USA > Missouri > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Missouri > Part 77
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came to Moberly to live. He accepted a position with the Wabash Rail- road as a blacksmith in the shops here and was thus employed for the rest of his active life. He died April 24, 1908 and was buried in St. Mary's cemetery. His wife, Mary Murphy Boland was born at Mt. Sterling, Ill., the daughter of Michael and Mary (McQueen) Murphy, both natives of Ireland, and was the seventh of the nine children born to them. Mr. and Mrs. Boland were married in Moberly, Nov. 21, 1890 and the mother now lives here. Two children were born to them as follows: Mary B., de- ceased, and John M., of this review.
John M. Boland spent his youth in Moberly and was educated at. Loretta Academy and high school of Moberly. In 1910 he entered the shops of the Wabash Railroad to learn the machinist trade and after serv- ing his apprenticeship became one of the skilled machinists in the employ of the company and has continued in the employ if the Wabash Company at Moberly to the present time.
Mr. Boland is a Democrat, belongs to the Mechanic's Union, the Knights of Columbus and is a member of the Catholic church.
Joseph W. Bradley, a carpenter employed in the Wabash Railroad shops at Moberly, Mo., was born on a farm in Howard County, Mo., Sept. 22, 1867, the son of Joseph and Eliza (Becket) Bradley. Joseph Bradley was a native of Howard County, born in 1845. He was reared and edu- cated there and learned the carpenter's trade at which he worked and also followed farming. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving until peace was declared. After the close of the war he returned to Missouri and spent the remainder of his life here. He died at Armstrong, in 1893. Eliza Becket Bradley was born in England in 1830, was reared and educated in her native land and later accompanied her brother to this country.
Joseph Bradley and Eliza Becket were married at Fayette, Mo., and she passed the rest of her life in this state. They were the parents of. 10 children as follows: John and Elizabeth, deceased; Larkin, of Moberly ; Sallie, also of Moberly; George, of Armstrong; Mollie, of San Francisco, Calif .; Alfred, deceased; Tabitha. the wife of George Clayton, of New Franklin, Mo .; Joseph W., of this review, and James, of Moberly. The mother died in Moberly in October, 1917.
Joseph W. Bradley spent his youth in Armstrong, Mo., attended the public schools and when 16 years of age began to work as a carpenter and has since followed that trade. In 1893 he came to Moberly and on March
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1st of that year took a position in the car department of the Wabash shops, where he has since been employed.
Feb. 3, 1892, Mr. Bradley was married at Armstrong, Mo., to Miss Minnie Bell Sweatnam, the daughter of Baxter and Kate (Walkey) Sweat- nam, both natives of Missouri. She was the fifth of their 10 children. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bradley: Lara, deceased, and another child that died in infancy.
Mr. Bradley comes from a good old pioneer family, as his grand- father, Sparr Bradley, came to Missouri from Madison County, Ky., at an early day and entered land from the government six miles south of Fayette, Mo., where he had a 260 acre farm. He was a veteran of the Black Hawk and Civil Wars and died on a farm four miles east of Fayette in 1886.
Rufus E. Merrill, for more than 10 years a train dispatcher on the Moberly division of the Wabash Railroad with headquarters in Moberly, Mo., was born on a farm near West Branch, Iowa, and is the son of Wil- liam C. and Lucretia (Osborne) Merrill.
William C. Merrill was born on a farm near Toledo, Ohio, in 1842, being a descendant of the earliest settlers of this county, his ancestors, the Greys coming over in the Mayflower, locating in Massachusetts. He was a veteran of the Civil War, having served in the Union army during the conflict. He enlisted in Company E, 184th Ohio Infantry, Feb. 10, 1865 and was mustered out Sept. 22, 1865, being one of, if not the youngest, soldiers to bear arms in defense of his country. After peace was declared he became a railroad man, served as station agent at various places and died at Marshalltown, Iowa, February, 1904, where he had passed the greater part of his life.
Mrs. Merrill was a native of Linn County, Iowa, born on a farm Aug. 27, 1845 and was married at Center Point, Iowa, in 1872. She now lives in Marshalltown, Iowa, with a daughter and is 75 years old and she and William C. Merrill were the parents of the following children: Effie J., the wife of John F. Schultz, of Marshalltown, Iowa; Carrie E., the wife of S. C. Snider, of West Liberty, Iowa; Bessie, the wife of J. R. Kessler on a farm near Marshalltown, Iowa; Rufus E., of this review, and Maud, de- ceased.
