USA > Missouri > Vernon County > History of Vernon County, Missouri : past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county Vol. II > Part 42
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'Dr. Lucian Berry was for many years the leading physician at Jacksonville, Ill. Wm. Kelley, the grandfather of Mrs. Rock- wood, at one time owned and lived on the ground which is now the site of Oak Ridge Cemetry and Lincoln's Tomb, at Spring- field, Ill., the original remodeled log cabin still standing there- the building in which Emma L. Kelley was married to Dr. Lucian Berry. Dr. Lucian Berry also was engaged in mercantile trade at Winchester, Ill., after giving up his practice, and moved from there in 1872, to Nevada, Mo., where he passed away at the age of ninety years. Mrs. Rockwood's maternal ancestors were from North Carolina.
Dr. and Mrs. Rockwood had two sons, viz .: Reginald M. Rockwood, a prosperous druggist at Jefferson City, Mo., and Charles A. Rockwood, who is an alumnus of Wentworth Military Academy, and a member of its faculty, and also was graduated from the Missouri State University as a Bachelor of Arts with the class of 1910, and is commandant of cadets there, being the
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youngest person ever to hold that position, and the only cadet ever holding position and is now studying in Northwestern University of Chicago for the medical profession, following in the steps of his father and grandfather.
W. M. Rousey was born in Morgan county, Illinois, March 10, 1851, is the third child and one of five survivors of a family of ten children, born to J. P. and Nancy A. Rousey. The father was born in Alabama, in 1826, and the mother was a native of Maryland. The family lived in Morgan county, Illinois, many years, and in 1876 settled in Harrison township, Vernon county, Missouri, where the father bought 388 acres of land and made his home till his decease, October 28, 1894. He was a prosperous farmer and an extensive dealer in cattle and hogs which he fed and shipped to eastern markets. He was a clear-headed, wide- awake business man, fair-minded and honorable in his dealings and successful in all his undertakings. Though not an office seeker or holder, he kept in touch with current events and was an active worker in the local ranks of the Republican party. He was identified with the Masonic Order. His widow passed away in 1909. Our subject has always been a farmer; is a man of practical ideas and progressive in his methods, and now owns and lives on the family homestead in Harrison township, where he leads the life of a bachelor, and carries on general farming and stock raising operations with success. In his political opin- ions Mr. Rousey is a Socialist.
William P. Sailor, a native Missourian, was born in Mont- gomery county, December 15, 1839, to John and Virginia (Perkins) Sailor, natives of Kentucky, who married in Missouri and had a family of five sons, viz .: Isaac and George, each of whom died in Montgomery county, leaving a family. Alvin, who died and left a family in Texas; and William P., and Milton, who live in Montgomery county. The father passed away in 1844, and the mother, in 1897.
William P. has devoted his chief attention to farming, buy- ing, feeding and selling live stock most of his life. Coming to Vernon county in 1880, he leased from Mr. Noah See, of his na- tive county, sections 1 and 36, and in 1886 bought from the W. P. Johnson estate a quarter section of land, and a half sec-
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tion from parties who lived in Kentucky, all in Bacon township, and continued his farming operations till 1895, when he took up his residence in Schell City. Here he conducted a meat market for a time and after that lived in comparative retirement till his recent venture in the real estate business with Mr. W. H. Hunt, under the firm name of Sailor and Hunt.
Mr. Sailor is a Democrat in political opinion, but has never sought or cared for office, but for many years has served on the local school board.
