USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 26
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In 1856, in Livingston county, Mr. Kirk was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Wood, a daughter of John and Christine (Mc- Haney) Wood, both highly estimable people who have long passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Kirk were the parents of seven children, as follows: Thomas, an agriculturist of New Mexico; Nannie M., the wife of Charles Kirk, also of that state; Blanche, who married A. Best, a farmer of California; Marvin and Ollie, at home; Charles W., who follows agricultural pursuits in Colorado; and Jennie, deceased, the former wife of Robert Hale.
His political allegiance Mr. Kirk gives to the democratic party, of which he has long been a stanch supporter, giving his vote in support of its measures and candidates. His faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church and, being a member of the local organi- zation, he readily gives his material and moral support to its work. A resident of Livingston county for seven decades, Mr. Kirk enjoys the high regard of all who know him, and nearly all know him. Not only has he been an interested witness of the changes that have occurred here but he has been an active and helpful factor in bring- ing about the high state of advancement that now prevails in this section. Nature has been kind to him, for he has never abused her laws. One usually thinks of old age as a period of mental and physical relax, but there is an old age which grows stronger and brighter mentally and morally and gives out of its rich store of
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wisdom and experience for the benefit of others. Such has been the life of James H. Kirk, who is not only one of the most venerated but also one of the most honored citizens of Sampsell township, Livingston county.
F. C. VESERAT. SR.
F. C. Veserat, Sr., prominently connected with business interests of Chula as a partner in the C. M. Powell Hardware Company, was born in Paris, Ohio, January 2, 1859, a son of Peter and Martha (Coder) Veserat. The family is of French origin and the father of our subject was born in France, coming to this country in 1834. He was a blacksmith by trade and followed this occupation during his active life, first at Paris, Ohio, and later in Chillicothe, Missouri, whither he had removed in 1873. He there formed a partnership with J. J. Cribbs, their shop being upon the premises now occupied by the Chillicothe Iron Company. The father of our subject died in 1902, at the age of eighty-two, having survived his wife since 1896, and both are buried in the May cemetery, in Cream Ridge township.
F. C. Veserat, Sr., acquired his early education in the Canton public schools and completed his studies in Chillicothe. At the age of fifteen he was employed with the minor duties of the farm and in 1874 came with his parents to a farm in Cream Ridge township. Mr. Veserat opened a blacksmith shop near Cottonwood Grove and divided his time between his duties in the shop and the work on the farm. When he was twenty-six years of age he gave up agri- cultural pursuits and centered his attention upon his business enter- prise, remaining in Cottonwood Grove until the spring of 1886. He then moved to Sturgis, built a home and established a blacksmith shop which he conducted successfully until 1894, when he took up his residence in Chula, in order to give his children the advantage of the educational facilities of the city. He worked at blacksmithing and dealt in pumps and windmills, carrying on both branches of his work until 1900, when he formed a partnership with W. H. Bowen, with whom he continued for two years. At the expiration of that period Mr. Veserat sold his interests and became a partner in the C. M. Powell Hardware Company, with which he is now connected. The firm handles shelf and heavy hardware, tinware and all kinds of wagon material and enjoys a large and lucrative patronage as a
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result of honorable and straightforward business methods. The steps in Mr. Veserat's progress are easily discernible and it is clearly seen that his own worth and enterprise have constituted the basis of his success.
Mr. Veserat married in Rich Hill township, March 29, 1885, Miss Ellen Rickett, a daughter of Cyrus and Selpha Rickett, the former a pioneer farmer of Livingston county who passed away in 1897 and is buried in the Rickett cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Veserat have three children: Leona, the wife of Herbert Ewing, foreman of the Iola Portland Cement plant at Iola, Kansas; Ruby, who is assisting his father; and Bergie, who married Herbert Fanning, of Chillicothe.
Mr. Veserat is a democrat in his political beliefs, and fraternally is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having passed through all the chairs of that organization. His enterprise and industry have carried him forward into important business relations and he has won for himself a most creditable reputation by his hon- orable and straightforward dealings.
DAVID BRADFORD.
