USA > Missouri > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Missouri > Part 37
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JOSEPH W. MERCER
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by Beckham, McKnight & Company. Mr. Mercer erected the Mercer home, situated at 116 South Pleasant street, Independence, in 1889. This home is one of the finest in the city.
Joseph W. Mercer was married May 18, 1870, to Laura Greene, a daughter of Beal and Corinne (Ratcliff) Greene. To this marriage have been born children as follow: Annie, wife of James A. Roberts, presi- dent of the Kansas City Wholesale Grosery Company ; Etta, wife of Wal- ter Brown, investment broker, Kansas City, Mo .; Mary, wife of Bernard Zick, Jr., president of the First National Bank, Independence, Mo .; Cath- erine, wife of E. A. Cronin, secretary-treasurer of the Kansas City Whole- sale Grocery Company. Mrs. Mercer has four grandchildren, Joseph Mer- cer, Mary Mildred Zick; Laura and Amelia Brown.
Mrs. Laura (Greene) Mercer was born in Jackson County, of Ken- tucky parents. Beal Greene came to Missouri in 1839, and assisted in making the main street cut in Kansas City. He purchased a farm of 365 acres, southeast of Kansas City, which is now a part of Phoenix Park. Twenty-seventh street now runs through the old Greene home place. He sold this farm some time in the eighties, and moved to Kansas City, where his wife died in 1891. He died in 1899. Both are buried in Woodlawn cemetery. Their children are as follow: Mrs. Fannie Burdette, T. W. Greene, Joseph M. Greene, Mrs. Nannie Holmes, all deceased; Mrs. Laura Mercer, of this review; Newton Greene, and William Greene, Raytown, Mo .; Beal Breene, Greenwood, Mo .; Emma, wife of J. P. Hanback, Kan- sas City, Mo .; C. S. Greene, Kansas City, Mo .: Dr. R. L. Greene, Fort Worth, Texas.
Mr. Mercer was a Democrat, who for many years took a leading part in political affairs in this section of Missouri. He was elected to the office of State treasurer of Missouri in 1874, and served in this important office during 1875 and 1876. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and lived according to his belief. Mrs. Mercer is a mem- ber of the Christian church.
Bishop John A. Becker, of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, Independence, Mo., 418 North River Boulevard, was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Oct. 5, 1874. He is a son of Adam and Charlotte (Miller) Becker, the former of whom was a native of Tuscara- was County and the latter a native of the Rhine Province, Germany. They were married in Ohio in 1867. Adam Becker died in 1892. Mrs. Becker resides at New Philadelphia, Ohio.
Adam Becker served with the Union army during the Civil War and
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was a soldier in the 198th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving for about nine months and received an honorable discharge from the service on account of sick disability. His children are as follow : Charles Edward and Mrs. Carolina Ruppenthal, New Philadelphia, Ohio; Mrs. Rosetta Fidler, de- ceased; and John A. Becker.
John A. Becker was educated in the schools of Port Washington, Ohio, The Ada Normal School and the Northwestern Ohio College at Defiance, Ohio. For five years after leaving school he taught in the public schools. In 1903 he entered the ministry and had a charge at Pittsburg, Pa., prior to locating in Independence. In 1905 he was sent to Germany on mission work, devoting two years to this work, from 1905 to 1907. In 1908 he was ordained a bishop in the Church of the Latter Day Saints and placed in charge of work in Ohio with his residence at Kirtland. In September, 1918, Bishop Becker came to Independence and was placed in charge of the work of the bishopric, his present position, a bishopric which embraces a membership in the city of 4,500.
Bishop Becker was married in 1899 to Anna Young of New Water- ford, Ohio, born in Pennsylvania, but reared in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Becker have three children: Pauline Mildred, Dana Charlotte and John A. Becker, Jr.
Bishop Becker united with the Church of the Latter Day Saints at Kirtland, Ohio, in 1899 when Elder A. H. Parsons of Independence was conducting missionary work in that city. Elder Parsons is now pastor of the Walnut Park church, Independence, Mo.
Abraham Joshua Koger, native born pioneer resident of Jackson County, successful farmer and stockman, now living retired at his home at 1206 North Osage street, Independence, Mo., was born on the old Koger homestead near Tarsney, in Van Buren township. The old Koger farm is now the home of Thomas Leegan. Mr. Koger was born Feb. 26, 1858, and is a son of Abraham Koger, a native of Patrick County, Va., and descendant of an old American family.
Abraham Koger, born 1804, died 1870, was a son of Henry Koger of Virginia, who fought in the Revolutionary War on the side of the colonies. Abraham Koger came to Jackson County from the old Koger home in Vir- ginia in 1833. This old Virginia homestead is still owned by a descendant of John Koger, who is an uncle of the subject of this sketch.
