USA > Missouri > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Missouri > Part 49
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Mr. Ucker was married Nov. 17, 1881, to Sarah Ann Reber, who was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, Oct. 15, 1851, and is a daughter of the late Joseph Reber, a sketch of whom appears in connection with that of Henry Reber. For the first two years of their married life Mr. and Mrs. Ucker resided on a farm near Lees Summit. In 1883 they purchased a farm of S. H. Chiles, the old Jim Chiles home place, a historic farm, which was the rendezvous for Quantrell's gang during the Civil War. In a wooded ravine to the rear of the house relics of the campers have been found. There was fished up from the well on the grounds a rusted saber which had evidently received much hard usage during the war. Mrs. Ucker prizes the saber as a souvenir. The Ucker farm is one of the best in the county. A handsome cottage sets on the bank above the roadway and presents a pleasing appearance. The residence was erected in 1899. Mrs. Ucker has two living children: Mary, the wife of Harmon Lentz, liv- ing near Salem, mother of one child, Anna Marie; Sarah Theresa and Rachel Regina died in childhood; Margaret, is at home with her mother.
Mr. Ucker was a Republican and was a member of the Catholic church. He was an industrious, honest, and well meaning citizen who left behind him a reputation for sobriety and good citizenship.
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William Adam Fisher .- Nearly 86 years ago Adam Fisher, grand- father of William A. Fisher, of Blue township, came to Jackson County and entered the land where his grandson, Wm. A. Fisher, now lives. Wil- liam A. Fisher was born June 13, 1850 in a house diagonally across the road from his present home.
George Wallace Fisher, his father, was born in Boyle County, Ky., Feb. 22, 1822, and died April 17, 1895. He was a son of Adam Fisher, who first settled in St. Charles County, Mo., in 1833, and one year later came to Jackson County and entered a tract of government land. The wife of Adam Fisher was a Miss Waller, prior to her marriage. To Adam Fisher and wife were born five children: Mrs. Sallie E. Thomas, Mrs. Mary A. Dukes, Jeremiah, who was one of the original "Forty-Niners," John and George Waller.
George W. Fisher married Mary Ellen Crow, who was born 1830 and died May 19, 1863. She was born in Kentucky and was a daughter of Uncle Jake Crow, famous in the early days as an exhorter and a leader among the pioneers, who came to the county in 1834. For a few months, George W. Fisher was enrolled as a soldier in the Mexican War. After beginning his own career he sold his part of the homestead and bought 250 acres and developed it. His children, by his first marriage were as follows: Three died in infancy ; William A. of this review; Mrs. Annie E. Crump, deceased; Sallie A., wife of John C. Crenshaw, Blue Springs, Mo .; James Benjamin, living in south Texas; George P. Fisher, Independence, Mo. By his second marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth Lobb, a widow, George W. Fisher was father of one child, Maud, who died at the age of 19 years.
When Order No. 11 was issued in 1863 the Fisher family went to Quincy, Ill. and remained there until 1864, and in the spring of that year they returned to Richmond, Ray County, and resided there until 1865. They then returned to the old home and found things in a deplorable con- dition. The Fisher farm, and in fact, the entire countryside had reverted to its former primitive condition. Brush and trees had grown up around the house and it was necessary again to clear and break the ground. Mr. Fisher had to cut the brush and sprouts so that the women of his family could get into the house. Wild animals abounded. Foxes and wolves howled around the house at night and prowled practically unmolested in the woods and fields. Prairie chickens were present in countless thousands and William A. Fisher tells of shooting game in the yard of his home.
W. A. Fisher, of this review, bought part of his grandfather's home- stead and improved it. He has one of the fine farm residences of Jack-
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son County, which sets on a hillside overlooking the Blue Valley. He originally purchased a considerable acreage but has sold some of his land. He has lived on his place near Adams Station since 1895 and formerly owned 103.5 acres but has sold 40 acres.
