USA > Missouri > Grundy County > The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts > Part 35
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HENRY 0. HERBERT,
Son of John L. and Rebecca Herbert, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, on the 31st of January, 1843. His father hailed fromn Virginia, and his mother was a native of Ohio. When Henry was three years old the family removed to Missouri and made their home in Grundy county. The rude alarıns of war sounded in 1861, and Henry C. Herbert was among those who responded to their country's call. He enlisted as a private in com- pany G, Thirty-third regiment Missouri volunteer infantry, and served four years, passing unscathed through many fields of carnage, where the groans and wails of the wounded mingled with the hissing of the flying shot and shell. He participated in the battles of Helena (Ark.), Gains' Hill, and Vicksburg, in the spring and summer of 1863. The Thirty-third Missouri formed a part of the third brigade, first division of the sixteenth army corps, under General N. P. Banks, and, with his company, he accompanied, on the 11th of March, 1864, the memorable and disastrous expedition up Red River to capture Shreveport, the seat of the Confederate government in Lonsiana, and took part in the assault and capture of Fort de Russy, the skirmish and retreat at Mansfield, the bloody engagement at Pleasant Hill and consequent retreat to Alexandria, and by gunboats down Red River on their return, reaching Vicksburg on the 22d of May, 1864. He partici- pated in the skirmishes at La Grange, Holly Springs, Oxford, Waterford, and the three days' fight at Tupelo on the 13th, 14th and 15th of July, the same year, arriving at Memphis, Tenn., August 30th. Here he was on the sick list, and on the 2d of November, 1864, went home on a furlough, re- maining until his recovery, March 19th, 1865, when he rejoined his com- pany and went down to New Orleans. After a short sickness he took part in the siege and capture of Spanish Fort, near Mobile; accompanied the march to Montgomery, Ala., thence down the river to Selma, where he was stationed until July 21st, 1865, when the regiment went by rail to Vicks- burg, up the Mississippi to St. Louis, receiving his honorable discharge from the service on the 10th of August, 1865, and reaching home on the 14th of the same month.
On the 16th of September, 1866, Mr. Herbert married Mrs. Mary Lee- per, widow of Andrew C. Leeper, by whom she was the mother of two children, James M, born January 20, 1863; and Andrew C., born Novem- ber 18, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Herbert have been the parents of eight chil- dren, six of whom are living, as follows: John W., born July 27, 1867; Ivan B., May 5, 1868; Hugh L., April 13, 1870; Martha M., March 10, 1872; Hiram B., December 12, 1873; and Benjamin F., December 7, 1876. Mr. Herbert is a farmer and his farm is among the best cultivated in Trenton township.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
A. J. LEE
Was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, October 12, 1837. His parents were Joseph and Abigail Lee, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. He received a common school education in his native place, where he remained until 1857, when he removed to Kansas, remained three years, and then settled in Grundy county, where he has since lived and en- gaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have had nine children: William J., born June 9, 1860, died December 23, 1878; Cora E., born May 5, 1861; James L., born December 5, 1862, died September 15, 1864; John R., born January 28, 1865; Benjamin F., born November 14, 1866; Laura B., born May 4, 1869, died October 30, 1869; Thomas E., born October 12, 1870; Elizabeth G., born December 17, 1872, died January 14, 1874; and Charles B., born January 10, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Lee's wedding day was August 29, 1859.
JAMES LEEPER
Came to Grundy and settled in Trenton township in 1845, and after years of painstaking industry is now the possessor of a handsome farm of five hundred and seventy acres under cultivation, a cozy home and fine orchard. He was born in Pennsylvania, February 13, 1814, and his parents, William and Rachel Leeper, were natives of the same State. The family migrated to Ohio and settled in Guernsey county, where they remained a few years, and from thence went to Muskingum county, in the same State. While living here Mr. Leeper was joined in the marriage covenant to Miss Martha Crawford. This lady was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, on the 16th of July, 1816, and has proved a most worthy companion for her husband. Ten children have come of this union, whose names and birth are here given: Mary M., born February 3, 1837, died February 5, 1837; Mary J., born May 6, 1838, died November 24, 1840; Andrew C., born August 4, 1840, died October 15, 1864, leaving a widow and two children; Elizabeth, born August 7, 1842, died February 23, 1843; Sarah E., born March 15, 1845, died February 25, 1862; Martha R., born January 29, 1849, wife of J. A. French; Euphemia, born February 28, 1854, wife of R. E. Boyce; James E., born February 28, 1856, a physician in Morgan county, Ohio; Norvin, born October 3, 1857, died February 27, 1862; Jolin W., born April 4, 1859, is the only one the large family at home.
