USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 20
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Elmer R. Roberts acquired his education in the Maple Grove school, which he left at the age of fourteen in order to assist his mother with the work of the farm. When he was eighteen he turned his attention to section work and continued at it for seven years, dur- ing which time he saved out of his earnings enough money to help in buying forty acres of land. By hard work and frugal living he in time was able to add another forty acres to his holdings and his farm now comprises eighty acres and is well developed and carefully man- aged. Upon it he has made substantial improvements, erecting fine buildings and fencing his fields and in many other ways adding to the appearance and value of the property. Here in connection with general farming he raises and fattens stock and his business interests, being well managed, are bringing him a good financial return.
On the 18th of February, 1900, Mr. Roberts was united in mar- riage to Miss Bessie Wood, a daughter of S. T. and Mary (Wolfe) Wood, the former at one time an agriculturist of Cream Ridge town- ship but now engaged in farming at Winfield, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs.
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Roberts became the parents of three children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: Nola T., who is attending school; and Verle. Mr. Roberts gives his allegiance to the republican party. He belongs to the Anti-Horse Thief Association. His life has ever been an active and useful one and his work in business lines and for the public good has been effectual and beneficial. His property has all been acquired by his own diligence and well directed labor, making him one of the prosperous residents of this part of Livingston county.
MRS. HARRIET HARGRAVE.
That success along agricultural lines is not confined to man alone is evident in the attainment along that line which has been achieved by Mrs. Harriet Hargrave, who owns a valuable farm of eighty acres on section 18, township 58, range 24, Livingston county. A descendant of early and sturdy pioneer stock, Mrs. Hargrave was born in this county on October 12, 1837, and is a daughter of John and Sarah (Boucher) Cooper, both of whom have passed away. The father was one of the very earliest pioneers in this section, to which he came in 1825 from Tennessee. Mrs. Hargrave was brought up under the parental roof under the guidance of father and mother and received such education as was available at the time in the public schools of Jackson township, laying aside her text-books at the age of sixteen years. She then assisted in the household and the farm work such as falls to the lot of women, and remained at home for four years, after which period she married Dowell Kirk, an agriculturist of Jackson township. Of this union were born two children, Georgiana, the wife of John Kesler, of Kansas City, Missouri; and Elizabeth, who mar- ried Moses Fifield, a farmer of Linn county, Missouri. Her first husband having passed away, she subsequently married Lemuel Har- grave, also a resident of Jackson township, and by him became the mother of five children of whom James and Mollie, twins, died in infancy. Of the others, Emma became the wife of Arthur Dunbar, a professor of Omaha, Nebraska. Mrs. Dunbar died December 10, 1908, finding her last resting place in Sampsell township and the only child born of this marriage passed away in 1901 about seven years before the death of the mother and rests beside her. Susie, another daughter, remains at home with her mother and Calestine be-
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came the wife of William A. Sparks, a resident of Clay Center, Kansas. Mr. Hargrave has also gone to his final rest.
Since taking charge of her property Mrs. Hargrave has made many improvements thereon and erected a residence, which was the home of her children, and such other farm buildings as she considered necessary to a profitable cultivation of the farm. Dividing her time and attention between the rearing of her children and her duties on the farm she has succeeded in both and has earned high commenda- tion from her friends and neighbors for her courage and undaunted spirit which carried her to success. Although over seventy-five years of age, Mrs. Hargrave is still active in the management of the prop- erty, being venerated by all who knew her as one of the most hon- ored women of Livingston county, having earned the high place that is given her, by leading a life consistent in Christianity, rich in labor and also rich in attainment.
J. A. YEOMANS.
In his dual capacity as judge of the eastern district of the county court of Livingston county and as one of the foremost representatives of farming interests in this section, Judge J. A. Yeomans has attained a position that places him beyond the rank of mediocrity and his at- tainments have been the more creditable as he started out in life prac- tically without any means and has worked himself into a prominent place through his own endeavors. The Yeomans family is of old English origin and settled in Massachusetts long before the Revolu- tionary war but later removed to Canada. The mother of our sub- ject belongs to an old New York family.
