USA > Missouri > Gentry County > History of Daviess and Gentry counties, Missouri > Part 41
USA > Missouri > Daviess County > History of Daviess and Gentry counties, Missouri > Part 41
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS AND GENTRY COUNTIES
W. C. Elder was educated in the public schools of the county and at the age of 18 years he began to work for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad, first as an extra man in the telegraph office and then as the regular incumbent of the office at Alsey. This was in August, 1879, and a little later Mr. Elder was sent to take charge of the office at Gerlaw, Ill., where he remained for two years, leaving that place to go to Mt. Ayr., Iowa, on the recommendation of W. C. Brown, former president of the New York Central lines. From Mt. Ayr, Mr. Elder went to Humeston, Iowa, .as the station agent and operator. This station was made a joint agent station and an older man was appointed to the position of agent so Mr. Elder came to Ridgeway as agent and stayed there two years. On Jan. 12, 1886, he came to Albany as the agent and has held that position ever since. Only one man in this division of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy rail- road, C. M. Ketcham of Leon, Iowa, has a longer record than Mr. Elder. The present station at Albany was built in 1921 in place of the old one which was burned to the ground in 1918. When Mr. Elder first came to Albany, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad had only a small office but in 1911 this old building was improved by the addition of two rooms and the new station was a commodious and pleasant building until it was destroyed. Mr. Elder is justly proud of his fine record of service with his company. He has lost only about four months of active work during his entire tenure of service and for a period of 25 years he took no vacation at all.
W. C. Elder was married on April 25, 1888 to Lola C. Twist, a daugh- ter of B. F. and Urana Twist of Albany, and to this union eight children were born: Frank Cleo, died at the age of three years; Frederick A., an operator for the Burlington railroad at Aurora, Neb., married to Bernice Jones of Albany, to which union two children, Donald and Kathlyn, were born; Harry T., died while in the United States Army and a brief sketch of him appears below; Morris D., an operator at Albany, in the office with his father ; Paul Shamblin, named for the Burlington agent at Bethany, M. D. Shamblin, is the manager of the Elder Coal and Ice Company where his father shipped the first car of coal ever sent to Albany for retail trade in 1887 ; Clarice May, formerly cashier of the Burlington office at Albany for two and one-half years, now a student in Palmer College; Margaret Frances a student of Palmer College for the past two years and Alice Kathryn, a student in the Albany high school.
The war record of Mr. Elder's sons should be especially mentioned in a volume of this character, the aim of which is to commemorate all that is best in the achievements of the citizens of the county. Frederick A. Elder was with the 21st Engineer Corps, and was the train dispatcher on a light
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railway. Harry T. Elder enlisted for service in the Tank Corps and was sent to Gettysburg, Pa., for training. Two weeks after his arrival at the camp he was attacked by the influenza and pneumonia and died in the camp. His remains are buried at Seattle, Wash., where he had married Helen O'Brien of that place. Mrs. Elder is spending the winter in Albany where she is a student in Palmer College. Morris D. Elder was acting as cashier of the Burlington office at Worland, Wyo., when the United States entered the World War and he at once enlisted for service in the army. He was with the Signal Corps, 35th Division, and was overseas for more than a year. He is married to Cecile E. Grimes of Leon, Iowa, and they have one daughter, Betty Mae.
The Elder family are all members of the Methodist church in Albany. Mr. Elder and his sons belong to the Order of Railway Telegraphers. Mr. Elder has served as Alderman of Albany for two terms and was the chair- man of the Electric Light Committee of the town for four years when ex- tensive improvmnts were made on the system. Mr. Elder is a capable, energentic, and public spirited man, on whose life means much to his com- munity.
Dimmon D. Kingsborough, vice-president of the Holden Abstract and Investment Company of Albany, was born on a farm one and one-half miles north of Albany, June 18, 1862. His parents were Joseph B. and Ann (Orton) Kingsborough, both now dead.
