USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri Volume II > Part 11
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(I) Elizabeth died June 30, 1842, at the age of about twenty-two years.
(2) Clarissa P., who was born October 22, 1827, spent her girlhood days on the home farm in McDonough county, Illinois, and on September 7. 1848. she became the wife of Capt. John Grigsby, whose sketch appears else- where in this work. After their marriage they lived awhile at Blandinsville, Illinois. where the Captain was engaged in mercantile business. April 4, 1859. they moved to Burr Oak Grove, Nodaway county, where they made their future home. Her death occurred there on July II, 1905. She was the mother of three children: Laura, B., born August 28, 1863. became the wife of Frederick C. Barber, whose sketch apears elsewhere in this work, and
John. J. Hays.
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her death occurred on December 4. 1903; Elizabeth M., born January 1, 1849. died September 1, 1849 : Lillie C., born November 21, 1863, died on Septem- ber 4, 1864.
(3) Ann Maria, born February 23, 1829, was married, on January 5, 1854. to A. M. Costen, and died June 15. 1855, leaving one daughter, Ann Maria. Mrs. Costen was reared in McDonough county, Illinois, and lived at Blandinsville, that county, until her death. She was possessed of marked musical talent, being a singer of unusual accomplishment. Her daughter, Ann M., became the wife of A. C. Barber, who lives on a farm four miles west of Skidmore, and they have six children, Lillie. Lou, Vera, John. Alonzo and Frank.
(4) Isabella U. and (5) Mary F., twins, were born April 5. 1832. Mary married J. E. Hudson, of Blandinsville, Illinois, and in 1866 they came to Savannah, Missouri, where he established a hardware business. In March. 1868. they moved to Maryville, this county, where he continued in the hard- ware business until his death. Mrs. Hudson died in November, 1907, at Maryville. She was the mother of two sons and three daughters, George T .. Alice, Lillie, Lillis and Ernest. Of these, Lillis died in childhood, and George died at the age of about twenty-four years. Alice married W. W. Wooley and resides in Maryville, her husband having now been dead several years. She has a daughter. Marie. Lillie married Charles Ferril and lives on a farm near Plattsburg. Missouri. Ernest is living in Maryville with his sister, Mrs. Wooley, and was engaged in the laundry business there several years. Isa- bella U. Hays lived at Burr Oak Grove from 1859 till 1910, but now lives at Skidmore with her brother, John G. She was never married and her edu- cation was obtained in the schools of Illinois. She carefully looked after the welfare and comfort of her parents, whose last days were made more pleas- ant because of her ministrations.
(6) William R. was born in McDonough county, Illinois, on September 27. 1834. He spent his boyhood days and received his education in his native county, attending college in Fulton county, that state, in 1855-6. In 1857 he clerked for his father in the latter's store at Blandinsville, and in the following year, in company with John Grigsby. A. M. Coston and James T. Hays. came to Nodaway county, Missouri, and bought eighteen hundred acres of land. He came here with his parents in the spring of 1859 and in the fall of the following year he returned to McDonough county, where, in Septem- ber. 1861, he enlisted in Campany F, Eleventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. With his command he took part in the battle of Pittsburg Landing.
(44)
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and then, from June, 1862, until January, 1863, he was on detached duty. On January 5, 1863. he was taken prisoner and was confined in the notorious Libby prison until May 7, following, when he was exchanged and returned to his regiment. When he was mustered out, in July, 1865, he had risen by successive promotions to the rank of major of his regiment. In 1865 he moved to Nodaway county and acquired two hundred and ninety-nine acres of fine land. On December 30, 1863, William R. Hays married Lucy E. Kirk, who was born in McDonough county, Illinois, May 9, 1840, the daugh- ter of John and Nancy (Coe) Kirk. Her father was born November 24, 1791, in Marion county, Kentucky, and died November 11, 1856, while her mother, who was born in Virginia on June 19, 1797, died August 1, 1863. They were married on March 9, 1815, and settled in Marion county, Kentucky, subsequently moving to McDonough county, Illinois, where they spent the rest of their days. To Mr. and Mrs. Hays have been born five children, as follows: Arthur G., born October 25, 1864; Juliet M., born July 2, 1867; Mary Ada, born September 30, 1869; Harriet M., born July 7, 1872, and Richard K., born September 27, 1875. Fraternally, Mr. Hays is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, while religiously, he is a member of the Methodist church. Mrs. Hays died in April, 1902. Mr. Hays and family moved to Ray, Colorado, in 1885, and to Denver in 1898, where he still resides, his three daughters making their home with him. He owns a ranch of twelve hundred acres south of Ray, which is operated by his son, Richard K. The other son, Arthur G., died about 1889.
