USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Cooper County, Missouri > Part 80
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Reared on the farm on which his parents had settled when he was about four years of age, William Schuster received his schooling in the district schools, followed farming all his life, and in which he was suc- cessful, and was the owner at the time of his death of an excellent farm of 243 acres in Pilot Grove township, the same now owned by his widow and operated by his son, William. In addition to his general farming the late William Schuster was an extensive breeder of Poland China hogs. For years he was a member of the board of directors of the Pilot Grove Bank at Pilot Grove." He was a member of the Catholic Church, as is his widow, and the children were reared in that faith. He died Oct. 22, 1915, highly respected in the community where he had lived since the days of his childhood.
WILLIAM SCHUSTER
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William Schuster was twice married, and was the father of 22 chil- dren, all of whom are living, save one. His first wife, Christina Felten, who was born in this county, and who died in 1894, was the mother of 10 children, of whom nine are living, namely: Fred, farmer, a mile east of Pilot Grove; Margaret, wife of P. Hoffman, St. Louis; Mrs. Anna Miller, St. Louis; Frank, Pilot Grove township; Mary, wife of Henry G. Lam- mers, proprietor of "Hickory Grove" Farm, Pilot Grove township; Sophia, wife of Frank Lammers, also of Pilot Grove township; John, of Pilot Grove township; Leona, wife of Henry Meyer, of the Pleasant Green neighborhood, and Christina, wife of L. Wittman, of the Pilot Grove neighborhood. Feb. 12, 1896, William Schuster married Anna Vollrath, who was born in this county, Oct. 27, 1876, and to that union 12 children were born, namely: William, born March 3, 1897, who is managing the home place for his mother; Grace; Hubert and Henry, twins, the latter deceased ; Nellie; Florence; Catherine; Irene; Alma and Alice, twins ; Martha; and Henry, died in infancy.
William E. McMahan, one of the best known farmers of LaMine township, is a descendant of one of the earliest pioneers of Cooper County, his great-grandfather, Samuel McMahan, who was slain by In- dians in the vicinity of Boonville, having been one of the first settlers in this section of Missouri. The McMahans drove from Kentucky at the very beginning of organized settlement hereabout and settled in what is now LaMine township. It was while returning from Boonville one day, after having driven some cattle to that settlement, that Samuel McMahan was killed by hostile Indians. One of the sons of this pioneer was Samuel Woodson McMahan, who became one of the largest landholders of Cooper County, owner of a tract of 1000 acres and many slaves. He was born in Kentucky and his wife, Harriet Riddle, was born in Maryland, her parents also having been early settlers here. One of their sons, William H. McMahan, was born in LaMine township in 1834 and became a sub- stantial farmer, spending all his life here, and died Oct., 1895. He mar- ried Lucy Hornbeck, who was born in Kentucky, and died in 1870. To them were born five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first born, the others being: R. S. McMahan, Kansas City, Mo .; Susan, wife of John H. Duncan, Helena, Mont .; Anna, wife of William H. Dun- can, Spokane, Wash., and Josephine, wife of Frank Duncan, Helena, Mont.
William E. McMahan grew up on the farm and continued farming, in time becoming the owner of the farm of 100 acres on which he is now living in LaMine township and which he has greatly improved. Ten
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years or more ago Mr. McMahan began to give special attention to breed- ing Duroc Jersey hogs and has made a success in that line. He was born Sept. 10, 1860,
March 27, 1894, William E. McMahan was united in marriage with Louella Gorrell, who also was born in LaMine township, a daughter of Amos Gorrell and wife, the latter of whom was a Schotts, natives of Ohio, who came to Cooper County in 1865 and settled on a farm in LaMine township. Mr. Gorrell is now living retired in Blackwater. Mr. and Mrs. McMahan are members of the Baptist Church, and Mr. McMahan is a democrat.
William E. McMahan's farm has been in the McMahan family since 1832.
Charles E. Woodroof, who died at his home in Blackwater, July 24, 1902, was a Virginian. He was born Oct. 30, 1822, a son of Wyett P. and Mary J. (Taliafero) Woodroof, Virginians, the mother of the former of whom was a Gatewood.
Wyett P. Woodroof came to Missouri with his family about 1825, locating near St. Louis, and later moved to St. Charles, and thence to Montgomery County, where he died about 1832, leaving his widow and her five small children in straightened circumstances. The widow, how- ever, was typical of the true pioneer type of womanhood, and she kept her little family together, all working to the common good of the family, the four sons and one daughter in time all becoming quite successful in life. The sons were John, Charles Edward, Robert and David Barton, and the daughter was Sophia, who married Mason Freeland. All these are now deceased.