Joseph B. Kingsborough was one of the early settlers of the county. He was born and reared in Pennsylvania and came to Missouri in 1837, before the land now known as Gentry County was surveyed. He entered a farm north of the present site of Albany and at once began the arduous task of breaking up the untilled soil and making a home in the frontier country. In 1843 his land was included in a survey and his patent was signed by President Polk, June 1, 1848. Mr. Kinsborough married in May 1842 to Ann Orton, who came to Gentry County in about 1840, and to this union the following children were born: John, married Mary J. Evans, and died on the home place, where his widow still lives; Susan, married Mr. Lewis and died in Buchanan County ; Haskell, a resident of Albany ; Oliver, died in Pennsylvania, when he was a young man; Sarah, married James Sellers and is now dead; Benjamin T., deceased and D. D., the sub- ject of this review. Joseph B. Kingsborough died Feb. 3, 1903, and his wife died prior to that time. The remains of both are buried in Highland Cemetery.
Dimmon D. Kingsborough was educated in the schools at Albany and taught for one term. After that he was with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad at Albany for a short time and in 1883 he accepted a posi-
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS AND GENTRY COUNTIES
tion with the Holden Abstract and Investment Company. For 39 years he has been with this company and has been one of the strong factors in the marked success of the enterprise.
The Holden Abstract and Investment Company was organized in 1865 by Captain Charles G. Comstock, the organizer of the first bank established in Albany, out of which grew the present Gentry County Bank. Captain Comstock operated the new enterprise alone for a while and then formed the C. G. Comstock Company with George C. Holden as a partner. After- wards the firm was known as the Comstock and Holden Abstract Company and this company later became the Holden Abstract and Investment Com- pany under which title it still exists. The company was incorporated in 1906. The present officers are: Mrs. Ida C. Holden, widow of G. C. Holden president ; and D. D. Kingsborough, the subject of this review, vice-pres- ident. George C. Holden was the successful manager of the company for many years, both before and after the business was incorporated. He died in 1916 and his remains are buried in Highland Cemetery. He was a prom- inent business man of the county, a member of the Masonic lodge and a stockholder in the Gentry County Bank. The company owns the only set of abstract books in the county, and Mr. Kingsborough is now engaged in making a complete abstract of each section of the county, each town, and town lot, showing every transaction that has been made since the land was first entered from the government. This will simplify and facilitate the matter of future transfers. The cost to the company is mounting up into many thousands of dollars but the value of the work is more than commen- surate with the financial-outlay.
D. D. Kingsborough was married Dec. 16, 1891, to Sallie Kier, a daugh- ter of Isaac W. and Hannah (Orton) Kier of Albany, both dead. The Orton family first settled in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The paternal grand- father of Hannah (Orton) Kier moved to New York and later to Ohio where he settled on the present site of the town of Shelby, the town being built up later on a part of Mr. Orton's farm. Hannah (Orton) Kier's father, Miles Orton came from Ohio to Missouri and entered land on what is now a part of the site of Albany. He owned this land until his death. The Orton name thus appears in the first annals of Gentry County.
To the union of D. D. and Sallie (Kier) Kingsborough the following children were born: Lucy E., now a teacher in the St. Joseph schools ; Eldon O., a student at Kansas City Western Dental College; and George H., the city electrician at Albany.
Mr. Kingsborough is a man of strong business acumen, marked com- mercial ability, and of high ideals for civic development. His connection with varied pursuits before his work with his present company made a
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valuable asset for him during his long and successful connection with the Holden Abstract and Investment Company.
John A. Hundley, deceased, was born Aug. 7, 1841, in Green County, Tenn., and died Nov. 5, 1915, at Albany, Mo. He was the son of William Hundley, and Jane (Tolle) Hundley, both born in Tennessee.
William Hundley was a pioneer settler of Gentry County where he came in 1845. Two years later he returned to Tennessee and still later came back to Missouri and then went to Texas where he located at Belton, and died there. His remains are buried at Belton. After his death, his widow returned to Albany, where she died in 1912, at the age of 94 years. The children of William and Jane (Tolle) Hundley were: John A., the sub- ject of this review; George S., president of the Gentry County Bank, an extensive landholder, and engaged in the mercantile businss with his brother, John, died at Albany; William A., operated an itinerant amuse- ment company ; and Mary E., the widow of Charles Embree of Albany,
John A. Hundley attended the public schools of Albany and began his mercantile career as a clerk. His first independent business venture was in connection with his brother, George, and Joseph Degginger. Under the firm name of Degginger & Hundley, they conducted a general store, hand- ling both dry goods and groceries. All the goods for the store had to be hauled by wagon from St. Joseph, a long and trying trip in those days. John and George Hundley bought Mr. Degginger's interest in the firm and continued in the business under the new firm name of Hundley and Com- pany until the death of George Hundley. John A. Hundley was a director in the Gentry County Bank, and belonged to the Masonic lodge. Neither George nor William Hundley ever married.
