USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri Volume II > Part 22
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Thirteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Callaway, nine boys and four girls: two sons died in infancy, seven are now living. They are Herbert, who is married and lives in Greeley county, Nebraska: Arthur is married and lives in Sanders county, Nebraska: Paul is married and lives in Kansas City, Missouri : Lottie is the wife of J. W. Smith, of Clearmont. Nodaway county, Missouri : Harry is living in Burlington Junction, but owns one hundred and twenty acres three miles northwest of Quitman : Frank, twin
MR. AND MRS. ALFRED B. CRANE
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brother of Harry, is deceased : Chauncey is a contractor and builder in Kansas City, Missouri ; Alfred lives in Sanders county, Nebraska; Adraine is single and living at home; Della is single and is a saleslady in St. Joseph ; Effie is the wife of Frank Boring, who lives on a farm two miles east of Quitman ; Ida is single and lives at home ; the youngest child, a boy, died in infancy.
Mr. Callaway is a most ardent Republican and a worker in the party. He was elected three different times as township assessor on the Republican ticket in a Democratic township. He is widely and most favorably known as a man of strict integrity, interested in public welfare, a keen observer, patriotic, genial, sunny temperament, a lover of home and family. He and his wife and most of their children belong to the Christian church, all but two having been baptized and professed the faith. Mr. Callaway stands for strict and impartial law enforcement, and is a type of our best citizenship.
ALFRED B. CRANE.
A citizen of Green township, Nodaway county. who is deserving of the respect of the citizens here and the large success that he can claim through his own efforts is Alfred B. Crane, who was born in Warren county, Illinois, January 27. 1862, the son of Sineus B. and Caroline M. (Mills) Crane. The father was a native of Green village, Morris county, New Jersey, June 3. 1831, and was the son of Benjamin and Julia ( Babout) Crane. Benjamin Crane's father was fifteen years old and lived at Morristown, New Jersey, when the interests of the Revolutionary war centered there. Sineus B. Crane grew to maturity in New Jersey. In 1856 he married Caroline M. Mills, daughter of Alfred and Sarah Mills. Her great-grandfather, Col. Jedediah Mills, served with distinction in the patriot army during the Revolu- tion, his home having been, it is believed. near Morristown, New Jersey. In 1859 Mr. and Mrs. Crane and their two children came to Illinois and settled on a farm near Berwick, where the father followed farming the rest of his life, dying there September 13. 1905. The mother is still living in Monmouth. Illinois, in which place Mr. Crane's death occurred .. Their family consisted of eleven children, namely : Augusta M. lives at Monmouth, Illinois, with her mother, as do also Sarah and Irene; Alfred B., of this review : Eliphalet C. lives in Warren county, Illinois ; Henry M. is at Clearmont, Nodaway county. Missouri: Julia is the wife of George Heminger and lives at West Point, Iowa; S. B., Jr., lives at Roseville. Illinois: Joseph H. died at Burlington
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Junction, December 13. 1898, leaving six children ; Frank L. died unmarried, September, 1885, at the family home in Illinois, age twenty-two years ; Luella C. was the wife of Frank Brent, and her death occurred in March, 1901; she left two children.
Alfred B. Crane, of this review, grew to maturity on the home farm in Illinois, on which he remained until he was twenty-one years old, then, in 1883, he came to Nodaway county, Missouri, where his brother, J. H. Crane, had preceded him a year. The two brothers worked a farm together on the shares-the farm where Alfred B. now lives, in sections 23 and 26, in the northwest part of Green township.
On October 12, 1886, Alfred B. Crane married Marina H. King, daugh- ter of Thomas and Katherine ( Peters) King. She was born near Quitman and grew to maturity in Green township. Her mother died in January, 1809, and her father on October 17, 1870. Her parents came here in 1840 from Whitestown, Boone county, Indiana, making the journey to Missouri in wag- ons, locating in Holt county in what became known as Whig Valley, near Maitland. Prior to the Civil war the family moved to a place near Quitman. where Mr. King bought a farm on which he spent the balance of his days. Mrs. Crane has five brothers and two sisters living, namely : Sylvester King lives at Elmo, this county : Eusabus lives in St. Joseph ; Charles Jasper is at Checo, California: Thomas lives at Portersville, California: Levina is the wife of William Mendenhall and resides at Nickerson: Robert M. lives at Blanche, Nebraska : Julia is the wife of Nelson Jackson, of Herman, Nebraska.
