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 99
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Howard S. Glassmoyer grew to manhood in his native community in
1851
GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
the old Keystone state and there he worked on the farm and attended the common schools. He has followed farming ever since he was fourteen years of age. He came to Greene county, Missouri, in 1887, and went to work for his uncle, Samuel Strunk, now of Kansas City, Kansas, and his old farm is now owned by the subject of this sketch, hie having purchased it in 1907. It consists of four forties and was at one time owned by the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company, and it lies partly in Section 12 and partly in Section 13. He is carrying on general farming and stock raising and has a comfortable home.
Our subject was married in 1892 to Anna Johnson, a daughter of Samuel C. and Lucy Johnson, and to this union six children have been born, namely : Margaret E., born in 1894 lives at home and is at this writing teaching in Center township; Earl, born on March 5, 1896, died on March 5, 1901, on his fifth birthday; Otto, born in November, 1897, lives at home and assists his father with the work on the place; Ira S., born in January, 1900; Oren, born in May, 1902; and John, born in April, 1904, are all three attending school.
Politically, Mr. Glassmoyer is a Democrat, but has never been active in political affairs.
JESSE O. REDFEARN.
One farmer may develop particular skill in feeding cattle; another has great success in raising horses; another has a special knack for planning crops, still another farmer can make fruits and vegetables do exceptionally well. Such farmers are experts in these lines of work. They ought to be made the experts for the community so their skill can be brought on to all the farms in the locality. If this could be carried out the production of the farms in any section would be greatly increased. While Jesse O. Redfearn, of Center township, Greene county, does not seem to have specialized on any one phase of agriculture he has studied all carefully and has made a success as a general farmer. His neighbors might do well to observe his methods in many lines.
Mr. Redfearn was born in Greene county, Missouri, April 10. 1856. He is a son of Josiah F. and Lucy K. (Bennett) Redfearn, the mother being a daughter of Perminter Bennett, of Tennessee. However, she was born in South Carolina. The father of our subject was born in Tennesese and was a son of Townley Redfearn. The latter was a farmer and stock man and he migrated to Greene county, Missouri, in the early thirties among the first settlers, worked hard developing a farm from the wilderness and spent the rest of his life here as did his wife. both being buried in the Yeakley
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cemetery. Their six children were named as follows : Josiah, Jesse, Henry, Louisa, Polly and Susan. They are all deceased.
Josiah Redfearn grew up on the home farm, assisting his father clear up the land, and he received a meager education in the old-time subscription schools. His family consisted of five sons and four daughters, namely : Mrs. Harriet E. Hoyal lives at Bois D'Arc, this county; Mary is deceased ; Sarah died in infancy; Leonidas died in infancy; Jesse O., of this sketch; George H. is teaching school at Republic; William E. is engaged in mer- chandising at Bois D'Arc; John Perminter is deceased; Redella A. lives in Bois D'Arc. Politically Josiah Redfearn was a Democrat and during the Civil war he was a member of the State Militia. His death occurred on August 13, 1902, at an advanced age. His wife preceded him to the grave on July 17, 1896. They were buried in the Yeakley cemetery.
Jesse O. Redfearn grew to manhood on the home farm where he assisted with the work when a boy and he received a limited education in the country schools. On December 21, 1876, he was united in marriage with Catherine H. Johnson, a daughter of Richard and Cecilia (Morris) Johnson. The father was a farmer and a native of Greene county, Ten- nessee, from which state he came to this county in an early day and here our subject's wife grew to womanhood and attended the public schools. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, namely: Mary P., deceased; Barton F., deceased; James William, deceased; Mrs. Susan Jane Baker is the wife of a farmer in this county; Mrs. Martha C. Harrelson is also the wife of a Greene county farmer ; George C. is deceased; Catherine H., wife of our subject; Benjamin B. lives on a farm in this county; Alexander S. lives in Greene county ; Julia Ann is deceased; Joseph Ross lives on a farm in this county; Mrs. Emma D. Dyer lives in California.