On February 14, 1867, Mr. Sailor was united in marriage with Miss Joanna Weeks, who was born in Rockingham county, North Carolina, May 2, 1849, to Thomas and Nancy W. (Hud- nall) Weeks, natives of Bedford county, Virginia. The father was born in January, 1806, and the mother who was born February 6, 1808, was a daughter of Richard and Polly (Williams) Hudnall, Polly being a daughter of Roger and Cassa Ann (Blair) Williams, and said Roger being a direct descendant of Roger Williams, who, in 1634, founded the colony of Rhode Island. Mrs. Sailor has in her possession a knee buckle worn by her great-grandfather, Roger Williams, while serving in the Revolutionary War. Her father, Thomas Weeks, settled in Mont- gomery county, Missouri, in 1851, with his family. He had ten children, viz .: Charles T., who died in Montgomery county, leaving a family ; William R., who died without issue; John H., who lives in Calloway county; Mrs. Susan M. Wimberly, of Yuba county, California; Mrs. Betty Hudnall, of Callaway county; Samuel T., who died in Callaway county, leaving a family; Mrs. Cassie Ann See, of Montgomery county. Mrs. Sailor, and one who died in infancy. Both father and mother passed away during the same week. She on Tuesday, and he on Thursday, in October, 1886.
Of eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sailor, Marietta, the eldest, married Mr. Ralph Goodrich, and they had two children, named, respectively, Wilber and Ralph. Mr. Goodrich was killed in a railroad wreck, and his widow married Mr. Chauncy Porter, and they have one son, named Aaron, and one daughter, Virginia. The second child, Charles F. Sailor, lives in New Mexico. Robert L. resides in Kansas City, where also lives Lucy, who married Mr. Jesse Scotten, now deceased. Thomas A. lives in Centralia, Ill. Frank T., in Spokane, Wash. William E., lives in Chicago.
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Noah M. and Roger W., in Kansas City. Ernest S., in Chicago, and Dixie G., the youngest, lives at home with her parents.
N. Satterlee* is an enterprising citizen of Bronaugh, Vernon county, Missouri, and a native of Ross county, Ohio. He was born March 10, 1850, and is the third child of a family of seven children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Bethard) Satterlee, both natives of Ohio. Of their other children, Mattie lives in Curry- ville, Mo .; Emma was married to Mr. C. Hodges, of Pike county, Illinois, and died there in 1901; Della is married and lives in Pike county, Illinois, and Rosie and Frances passed away in early childhood. The parents moved from Ohio to Illinois in 1862, and there the father enlisted in the Ninety-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, and entered the army and died of fever in 1863.
Our subject attended school in Pike county, Illinois, and lived there till 1879, when he settled in Moundville township, Vernon county. He bought eighty acres of land, but later sold forty acres on a part of which the village of Bronaugh now stands, and still later bought another forty acres. He was a successful farmer and continued to cultivate and improve his land till 1902, and also for several years conducted a livery stable in Bronaugh. In 1902 Mr. Satterlee bought the hardware busi- ness formerly conducted by Mr. Scroggins and carried it on till 1908, when he sold it to Mr. J. J. Davies.
Mr. Satterlee is a leading man in his community and is inter- ested in whatever relates to its betterment and development, and has served on the town board and the local school board.
In 1880 he was united in marriage with Miss Mattie Cohenour, a daughter of David and Mary Cohenour, who came from Pike county, Illinois, to Vernon county. The father passed away, and the mother, who still survives, makes her home with her chil- dren. Both Mr. and Mrs. Satterlee belong to the Knights and Ladies of Security and Mrs. Satterlee is a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church.
James B. Seitz, who has been a resident of Vernon county, Missouri, since 1881, is a native of York county, Pennsylvania, and was born February 12, 1857, and is the fourth child of a family of nine children (of whom three sons and one daughter
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still survive-1911), born to Adama and Caroline (Klenfelter) Seitz, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania, and were of German lineage. The parents moved, with their nine children, from their native state to St. Joseph, Mo., in 1875; thence to Bourbon county, Kansas; and in 1881, settled on a quarter section of land in section 7, Harrison township, Vernon county, where they made their home the remainder of their lives, the father passing away in 1896, and the mother, in 1907. They were members of the Lutheran Church. Their surviving children, besides our subject, are: Charles P. Seitz, who lives in Okla- homa, and has a family of four children; Cornelius, who has three children, and resides in New Mexico; and Clara, the wife of Mr. D. Anderson, who is now matron at Sapulpa Euckle Board- ing School.