B. F. LEHEW.
Benjamin Franklin Lehew was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, Sep- tember 5, 1834, where he was reared and received a common school educa- tion. Leaving home when twenty-four years of age, he went to Allen county, Indiana, and settled down. February 8, 1859, Mr. Lchew was united in marriage to Miss Sarah C. Comstock, a young lady of Ohio birth,
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
born in Janesville, June 13, 1836. The family resided in Indiana until 1872, when they removed to Grundy county. Mr. Lehew is one of the sub- " stantial farmers of the county, and is also a successful fruit-culturist and sheep-raiser. He has a comfortable home and.pleasant surroundings. Mr. and Mrs. Lehew have a family of eight children, whose names are here given: Lewis W., born October 26, 1859; Mary M., born November 3. 1861; Alpha, born December 10, 1863; Myra J., born September 14, 1865; Annie R., born August 4, 1868; James C., born May 16, 1870; Franklin G., born March 20, 1872; and Leora G., March 21, 1878.
THOMAS LUKE.
Thomas Luke, a native of Lawrence county, Illinois, was born December 6, 1839. When nine years of age his parents removed to Wayne county, in the same State, where they remained six years, when they again packed their household goods and started for the West, arriving in Grundy county in June of 1854. From the age of fifteen he grew to manhood in Grundy county. April 1, 1860, Mr. Luke and Miss Sarah P. Marshall were joined in the marriage covenant. By this union Mr. and Mrs. Luke have a family of nine children; viz., Nancy J., born June 8, 1861; Martha F., born November 9, 1862; Mary M., born March 30, 1864; Abraham L., born December 15, 1866; Samuel D., born January 23, 1868; Minnie L., born October 13, 1869; William T., October 15, 1871; Parmelia B., born Decem- ber 10, 1873; and Ruth N., born July 21, 1879. Mr. Luke, though carry- ing on all the various pursuits which constitute farming, has given his at- tention largely to the cultivation of fruit. He has a fine orchard of forty acres, in which he cultivates nearly every fruit which will grow in Grundy county soil, and has, perhaps, the largest number of apple trees of any orchard in the State. He raises many choice varieties of both large and small fruits, and has met with remarkable success in cultivating so as to produce an abundant yield.
W. S. M'LAIN.
W. S. McLain was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, June 2, 1836, of Kentucky parentage. When six years of age his parents removed to Ken- tucky, where he grew up and received his education. In 1857 he removed to Grundy county and settled upon a farm near where he now lives. Sep- tember 20, 1863, he married Miss Eliza A. Adkins, of Grundy county, born November 17, 1846. They have had seven children: Lucy, born August 12, 1864; Mary E., born November 20, 1866: William, born March 19, 1869: Alice, born November 26, 1871; Minnie, born June 3, 1874; Lenora, born May 21, 1877, died August 27, 1878; and Arthur, born January 19, 1880. Mr. MeLain is engaged in agricultural pursuits, giving special attention to the raising of fine hogs of the Berkshire and Poland-China breeds. He has a fine farm of one hundred and ninety acres.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
GEORGE J. M'CREADY
Is one of the old pioneers of Grundy county. He was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, on February 10, 1820. His father was a native of Maryland, and his mother of Virginia. His father, George W. McCready, was an officer in the War of 1812; he died in March, 1836, and his wife died about three weeks afterwards. When the subject of this sketch was about three years of age his parents moved to Worcester county, Maryland, and there he remained till 1839, when, on June 16th, he located in Grundy county, Missouri, where he has since remained, engaged in farming. Thus he has known this county from that early day when it was an unbroken wil- derness up to the present time, with its beautiful and well cultivated farms, and its population of thrifty and intelligent farmers.
Mr. McCready was married on June 6, 1840, to Mrs. Laura Knight, a native of Schuyler county, Ohio, and born in 1820. This lady and her first husband were on their way from Ohio to seek a home in the far west, when as he was taking his gun from the wagon one day, to shoot a squirrel, he accidentally shot and killed himself. By her first marriage, Mrs. Knight had one child, named Anna. By her marriage with Mr. McCready, six children were born, whose names are Melissa, Jane, George W. and Alonzo, who are still living, and W. R., who died when four years old, and Mary, at the age of eleven months. Mrs. MeCready died February 11, 1853. Mr. McCready again married on June 6, 1853, to Mrs. Martha A. Grubb, widow of F. B. Grubb, who died in Grundy county in 1850. Mrs. Grubb was a native of Tennessee, and was born December 16, 1823. She had three chil- dren by Mr. Grubb: Amanda E., James M. and Erastus. By her marriage with Mr. MeCready the following named children were born: Albert J., Walter M., Sophronia E., Alice Ann, Stephen B., Hattie Lee and Augusta B. Mr. McCready owns a fine home of sixty acres, pleasantly located in Trenton township.