John A. Hundley was married in October, 1882, to Sarah A. Miller, the daughter of Rev. A. K. Miller, a Methodist minister, and his wife, Jane Miller. Sarah A. (Miller) Hundley died in 1888 leaving three child- ren : Jane Elma, mentioned below ; Minnie Lulu, also mentioned below ; and John M., died at the age of four years and ten months.
Jane Elma and Minnie Lulu Hundley were reared by an aunt, Mrs. Matilda Forker. They were students in the Kansas City schools, Platte City College, and Central College at Lexington. For the past ten years they have lived at Albany. They were prominent workers in the Red Cross during the war. Miss Elma Hundley was the buyer for the Red Cross County supplies and is now the secretary of that organization in Albany. Both the sisters are members of the Order of the Eastern Star.
The same year that William Hundley, the father of John A. Hundley came to Missouri, his brother, John B. left Green County, Tenn., and set-
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tled in Missouri. He located on a farm near Evona and later erected the third house built in Albany where, by 1882, the firm of Hundley and Com- pany was doing business. He afterwards built a brick store, a novelty in those days. Still later he entered the banking business and followed the mercantile business at St. Joseph. Before he left Albany, he with Alex- ander Patton, built and operated the first steam grist and saw mill in the town. The old mill was located back of the Christian church but was afterwards moved to Island Branch. It will be seen from this account of William and John B. Hundley that the enterprising spirit manifested by the later members of the family was a trait common to them all.
Concerning the place of John A. Hundley in his community it is well to quote here from the Albany Ledger of Nov. 11, 1915, which reads: "The passing of John A. Hundley removes one of the old time citizens of the town, one of the pioneers of the county, one of the familiar figures on the streets of Albany. The store on the southwest side of the square has been for more than half a century his headquarters, in the early days as an active merchant, but in later years more as an office and rest room. In less than four years four of the familiar figures who had become closely connected with the little store building, J. H. Degginger, George S., W. A., and John A. Hundley, have been gathered to their fathers, John A., being the last to be called. To the former old time citizens who occasionally come to Albany the absence of these four men will serve to mark more plainly than any other surrounding the passing of the olden days and the chang- ing of the new."
Elmer L. Culver, a well known farmer and stockman and successful breeder of Gentry County, is a native of Andrew County. He was born May 10, 1871, and is a son of Truman and Frances (Murden) Culver. Truman Culver was born in the state of New York in 1844. During the Civil War he enlisted in Michigan and served in the artillery, participating in a number of important engagements and was discharged at the close of the war with a good military record. In 1868 he came to Missouri and settled in Andrew County. Here he engaged in farming and stock raising in which he was successful, becoming the owner of 300 acres of land. Some years prior to his death, he sold his farm and removed to King City, where he spent his last days. His remains are now buried in the Ceme- tery at King City. He was a Republican and widely known as a dependable citizen. His wife was a native of Andrew County. She is now deceased and buried in King City.
Truman and Francis (Murden) Culver were the parents of the follow- ing children: Emil, whose present residence is unkown; Theron, who was drowned in Montana and his remains buried in that state; Orris, who is
ELMER 1. CULVER
MRS. MARY OLIVE CULVER
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engaged in farming and stock raising in Nodaway County, and Elmer L. the subject of this sketch.
Elmer L. Culver was reared in Andrew County and educated in the public schools. He began his independent career as a farm hand, working for $18.00 per month. He then began farming, rented land, and rented a part of his present place for a number of years. He is the owner of 700 acres of valuable land, 50 acres of which is timber. His place is well improved and he has the largest and best equipped barn for general pur- poses in Gentry County. It is 40x120 feet in demension and is 26 feet high from eaves to ground.
Mr. Culver has two large silos, 14 feet in diameter and 40 feet high. The place is arranged in every detail for the convenient handling of cattle, the barn being equipped with feed boxes and an ample supply of water piped to convenient places for the stock. Mr. Culver raises pure bred stock, Poland China hogs and Percheron horses. Mrs. Culver is also interested in stock breeding and stock raising. She raises standard bred Leghorn chickens and also standard bred turkeys. She has won a number of premiums at poultry shows in various sections of the country. She won three loving cups at the White Leghorn poultry show in Oklahoma City, Okla., and her poultry has won first prizes at St. Joseph, Savannah, King City, and a number of other poultry shows. She has recently engaged in breeding pure bred cattle and at this writing has 47 head of registered Jerseys, some of which are imported from the Island of Jersey. She has the largest herd of Jerseys in Gentry County.