The following children have been born to Jesse O. Redfearn and wife : Mrs. Bertha C. Barrett is the wife of a Greene county farmer; Mrs. Carrie Jane Sweeney lives at Willard, this county; William Ross died when thirty- two years of age; Melvin Floyd has remained unmarried and lives in Los Angeles, California; James H. lives at home; John Carlos married Neva Mayes, November 25, 1914; she is a daughter of J. A. Mayes; J. Clives lives on a farm near the home place; Mrs. Lucy M. Elson is the wife of a Greene county farmer.
Mr. Redfearn has devoted his life to general farming. He located on his present place in 1878, which at that time consisted of sixty-three acres, but he prospered with advancing years by hard work and good management and is now owner of a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. This land was formerly owned by his father. Our subject has made practically all the present improvements on the place. In connection with general farm-
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ing he makes a specialty of raising blooded live stock, in which he is very successful.
Mr. Redfearn is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. In 1882 he joined Masonic Blue Lodge No. 449 at Bois D'Arc. He is active in church work, being at this writing a trustee in the church where he holds membership, and he has been superintendent of the Sunday school for a period of twenty years. He has also been clerk of the school board in his district for some time. He has assisted in fur- thering any movement calculated to be of general benefit to his community.
LEWIS F. PIPKIN.
The gentleman of whom the biographer now writes is known as one of the progressive men of affairs of the city of Springfield, having been actively identified with the industrial world in this locality for many years. Mr. Pipkin's well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his own business interests and his sound judgment have brought to him prosperity, and his life demonstrates what may be accom- plished by the man of energy who is not afraid of work and has the ambi- tion to continue his labors, even in the face of seemingly discouraging circumstances. Our subject has been content to spend his active and useful life in his native county, and he is a product of one of our honored pioneer families, having been born here over a half century ago, he has lived through the wonderful changes that have taken place in this vicinity, his boyhood having been spent in an epoch when practically everything was different from what it is today-when Springfield was little more than a village.
Lewis L. Pipkin, secretary and treasurer of the Springfield Grocery Company, was born at Fair Grove, Greene county, Missouri, September 14. 1861. He is a son of William H. and Christina (Hoover) Pipkin. The father was a native of Tennessee and the mother was born in North Caro- lina, the birth of the former occurring in the year 1833. These parents spent their earlier lives in the South, attended the early-day schools and migrated to Greene county, Missouri, in frontier days and spent the rest of their lives in this locality, Mr. Pipkin dying here in 1893. He became a successful and well-known business man and was postmaster of Springfield during President Cleveland's administration, during his first term. At one time he was a candidate for county collector, and was defeated by only eight votes. His friends believed that he had been elected and endeavored to induce him to contest the election, but he refusd to do so. While he took much interest in public affairs he was not an office-seeking politician, how-
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ever, was always willing to do his duty as a good citizen, having at heart the welfare of his city and county. He was known as a man of excellent business ability, broad-minded, well-informed, scrupulously honest and a true friend and genteel gentleman. He was an active church worker and was a delegate to the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1890, also in 1892. He served for years as a member of the board of stewards of the local church of this denomina- tion and was very prominent in church affairs. The death of his wife occurred in the year 1899. They were the parents of one son and five daughters, all of whom survive at this writing, namely: Lewis F., of this sketch; Cyntha Jane, Margaret Alice, Rosina Ida, Carrie Bell and Mary Etta.
Lewis F. Pipkin spent his boyhood at Fair Grove where he attended school until he was seventeen years of age, when he began working in his father's general store at that place. He had a natural bent for mercantile pursuits, and, having ambition to forgc to the front in this line, he soon gave evidence of unusual ability. He remained in the store with his father, until the latter removed his family to Springfield in 1879, and here founded the firm of Doling & Pipkin, general merchants, which venture was successful from the first and grew to large proportions with advancing years. The firm retained the services of our subject until 1882, when he accepted a posi- tion in a book store in this city, which business he bought out in 1884, and continued to conduct it with very gratifying results for a period of nearly twenty years or until 1903, when he sold out. During the following year he was connected with the Springfield Traction Company, and in 1904 became associated with the Springfield Wholesale Grocery Company as book- keeper, and in 1909 was elected secretary and treasurer of the company, which responsible position he is still holding in a manner that reflects much credit upon his business ability and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned.
