Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States, Part 28

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, C. O. Owen & Co.
Number of Pages: 820


USA > Missouri > Marion County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 28
USA > Missouri > Pike County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 28
USA > Missouri > Ralls County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 28


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he engaged in land speculation. His parents, na- tives of Ireland, emigrated to Virginia and died in the Blue Grass State. Alexander S., who was an only child, received good advantages and is now the owner of three hundred and thirty acres of good land in Liberty Township, where with his wife and family he resides.


When A. S. Kelley was sixteen years of age he joined Porter's Company of Missouri Infantry and remained in the service for three years. Upon returning home he operated the farm in Fabius Township, which had been willed to him by his mother, but when several years had passed he sold out and went to Saline County, Mo .; later he moved to Carroll County, where he remained until 1883. Coming back to this county he operated a farm in Fabius Township until 1892, when he moved to his present homestead. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. and supports by his ballot the Democratic party. In company with his good wife he holds membership in the Baptist Church. She was born August 31, 1850, and is a daughter of Capt. J. W. and Sophia (McLeod) Kneisley. The Captain and wife moved to this State from Virginia in 1858 and for seven consecutive terms the former represented Boone County in the State Legislature. He is now living a retired life at Columbia, Boone County, though for many years he was actively engaged in contracting and building; Mrs. Sophia Kneisley was called to her final rest in 1865. Slie was a daughter of Dr. McLeod, a celebrated physician of Virginia. Mrs. Kelley is one of five children, two of whom died in infancy. Her sister Eveline is the wife of J. M. Johnson, who is farming in Fabius Township, and Augusta, who is unmarried, resides with her father. The union of Alexander and Ida Kelley lias been blessed with five children, of whom Edward D. is the eldest, Augusta is attending col- lege at Palmyra, James W. and Frank M. live at home and one died in infancy.


Edward D. Kelley was born in Columbia, Boone county, Mo., August 9, 1868, and was reared principally in Carroll county, Mo. When he was fifteen years of age lie removed with his parents to Marion county and continued to dwell here for about two years, during which time he was absent for several terms at the Missouri


State University in Columbia. He then went to Kansas City, Mo., where he engaged in the real estate business for three years and then for a year was employed by a lumber merchant. In the meantime he held a position at Jefferson City. And during three sessions of the Legislature he devoted himself to newspaper work. In the fall of 1890 he embarked in the coal business, ship- ping to points in Kansas and Nebraska, but in the spring of 1892 he returned to the old home and assisted his father in the management of the farm for about a year. Since then, as previously men- tioned, he has conducted a real estate, loan and livery business in this city with good success. Following his father's example he supports the Democracy. Religiously he is identified with the Baptist denomination.


J OHN BROSS, a wealthy and prominent farmer of Liberty Township, Marion Coun- ty, is now living retired from active business cares, but still owns his valuable homestead, which comprises three hundred and thirty acres of well-improved land. He has dwelt on this place for over thirty years and has brought it to its present condition of fertility and desirability.


The birth of our subject occurred in Baden, Germany, June 24, 1821. His parents, Nicholas and Barbara (Riggles) Bross, were likewise na- tives of Germany. The former died in Adams county, Ill., in January, 1843, at the age of fifty- five years. He received a good education in Ger- many, was married there and came to the United States in 1832, settling at Louisville, Ky. For five years he carried on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, which he then sold and moved to Quincy, Ill. After a time he bought a farm of eighty acres a few miles from that place, after selling which he purchased a claim from a half- breed Indian; entering the same in regular order he proceeded to improve the place, on which he lived until his death. Upon his demise his wife Barbara sold the farm to her son-in-law and moved to Quincy, where she died October 27, 1847. They were both members of the Catholic


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church. In his political belief Mr. Bross was a Democrat.


John Bross is one of seven children, the others being Barbara (deceased), who was the wife of John Zimmerman, who is also now deceased; Benjamin, a retired farmer of Hancock county, Ill., Paul, who enlisted in the Mexican war in 1846, returned to St. Louis and enlisted to fight against the Indians in the West, since which time he has never been heard from; Mary, widow of Joseph Mast of Quincy, Ill .; Jacob, who died in this county in 1889; Christine, widow of Daniel Kiser, a resident of Keokuk, Iowa. All these children were born in Germany and grew to mature years in the United States.