Mrs. Crane was left an orphan early in life and she was reared in the family of J. W. Smith, of Green township, now living in Burlington Junction. Her father, Thomas King, was in a Missouri regiment during the Civil war. His wife, known in her maidenhood as Katherine Peters, died in 1869. Mr. King was seventy years old at his death.
After the marriage of Alfred B. Crane he and his wife began keeping house on the farm where he had lived for some time and which has been his home ever since. In 1891 Mr. Crane " "ht his first land, one hundred and sixty acres, later adding two hundred acres, making three hundred and sixty acres in Green township: he now has a very valuable and highly productive farm of four hundred and eighty acres, which is well adapted in every way to general farming and stock raising, which Mr. Crane has carried on so suc- cessfully for many years.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Crane, one of whom died in early infancy : those living are, William S., who married Mabel Stafford
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March 9, 1910, is now farming for himself near his father's home; Mills E .. Alfred K., Anna R. and Clara H. are all living at home.
Mr. Crane belongs to the United Brethren church near his home and Mrs. Crane has been a member of the Christian church since girlhood. Politically Mr. Crane is a Democrat. He is hospitable, broad-minded, genial, popular and a successful farmer, whom everybody likes that have had the pleasure of forming his acquaintance.
A. P. SKEED.
It is not everyone who makes a success as a journalist or publisher .- indeed, there are perhaps more failures in these lines than in any other avenue of human endeavor; like the poet, the newspaper man must be born ; hun- dreds enter the ranks who, after a struggle against great odds, are borne under by the current and eventually take up something else as a life work; thus he who has spent a long life as a devotee of the art preservative, over the "case" or in the sanctum of the editorial room, has demonstrated that he has powers peculiar to himself, and also that he has been a very hard worker. Very likely he has been a public spirited man, for it has doubtless been necessary for him to declare himself on questions and issues on which men and parties divide. and it is certain that he has been an advocate for everything that goes to pro- mote the upbuilding of his community.
Such a man is A. P. Skeed, publisher of the Clearmont News, whose life work has been spent in this line of endeavor. He is a native of Knoxville, Knox county, Illinois, having been born there on September 24, 1851, the son of Samuel and Emily (Briggs) Skeed, both natives of Ohio. The father, who was a cooper by trade, came to Knox county, Illinois, in November, 1844, and in April, 1845, located in Knoxville. He and Emily Briggs grew to maturity in their native state, were educated and married there, and spent the latter part of their lives in Knox county, Illinois, the father dying at the age of seventy-seven and the mother at the age of eighty-seven. Samuel Skeed continued the cooper's trade until about two years prior to his death. His family consisted of seven children, three of whom grew to maturity.
A. P. Skeed, of this review, grew to maturity in his native city and was educated in Knoxville, Illinois, passing through the public schools and gradu- ating from the high school. He determined when but a lad to devote his life to newspaper work, and with this end in view he entered the office of the Knox County Republican, in 1869, and remained there until 1872. In the
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spring of that year he came to Leon, Decatur county, Iowa, and became asso- ciated with the Decatur County Journal, with which he remained until the fall of 1877, when he moved to Essex. Page county, Iowa, and worked on the Inder there until the fall of 1881. when he went to Coin, Iowa, and assisted in starting the Coin Eagle and on which he put in his best efforts until the spring of 1884. then he took up his residence at Clarinda, that state, and de- voted his attention to the Clarinda Journal until the spring of 1888, when he entered the Herald job office at Clarinda and conducted the same until the spring of 1898. but continued to work there until the following autumn, then came to Clearmont. Nodaway county, Missouri, and bought a half interest in the Notes. On March 1. 1901. he bought his partner's interest and has since conducted the paper alone, having improved it in every respect. building up the circulation and the job department, making it a valuable news and advertising medium.