Rufus E. Merrill was reared and educated at Montezuma, Iowa and graduated from the high school there and then started as station helper at the age of 15 years. One year later he was appointed station agent
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and operator in Iowa and later was agent and operator at Pipestone, Minn. Later he served in that capacity at the following places: Round Lake, Minn., Goodell, Dinsdale, Sunberry, Tipton, Benett, Rowley and Estherville, iowa. It was while working at the last named town that Mr. Merrill was made train dispatcher on July 1, 1902, and held the position five years before being transferred to Cedar Rapids, Ia., in the same capacity. Three years later he was sent to Oskaloosa, Ia., as dispatcher of the Iowa Cen- tral Railroad and Nov. 25, 1910, he came to Moberly as dispatcher for the Wabash Railroad and has served since that time as trick and chief dis- patcher.
Sept. 21, 1898, Mr. Merrill was married to Miss Mabel H. Palmer, a daughter of Henry and Mary (Bush) Palmer, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Germany. To Mr. and Mrs. Merritt have been been born two children: Maud, who graduated from the Moberly High School in the class of 1918 and during the year 1919 attended the Kansas City Conservatory of Music and is now a student at Christian College, Columbia, Mo., and Rufus E., Jr., who is a student in the Moberly High School.
Mr. Merrill is a Mason, belonging to the Blue Lodge, the Eastern Star and with his wife is a member of the Methodist Church, South. For years he has been a Democrat. Mrs. Merrill is a graduate of the normal school of Iowa and before her marriage was a teacher. She belongs to the East- ern Star, the Shakespeare Society, the Ladies Aid Society and also to the Parents Teachers Association, having served as president and vice-presi- dent of that organization and as Past Matron of the Eastern Star.
Rufus E. Merrill comes from Revolutionary stock on his mother's side. His great grandfather, John Osborne, is one of the six revolution: ary soldiers buried in the state of Iowa, having enlisted in May, 1780, Montgomery County, Va., to serve four months under his uncle Enoch Osborne, captain of a company in Col. Preston's regiment of Virginia, going to Whitten's Station in Tennessee against the Shawnee and Cherokee Indians and Tories, after which in the spring of 1781, he served six months under the same officer at Blackmore Station, Tenn., near Cumberland Mountains to defend frontier settlements. He served six months as light horseman under Captain Gambrell in Col. Wm. Campbell's command in North Carolina, patrolling country against Tories, after which he served as light horseman with Captain Nowles in a detachment of 300 men under Col. Cleveland, ranging Ashe and other counties in quest of Tories and
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he was discharged in September, 1782. He was soon ordered out by Col. Preston to serve a few weeks with Capt. Ward. His last service was for 12 months as one of the garrison at Whitton's Station in Tennessee in command of Col. Preston. He belonged to the militia.
Ollie Ornburn, a well-known conductor of the Wabash railroad, is a native of Randolph County. He was born on a farm in Sugar Creek township Aug. 30, 1879, and is a son of William B. and Mary M. (Foster) Ornburn.
William B. Ornburn was born in Sugar Creek township Oct. 25, 1847, and is a member of one of the early pioneer families of Randolph County. He has made farming and stock raising his life occupation and is the owner of a well improved farm of 1271/2 acres seven miles east of Moberly, where he carries on general farming and stock raising. Mary M. (Foster) Ornburn was born in Virginia Aug. 23, 1853, and she and Mr. Ornburn were married in Sugar Creek township in 1872. They are the parents of two children: Oma A., born Feb. 13, 1874, and an employee of the Wabash Railroad Company and lives in Moberly, and Ollie E., the subject of this sketch.
Ollie E. Ornburn was reared on the home place in Sugar Creek town- ship and educated in the district schools of Sugar Creek township and Middlegrove College. He remained on the home farm with his parents until he was 18 years old. He then went to Pueblo, Colo., where he was employed as brakeman on the Denver and Rio Grand railroad for one year. He then went to St. Louis and was in the employ of Swift and Company and the American Car and Foundry Company. In 1902, he came to Moberly and on Aug. 18th of that year entered the employ of the Wabash Railroad Company as brakeman. He was promoted to con- ductor in 1905, and now runs a local freight between Moberly and Bruns- wick.
Mr. Ornburn was married June 29, 1909, to Miss Anna Foutch, a daughter of Abe and Nettie (Gray) Foutch, both natives of Iowa. Abe Foutch was born in Des Moines, Iowa, March 28, 1853. He came to Moberly in 1903 and was employed by the Wabash company as car car- penter and now resides in Moberly. Nettie (Gray) Foutch was born at Ackley, Iowa, Oct. 26, 1862, and she and Mr. Foutch were married at Rockport, Mo., Oct. 12, 1878, and five children have been born to them as follows: Jessie, died in infancy; James B., lives in New York City ; Anna, wife of Ollie E. Ornburn, the subject of this sketch; Bert, St.