The marriage of John Bross and Catherine Zimmerman was celebrated October 26, 1846. She was born in Canton, Stark county, Illinois, being one of three children whose parents were Martin and Catherine (Kramer) Zimmerman, the others being Valentine and George, who are both deceased. To our subject and wife were born seven children, as follows: Joseph, whose birth occurred October 27, 1847, is a farmer of this county; John, born 1838, died in infancy; Catherine, the wife of George Menger, a farmer of this township; Mary, residing at home; Philip, now operating a farm in this township; Caroline, the wife of Fred Gottman, a farmer of this town- ship; Albert, also an agriculturist of this town- ship.


The early years of John Bross were spent on his father's farm and at school in Germany and when in his eleventh year he crossed the briny deep with his parents to found a home in America. After the death of his father he secured a position in Quincy, Ill., where he remained for a year and then, investing his savings in a team, he found plenty of employment in hauling and moving merchandise which work he followed for six years. At last he went to work on a farm at a salary of thirteen dollars a month and was thus employed for nearly a year, afterward working a sixty-acre farm on shares for two years. Then he bought a team, implements, etc., and rented a farm of seventy acres. This place he cultivated for the succeeding eight years, in the meantime carefully saving the proceeds of his crops and


business ventures. At length he came to Marion County on a visit to his brother and in 1859 in- vested in one hundred acres of wild land in Henry County, Mo. January 16, 1863, he purchased two hundred and eighty acres, a part of his present farm, and in time increased that number to three hundred and thirty acres. Like his parents hc is a member of the Catholic Church and, following his father's example, he uses his right of fran- chise in favor of the Democracy. In all his deal- ings with his fellow-men he is upright and honor- able and thus enjoys their full confidence.


W ILLIAM M. LEHENBAUER is a na- tive of Bavaria, born February 2, 1833, in the same town and same housc in which his grandfather and father were born. Both father and grandfather were wcavers by trade, and both lived and died in their native coun- try. Martin Lehenbauer, the father of our sub- ject, was the only son in a family of three children. He was married in his native city to Mary Han- baer, and died in 1853, leaving a family of six sons : Frederick, M. W., Ferdinand, John, George and Conrad.


In 1852 our subject, in company with his brother John, emigrated to America and located in Temple County, Ky., where the remainder of the family came the following ycar, soon after the death of the father. In 1860 the mother and five sons removed to Marion County, Mo., where she died at the home of Conrad in 1880. Of the six sons all are still living except George, who met with an accidental death in 1876 caused by the running away of his team.


The subject of this sketch was educated in Germany, and at the age of thirteen was appren- ticed to learn the baker's trade, serving three years. He then entered on an apprenticeship to the miller's trade and served two years. There being but two years left before he would be sub- ject to the six years compulsory military service in his country, and being desirous of doing some- thing for himself, and having heard favorable re-


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ports of the United States, he concluded to come to this country, and, as already stated, in company with his brother John, then a lad of fourteen, on the twentieth day of May, 1852, he sailed from Bremen on the vessel "Johannas," and after a voyage of thirty-nine days landed in Baltimore. They had each five dollars when landing, and after an unsuccessful attempt to find work in that city, concluded to start for the home of their uncle who lived in Temple County, Ky. The entire journey was made on foot, they being two months enroute, and working at different places in payment for their living.


Soon after arriving in Kentucky, our subject secured a position in a mill where he remained three years, aiter which he engaged in farm work in the same county, in which he continued one year. He then took charge of his mother's place, she having purchased the farm in Temple County. He remained with his mother two years and January 4, 1859, married Julia Nunberger, a native of Germany, but who came to Kentucky with her parents when only two years of age. After his marriage Mr. Lehenbauer hired to a farmer in that county, remaining with him eighteen months, and for his service received $15.00 per month. He saved in this time, entire wages, making his living expenses from his gar- den, plow, etc. About this time he purchased a small dairy in the town of Newport, Temple County, which he operated six years, having when he quit one hundred and seventeen cows. When the war broke out he was subject to depredations by both armies and losing nearly all his cows he was compelled to quit the business. In 1865 he rented a farm in that vicinity which he occupied one year, and then disposed of his personal property and removed to Missouri where his mother and brothers had preceded him. In 1867 he purchased the farm that he now owns, then consisting of 224 acres. He has added to his original purchase until he now owns 555 acres.