(7) James T., who lives in Maryville, is represented elsewhere in this work by a personal sketch.
(8) Martha Jane, who was born in McDonough county, Illinois, on December 20, 1840, was married, on March 15, 1866, to H. H. Costen. Mr. Cotsen was also a native of McDonough county, but came to Missouri prior to the Civil war. He enlisted in the Forty-eighth Regiment Missouri Volun- teer Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war. His marriage to Martha Hays occurred in Nodaway county and after that event they went to Kansas, going to Colorado a few years later. now living at Ray, that state. They have had four children, namely: Edith and Mabel, who are both mar- ried and living near Ray, Colorado; Rolla, deceased, and Richard.
(9) Joseph and (10) John G., twins, were born August 28, 1844. in McDonough county. Illinois. They came to Nodaway county in 1859 and have resided here ever since. During the Civil war Joseph was a member of the Forty-eighth Missouri Regiment and after his discharge from the army he followed farming at Burr Oak Grove, Monroe township. for many years.
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John G. also farmed and raised stock all his life, accumulating about a thousand acres of land in Nodaway county. He was educated in the public schools of Illinois, supplementing this by attendance at a college at Clarinda, Iowa, and a commercial course at St. Joseph, Missouri. He made his home at Burr Oak over fifty years, from 1859 to 1910, and in the latter year he and his sister Isabella moved to Skidmore, where they now reside. He, as well as all the other members of the family, are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
(II) Marcus Lafayette, the youngest son of Thomas R. Hays, was born March 4. 1849, and died on February 3. 1855.
When the members of the Hays family came to Missouri, they had bought a partly finished log house, the party who contracted to finish it not having completed his work. The members of the family who came overland reached the house on a snowy, blustery, winter day and were compelled to chink the house with hay in order to protect themselves from the chilly drafts which prevailed in every part of the little house. Some of the members of the family came to their new home by water, going down the Mississippi river to St. Louis and thence up the Missouri river to St. Joseph. In breaking the land the first year they used twenty-four-inch plows, each of which was pulled by twelve head of oxen. During this period. John G. Hays was both- ered a good deal by rheumatism, in consequence of which he rode one of the plows and dropped corn. They were rewarded with a splendid crop of sod corn and also had a fine crop of watermelons. Those who were employed in the farm work spent the first four months in the little log cabin, while the other members of the family resided at Fillmore, until lumber and timber could be cut for a house, the same being hauled from Fillmore to Burr Oak Grove, where the house was built. Those were strenuous days, hard work being the rule, but in the course of time their efforts were rewarded and their land is now in the list of the best farms in the county. The members of the Hays family contributed in a definite way to the development of this section of the county and among its sterling pioneers they occupied a con- spicuous position.
JOHN W. THOMAS.
One of the leading citizens of Monroe township, Nodaway county, Missouri, is John W. Thomas, who is numbered among the enterprising and successful farmers and business men of the community. His paternal grand- father, William Thomas, was a full-blooded Frenchman. The subject's par-
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ents were Milam and Eliza (McMurtry ) Thomas. Eliza McMurtry was a native of Indiana and was the daughter of John McMurtry. Her paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Black Hawk war in Illinois, and at one time his wife took her children out into the brush about ten miles from Gales- burg, in order to escape from hostile Indians, and there they remained over night in a soaking rain, from the effects of which exposure the mother's death was hastened. Milam Thomas was a son of William Thomas and was born in Covington, Ohio. Subsequently, he moved to Knox county, Illinois, where occurred his marriage to Eliza McMurtry. They became the parents of four children, three sons and a daughter, besides one son, David, that died in infancy. Of these children, the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth.