David Bradford, deceased, will long be remembered as one of the leading farmers of Rich Hill township and by his own energy and efforts won a gratifying measure of success in his undertakings and at his death left a model farm as a visible evidence of the value of his work and activities. He was born in Greene county, Pennsyl- vania, January 14, 1836, and was a son of James and Mary (Die) Bradford, both natives of the Keystone state, who came to Missouri about the year 1848. They located near Chillicothe, where the father purchased five hundred acres of land which he improved and operated until his death.
David Bradford began his independent agricultural career in 1861, at which time he married and moved upon his farm of two hundred acres, which he developed and improved for three years. At the end of that time he sold this property and purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Rich Hill township, to which he later added forty-two acres. Upon this tract of land he carried on general farming and stock-raising until his death, devoting practically all of his time and energies to the development of the place. The property is lacking in
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none of the improvements and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century and shows everywhere the result of Mr. Bradford's long years of careful supervision.
In January, 1861, Mr. Bradford was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Smith, a daughter of W. H. H. and Ellen (Holmes) Smith, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. They afterward moved to Livingston county, Missouri, but in 1848 went to California for a short time, after which he returned to Livingston county, where he passed away. The mother is also deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Bradford became the parents of ten children. Laura Ellen, the eldest, has passed away. Charles Orestes is at home. James E. is a resident of Ventura, California. William T. died in infancy. Mary Louisa is the wife of William E. Kent, of Berlin, Oklahoma. Alice married Arthur Avery, of Chillicothe. Blanche P. has passed away. Allan Wright married Jessie Nowlin, by whom he has three children : Charles T., born April 28, 1905; Ruth Elizabeth, born January 20, 1907; and Laura M., born August 30, 1909. David Earl died in infancy. Blanche E., the youngest child in this family is the wife of N. A. Gladieux, of Chillicothe.
Mr. Bradford gave his allegiance to the democratic party and was active and public-spirited in local affairs and held many responsible township offices. His upright and honorable life won him the respect and esteem of those with whom he came in contact and his death was sincerely mourned by all who knew him.
O. B. McCOY.
The energy, progressive spirit and organizing power which O. B. McCoy has displayed in the building up and development of the Chula Telephone Exchange have gained wide recognition in business circles and have brought him a degree of success which places him in the front ranks of the substantial and representative men of the community. He was born in Calhoun county, West Virginia, February 28, 1872, and is a son of Alexander and Celia (Pribell) McCoy, the former of whom is now residing retired in Chula after many years' identification with farming interests. He was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war and is a man faithful to every trust and obligation of life. In his family were the following children: O. B., of this review;
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Amanda, the wife of N. J. Cadell, of Iola, Kansas; Eugene, a resident of Chula ; and Alfred, who makes his home in Medicine township.
O. B. McCoy acquired his education in the public schools of Jack- son township, this county, and laid aside his books at the age of six- teen, after which he worked on different farms for about five years. Later he rented land and carried on general agricultural pursuits suc- cessfully. When he abandoned this line of occupation he turned his attention to business, buying a small telephone exchange which was hardly more than the beginning of a business. Mr. McCoy's excellent executive ability was called forth and he bent all of his energies to the development of the concern, organizing, building up and and systema- tizing and making it finally a well managed and profitable enterprise. He has now about three hundred and fifty subscribers and the number is constantly increasing, for Mr. McCoy makes it his aim to provide efficient and rapid service.
In Springhill, Jackson township, February 28, 1892, Mr. McCoy was united in marriage to Miss Laura A. Herring, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Herring, old settlers in Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. McCoy have four children : Annie M., who is a telephone operator in her father's office; and Lulu, Ova and Mamie, all of whom are attending school. Mr. McCoy gives his allegiance to the progressive party and has been for the past three years a member of the village board. He is well known in fraternal circles, holding membership in the blue lodge of masonry, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. His religious views are in accord with the doctrines of the Presbyterian church. He is very prominent and widely known in Chula, for throughout a long period he has been an important factor in its business life, and the prosperity which he today enjoys is well deserved.
