USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Missouri > Part 65
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
fering from the lack of food and water. Fred Johnson now lives in Shan- non County, where he is a farmer.
R. E. Johnson is a Democrat but votes independently of party affilia- tions. He is a member of the Baptist Church and has been a director in the White Oak Church of the Baptist denomination for many years. Mr. Johnson has succeeded in life because of his energy and determination in the face of difficulties. He is an estimable citizen of his community.
Jerry Posler is a well known farmer and stockman of Madison Town- ship who has achieved success in the breeding of Shorthorn cattle. Mr. Posler was born in Madison Township, July 30, 1883. His father, John Posler, belonged to sturdy Bohemian stock and was one of the men who migrated to the United States during the turbulent period of Austrian history.
John Posler was born in Luze, Bohemia, November 1, 1823, the son of Wencl and Annie Posler of Bohemia. Wencl Posler was a soap manu- facturer who died in his native land at the age of fifty-eight years. His widow came with her son, John, to the United States and died at the age of seventy-one years. John Posler was a carpenter but never followed that occupation. He clerked in the city court in Bohemia for six years and served in the rebellion against the Austrian Empire. After he came to the United States he went to Wisconsin in 1850 and to Iowa in 1857. He came to Harrison County shortly after and made his home here until his death on March 2, 1911. He served in the Civil War for one year as a member of Company F, 27th Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He was under Captain Clark and was in the siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Jackson. For nearly two years he was a veteran of the Reserve Corps. After his transfer he began farming and in 1866 he returned to Europe to get his mother and sister, Josephine, whom he brought back to the United States. They are both deceased. John Posler was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. 216, at Cainsville. He was a Re- publican in politics and was a student of the languages, speaking English, Bohemian and German fluently, and having a reading knowledge of French and Latin.
John Posler was married in 1872 to Anna Skakal, a native of Bohemia. She died September 18, 1900, and her husband died March 2, 1911. The remains of both are buried in the Bohemian Cemetery in Madison Town- ship. To John and Anna (Skakal) Posler the following children were
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
born: John, now a resident of St. Louis; Joseph, now living on the old home place in Madison Township; and Jerry, the subject of this review.
Jerry Posler received his education in Cainsville at the public school and in the Banner District School. He farmed his father's homestead for eighteen years and then bought eighty acres of his present farm. He added to the first tract from time to time and now owns a farm of 102 acres on which he does general farming and raises stock. In 1910 he began breeding Shorthorn cattle and usually has sixteen head on hand.
Mr. Posler was married February 12, 1907, to Anna Lisa, who was born in Harrison County, the daughter of John and Frances (Dostal) Lisa, both natives of Bohemia and early settlers of Missouri. They came to Harrison County in 1882 and now live in Madison Township. To the union of Jerry and Anna (Lisa) Posler three children have been born: an infant, deceased; Pauline, born February 20, 1911; and Glen L., born January 6, 1918.
Jerry Posler is a Republican and is a member of the Methodist Church. He is a member of the Madison Township Board and is the president of the School Board of District No. 4. Mr. Posler is an industrious young man who is making a success of his enterprises.
C. A. Francis is a well known dairyman and farmer of Madison Town- ship, the owner of 136 acres of land, and a resident of Harrison County since his early childhood. He was born in Davis County, Iowa, November 29, 1873. His parents were Calvin and Susanna (Baker) Francis, who became the parents of nine children, all but two of whom grew to maturity. C. A. Francis is the youngest of the children.
Calvin Francis was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1835, and was reared in Licking County, Ohio. He married Susanna Baker in Ohio. She was a native of Licking County. They moved to Iowa and settled in Davis County before the Civil War and in 1877 they came to Harrison County and settled on a farm in Marion Township. Mr. Francis retired from farming and went back to Iowa to live. He died in 1910 while on a visit in Harrison County. His wife died in 1901 at the age of seventy years.
C. A. Francis attended the district schools of the county and grew to manhood on the farm. In 1901 he registered for land in Oklahoma and improved two claims there, a homestead, and a school claim. He
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
stayed in Oklahoma for seven years and sold his land there in 1908. He returned to Harrison County and bought his present farm upon which he has put improvements, building a house, a barn, and other farm struc- tures. He cleared off thirty-five acres of heavily timbered land and the tract is now producing corn and other grains.