Mr. Skeed has been three times married. first to Eliza B. Avery, in 1873, who died in March. 1879. In September. 1880. he married Florence Lanning. whose death occurred in April, 1895. For his third wife Mr. Skeed chose Rebecca Tucker. Mr. Skeed has two children, Laura L. and Claude A.
Mr. Skeed is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. having been identified with this denomination since he was fourteen years of age. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Encampment, and the Modern Woodmen of America. He has always been an advocate of Re- publican principles. He has very ably served as chairman of the town board of Clearmont, also as mayor for a period of two years, and for the past three years he has been township trustee. He is regarded as a leader in local affairs and he has won his way into the esteem of all classes in this locality.
JOHN WILLIAM LINVILLE.
Among the native-born citizens of Nodaway county, Missouri, who have achieved a definite measure of success, must be numbered the subject of this sketch, who operates a fine and up-to-date farm in Monroe township. Per- sistent industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails of success. It carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual character and acts as a powerful stimulus to the efforts of others. The greatest results in life are often achieved by simple means and the exercise of the common qual- ities of good sense and perseverance. The everyday life, with its cares, neces-
HENRY LINVILLE AND HIS SON J. W., GRANDSON AND GREAT - GRANDDAUGHTER
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
sities and duties, affords ample opportunities for acquiring experience of the best kind and its most beaten paths provide a true worker with abundant scope for effort and improvement.
John W. Linville was born at Graham, this county, on March 5, 1854, and is a son of Henry and Sarah (Brown) Linville. Henry Linville was born January 30, 1829, in Jackson county, Missouri, and is a son of James and Sarah (Cole) Linville. The family came to Nodaway county in the latter part of 1841, locating near where Graham now stands, the town having since extended over the site of their home. Henry Linville engaged in farming there until the time of the Civil war. He married Sarah Caroline Brown, the daughter of Andrew and Polly Brown, after which event they located on a piece of land given them by Mrs. Linville's father. Mr. Linville was ener- getic and industrious and a good manager and he accumulated more property, so that in the course of time he became fairly well-to-do. He is of an enter- prising make-up and it was he who first introduced shorthorn cattle into this section of Missouri. In addition to carrying on a general line of farming. he bought and sold livestock. fattening cattle and hogs for the market, and rap- idly made money. He was of a generous and accommodating disposition, traits which proved disastrous to him, for, by going security for others who became unable to meet their obligations, he himself suffered serious financial losses. To him and his wife were born twelve children, of which number, six are living. Mrs. Sarah Linville died in 1877 and he afterwards married Mary Miller, of Graham. Since about 1896 Mr. Linville has resided about three miles east of Skidmore. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons. It was a noteworthy coincidence that the subject's two grandfathers were buried at the same time, at the Groves graveyard. northwest of Graham, grandfather Brown having died at the age of eighty-two years and Grand- father Linville at the age of about eighty years. Of the brothers and sisters of the subject. those now living are as follows : Daniel Boone : Kathy, the wife of Thomas Groves : Mary, the widow of William Groves : Martha, the wife of George Southerland: Sarah, the wife of George William Strickler. To the father's second union were born three sons. Leslie. James and Lloyd.
John W. Linville was reared on the home farm, one mile north of Gra- ham, this county, where the family located when he was about two years old. He received a good practical education in the public schools and when old enough he assisted his father in the work of the farm. After his marriage. in 1878. he went to farming for himself on a tract of land six miles northeast of Graham, where he remained for thirteen years. At the end of this period
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he sold his place and bought a farm three miles east of Skidmore, where he lived three years. Selling this place, he lived for a short time three miles south of Quitman, later trading this farm for the one on which he now re- sides, which is located four miles east and one and a half miles north of Skid- more. He is a thoroughly practical and successful farmer, his prosperity being due to his indefatigable industry, good judgment and sound business principles. His farm is well improved and is numbered among the good farms of the township. Progressive and enterprising, he keeps in touch with the most advanced ideas relating to the science of husbandry and the general appearance of his place reflects credit on the owner.