ABRAM PERNELL.
Abram Pernell was born in Morgan county, Ohio, April 20, 1841. He received a common school education, and learned the wagon-maker's trade, at which he was employed the first years after his school days. In 1859, at the age of eighteen, he removed to Grundy county, and engaged in farming. On the first of September, 1865, he was united in matrimony to Miss Elsie Weeden. She was born June 13, 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Pernell have a family of four interesting children, named respectively, Carrie, born Decem- ber 8, 1866; Frank, born February 13, 1868; George E., born September 1, 1870; and Charles A., born September 14, 1873.
A
stephen Peen
PUBLIC LIMAARY
ASTOR, LENOX TILDER FOUNDATION
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
J. H. RUDROW
Was born in Greene county, Ohio, May 27, 1844, and there resided until 1861, when he enlisted in company H, of the Thirty-ninth regiment of Ohio volunteer infantry, serving through the entire four years of the late momentous struggle. Receiving his honorable discharge from the United States service, he returned to his home in Ohio, and September 20, 1865, was united in marriage to Miss Jane Millon, of Xenia, Ohio. He engaged in the grocery business until the fall of 1867, when he removed from Xenia to Muncie, Indiana, and there went into the black walnut lumber trade, but remained only a short time, when he returned to Ohio, loeating in Fayette county, still continuing in the lumber trade. October 21, 1870, he removed to Grundy county, bought a farm, and has since been engaged in its cultivation and also dealing extensively in black walnut lumber throughout northwest Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Rudrow have a family of four children to bless their fireside; namely, W. T. Sherman, born July 18, 1866; Mag- gie, born May 5, 1870; Minnie, born September 5, 1877, and Samuel N., born February 21, 1880.
GILES SONGER.
Giles Songer settled in Trenton township, Grundy county, in the year of 1846, and gave his attention to farming. He was a native of Indiana, and was born in Washington county, in that State, on the 25th of October, 1818, the son of Abram and Catherine Songer, both natives of Pennsylvania. When quite small his parents removed to Clay county, Illinois, where he grew up and received his education.
On January 21st, 1837, Mr. Songer was united in matrimony to Miss Nancy Childers. Miss Childers was a native of Lincoln county, Kentucky, and was born July 20, 1820. This union was blessed with thirteen children, eight sons and five daughters, eight of whom are still living. William, the eldest, was born January 13, 1838, and died April 10, 1869, leaving a wife and three children; Julia, born February 27, 1839, became the wife of Joseph Reeder, and died December 10, 1870, leaving her husband and six children to mourn her loss; Joseph W., born March 1, 1842, is a resident of Grundy county; Mary A. was born November 7, 1843, and is Mrs. William Luke; Thomas B., born October 25, 1845, died in the U. S. hospital at St. Louis, November 18, 1864, having served during the war in company A, Forty-fourth regiment of Missouri volunteer infantry; John B., born No- vember 9, 1847, is still living in Grundy county; Albert G., born Decem- ber 17, 1850, died February 10, 1871; Richard H., born September 19, 1851, died March 25, 1852; Franklin J., born February 27, 1853; Missouri A., born February 4, 1855; Elizabeth, born February 11, 1857; Flora Belle, born July 6, 1859, and Lyman T., born October 25, 1862. Mrs. Songer is still living.
21
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
Mr. Songer became one of the prominent citizens of Grundy county, and served in several official capacities, having been elected county judge two or three terms. After a long life of usefulness, he died on the 13th of Decem- ber. 1880. in the seventy-third year of his age.
OLIVER SMITH,
One of the substantial farmers of Grundy county, was ushered into exist- ence on the 16th of January, 1821, in the District of Columbia, where he passed the first two years of his life, when death deprived him of both father and mother. Oliver was then placed in care of an aunt, who took him to Loudoun county, Virginia, where he grew up. When eighteen years. of age he bid farewell to "Ole Virginny" and sought a home farther west, locating in Guernsey county, Ohio, but remained there only a few years when he made his home in Morgan county, in the same State. On the 4th of June, 1846. he wedded Miss Ruth Walters, an estimable young lady of Morgan county. January 10, 1828, was the date of her birth. This marriage was blessed with four children; namely, Mary A., born June 8, 1847, died May 9. 1847; Benjamin F .; born March 2. 1850; Jonah W., born January 14, 1853; and Mary E., born Angust 24, 1855. In 1864 Mr. Smith removed, with his family, to Grundy county, where he now has a farm of six hundred and thirty acres of fertile land, well stocked, a comfortable homestead, orchard, etc., all of which he has acquired by patient industry and the wil- ling help of his wife. They have toiled long together and can now enjoy the fruits of their labor.