Mr. Francis has been married twice; the first time in September, 1894, to Clara Landis, a daughter of Daniel Landis of Harrison County. To this union two children were born: Glen, now living in Mercer County ; and Willis, of Harrison County. Mrs. Francis died in June, 1898 and Mr. Francis was married the second time in 1899 to Luvena Milburn, born in Harrison County, the daughter of William and Martha (Johnson) Mil- burn, now living in Boise City, Idaho. To this second union seven chil- dren were born, only three of whom are now living. They are: Marie, the wife of Elijah Thompson of Mercer County ; Edity, married to Harvey Sharp of Harrison County ; and Alva, living at home.
Mr. Francis is a Republican and is a member of the Christian Church. He is a reliable and efficient member of the community and has the esteem of his fellow citizens.
C. R. Bain, farmer and stockman of Madison Township, has been on a farm all of his life and is now the owner of 160 acres of well improved land.
Mr. Bain is a native of Harrison County. He was born February 6, 1867, the son of Manlove and Margaret (McDaniel) Bain to whom eight children were born, only four of whom are now living. They are: Rebecca, the wife of D. L. Roberts of Blythedale; Eli S., living with his brother, C. R .; Oliver M., with C. R .; and C. R., the subject of this review. After the death of Margaret (McDaniel) Bain, Mr. Bain married Mrs. (Roberts) Pitzel and to this union three children were born, as follows: Walter A., on the home place; Charlotte, deceased, married Ernest Still; and Guy, deceased.
Manlove Bain was a native of North Carolina, where he was born September 21, 1828. He came to Harrison County just at the close of the Civil War in 1865, and located on a farm in Madison Township. He died in 1899. His first wife, Margaret (McDaniel) Bain was born in Mor- gan County, Indiana, and died in Missouri in 1877.
C. R. Bain was educated in the district schools of the county and grew up on the farm. He began working for himself when he was young
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
and rented land for farming for seven years. In 1894 he bought his present farm and has made all the improvements on it. He has been much interested in the education of his children and lived in Cainsville so they could attend school there.
Mr. Bain was married in 1891 to Mary E. Hall, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Elliott) Hall. William Hall was a native of Maryland and his wife was born in Kentucky. They came to Madison Township and lived here many years. They both died here. To the marriage of C. R. and Mary E. (Hall) Bain the following children were born: Hazel L., graduated from the Cainsville High School with high honors and is now a teacher in the Harrison County schools; Flossie, deceased; Manlove O., living at home; Claude W., graduated from the Cainsville High School as valedictorian of the class of 1920, and began teaching in 1921; Lois G. and Charles Lee, both at home. Claude W. Bain rode a pony to school, a distance of six miles, during the entire time he attended school and was tardy only once in the four years.
C. R. Bain is a Republican and a member of the Methodist Church. He is now serving on the Madison Township Board. Mr. Bain is a citizen who stands well in his community, both for his enterprising disposition and for his high standards of civic welfare.
Coy E. Baker is an enterprising and practical farmer and stockman, living in Madison Township. He was born February 17, 1883, the fifth child of W. C. and Sarah Ann (Glaze) Baker, sketches of whose lives appear in this volume. Both the Baker and the Glaze names are con- nected with the early history of Harrison County where the families were early settlers and helped materially in the rapid development of their respective communities.
Coy E. Baker received his education in the school of District No. 58 and received practical training on his father's farm where he remained with his parents until the time of his marriage. His father deeded him 280 acres of land for a gift and together they built a new, modern house. In 1921, Coy E. Baker started a dairy business in which he has been suc- cessful. He bought pure bred Guernsey cattle from Whitewater, Wis- consin, to start his herd and the strain has been kept pure. He is a shareholder in the Blythedale Farmers Cooperative Creamery, an organ- ization which has been promoted and maintained in a very successful way.
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Mr. Baker was married March 18, 1915 to Nellie V. Hefner. Mrs. Baker was born in Jefferson Township, October 26, 1884, the daughter of S. H. and Mary (Milligan) Hefner, the former a native of West Virginia and the latter of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Hefner are now living on a farm five miles north of Bethany. To the union of Coy E. and Nellie V. (Hefner) Baker the following children have been born: Virginia Reah, Ferris Coy, and Frances May.
Mr. Baker is identified with the Republican party in politics and is a member of the Methodist Church. He is a young man who has carried on worthily the ideals of progress and civic improvement established by his ancestors in earlier days.