Elmer L. Culver married Mary Guest, a daughter of Thomas and Ruth Guest, the former a native of Ohio, and the latter of England, who came to America with her parents when a child. Mrs. Culver has one brother, James, who was born in Andrew County, and is engaged in farm- ing and stock raising in that county. To Mr. and Mrs. Culver have been born two children : Vinona, was educated in the public schools and attended King City High School four years, and Harl, who is attending the public schools ; and both reside at home with their parents.
Mr. Culver is one of the progressive and enterprising citizens of Gentry County and he and Mrs. Culver are well known and highly respected in the community.
Thomas C. Holden, secretary and treasurer of the Holden Abstract and Investment Company, is a member of an old and well known family in Gentry County. He was born March 17, 1897, the son of George C. and Ida C. (Lewis) Holden, the latter still living at Albany where she is the president of the company of which her son is the secretary and treasurer.
Both the Lewis and Holden names appear early in the history of this
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part of the state where members of both families were among the sturdy and intrepid folk who ventured into the state when it was still a part of the wild frontier land. George W. Lewis, grandfather of Thomas C. Holden was one of the first settlers in Gentry County, where he owned a part of the tract of ground that is now comprised within the limits of the town of Albany. He was one of the first teachers of the county and taught the first public school of Albany where he later became an attorney and practic- ed law for many years. He built and lived in the house now owned by Dr. Graham. It is readily seen that Mr. Lewis was a versatile and courageous man, of the sort that go fearlessly into a new country and meet efficiently the hardships and vicissitudes incident to life in sparsely settled territory. Mr. Lewis died in 1903 at the age of 90 years. His remains were buried in Highland Cemetery. His daughter, Ida C. Lewis was born at Albany, May 23, 1857 and was married to George C. Holden, Sept. 21, 1882.
George C. Holden was born at Milton, N. Y., in 1853, and came to Gentry County after he was grown. He was a nephew of Charles G. Com- stock, the organizer of the business that is now incorporated under the title of the Holden Abstract and Investment Company, and Mr. Comstock at once took Mr. Holden into the business. The new firm began work on a set of abstract books for the county, an enterprise which is carried on by the present officers of the company. Mr. Holden was a successful busi- ness man and was the manager of the company for many years, both before and after it was incorporated. He was a member of the Masonic lodge and a stockholder in the Gentry County Bank. He died May 4, 1916, and his remains were buried in Highland Cemetery. The children of George C. and Ida C. (Lewis) Holden were: Esther, married to G. M. Anderson, a phy- sician at Casper, Wyo .; Lewis M., with the postoffice department, Colorado Springs, Colo .; Marion, died at the age of three years; Charles F., was in the United States Marines during the World War, trained at Mare Island, Cuba, where he was stationed when the war closed and is now selling mining and milling supplies for a contractor's agency in Denver, Col .; Dorothea, married to O. E. McIntyre, the owner of the Colorado Sporting Goods Company store at Colorado Springs, Colo .; George Donald, a sketch of whose life and death appears below; and Thomas C., the subject of this sketch.
George Donald Holden enlisted in the army for service in the World War, May 10, 1917, and was sent to the Officers Training Camp at Fort Riley, Kans., where he was commissioned a second lientenant. He was sent to Camp Cody, N. M., for further training and then to Camp Funston, Kans. Later he was at Camp Doniphan, Okla., and went overseas with
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Company D, 140th Infantry. He was in the Battle of the Vosges Moun- tains and there he was promoted to be first lieutenant. He was in the Argonne Forest on Sept. 26, 1918, and the next day was wounded while he was located between Exermont and Charpentry. He died in the hos- pital, Oct. 1, 1918, and his remains were buried at Frodios, France. His comrades have honored his supreme sacrifice for his country by naming the American Legion Post No. 106 at Albany after him, the Donald Holden Post.