Judge Yeomans resides on a two hundred acre farm on sections 17, 18 and 19, Chillicothe township, in the cultivation and improve- ment of which he has been successfully engaged for a number of years. He was born at Belleville, Ontario, Canada, July 10, 1864, and two years later, in 1866, was brought by his parents, to Living- ston county. He is a son of John H. and Phebe C. (Knight) Yeo- mans. The father, after crossing the border into the United States, followed the trade of carpentering and contracting and later became an extensive farmer, specializing in stock-raising. He died in 1893 at the age of sixty-six years, his wife following him in death thir- teen years later, in 1906, being seventy-two years of age at the time
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of her demise. Both found their last resting place in the Edgewood cemetery at Chillicothe, Missouri.
J. A. Yeomans had the advantage of a thorough education, attend- ing high school at Chillicothe until the age of fourteen years, after which he continued in the country schools, and during much of his time he assisted his father in the work of the farm. As his father was not in the best of health, more and more of the responsibilities of conducting the homestead fell upon his shoulders and gradually he looked after the whole management of the place. His efforts were attended by remarkable success and as his financial resources increased he added to his holdings which now comprise two hundred acres. Mr. Yeomans engages in mixed farming and makes a specialty of raising Shorthorn cattle. By his progressive methods, unfaltering industry and energy he has transformed his property into one of the most valu- able farms in the section and derives therefrom annually a good in- come. In 1910 he was elected judge of the county court and that his services in this connection were discharged to the satisfaction of his constituents is evidenced in his reelection in 1912. His decisions have ever been strictly fair and impartial, based upon the law and equity of the case, and he is regarded one of the most able judges that ever presided over the county court. His political views incline him toward the republican party, in the platform of which he sees the ful- fillment of those ideals in which he believes. His public spirit has also found expression in other service, having held positions in Chilli- cothe township as township clerk and assessor, and, that education finds in him a stalwart supporter is manifest by the fact that for a number of years he has served as director of school district No. 2, which is now No. 59.
Judge Yeomans was married April 2, 1896, in Chillicothe town- ship, to Miss Iva Walton, a daughter of Jesse A. and Basha (Nor- man) Walton, the former a prominent farmer of Chillicothe town- ship. Judge and Mrs. Yeomans have two children, Norman K. and John W., both attending the district school. The fraternal relations of Judge Yeomans are with the Modern Woodmen of America and he is also a member of the Anti-Horse Thief Association. In his activities and interests he has had an important bearing upon the development of this section and his record as an official has always been that of a man, faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stain- less in reputation. There is no spectacular phase in his life, however, but what he has accomplished he has brought about through his own energy, and his career is proof of the fact that success is ambition's
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answer. Having lived in Livingston county for almost fifty years he has witnessed the wonderful transformation that has occurred as pioneer conditions have given way before the onward march of civili- zation and he has not only attained individual success but has been a factor in the general development and advancement.
JOSEPH GLADIEUX.
Among the business men of Chillicothe who have won notable success in their chosen calling is Joseph Gladieux, a prominent ice dealer. He has one of the largest and best equipped plants in the city and has been identified with mercantile interests here for over a quarter of a century. He was born in Stark county, Ohio, Febru- ary 14, 1855, and is a son of August and Mary (Menegay) Gladieux, natives of France. The father came to America when he was ten years of age and settled in Ohio, where he grew to manhood. In that state he followed farming for a number of years, becoming a pros- perous and successful agriculturist. He and his wife are now de- ceased. To their union were born seven children: Louisa, who be- came the wife of Peter Duprez and died in 1871; Mary, the wife of Peter Burgy, who passed away October 17, 1912; August, who died in 1881; Joseph, of this review; Eugene, whose death occurred in 1898; Victorine, the wife of John Klein, of Chillicothe; and Virginia, deceased.
