History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 35

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234

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Mr. Warnick is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and the Mod- ern Woodmen of America. He is highly respected among the busi- ness men of Johnson county and he and Mrs. Warnick have a wide circle of friends.

F. L. Mayes, president of the Commercial Bank of Warrensburg, was born near Montserrat. Johnson county. April 25. 1873, son of .1. S. Mayes and Nancy J. ( Rothwell ) Mayes, natives of Johnson county. A. S. Mayes was the son of John Mayes, a native of Pennsylvania. The

HISTORY OF ISASEUS COUNTY

father of John Maves was a hat t of Ireland who immigrated ar America and settled at an early day in Pennsylvania and there his som John. was born December 19. 179: Tor Mayes family moved fre :. Pennsylvania to Virginia and later to Kentucky and in the sunny south- land John Mayes grew to machoct. Devetide: 19. 1817 he was united in marriage with Nancy H. Berry on Green county. Kentucky, and to this union was born A. S. Maves. the father of the subject of this re- view. A. S. Mayes was born in Jehasta county. Missouri in 1844. John and Nancy H. (Berry| Mares came from: Kentucky to Missouri in 1835 and for a short time lived in Lafayette county. John Mayes en- tered government land near Montserrat to which place he moved ani which he improved, making of the land a splendid farm. The Mayes family settled at Montserrat before Johnson county was organized. In 1838. leaving the farm. John Mayes huilt and operated the first wool carding machine in Warrensburg He also kept the first hotel for two years. He returned then to the farm and there resided. a quiet. unob- trusive. peace loving citizen. Throughout the Civil war he remained upon his farm. He had united with the Presbyterian church at the age of eighteen and in 1843 joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church. John Mayes was a charter member of the Bethel congregation and was instrumental in the building of Mary's chapel. which was first located two miles northeast of Montserrat and later moved to Montserrat. His death occurred March 4. 1881 when he was eighty-nine years of age and his remains were interred in the family cemetery near Montserrat. John Mayes was one of the honored pioneers of Johnson county, who spent almost a half century assisting in its growth and upbuilding

A. S. Mayes. father of the subject of this review. was reared on the farm near Montserrat. His life was devoted to agricultural pur- suits and he was one of the best known and mos: highly respected farmers and stockmen of Johnson county. His home was in Montserrat township. He was united in marriage with Nancy T. Rockwell. daugh- ter of James C. Rothwell. of Grover township. who came from Vir- ginia to Missouri. Nancy J. Rothwell was born in Johnson county in 1850. To A. S. and Nancy Maves were born the following children: F. L .. subject of this sketch: Mrs. Stella Jones. Warrensburg: James C .. Montserrat: Mrs. Wallace Werner. Kansas City. Missouri: and Charles S., Montserrat. In 1800 the mother died A. S. Maves was united in marriage with Mattie B Rothwell. a sister of the deceased

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY

wife, and to this union were born two children, Nellie and Edwin A., who reside in Warrensburg with their mother. The father died at the age of nearly seventy-one years and is interred in the family ceme- tery near Montserrat.

F. L. Mayes, the subject of this sketch, spent the days of his boy- hood on his father's farm in Montserrat township assisting his father with the work and attending the district school. He was given good educational advantages and he made the most of his opportunities. He attended the State Normal School at Warrensburg and Gem City Business College at Quincy, Illinois, graduating from the latter in- stitution in the class of 1892. In 1897 F. L. Mayes and Margaret L. Fryer. daughter of Judge R. T. Fryer, of Johnson county, were united in marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Mayes are the parents of two children: Harland F., a graduate of the Warrensburg High School in the class of 1917; and Margaret Frances.

From 1893 to 1897, F. L. Mayes served as deputy county collector of Johnson county. In 1897 the Commercial Bank of Warrensburg was organized and Mr. Mayes has been connected with that institu- tion since its organization, serving as cashier until January, 1917 when he was elected president.

