USA > Missouri > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County, Missouri, early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens, Volume II > Part 22
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Mr. McGuire was born at Brighton, Polk county, Missouri, October 9, 1878. He is a son of Henry and Margaret (Cunningham) McGuire, both natives of Tennessee, the birth of the father occurring on January 1, 1849, and the mother's birth occurred on August 22, 1857. They grew to ma- turity on the farms of their parents in their native state and in Polk county, this state. They attended the old-fashioned schools, and were children when their parents brought them to Missouri, each locating in Polk county. The father devoted his active life to general farming near the village of Brighton, but he and his wife are now living in Springfield. They have always been known as plain, honest, church-going people, highly respected by all who know them. They are the parents of five children, named as follows: Mrs. Nora Page lives in Springfield; Guy H. of this sketch; Mrs. Grace Randalls is also a resident of this city; Jessie is the wife of R. W. Coleman and lives
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in Springfield; Esther married W. T. Fout and lives in this city. These children all received common school educations and they are all well situ- ated in life.
Guy H. McGuire spent his early childhood on the farm in Polk county,
· and when nine years of age removed with his parents to Springfield, the family locating on Commercial street, and here he received his education in the public schools. He began his career in the grocery business when but a boy, first driving a wagon; he then engaged in farming a few years in both Polk and Greene county, as well as other sections of the Southwest. He went into the grocery business for himself in 1906 on Commercial street, this city, later moving to his present location, 318 West Commercial street, where he has built up a large business and maintains one of the most mod- ernly appointed and attractive grocery stores of its size in Springfield. He carries a complete line of staple and fancy groceries at all seasons, and he always aims at honesty and promptness in dealing with his many customers.
Mr. McGuire was married on February 17, 1904, in Springfield, to Margaret Wells, a native of Webster county, Missouri, and a daughter of P. P. and Mary (Humphrey) Wells, the father a native of North Carolina and the mother was born near Lead Hill, Arkansas, and her death occurred in Springfield on February 8, 1913. Mr. Wells is living retired in this city. In his earlier life he dealt extensively in the cattle business, later was a merchant.
To Mr. and Mrs. McGuire one child has been born, Jack P., whose birth occurred on September 5, 1906, in Kansas City.
Politically, Mr. McGuire is a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen.
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EDWARD WAYNE WOOLDRIDGE.
Practical industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails of success. It carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual character and acts as a powerful stimulus to the efforts of others. The greatest results in life are often attained by simple means and the exercise of the ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. This fact having been recog- nized early in life by Edward Wayne Wooldridge, for many years one of the well-known members of the Frisco office force in Springfield, he seized the small opportunities that he encountered on the rugged hill that leads to life's lofty summit where lies the ultimate goal of success, never attained by the weak, ambitionless and inactive.
Mr. Wooldridge was born at Stockton, Cedar county, Missouri, on Friday, August 10, 1866. He is a son of Madison Brasher and Ann Eliza
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(Morgan) Woolridge, the father a native of Christian county, Kentucky, where his birth occurred on December 22, 1832; and the later was born in eastern Tennessee, October 27, 1847. His great-grandfather was Edward Wooldridge, born on April 30, 1789, and his maternal great-great-grand- father was Thomas Brasher. Each side of the house may be traced back to sterling old Southern ancestry. The parents of our subject grew to maturity in Dixie land, received such educational advantages as the times afforded, and in pioneer days joined the numerous train of emigrants to southwest Missouri, locating in Cedar county, where they became well and favorably known for their industry, old-fashioned hospitality and general spirit of altruism. The father, who was born and reared a Southerner, was at heart a stanch Unionist, and, like many another during the polemic civil drama of the early sixties, had conflicting opinions as to his duties. He first served six months in the Confederate cause, then enlisted in Company A, Fifteenth Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He always said the hardest battle in which he ever took part was the "parting of the ways," when having to decide be- tween love for the South and its traditions and institutions and his con- science. A physician by profession, he served at the front as surgeon, was in many of the great battles of the war and was several times wounded. He once performed the operation of trephining on a wounded comrade, with only an ax for an anvil, a pair of old scissors and an old-time half-dollar which he shaped to nearly fit the broken skull; a shell from the enemy's ranks had just destroyed what crude surgical instruments he then pos- sessed. But the patient recovered and is at this writing living at the ad- vanced age of eighty-nine years, strong and healthy. The wound was washed in dirty water through which a cannon had but recently been drawn, but the same kind of water often made a very fine cup of coffee, an experience which thousands of soldiers on both sides had. After the close of the war Doctor Wooldridge returned to Stockton and resumed the practice of his profession and for many years his name was a household word in Cedar county, throughout which he enjoyed a good practice. His death occurred in 1899, and his wife passed away in 1892. They were the parents of the following children: Edward Wayne Wooldridge, Clara May Davis, Carrie Lee Harris, Lula Margaret Wooldridge, John Franklin Wooldridge and Madison Bruce Wooldridge.