Joseph Gladieux attended the Catholic schools of Stark county, Ohio, and remained upon his father's farm in that section until he was twenty-six years of age. At that time he rented land and improved and developed it for four years, after which he bought his present ice business in Chillicothe, with the conduct of which he has been identified ever since, having built up an extensive and desirable trade. He has won an enviable reputation for reliability and integ- rity and the prosperity which he now enjoys is all the more creditable because it is the direct result of his energetic and capable manage- ment. For a number of years Mr. Gladieux conducted a bottling business in addition to his ice dealing but has now abandoned this branch of his occupation.
On February 15, 1881, Mr. Gladieux married Miss Josephine Pierson, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Malliard) Pierson, natives of France, who emigrated to America, settling in Ohio. The father
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has passed away but the mother still resides in Chillicothe. To their union were born: Catherine, deceased; Mary, the wife of Joseph Gof- finett, of Blue Mound, Illinois; Frank, deceased; Peter, a resident of Walsenburg, Colorado; Clementina, the wife of John Hagerson, of California; Louisa, who married Adam Saale, of Chillicothe; Jose- phine, the wife of the subject of this review; and Flora and Edward, both of whom have passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Gladieux nine children were born: Joseph and Mary, who passed away in infancy; Frank Joseph, at home; Irene Mary, the wife of George G. Ferris, of Ottumwa, Iowa; Clara Agnes and Clarence F., twins, who are still with their parents; and Edward George, Victor John and Raymond August, all of whom reside at hoine. The family are devout mem- bers of the Roman Catholic church.
Mr. Gladieux gives his allegiance to the democratic party and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, although he is never active in political affairs in the sense of office seeking. He has lived his life to good purpose, recognizing and using each op- portunity as it has come to him, while the methods by which he directs his activities have been always businesslike, progressive and upright. Chillicothe has been his home for many years and the circle of his friends is an extensive one.
SALATHIEL COEN.
A pioneer of Livingston county and a man who entirely through his own efforts has possessed himself of a valuable farm of one hundred acres in Jackson township, Salathiel Coen came to this sec- tion in 1868 from Indiana, where he was born March 31, 1851, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Lyons) Coen. Both the parents have passed away, the father dying in 1890 and the mother in 1896, both finding their last resting place at Lock Springs, Missouri.
Coming to Livingston county when a boy of about sixteen years, Salathiel Coen received his education in Indiana and this county, leaving school at the age of twenty years. During his vacation per- iods and leisure hours he assisted his father in the minor duties of the farm and early became acquainted with thorough methods of agri- culture. After having passed his twentieth birthday he remained with his father and for five years helped him with the work of the farm, starting at that time on his own agricultural career. He then acquired
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the property which he now owns comprising one hundred and twenty acres on section 30, township 59, range 25, Jackson township, and there engages in mixed farming. Since taking charge of the farm he has erected thereon a handsome residence and a number of suitable outbuildings and barns by which he has greatly enhanced its value. He also has instituted such improvements as are considered indispen- sable to modern agriculture and, following progressive and scientific methods, has brought his farm to a high state of productivity.
Mr. Coen was married on September 18, 1873, in Daviess county, Missouri, to Miss Sudie C. Isabell, a daughter of William and Obedi- ence Isabell, both of whom have passed away and are buried in Daviess county. They were well known in the section in which they lived, receiving the good-will and regard of all those who knew them. Mr. and Mrs. Coen are the parents of three children : Daisy D .; Or- ville A., following farming in Daviess county; and Mary A., who makes her home with her parents.
Interested in all matters of a political nature, Mr. Coen is a repub- lican and is a member of the republican county committee, represent- ing therein Jackson township. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also belongs to Lodge No. 488, A. F. & A. M., of Lock Springs, Missouri. The religious affiliation of Mr. and Mrs. Coen is with the Presbyterian church, in the work of which organization they take an active and helpful interest. Ambitious and industrious, Mr. Coen has attained to prominence as an agriculturist in Jackson township, Livingston county, entirely through his own ef- forts and is highly esteemed not only for his attainment but for the qualities of mind and character which made possible his success. Not only has he been an interested witness of the changes that have oc- curred here but he has been helpful in the general advancement and, while attaining individual success, has been a factor in general agri- cultural progress.