The Commercial Bank of Warrensburg was organized September 1. 1897. with the following officers : W. L. Hedges, president ; A. S. Mayes, vice-president ; F. L. Mayes, cashier; W. L. Hedges, A. S. Mayes, F. L. Mayes, Isaac Markward, George W. Honts, James H. Parker, and J. D. Eads, directors and with a capital stock of twenty- five thousand dollars. At the time of the organization the bank was located at 122 West Pine street. In 1900, J. D. Eads accepted the position of cashier with the Peoples Bank and W. S. Clark was elected to fill the vacancy on the board of directors. The present officers are: F. L. Mayes, president: W. L. Hedges, vice-president: W. S. Clark. second vice-president ; H. F. Berkley, cashier; A. H. Gilkeson, assistant cashier ; F. L. Mayes, W. L. Hedges, W. S. Clark, H. F. Berkley, James H. Parker, George W. Houts, and W. J. Mayes, directors. James H. Parker, W. L. Hedges, F. L. Mayes, and George W. Houts have been on the board since the organization of the bank in 1897. The present capital stock of this splendidly and carefully managed bank is fifty thousand dollars with a surplus of fifty thousand and deposits of three hundred eighty thousand dollars at the time of this writing. The

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY

bank purchased their present building in 1912 and remodeled it. They still own the original bank building on West Pine street. The Com- mercial Bank of Warrensburg is and has always been conducted along conservative lines and all business exceedingly well managed. Mr. Mayes has reasons to be proud of the institution whose success has been in a large measure due to his tireless efforts and efficient man- agement.

Melville P. Moody was born in Warrensburg in 1854. His father, W. B. Moody, was born in Kentucky, his family coming to Missouri when he was four years of age. He was a pioneer citizen of Warrens- burg and figured largely in its growth and business life. Mr. Moody's mother was a daughter of Major Anderson of Henry county who was also a native of Kentucky, his family having immigrated to that state with Daniel Boone, so Mr. Moody comes of American pioneer stock.

Mr. Moody received a common school education and began his business life as one of the firm of W. B. Moody & Son. Upon the failure of the firm caused by the panic of 1873. Mr. Moody secured a position with the St. Louis house of the American Baptist Publication Society, of Philadelphia and served it for twenty years as assistant and manager of its St. Louis and Dallas, Texas houses. He left this society to take charge of a charitable tuberculosis sanatorium venture at Ala- mogordo, New Mexico. The institution being destroyed by fire, he returned to Warrensburg and served upon the "Star" until the consoli- dation of that paper with the "Journal-Democrat." In 1913 Mr. Moody started the "Johnson County Democrat."

Mr. Moody has all his life had a predeliction for newspaper work and as a side line has served several papers as correspondent, reporter and miscellaneous writer, his specialty being semi-humorous para- graphing and verse.

Mr. Moody was married in early manhood to Miss Nancy Floyd. of Illinois and they have two children : W. B. Moody, a successful mer- chant of Greeley, Colorado; and Mrs. Frank A. Plumer, of Seattle, Washington.

In 1915 Mr. Moody was appointed Circuit Clerk of Johnson county by Governor Major to fill vacancy and in 1917, he was appointed by Governor Gardner, as one of the inspectors of the State Food and Drug Commission-for a term of four years.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY

William E. Crissey, a member of the board of directors of the American Trust Company of Warrensburg, Missouri, has been actively identified with the business and commercial interests of Warrensburg for the past fifty-two years. Mr. Crissey was born February 27, 1840, in New York. He is the son of Theodore and Lydia Ann (Abbot) Crissey, natives of Connecticut. Theodore Crissey was born in 1812, a direct descendant of the Crisseys, who settled in the colony of Connecti- cut in 1635. The Crissey family is of English lineage. Two brothers, William and Mighill Crissey, emigrated from England and came to America in the early days of colonization, locating in Massachusetts and Connecticut colonies. From these two brothers the Crisseys in America have descended. Lydia Ann (Abbot) Crissey was born in February, 1819, in Fairfield county, Connecticut. To Theodore and Lydia Ann Crissey were born the following children: Edward S., a sketch and water color artist, who died in 1860 at the age of twenty-two years; William E., the subject of this review; Theodoret W., Midland, Michigan; and Samuel N. and Mary, twins, deceased. Theodore Cris- sey moved from Connecticut to Michigan in 1845 and settled near Battle Creek, where his death occurred December 12, 1867, at the age of fifty-five years.

William E. Crissey received his education in the schools of Michi- gan. At the age of twenty-one he enlisted in the Civil War, serving in Company H, Second Missouri cavalry. Mr. Crissey enlisted at Battle Creek, Michigan, when the second call for volunteers came and served throughout the war. His regiment operated in Missouri and Arkansas, taking a prominent part in the battles of Little Fobi River, in north- ern Missouri, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jenkins' Ferry. Arkansas, besides engaging in numerous skirmishes. William E. Crissey was associated with John D. Haskell in the quartermaster's department, hav- ing been placed in charge of one department. During all his service in the war, Mr. Crissey was wounded but once. July 18, 1862, he was shot in the thigh, but as it was merely a flesh wound, Mr. Crissey has not been handicapped seriously by it in his later life. In 1864. William E. Crissey was mustered out and honorably discharged at St. Louis, Missouri.