On February 24, 1878, Mr. Linville was united in marriage to Missouri Holt, who was born in 1856 near Quitman, this county, the daughter of Wil- liam and Sarah (Warren) Holt, who are referred to elsewhere in this work. To this union have been born four children, William, Benjamin F., Nora and Earl. William, who is farming near Hardwick, Minnesota, married Bertha Plumerson and they have three children, Lola, Fern and Nellie Lucile. Ben- jamin F. lives in Oklahoma, where he is engaged in traveling for a gaslight manufactory. Nora is the wife of Clark Scott and lives three and a half miles west of Maryville, this county. Earl is in business at Caruthers, Fresno county, California.
Politically, Mr. Linville is a stanch supporter of the Democratic party and takes an active interest in the success of his party and in the general trend of public affairs, though he has been too busy a man to aspire to public office. Fraternally, he joined the order of Knights of Pythias some years ago, but Is not now affiliated, the lodge having dissolved. Genial in disposition and pos- sessed of sterling qualities of character, Mr. Linville enjoys to a marked de- gree the respect and esteem of the entire community.
W. H. SOWERS.
One of the best known and most highly honored residents in the vicinity of Clearmont. Nodaway county, is W. H. Sowers. He is a Hoosier by birth, having first seen the light of day in Fulton county, Indiana, in 1847. the son of Lewis and Susana (Cink) Sowers, both natives of North Carolina, from which state they came as pioneers to Fulton county, Indiana, and there, be- ginning life as the usual first settlers did, soon had a comfortable home. In 1859 they moved to Page county, Iowa, where they purchased some "claims"
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and continued farming, remaining there for a period of twenty-five years, then moved to Thomas county, Kansas, where they died. Although Mr. Sowers kept all his places in first-class condition and was a very successful farmer wherever he went, his farm in Iowa was perhaps his best. He placed it under the highest improvements and had a splendid orchard and everything that made a farm attractive. Politically he was a Republican and a member of the Lutheran church. Ten children constituted his family, nine of whom are still living.
W. H. Sowers was educated in the early subscription schools of Page county, Iowa, and when a young man began farming under his father's direc- tion. When only sixteen years of age he gave expression to his patriotism by enlisting in Company A. Seventh Iowa Cavalry, in which he served until the close of the war. taking part in many hard-fought battles and trying cam- paigns, but always discharging his duty in a manner that would have done credit to a veteran. At the close of the war he returned to Iowa and resumed work on the home place. On September 28, 1868. he married Rosa A. Phipps. of Page county, Iowa, then began farming for himself in that county. In time he came to Nodaway county, Missouri, and bought land, but eventually returned to Page county. Jowa, but later returned to Nodaway county, Mis- souri, and he has been very successful since coming here, owning now four acres in Clearmont. having moved to this town on April 6. 1890. He has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising.
The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sowers: Anna Belle, Mrs. L. Gray, Carrie Adie, Mrs. Carrie (Nelson) Crigger. of Rawlins county. Kansas; W. C. graduated in December, 1898, from the Gem City Business College, also from the penmanship department of the same school: he is now one of the head clerks in the Home Insurance Company of Chicago. B. C. was educated in the public schools and is living at home. He graduated in 1894 under Gough and Ritenhour as president and vice-president of the school board.
W. H. Sowers and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. and he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic. Politically he is a Democrat and has taken a very active interest in the affairs of his party, and he has held most all of the township and town offices, was justice of the peace, a member of the town board and school director; but his greatest service was as county judge, having been elected to this office in November, 1900, and served one term in a very accept- able and faithful manner, winning the hearty approval of all concerned, irre- spective of party alignment. His decisions were characterized by fairness and conservatism and by a desire to faithfully discharge his every duty.
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HENRY M. CRANE.
Another of the farmers of Atchison township. Nodaway county, who has gained success along their chosen lines is Henry M. Crane, who started in life with few opportunities, but by hard work and proper management is now the owner of a valuable and highly productive landed estate, which he manages with that care and discretion that stamps him as one of the best farmers of the community.