Edward W. Wooldridge grew to manhood at Stockton and received his early education in the public schools there and the Stockton Academy, later attending the Southwestern Telegraph Institute, in Sedalia, Missouri, the Southwestern Business College in Springfield, Missouri, the Berlitz School of Languages in St. Louis, Missouri, the Strasburg Conservatory of Music, Washington University of St. Louis, and the Cincinnati Phonographic Insti- tute. He thus obtained a high education, making an excellent record in each
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of these institutions, in fact, he has remained a student all his life and is familiar with the world's best literature, the sciences, the arts and the cur- rent topics of the age.
The major portion of Mr. Wooldridge's life has been spent in railroad service; however, when a young man he was a banker, a mine owner and a teacher. He is now interested in the Joplin lead and "Jack" (zinc) fields. He always taught young men who could not afford the expense of special training. His specialty was rapid mathematical calculations, in which he is commonly spoken of as one of the highest proficiency. He entered the employ of the Frisco System in 1891, filling various positions in the general offices at Springfield and St. Louis until promoted to his present position, chief clerk of the car service department. Owing to his fidelity, accuracy and trustworthiness he has always been regarded by the head officials of the road as one of their most efficient and worthy employees.
Mr. Wooldridge was married on December 18, 1909, to Beatrice Van Derford, a lady of many estimable characteristics. She is a daughter of Monroe and Belinda (Britton) Van Derford, a prominent family of Neosho, Missouri. To this union one child has been born, namely: Wayne Wool- dridge.
Politically, Mr. Wooldridge is a Democrat, but always votes indepen- dently in local elections. He never aspired to any political office, not even having been judge or clerk at elections. Religiously, he is a member of the Christian church, or Disciples of Christ. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic order, both branches of the York and Scottish Rites, a past potentate of Abou Ben Adhem Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, a past master and past high priest in the Ma- sonic Blue Lodge and Chapter. He holds beautiful jewels presented by each of these bodies in honor of long years of devoted service to the cause and in recognition of his having been presiding officer of the several bodies. He is one of the best known and most influential Masons in southern Missouri, and one would judge from his daily life that he endeavors to live up to the high precepts of this time-honored order. He is also a member of the Woodmen of the World and a vice-president of the Frisco Railroad Club of Spring- field. He was offered a Carnegie hero medal, for what his modesty calls "al- leged" heroism in rescuing a boy and an old man from drowning in icy waters at St. Louis in the year 1898, when he plunged into the stream and after two trips brought them safely to shore; however, the experience was a dear one as he was not only badly cut and mangled by the heavy pieces of floating ice, but he suffered a long time from the exposure. Personally, he is a plain, unassuming gentleman of genial and courteous address, makes and retains friends readily, being esteemed for his true worth by all with whom he comes in contact.
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THOMAS SCHOFIELD.
Among the sturdy characters which the British Isles has sent to the new Republic of the West is Thomas Schofield, a retired railroad man of Springfield, who has inherited many of the fine qualities of the Anglo-Sax- ons and has therefore succeeded in his active life work and at the same time been a good citizen. The United States always welcomes such men to her shores and offers them opportunities very often greater than they enjoyed in their native land.