Mr. Fisher was married in 1874 to Sarah Ann Gibson, who was born in Jackson County, March 5, 1857, a daughter of Silas Harvey and Eliza- beth (Slaughter) Gibson, natives of Jackson County. Silas H. Gibson was a son of Joseph Gibson who settled in Jackson County as early as 1834. The children born to W. A. and Sarah Ann Fisher are: Guy H., a farmer living nearby; Crump C., Independence, Mo .; George Frederick, on the adjoining farm; William Virgil, lives in Oregon; Mrs. Lucy Ethel Cook, on an adjoining farm; Mrs. Marcia N. Alleman, Independence, Mo .; Earl W., lives on the Spring Branch road; Vern P .. is in the employ of the county and makes his home with his father. Mr. Fisher has ten grand- children: Guy H. Fisher has one child, Fields; Crump C., has two chil- dren, George and William; George Frederick has five children, Madge, Mildred, Fred, Elizabeth and Roger; Mrs. Lucy Cook has two children. William Fisher and Helen Cook.
Mr. Fisher is a Democrat. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and is a Mason. He is also a member of the Mod- ern Brotherhood.
Joseph E. Jones, a farmer and orchardist, of Fort Osage township, was born and reared in the Six Mile country and has lived all of his life in the neighborhood. Mr. Jones is owner of a valuable farm of 160 acres upon which he has resided since 1900. He has improved this place with a nine room modern residence which stands near a large grove of maples. The Jones orchard covering 12 acres was planted 15 years ago and has given a yield of over 3,000 bushels this year (1919) which has been sold at prices ranging from $1.00 to $1.65 per bushel in the orchard.
J. E. Jones was born Jan. 13, 1863 and is a son of J. E. and Lockey (Wheeler) Jones, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, and came to this county in 1844. J. E. Jones, the father, was born in 1821 and died in 1899. Mrs. Lockey Jones was born in 1825 and died in 1886. They reared a family of seven children: Rev. A. T., a Baptist minister, died in 1918; Asa, lives in Carroll County, Mo .; Rev. Robert H. a Baptist min- ister in Texas; Mrs. Mildred Charlton, living in Fort Osage township; George W., living on a farm two miles north; Joseph E., of this sketch ; and Rufus, lives in Washington.
When 18 years old, Mr. Jones began working at farm labor. For
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over 20 years he was engaged in the bee business and had a fine apiary. His first home, after his marriage in 1889, was in Buckner. In 1894 he rented a farm four miles east of his present place and lived on rented land for five years prior to purchasing his present farm. He disposed of his apiary in 1909.
Mr. Jones was married in 1889 to Miss Lulu Johnston who was born in 1864, on a farm, three miles northeast of Independence. She is a daughter of William L. and Eliza Ann (Dixon) Johnston, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Virginia. William L. Johnston came to Jackson County when à young man and was married here. He was father of 11 children, 10 of whom are living: Oliver M., deceased; Rev. Matthew T., a Baptist minister in Texas; Adelina, widow of James R. Chiles, living near Buckner; Mrs. Hattie E. Peace, near Blue Mills ; William E., lives in Colorado; David F., lives near Denver; Mrs. Josie Gallagher, Hereford, Texas; Mrs. Lulu Jones of this review; Edwin L., of San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Edgard, living in Nevada.
The children born to J. E. and Lulu Jones are as follows: Myrtle, wife of Clarence Winfrey, living three miles northeast of the Jones place, has four children. John William, Glenn Jones, Joseph Vernon, Lulu Majorie; Luella, wife of Frank B. Hock, living near Buckner; Annabel is at home with her parents.
Mr. Jones is a Democrat. He is a member of the district school board and has charge of the erection of the new school house in the district. He is a member of the Brotherhood of American Yeoman and is a Baptist. For the past six years he has served as clerk of the Six Mile Baptist church.
David Richard Owings, retired farmer, Oak Grove, has spent 70 year's of his life in Jackson County, where he was born April 3, 1849. He has participated in the making of a great county, has reared a fine family of sons and daughters and is now living comfortably in his pretty cottage home in Oak Grove. He is a son of Joshua and Martha Elizabeth (George) Owings who were among the first pioneers of this section of Missouri.