A. J. DEPLER.
A. J. Depler, following the trade of a mason and also connected with general agricultural interests of Livingston county as the owner of a fine farm of eighty acres on section 29, Cream Ridge township, was born in Attica, Ohio, January 1, 1863, a son of Frederick and Catherine (Goodyear) Depler. The father was born in Switzerland
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and there learned the cabinet-making trade, which he followed after he settled in Ohio. He died in that state in 1868, at the age of sixty- eight years, and is buried at Bellevue, Ohio. His wife survived him many years, dying in 1888, when she was fifty-four years of age. Her grave is in the Whitewater cemetery.
A. J. Depler has had a varied and active career. Leaving the Attica public schools at the age of eighteen, he turned his attention to gaining a livelihood, working at any occupation which would bring him an income. He saved his money and eventually accumulated enough to pay his way to Kansas, in which state he settled at Peabody and worked for a time as a farm laborer. Afterward he learned the mason's trade and worked at it and also at contracting for twenty years, becoming very expert along both lines. He went from Pea- body to Beatrice, Nebraska, where he engaged in the same business for a year, and then to Belle Plaine, Iowa, and worked as a con- tractor there for four years, removing later to Tiskilwa, Illinois. Here he passed his civil service examination with nearly one hundred per cent, still holding his certificate, whereby he obtained employment on the Illinois and Mississippi canal. At the end of seven years he came to Cream Ridge township and purchased the eighty acres which he still owns, and he has since made a success of general farming while still doing a great deal of contracting and cement work. He has made substantial improvements upon his property, building a cave, a cistern and fine farm buildings, and the attractive appearance of the place shows able management and careful supervision.
On the 27th of December, 1897, Mr. Depler married, at Belle Plaine, Iowa, Miss Martha Merritt, a daughter of Daniel and Eliza- beth (Anderson) Merritt. The family is of Scotch origin but the father lived in America since his childhood. He came from New York to Tiskilwa, Illinois, with his parents when he was five years of age and grew to maturity there, later becoming one of the prosperous farmers of his section of the state. He died in 1901, at the age of fifty-six, having survived his wife since 1888. Both are buried in the Mount Bloom cemetery near Tiskilwa. Mr. and Mrs. Depler became the parents of seven children : Cora M., Rose C., Harold E., George I., Ralph J., Ernest F. and Hazel E., all at home.
Politically Mr. Depler gives his allegiance to the progressive party and fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica. He may truly be called a self-made man, for he had little as- sistance when he started out in life on his own account. Gradually,
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however, he worked his way upward until he now occupies a foremost position among the leading agriculturists of this section of the state, his life proving conclusively that success may be attained by deter- mination and honorable methods.
WILLIAM B. DIEGELMAN.
William B. Diegelman occupies a leading position in agricultural circles of Livingston county, where for some years he has success- fully operated a farm of one hundred and forty-five acres in sec- tion 31, Cream Ridge township. He has lived in this section of Mis- souri since 1877 and was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania, April 14, 1852, a son of Benedict and Catherine (Giesel) Diegelman. The father was a cabinet-maker and carpenter by trade, following this occupation until 1865, when he came to Livingston county and pur- chased the farm now owned by the subject of this review, dying upon the property one year later. The mother afterward sold the tract and returned to Pennsylvania with her family. She survived her husband until 1872 and is buried by his side in the May cemetery.
William B. Diegelman acquired his education in the public schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania, laying aside his books at the age of eighteen, when he secured a position as clerk in a grocery store. Later, however, he learned the carpentering trade, which he has fol- lowed for the past thirty years, being today an expert and accom- plished workman. He came to Livingston county in 1877 and pur- chased the farm in Cream Ridge township formerly owned by his father and since that time has divided his attention between his agricultural pursuits and his work as a carpenter and builder, both activities being extremely profitable to him. He has erected over four hundred residences in Livingston county and seven churches and, in addition, has ably carried forward the work of improving and devel- oping his property, which is supplied with a modern dwelling, good barns and outbuildings and all of the necessary labor-saving machinery. Mr. Diegelman raises fine crops of grain and is in addition an exten- sive raiser of high-grade stock. He attributes his success in a large measure to the assistance of his wife, who has not only aided in every department of the farm but who also carries on poultry raising suc- cessfully.