Charles Edward Woodroof was but 10 years of age when his father died and he was thus early thrown pretty much on his own resources for a livelihood, helping his widowed mother and the younger children. For some time he worked in the pineries of southern Missouri and in saw mills on the Piney River in Texas County and also helped to freight the lumber by raft to St. Louis. In 1848 he enlisted for service in the Mex- ican War and was honorably discharged at the close of the war, his health considerably impaired. He then went to California, the overland trip, but it was not long until he returned to Missouri, locating in Montgomery County, where in 1853 he was married. In 1888 he moved to Saline County and there he remained until 1896, when he came to Cooper County and located at Blackwater, where he died July 24, 1902. At the time of his death, he owned several hundred acres of choice land and was regarded as one of the substantial farmers of Cooper County. His
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father was an old line Whig and he became a Republican upon the organ- ization of that party. He was a Mason.
Charles E. Woodroof was twice married. Feb. 6, 1853, in Mont- gomery County, he was married to Catherine Jones, who was born in that county on July 4, 1829, daughter of Lewis Jones and wife, the latter of whom was a Hayes, of Callaway County, Mo., a relative of Daniel Boone. Of the children born to this union, all died in childhood save Anna Myrie, who married H. Ritter; Robert Mathew, who married Ida Moore, and Orpha K., who married Joseph H. Blades, of Montgomery County. Rob- ert M. Woodruff died near Blackwater Aug. 16, 1914. He is survived by his motherless daughter, Kathryne. Catherine Jones Woodruff died on December 13, 1871, and Aug. 26, 1875, Mr. Woodroof married Susan Moseley, who survives and who since the death of her husband has been making her home at "Glenwood," the place in LaMine township which she purchased after her husband's death.
Mrs. Susan Moseley Woodroof was born in Montgomery County, Sept. 8, 1839, daughter of John and Sophia (McMahan) Moseley, Ken- tuckians. John Moseley was a son of Thomas Moseley, son of Robert Moseley, of Montgomery County, Ky. John Moseley was born in Mont- gomery County, Ky., in 1806, and came to Missouri in 1828, being en- gaged as a school teacher in Callaway County until 1833, when he mar- ried and settled on a farm in Montgomery County, where he and his wife lived the rest of their lives. Sept. 24, 1833, John Moseley was mar- ried to Sophia McMahan. She died on April 25, 1875, and he died in 1881. They were members of the Church of Christ, and their children were reared in that faith. Of these children two survive, Mrs. Woodroof's only sister making her home with her at "Glenwood" farm. For many years Mrs. Woodroof was a school teacher and she has always retained her active interest in cultural affairs. She has written a good deal and from her girlhood has found pleasure in expressing herself in poetic form. The poems she had thus written she collected after the death of her husband and published in a volume, to which she gave the title "Sea Shells," dedicating the same to the memory of her husband. She is a member of the Church of Christ. Though not granted children of her own, Mrs. Woodroof has reared to manhood and womanhood several children. She retains an interest in other forms of business activity and is a stockholder in the Farmers Stock Bank of Blackwater.
Henry Moss Wing, second vice-president of the Bank of Blackwater and one of the substantial farmers and stockmen of LaMine township, was born Aug. 21, 1876, son of David W. and Ella (Parker) Wing, the
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latter of whom, born in Boone County, daughter of Robnett Parker and wife, died in 1882. David W. Wing was born in Jan., 1849, on the farm now owned by his son Henry, and is a son of Freeman Wing and wife, the latter of whom was a Daniels, who came here from Virginia in an early day and located on the place in LaMine township now owned by Henry M. Wing. Freeman Wing and his wife lived in a log cabin which is still standing on the place, carefully and reverently preserved as a priceless relic of pioneer days, and on that place they spent the remainder of their days, and here their 13 children were born. The last born of these chil- dren was David W. Wing, father of the subject of this sketch, who re- mained on the home place, of which in time he became the owner, and there continued actively and successfully engaged in farming and stock raising until 1904, when he retired from the farm and moved to Mar- shall, where he is now living. Fifty years ago he erected on the place the substantial farm house which is still standing and to which numerous improvements have been made.