The first settlement which Abraham Koger made in this county was upon 80 acres of land which he entered from the government and which was located three miles south of Independence. He developed this farm
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and later sold it and moved to a place near Tarsney, the old Koger home- stead. He married Mary Corn, a daughter of Samuel Corn who came to this county in 1833. She, also, is of Revolutionary ancestry and traces her lineage to Samuel Corn, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who fought in the American Revolution. Abraham Koger and wife developed their farm and here reared their family and Mrs. Koger died in 1870 on the old homestead and was buried in the Koger cemetery and Mr. Koger died in 1890 in Bates County and is buried in the Gregg cemetery.
The children born to Abraham Koger and wife are as follow: Joseph M. Koger, deceased; Mrs. Mary Mertins, Hicks City, Mo .; Mrs. Ruth Jack, Pink Hill, Mo .; James H. Koger, Mena, Ark .; Mrs. Matilda Downey, Sibley, Mo .; Samuel died in childhood; Mrs. Martha Faulk, Kansas City, Mo .; Abraham J., of this review; Jefferson, Aaron, Mo .; William F. died at the age of 22 years.
When Order No. 11 was issued during the Civil War, calling for the evacuation of the western part of Missouri, the Koger family went to Greenton, Lafayette County, Mo. Prior to this their home had been burned by invaders and all of the live stock on the place stolen or killed. The family journeyed to Lafayette County with ox teams in August, 1863 and did not return to their home site until a year from the following January. They then built another home and began over again to accumu- late property.
The education of Abraham Koger was obtained in private schools which were held in farmhouses of the neighborhood and later in Liberty church after the Civil War, followed by the public schools. Since he was 15 years of age he has made his own way and earned his living. For about seven years after marriage he rented land and in 1893 he purchased a tract of 40 acres in Fort Osage township. In 1896 he bought 40 acres more land in Blue township. He later bought the Sullivan tract of 200 acres in Blue township. In the fall of 1919, Mr. Koger disposed of his land holdings at a good price and retired to a comfortable home at 1206 North Osage street, in March, 1918.
Abraham Koger was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca Vanars- dall of Blue township, Oct. 15, 1885. She is a daughter of Jessie and Margaret Vanarsdall and was born Oct. 11, 1864. Mr. Vanarsdall is de- ceased and Mrs. Vanarsdall resides in Bates County, Mo. The children born to this marriage are: George C. Koger, living on the home place; Jesse E. Koger, Blue township; Ollie L. Koger, Topeka, Kan .; Edith Marie Koger, at home with her father.
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Ollie L. Koger served in the National army. He was inducted into the service June 18, 1918 and was in training at Camp Funston. He was a private in Company 237 of the Sanitary, 10th Division and when the armistice was signed he was at Baltimore awaiting ship to go overseas. While in service he drove trucks across country three times, one trip from Whiting, Wabash and from Detroit to Baltimore.
Mr. Koger is a member of the Modern Brotherhood of America. He is a fine type of the pioneer citizen, who has won his place in the citizenry of Jackson County by diligence, industry, honest dealings and good financial management.
William W. Twyman, member of the Twyman Brothers, real estate firm, 208 North Main street, Independence, Mo., was born on a farm near Blue Mills, Jackson County, Oct. 22, 1852. His parents were Dr. L. W. and Frances C. (Fristoe) Twyman.
Dr. L. W. Twyman was born near St. Charles, Mo., and was a son of Dr. Leo Twyman, a pioneer physician of St. Charles County, who came to Independence in pioneer days, and erected one of the finest hotels in the city on North Main street, the building which is now occupied by the Rogers grocery and a shoe store. He died in Independence. Dr. L. W. Twyman located at Blue Mills, and practiced medicine for a generation. He practiced his profession in the old days when it was customary for the country doctor to carry the medicines in saddle bag's as he made his calls throughout the country. He lived to the age of 77 years and died in Inde- pendence. His wife attained the age of 80 years. The children of the Twyman family are: Julia, died in childhood; William W., of this re- view; Dr. G. T. Twyman, R. L. and J. P. Twyman, Independence; James, deceased; Frank C., Independence.
Five generations of the Twyman family have resided in Jackson County and there have been physicians in four generations of the family. The history of the family is closely interwoven with that of the early pioneer days in Jackson County. For nearly four score years this family has been prominent in the county with the exception of the time spent in Howard County during the Civil War in obedience to Order No. 11.