Mr. Crane was born in Warren county, Illinois, in 1876, and is the son of S. B. and Caroline (Mills) Crane, both natives of the state of New Jersey, where they grew to manhood and womanhood and where they received their education and were married. In 1863 they came west and located in Warren county, Illinois, and there Mr. Crane devoted his attention to farming and stock breeding, making a specialty of Shorthorn cattle, in the raising of which he was very successful. He was well known and highly respected in that county and there he spent the rest of his life. Mrs. Crane survives him and is living at Monmouth, Illinois. She is a member of the Presbyterian church, to which Mr. Crane also belonged. Eleven children were born to them, six sons and five daughters, all of whom grew to maturity, and eight of them are living at this writing.
Henry M. Crane was reared on the home farm. where he was early put to work in the fields. He was educated in the public schools of Warren county, and he remained with the home folks until he became of legal age. then he started out in life for himself. He had heard of the opportunities existing in Nodaway county, Missouri, for a young man of limited means, but who was willing to work, and he came here as a result, and the success he has achieved would seem to indicate that he was wise in coming to this conclusion. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres two miles north of Clearmont and in the spring of 1910 he purchased forty acres more. now hav- ing one of the best farms in this community, on which he carries on general farming and stock raising. He has worked hard and placed good improve- ments on his place and has a good home.
Mr. Crane was married on June 25. 1896, to Cordelia J. Jamison, and this union has resulted in the birth of the following children: Crystal E .. Henry Ludlow. Frank and Edwin Jamison.
Mrs. Crane is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics Mr. Crane is a Democrat. and he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
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JAMES A. HULS.
From one of the highly honored and influential old families of the north- ern part of Nodaway county is descended James A. Huls, one of the leading farmers of Atchison township, and he is maintaining in a very praiseworthy manner the reputation of his forbears for honesty and industry, having begun life with but little assistance and now owns one of the desirable and valuable farms of his community. He has spent his life in this part of the county, having been born in Atchison township, in 1864, the son of A. M. and Eliza J. (Shankline) Huls, the father a native of Kentucky and the mother of In- diana, each being representative of splendid old families, the mother having coine to Nodaway county, with her parents, in an early day. A. M. Huls was a prominent man in his community, was a very successful farmer and took a great interest in the Democratic party and the Adventist church. being one of the organizers of the church of that denomination in this section of the county. He was twice married, and was the father of ten children, two by his first wife and eight by his second. Everybody honored and respected him for his many virtues.
James A. Huls grew to maturity on the home farm, which he assisted to develop during the summer season and attended the neighboring schools in the winter-time. Leaving his parental home when only sixteen years of age, he began working out. Although this early experience was often dis- agreeable and hard for a lad of tender years, it was excellent training for him and gave him the necessary grit and nerve for life's subsequent struggle. He saved his meager earnings and was thereby enabled to get a start. and with the characteristic courage of his ancestors he has never allowed the pace to slacken and today, after years of hard work and no little worry, which comes to the lot of every ambitious man, he finds himself comfortably situated, being the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres in the vicinity of Clearmont on which he carries on general farming and handles some stock. He has constantly improved his place until it ranks well with any in this part of the county, and he has a good home and barn.
Mr. Huls was married in 1890 to Mary E. Linebaugh, daughter of Jacob Linebaugh. one of the well known early residents of this part of the county. full mention of him being made in the sketch on another page of this work. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Huls : Lula Ellen. Ada Grace, Julia Ann (died in infancy), Clara Etta, James E .. Elsie May (died in infancy).
Mr. and Mrs. Huls are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
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politically Mr. Huls is a Democrat, but he is too busy with his farming opera- tions to take much part in political matters ; however, his vote can always be depended upon in support of worthy measures for his community.
J. E. BEAM.
Among the young but successful farmers of Atchison township, Nod- away county, who have the interest of their locality at heart and who, like their fathers before them, have led consistent lives, thereby gaining definite success along their chosen lines and at the same time establishing a reputation for honesty and fair dealing, is J. E. Beam, who, while he had opportunities not altogether flattering in his youth and not as much help as some in be- ginning the battle of life on his own account, has. nevertheless, succeeded in building up a good property and is fairly well situated from a material stand- point.
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