James B. lived with his parents and attended the common schools till he was eighteen years old. He drove a team in St. Joseph, then worked in the coal mines in Bourbon county, Kan- sas, and afterwards spent four years cultivating a leased farm. During the following twelve years he worked on his father's farm; and when the government opened the Indian Reservation in Oklahoma to settlers, he joined in the chase for an allotment, riding thirty-five miles in one hour and fifty minutes. He was successful in making entry on a fine quarter section, and proved up his claim, and has since declined an offer of fifty dollars per acre for the land he thus secured. Returning to Vernon county, Missouri, in 1907, about the time of his mother's decease, Mr. Seitz purchased the family homestead in Harrison township, and now makes his home there, engaged in general farming and stock raising; his operations being attended with gratifying success.
Mr. Seitz is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in political matters adheres to the principles of the Democratic party.
Melissa Sellers, widow of the late John G. Sellers, of Vernon county, Missouri, was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, March 2, 1840, the daughter of Jeremiah Virgin, who was born in Ken- tucky, January 22, 1817. His ancestors were English. Her mother, whose maiden name was Amanda Gerard, was of French
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lineage. She was born November 23, 1818, and passed away April 12, 1892.
On December 20, 1857, our subject united in marriage, in Shelby county, Illinois, with Mr. John G. Sellers, then a widower . with one child by his former wife, whose maiden name was Levina Ashton. Mr. Sellers was a native of Washington county, Indiana, and was born November 29, 1824. Three years after their marriage, in 1860, Mr. and Mrs. Sellers moved to Iowa. Thence went to Kansas, in 1885, and from there to Jasper county, Missouri, in 1893. They settled on the present family homestead, in section 32, Harrison township, Vernon county, where Mr. Sellers was a successful farmer till his decease on February 15, 1897. In his farming operations he gave attention to stock rais- ing and especially admired fine horses. He was a Democrat in political opinion, a worthy citizen, well thought of by all who knew him, and a devoted Christian man, identified with the Christian Church in religious fellowship.
Mrs. Sellers, though she has reached the sun-down side of life, is well preserved and active, and with the aid of one of her sons, manages and carries on the farm.
Of six sons and six daughters born to Mr. and Mrs. Sellers, there are now-1911-eight survivors. Of these, Martha A., who was born October 14, 1865, is married to Mr. S. D. Witt, and has one child. Charles E., was born September 11, 1867. James R., who was born December 12, 1869, is married and has six children. Mary A., born February 5, 1872, is married to Mr. Robert Pilgrem, has five children and lives in Oklahoma. Louie Frances, born August 5, 1876, is the wife of Mr. M. A. Earl, and has four children. George, who was born February 7, 1879, is married and has one child, and has charge of the home farm with his mother. Gracie M., born September 17, 1881, is married to Mr. D. Goodwin, and has three children, and Clifford R., who was born October 11, 1884, is married and has a family of two children,
Phil. W. Shanholtzer was born in Hampshire county, West Virginia, October 3, 1847, and is the son of Peter Shanholtzer, also a Virginian by birth, and a farmer by calling and occupa- tion; his wife, formerly Miss Mary J. Williams, of the same state as himself, bore a large family of children. Phil. was the
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second child and eldest son. Ilis life, up to 1869, was spent mostly in Tazewell, Knox and Macon counties, Illinois, to which locality he had removed from the Old Dominion, and during this time his attention was devoted almost exclusively to agricultural pur- suits. In 1869 he came to Vernon county, Missouri, and pur- chased six acres of land-the foundation of what was destined to be a large and valuable farm. Setting out an orchard on this small tract he went to work with a will, but soon disposed of this first purchase and bought forty acres, to which additions have from time to time been made until at the present time he is the owner of 5811/2 acres, 240 acres of which adjoin the town limits of Bronaugh. Personally he is held in high esteem, as is also his wife, Miss Sarah Cohenour, whom he married in 1870. She was born in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Shanholtzer have three chil- dren : David M., Edward P., and Jesse. Mr. Shanholtzer is a member of the A. F. and A. M.