Mr. Schofield was born May 15, 1841, in the town of Failsworth, near Manchester, England. He is a son of James and Amelia (Johnson) Scho- field and a grandson of Joseph Schofield. They were all born, reared, edu- cated and married in their native land. The grandfather devoted his life to general farming, and the father, who emigrated to America with his family about a half century ago, was a stone mason by trade; also followed farming in Illinois for some time. He established the family home at the town of Bellville that state. He was killed by a locomotive on the Bellville & St. Louis Railroad when sixty-seven years of age. His family consisted of eight children, only two of whom grew to maturity, Thomas, of this sketch; and Betsy, who married Joseph Tungue, who lives in England.
Thomas Schofield grew to manhood in his native land and there re- ceived a common school education at Failsworth, leaving school when thir- teen years of age. After working on the farm with his father, he began his career as railroader with the Lancanshire & Yorkshire railroad, spending a year in the goods department, then emigrated to the United States, arriving here February 22, 1864, during the Civil war period, landing in New York City, where, however, he did not long remain, coming direct to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he went to work for the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad Company, in the freight department, repairing and building freight cars. This road later became the Baltimore & Ohio by which name it is now known. Mr. Schofield remained with the road for a period of twenty-five years, during which he was connected with a number of different departments, being fore- man and in charge of the caboose gang, later in the coach department for four or five years, then was passenger carpenter in the shops of that road, rank- ing among the most skilful in the coach department. In September, 1888, he was employed by the Frisco Railroad in the coach department as carpen- ter. He also remained with this road for a period of twenty-five years, when in June, 1913, he was retired on a pension. He worked both in the old north side shops and the new shops. He has evidently been not only a very highly skilled workman but also trustworthy and conscientious else he could not have spent a half century in one line of work, during which period he was
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employed only by two different companies. In 1909 Mr. Schofield made a. trip to England, visiting and sightseeing.
Our subject was married, June 18, 1867, to Jane Schofield, a daughter of James and Mary (Swift) Schofield. She was born in England only a fourth of a mile from the birthplace of our subject and there she grew to womanhood and was educated. To. Mr. and Mrs. Schofield four children have been born, namely: Lillie A. married Harry Fenton, a cabinet maker in the new shops of the Frisco and they live in Springfield; Emma J. is the wife of Clarence Warner, a fireman on the Frisco and they live in Spring- field; Albert L., a sketch of whom appears on another page of this work, is also a Frisco employee of this city; Earl B. married Carrie Thompson and he is employed in the local Frisco offices.
Politically, Thomas Schofield is a Republican. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, which he joined on May 26, 1879, thirty-six years. ago, being a member of Oriental Lodge No. 86. Subject and wife are mem- bers of the Second Presbyterian church.
REV. FAYETTE HURD.
The life of a man like Rev. Fayette Hurd is worthy of emulation by the. youth of the land whose destinies are yet to be determined, for it has been led along high planes of endeavor, inculcating right thinking and therefore right living, for the world is rapidly coming to understand the Biblical phrase, "As a man thinketh so is he." Rev. Hurd is a scion of a sterling old family of Michigan, but the latter part of his long and useful life has been spent in the Southwest, in teaching and in the ministry of the gospel, and while he is now living retired from active work, making his home in Springfield, he still "goes about doing good."
Reverend Hurd was born at Burlington, Michigan, August 12, 1835. He is a son of Homer C. and Sarah Jane (McGee) Hurd. The father was born in Connecticut, August 23, 1808, and his death occurred at Burlington, Michigan, February 12, 1873. The mother of our subject was born in War- ren county, New York, October 24, 1811, and her death occurred on Septem- ber 17, 1888. These parents grew up in their respective states and received common school educations, as good as could be procured in those early days. They were married in Spring Arbor, Michigan, December 4, 1833. and, locat- ing on a farm in the township of Burlington, devoted their active lives to general farming. Politically, Homer C. Hurd was a Republican, and was twice a member of the lower house of the Michigan Legislature, besides. serving several years as supervisor of Burlington township. He led a quiet,
REV. FAYETTE HURD.