Joshua Owings was born in Kentucky, June 8, 1820 and died Nov. 26, 1879. He came to Jackson County when a young man and was mar- ried in 1847 to Martha Elizabeth George, born in Tennessee Sept. 13, 1829. She is a daughter of David George who settled in Jackson County in the early thirties. Mrs. Owings celebrated her ninetieth birthday anniversary last September and ranks among the oldest of the pioneer women of Jackson County, if not the very oldest. Joshua Owings was
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D. R. OWINGS AND WIFE.
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twice married. By his first marriage there were two children: Andrew P., deceased, and a daughter who died in infancy .. By the second mar- riage there were nine children of whom David R., the subject of this sketch was the oldest; Marion Francis lives southwest of Oak Grove; Nathan Benjamin, north of Oak Grove; John Hicks, east of Oak Grove; Amanda Geneva, deceased; Mrs. Melissa Gibson, Lafayette County; Levi, northwest of Oak Grove; Dudley D., Lafayette County; Mrs. Nancy Lat- imer, Portland, Ore.
When Mr. Owings was married in 1869, he and Mrs. Owings received 40 acres of bottom land from Mrs. Owings' father. This they sold and then purchased 40 acres of upland and moved there in 1874, improved it and made a comfortable and productive place which served as their home until Sept. 1, 1902 when they removed to Oak Grove. The Owings farm embraces 140 acres of well improved and valuable land northwest of Oak Grove.
Dec. 21, 1869, Mr. Owings was married to Mary Melissa Nickels, who was born May 10, 1852, in Franklin County, Ky., a daughter of James and Ruanna (Graves) Nickels, who came to Missouri and located in Nod- away County in 1852. Just after the close of the Civil War they came to Jackson County and settled here in 1867. The Nickels farm was located three miles southwest of Oak Grove, in Sniabar township. James Nickels was born Nov. 21, 1816 and died Dec. 2, 1889. His wife was born April 19, 1822 and died April 22, 1895. The Nickels children are as follows: Robert, Cass County, Neb .; Elizabeth Frances, deceased; William, Cass County, Neb .; Emily Jane, deceased; Uriah, deceased; Martha Salome, deceased; Mrs. Mary Melissa Owings, of this review; Otis, Independence, Mo .; Mrs. Henrietta Simpson, Salsalito, Cal .; Mrs. Arvilla Ruanna Neal, Kansas City, Mo.
The children born to D. R. and Mary Melissa Owings are: James Joshua, born Aug. 5, 1871, lives on the Owings home place; Carrie Emma Peerson, born Oct. 31, 1874, resides southeast of Oak Grove; Mrs. Martha Geneva Williams was born June 12, 1877 and died Oct. 18, 1900; Mrs. Lucy Belle Starns, born April 18, 1879, lives at Oak Grove; John Wil- liam, born May 30, 1882, lives seven miles south; Dudley Leroy, born Feb. 24, 1886, Coffeyville, Kan .; Mrs. Ethel Ruanna Barnes, born Dec. 16, 1888, lives on a farm four and a half miles south. Mr. and Mrs. Owings have 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. On Dec. 21, 1919, this estimable couple celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding.
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Mr. Owings is a Democrat. He and Mrs. Owings are members of the Primitive Baptist church. They are pleasant, agreeable, well informed people who have done well their part in the making Jackson County what it is today.
Joel Rufus Hudspeth, late substantial farmer and stockman, of Fort Osage township, Confederate veteran, and pioneer citizen of Jackson County, was born Nov. 21, 1839 in Fort Osage township and departed this life in 1895. He was a son of Joseph and Amanda Hudspeth, both natives of Kentucky. Joseph W. Hudspeth was a son of William Hudspeth who came to Jackson County on his first trip in 1826. In 1828 he removed his family to this county and became one of its most prominent citizens in the early development of the county. By a first marriage, Joseph W. Hudspeth was father of three children: Mrs. Amanda Elvira Jacobs, de- ceased; Joel Rufus, of this review; William Napoleon, deceased. The second wife of Joseph W. Hudspeth was Mrs. Lou (Rice) Brown, who bore him one child, J. Lamartine, deceased.
