USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 82
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PROFESSOR WILLIAM LESLIE JOHNS. It is not to be gainsaid that there is no office car- rying with it so much responsibility as that of the instructor who moulds and fashions the plastic mind of youth; who instills into the formative brain those principles which, when matured, will be the chief heritage of the active man who in due time will sway the multitudes, lead armies, govern nations or frame the laws by which civilized nations are governed. To say that all learned men are capable of filling this high and important of- fice is by no means the truth. One is in- clined frequently to believe that the true edu- cator is born and not made; he must have a vast knowledge of human nature; he must know not only what is in books, but what is in man also; he must understand his pupil and deal with his kind according to his in- dividuality.
William Leslie Johns, superintendent of the Flat River schools, was born July 3, 1872. at Grubville, Jefferson county, Missouri. The
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family is one which has been identified with the state for many years, the birth of the subject's father, William Alfred Johns, hav- ing occurred in Robertsville, Franklin county, Missouri, in the year 1839. The early life of the elder gentleman was spent on his fa- ther's farm and he received his education in the common schools. He adopted agricul- ture as his own vocation and was thus en- gaged throughout the course of his useful and active life. At the time of the Civil war he was a member of the state militia and at the termination of the great conflict he again took up farming. The subject's mother was Mary Ann Sullens, of Fenton, Jefferson county, Missouri, daughter of Isaac Sullens, a farmer and Methodist circuit rider. To this union, which occurred in 1861, nine children were born, William Leslie being the sixth in order of birth. The father passed on to his reward in 1877, but his devoted wife and helpmeet has survived him for more than a generation and is still living, her resi- dence being maintained at Grubville, Jeffer- son county, Missouri. The father was in his political conviction an adherent of the poli- cies and principles of the "Grand Old Party" and his religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church. His lodge relations extend to the time-honored Masonic order.
The early life of William L. Johns was passed on his father's farm in Jefferson county and in youth he had the usual oppor- tunity of the farmer's son to become familiar with the many strenuous duties of farm life. He attended the public schools and having come to the conclusion to become an instruc- tor, he entered the Cape Girardeau Normal School and was graduated from that institu- tion in 1907, with the degree of B. P. D. His first work in the pedagogical profession was as a teacher in the country schools, and this was of seven years' duration. For three and one-half years he was principal of the DeSoto grammar schools and, recommended by his excellent work at that point, he was called to Flat River, where in the capacity of superintendant of schools he has given the utmost satisfaction. The Flat River schools are fully accredited and a diploma received from the high school admits without further ado to the state university.
Professor Johns laid the foundation of a happy and cultured household when, in 1897, he was united to Emma Cole, of Blackwell,
Jefferson county, daughter of Joshua and Anne Cole, the former a well-known farmer of Jefferson county. Mr. and Mrs. Johns share their pleasant home with two young sons,-Delos Cole and Burdette Theron. In his political adherence Professor Johns is aligned with what its loyal admirers are pleased to call the "Grand Old Party;" he is a Baptist in his religious affiliation, and his lodge relationship is extended to the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows.
ROY STONE MARLOW. Among the leading young citizens of DeSoto must assuredly be mentioned Professor Roy Stone Marlow, su- perintendent of the Moorhart Commercial College of this place. He has been a promi- nent factor in educational work of this sec- tion of southeastern Missouri since his grad- uation from college, having been a teacher in the public schools of Montgomery county for five years previous to preparing himself for the duties of his present responsible position as the head of one of the noted Moorhart chain of colleges. His success in preparing young men and women for positions of a com- mercial character has been remarkable, and in addition to his professional ability he is esteemed as a good citizen and popular mem- ber of society.