For some time after receiving his discharge, Mr. Crissey resided in Little Rock, Arkansas. When the war closed, he came to Jolinson

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WILLIAM E. CRISSEY.

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county, Missouri, and October 5, 1865, located in Warrensburg, where he entered the mercantile business. He was thus engaged until 1870, when he entered the abstract and title business. When Mr. Crissey came to Warrensburg in 1865, the present Market street was a corn field and stump-covered land. A hedge ran north and south through the site of the Lobban buildings to Grover street and thence along the south side of that street. The present well-kept Normal grounds were then covered with timber.

May 1, 1866, William E. Crissey was united in marriage with Mary E. Doty, the daughter of Daniel C. and Mary E. Doty, of Battle Creek, Michigan. Mary E. (Doty) Crissey was a lineal descendant of one of the Pilgrims, who landed on Plymouth Rock, December 16, 1620. William E. and Mary E. Crissey were the parents of six children: William M., who died in infancy; Maud D., who died at the age of twenty-eight years; Lella May, who died in infancy; Nellie D., the wife of Charles W. McCaskill, who is a Methodist Episcopal minister now of University Place, near Lincoln, Nebraska; Mary Eliza, who died in the fall of 1910; and Ethel D., who resides at home with her father. May 1, 1916, Mr. and Mrs. Crissey celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and in October of the same year the death of Mrs. Crissey occurred. She and Mr. Crissey had been companions and co- partners for more than fifty years.

William E. Crissey was a member of the city council of Warrens- burg, Missouri in 1882 and 1883. He was a member of the school board for twelve years, from 1887 until 1899, and for many years was the president of the board. The Johnson County Trust Company was organized in 1908 and at the time of organization Mr. Crissey was elected member of the board of directors. In December, 1913, the company was reorganized as the American Trust Company and Mr. Crissey was elected as director, a position he now occupies. Though he has long passed the three score years and ten, William E. Crissey is active and alert, still giving the same thoughtful, conscientious care and attention to business duties, working in his office every day, as he was want twenty-five years ago.

Politically, Mr. Crissey is and has always been affiliated with the Republican party, which, upon numerous occasions has honored him with nominations.

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Mr. Crissey is a thinker and reader. He sums up life In the fol- lowing lines :

"The faint light of the morning of life scarce dawns upon us ere its mid-day sun bids us assume its cares and while we turn to obey the command, the lengthening shadows tell us the day is ending and with the sinking sun, we step into another existence with little or noth- ing done for this."

Charles G. Goodnight, registrar of deeds of Johnson county, was born December 8, 1869 on his father's farm near Montserrat. He is the son of George G. Goodnight and Sarah E. (Campbell) Goodnight. George G. Goodnight is a native of Kentucky. He was born Decem- ber 26, 1841 in Frankfort, and when he was eight years of age came to Johnson county with his father, Thomas Goodnight, who located near Knob Noster in 1849, where he entered land from the government. Thomas Goodnight died on his farm near Knob Noster and his remains were interred in Thompson cemetery. Sarah E. (Campbell) Good- night was born in Johnson county in 1843, the daughter of Squire Campbell, an honored and beloved pioneer of Warrensburg township. To George G. and Sarah E. Goodnight were born the following chil- dren: Lulu, who died in infancy; Thomas C., manager of the Star Theater of Warrensburg; Chas. G., subject of this review; William M., a well-known farmer and stockman, Montserrat township; Mrs. Mamie E. Williamson, Oxnard, California; Mrs. Alma P. Craig. Sedalia, Mis- souri; and Mrs. Zella Stormout, Centralia, Missouri.

George G. Goodnight and wife are still living upon the farm near Montserrat which he purchased in 1865. This farm originally included five hundred acres in sections 36, 47, and 25 but Mr. Goodnight has divided a part of it among his children and now owns three hundred seventeen acres. At the time of this writing he is seventy-five years of age and still as active as many men twenty years his junior. He is engaged in farming and stock raising and attends to the feeding of all the cattle. Mrs. Goodnight is as alert as her husband, physically and mentally, and both are enjoying good health.