George W. Shaw, a native of Green county, Illinois, ranks among the prosperous farmers of Lake township, Vernon county, Missouri. He was born May 6, 1865, and is the fifth child of a family of seven children (of whom five are now living-1911), born to Ruffin and Elizabeth (Cook) Shaw. The father went from Indiana, his native state, to Illinois, and thence, in 1867, moved with his wife and four children to Vernon county, and for two years lived on and cultivated a rented farm. He then bought a farm of 100 acres in section 28, in Lake township. Some years later he sold his farm and the remainder of his life cultivated leased land, passing away in 1902. His widow survived till 1908. Both were devout members of the Christian Church.
George W. had few school privileges in early life, being those afforded by a short time spent in the district schools of Vernon county. but he made good use of such as he had, and received his training in the practical school of experience. He grew up on the home farm and lived with his parents till he was twenty- six years of age. On starting out for himself he bought a farm of 120 acres, which he afterwards sold, and purchased a quarter section in section 22, Lake township, where he has since made his home with his family.
On February 14, 1891, Mr. Shaw married Miss Addie J. Goff, of Vernon county, and they have one child, Nellie.
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In religious faith, both Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are affiliated with the "Latter Day Saints." He is a Democrat in political princi- ples, and is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Simeon Shearer. His paternal grandfather was a pioneer settler of the Old Dominion, his birth having occurred near Culpeper Court House, Va., in 1767. During life he took part in many of the wars of his time and finally died in 1851, leaving among other children a son, Samuel Shearer, the father of the subject of this sketch. Samuel Shearer was a Kentuckian by birth, born in Madison county, May 22, 1800. His active, ener- getic life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. His wife was Mrs. Mary E. Arnold. She died in March, 1877, at the age of seventy-two years. Ten children blessed this union, and of these Simeon was the eighth child. His birth occurred in Madison county, Kentucky, July 18, 1841. He was married in 1862 to Miss Sarah E. Stagner, daughter of Albert and Zerelda (Bently) Stagner ; they moved to Missouri in 1870. During the Civil War Mr. Shearer entered as a private the command of John Morgan and served under him in the engagements of Gallatin, Tenn., Green River, and numerous others of minor importance, receiv- ing an honorable discharge in 1864.
Walter C. Shoemaker, who comes of German lineage, was born in Lafayette county, Missouri, December 28, 1867, the next to the youngest of a family of six children born to Phillip W. and Susan E. (Johnston) Shoemaker, the former born in Ken- tucky in 1822, and the latter in Cedar county, Missouri, in 1832. They were married in Cooper county, Missouri, and had six children, those besides our subject being: Samuel, who lives in Oklahoma; James Henry, now deceased; Mrs. F. C. T. Bright- well, who died leaving two sons and three daughters; Mrs. F. P. Claycomb, of Santa Ana, Cal., and Fannie F., who died without issue. The father was a farmer and after his marriage settled with his wife in Lafayette county, Missouri, and spent the remainder of his life there, passing away February 19, 1900, his decease being preceded by that of his wife, October 6, 1876. The first representative of this branch of the Shoemaker family in this country was the great-grandfather of our subject, who came from Germany and settled near Pittsburgh, Pa. He had three sons, of
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whom one settled in Ohio, one in Illinois and the other, who was the grandfather of Walter C., settled in Kentucky, and besides Phillip C., our subject's father, he had three other sons, named, respectively, Jordan, Washington and Robert.