Professor Marlow was born in Martins- burg, Missouri, June 7, 1882. He is the son of W. H. Marlow, who was born December 9, 1851, at LaGrange, Missouri. The latter's mother died when he was but a few months old and he was reared to the age of twelve years by two aunts. At about that time his father met his death in the Civil war. He had married again and had a family of small children, but young Marlow, although only a boy himself, returned to his father's home to manage the farm, and there he remained un- til he attained his majority. He then re- moved to a farm in Callaway county and there, when about twenty-seven, established a home of his own by marriage, Miss Laura Peery becoming his wife. Three children were born to them, namely: Thomas, Roy S. and Ora Elizabeth. Some years later the father went into the hotel business at Mar- tinsburg, Missouri, and he remained there until four years prior to his demise. The last five years of his life were spent in retire- ment at Montgomery City, Missouri, and he died, universally regretted, in 1908. He was a loyal and consistent Democrat, having given
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allegiance to the party since his earliest vot- ing days; he held membership in the Chris- tian church; and was affiliated with the Mu- tual Protection League. The mother was born in Callaway county, September 4, 1857, and is making her home with her son in De- Soto.
Roy Stone Marlow spent his early life on the farm in Callaway county and through actual contact and experience became famil- iar with agricultural life in all its phases. He received his preliminary education in the public schools of Martinsburg, graduating therefrom, and also in a special class from the high school of Montgomery City in 1900. Following this he took special work in the University of Missouri and taught in the high school for a period of five years, giving the greatest satisfaction to all concerned. He then took special work in Central Wesleyan College at Warrington, Missouri, and finished the same in 1907, in which year he received a degree from that institution. It was in the year named that Professor Marlow became associated with Mr. George Washington Moorhart in his business college work, and ever since that time he has been a part of the teaching force of those excellent institutions, teaching a year at Cape Girardeau; two years at Farmington and two years at De- Soto where he resides at the present time. The student enrollment averages forty.
Professor Marlow was married in 1907, Miss Ellen Marie Robertus, of Warrenton, Missouri, becoming his wife, and both young people are held in high regard in the com- munity. They have two young sons,-John William and Addicks Ransom. The subject is a member of the Christian church; enjoys fellowship with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and follows in the parental footsteps in the matter of politics, being a stanch Democrat.
The Moorhart Business College of DeSoto is situated on a hill overlooking the city and is surrounded by beautiful grounds.
JAMES A. HENSON. The name of James A. Henson, judge of the probate court, has been identified in an honorable and useful fashion with the various interests of Washington county since 1898. He is an almost life-long resident of Missouri and lived in Gasconade county for many years previous to coming to Potosi. He is a veteran of the Civil war and one of the pillars of local Republicanism,
standing high in party councils. Mr. Hen- son was born in the state of Indiana, Sep- tember 20, 1838, and is the son of Larkin Henson, who was a native of South Carolina, born about 1794. The elder gentleman was a carpenter and builder and was married at about the age of twenty-one years to Susan Hollandsworth. To their union were born five children, of whom Judge Henson was the second in order of birth, and an enumeration of the number is as follows: Eliza, deceased; James; Robert; Jeanetta, now Mrs. William Davis; and Albert. The father, who was a man of advanced years at the outbreak of the Civil war, was so thoroughly in sympathy with Southern traditions and institutions that he enlisted in the Confederate army, and his death occurred during the great con- flict. He was a stanch Democrat in politics and a member of the Baptist church.
When Judge Henson was but a few months old the family removed to Missouri and lo- cated in Gasconade county, where he grew to manhood. He received his early education in the subscription schools and his first ex- periences as a wage-earner were as a worker on various farms. At the outbreak of the Civil war he joined the Union army under General Grant and saw a good deal of hard service, participating in the battles of Wil- son Creek and Vicksburg and many lesser engagements. He was a member of Com- pany F. First Missouri Light Artillery, and he was a brave and valiant soldier, who with the passage of the years has lost no whit of inter- est in the comrades of other days, being prominent in all the "old Boy" doings. When the war was over he returned to Gas- conade county and engaged in farming, and he continued thus engaged until 1898, when he removed to this county. After coming to Potsoi he conducted a dairy for Dr. Noll and then made a successful run for office, receiv- ing the election for justice of the peace and serving in that capacity with faithfulness and efficiency from 1899 to 1903. He was then elected judge of the probate court, which office he still holds, having been twice elected. In many ways he has demonstrated the public spirit which makes him so good and patriotic a citizen, and he never fails to yield hearty support and co-operation to any measure that has appealed to him as likely to be conducive to the public good.