Henry M. Wing was reared on the home farm and received his early schooling in the local schools, supplementing this by a course at Kemper Military School at Boonville and at the Missouri University at Columbia. When 18 years of age he undertook farming on his own account, renting from his father. After his marriage in 1905, he established his home on the place, his father meanwhile having moved to Marshall, and in 1916 bought the farm, an excellent tract of 365 acres, where he is carrying on general farming and raising of live stock. He is a democrat and he and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
Dec. 18, 1905, Henry M. Wing was united in marriage to Martha Fray, who also was born in this county, and to this union one child has been born, Warner Fray Wing, born on Feb. 1, 1914. Mrs. Martha Wing was born Sept. 26, 1888, a daughter of H. G. and Dora (Pierce) Fray.
Willard A. Worts, proprietor of "Grand View" stock farm in LaMine township, and recognized as one of the most extensive breeders of Duroc Jersey hogs in this section is a native son of Cooper County. He was born on March 2, 1879, son of I. R. and Laura E. (Phillips) Worts, both of whom were born in Virginia and are now living retired at Boonville.
I. R. Worts came to Missouri from Indiana, having for some time made his home in the latter state after leaving Virginia. In the fall of 1878 he came to Cooper County and made his home, becoming the owner of 213 acres of land in Palestine township, where he made his home until
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his removal to Boonville. To him and his wife were born four children: Ida, deceased, was the wife of F. H. Muntzel; Willard A .; Leslie E., Pales- tine township, and Vernon, also of Palestine township.
Willard A. Worts was reared on the farm and received his schooling in the district schools and the Boonville High School. He has followed farming on his own account since he reached manhood; for some years he has given special attention to the breeding of Duroc Jersey hogs and is said to have the largest herd of Durocs in Cooper County and has calls for his breeding stock from Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, Arkansas and from all parts of Missouri, selling as many as 150 breeders a year. In 1902, Mr. Worts bought "Grand View" farm, his present well-improved place of 85 acres in LaMine township, and in 1913 he began to pay particular attention to the breeding of Durocs. He now (1919) has a fine herd of 225 registered hogs and his pens are said to be the best in the county. Mr. Worts is a member of the National Duroc Jersey Record Association, of Peoria, Ill. He is a democrat.
On Sept. 14, 1902, Willard A. Worts was united in marriage to Anna Elizabeth Sims, who was born in Howard County. Mrs. Worts is a daugh- ter of John J. and Mary (Overstreet) Sims, both members of old families in Howard County and the latter of whom is now living in LaMine town- ship.
Armstead Lee Kincaid, one of LaMine township's well known and progressive farmers and the proprietor of a well kept place of 320 acres in that township, is a native of Kentucky, but has been a resident of Missouri and of Cooper County since 1860. He was born in Montgomery County, Ky., April 14, 1849, son of George W. and Frances M. (Collins) Kincaid, both of whom spent their last days in Cooper County.
George W. Kincaid was born in Kentucky, Sept., 1813, and there mar- ried Frances M. Collins, who was born in that state in 1818. They made their home in Kentucky until 1860. when they came to Missouri and located on the farm now owned and occupied by Armstead L. Kincaid, where they spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. Kincaid dying in 1893 and his widow in 1905. They were the parents of seven children, of whom but two grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch and his brother, the late Richard Franklin Kincaid.
Armstead L. Kincaid was 11 years of age when he came into Cooper County with his parents and he was reared on the home farm in LaMine township, completing his schooling in the district schools. Upon attain-
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ing manhood he remained on the farm and in time came into possession of the same by inheritance. He has made excellent improvements on the place and has done well in his farming operations. Mr. Kincaid is a demo- crat and is a member of the Church of Christ.
Dec. 23, 1891, Armstead L. Kincaid was united in marriage with Mattie Sanders Lawless, whose first husband was Doctor Hutchinson, of Boonville. Mrs. Kincaid was born in this county in 1860 and died in 1905. By her union with Mr. Kincaid three children were born: Frances, wife of Elmer Schuster, LaMine township; Nellie L., wife of Speed Mellor, LaMine township and Georgia May, who is at home with her father.
William P. Harris, who died at his home in LaMine township in the late fall of 1901 and whose widow is still making her home on the place was born in that township and there spent all his life, becoming a well- to-do farmer and the owner of a fine farm of 173 acres, which his widow is continuing to manage with success. William P. Harris was born Sept. 2, 1857, son of William J. and Sallie (McMahan) Harris, and was the second in order of birth of the five children, the others being Samantha, wife of John B. Harris, of Fulton; Sterling P., Sedalia; Thomas A., of LaMine township, and Leona, who died in infancy. William J. Harris was twice married and by his second wife, Lizzie Lake, was the father of two daughters, Stella and Ada, both deceased.