B. C. LIGHTNER.
B. C. Lightner, a progressive and enterprising agriculturist, as well as an extensive stock-raiser and feeder, owns several fine farms, one of two hundred and eighty acres and one of one hundred and sixty- six acres in Livingston county and another of five hundred and sixty acres in Linn county. He was born and reared upon a farm and has never engaged in any other pursuit, his success justifying his choice of a life work and placing him today among the active factors in the agri-
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cultural development of this section of the state. He was born in Linn county, October 12, 1870, and is a son of Chap and Nancy (Yates) Lightner, the former a native of Virginia .. The father's history is interesting and furnishes many excellent examples of the power of industry and determined resolution in the accomplishment of success. He came as a pioneer to Linn county in 1860 entirely penniless and upon his death left thirty-three hundred fertile acres to be divided among his children. The early period of his residence here was filled with hardships and poverty, for he was obliged to accept any work that would bring him an income and often split rails at twenty-five cents a hundred and walked five miles to do it. His average income at this time was sixty-two cents a day, but nevertheless it was out of the proceeds of this work that he purchased his first forty acres of land. With this as a beginning he gradually prospered, adding to his hold- ings from time to time, following progressive agricultural methods and above all managing his business affairs with the shrewdness, fore- sight and keen discrimination of a true financier. It is told of him that in the early days of his poverty he tried to buy an ox on credit and was refused by a man who afterward attempted to borrow money of Mr. Lightner in the days of his prosperity. He died in 1896, one of the wealthiest men in Livingston county, and his death was a great loss to the section in the ranks of her progressive and successful men. He was a veteran of the Mexican war and a man upright, honorable and loyal in all the relations of his life. He had survived his wife since 1882, her death having occurred when she was fifty-six years of age. Both are buried in the Wallace cemetery.
B. C. Lightner attended district school in Linn county, but laid aside his books at the age of seventeen in order to assist his father with the work of the farm. At the age of twenty-one he began his inde- pendent agricultural career, farming on one his father's properties and continuing to develop it until after his father's death. Under the will he inherited two hundred and forty acres and he has added to his hold- ings by the purchase of seven hundred and sixty-six acres located in Livingston and Linn counties. Part of the property he is farming himself and the remainder is rented out. Mr. Lightner is a practical and able agriculturist, a firm believer in modern methods and in mod- ern machinery to facilitate the work of the fields, and his well directed efforts have been rewarded by abundant success. He is is an extensive stock-raiser, feeding six hundred swine, one hundred mules and large herds of cattle.
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Mr. Lightner married, in Medicine township, January 8, 1890, Miss Media Owens, a daughter of J. H. and Sarah (Kennedy) Owens, the former a pioneer farmer of Livingston county. He and his wife reside in Chula. Mr. and Mrs. Lightner have one daughter, Flo, who is the wife of John West, Jr., a prominent farmer in Sullivan county. Mr. Lightner owns an attractive residence and is a director in the Exchange Bank of Chula. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He has ably carried forward the work of develop- ment which his father began and by his own labor, enterprise and good management has become the owner of a valuable property and is widely and favorably known for his many sterling traits of character and his business progressiveness.
LAWRENCE A. MARTIN.
Among the prominent and representative members of the Chillicothe bar Lawrence A. Martin holds an important place, for he has been practicing here since 1892 and has made continuous advancement in his profession since that time. He was born in Fayette county, Ohio, on the 14th of January, 1866, and is a son of Lawrence and Bridget (Pendergast) Martin, natives of Ireland, who came to America in 1847, during the famine year in their native country. In 1869 they located in Livingston county, Missouri, and here the father followed farming until his death, which occurred on September 5, 1899. He had long survived his wife, who passed away in 1872. To their union were born : Johanna, the widow of W. J. Eakin, acting as postmaster of Sturges; John J., city tax collector for Chillicothe; Robert S., jus- tice of the peace at Sturges ; Lawrence A., of this review ; Mathew F., of Kansas City, Missouri; Delia B., the wife of Edward Seidle; and Richard, Paul, Peter, Maurice and ·Bridget, all of whom have passed away.