John W. Thomas was reared on the paternal farmstead in Knox county, Illinois, where his birth had occurred on August 7. 1855, and he secured his education in the common schools. For about a year after his marriage, which occurred in 1876, he remained on his father's farm, and then bought another farm in the same county, where he remained until 1889. He then removed to Afton, Union county, Iowa, where the subject bought three hundred and twenty acres of farm land three miles west of that town. There he lived un- til 1900, when he sold out and moved to Lone Tree, Cass county, Missouri, where he bought another farm of three hundred and twenty acres, where he remained until 1906, when he came to Skidmore. Here the subject invested in business and residence properties and has also to a limited extent followed farming. Mr. Thomas has been energetic in his business affairs and his efforts have been rewarded with a gratifying measure of success, so that now he is able to abstain from the hard manual labor which character- ized his earlier years. His attention is given to his properties and he is numbered among the best citizens of the community.
In the spring of 1876 Mr. Thomas married Mary Jane Melton, the daughter of Eli and Ruth (Condrey) Melton, her birth having occurred in Knox county, Illinois, about seven miles from the birth-place of her husband. To the subject and his wife have been born three children, two sons and a daughter, namely: Florence Ada is the wife of Harry Hopkins, of Kansas City, and they have two sons, Harold and Raymond: Clarence, who is men- tioned elsewhere in this work, is engaged in business in Skidmore; John Roland remains at home with his parents.
Politically. Mr. Thomas has always been aligned with the Democratic party and while living in Cass county he served as township trustee. He takes an intelligent and active interest in educational affairs and is now
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serving efficiently as a member of the school board at Skidmore. Fraternally. he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while his religious membership is with the Baptist church, of which his wife also is a member. Mr. Thomas is a gentleman of splendid personal qualities and because of his genuine worth he enjoys the good will and respect of the entire community in which he lives.
CORNELIUS HOBLITZELL.
Among the substantial citizens and well-known business men of Skid- more, none occupies a higher position in public esteem than does the gentle- man whose name appears at the head of these paragraphs. He is a native son of Missouri, having been born in Platte county, on January 10, 1841. He is a son of Adrian and Elizabeth (Dorland) Hoblitzell, the former of whom was a native of Cumberland county, Maryland, coming to Missouri in 1840: his wife was a native of Pennsylvania. In their childhood both of these parents accompanied their respective families to Crestline, Ohio, where they were reared and eventually married. The Hoblitzell family has included many noted railroad men. William Hoblitzell, the subject's uncle, who was an operator on Wall street, cleared a million dollars in one day, only to lose that much the next day. Other members of this family were among the promoters of the New York subway and constructed a railroad through the Alleghany mountains, while still others are prominent citizens of Baltimore. Maryland.
The subject of this sketch spent the first three years of his childhood on the Platte county farm, at the end of which period the family removed to Holt county, this state, where they resided many years. In 1856 the family removed to Nebraska, which was their home until 1862. when they returned to Holt county, Missouri, the subject remaining in Nebraska. His father had bought a quarter section of land in Nemaha county, that state, and after- wards bought enough more to make his holdings about one thousand acres. During that time the father laid out the town of Brownsville and brought the first steam ferry boat there to transport passengers and freight across the Missouri river. Cornelius Hoblitzell bought a good farm in Nebraska after his parents left that state and devoted himself for a while to agriculture. He was married while there and in the spring of 1862 he and his wife came to Missouri, locating in Holt county, where, at Craig, he engaged in the lumber business. That was a fortunate enterprise, as during the following seven years he cleared thirty-six thousand dollars. At the end of that period he
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sold his business and engaged in dealing in Kansas City real estate. Six years later he again went into the lumber business, this time at Oregon and Forest City. Subsequently, he went to Mound City, where he engaged in business awhile, and then located at Rockport, where he conducted a lumber yard and also engaged in the piano business. He resided at Rockport eight years and then, in April, 1906, he came to Skidmore, where he is now engaged in the music business, enjoying a splendid patronage.