In January, 1862, Mr. Henson was united in marriage to Mary S. Davis, daughter of
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Garrett Davis, their marriage being solem- nized at Gasconade county, Missouri. The wife died in 1866, leaving two young chil- dren, Milford and Marshall. He was again married in 1872 to Dora Roberts, of Mis- souri, daughter of Asa Roberts, and this union resulted in four children,-James E., Lillian, Fred and Laura. Judge Henson is well and favorably known in the community, where he is agreeably recommended by his daily living; and his family are useful and popular members of society. He is a Bap- tist in religious conviction, and is a mem- ber of Becket Post, No. 38, at Hopewell, Mis- souri.
HENRY A. HERKSTROETER, the efficient post- master of Washington, is a native son of the place and was born and reared among the younger generation of the business men of this city, his birth occurring March 29, 1874. His father is Casper H. A. Herk- stroeter, a clothing merchant and tailor of Washington. The elder gentleman is a na- tive of Germany. Like so many of his coun- trymen he concluded to cast his fortunes with the New World and arrived on our shores previous to the war between the states. Shortly afterward he located in the city of St. Louis, where he served an apprentice- ship as a tailor, and while residing there he married Miss Minnie Gast, a daughter of Ernst and Christina Gast, of Washington, Missouri. This resulted in his establishing a home here and he opened a tailor shop. His business grew and expanded with the development of the country and he now owns and manages a large ready-made clothing house, while at the same time carrying on a tailoring establishment. He is still the proprietor of this business and has reached the age of seventy-eight years. The subject is one of a family of six children, as follows : Christina, wife of L. H. Kamp, of St. Louis; Henry A., the subject of this review; Emma, who married E. A. Kamp and resides in Webster Grove, Missouri; Louisa, of Wash- ington ; Ed. C., of St. Louis ; and Miss Minnie, who is at home.
After the termination of his school days, Mr. Herkstroeter learned the trade of cutter in his father's shop and with the exception of two years spent in St. Louis, where he was also engaged in the tailoring business, he continued as an assistant to his father until his retirement to assume the duties of
postmaster of Washington. In his political conviction Mr. Herkstroeter is a stauch and stalwart Republican and stands high in party councils. He served as councilman for the Fourth ward for two years and was a mem- ber of the county Republican central com- mittee and acted as its treasurer for the space of six years, being ever ready to do anything, to go anywhere for the good of the cause with which he is aligned. He was appointed postmaster on July 15, 1908, by President Roosevelt (in vacation) and was re-commissioned by President Taft, Decem- ber 14, 1908, for a term of four years, and he has given satisfactory service as a serv- ant of Uncle Sam.
Mr. Herkstroeter laid the foundation of a happy home life when, on October 28, 1905, he was united in marriage to Miss May Werner, daughter of Charles H. Werner. Their family history . corresponds in several points, for Mrs. Herkstroeter's father is also a tailor and by birth a German. The two children of the Herkstroeter household are daughters-Leona and Helen. The subject takes pleasure in his relations with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows.
HERBERT PRYOR. In considering what Herbert Pryor, superintendent of public schools, has done for Kennett it is only neces- sary to recall the progress that the schools have made under his regime.
Herbert Pryor was born in Pike county, Missouri, August 11, 1879. His boyhood was for the most part spent in Paynesville, where he was educated in the public schools. He then attended the local academy and later the Missouri State University. He had be- gun to teach when he was only eighteen years of age and worked his way through college. He taught in Pike county, being assistant principal of the academy and principal of the public schools of Paynesville for three years. He came to Kennett as superintend- ent in the fall of 1906 and has just closed the fifth year of his work here. The public school has an enrollment of seven hundred pupils, with a corps of sixteen teachers. The course is of high grade and is accredited in the university. The class of 1911 was the ; sixth to graduate. All the teachers have had normal training and they are almost all home teachers; it is the aim of Superintendent Pryor to train the graduates that they may be prepared to fill vacancies in the staff of
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teachers as they occur. During the last five years the salaries of the teachers have nearly doubled and six additional teachers have been installed. During the past five years the high school has increased from seventeen pupils to eighty-six. The seating capacity of the old building is not sufficient to accommodate the additional pupils and a new high school building is contemplated.