ยท Walter C. lived at home and attended the common schools till he was twelve years old. Coming then to Moundville, Vernon county, he lived in the family of his sister, Mrs. Claycomb, whose husband was a physician, and for nine years worked in the drug store of Mr. R. M. Coulter. He next spent a year at Schell City, after which he was employed a short time as bookkeeper for Mr. W. H. Cooper, a railroad contractor at McAlester, Okla. Going thence to Joplin, Mo., he opened and conducted a drug store on his own account two years, then sold it and worked for Mr. H. C. May in the same line of trade till 1900. He spent the following two years in the office of the Missouri Pacific Rail- road Company at Sheldon, after which, in 1902, he accepted his present position as manager of the Burger-Bowman Lumber Company at Sheldon.
On September 26, 1893, Mr. Shoemaker was united in mar- riage with Miss Allie D. Chester, who was born in Barton county, Missouri, October 27, 1870, the daughter of John A. and Ophelia (Fitts) Chester, the former born in Pennsylvania, July 5, 1846, and the latter near Paris, Mo. Mrs. Shoemaker is their second child, the others being Mrs. J. D. Jones, who lives in Oklahoma, and John E. Chester, who died leaving a son, Marshall Chester, who lives in Joplin, Mo., where Mr. and Mrs. Chester now- 1911-reside.
Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker have one son, Arlington C., who was born December 21, 1898. Mr. Shoemaker adheres to Democratic principles in political affairs, but has held no political office. He is a member of Sheldon Lodge, No. 438, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, all of whose chairs he has filled, and is also con- nected with the Modern Woodmen of America, being elected clerk of the camp-Sheldon Camp, No. 3833-in March, 1902, and serving eight consecutive terms, refusing to serve any longer on account of not having the time to look after the affairs as they should be.
Isaac C. Sickles was born March 15, 1837, at Indianapolis, Ind. His father was Rev. William Sickels, a native of New
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York, and for many years a minister in the Presbyterian Church. He was united in marriage with Miss Alma C. Coe, a Virginian by birth. Mr. Sickels died in Indiana in 1864, but his wife survived until 1881. Isaac C. was the fourth of seven children. William and Edward C. were Presbyterian clergymen, and Thomas N. was the editor of the "Evening Reporter," at Inde- pendence, Kan. Isaac was brought up in the city of his birth and was favored with exceptionally fine educational advantages, opportunities which he did not fail to improve. For quite a while he was a student at Miami University, Oxford, O. In 1859 he came to Vernon county, Missouri, remained until Decem- ber, 1861, and then returned to Indiana, from whence he again moved to Missouri in the spring of 1866, settling at Balltown, where he embarked in the real estate business. In 1874 he changed his location to his farm, which embraced 320 acres of well improved land. August 13, 1860, he was married to Miss Mary McNeil, eldest daughter of Col. Robert McNeil, one of the earliest settlers of Vernon county.
James T. Smith* is an enterprising citizen and successful busi- ness man of Nevada, Mo. He was born in Northwestern Georgia May 10, 1863, and is the youngest of a family of nine children, five of whom survive, born to Hunly and Susan (Miller) Smith. who were natives of North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. The father, a farmer by occupation, removed to Tennessee and thence to Deerfield, Mo., where he died in 1899; the mother in 1896, at the age of seventy years. The other surviving chil- dren are: Sumner, Alice, who is married to Mr. John Price ; Julia, the wife of Mr. Lee Boss; Ollie, the wife of Mr. Charles Westbrook, and Elizabeth, who is married to Mr. Amos Petrie, and all of whom live in Oklahoma.