Lawrence A. Martin acquired a public-school education and sup- plemented this by a two years' course in the University of Missouri. Having determined to make the practice of law his life profession, he entered the office of the prosecuting attorney in Chillicothe and began his reading. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 and in the same year opened an office for the practice of his profession in this city, which has since been his home. In the twenty years that have elapsed since that time he has made steady progress and has secured a large
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and representative clientage. He is using as the foundation of his success careful preparation of his cases, clear analysis and logical reas- oning before the courts, and he has won for himself a creditable posi- tion at the Livingston county bar.
On the 27th of November, 1894, Mr. Martin was united in mar- riage to Miss Kate Kennedy, a daughter of William Kennedy, of Kan- sas, and they had three children, the eldest of whom died in infancy. Augusta also passed away in childhood and the other child is a daugh- ter, Agnes. Mr. Martin has extensive fraternal relations, being affili- ated with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of the Mac- cabees. His political support is given to the democratic party and he has been called to public service as county school commissioner, city attorney and prosecuting attorney, showing himself in all public rela- tions a conscientious, reliable and forceful official.
MRS. ELIZABETH BOUCHER.
That it is not only given to men to successfully manage extensive affairs is evident in the success which Mrs. Elizabeth Boucher has attained in conducting the various departments of a valuable farming establishment comprising four hundred acres located on section 16, Sampsell township, Livingston county. She is a native of Livingston county, having been born at Springhill, Missouri, and is a daughter of Levi F. and Catherine (Crist) Goben, the former one of the pioneers who penetrated the wilderness to locate here at a time when the In- dians still roamed about freely and game was plentiful. Incessant labor and frugal thrift led him to prosperity and when he died in 1901 he was considered one of the substantial men of his parts. His wife preceded him in death in 1893 and both found their last resting place in the Springhill cemetery.
Mrs. Boucher acquired her education in the schools of Springhill, abandoning her lessons at the age of sixteen years. In 1866 she was united in marriage, at Springhill, to Andrew J. Boucher, a son of Elisha and Sarah (English) Boucher, both of whom have passed away. Andrew J. Boucher, the late husband of our subject, was a man well liked by his fellows, a man of substantial qualities and one beloved for his generosity and kindliness. He served in the army for some time and for meritorious service was promoted from sergeant to the
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rank of first lieutenant. Mr. Boucher passed away in 1903, deeply mourned by his faithful wife and a large family. Of their ten chil- dren the following are living: Charles, assisting his mother in the development of the farm; Irene, the wife of Charles W. Yeisley, a farmer of Washington; Bertie, a music teacher resding in California ; Loretta E., who married William T. Morris, an agriculturist of Can- ada; Jackson A., a school teacher of Kirksville, Missouri; Vernon A., who practices dentistry in Kansas City, Missouri; and Earl, attending school at Kirksville, this state. Those who have passed away are: John E., who was married to Miss Allie Stanton, on November 23, 1898, and died July 4, 1911, being buried at Pleasant Ridge; Inez (Boucher) Grier, who was married to George S. Grier on September II, 1904, and passed away March 5, 1905; and Myrtle, who died in infancy in 1884. A woman of many lovable qualities of heart and mind, also a woman of much strength of character, Mrs. Boucher has succeeded in rearing a family all of whom turned out to be useful members of society, bringing renewed honor to the family name. Successful in the management of her extensive farming interests, she has demonstrated an ability which is far above the average and which entitles her to high encomiums.
COLONEL FREDERICK MARSH, U. S. A.
On a farm owned by his parents, near the historic village of Sac- ket Harbor, New York, in the month of January, 1853, Frederick Marsh, now a colonel in the United States army, was born. His par- ents, James and Sarah (Membery) Marsh, were natives of Devon- shire, England, and soon after their marriage in 1832 they crossed the Atlantic with Mrs. Marsh's father, Amos Membery, a man of considerable means and noted as a mathematician, and with him set- tled on a farm in the new world. In his early manhood Amos Mem- bery had been a sea captain. He owned extensive lands in Devon- shire which he sold and left that beautiful country for the sake of his children, three sons and four daughters to each of whom he gave a good farm in America, free from all debt. To his son James he gave three hundred acres near Bath, Canada; to his son Giles a farm of two hundred acres adjoining Adolphustown, in the Dominion; while to the rest of his children he presented farms in Jefferson county, New York.