JOSEPH W. SONGER.
In Clay county, Illinois, on the 1st day of March, 1842, Joseph W., son of Giles and Naney Songer, was born. His father was by birth an Indi- anian and his mother a Kentuckian. Joseph had reached the age of four years when his parents migrated to Grundy county. He received his edu- cation in the early log school houses of the county, and being very fond of music, acquired quite a reputation as a pleasing vocalist and officiated as teacher in many of the singing-schools in vogue when he reached manhood. He was also engaged in sabbath-school work, and assisted in the · organiza- tion of a number of schools throughout the county. Mr. Joseph W. Songer and Miss Sarah T. Taylor were joined in wedlock, April 6, 1862. She was a native of Grundy county, and August 6th, 1841, is the date of her birth. Seven children have gathered around their fireside, all of whom are yet liv- ing: Richard E., born December 31, 1862; Nancy H., August 30, 1864; Elizabethi M., July 8, 1866; James A., February 15, 1868; Myrtle A., Feb- ruary 19, 1870; Monta M., March 10, 1872; Robert G., October 1, 1874. Mr. Songer is a thrifty farmer, and has given much of his time for the last few years to growing fine wool sheep, and has attained most gratifying results.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
The Spanish Merino breed is his preference among the several strains of long-wool sheep. From one animal he took nineteen pounds of wool last spring, at one shearing.
J. L. STEELE.
J. L. Steele, son of L. J. and Caroline Steele, was born in Pike county, Illinois, February 13, 1847; his father being a native of Kentucky, and his mother of Ohio. When the subject of this sketch was three years old, his parents removed to Adams county, in the same State. He received an ed- neation in the common schools, and completed a course in the Perry High School, of Pike county, and afterward attended and graduated at Eastman's National Business College, of Chicago. February 21, 1864, when but seven- teen years of age, he enlisted in company G, of the Seventh regiment of Illinois reserve militia, and served until the elose of the war. In 1868 he came to Grundy county, and engaged in farming and teaching school, in both of which avocations, he has attained considerable success. December 24th, 1871, Mr. Steele was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Ford of Grundy county, born January 19, 1852. By this union they have had three children: Minnie, the eldest, was born October 1, 1872, and died October 31, 1873; the second, Bertha, was born Angust 1, 1874; and the youngest Mary L., was born October 27, 1877.
WILLIAM II. SMITHI
Was born April 25th, 1826, near Richmond, Virginia, and is the third child of William N. and Ann C. Smith, both natives of the " Old Dominion." In 1837 our subject, with his father, migrated from Virginia to Missouri, and settled in Glasgow, Howard county, and lived in that place with his parents, working at the carpenter's trade, until May, 1846, at which time he moved to St. Louis.
On the. 27th, of December, 1849, he was married to Miss Sarah A. Humphreys, daughter of Edward Humphreys, all of St. Lonis.
The issue of this marriage was three children, whose names are Mrs. P. Hunt, nee Anna M. Smith, Sarah A. Smith, and James H. Smith. De- cember 8th, 1860, Mr. Smith lost his first wife, and on the 15th of the same month, in 1862, with his three children left St. Louis to settle in Trenton.
On the 15th of October, 1863, he married Miss Susan E. Lowen. By his second wife Mr. Smith is the father of five children now living. Their names are Emma F., Lura M., Arthur P., Jennie L., and Luther C.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are both members of the Christian Church. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F.
Mr. Smith moved to Trenton in time to build a great many of the oldest houses now standing in that place, and is still actively engaged in the pur- suit of his trade.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
JOIN R. SONGER,
Son of Giles and Nancy Songer, was born in Grundy county, Missouri, November 9, 1847. Farming has been his business since he has been old enough, and his life has been spent upon the same section of land he was born upon. Mr. Songer was united in marriage to Miss Nannie V. Shank- lin, December 31, 1870. She was also a native of this county, born May 27, 1847. They have had four children: Carrie, born February 3, 1872; Frederick W., born March 14, 1874; Homer, born March 28, 1876, died April 10, 1876; and Carl A., born February 3, 1878. Mr. Songer has a good farm and is one of the prosperous farmers of the township, and he and his wife are highly esteemed by their neighbors.