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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
Louis, Mo .; and Harry, died in infancy. Mrs. Ornburn was born at Rock- port, Mo., June 9, 1884. To Mr. and Mrs. Ornburn has been born one child, Gerald, born in Moberly, July 12, 1905, and is at home with his parents.
Mr. Ornburn is a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Order of Railway Conductors. He is a Democrat and a member of the Missouri State Fish and Game League. Mrs. Ornburn is a member of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Order of Railway Conductors and the Auxiliary of the Brotherhood of the Railroad Trainmen and both Mr. and Mrs. Ornburn are members of the Methodist church, south. The Ornburn family is well known and highly respected citizens of Moberly and Randolph County.
John D. Rice, a progressive farmer and stockman of Jackson town- ship, is a native of Randolph County and a member of a prominent pioneer family of this county. He was born May 3, 1870 in Chariton township and is a son of Spencer P. and Rebecca (Elliott) Rice.
Spencer P. Rice was born in Randolph County, April 15; 1839. He was reared in this county and early in life engaged in farming and stock raising and became very well-to-do and one of the successful men of affairs of this county. He was the owner of 744 acres of land and was president of the Jacksonville Savings Bank. He died July 23, 1919 and his remains are buried in the Barnhardt cemetery. His wife was also a native of Randolph County, born Dec. 7, 1838. They were married in Randolph County in 1864. She is now 81 years of age. They were the parents of nine children as follows: Joe Ann, deceased; one died in infancy ; Mrs. Mollie Dean, of Jacksonville, Mo .; James William, deceased; John D., the subject of this sketch; James J., deceased; Ernest, Jackson township; Elizabeth, deceased and Elliott, Jackson township.
John D. Rice was educated in McGee College and the State Normal School at Kirksville. Mo. and for 18 years was successfully engaged in teaching in various districts of this section. At the same time, he was interested in farming and stock raising on the home place to which he has devoted his attention for several years, and is one of the successful farm- ers of the community. In addition to general farming and stock raising he is also interested in breeding and now has on hand, five head of reg- istered Aberdine-Angus cattle, besides 22 head of horses and mules. His farm consists of 140 acres and he has about 50 acres of good timber land. Mr. Rice is unmarried. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Eastern Star.
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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
George Gowan, employed in the Wabash railroad shops in Moberly as a painter, was born in Edinborough, Scotland, May 26, 1861, the son of George and Katharine (Brown) Gowan, both natives of the same city as their son. They came to the United States in 1868, locating first in New York, where George Gowan worked as a shoemaker. Some years later the family came west and settled in St.Louis, where the father again worked at his trade. He died in 1910 and was buried at St. Peters cemetery, St. Louis. Mrs. Gowan died in 1872, and was buried at St. Peters ceme- tery. There were six children in the family: Sarah, the wife of Harry Crocker, of St. Louis; Kate, married James Galo, is a widow, living in St. Louis; George, of this review; James, deceased, and two other children that died in Scotland.
George Gowan was reared and educated in the United States, as he came here as a small boy. He attended school at the public institutions of New Florence, Mo., and when only 13 years old began work for farmers by the month. He came to Moberly in 1881, and took a position on the Kansas City. Northern railroad, as brakeman, remaining two years. The following five years he worked as a hostler in the roundhouse and in 1899 went to Slater, Mo., but returned to Moberly in 1901 to enter the employ of the Wabash road as hostler. In 1906 he left the railroad and opened a restaurant in the city, which he managed five years, before disposing of it, to enter the paint shop of the Wabash shops, where he has since been employed in the capacity of painter.
Sept. 28, 1892, Mr. Gowan was married to Miss Lena Kemp, the daughter of C. W. and Kate (Gale) Kemp, both deceased. Mrs. Gowan was the second of nine children born to her parents. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gowan, Leslie Elmer, at home.
Mr. Gowan is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, and is a Democrat. Mrs. Gowan belongs to the Auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, to the Maccabees, the Royal Neighbors and the Christian church.
John Freeman, foreman of the roundhouse of the Wabash Railroad, at Moberly, Mo., was born at Columbia, Mo., Sept. 6, 1877, the son of Timothy and Harriet (Natress) Freeman, the former a native of Queens County, Ireland, and the mother was born in Canada. They were married in America and the family came to Missouri to live. To Timothy and Harriet Freeman were born the following children: Miles, Granite City, Ill .; John, of this review; Leo, at home; Anna, the wife of James L. Kehoe,
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of Moberly ; Mary, the wife of Arthur Copley, of Butte, Mont .; Martin, of Moberly; Timothy, Jr., of St. Paul, Minn .; Margaret, the wife of Thomas Broskey, of Kansas City; Catharine, deceased; Roberta, deceased; and Elizabeth, of Moberly.