Thomas C. Holden was educated at Albany and Colorado Springs, Col. He graduated from the Albany High School and was a student at Palmer College. He was with the Holden Abstract Company when the United States declared war on the Central Powers and he enlisted in Kansas City, July 2, 1918. He was sent to the Great Lakes Training Station and was there when the war closed. He was mustered out of the service Dec. 20, 1918 and resumed his work with the abstract company.
Thomas C. Holden was married to Doris Katherine Gibson, Nov. 7, 1917. She is the daughter of Daniel and Beatrice (Carson) Gibson of Albany, and is a graduate of the Albany High School and Palmer College. Mr. and Mrs. Holden have one daughter, Nancy Katherine.
Thomas C. Holden is a member of the Donald Holden Post 106 of the American Legion. This post was organized in Sept. 19, 1919, and is one of the largest posts in the state having more than 240 members. Mr. Holden is also a member of the Royal Arch Masons. He is a worthy mem- ber of a family that has always stood for efficiency and progress. Mr. Holden and his two brother represented three branches of service during the World War ; Charles F., in the Marines ; George Donald, in the infantry ; and Thomas C., in the Naval Aviation. Their readiness to offer their ser- vices when they wer needed shows the calibre of the brothers, and their names belong in a volume such as this.
Armand Karrer, the popular proprietor of the Karrer Garage at Albany, was the first man to enter that business in Gentry County where he has achieved a marked success in his enterprise.
Mr. Karrer is a native of Switzerland where he was born May 16, 1879, the son of Jacob and Louise (Stirneman) Karrer, both deceased. Jacob Karrer and his wife came to the United States in 1880, and settled first in Bates County, later moving to LeMars, Iowa, and then to St. Joseph where they both died. Mr. Karrer died in 1903, and his wife in January, 1921. The remains of both are buried in Avenue City, near St. Joseph. Their children were: Lena, now living in Portland, Ore .; Armand, the sub- ject of this review; Martha, the wife of Fred B. Crowther, Casper, Wyo .;
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Anna, married to Andrew Sheideger of Crosby, Mo .; and Jacob, living at St. Joseph.
Armand Karrer attended the public school at Avenue City, and later learned the machinist trade at St. Joseph. He worked at his trade in St. Joseph until 1911, when he came to Albany and opened the garage. The building which he occupies is 60x120 feet, facing the south on Wood street. Here Mr. Karrer does all kinds of automobile repair work. He handles automobile accessories and features the U. S. tires. He is the agent for the Overland and Nash cars and has built up an excellent business. Since the rapid development of his work, Mr. Kerrer finds it essential to have help and he now employs four men to assist in the work at the garage.
Armand Karrer was married in 1904 to Gertrude Rozendal, a daughter of Richard Rozendal of St. Joseph. Mrs. Karrer is a native of Holland and came to the United States with her parents in her youth. They settled first in Peoria, Ill., later moving to Leavenworth, Kan., and finally to St. Joseph. To the union of Armand and Gertrude (Rozendal) Karrer two children were born ; Evelyn and Armand.
Mr. Karrer is a member of the Woodmen of the World. He is a capa- ble and progressive man, an enterprising citizen, and a man who is always interested in the civic welfare of his community.
T. N. Rigney, the presiding Judge of the county court of Gentry county and a resident of Albany, is a native of the county. He was born at Albany, March 29, 1860, the son of Dr. Levi M. and Martha C. (Napier) Rigney.
Levi N. Rigney was a physician, born in Casey County, Ky., in 1824, and his wife was born in Adair County, Ky., in 1830. They were married in Kentucky and came to Missouri a few years later. They located first in Johnson County, where Dr. Rigney practiced his profession, but soon came to Gentry County and settled at Athens, the present town of Albany. Dr. Rigney, who was a graduate of the Medical College at Louisville, Ky., kept up the practice of medicine until his death at Albany in 1884. He was interested in mercantile pursuits also and conducted a general store and a drug store in connection with his practice. The remains of both Dr. Rigney and his wife are buried in the City Cemetery at Albany. Their children were: B. A., a farmer in Miller Township; J. M., a graduate of the Keokuk, Iowa, Medical College, died in Albany in 1906 at the age of 54 years after a successful career as a physician, he married Mary J. Hamilton who is now living on a farm three miles south of Albany ; Elizabeth died at the age of 17 years; T. N., the subject of this sketch ; William, a farmer living south of Albany ; and Charles G., died at the age of 16 years.
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