During the Civil War, Mr. Hudspeth joined the forces of General Joe Shelby and served for four years. He took part in the battles of Prairie Grove, Helena, Little Rock, Lone Jack and was with General Price on his raid through Missouri in 1863. fighting at Lexington, West Port, Pea Ridge and other engagements during Price's retreat to the south. He returned home after the close of the war.
Aug. 15, 1866, Mr. Hudspeth was married to Miss Sarah Franklin, who was born in Jackson County, Dec. 24, 1846. She is a daughter of Benjamin (born 1825, died 1848) and Mary Ann (Rice) Franklin (born 1825, died 1853). Benjamin Franklin was a son of Louis Franklin, a native of North Carolina, who was a pioneer of Jackson County. The first wife of Benjamin Franklin wa's Jane Horn who bore him one child. James F. Franklin, now deceased, and whose widow, Mrs. Virginia Lee Franklin, lives in Independence. The Hudspeth homestead is now owned by Mrs. Sarah Hudspeth and her children and it was upon this large farm that Joel F. Hudspeth settled. He built a house of eight rooms of oak lumber taken from his own land. This residence was erected in 1868 and is in good preservation. The farm consists of 400 acres and is one of the best in Jackson County.
The children born to Joel Rufus and Sarah A. Hudspeth are as fol- lows: Joseph, Mary, Elvira, Charles Rice. Joseph resides in Washing- ton. He married. Bertha Gallagher and has two children: Mrs. Mary Belle Swartz, mother of three children, Frances M., Joseph and Sarah ;
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and Rufus who served in the National army in France during the World War. Mary is the wife of Robert Elsea, Lake City, and has three sons: Robert, Charles Joseph and James Rufus. Elvira is the wife of Franklin P. Chiles, and is mother of five children: Richard Hudspeth, who served in the National army in the tank corps ; Sarah; Frank Perrin; Henry Clay and Annabel. Charles Rice Hudspeth of Fort Osage township, married Mary Boston of Kentucky and has two children, Henrietta and Frances.
Further information concerning the genealogy of the Hudspeth family of Jackson County is given in this volume in the sketch of Thomas B. Hudspeth. The family is descended from old Colonial and Revolutionary stock and is one of the oldest and most prominent of Jackson County. Joel Rufus Hudspeth was a true representative of this family and kept alive its traditions for industry, financial ability, honesty and steadfastness to principle. He was a Democrat who took a keen interest in political matters and was influential' in county affairs. He had many warm and steadfast friends and was well liked and respected by all who knew him. Mrs. Hudspeth, affectionately known as "Cousin Sallie" is a member of the Baptist church. Her grandfather, Rev. Louis Franklin, was one of the first Baptist preachers in this part of Missouri and he preached for a number of years for the Six Mile Baptist church and was pastor of the Independence and Blue Springs Baptist church, establishing several churches in this section of Missouri.
Henry Stock, prosperous farmer and stockman, is owner of 80 acres of rich bottom land in Fort Osage township, near the town of Levasy, which he purchased in 1887, and improved into a valuable piece of prop- erty. He was born Oct. 28, 1859. in Warren County, and is a son of Frederick and Louisa (Fosse) Stock, a sketch of whose lives is given in connection with the sketch of Samuel H. Stock in this volume.
Mr. Stock was reared in Warren County and came to Jackson County in the spring of 1884. Everything which he owns has been earned since coming to this county. He purchased his farm in 1887, an unimproved place. In the course of time, Mr. Stock erected a good house and de- veloped one of the best farms in Jackson County which produces large crops each year. Of late years, he has been living in Levasy and has turned over the cultivation of the farm to his nephew.
Mr. Stock was married in September, 1884, to Miss Mary Schaberg, who was born in Warren County in 1860. a daughter of John and Lucetta (Dreimeyer) Schaberg. John Schaberg was born in St. Charles County, Mo., in 1835, and died in 1910. Lucetta, his wife, was born in 1839 and
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died in 1908. The Schabergs came to Jackson County in 1884 and settled in the Levasy neighborhood.