William Crouse is the owner of 160 acres of well improved land in Lindley Township, Mercer County and is well known as a successful breeder of Shorthorn cattle, Belgian horses and Mammoth jacks which phase of farming he began in 1920.
Mr. Crouse was born in Madison Township in Harrison County, April 15, 1872, his birth place being the old log cabin on the Crouse farm. His parents were Calvin and Christine (Greenwood) Crouse of Indiana to whom eleven children were born, two girls and nine boys, William, the subject of this sketch being the seventh child.
Calvin Crouse was born in North Carolina in June, 1830, the son of Martin and Susan (Wagoner) Crouse, both natives of North Carolina who migrated to Clay County, Indiana, in the early days. Martin Crouse freighted by wagon to Louisville where he had worked previously. He was a strong Union man in the struggle between the states and identified himself first with the Whig party and then with the Republicans. Nine of his sons fought in the Civil War. The tenth son, Andrew, was chosen to stay at home and care for the family in the absence of the other men of the household. Calvin Crouse served in Company F, 46th Illinois, from January 1, 1862 to June of that year under Col. John A. Davis. He was in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. In the last named battle he was wounded in the face and lost one eye.
Calvin Crouse who was born after his parents moved to Indiana, was reared in that state and became a farmer there. In 1853 he went to Jasper County, Illinois, and later to Richland, Illinois, where he married Christine Greenwood, a native of Washington County, Indiana, born Janu- ary 14, 1839. In 1863 he came with his family to Mercer County and in
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
1865 he moved to Harrison County where he later had large land hold- ings.
William Crouse grew up on a farm and bought his first land in 1898 in Clay Township, Harrison County. Here he made manv improvements, built a good house and barn and put up farm buildings. He sold this farm in 1910 and bought two farms in Mercer County which he later sold and purchased his present farm. This was in 1906 and Mr. Crouse began at once to improve this farm and has been steadily improving it ever since. He does general farming and stock breeding.
Mr. Crouse was married December 2, 1894 to Alice Merfield, a native of Harrison County, the daughter of Otho and Anna (Preston) Merfield, the former born in Illinois and the latter a native of Missouri, both early settlers of this state. No children were born to Mr. Crouse's marriage.
William Crouse is a Republican in politics and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a man who can always be de- pended upon to further community interests, a substantial citizen of Mercer County.
W. J. Booth, a well known farmer and stock breeder of Lindley Town- ship, Mercer County, was born and reared in Missouri where his parents were among the farsighted men and women who were not afraid to ven- ture into a new country and build up a home. Mr. Booth was born in a log cabin, October 23, 1868, on the site of his present well improved farm. He was one of seventeen children born to Andervill and Mary A. (Robertson) Booth. Seven of the children, four boys and three girls, are still living.
Andervill Booth, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Cabell County, Virginia, in 1828, the son of Jonathan and Celia (Walker) Booth. Jonathan Booth was a native of Cabell County, born in 1805. In 1839 he brought his family to Mercer County where he entered land in Harrison Township. He owned large tracts of land and was one of the successful men of his time. He was of English descent and his wife was the descendant of English and German settlers in this country. Andervill Booth was one of five children born to them. Jonathan Booth died at Burlington Junction, Missouri, February 9, 1887 and his wife died many years earlier, March 12, 1865. Andervill Booth was married to Mary Ann Robertson, October 22, 1847. She was born in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, in 1831, the daughter of Carter T. and Polly (Suse-
(45)
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
berry) Robertson. She died in 1902 and her husband died in 1904. Their lives are worthy of mention in a record of the achievements of men and women who make history. It was such as they who converted the wild and unbroken wilderness of early Missouri into the present highly organized state of that name.
W. J. Booth, born in a pioneer cabin, educated in the old time district schools and knowing all the hardships of the trying early days in Mercer County, is typical of the best that was produced from those times. He learned farm work and management from practical experience and went to work for himself in 1890, having worked as a farm hand for his father prior to that time. He rented land from the home place and in 1891 he became heir to forty acres of the old place upon which he immediately began extensive improvements. He added to the original forty acres as he could and now holds 1121/2 acres of well improved land. The farm buildings are all good and the entire place shows the good effects of Mr. Booth's methods of farming. In 1907 Mr. Booth began breeding the big type Poland China hogs and is making a marked success of this line of work. He makes extensive shipments into various states and for the past few years has been holding public sales of his stock.