James T. acquired a common school education, and from early life until he settled in Nevada was engaged in farming. Here he learned the stone cutter's trade, and in 1899, as copart- ner with Mr. D. P. Bence, under the firm name of Bence & Smith, engaged in the marble and granite business. Six years later Mr. Bence withdrew from the business, and Mr. R. M. Tuttle coming in, it was carried on under the firm name of Smith & Tuttle until 1909, since which time Mr. Smith has conducted it in his own name. The works are located at No. 118 E. Walnut Street
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and are fully equipped with pneumatic tools and other improved and labor-saving devices and machinery, necessary to meet the demands of a large and constantly growing trade. Besides every style of granite and marble monuments, Mr. Smith manufactures building blocks, designs and executes all kinds of stone work and supplies and installs iron fencing, arch work, etc., employ- ing in his works a full force of skilled mechanics. Estimates for all work in this line, with drawings and designs, are furnished on request by Mr. Smith, who always has on hand a plentiful supply of attractive marbles and granites from which to make selections. By careful attention to the requirements of the trade, and fair business methods and dealings, Mr. Smith has achieved a degree of success of which he may justly be proud. He is interested in various fraternal and benevolent organizations, being identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, and the Tribe of Ben Hur. On October 17, 1892, he married Miss Etta Drum- mond, daughter of Mr. Benjamin Drummond, of Garland, Kan. They have one child, Clarence T.
John E. Smith, a resident of Washington township, Vernon county, Missouri, is widely known as a leading man of affairs and a substantial citizen. He is a native of Missouri and was born in Lewis county, August 17, 1844, to Jeptha S. and Eliza- beth (Francis) Smith. The father, who was a Missionary Baptist preacher from early manhood and in later life practiced medicine in connection with his ministerial work, and died in Blue Mound township, Vernon county, on January 15, 1880, and was buried in Deep Wood cemetery, Nevada, Mo. John E. grew up in the family home and until his seventeenth year attended the common schools and then studied one year at Memphis College, Memphis, Mo. He began farming on his own account when he was twenty- five years old and for ten years cultivated rented land. In 1879 he bought a farm of eighty acres in section 24, Osage township, which he afterwards sold and then purchased eighty acres in section 10, Washington township, where he makes his home and carries on general farming. He takes a lively interest in all that relates to modern progress, keeps himself abreast of the times and is well posted in matters of public concern.
He is a progressive Democrat and takes a lively interest in
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the affairs and success of his party. He was for four years town- ship collector, served four years as justice of the peace and for several years was a member of the school board. Mr. Smith was at one time identified with the Farmers' Alliance, and with his wife is affiliated with the Christian Church.
On January 26, 1870, Mr. Smith married Miss Nancy C., a daughter of Mr. William Forester, of Scotland county, Missouri. Of seven children born to them five are living, viz., Narcissa Francis, born July 5, 1871; Minnie S., born February 22, 1873; Jeptha S., born December 5, 1874; William E., born October 12, 1876, and Hattie, born September 16, 1884.
Thomas J. Smith is a native of Washington, D. C., and was born January 9, 1830, his father, John Smith, originally of Eng- land origin, having emigrated to the United States when young, his death occurring in that city in 1837. His wife preceded him to the grave some five years, dying in 1832. Thomas J., the youngest of five children, removed to St. Louis, Mo., when four- teen years old, and there learned the trade of bricklaying, also engaging in contracting. Subsequently in 1870 he settled in Nevada and soon became intimately connected with the affairs of that city, serving for two terms as its mayor. Three years later, or in 1873, he returned to St. Louis, and subsequently in 1878 entered the employ of J. W. Cleland, at Schell City, in the lumber business. Upon the organization of the Home Lumber Co., he took charge of the business at Schell City. For years Mr. Smith had charge of the town company and in this capacity also gained wide acquaintance. As has been intimated his connection with the interests of Schell City has proven of inestimable value to her. The present school building, the pride of the place, is due largely to the efforts of Mr. Smith, and in many other ways he worked and labored personally for the town's advancement. He served as a member of the town board, and always took great interest in educational matters, having served seven years as treasurer of the board, and president two years. In 1862 he married Miss Laura J. Wilson, of St. Louis. Their only sur- viving daughter, Addie M., became the wife of J. R. Cunning. Mr. Smith belongs to the A. F. and A. M.
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