In June, 1908, Mr. Pryor married Miss Agnes Harrison, of Kennett, daughter of Dr. V. H. Harrison, now deceased. She is a teacher in the high school. Mr. and Mrs. Pryor have one daughter, Sue Elizabeth.
Mr. Pryor is in the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife belongs to the Presby- terians, thus both the churches are gainers. Mr. Pryor belongs to the order of Masons. He is desirous to be right up with the most approved modern methods of teaching and takes every opportunity to compare notes with other educators. He attends the sum- mer terms of the University and is working for his A. M. degree. To the casual observer, the fact that the high school has increased its number of scholars might mean that the population is larger; if the percentage of increase were proportionately large in the graded schools that might be the natural in- ference. The fact is, however, that during the past six years the high school has in- creased its scholars much more than the graded schools. The fact of the matter is that the course has been made more prac- tieal, so that whereas many pupils left school while they were half way up in the grades, now a large proportion take the high school course. In this way Kennett is turning out boys and girls to become more efficient cit- izens than ever before, for the true use of education is to increase efficiency. Mr. Pryor is doing a great work.
WILLIAM R. EDGAR. The senior partner of the law firm of Edgar & Edgar may be said to "come naturally" by his prominence in the enterprises for the development of Iron- ton, for he is an American of the old stock, the son and grandson of pioneers who set- tled and developed new country. The fam- ily came originally from Scotland and settled in Rahway, New Jersey, in 1720. They gave more than one soldier to the Amer- ican cause, during the Revolution. Some- thing over a century later-in 1830-William R. Edgar, father of the present William R.,
Sr., married and went to Tipton, Cedar county, Iowa. His wife was Rebecca Tich- enor, a Presbyterian of English descent and a native of Lebanon, Ohio. They were sue- cessful in the new country, where they en- gaged in farming. It was in Tipton that William R. Edgar was born in 1851 and there that his mother died.
In 1866 the family moved to Iron county, where the father continued his work of farm- ing until his death in 1879. The son Wil- liam R. is the only surviving member of that family. Mr. Edgar was educated at Ar- cadia College. Ile graduated from that in- stitution in 1871, during the presideney of General L. M. Lewis, a noted divine and a lawyer of nnusual eloquence. Four years later he graduated from the law department of Washington University. He then taught for three years in Arcadia College and was one year principal of the Ironton public schools. Since 1879 he has devoted his en- tire attention to the practice of law. He was a partner of the late J. W. Emerson, formerly one of Ironton's prominent law- yers. Later he was with George W. Benton for one year. The present law firm was or- ganized April 10, 1911. In addition to their extensive library, Edgar and Edgar have a complete set of abstracts of Iron county.
Mr. Edgar has served several terms as prosecuting attorney and during president Cleveland's first administration was four and a half years receiver of the U. S. land office, then located at Ironton but now removed to Springfield. He has always been a power in the Democratic party of the county and has been a delegate to several national con- ventions and at the last eleetion was presi- dential elector.
He married Miss S. P. Whitworth, dangh- ter of the late I. G. Whitworth, mentioned elsewhere in this work. She was born in Iron county and educated at Arcadia Col- lege. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar have five chil- dren : Maude married Lieutenant Jurich, of the U. S. Army Cavalry, and since his death in San Franciseo in 1908 she has resided in Ironton. William R., Jr. of the firm of Edgar & Edgar, was educated in Ironton and in the Benton law school of St. Louis. He was chief clerk in the law department of the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, under General At- torney M. L. Clardy. He resigned this posi- tion to form the present partnership. There are two other sons, James D., aged twenty-
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one, a graduate of the Western Military Academy, and Robert Lee, aged eleven. The other daughter, Miss Mary C., is also at home.
Mr. Edgar is president of the Iron County Bank of Ironton, organized in 1897. For the first year of its existence Mr. I. G. Whit- worth was president, but since that time Mr. Edgar has held the office continuously. He is no less prominent socially than profession- ally. He is master of the Star of the West Lodge, No. 133, A. F. & A. M. The son is also a member of the A. F. & A. M.