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honest home life. His family consisted of five children, two of whom are still living, namely: Rev. Fayette Hurd, of this review; Mary Elizabeth is deceased, as is Sarah Janette; Edward' H. is living in Union City, Michigan ; George F., deceased.
Rev. Fayette Hurd grew to manhood on the home farm in Michigan, where he worked when a boy, and in the winter time he attended the public schools of Union City, Michigan, after which he entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor from which institution he was graduated in 1859. From this institution, after a course of special graduate studies, he secured, in 1891, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He then studied theology at Andover Seminary in Massachusetts, in preparation for the ministry of the Congregational church, and he was graduated there in 1863, having made an excellent record in both the above named schools. Returning to Michigan he was pastor of a number of churches of his denomination, then went to Iowa and filled the pulpits of Montour and Cherokee, in that state, subsequently returning to his native state, continuing the work of the ministry there until . 1891, when he went to Vinita, Oklahoma, where he taught three years in an academy, and in 1894 came to Springfield, Missouri, where he has since lived practically retired from active work, although continuing a prominent worker in church affairs. In all his charges he built up the church and strength- ened the congregation and was popular wherever his work took him, for he was regarded from the first as an earnest, conscientious worker for the general good of the church, and as a scholarly, logical, forceful and eloquent pulpit orator.
Reverend Hurd was married on June 19, 1886, to Julia T. Robinson, at Ascutneyville, Vermont. She was born in New Hampshire, and is a daughter of Williams D. and Mary Z. (Clement) Robinson; a highly esteemed family who spent their lives in New Hampshire, where she grew to woman- hood and received a good education, completing her schooling at Mary Sharp's College in Tennessee.
To our subject and wife one child was born, a son, Carlos F. Hurd, a distinguished journalist, whose birth occurred in Iowa, September 22, 1876. After passing through the public schools he entered Drury College at Spring- field, Missouri, from which institution he was graduated in 1897, and soon thereafter began his career as a newspaper man, and most of his work has been in St. Louis. He has for some time been a member of the editorial staff of the Post Dispatch. He was abroad with his wife in the spring of 1912 and he was the only newspaper man on board the Carpathia, which rescued part of the passengers of the ill-fated Titanic, and had the distinc- tion of being the first to report to the world that great disaster, perhaps the greatest news from the newspaper man's standpoint of modern times. He was married on November 29, 1906, to Catherine Stewart Cordell, a native
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of Missouri, and the daughter of John H. Cordell, of Marshall, Missouri, where she was educated. To Carlos F. Hurd two children have been born, namely : Clement R., and Emily V. Hurd. This family has for some time resided in St. Louis, while the immediate subject of this sketch has a home on Summit avenue, Springfield, though planning on early removal to St. · Louis.
Reverend Hurd is a Republican politically. He holds membership with the First Congregational church of this city and has been for some years and till quite recently, clerk of the same, and active in the general work of the church. He is one of the charter members of the Springfield chapter of the Sons of the Revolution and has been for some years an active and enthusiastic member of the Trinity Tyrants, a local literary and social club of men and women which is organized and conducted on somewhat original lines. When in the university he was a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity.
THEODORE OTT.
Theodore Ott was born on November 12, 1845, near Cologne, in the Rhine country, Germany. He is a son of Adam and Mary Ott, natives of Germany, where they grew up and were married, and made their home until 1857 when the family emigrated to America, locating in Calumet county, Wisconsin, where the elder Ott became owner of a large farm, farming having been his business in the old country. He continued this line of en- deavor until 1865 when he removed to Chicago and lived with his son, Theodore, of this sketch, until his death at the age of seventy-three years and he was buried in Chicago. His family consisted of nine children, namely : Gertrude married John Smith, a farmer of Calumet county, Wisconsin; Helena married William French, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, he being now deceased; Henry is engaged in farming in Calumet county, Wisconsin ; Theo- dore of this sketch. The other five children are deceased.