Since he was 20 years of age, William W. Twyman has made his own way in the world. For 15 years after he left the farm he was engaged in mercantile business at Cockrell, Mo. He served as county marshal of Jackson County for eight years and filled the office of county collector for two years. He and his brother, J. P. Twyman, opened the
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Twyman Brothers real estate business at 208 North Main street in Sep- tember, 1919, and are doing a thriving business.
Mr. Twyman was married in 1872 to Sarah H. Tyer, of Blue Mills. She died in 1909 and her remains were interred in the cemetery at Lees Summit, Mo. The children born of this marriage are: Frank W., Kan- sas City, Mo .; Mrs. Mary Jackson, Cockrell, Mo .; Walter D., Kansas City, Mo .; Gilbert O., Blackwell, Okla .; Miss Willie Twyman, a stenographer in the employ of the Rock Island Railway Company, Kansas City, Mo. Mr. and Mrs. Twyman have grandchildren as follow: Helen Twyman, Roger Jackson, Robert Twyman, Annis Lee Lucille, Mary, Ailene, and Gilbert Twyman. The family residence is situated at Englewood, Mo. In 1911 Mr. Twyman was married to Martha T. Walden, of Independence.
Richard J. Lambert .- The Ensign Publishing House on West Lexing- ton street, Independence, Mo., of which Richard J. Lambert is editor and manager, is the outgrowth of the old Independence Gazette, published by William Crick. Zion's Ensign had its inception in 1890, William Crick and Dr. Joseph Luff starting the publication as a weekly religious paper devoted to spreading the gospel according to the beliefs and tenets of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. They operated the plant and published this religious weekly for a number of years and finally sold it to the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church authorities continued the publication of the Ensign and began the publishing of religious books and tracts. The distinguishing feature of the Ensign is the doctrinal sermon which ap- pears in each weekly issue. The circulation of this paper has grown until it exceeds 9,000 copies weekly and it is mailed to bona fide subscribers in every state in the Union. About 75 per cent of the circulation goes to points outside of Jackson County, and 500 copies are mailed to subscribers in foreign lands. The list of its past editors and contributors includes such men as Dr. Joseph Luff. Evangelist Frederick G. Pitt, William H. Garret, Charles Fry, Hiram O. Smith, Walter W. Smith, Arthur McKim, and the present editor, Richard J. Lambert, who is an able writer and publisher.
Mr. Lambert became connected with Zion's Ensign as editor and gen- eral manager in June, 1918. At this time the printing and binding de- partments have so developed that the concern is listed among the first class printing and binding houses of the country. The Ensign is ably edited and well printed and has taken front rank among the great religious weeklies of the country.
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Editor Richard J. Lambert was born Sept. 20, 1874, at Woodbine, Harrison County, Iowa. He was reared in the home of a Latter Day Saints Apostle, Joseph R. Lambert, his father. He resided in early child- hood and manhood at Lamoni, Iowa. Since attaining maturity his life has been devoted to printing and publishing in the interests of the Latter Day Saints and he has spent much of his time engaged in missionary work.
Mr. Lambert was married in 1896 to Christabelle, the youngest daughter of Bishop William Anderson. Mr. and Mrs. Lambert have three children: Jean, Harold and Bruce E. Lambert. They reside on West Walnut street.
R. W. McCurdy .- The work which a man does during his active years in business or industry speaks for itself and encomiums are not required to further enhance his prestige. Some men are born promoters and organizers and gifted with executive ability of a high order. Such a citizen is R. W. McCurdy whose more than 32 years of residence in Inde- pendence has been replete with work which has been of benefit to the com- munity. Mr. McCurdy, in his capacity as president of the Home Deposit Trust Company, has not only forged to the front rank of banking in Jack- son County, but he hás not neglected to devote his time and influence to the furtherance of movements which have been of great benefit to his home city.
R. W. McCurdy was born Dec. 25, 1858 and is a son of John A. and Mary McCurdy, who removed to Lawrence, Kan. in 1869 and there spent the remainder of their lives. R. W. McCurdy attended the Lawrence High School and the business college at Lawrence and at the age of 20 years he was employed as traveling salesman. For 32 years he was a knight of the road and grip and was eminently successful in his vocation.
When a young man, Mr. McCurdy was married to Miss Martha Alice Norrick, a native of Ohio. For the past 32 years Mr. and Mrs. McCurdy have resided at 132 East Kansas street.