Mr. Booth was married September 11, 1889 to Rosa Hart of Mercer County, a daughter of Daniel and Mary A. (Clamonds) Hart, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Missouri. No children were born to this union.
Mr. Booth is identified with the Democratic party but votes inde- pendently. He is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Booth has achieved success in life because of his standards of good business, his community loyalty and his industry and determination. He is a citizen of whom the community is justly proud.
Herbert Lindsay Jeffries, a farmer and stockman living on 140 acres of land in Marion Township, is the son of a pioneer citizen and judge of Missouri, Greenbury Jeffries.
Greenbury Jeffries was born in Henry County, Kentucky, September 15, 1834. He was the son of George Washington and Eliza Jeffries. Greenbury Jeffries was educated in the common schools and on October 4, 1853, he was married to Mary Catherine Lindsay, who was born in Henry County, Kentucky, August 25, 1834. In 1853 Mr. and Mrs. Jef-
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
fries moved to Missouri and settled in Macon County for a while and then moved to Gentry County. Later they lived in St. Joseph for a year and then went back to Gentry County where they remained until 1866, when they came to Harrison County and settled on a farm in Jefferson Town- ship. Here Judge Jeffries farmed for over forty years on the 265 acres which he owned. Judge Jeffries was one of the early settlers who did much toward making Harrison County what it is today. He was a Demo- crat in politics and served as a member of the county court for two terms, winning the respect and admiration of both his own party and his op- ponents by his equitable handling of public affairs. He served his party in various other ways but he invariably voted the prohibition ticket and was one of the staunch supporters of the temperance cause. He identified himself with the Methodist Church, but made no profession of being religious beyond his daily practice of the Golden Rule. His needy neigh- bors never sought his help in vain and he was always ready to care for the sick. He belonged to the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and was a worthy member of that organization to the day of his death. Judge Jeffries died at his home at Ridgeway, April 20, 1908. His wife died at the same home three miles west of Ridgeway, December 17, 1907. The remains of both are buried in Morris Chapel Cemetery, north of Bethany.
To the union of Greenbury and Mary Catherine (Lindsay) Jeffries eight children were born, as follows: Retta, now the wife of John McCol- lum of Bethany; Julia, the wife of David Greybill now living at Ione, Oregon; Leonard D., deceased; Nannie J., married to Henry Lundy of Marion Township; J. T., of Ridgeway; Sylvia, married to Elmer Oxford and living at Manitou, Oklahoma; Eliza, living at Ridgeway; and H. L., the youngest child and the subject of this sketch.
Herbert Lindsay Jeffries grew to manhood on the farm and began work for himself at the age of twenty-one years. He obtained his educa- tion in the district schools of the county. Mr. Jeffries is now renting a farm owned by Mrs. Frank Brock. He does general farming and handles graded stock.
Mr. Jeffries was married in 1896 to Clara B. Hefner, born in Marion Township, the daughter of W. J. and Anna E. (Kemp) Hefner. W. J. Hefner was a native of Virginia who came to Missouri and farmed. He died in 1914 at the age of sixty-five years and his widow now lives in Laken, Kansas. To the marriage of H. L. and Clara B. (Hefner) Jeffries the following children were born: Marie, married to Clarence J. Henry
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and living at Ridgeway; Ruby, wife of Roscoe Guess of St. Joseph; and Lillian Mabel, at home. Mr. Jeffries has one grandchild, Herbert Le Roy Henry.
Mr. Jeffries is a Democrat and a member of the Methodist Church. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America Lodge.
George C. Maroney, a prominent farmer of Harrison County, now re- tired from active farm life, lives in Cainsville where he bought land in the north part of town within the city limits and erected a bungalow, comfortable and modern throughout. Here Mr. Maroney is enjoying his well earned freedom from business cares although he continues to oversee the operation of his farms. Mr. Maroney is an extensive land owner, his holdings including 500 acres in Harrison County, 490 acres of which is in one tract in Clay Township and 1440 acres in Hand and Potter counties in South Dakota.
George C. Maroney was born in Mercer County, Missouri, January 24, 1857, the only child of John and Martha (Smith) Maroney. John Maroney was born in Indiana and died in that state. His wife was born in Mercer County in 1837 and died there in 1911. After the death of Mr. Maroney his widow was married to Abraham Branaman, now de- ceased. To this union two daughters were born: Nettie, now the wife of David Milner, living on Mr. Maroney's farm in Clay Township; and Etta, deceased.