John and Lucetta Schaberg were the parents of the following chil- dren: John, deceased; Mary Stock, of this review; William and Garrett, deceased ; Laura, wife of Samuel H. Stock; Mrs. Elizabeth Schroer, whose husband is proprietor of the Levasy garage; Herman, lives in Oklahoma; George, deceased; Walter, North Dakota; Polly, deceased; Caroline, wife of T. Hall, of Sibley, Mo.
No children have been born to Henry and Mary Stock, but they have reared a nephew, Samuel Meinershagen, a son of Minnie M. Meinershagen. He was born in 1892 and is now managing the Henry Stock farm. He was married in April. 1914, to Miss Verna Heimann, who was born in St. Charles County in 1894, a daughter of William and Adelia (Siefker) Hei- mann, who now reside in Cooper County, Mo. Mr. and Mrs. Meinershagen have two children, Dorothy, born Sept. 21, 1915; and Herman, born Oct. 2, 1918.
Mr. Stock is a Republican. He and Mrs. Stock are members of the Levasy Evengelical church.
Henry C. Gausman, prosperous farmer and stockman, of the Levasy neighborhood in Fort Osage township, is the owner of 246 acres of land in two farms. One hundred and thirty acres are comprised in his home place, and he owns a fine farm of 116 acres, a mile or so west in the same township. This land is practically all Missouri River bottom land and is highly productive. Mr. Gausman maintains a herd of Durham cattle, headed by a pure bred bull.
H. C. Gausman was born Dec. 6, 1871 in Femme Osage township, St. Charles County, Mo., and is a son of Charles and Mary (Schemmer) Gausman both of whom were born and reared in St. Charles County, the children of pioneer German settlers in that county. Charles Gausman was born in 1845 and died in 1918. He was a son of Stephen Gausman who emigrated from Germany and settled in St. Charles County. Mrs. Mary Gausman was born in 1851 and now makes her home with William Finkelmeyer in Levasy.
The Gausmans moved from St. Charles County to Lafayette County in 1882. H. C. Gausman was reared to manhood in that county and in 1899, he came to Levasy, Jackson County and was employed on the farm of Mr. Dieckman. He was next in the employ of Herman Schaberg. Soon he began renting the place where he is now living. In 1917. he purchased
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his first farm and has had a very successful career. He is an industrious and enterprising agriculturist and is known as a good business man.
Mr. Gausman was married in 1902 to Paullina Dieckmann, born in St. Charles County, a daughter of the late Florenz Dieckmann, an account of whose life and career will be found in the sketch of T. W. F. Dieckmann in this volume. Three children have been born to this marriage: Adaline,, Lydia and Freda.
Mr. Gausman is a Republican and is a member of the Levasy Evangel- ical church. He is a director of the Bank of Levasy and is one of the leading citizens of the Levasy neighborhood.
Charles R. Harris .- For a half century and more, Charles R. Harris has resided upon his fine farm in Fort Osage township. He was born June 2, 1840 in Montgomery County, Ky., and is a son of James William and Lucy Ann (Jones) Harris, both natives of Kentucky. James W. Harris was a son of Alexius Harris, a native of Culpeper County, Va., and a Kentucky pioneer. James W. Harris came to Jackson County in 1865 and remained one and a half years and then returned to Kentucky. After another trip to this county he again went back to Kentucky and in the fall of 1868 he came and located permanently. James W. Harris died here in 1876.
Charles R. Harris came to this county in 1869 and bought 80 acres of land, only four acres of which was in cultivation, the rest being covered with timber and brush. He paid or agreed to pay $1,000 for his first '80" and borowed $730. For 40 years Mr. Harris paid interest, cleared his land during his first few years erected a comfortable home, increased his acreage to 160 acres and reared a large family of ten children.
Mr. Harris was married Nov. 13, 1873 to Harriet Duffield, who was born April 9, 1853 in Pickaway County, Ohio. She is a daughter of Thomas and Carlotta (Rapley) Duffield, natives of England, who came from Ohio to Jackson County in 1869 and here lived the remainder of their days.