Charles G. Goodnight attended the public schools of Johnson county and the State Normal School of Warrensburg. He was in at- tendance at the State Normal two years, 1889 to 1891. He returned to the farm and for twenty-two years operated a steam threshing out- fit in connection with his work on the farm. Mr. Goodnight was

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elected registrar of deeds of Johnson county in the fall of 1914 and is now serving his first term in office.

October 6, 1904, Charles G. Goodnight was united in marriage with Fannie M. Gallaher, daughter of George T. Gallaher, ex-county surveyor of Johnson county. Mr. Gallaher was county surveyor for twelve years. His death occurred in 1913 and his last resting place is at Knob Noster. His widow, Mary C. (Knaus) Gallaher, makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Goodnight. To Charles G. and Fannie Goodnight have been born the following children: John G., Charles G., George R., and Mary Elizabeth. The Goodnight family has always been held in the highest esteem in Johnson county.

M. D. Aber, a prominent attorney of Warrensburg, is a member of a pioneer family of Johnson county. He was born in Ashland county, Ohio, April 22, 1867, son of David and Eliza (Shoup) Aber. David Aber was born in Carroll county, Ohio, January 9, 1843. He came to Knob Noster, Missouri, in the spring of 1869 and located on a prairie farm, four miles southeast of Knob Noster. The Aber family lived on this farm until 1883 when they moved to Warrensburg in order that the children might have better school facilities. Eliza (Shoup) Aber was born in Pennsylvania in September, 1842, daughter of Henry Shoup, who was a pioneer of Johnson county. Henry Shoup died March 12, 1875 at Knob Noster. To David and Eliza Aber were born eight children: M. D., the subject of this review; William H., the widely known physician of Aullville, Missouri; David A., a carpenter and contractor, Warrensburg; Samuel W., farmer, Warrensburg town- ship; Leah, lives with her parents; Mrs. Alma Whitten, Jackson coun- ty, Missouri; James F., a teacher at Buckley, Missouri; and John H., died in infancy. Mrs. Aber, the mother of the subject of this review, is still enjoying excellent health. She is the only survivor of a family of twelve children.

David Aber enlisted in the Civil War with Company K, Eighty- second Ohio Infantry in 1861. He enlisted in Ashland county, Ohio, and was mustered out at Indianapolis, Indiana in 1865, having been in the service nearly four years. At the battle of Gettysburg he was shot through the body and for six months was confined in an army hospital. When he had recovered sufficiently he returned to his company and served throughout the remainder of the war. David Aber now lives

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in Warrensburg and, though he has passed the seventy-fourth mile- stone, he is more active than many younger men.

M. D. Aber received his early education in the country school. He is a graduate of the Warrensburg State Normal, class of 1888, and of De Pauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, class of 1894. After leav- ing the university, Mr. Aber was employed as court reporter, from 1894 to 1897. He was admitted to the bar and has been practicing law at Warrensburg since that time. For more than three years he was assistant superintendent in the State Insurance Department under the administration of Governors Hadley and Major.

November 17, 1897, M. D. Aber and Mary Wright were united in marriage at Marion, Indiana. The friendship which culminated in mar- riage began at De Pauw University where both were students. Mary (Wright) Aber is a daughter of Jesse D. and Caroline (Sears) Wright, of Marion, Indiana. Mrs. Wright died Setpember 4, 1905. Mr. Wright still makes his home in Marion. To M. D. and Mary (Wright) Aber have been born two daughters: Caroline and Mary Wright, both stu- dents in the Warrensburg State Normal.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Aber trace their lineage back to colonial an- cestors. James Aber, an ancestor of M. D. Aber, came to America from Scotland in 1750 and settled at Morristown, New Jersey on a land grant which his father had procured from King George. Paul Sears, an ancestor of Mary (Wright) Aber emigrated from England to France and from France to Virginia about 1730 or 1735.

During the grasshopper devastation of 1874 the Aber family were living in Washington township. The grasshoppers left just enough corn in the Aber field to fill a wagon bed. It is impossible for words to depict the havoc wrought by the destroyers or the suffering caused by their raid. By means of a letter written to his father in Ohio, David Aber was instrumental in aiding many of the needy settlers in that never-to-be-forgotten spring of 1875. The letter was received by his father who immediately secured donations from members of his church by reading the message to them. The letter pictured so clearly the wretched condition of the stricken settlers that when the call for help was read at the church a substantial sum was raised and forwarded to David Aber, who purchased flour and other necessities and saw that it was wisely and properly distributed.