In 1861 Mr. Hoblitzell married Amanda M. Combs, the daughter of Jefferson and Jane (Swan) Combs. Mrs. Hoblitzell was born in Bureau county, Illinois, and was there reared and received her education. Mr. and Mrs. Hoblitzell are the parents of three children, namely: Cora B. is the wife of H. F. Allen. of St. Joseph, Missouri, and they have a daughter, Dale. who recently became the wife of L. H. Stubbs. of St. Joseph: Winnie V. is the wife of H. W. Montgomery, cashier of the Farmers Bank at Skidmore and whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work; William Henry, who was born January 3. 1881, at Craig, Holt county, Missouri, received a good. public school education, having attended the high schools at Mound City and Skidmore. is assistant cashier of the Farmers Bank of Skidmore, which he entered in May, 1896. He married Julia Cornett, of Maryville, and they have two children, Adrian C. and Margaret Dale. Wil- liam H. Hoblitzell is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America, and his religious membership is with the Methodist Episcopal church South.
Cornelius Hoblitzell is a Republican in his political faith, but is not a politician in the ordinary acceptance of the word, though he takes a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs. While living at Oregon and also at Craig. he served efficiently as a member of the school board. Fraternally, he is a member of Skidmore Lodge No. 511, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, while religiously, he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist church, to which they are liberal givers. He is a genial and pleasant gentle- man, who enjoys a wide acquaintance and the universal respect of the entire community.
JAMES ELMER HART.
Although yet a young man, James Elmer Hart is one of the most suc- cessful farmers in Monroe township, his labors having been directed along lines that seldom fail to bring the coveted reward, and to such persistent workers as he the future must necessarily hold much in store. He was born
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in 1871 in Holt county, Missouri, and is the son of John Wesley and Sarah (Smithers) Hart; the former's mother was a Harris before her marriage and Sarah Smithers was the daughter of Norris 'Smithers. James E. Hart is the oldest of a family of five children, two of whom died in infancy, and he has two sisters living. Fannie Dale and Annie Dell; the former married Arthur Wellington and lives in Holt county, while the latter married Harry Barrett and lives in Skidmore.
James E. Hart spent most of his boyhood days on the farm in Holt county. When he was about fourteen years old the family moved to Atchison county, and when he was twenty-one years old he worked out for about a year. He was married in 1892 to Belle Keever, a native of Randolph county, Indiana, and the daughter of Elias and Malinda (Hunt) Keever. She came here with her parents in 1880 and located in Atchison county.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Hart moved to Andrew county, where they remained one year, then came back to Atchison county and fol- lowed farming there about four years. Then they moved to the west part of Monroe township, Nodaway county, and bought a farm, living there eight years. Selling out in 1907, Mr. Hart bought a quarter section in sec- tion thirty-one, northwestern part of Monroe township, where he now re- sides, having a well tilled and productive farm and a good home.
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hart, namely : Hazel Naomi, Grace Opal, James Harold, John Elias and Forest Donald.
Mrs. Hart's father, Elias Keever, was born in Ohio. His parents were Stephen and Mary (Cramer) Keever, both also natives of Ohio. Mrs. Hart's mother. Malinda (Hunt) Keever, was the daughter of Miles Hunt. of Ken- tucky, and Mary (Botkin) Hunt, of Tennessee.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Hart are members of the Methodist church, in which they take considerably more than a passing interest, as they do in all move- ments for the uplifting and betterment of their community.
HIRAM W. MONTGOMERY.
The life history of him whose name heads this sketch is closely identi- fied with the history of Skidmore. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned by a degree of success attained only by those who devote themselves indefatigably to the work before them. He is of a high type of business man, and none more than he deserves a fitting recognition
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among those whose energies and abilities have achieved results that are most enviable and commendable.
Hiram W. Montgomery, who holds the responsible position of cashier of the Farmers' Bank at Skidmore, is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been born in Jackson county. Ohio, on July 14, 1868. He is a son of Robert and Frances S. (White) Montgomery. Robert Montgomery was born at Bangor, near Belfast, Ireland, and he became an orphan at an early age. His father, who was of Irish birth, was a Scotch Covenanter in re- ligious belief, while his mother, who was of Scotch birth, bore the family name of Campbell. In 1856, at the age of eighteen years, Robert Montgom- ery came to America, alone, and at once went to Jackson county, Ohio, where he engaged in the operation of an iron smelting furnace. Subse- quently he sent for the other members of his family, who also located in Ohio. Mr. Montgomery served through the Civil war and became a dis- patch officer on the staff of Gen. George E. Morgan. He married Frances S. White, and they lived in Jackson county, Ohio, until 1871, when they came to Missouri, and Mr. Montgomery went into the bank at Oregon, Holt county, it having been organized a few months before by a Mr. Zook and being the pioneer bank of that county. It subsequently became known as the Montgomery & Roecker Bank, and so continued until 1904. when, after thirty- three years of active banking. Robert Montgomery retired. He and his wife are now living at Oregon.