ROBERT TAYLOR
And his aged wife rank among the pioneers of Grundy county. He was born in Worcester county, Maryland, October 20, 1808. Robert was reared on a farm and lived in Maryland till he was twenty-six years of age. In 1829 he married Miss Nancy Blades, a native of Maryland, and born November 13, 1809. By this marriage eleven children were born, seven of whom are still living; viz., Caroline, born April 15, 1830; Mary J., born April 7, 1832; Sarah T., born Angust 6, 1841; Robert T., born November 30, 1842; William D., born November 30, 1846; Levin H., born January 18, 1849; Luther, born July 6, 1851. John P., Harriet, Nathaniel and Melinda E. are dead. About the year 1833 Mr. Taylor and his young wife came to Missouri, located in Lafayette county, and lived there about three years. In 1836 the family located in Grundy county, on the same farm they now occupy. He converted three hundred acres of the wilder- ness into a fertile farm and a beautiful home. The old cabin erected in 1836 still stands, and is yet used by this venerable couple as a summer kitchen.
Mr. Taylor takes great pride in his orchard, which is a very fine one and of the choicest varieties of fruit. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are members of the Baptist Church, and are quietly and peacefully passing their declining years under the shadow of the trees their own hands liave planted.
ALFRED URTON
Was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky, on the 24th of June, 1825, the son of James and Jane Urton, the former a native of Virginia, and the lat- ter of Kentucky. After his school days were over he became an overseer on a plantation, which situation he held until early in 1854, when, at the age of twenty-nine, he went to Illinois and located on a farm in Adams county, where he lived five years and then moved to Pike county. While living here he was united in matrimony to Miss Ann Eliza Bowles. She
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
was born Jannary 5, 1834, and was a native of Adams county. In 1866 Mr. Urton removed from Illinois, and settled in Grundy county, where he still lives. Mr. and Mrs. Urton have had eight children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Selina J., born November 11, 1854, died April 12, 1878; William C., born June 1, 1858; Olive, born March 15, 1862; Edwin, born May 31, 1864; Alva, born October 9, 1866, died September 19, 1867; Elma, born June 20, 1870; Alfred B., born March 29, 1872; Effie, born July 22, 1874. Mr. Urton has a fine farm of one hundred and seventy-four acres, and a comfortable home.
JAMES WIGGINS
Was born in Grundy county, Missouri, January 21, 1848, son of Benja- min and Mary Ann (McCoy) Wiggins. His father was a native of Seneca county, New York, but when quite young came with his parents to Ohio and settled in Cincinnati, afterwards went to Kentucky, and in 1820 settled in Howard county, Missouri, and in 1846 removed to Grundy county, and thence to California, where he died in 1850. His mother was a native of Kentucky, and born in 1818, but when one year of age her father came to Missouri and located in Howard county. After the decease of Mr. Wig- gins she married J. R. Merrill, and now lives in Trenton.
The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm. When sixteen years of age he went to Colorado, remained two years, and then returned to Grundy county, where he engaged in the stock business for three years. Novem- ber 14, 1875, he married Blondina Mueller, a native of St. Clair county, Illinois, and who was born September 28, 1854. Two children, Bertha E., born February 12, 1879, and Richard M., born March 1, 1881, are the result of this union. Mr. Wiggins purchased a half interest in twenty-two acres of land adjoining the town site of Trenton, which is now (in 1881) all oc- enpied by buildings, and known as Wiggins & Murphy's Addition to Tren- ton. After quitting the stock business he dealt in real estate till the fall of 1875, when he returned to his farm, and has since resided there. He is a man of fine business ability, while socially he and his family are highly respected.
JOHN NELSON WYMER.
This name was given to a son born to John and Patience Wymer, on the 18th of February, 1829, in Bristol township, Morgan county, Ohio. The family removed to Lawrence county, in the same State, in 1845, where the subject of this biography grew to manhood and learned the carpenter's trade. On the 20th of October, 1850, John N. Wymer and Miss Celia E. Dil- lon were united in the holy bonds of matrimony, at the home of the bride's parents in Lawrence county. Miss Dillon was a native of Franklin county, Virginia, where the first two years of her life were spent. She was born September 20th, 1828, and, with her father's family, became a
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IIISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
resident of Ohio, in 1830. Six years after his marriage Mr. Wymer re- moved to Indiana, and located in Boone county, where he continued to make his home until the close of the civil war, in which he served as a pri- vate in company A, of the Indiana State militia. After the close of hos- tilities, in 1865, he came to Grundy county and settled on a farin some ten miles northeast of Trenton. He continued to cultivate his farm until March, 1881, when he disposed of it, and took up his residence in Trenton and resumed work at his trade, in which he is still engaged.
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