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Mr. Diegelman was married on August 31, 1877, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Miss Florence Rozelle, a daughter of Samuel and Delight (Ross) Rozelle, the former a farmer by occupation and a veteran of the Civil war. He died during the Civil war when the wife of our subject was still an infant and his wife has also passed away since and is buried near Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Diegelman is a native of Wisconsin, her birth occurring near Fond du Lac, on January II, 1858. To Mr. and Mrs. Diegelman were born seven children, one of whom died in infancy. Those living are : Annie M., the wife of Adolph Bergman, a farmer in Oklahoma; Zeffie, who married Robert Carter, a farmer in Livingston county; William C., a graduate of Chillicothe College and now a salesman in the Jones department store of Kansas City; Earl, who carries on general farming in Livingston county; Ella, the wife of Ira Blue, clerk in a general store in Chula, Missouri; and Benedict, who has left the district school, to enter upon a high-school course.
Mr. Diegelman gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has done able work in the cause of education as a director of the school board. Throughout the thirty-six years of his residence here he has gained that success which always follows earnest and well directed labor and is accounted one of the leading agriculturists and progressive business men of this locality.
EMMET F. OGAN, M. D.
As the oldest physician of Chula, Missouri, Dr. Emmet F. Ogan is not only a prominent member of the medical fraternity here but is also well known as the owner of the Chula News and has important real-estate interests in this city. Dr. Ogan came to Livingston county on September 5, 1895, from Nettleton, Missouri, and is a native of Linn county, this state, where he was born November 25, 1857, a son of Ervin and Rebecca (Jones) Ogan, both of whom have passed away, the father dying in 1884 and the mother in 1881. They are buried in the Ogan cemetery, in Linn county, on the same farm on which the father settled in 1838. He was one of the early pioneers of this section, where he became very prominent and was greatly respected and at an early date was chosen to represent his district in the state legis- lature.
Call Number ( Found in upper left- hand corner of catalog card. )
977.801 L76R
Genealogy Department
Seat No.
55
Author
Roof Albert J.
Title Past and Present of Livingston County Missoni Vol.
DR. EMMET F. OGAN
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Emmet F. Ogan was reared under the parental roof and acquired his education in the public schools of Linn county, which he left at the age of twenty years. At such time when he was not occupied with his lessons he helped his father with the work on the farm and subsequently engaged in that occupation inde- pendently, buying land for himself which he farmed for seven years and subsequently sold. His natural bent, however, adapted him more for a professional career and at the end of this period he decided to improve his education and took a two years' course at the Chillicothe Normal School. Subsequently he attended medical lectures at St. Louis for three years and after receiving his certificate practiced in Perry county, Missouri, for about a year and a half before he came to Livingston county. Here he has been engaged in practice since September 5, 1895, or for seventeen years, being the oldest resident physician of Chula. As he is careful in diagnosis, painstaking in his work and skill- ful and experienced, he has built up a large clientage as his reputation has increased. He is considered one of the ablest men in the profession in this section and as his practice has grown he has attained to prosperity. His interests extended to other fields when he became the owner of the Chula News and he now gives a part of his time to making this newspaper one of the best in the vicinity.
On September 28, 1883, Dr. Ogan was married to Miss Lucy A. Duncan, a daughter of Garland and Mildred (Goetch) Duncan, both of whom are deceased and buried in Linn county. Mrs. Ogan also passed away September 1, 1890, and was laid to final rest in the Ogan cemetery on the old home farm in Linn county, Missouri. Of this marriage were born two children: Rebecca A., the wife of D. J. Sidebottom, residing at Harris, Missouri; and Ira, who passed away in 1907 and is buried in Linn county. On July 13, 1898, the Doctor married Miss Ida B. Scarlet, a daughter of Richard and Mary (Cameron) Scarlet. The former passed away in 1892, his burial taking place at Chula, but the latter is still living and makes her home in this city. Of this marriage were born two children, Emmet S. and Richard I., both at home.
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