Politically, M. D. Aber is a liberal Democrat, one who stands firmly for principles which seem to him to be right. He is a strong supporter

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of President Wilson. Mr. Aber has a broad perspective of life and it is a pleasure to discuss leading issues with him and to obtain his view- point on current events. He has marked ability as an attorney, pos- sessing a splendidly trained legal mind and keen reasoning powers, and he is regarded highly by members of the legal fraternity. M. D. Aber stands high among the best lawyers of the state of Missouri. He has been affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons for twenty-three years. He is a member of the Knights Templar, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Protestant Episcopal church. He is one of the vestry of his church.

Robert L. Howard, county treasurer of Johnson county, was born in Kingsville township, June 9, 1869, the son of J. P. and Ruthie E. (Lundy) Howard. J. P. Howard was born January 16, 1842 on the same section of land in Kingsville township, Johnson county where his son, Robert L., was born twenty-seven years later. J. P. Howard is the son of Joseph Howard, who was born in 1816 in Surry county, North Carolina. He came to Johnson county in 1837 and settled in Kingsville township where he entered land from the government. Jos- eph Howard was the owner at one time of more than thirteen hundred acres of land. He frequently saw prairie land in Madison and Kingsville townships sell for twelve and a half cents an acre. He operated a tread grist mill in the early days and later a steam mill for sawing and grind- ing which cost him more than eleven thousand dollars. His wife, the mother of J. P., died when her baby son was but six weeks old. The child was reared by his uncle, David Edwards, in Johnson and Bates counties and in Kansas City, Missouri.

J. P. Howard was the youngest of three children left motherless by the death of Mrs. Howard in 1842, the other two being as follow: Miriam, who was reared to maturity, married W. P. Gibson, and is now deceased; and Jordan J., deceased. Joseph Howard was later united in marriage with Amanda Simcox and to them were born eight children, of whom Frank is the only one surviving. Frank Howard resides at Fort Scott, Kansas. After the death of Amanda (Simcox) Howard, Joseph Howard was united in marriage with Lydia Tillbury. Her death occurred about 1889. Joseph Howard died on his farm in Kingsville township in 1908 and his last resting place is in the family cemetery on the home place.

After the Civil War, J. P. Howard, father of the subject of this

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review, returned to Kingsville township, Johnson county in 1866 and he has lived on the home place since that time. In 1867 he was united in marriage with Ruthie E. Lundy, who was born and reared in Jack- son township, Johnson county on the place now owned by her son, Robert L. J. P. and Ruthie E. Howard were the parents of the fol- lowing children: Robert L., the subject of this review; a daughter, died in infancy; Emmet M., farming the home place with his father; Mrs. Minnie M. Ferguson, wife of Newland Ferguson of Jackson township; and Mrs. Grace M. Karr, wife of Ralph Karr of Jackson township. Mrs. Howard died in 1907 and is interred in the Howard cemetery. Mr. Howard still follows farming and stock raising on the home place in Kingsville township where he lives with his son, Emmet M.

Robert L. Howard received his primary education in the public schools of Johnson county. He attended Odessa College and com- pleted his schooling in the Warrensburg State Normal, which he at- tended one year. After leaving school he returned to the farm and was engaged in the pursuits of agriculture until his appointment as deputy county clerk under Theodore Hyatt. In November, 1916 Robert L. Howard was elected treasurer of Johnson county and he is now serving with satisfaction to his constituents. Mr. Howard possesses a pleasing personality and genial manners which make for him count- less friends.

In 1895, Robert L. Howard and Maude M. Kinney were united in marriage. Mande M. (Kinney) Howard is the daughter of John R. Kinney, of Polk township, Cass county. Her mother died when Mrs. Howard was but a child. Mr. Kinney is at present in Tennessee. To Robert L. and Maude M. Howard has been born one daughter, Ruth L., who is a graduate of the Warrensburg High School, class of 1917 and is now a student in the State Normal School, Warrensburg.

C. L. Gillilan, secretary of the American Trust Company, War- rensburg, is a native of Johnson county and a member of a prominent pioneer family of Columbus township where he was born January 2. 1880, the son of John M. and Rachel Ruth ( Kelly) Gillilan. John M. Gillilan was born June 16, 1837 in West Virginia, the son of George Gillilan, with whom he came to Missouri. John M. Gillilan was fif- teen years of age when he came to Missouri with his father in 1852 and located on the farm in Columbus township, Johnson county, where

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY

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History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 35

Author: Cockrell, Ewing Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1234

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234