JOHN A. PELTS. The Pelts family is one of the best known of the old Dunklin county families and a citizen who bears the name with credit as one loyal to the best interests of the community is John A. Pelts, a man of quiet though forceful character, a native son of the county and an agriculturist, whose farm of eighty acres he redeemed from the virgin forest and brought to a high state of improvement. Mr. Pelts, who is a son of that prominent farmer-citizen, the late Joseph Pelts, of whom more extended men- tion is made on other pages of this record, was born March 20, 1857, at the family home- stead situated not far distant from his pres- ent comfortable home in the vicinity of Vin- cent, Dunklin county, Missouri. Here he was reared and in the district school received his education. In choosing a vocation he followed in the paternal footsteps and since young manhood has engaged in farming. He has expended much time and labor upon his farm, which is new land and which he cleared and has brought to a fine state of im- provement.
Mr. Pelts was married September 16, 1884, the young woman to become his wife being Miss Lou Cook, who was born at Nash- ville, Tennessee, July 23, 1864, the daughter of Jesse S. and Nancy J. (Sparks) Cook. The father was a Union soldier and one of the martyrs of the "Great Conflict," his death upon the battlefield occurring in the month of September, 1864. He was a young man at the time. The widow removed with her two children, Lou, now Mrs. Pelts, and Thomas M., residing in Stoddard county, from Tennessee to Alabama in 1866, and there she resided until 1874, when she came to Clarkton, Dunklin county, Missouri. In this state she lived for a good many years, being well-known and highly respected in
the community in which she made her home The demise of this good woman occurred in January, 1900, at the home of her daughter her years numbering sixty-two at the tim. of her summons to the Great Beyond. Sh was a member of the Missionary Baptis church.
To Mr. and Mrs. Pelts have been born si: children, an enumeration of the number be ing as follows: The oldest children, Alm: and Osa, were twins; Osa died in infancy and Alma is now the wife of David Brandon of Waco, Texas. Rachel is the wife o Joseph Nesler, of Vincent, Missouri. Mis Eulah and Lee Shelton are at home and Ray died at the age of one year.
Mr. Pelts was previously married to Mis Mary Taylor, who died some twenty-eigh years since, leaving one son, William T. now a farmer residing near Vincent, Mis souri. This young man took as his wife Mis Alice Stephens and they share their pleasan home with three sons, namely : Oakley, Al ton and Herbert.
In the question of politics John A. Pelt has always been a firm supporter of Demo cratic policies and principles and like every intelligent voter he endeavors to becom familiar with all matters effecting the publi welfare. Fraternally he is a member of th Woodmen of the World, of Caruth, Missouri Mrs. Pelts is a member of the Circle a Caruth and also of the Missionary Baptis church.
JOSEPH PELTS. For many years, mor than half a century in fact, one of the best known, best-liked and most influential mer of this section was the late Joseph Pelts whose identification with Dunklin count: dated from that day in 1854 when, wearing "the rose of youth upon him," he took u] his residence within the county. By voca. tion an agriculturist, he was a, man of man; interests and it is characteristic of his energ: and enthusiasm that at the age of seventy years he organized a stock company at Ken nett for gold-mining and was on his way to the gold-fields at or near Alton, Missouri when his death occurred and the company lost its leading spirit.
He was a veteran of the Civil war, and although by birth a Hoosier, the years of hi: residence in this state prior to the "Grea Conflict" so enlisted his sympathies with the institutions of the South that he gave hi:
A
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services to the Army of the Confederacy. He and the late Robert H. Douglass were comrades in the same company, and neither of them ever lost interest in reviewing the stirring, but lamentable experiences of the dark days of the '60s. The death of this gentleman occurred at Doniphan in the win- ter of 1906-07, but his memory will long re- main green, recalling the poet's words :
"To live in hearts we leave behind, Is not to die."
Joseph Pelts was born in Indiana in the '30s and passed his boyhood and early youth in that state, there receiving his public school education. In 1854, when about seventeen years of age, with his parents and the other members of the family he removed to Dun- klin county, Missouri, making the journey overland by team and locating at first near Clarkton. His parents were William and Mary Pelts. The father was a horseman who handled thoroughbreds and racers and who was a well-known figure in Clarkton and its neighborhood.
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