Mr. and Mrs. Lehenbauer are the parents of the following children, all living: Ferdinand, Mary, John, William, Catherine, George, Emma, Michael, Fredrick and Edward. Of this number, Mary is now the wife of N. Getsenburger of Ralls


County; Elizabeth is the wife of M. Shembarger, of Hannibal; Catherine is the wife of John Mavic, of Ralls County.


Since coming to Ralls County Mr. Lehenbauer has followed mixed farming and stock raising, in which he has been very successful. In 1875 he lost nearly all his crop from high water, his farm being mostly in the rich bottoms of Salt River. Mr. Lehenbauer was reared in the Lutheran Church, which church he still attends. During his residence here he has held the office of School Director for twenty years, which he finally re- signed. For ten years he has been a member of the A. O. U. W.


C HARLES T. WEAVER, Sheriff of Ralls County, Missouri, is a native of that county, where he was born on the 22d day of April, 1858, and is the son of John K. and Ann Elizabeth (Lowe) Weaver. John K. Weaver was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, and went to Missouri when about five years of age with his parents who settled in Ralls County. His father was Tillman Weaver, a native of Virginia, and of German ancestry. He was a farmer and located in Saverton Township where he lived and died.


John K. Weaver, the father of our subject, was reared in the same township and to farm life; later he became a dealer in grain. He removed to New London in 1884, and operated there in grain also. He died June 30, 1888. In politics he was a Democrat. He was a quiet, conservative man, of genial spirit and companionable, and of fine physical proportions. His wife was a native of Ohio, where she was born while her parents were on their way from Virginia to Missouri, they hav- ing temporarily located in that State. Her father, Henry Lowe, was a farmer and settled in Saverton Township where he died. Mrs. Weaver departed this life January 10, 1888; she was a member of the Old School Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver were the parents of seven children, three of whom, Henry T., John N., Charles T., survive them and live in New London.


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The subject of this biography was reared on the Saverton farm where he attended the common schools. His first engagement in business for himself was as a dealer in hardware in partner- ship with D. M Bunch, under the firm name of Weaver & Bunch; he carried on this business three years when it was closed up with loss. In the fall of 1892, he was nominated by the Demo- cratic party for Sheriff and was elected, and in 1894, having discharged the duties of said office satisfactorily, he was renominated and re-elected, and is now serving his second term.


Mr. Weaver was married December 14, 1887, to Logie M., daughter of Dr. W. G. and Mollie (Boaz) Hendrix, of New London, and a native of Ralls County. They have one child by this marriage, Harry Gray. Mrs. Weaver is a mem- ber of the Christian Church. Mr. Weaver served . two years as one of the trustees of the village. He has made an able and popular Sheriff, and is held in high regard as an official of the county; he is a man of genial nature and winning man- ners, and is much esteemed by the people. He is a member of the New London Lodge, No. 180, K. of P.


UDGE JAMES MARSHALL SMITH, Judge of the County Court of Ralls County, and President of the Ralls County Bank, is one of its leading and representative men. He was born in Ralls County, December 24, 1836, and was the third in a family of seven children born to Alfred and Levina (Fortune) Smith, of whom four now survive. His father was born in Louisa County, Va., Jan. 12, 1804, where he grew to manhood, and later removed to Tennessee, and there married. After a short residence in Tennessee, he removed to Missouri and settled in Center Township, Ralls County, in the fall of 1833. His occupation was that of a farmer, which he followed all his life. He was a man of upright character and was well known to the early settlers of this county, who regarded him as a man of sterling worth. His death occurred in 1885.