William P. Harris grew up in LaMine township and received his schooling in the district schools. As a young man he began farming on his own account. In 1895 he bought the farm of 173 acres on which he spent his last days and had made extensive improvements. He died Nov. 25, 1901, at 44 years of age. Mr. Harris was a democrat and had always taken an active interest in the general civic affairs of his home county. He was a member of the Woodmen of the World and of the Modern Brotherhood of America. Since her husband's death Mrs. Harris has been in management of the home farm and has made numerous improvements on the place, including the remodeling of the house and the erection of a silo, she and her children now having an excellent farm.
Mrs. Harris was born in Saline County, Feb. 13, 1862, fourth in order of birth of the nine children, four sons and five daughters, born to Thomas L. and Bettie (Gregory) Kincheloe. Thomas L. Kincheloe was born in Howard County, April 16, 1822, and came to Cooper County with his par- ents when a boy. He became a successful farmer and died April 19, 1910. His wife died Dec. 23, 1884, the day on which their daughter Anna was
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united in marriage to William P. Harris. She was born in Saline county April 1, 1831, the Kincheloes and the Gregorys were early pioneers of this section.
To William P. and Anna (Kincheloe) Harris were born five children: Edna, wife of William J. Harris, of LaCrosse, Wis .; Amy, who is at home assisting her mother; Elmer and Elwood, twins, the former of whom is farming in LaMine township and the latter remaining on the home farm superintending the management of the same, and Nellie, wife of H. Brockway, of LaMine township.
Thomas B. Gibson, a retired merchant of Blackwater, veteran of the Mexican War and of the Civil War, and the oldest living settler of LaMine township, is a native of Virginia, but has been a resident of this region since his boyhood. He was born at the headquarters of the James River in Louisa County, Va., Jan. 21, 1830, son of William B. and Susan J. (Turner) Gibson, who came to Howard County with their family in the year of 1839.
William B. Gibson was born in Virginia, as was his wife. He was a son of William B. Gibson, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and grew up in his native state, becoming a brick mason and plasterer by trade. About 1839 he settled in what is now Howard County, where he spent the rest of his life. He died in Howard County and his widow later died in Cali- fornia. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Thomas B. is the only survivor.
Thomas B. Gibson was about nine or 10 years old when his parents came to Missouri and he grew up familiar with pioneer conditions. He was 18 years old when the Mexican War broke out and he enlisted and was attached to a supply train, as a herdsman for the government. While in that service he participated in an Indian fight on the Kansas plains. Attached to his supply train, made up of five yoke of oxen, hauling provisions for the soldiers, were 25 men. One morning about sunrise the night's camp was disturbed by a maurading band of Indians and a brisk fight ensued, the redskins presently being driven off without casualties to the freighters. Upon his discharge from the service at the close of the war young Gibson returned home. He married in 1859 and continued farming, being thus engaged when the Civil War broke out. Toward the close of the war he enlisted on the side of the Confederacy, being first attached to the cavalry and later to the infantry, and was with the army in Louisiana when the surrender came. Upon his return he bought his
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present farm in LaMine township. The next year he and his brother- in-law, John T. Redd, opened a store on the Santa Fe trail at a point above the LaMine River-the place now owned by Sims Brothers-and there he and Mr. Redd were engaged in business for 17 years, when they moved their stock to Blackwater, where for ten years they were engaged in sell- ing goods. Mr. Gibson then sold his interest and retired from business. He always lived on his farm in LaMine township, where he has since been making his home.
Mr. Gibson has a well improved place of 320 acres. As one of the oldest surviving pioneers of this region he has many interesting stories to tell of the old days of the plains and of the Santa Fe Trail and is a veritable storehouse of reminiscence. In 1849 he crossed the plains, driv- ing a six mule team from Arrow Rock, Mo., to California and returned to Missouri via Panama, in 1853.
In Dec., 1859, Thomas B. Gibson was married to Lucy A. Redd, who was born in this county, and died in Feb., 1903, at the age of 65 years. To that union were born two children: William B. and Mollie T., the latter of whom married W. R. Scott and is now deceased. Mrs. Scott left one child, a son, Gibson Scott, of Marshall.