The subject of this sketch was reared by his parents at Oregon. and secured his elementary education in the public schools, being a graduate of the high school at Oregon, after which he was for three years a student in the Kansas State University. On leaving college, he returned to Oregon and entered his father's bank, where he remained five years. gaining valuable experience and training under the tutelage of experienced heads. In Octo- ber. 1892, Mr. Montgomery came to Skidmore and accepted the position of cashier of the Farmers' Bank, this being but two months after the organiza- tion of the bank, and he has held this responsible position continuously since.
The Farmers' Bank was organized in 1882 by Nash & Dyke, and on May 14, 1892, it was sold to William J. Skidmore. On August 16th of the same year the title of the institution was changed to that of the Farmers' Bank, having been reorganized by R. M. Stevenson. It was then a state bank, with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars and a surplus of five thou- sand dollars. In 1904 Mr. Stevenson sold his interest in the bank to Robert Montgomery and H. W. Montgomery, the present owners. The present officers are Robert Montgomery, president ; H. W. Montgomery, cashier, and
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WV. H. Hoblitzell, assistant cashier. The active management of the institu- tion rests largely on the subject of this sketch, and to his sound judgment and business ability much of its success is due. The bank is one of the solid and influential financial institutions of this part of the county, and has at all times commanded the confidence of the people of the community, with whom it has enjoyed a good patronage. Mr. Montgomery is genial and courteous in his dealings with the patrons of the bank, and is as accommodating as good business judgment will permit.
On September 16, 1891, Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage to Minnie Hoblitzell, the daughter of Cornelius Hoblitzell, whose sketch ap- pears elsewhere in this work, and this union has been blessed in the birth of four children, namely: Frances. Neal. Hiram and Eleanor.
Fraternally, Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America at Skidmore. Religiously, he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are generous supporters. His splendid personal qualities have gained for Mr. Montgom- ery a host of warm personal friends, and he is well liked throughout the community.
WILLIAM GLAZE.
A citizen of the United States can wear no greater badge of honor than the distinction of having served the government in the four years of war between the states. To the once large but now rapidly diminishing army that followed "Old Glory" on many bloody fields in the sunny South, crushed the armed hosts of treason and re-established upon a firm and enduring foundation the beloved government of our fathers, the subject of this sketch belonged.
William Glaze is a native son of the old Hoosier state, having been born in Ripley county, Indiana, on May 10, 1834. He is the son of Thomas and Sophia Glaze, natives of Ohio, who removed to Indiana in 1824, cleared land and developed a good farm, where they spent their remaining days, the father dying there at the age of eighty-two years and the mother at the age of eighty-five. The subject remained at home with his parents until he had attained his majority, when he took up farm work in Minnesota, where he remained until twenty-six years old. He then returned to Indiana and bought a farm, which he operated for over twenty-two years. His wife's mother
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made her home with him until her death. In the fall of 1882 Mr. Glaze sold the old home farm and came to Nodaway county, Missouri, and bought one hundred and ten acres of land in Polk township, six miles northwest of Mary- ville, for which he paid thirty-five dollars an acre, it being an improved prop- erty, and he devoted himself to its operation during the following six years. He then sold that place and bought an eighty-acre farm nearby, to which he devoted his attention unremittingly and with a good measure of success until 1904, when he sold out and came to Maryville to reside. He bought property on Mulberry street, which he remodeled and developed into a very attractive and comfortable residence, and here he is spending his declining years, in the enjoyment of that rest which is the just reward of long years of honest toil. During his active years he gave his attention to a general line of farming and stock raising, and, being thoroughly practical and progressive in his methods, he has prospered in his efforts.
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