Mr. Maroney has been intimately connected with farming all of his life. He lived with his grandfather, William H. Smith, at Leon, Iowa, until he was thirteen years old when he was bound out to a Scotchman, Mr. Alex Gordon, in Iowa, to learn farming. Mr. Maroney's reminiscences of his life with old Mr. Gordon are very interesting. He had a thorough course in farm work and the management of a farm under the tutelage of Mr. Gordon and when it was time for Mr. Maroney to leave, Mr. Gordon gave him a horse, a saddle and a bridle. After leaving Mr. Gordon's farm, Mr. Maroney married and rented some land in Decatur County, but after the death of his stepfather, he joined his mother in Mercer County, Missouri. He bought a farm there, paying $800.00 for eighty acres, and later adding more land to the first tract. He remained there for two years. About twenty-five years ago he traded all of his holdings in
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Mercer County for Harrison County land upon which he at once began to make extensive improvements. One farm of 100 acres was accounted among the best land in the county. Mr. Maroney sold it and it was later resold for $200.00 an acre. This was a tract near Akron. In 1916 Mr. Maroney purchased his South Dakota land and his two sons are operating that farm.
Mr. Maroney has been married twice: his first marriage occurred in 1875 to Isabelle Purdun, who was born in Decatur County, Iowa, in 1855 and died in Harrison County in 1890. To this union seven children were born: Bertha, the wife of Wesley Booth, of Clay Township; Charlie, de- ceased; Le Roy, living in Clay Township; Melvin, a resident of South Dakota; Hosea, deceased; Harvey, living in South Dakota; and Roley, liv- ing on the home place in Clay Township. Mr. Maroney was married the second time in 1896 to Mrs. Emma Putman, a native of Harrison County, the daughter of Daniel Hart, an early settler of the county and the widow of Clarence Putman. Mrs. Putman had seven children by her first mar- riage, but none by her present marriage to Mr. Maroney.
Mr. Maroney is a Republican but votes independently. He is identi- fied with the Methodist Church. Mr. Maroney is one of the men of whom Harrison County is justly proud. He is a substantial and reliable citizen who has made a success in life by virtue of his energy, his progressive ideals and his enterprising methods in his business.
W. J. Brinigar, a prominent farmer and stockman of Marion Town- ship, has lived in Harrison County since he was seven years old and has spent practically all of his life on his present farm, one and one-half miles south of Blythedale.
W. J. Brinigar was born on a farm in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, August 29, 1863, the son of Michael and Emily (Kreamer) Brinigar who were the parents of four children: Ellen, now the widow of Wallace Hurd, living at Blythedale; Thomas, of Marion Township; W. J., the sub- ject of this sketch; Luella, wife of William Wilson of Blythedale.
Michael Brinigar was born in Lawrence County, Indiana, the son of Thomas and Barbara (Stipp) Brinigar, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter born in Virginia. They were early settlers in Wisconsin and came to Missouri in 1870 with their son, Michael, and his family. Michael Brinigar was a farmer all of his life. He bought the
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
land that is now a part of W. J. Brinigar's farm and remained there until he retired from active farm life. He died on this farm December 19, 1910. His wife, Emily (Kreamer) Brinigar was born in Pennsylvania, November 22, 1830, the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Kreamer. Mrs. Brinigar died March 9, 1919. Mr. and Mrs. Brinigar were worthy people who were assets to their community. Mr. Brinigar was a staunch adherent of the Democratic party.
W. J. Brinigar received two months schooling each year in the dis- trict schools of the county while he was growing up. He had also prac- tical training in farm work and management in his association with his father. After he started out for himself he engaged in general farming and very soon began breeding pure bred stock, his particular interest lying in Hampshire hogs. Mr. Brinigar has been very successful in his work. He has made exhibits at the State Fairs in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas for the past ten years and always won ribbons. In all there are over 500 ribbons on the walls of one room in his home where he keeps his trophies. He took more than half the ribbons on First Grand Champion and Champion contests. Mr. Brinigar has eight silver cups which he won on his Hampshire hogs at the fairs. All of the prize hogs were bred and raised by the owner. In 1917 Mr. Brinigar sold a boar, "Blythedale Jim", to Clayton Messenger of Kesswick, Iowa, for $1,000.00. Mr. Brin- igar feels that his success in his work has been the result of pluck and determination. He was farsighted in his ideas and progressive in his methods and these qualities added to his determination have made for him unusual success.
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