Mr. Pipkin is thoroughly informed upon all details in connection with the grocery business and is one of the prime factors in this great institu- tion, which does an enormous annual business, covering a vast territory in the Southwest. He has a capacity for detail and has introduced new systems which have greatly increased the volume of the business to a large degree. In all his transactions he has proven himself worthy of the trust reposed in him and is faithful to all obligations in every relasjon of life.
Mr. Pipkin was married in Springfield, May 6, 1886, to Lillie Y. Mur- ray, a daughter of Lilburn H. and Asenath L. ( Anderson) Murray, one of Springfield's most prominent families, Mr. Murray having been one of the leading business men here during a past generation. Here Mrs. Pipkin grew to womanhood and received an excellent education, and here she has long been a favorite with the circles in which she moves.
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Pipkin has been blessed by the birth of the following children: Eula Lillian, Louise M., Marguerite, William H., and Lilburn Murray Pipkin.
The family are members of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church, South, and are regular attendants. Politically Mr. Pipkin is a Democrat, and he has always taken an active interest in the welfare of his party, par- ticularly as regards its local affairs, and his influence has been most potent for the general good. For three terms he has served as city collector, dis- charging his duties faithfully and with circumspection. He is a member of the Springfield Club, the James River Club, and the Young Men's Busi- ness Club, and is thoroughly in sympathy with the aims of the last named organization, collaborating with the members in order to increase the com- mercial importance of the Queen City of the Ozarks. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Royal Arcanum.
Mr. Pipkin has risen to his present commanding position in the busi- ness world solely through his individual efforts, his industry, fidelity, hon- esty and because he has from the first been an adherent of correct principles and lofty ideals, and his career is most creditable in every respect.
JOHN P. WILLIAMSON.
It is a pleasure to see a farm like that of John P. Williamson, of Jack- son township, Greene county, in which vicinity he has lived for over sixty- one years and where he is well known. He has seen this community develop from its pioneer environment to its present thriving condition and he has taken a lively interest in this development.
Mr. Williamson was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, April 14, 1848. He is a son of Robert H. and Sophia A. (Stevens) Williamson. The father was also born in Bedford county, Tennessee, in October, 1818, and there he was reared on a farm and attended the early-day subscription schools, and there he began life as a farmer, remaining in his native locality until in 1853 when he brought his family overland to Greene county, Mis- souri. He located on one hundred and twenty acres. He was a hard worker and good manager and he later became owner of a valuable farm of two hundred and forty acres. During the Civil war he served in the Missouri State Militia and was in a number of engagements-skirmishes, but no real battles. He was married in his native state in 1847. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. His death occurred on his farm here in 1902, honored and respected by the entire community. His wife was a native of Bedford county, Tennessee, and there she was reared on a farm
1856
GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
and attended the local schools. Her death occurred on the farm here sev- eral years ago. She was a member of the Baptist church.
John P. Williamson was five years old when, in 1853, he accompanied his parents from Tennessee to Greene county, Missouri, and here he grew to manhood on the old homestead where he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the district schools. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-one years of age, then started out in life for himself, buying forty acres on which he worked hard and got a good start. Being industrious and prospering he added to his original purchase until he became owner of an excellent place of one hundred and ninety-three acres-the farm he now occupies. He has a well-kept and neat appearing place, which produces well and on which he carries on general farming and stock raising. He has dealt extensively in live stock in the past and no small portion of his competence has been thus obtained.