One of the very important undertakings which Mr. McCurdy accom- plished while engaged as traveling salesman was the organization of the Kansas City Wholesale Grocery Company, composed of 22 traveling sales- men and some outside parties with capital to invest in the business. Joseph W. Mercer was vice-president of this concern which has grown in importance until it is the most important wholesale concern of its kind in this section of the country. Others associated with the wholesale com- pany with Mr. McCurdy were Judge Lee Chrisman, Overton H. Gentry,
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present sheriff of the county, and Kit Colyer. The company was organ- ized with a capital stock of $300,000. Mr. McCurdy severed his relations with the wholesale grocery company about six months prior to the organ- ization of the Home Deposit Trust Company, in which he was the principal factor and which began business in August, 1910.
Mr. McCurdy assisted in the organization of the Bank of Bates City, Mo. and in the same year, 1911, he helped to organize the Knorpp Cattle Loan Company and was a member of the board of directors of this con- cern. Two years later the cattle loan company was merged with the Schwarzchild and Sulberger Beef Company and the name of the Knorpp Cattle and Loan Company was changed to the Southwest Cattle Loan Company with Mr. McCurdy as vice-president.
The Schwarzchild and Sulberger Company later sold its interests and plant to Thomas Wilson of the Wilson Packing Company. John L. Knorpp still retains the presidency of the Southwest Cattle Loan Company and Mr. McCurdy is vice-president. The capital stock of this concern was $25,000, originally, but has since been increased to $250,000, with a sur- plus fund of $50,000.
R. W. McCurdy served two years as mayor of Independence and the McCurdy administration was noted for the genuine progress made in city affairs. The electric light plant was taken over under his direction and placed on a paying basis. Twenty-five miles of sewerage were built and he also demanded and enforced the rule that all street improvements made should be of a permanent character. He favored the granting of the fran- chise to the Home Telephone Company. During the two years in which he served as mayor, Mr. McCurdy never missed a meeting of the city council, although traveling constantly on the road during that time.
During Governor Major's administration, Mr. McCurdy accepted the appointment of superintendent of the good roads movement in Jackson County, and with characteristic zeal he set about to effect some radical changes in the road improvement in the county. By the governor's re- quest, each individual in Jackson County was importuned to donate at least two days labor on the county roads. In order to stir up the en- thusiasm necessary among the people and to secure their hearty co-opera- tion in this important matter, Mr. McCurdy, in company with William Z. Hickman, toured the county. Armed with the authority of the county court, they organized the entire county, enlisting the support of 5,000 citizens of the county who agreed to work on the roads. Messrs. Hick- man and McCurdy drove 1,425 miles in an automobile over the county and
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spent 10 days among the people, Mr. McCurdy making as high as 10 to 15 addresses cach day to the gathering's at different points in Jackson County. The success of this undertaking aroused nation wide comment of a favorable nature and the good road sentiment aroused by that whirl- wind campaign has never been allowed to die out. The improving of Jackson County highways still goes on and will continue until the county has the finest road system in the west.
Judge James Latimer, deceased, was one of the best known citizens of Jackson County. He was a former judge of the County Court, suc- cessful farmer and stockman, and a zealous and honest public official. Judge Latimer was born in Roanoke County, Va., July 31, 1837, and died Sept. 28, 1915. He was a son of Christopher and Mary Ann Latimer, natives of Roanoke County, Va., who left their old home in Virginia about 1845 and settled in Jackson County. Christopher and Mary Ann Lati- mer were the parents of ten children, one of whom is living, Mrs. Amanda Bryant, of Independence. Here James Latimer was reared to young manhood, and was a sturdy young man when the Civil War began. He served in the Confederate Army during the war. He was married on Oct. 5, 1860, to Miss Susan Williamson, and to this union were born chil- dren as follow: W. Reese Latimer, a farmer, living east of Independence ; Mrs. Stella Hedges, Independence; Mrs. Nannie Williamson, Independen- ence; Mrs. Mollie Powell, Independence; Charles Latimer, deputy county treasurer, Independence; Jarret, died Feb. 23, 1919; Jennie Latimer, at home with her mother; Mrs. Retta Orlena Southern, wife of Judge Allen C. Southern, Independence; Maurice, Independence; and Grover C. Lati- mer, who died in 1896.
Susan Williamson was born in Kentucky, Aug. 18, 1844, a daughter of James Champion and Nancy (Gilkerson) Williamson, who came from Kentucky to Missouri in 1849, coming by steamboat to St. Louis, and overland by wagon to Jackson County. The Williamsons settled near Bone Hill, where Mr. Williamson improved a farm of 250 acres. The par- ents spent the remainder of their days on the farm, and both died there. James C. Williamson lies buried with his wife in the cemetery at Oakland church. The other children of this pioneer family, besides Mrs. Latimer, are: Mrs. Jennie Campbell, Blue Springs, Mo .; Mrs. Mary White, Boulder, Colo .; James Calvin, who was last heard from in Indian Territory ; Mrs. Nancy Adams, Mrs. Eliza Linsley, and Thomas and Cornelius, deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Latimer resided on the old Latimer place east of Independence until 1879, when they moved to what was formerly the John
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JUDGE JAMES LATIMER.