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Frederick Marsh grew up on his father's farm and his early life was much the same as that of other farm boys. He had, however, a decided taste for reading, his interest running to such books as Homer's Poems, Plutarch's Lives, and works of history. He attended the public schools of Sacket Harbor and later the mathe- matical school conducted by Professor Otis at Adams Center. This he supplemented by a course in the Collegiate Institute at Adams, New York, where in addition to proficiency in mathematics he acquired a fair knowledge of Latin. To this in after years he added more than a reading acquaintance with the French, Spanish and German lan- guages and became a widely read, cultured and well informed man. At the age of thirteen he had mastered Davies Bourdon's Algebra and could demonstrate on the blackboard the problems of Davies' Legen- dre in geometry. Having an ambition to become a journalist, he came at the age of fourteen to Chillicothe, Missouri, and obtained work on the Chillicothe Tribune, then owned by his brother, E. J. Marsh, and John De Sha. Here he became thoroughly familiar with the details of the printer's trade and advanced in it until he was made foreman of the office. In the summer of 1873, however, he won the appointment to West Point in competitive examination and was graduated from the military academy in 1877. He was commis- sioned to duty as second lieutenant in the Second Artillery, then sta- tioned at Baltimore, Maryland, and thus began a long and honorable military career. He was later a student at the Artillery School at Fortress Monroe and after his graduation in 1886 was ordered to West Point as instructor in natural and experimental philosophy, in which position he served until 1888, when he became a member of the board to select the site for fortifications on the Pacific coast. The record of his military career is a story of continued progress and advancement and close identification with responsible and important affairs. He was made first lieutenant in 1884, captain in 1898 and in 1903 was advanced to the rank of major. He was next promoted to that of lieutenant colonel and in 1910 was made colonel, a rank which he now holds. While he was in command of the fort at St. Augus- tine, Florida, he was ordered in 1899 to the Philippine Islands and spent two years helping to suppress the rebellion there. At the close of hostilities he returned to his command at Fort Dupont, Delaware, and was later in command of Fort Strong on the Boston harbor. In 1910 he was placed in charge of all the fortifications at Charleston, South Carolina, and was later put in command of Fort Totten, New York harbor, where he served until he was promoted to the position
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of coast defence officer of the Pacific coast, when his headquarters became the Western Division, San Francisco, California. His duties consist of inspecting thoroughly all of the forts along the Pacific, from southern California to the northern boundary of the state of Washington and also those of the Sandwich Islands. In this con- nection it is interesting to know that the salary of a colonel in the United States army is five thousand dollars per year, that of brigadier general six thousand dollars, and all officers are retired at the age of sixty-four on three-fourths pay.
In 1892 Colonel Marsh was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Roberts, the daughter of a prominent merchant in Brooklyn, New York, and they have one son, Walter, who is now in his eighteenth year. The old home of this branch of the Roberts family is at Man- chester, Vermont, and the line has furnished soldiers to every American war from the Revolution to the Spanish-American conflict, several of the members serving as general officers. Colonel Marsh's military service has been long, his loyalty incorruptible and his work important, influential and lasting. Throughout the entire course of his life he has adhered steadily to the highest principles of honorable and upright manhood, proving himself a courteous and worthy gentle- man as well as a valorous and loyal soldier.
CHARLES E. BOWE.
Charles E. Bowe, an extensive stock-raiser and the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of fine farm land in Cream Ridge township, was born in Denison, Texas, December 1, 1872. He is a son of James and Lizzie (Cox) Bowe, the former a farmer who passed away in 1873 and is buried in Pottsboro, that state. His wife survived him four years, dying in 1877, and she is laid to rest beside her hus- band. In their family were three children, William Henry, Charles E., and Mrs. Meta Purdue.
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