The ten living children born to Charles R. and Harriet Harris are: Thomas, James W., Livona Jane, George Washington, Oliver D., Mary Lee, Luther C., Bernice, Grace, Raymond, Charles Bryan. Thomas D. resides four miles south of Buckner. He married Lee Edwards deceased, and has two children, Livona Elizabeth, or Beth, and Anna June. James W. is at home, managing the home place. Livona is the widow of John R. Brannan. George Washington lives in Independence. He married Emma J. Necessary and has three children, Rosa Ellen, Tressa and Milton Luther.
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Oliver D. married Leila Robertson and has two children, Bernice and Emelina. He resides at Delta, Colo. Mrs. Mary Lee Witt has three chil- dren, Livona, Harry Charles and Helen Roberta. Luther C. married Beulah Long and has one child, Myrtle. Mrs. Bernice Weatherford has one child, Harriet Elizabeth. Mrs. Grace Wyatt has three children, Fred Harris, Evangeline and Woodrow Wilson. She lives near Mecklin, Mo. Ray- mond lives near Lake City. Charles Bryan died at the age of seven years.
Mr. Harris is a Democrat. Mrs. Harris and several of the children are members of the Baptist church.
Henry Stephens, late prominent citizen of Lake City, Fort Osage. township, was a successful man. He began his career as a farmer and stock raiser with little or no capital and achieved a more than ordinary success in two states: At the time of his death he was one of the best known stockmen in the territory contiguous to Kansas City, and was a member of the Board of Trade of the city. Mr. Stephens was born near Coleburg, Prussia, Feb. 10, 1851, and died at his home in Jackson County, Sept. 9, 1913. He was a son of Henry Stephens who died in 1854. His mother, Mary (Neufeldt) Stephens and his stepfather, Godfrey H. Hobus, came to America in 1860, and he was reared at Laporte, Ind., and in 1868 located in Illinois. In January, 1872, he came West and located in Marion County, Kan., when land was cheap and that section of Kansas was in the infancy of its development. In 1871 he had purchased 160 acres of land from the Santa Fe Railroad Company at a cost of $4.65 an acre and began farming and raising live stock. He added and bought more land until he owned 2,560 acres in Marion County. He located in Peabody, Kan. and engaged in live stock feeding on a very extensive scale. Being desir- ous of extending his operations which had now become of large propor- tions, he came to Jackson County in 1902 and purchased 240 acres at Lake City, upon which he erected large feeding sheds, a mill and a large store house where he continued his cattle feeding operations in addition to caring for his large interests at Peabody, Kan. He built a splendid residence for his family and his success continued. Mr. Stephens fed and marketed over 2,000 head of cattle yearly on his place, adjoining Pea- body where he had feeding lots and fed and marketed several hundred head from his plant at Lake City.
Mr. Stephens was married Sept. 25, 1881, in Danforth, Ill., to Miss Louisa Merkle, who was born March 9, 1861 near Peoria, Ill. She is à daughter of Christian and Helena (Tascher) Merkle, the former a native of Wittenburg, and the latter of Baden, Germany. Christian Merkle was
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born Dec. 21, 1826 and was one of five sons and three daughters: Frank, George, Joseph, Christian, John, Barbara, Philona, Catherine and Mary. He was well educated in his native land and served in the German army in the suppression of the revolution in 1848. In 1854 he immigrated to America, arriving in Philadelphia in May of that year. After a four months stay in Cincinnati, Ohio, he went to Wabash, Ind., thence to St. Louis and then to Peoria, Ill., where he was employed in a brewery. In June, 1859, he was married to Helena Tascher who came to the United States from Germany when 16 years old. For some years Mr. Merkle had the contract for carrying the mail from Havana to Cuba, Ill. In 1862 he located in Iroquois County and settled in Danforth township where he bought 80 acres of prairie land. Succeeding years saw him very successful in his farming operations. He reared a family as follows: John, a farmer in Iroquois County .; George lives in Indiana; Andrew and Charles living in Illinois; Christian lives in Iroquois County ; Emma Helena, Iroquois County ; Caroline, died May 19, 1908. Christian Merkle died Jan. 10, 1910. Mrs. Merkle died June 18, 1918.
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