Theodore Ott was twelve years old when his parents brought him to the United States. He assisted his father on the farm in Wisconsin until 1863. He received a common school education. When eighteen years of age he went to Chicago and worked in a furniture factory as wood shaper and sawyer, for the Thayer & Tobey Furniture Company, with which firm he remained until 1873 when he began working for the McClusky & Craig Company, also furniture manufacturers, remaining with this concern a year and a half, as shaper and sawyer, and while there lost a finger in a saw. He then went to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1874 and worked for the A. H. Field & Nashville Furniture Company as wood moulder and sawyer, in fact, did
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all kinds of wood work for one year, then went to Humboldt, Tennessee, where he worked in the factory of the Humboldt Furniture Company for nine months, when the plant was destroyed by fire. This firm also operated a plant there in which were manufactured wagons, buggies and fruit box materials and our subject worked in this three years, after which he went to Kansas City, Missouri, and worked six months in the planing mill of Rich- ardson & Heinz. He came to Springfield in 1887 and began working for the Kansas City, Ft. Scott & Memphis Railroad Company in their shops which are now controlled by the Frisco lines. The year he came he pur- chased a lot at the corner of Brower and Grant streets and built a comfort- able home. He has been running a wood working machine for twenty-seven years and has long been regarded an expert in this line of work. He was journeyman for a number of years, and when the Frisco took over these shops he was promoted to foreman of the mill room which responsible posi- tion he still holds, having an average of ten men under his direction.
Mr. Ott was married in November, 1865, to Elizabeth Bower, a daugh- ter of Joseph Bower, a farmer in Wisconsin at that time. Mrs. Ott was born in Canada.
Besides owning a good home on Brower street our subject owns a valu- able farm adjoining Hazelwood cemetery. His family consisted of the following children, namely: Mary, Annie, Adam, Frank, Josephine are all deceased; Abbie married George Creiger, an Iowa farmer; Anton is a wood worker in a box factory in Los Angeles, California; Allois, a barber by trade, lives at Ozark, Missouri, where he also conducts a moving picture show; he is married and has three children, Louis, Allois and Elizabeth.
Politically, Theodore Ott is a Democrat. He belongs to the Catholic church, the Catholic Knights and was formerly a member of the Knights of Pythias.
GEORGE W. CONDON.
The fair Sunflower state just to the west of us is a land of great oppor- tunity and a pleasant place in which to live, therefore not a very large per- centage of her native sons leave her prairies for other climes ; however, some find it to their advantage to do so, and this is well for the communities in which they locate, for the native Kansasan is almost without exception a man of energy, tenacity of purpose, ingenuous and withal a good citizen. We have been fortunate in securing a number of them in Greene county, among whom must consistently appear the name of George W. Condon, foreman of the Oxweld plant of the reclamation department of the Frisco's South Side shops, Springfield.
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Mr. Condon was born at Osage City, Kansas, Feruary 4, 1880. He is. a son of Charles and Catherine (Hett) Condon; the mother is a native of England, and is now fifty-eight years of age. The father is sixty years old and lives at Hanna, Illinois. He is a native of the state of New York from which state he moved to Pennsylvania where he grew to manhood, and was for some time employed as telegraph operator with the Western Union Tele- graph Company, at Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, later worked in the same position at Osage, Kansas, for a year, then went into the coal business for himself at the last named city, operating a soft coal mine for about five years, then worked for three years as a coal miner, after which he went to Hanna, Illinois, and was a manager in the coal mining fields there for five years, then he engaged in the insurance business for a period of ten years, representing the Home Insurance Company of New York, and was also in the real estate business. He is at this writing assistant state mine inspector for the state of Illinois, which position he has held some time. He has made his home at the town of Hanna for the past ten years. He was justice of the peace there for some time, and was also elected police justice which position he now holds. Politically, he is a Democrat. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Shrine and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His family consists of eleven children, namely: Charles died when seven years of age; William died when nineteen years old; the next three children died in infancy; Thomas is a lawyer in San Francisco; George W. of this sketch; Robert is engaged in coal mining in North Da- kota; Mary is the wife of Charles Wise, a carpenter and contractor at Arma, Kansas; Margaret married Earl Welling, who is engaged in the hotel busi- ness at West Carlisle, Ohio; and Joseph who is engaged in the plumbing business in Des Moines, Iowa.
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