The subject of this sketch grew to manliood in his native county and acquired his education in the common school. When nineteen years old, he left the parental home and secured employment as a farm hand. After the farming season was over, he was appointed Deputy Sheriff by R. B. Caldwell, then Sheriff of Ralls County, and on the expiration of Mr. Caldwell's term of office, he was re-appointed by G. G. Muldrow, the newly elected Sheriff, and served under him until the breaking out of the Civil War. He then returned to farm life, which he has since followed. In 1866 he made his first purchase of three hundred and thirty-six acres of land, some two miles south of his present location, and in the Spring of 1867, with his family, he removed to that farm and there resided until 1884, adding during the intervening years, some three hundred acres, making it a farm of six hundred and forty acres. In 1884, he dis- posed of four hundred and twenty-six acres of that land, and purchased his present homestead, it being at that time a farm of five hundred acres.


Judge Smith has been thrice married. His first wife, to whom he was married on January 31, 1861, was Miss Mary E. Caldwell, daughter of R. B. Caldwell, by whom he had two children, both of whom are now deceased. His second wife was Miss Ellen Floweree, to whom he was married August 30, 1865. To them were born five children, of whom but one now survives: Alfred, a progressive young farmer of Ralls County, who married Miss Birdie Wilson. They have one child. Our subject's present wife is Miss Emily Alice Diggs, a daughter of John D. Diggs, who was one of the earliest settlers of Ralls County. Their marriage occurred October 24, 1874, and of this union have been born four children, all of whom still survive: Harriet, now the wife of Robert A. Briscoe, Deputy County Clerk of Ralls County; Pauline, John D., and Julia Downing.


In 1890, Mr. Smith was nominated on the Democratic ticket for the office of Judge of the County Court. He was elected by a large ma- jority, and on the expiration of his term in 1894, was re-nominated and re-elected, and is now serving his second term of office. He is a man of


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good judgment, and discharges the duties of his office with fidelity and to the satisfaction of his constituents. In his religious belief he is a Bap- tist, of which church he has been a member for many years. In all matters pertaining to the wel- fare of his native county, he has ever taken an active interest and no man stands higher in the esteem of his fellow citizens.


H ENRY BURKE HULL is a native Mis- sourian, having been born in Osage County, March II, 1870. His father, Henry C. Hull, was also born in Osage County, where he owned and tilled a fine farm. The fam- ily moved to Lincoln County in the winter of 1881, and while on this trip the elder Hull con- tracted a heavy cold that developed into a case of pneumonia with fatal results, leaving a widow, Mrs. Mary R. Hull, and two children, Miss Ger- trude (now Mrs. Luther Mckay, of Hannibal) and the subject of this sketch. In the year 1885 young Hull entered the office of the Lincoln County News as "printer's devil," for the pur- pose of learning the journalistic business from the bottom up. As a boy at school he was fond of writing, and his ambition to be a newspaper man dated from a very carly period of his life. In 1887 he went to Hannibal and accepted a position as compositor with the Courier, on which paper he worked until the following year, when he ac- cepted a similar position on the Morning Journal. He was soon taken from the case and placed upon the reportorial staff, where he distinguished him- self as a newspaper reporter. In May, 1892 Mr. Hull was made business manager of the Morn- ing Journal, which position he held until Sep- tember, 1894, when he resigned to establish The Weekly Times. This venture proved a brilliant success and would have been a fixture among Hannibal business enterprises, had not Mr. Hull been persuaded to sell out to an incorporated company and merge the weekly into a daily paper, associating himself with Judge Samuel J. Harrison, H. Clay Heather and others. This


paper was not a success for the reason it was started on too large a scale. On the 10th day of April Mr. Hull purchased the interest of all other stockholders in the Times Printing Company. The paper was running at a loss, and the day he became sole owner of the plant Mr. Hull discon- tinued the daily publication and confined himself for a short time to the publication of his weekly edition. In just thirty days after this change was made Mr. Hull sold a three-fourths interest in his plant to three practical printers, and The Evening News was established under, as it were, rather unfavorable circumstances. The first issue of the paper, however, was well received. The paper, being independent in politics, seemed to strike the popular chord in the public pulse, and has prospered from the first under the editor- ial control of Mr. Hull. He is a forcible and fear- less writer, and the paper has gained a reputa -. tion for telling the truth, no matter whom it hurts, which is probably the secret of the phenomenal success of the enterprise. The most important epoch of Mr. Hull's life occurred on June 13, 1892, on which day he was married to Miss Susan Lipscomb, youngest child of Col. and Mrs. H. S. Lipscomb, near Palmyra. To this union has been born one child, little Miss Susan Sinclair, aged about two years. The family live in a hand- some home on Maple Avenue, in which neighbor- hood Baby Sinclair is a great favorite.