Mr. Williamson was married on November 27, 1874, to Malinda Davis, who was born in Dallas county, Missouri, April 15, 1853, and there she grew to womanhood on a farm and received her education in the rural schools. She is a daughter of Woodford I. and Netty (Highfield) Davis, both par- ents being now deceased.
To our subject and wife five children have been born, namely: Robert I., Charles, Mrs. Flora Cole, Floy H., and John I.
Politically, Mr. Williamson is a Republican. He belongs to the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and to the Center Christian church.
ELISHA DEBOARD.
The true western spirit of progress and enterprise is strikingly exem- plified in the lives of such men as Elisha DeBoard, one of Greene county's most progressive citizens, whose energetic nature and laudable ambition have enabled him to conquer many adverse circumstances and advance stead- ily. He has met and overcome obstacles that would have discouraged many men of less determination and won for himself not only a comfortable com- petency, together with one of the very choice farms of this favored locality, but also a prominent place among the enterprising men of this section of our great commonwealth, and no man is worthier of conspicuous mention in a volume of the province of the one in hand.
Mr. DeBoard, one of the leading citizens of Republic, and president of the State Bank of that city, is of Huguenot descent, his more immediate forebears being of the Blue Grass state. His birth occurred at Mt. Ver- non, Kentucky, January 5, 1860. He is a son of Abner C. and Susan (Souel)
FAIRBANKS
HOME OF ELISHA DEBOARD.
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
DeBoard, and is one of twelve children, five sons and seven daughters. The father was a native of Kentucky where he spent his life, he and his wife dying in that state a number of years ago.
Elisha DeBoard grew to manhood in his native state and there received his education in the common schools, adding to this foundation in later years by contact with the business world and by wide home reading. Leav- ing Kentucky when twenty-one years of age he came to Greene county, Mis- souri, and took up farming for his life work. Saving his earnings he pur- chased a farm of his own when twenty-five years old, and by close appli- cation and good management prospered with advancing years. He pur- chased the fine farm on which he now lives near Republic in 1896, and this he has brought up to a high state of cultivation and improvement. It con- sists of three hundred and twenty acres, and on it stands a commodious home in the midst of pleasant surroundings and numerous substantial barns and other buildings. He has been a general farmer and has paid special attention to raising good grades of live stock and preparing them for the markets. In the year 1912 he became interested in the Republic State Bank and is a heavy stockholder in the same, and since 1912 has been president of this popular, sound and safe institution, one of the best banks in this section of the state and one of the most ably and conservatively managed. Its rapid growth and increased prestige of recent years has been due for the most part to the wise management and popularity of its president, who has ever been a man in whom the people of this locality have reposed the utmost confidence. It was organized in 1912, with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars. A general banking business is carried on under the state laws of Missouri. The other officers of the bank, besides our subject are, Jim Decker, vice-president; Lon Edmondson, cashier; Ray Grove, assistant cashier ; directors, William Pierce, Ed Gammon, Jack Davis, William Beard. The bank has a modern equipment in every respect, safety vault and all conveniences and has a substantial building.
Mr. DeBoard was married in July, 1884, to Mary Harlason, who was born. reared and educated in Greene county. She is a daughter of James Harlason and wife, and is one of five children, three sons and two daughters. Mr. Harlason was one of the earliest pioneers of Greene county, having come here in the year 1825 and developed a good farm and became well known. His death occurred in 1901 at an advanced age.
Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. DeBoard, namely : Ralph is married and farming in Republic township, this county; Roxie married Milton Paulson, a farmer, and they have two children; Susie is still with her parents; Ruby married Lawrence Britton, a farmer, and they have one child, Don; Glynn is married. lives in Aurora, Missouri, where he
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
worked for the Shendon-Robinson hardware firm; Lucy, William and Fay are all three at home.
Politically, Mr. DeBoard is a Republican, but he has never sought to be a leader in public affairs. He and his family attend the Christian church.
HARRIS K. DALE.