William B. Gibson, who was named for his grandfather and for his Revolutionary great-grandfather, was born on the farm on which he is now living in LaMine township, Dec. 18, 1860, and has lived there all his life, since the days of his young manhood managing the place for his father. He married Mary C. McPherson, who was born at Boonville, and has five sons, William McPherson, Robert, LeRoy, Henry Thomas, Arthur Chandler and John Elliot.
William H. Haun, a veteran of the Civil War, who died at his home in Pilot Grove township in the spring of 1890, and whose widow is still living on the home place, which is now managed by her elder son, Albert L. Haun, former clerk of Circuit Court of Cooper County, was an influen- tial and useful citizens of this county. He was born on a farm in Holmes County, Ohio, Aug. 15, 1841, son of John Haun and wife, the latter of whom was a Shank, who were the parents of 12 children, of whom six grew to maturity. John Haun was born in Pennsylvania, and was early left an orphan. About 1830 he went to Ohio, was married and engaged in farming in Holmes County, and there he and his wife spent their last days.
Reared on the farm on which he was born, William H. Haun was given the advantage of excellent schooling, and all his life took an earnest
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THE WILLIAM H. HAUN FAMILY RESIDENCE
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interest in the cause of education, his labors in that behalf, after becoming a resident of Cooper County, having contributed largely to the elevation of the standards of the schools of Pilot Grove township in an earlier day. He was not 20 years of age when the Civil War broke out, and shortly after passing his 20th birthday he enlisted Sept. 7, 1861, and went to the front as a private in Company F, 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served until mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 27, 1865. During this long military service Mr. Haun's regiment participated in many of the most important engagements of the Civil War, including Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7, 1862; the occupation of Corinth, Miss., May 30, 1862; Stone River, Dec. 31, 1862; Liberty Gap, June 25, 1863; Chicka- mauga, Sept. 19-20, 1863; Mission Ridge, Rocky Face, Cassville, Pickett's Mill, Kenesaw Mountain, Hood's first sortie toward Atlanta, Lovejoy Sta- tion, Franklin. On Dec. 26, 1864, he was permitted to return home on a furlough, and was mustered out a month later. During the battle of Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863, Mr. Haun was captured by the enemy and for 15 months was confined in Libby Prison and later at Andersonville.
Upon the completion of his military service, William H. Haun re- turned to his home in Holmes County, Ohio, and resumed his place on the farm. During the following winter he taught a term of school in his home neighborhood, and in the spring of 1866 came to Missouri and bought a tract of timber land in section 24 of Pilot Grove township, with a view to clearing off a farm there and establishing his home. He built a log cabin on the place, and with his plans for a home thus well started returned to Ohio, married the girl of his choice, and with his bride returned to his timber tract in Pilot Grove township, and there he and his wife started their home-making in true pioneer fashion. It was no small job to clear the place of its heavy growth of timber, but Mr. Haun was dilli- gent, and it was not long until he had a tillable farm. He presently erected a better and more commodious house, as the needs of his growing family demanded, and later erected a third and modern house on the place, the other improvements of which also were in keeping with his progressive notions of farming. During the earlier years of his resi- dence in this county, Mr. Haun devoted much of his leisure to an extension of the cultural development of the community in which he had settled, and as a pioneer teacher of music did much toward the bringing about of wholesome social conditions. He was an ardent Methodist, as is his widow, and was ever an active and earnest participant in church work,
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doing what he could to advance all good causes in the community. He was a republican and ever took a good citizen's part in local civic affairs. On the farm which he carved out of the woods there in Pilot Grove town- ship, this good man spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on March 30, 1890, and at his passing there was sincere mourning in the community.
Aug. 30, 1866, William H. Haun was united in marriage, in Holmes County, Ohio, with Salome M. Shutt, who was born in that county. To that union were born seven children, two of whom died in infancy, the other being as follows: Albert L., is now managing the home place; Adella F., married W. E. Geary, St. Louis; Hattie Belle, and Eula Martha, at home with their mother; and William H., Grand Junction, Colo. Mrs. Haun, who is now in the 76th year of her age, and who has witnessed the development of this region since the days of her coming here, shortly after the close of the Civil War, was born Oct. 1, 1843, a daughter of John and Susan (Bell) Shutt, natives of Maryland, who located in Holmes County, Ohio, after their marriage, and there spent the remainder of their lives.
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