C APT. JOHN WESLEY HENDRICK, who resides in an elegant home in the suburbs of Bowling Green, Pike County, is a distinguished and representative citizen. He is wealthy and very influential in social, political and business circles. For the past twenty-three years he has carried on a farm of three hundred and fifty-five acres situated in Cuivre Township. which property was given to him by his father.


The paternal grandparents of our subject were Elijah and Nancy (Harrison) Hendrick. The former was born in Amelia County, Va., June 23, 1758, and died September 11, 1830, in this


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county. He was of English ancestry and fought on the patriot side during the war of the Revolu- tion. His good wife departed this life about 1852, being in her ninety-third year, as she was born February 9, 1761. She was a relative of the Benjamin Harrison of Revolutionary fame. .


Johnson Hendrick, father of the Captain, was also born in Amelia County, Va., August 12, 1798, and was brought up on a farm. In 1817 he came to Pike County with his parents, who en- tered a tract of land in Cuivre Township. When eighteen years of age the young man branched out for himself, cultivating land which he had purchased of the Government. As time passed he bought more land until his estate numbered some twelve hunderd acres, all in this county. He also became the owner of many slaves, hold- ing them up to the time of their emancipation. He was a strong Union man, and a believer in the doctrines of the old Whig party.


On June 10, 1830, Johnson Hendrick was mar- ried to Levisa Standford, who was born in Ken- tucky November 12, 1807, and died June 21, 1863. They were both members of the Universalist Church. The following children were born to them: Martha, who married Dr. J. W. Watts, now of Oregon; Nancy, Mrs. James Mosby of Bowling Green; Harrison, a farmer of this county; Louisa, who died in infancy; Louisa, the second of the name and who was also summoned by death in babyhood; James, who died in in- fancy; J. W. of this sketch; Amanda, wife of J. N. Griffith, of Bowling Green; Valentine, a farmer on the old homestead, and Mittie, wife of James J. Peay, of Bowling Green. The father of these children departed this life April 26, 1879, lamented by a large circle of warm friends.


Captain Hendrick was born in 1840 and spent his early life on his father's farm. He obtained a good general education which he has expanded by study and experience. When he was but eight- een years of age he became Deputy Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds and served as such for three years. The war then broke out and follow- ing the example of his illustrious forefather he took up arms in defense of the Union. In Sep- tember, 1861, he enlisted in the State militia, serv-


ing for six months, and then in February, 1862, was mustered in to Company C, Third Missouri Cavalry. From that time until the close of the War he was in the western branch of the Federal army and took part in all the engagements of his regiment. He was mustered out with the rank of Captain March 25, 1865, at Macon City, Mo.


For the two years following Mr. Hendrick was in the State service, later being General Clerk of the Legislature for a similar length of time. After that, he was elected secretary of the senate and acted in that capacity about two years. In 1872 he returned to Bowling Green and commenced operating his farm in Cuivre Township, which comprises three hundred and fifty-five acres. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers' bank of Bowling Green.


January 16, 1873, the Captain married Lizzie, daughter of Edward D. and Catherine (Peay) Emerson, who were natives of Virginia and came to this county at an early day. The father, now a resident of Bowling Green was formerly engaged in farming. His good wife departed this life January 13, 1881. Their eight children were Lizzie, George, Mary, Luke, Anna, James, Fannie and Douglas. The union of the Captain and wife has been blessed by two children, John Deyoe and Ernest L., who is now attending Co- lumbia College.


A man of broad thought and sterling princi- ples, Captain Hendrick is highly respected by all who know him. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, being identified with Bowling Green Lodge. Politically, he is affiliated with the Republican party and is always a strong advocate of good government and progressive measures. Both he and his worthy wife are members of the Universalist Church.


W ILLIAM L. DOUGHERTY, of Bowl- ing Green, was elected to the important position of Sheriff of Pike County in the spring of 1894, and since then has made his headquarters in this city. He has made an able and popular officer and enjoys the confidence and


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respect of the public at large. He is affable and warmı hearted by nature and readily makes and retains friends.




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