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Saunders place, east of Independence. Here Mr. Latimer died, and in 1915 Mrs. Latimer moved to a home at 120 East Rubey street, where she resides with her daughter, Miss Jennie Alberta Latimer.
James Latimer was prominent in civic and political matters in Jack- son County, and was elected Judge of the County Court in 1892, serving in this important office for four years.
Judge Latimer was an excellent public officer, who had the best in- terests of his county at heart. As a mark of appreciation, when he re- tired from the office, his friends presented him with a gold-headed cane as a token of their esteem. He was a member of the Christian church, and was a liberal supporter of the churches in Jackson County. He was a deeply religious man, whose first thought was for his family and fireside.
Elder Alonzo Harkaway Parsons, pastor of Walnut Park church of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, was born Feb. 8, 1857, in Madison County, Ind. He is a son of William and Martha Ann (Kent) Parsons, the former a native of Randolph County, Ind., and the latter of Caldwell County, Mo.
William Parsons was born May 15, 1834 and was married to Martha Ann Kent Feb. 28, 1856. His father was Solomon Parsons, born in Guil- ford, N. C., April 7, 1805, and married Rachel Harvey, born April 11, 1804, a daughter of Quaker parents. Solomon Parsons was a son of Irvin Parsons, whose father was George Parsons, a native of Guilford County, N. C. The parents of George Parsons emigrated from England to America a short time before the birth of George Parsons, who was reared there and married Ruth Buller, who bore him nine sons and one daughter. She was a daughter of Moses and Mary Buller. Their son Irvin Parsons married Elizabeth Buller, who was born Aug. 31, 1783.
Solomon Parsons and wife moved from North Carolina to Randolph County, Ind. in 1832 and resided there on a farm for a number of years. In 1860, William Parsons moved from Indiana to Ringgold County, Iowa, and located on a farm near Mount Air. The other children born to Solo- mon Parsons and wife, besides William Parsons, were: Irvin, Robert, James, George, William, Anna, Mary, John, Peter, Thomas, Joseph and Kiziah.
To William and Martha Ann Parsons were born nine children: Alonzo Harkaway, of this review; Henry Edgar, born Dec. 25, 1859, Winchester, Okla .; John Lindsay, born Feb. 22, 1861, in Fremont, Iowa, resides in Seattle, Wash .; Henrietta, born April 8, 1863, died in childhood; Otto Ray-
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man, born Aug. 27, 1865, lives in Independence; Mrs. Cordelia Isabelle Oglive, born Aug. 12, 1875, lives in Nevada, Mo .; Mrs. Olive Taylor, born Nov. 22, 1877, lives at Blairstown Mo .; Mrs. Rotta Lillian Fender, born Oct. 18, 1881, lives in Blue township, Jackson County.
The mother of the foregoing children was a daughter of Horatio Nelson Kent, who was a son of Carlton Kent, whose father was Abel Kent. Horatio Nelson Kent married Elmira Sloan and to this union were born children as follow: Alma, Louise Wiles, and Martha Ann. At the time of the (so called) Mormon war in 1838, Horatio Kent and wife were resid- ing in Caldwell County, Mo., and on Nov. 13th of that year, he and his wife with many others of the colony were compelled to flee and to sign away the deed to their home under peril of their lives. They drove away to Indiana in a one horse cart and were subjected to such exposure in inclement weather that Mrs. Kent died soon after the premature birth of her daughter, the future Mrs. Martha Ann Parsons.
Elmira Sloan Kent was a daughter of Elijah Sloan who, with his wife, migrated from New York to Bartholomew County, Ind. about 1829. Abel Kent, a brother of Horatio N. Kent, married Lucinda Starkweather, of a prominent family in Connecticut.
After attending the public schools, Alonzo Harkaway Parsons took a correspondence course in the Chicago Law School and is a graduate of the State Sunday School Normal Institute of Missouri. When 20 years old he began his ministerial career with the Quaker church and was thus engaged for four years in Kansas. He then identified himself with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and has been preaching the gospel according to the teachings of this church for the past 38 years. For 18 years Mr. Parsons was a missionary for his church, 14 years being spent in the East. For 12 years he served in the Bishopric under Bishop May. For the past three years Elder Parsons has been pastor of Walnut Park church in Independence. The church organization has begun the erection of a new building 40 x 70 feet, the construction of which will be completed during the next year, if possible.
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