The soil is a great conservator of health, not a menace; its life and death processes are among the most wonderful in nature. "Back to the soil" needs to be a health slogan as well as an economic one. But what kind of soil? The best answer is that of modern scientific farming, which conserves the soil as well as man. Science was long a very artificial thing ; but it is now being naturalized, and the encouraging thing is that science pays in efficiency and dollars and cents. Scientific farming is not only the most profitable, but it is one of the greatest conservators of public health. Harris K. Dale is a scientific farmer of Center township, and by reason of his long career as tiller of the soil he has enjoyed the best of health. He has spent nearly a half century in Greene county, where he has worked his own way up from a modest beginning to a position of independence and comfort.
He is of German and Welsh descent and up to some seventy-five years ago the name was spelled Dahle, it being simplified at that time to conform to the Anglo-Saxon way of spelling. Our subject was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, March 29, 1854. He is a son of Solomon and Kath- erine B. (Zink) Dale. The father was born in Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania, in October, 1819. His mother was of Welsh descent and the fath- er's parents were both natives of Germany, from which country they emi- grated to America in an early day and established their home in the old Keystone state. The mother of our subject was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1820. The Zink family was of Welsh extraction. These parents grew up in Pennsylvania and there attended the early-day schools and were married there. Solomon Dale, however, received more than the ordinary amount of education for his day, and he became a suc- cessful teacher. He was well informed on a great diversity of subjects and could speak seven different languages. He devoted many years to educa- tional work in his native state, but finally took up farming, which he fol- lowed during the latter part of his life. He removed with his family from Pennsylvania to Greene county, Missouri, in 1867, reaching here on Octo- ber 16. They lived a year on a farm a few miles west of the place now owned by the subject of this sketch in Center township. In 1868 Solomon
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
Dale bought the farm now owned by his son Harris K. from the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Company (now the Frisco). It consisted of one hun- dred and sixty acres and now lies on the Carthage road just west of Spring- field. He improved the land by hard work and persistent application and here spent the rest of his life. When the above named railroad was built through Greene county he was employed by the company as interpreter, as many of the gangs of workmen could not speak English and they repre- sented many different nationalities. Politically he was first a Whig, and later a Republican after this party was launched back in the fifties. He took an active interest in public affairs and was influential in politics in his lo- cality. Before leaving Pennsylvania he served as tax collector and as school director, also filling the latter office after coming to Greene county. He was a member of the German Lutheran church in his native state, but joined the Methodist Episcopal church when he came to this county. His death occurred on August 3, 1874. His widow survived him over thirty years, dying March 3, 1906, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. They were both buried in the Brookline cemetery.
To Solomon Dale and wife ten children were born, named as follows: Margaret E., Isaiah K., Mary M. and Sarah Ann are all deceased; Mrs. Edith Best lives in Kansas City, Kansas; Harris K., of this sketch; Mrs. Emma A. Parker lives in Springfield; Katie, Ceora and Walter Monroe are all three deceased.
Harris K. Dale was thirteen years of age when he came with his par- ents to Greene county, Missouri, from Pennsylvania. He received his edu- cation in the public schools of his native state and this county. His brothers and sisters received good educations, mostly in Pennsylvania, and some of them made teachers and taught school in Greene county many years. Our subject worked on the farm when a boy and he has followed general farm- ing all his life, and for some time he has made a specialty of raising fruit and livestock. He began operating a threshing machine of his own in 1878, and followed this work continuously, with the exception of about two years, during the threshing season to the present time, and is one of the best known men in this line of endeavor in this part of the state. He has also operated a clover huller and corn shredder for some time. He holds the record for threshing the greatest number of bushels of wheat of any man in Greene county. He has worked hard, managed well, been economical and is now a man of easy circumstances financially. all due to his own efforts along hon- est lines.
Mr. Dale was married in Greene county on October 17, 1877. to Sarah J. Robertson, a daughter of William R. and Mary (Saline) Robertson. She was born, reared and educated in this county, where her father was long
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
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