeping the best breeds of cattle because it pays to handle only pure bred stock. He keeps Poland China and Berkshire hogs on the place.

Charles T. Grathwohl was born Sept. 3, 1860 in Boonville, and is a son of Timothy and Barbara (Hoflander) Grathwohl. The sons of Tim- othy and Barbara Grathwohl all farmed together for a number of years on the Grathwohl home place. Charles and Conrad Ansul Grathwohl and Thomas purchased the present place now owned by the subject of this re- view in 1887. Upon the death of Mrs. and Conrad A. Grathwohl, Charles T. came into possession of the home place in 1914, placing the present fine improvements thereon. Residing with Mr. Grathwohl are his sisters, Miss Magdalena Grathwohl and Miss Minnie Becker. Mrs. Grathwohl died Dec. 29, 1913. Conrad Ansul Grathwohl died Feb. 18, 1914.

Mr. Grathwohl is an independent republican and is a member of Evangelical Church of Billingsville, Mo.

CHARLES T. GRATHWOHL

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

Mr. Grathwohl has a herd leader of Shorthorns from the Ben Smith herd which cost him $150 when a yearling and which traces to the famous Ravenswood herd. The Grathwohl herd numbers 20 pure bred cows and a noted herd leader. He has three purebred Berkshire sows and one pure- bred male from the Harris drove. His drove of Poland China hogs is headed by a registered male from the Wallace herd.

James A. Clayton, vice-president of the Bank of Wooldridge, is a native of Saline township, Cooper County. Mr. Clayton is one of the county's leading business men and in the financial and business circles of this section of the State he commands the respect of all with whom he comes in contact. He was born Jan. 22, 1854, a son of John M. and Elizabeth (Lamm) Clayton.

John M. Clayton was a native of Maryland. He came to Missouri with his father, John Clayton, when he, the son, was a child, six years of age. The senior Clayton settled on a farm in Prairie Home township, and there John M. was reared and educated. John Clayton was of English descent. He died at the home of his son, John M., in Saline township, and his remains are interred in the cemetery at Goochs Mill. John M. Clayton owned a farm located one and a half miles west of Wooldridge and was engaged in general farming. He died in Arkansas, whither he had gone with his son, J. L. Clayton, and is buried there.

Elizabeth (Lamm) Clayton, mother of James A. Clayton, was born in Cooper County, a daughter of William and Caroline Lamm, of Saline township. Mrs. Clayton is deceased and her remains rest in the ceme- tery at Gooch's Mill. Two nephews, George and James Lamm, still own the old homeplace of the Lamm family in Saline township.

James A. Clayton is one of five children born to his parents, John M. and Elizabeth Clayton, as follows: William E., of South Fork, Howell County ; Mrs. Martha Ford, who resides in Colorado; Charles, who died at the age of six years ; James A., the subject of this review ; and John L., of Dayton, Wash.

In the district school at Lowland schoolhouse in Cooper County, James A. Clayton received his education. Until 1907, he was engaged in farming, when he entered the mercantile business as clerk in the store of Potter & Hopkins, and for two years was employed in clerking. Mr. Clayton returned to the farm after his experience in the store and re- mained there until 1914, when he was elected vice-president of the Bank of Wooldridge, a position he has since filled most capably.

In 1882, James A. Clayton was united in marriage with Laberta

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Givens, a daughter of James and Cynthia Givens, of Saline township. Mrs. Clayton died in 1883. In 1910, Mr. Clayton and Mrs. Alice (Shep- herd) Pate, a daughter of Levi and Johanna (Compbell) Shepherd, were married. Mrs. Claytons mother was a daughter of Bradley Campbell, an honored pioneer of Saline township, a native of Tennessee. Bradley Campbell and his wife are buried in the family burial ground on the old homeplace in Saline township. Mrs. Shepherd died at the age of 82 years, and Levi Shepherd died at the age of 84 years. Both parents of Mrs. Clayton were laid to rest in the cemetery at Gooch's Mill. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton have a comfortable home in Wooldridge.

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History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 60

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1464