John Freeman was reared in Moberly and received his educaton in St. Mary's Academy and when only 19 years old began to work in the Wabash shops as a machinists helper in order to learn that trade. He finished his apprenticeship and then spent four years in various parts of the country. On his return to Moberly in 1904, Mr. Freeman took a position in the rail- road shops as a machinist, was promoted to the position of foreman in 1907 and then transferred to Stanbery and Moulton, Iowa, to the Wabash shops there, where he acted as general foreman. April 16, 1919, Mr. Free- man was returned to Moberly to take the position of foreman of the round- house and is still serving in that capacity. He is one of the skilled men in the employ of the road and stands high in his business.
Oct. 30, 1906, Mr. Freeman was married to Miss Nellie G. Whelen, of Moberly, the daughter of D. L. and Elizabeth (Larose) Whelen, the former a native of Tennessee, while the mother was born in Missouri and they live in Moberly. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Freeman: John W., born in Moberly, Dec. 14, 1907, now attending St. Marys Academy.
Mr. Freeman belongs to the Machinists Union, the Knights of Father Mathew, Knights of Columbus and the Catholic church and is a Democrat. Mrs. Freeman is also a member of the St. Johns Catholic church.
Rev. Robin Gould, pastor of the Methodist church of Moberly, Mo., was born in Las Vegas, N. M., Jan. 29, 1888, the son of George T. and Texie A. (Head) Gould. The father was born at Beaufort, S. C., in 1842, was reared there and at the outbreak of the Civil War enlisted in the Confederate army and served throughout the war. After peace was established, he engaged in newspaper work, came west and engaged in his profession in Las Vegas, El Paso, Tex., and Albuqerque, N. M. He was appointed postmaster of Las Vegas during President Cleveland's second administration, but later retired from active business. He died in Albu- querque, N. M., in 1911, and was buried there. Mrs. Gould was born in Randolph County, Mo., in 1865, was married at St. Louis in 1885 and now lives at Albuquerque, N. M. There were three children in the family : Ralph, of Albuquerque; Rev. Robert, of this review, and Alice, of Albu- querque.
Robin Gould was educated in the towns in the west where the family lived, and was graduated from the high school at El Paso, Tex. He then
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entered the University of Chicago and later came to Missouri and entered the State University at Columbia, where he studied journalism. Follow- ing the completion of this special study, he was employed on a news- paper at El Paso, Tex., where he was made circulation manager, a posi- tion he held until 1913. While at the university, Mr. Gould had taken spe- cial courses in Bible study and when he resigned from the paper he en- tered the ministry and was given a charge in Phoenix, Ariz., and was transferred to a church in California, then back to Arizona and later to Jamestown, Mo. He came to Moberly as minister of the Fourth Street Methodist church in 1919.
When the United States declared war against Germany, Mr. Gould enlisted in the army at St. Joseph, Mo., in August, 1918, as chaplain. He was sent to the chaplain's training camp and commissioned in September, 1918, and assigned to duty with the 89th Division as an officer of the 354th Infantry. Mr. Gould served with his regiment through the battle of the Argonne and after the armistice was signed, returned to the United States May 22, 1919, and was discharged from the service June 17, 1919, at Camp Funston. He returned to St. Joseph, Mo., where the summer was spent and in the fall assumed charge of the church at Moberly, where he has since ministered.
April 30, 1912, Reverend Gould was married at El Paso, Tex., to Miss Katharyn Warren, the daughter of P. and Mary (Demoss) Warren. The father was a native of Tennessee and is dead, while the mother was born in Texas and now lives in California. One child has been born to this union. Margaret, at home. Mr. Gould, while in college, was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and is a Democrat.
George J. Ostman, one of the expert and experienced painters em- ployed in the car department of the Wabash Railroad shops, of Moberly, Mo., was born in St. Louis, Nov. 6, 1871, the son of Gus and Clara (Voth) Ostman, both natives of Germany. The father was born in 1842 and came to the United States about 1859, settling in St. Louis, where he worked as a painter in the car shops of the Wabash Railroad. Later the family came to Moberly, when the railroad shops were established here and Mr. Ostman continued to hold his position as painter until he died in 1912 and was buried in Oakland cemetery. He had enlisted in the Confederate army when the Civil War broke out and served until the close of the conflict. Mrs. Ostman was born in 1846, came to the United States as a young woman and was married in St. Louis. She now lives with a married
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daughter in Moberly. There were the following children born to Gus and Clara (Voth) Ostman: Lillie, the wife of Edward Hayes, of Chicago, Ill .: One child that died in infancy; George, of this review; and Julia, the wife of W. S. Henry of Moberly.
George J. Ostman was reared in Missouri, attended the public school here in Moberly and when his school days were over, began to work in the railroad shops as a painter's helper in 1889. He spent his time learning the painter's trade and then was given a regular position in the car depart- ment where he has since been employed as painter. Mr. Ostman is a skilled workman and one of the substantial and reliable citizens of Moberly.
Sept. 24, 1905, Mr. Ostman was married to Miss Pearl Woolwine, the daughter of Paxton and Elizabeth (McGrew) Woolwine, who was the eldest of their three children, born July 31, 1883.
Mr. Ostman is a member of the Maccabees, the Car Mens Union and the Lutheran church and Mrs. Ostman is a member of the Auxiliary of the Union and belongs to the Methodist church.
William R. Brawley, a locomotive engineer on the Wabash Railroad, is one of the well known and substantial citizens of Moberly. He was born near Forrest Hill, St. Charles County, Mo., Oct. 15, 1884. He is a son of Daniel and Virginia (Hiens) Brawley, the former a native of Crawford County, Ind., born in 1860.
Daniel Brawley was reared and educated in Indiana and farmed with his father until the family came to Missouri in 1870. They settled on a farm of 140 acres of land in St. Charles County and later. Daniel Brawley bought 40 acres adjoining the home place. There they engaged in general farming and stock raising. The trees on the land were worked into bridge timbers and railroad ties and sold as the land was cleared and provided an income before the land could be farmed. Daniel Brawley lived on this farm until his death in 1885 and was buried in the family lot. Mrs. Braw- ley was born in New Orleans, La. in 1856 and died in 1891 and was buried in the Forrest Hill cemetery.
William R. Brawley was the only child born to his parents. He was taken into the home of a Presbyterian preacher by the name of Harley Blackwell at the time of his mother's death when he was seven years old. He attended the public schools of Forrest Hill and when 17 years old, he entered the employ of the American Car & Foundry Company's shops at St. Charles, where he worked until July, 1902. He then went to Luther, Mo., to enter the employ of the Wabash Railroad Company as general
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roundhouse man. A year later Mr. Brawley began firing on a switch engine and a year later was assigned to a freight engine and was thus em- ployed until 1904. That year he was transferred to Moberly and fired freight and passenger engines until 1909 when he was promoted freight engineer and has since served in that capacity.
Mr. Brawley owns a 40 acre farm three miles north of Forest Hill, known as the "White Oak" farm and he also owns a valuable city prop- erty in Moberly. He sold his home in which the family had lived 14 years with the idea of building a new house just across the street which will soon be erected.
May 4, 1905, Mr. Brawley was married in the St. Charles Methodist parsonage by the Rev. Carlisle, of Columbus, Mo., to Miss Susie Walker, a daughter of James and Bell (Short) Walker, who was born Aug. 16, 1887. James Walker was a native of Indiana, born in 1843 and died in June, 1903. His wife was also born in Indiana, in 1851 and makes her home with Mrs. Brawley. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Braw- ley : Robert C. and Virginia B., both of whom are at home.
Mr. Brawley is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Knights and Ladies of Security. He is one of the progressive citizens of Moberly and the Brawley family stands high in the community.
Bernard E. Lynch, a brakeman in the employ of the Wabash Rail- road, with a run out of Moberly is descended from one of the first pioneer families to settle here. He is a native son of Randolph County, born in Moberly, Nov. 15, 1890, the son of James J. and Katharine (Conroy) Lynch. The former was born in Petersburgh, Canada, in 1852, was reared and educated in the United States as he came to Bloomington, Ill., with his parents. He came to Missouri and located in St. Joseph, Mo. for a time and first came to Randolph County in 1867. He entered the employ of the Burlington Railroad at St. Joseph and worked as fireman ; later he was promoted to locomotive engineer and returned to Moberly in 1875. He remained in the employ of the road until 1894, when he was assigned to work as engineer of the pile driver where he remained until his death in 1900 and was buried at St. Marys cemetery. Mrs. Lynch was born in Queenstown, Ireland, in 1859, came to the United States with her mother and sisters when a young woman in 1866 and settled near Darksville on a farm. She and Mr. Lynch were married at Macon City, Mo., in 1876 and she died at Moberly, Aug. 13. 1917 and was buried in St. Mary's ceme- tery.
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