CHAPTER XXVII (Part 78)
BIOGRAPHICAL
William E. Dunn, a well known and progressive farmer and stockman of White Oak township, is a native of Henry County and was born in the township where he now resides. Mr. Dunn is a son of James A. and Jemima (Herrington) Dunn, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri, and both members of pioneer families of this State.
James A. Dunn was born in 1844 and came to Henry County with his parents when he was ten years old in 1854. He was a son of Major Dunn, who settled in White Oak township and who was among the very first settlers of this section. Major Dunn frequently recalled the fact that the day he first came to this vicinity a large band of Indians were on a deer hunting expedition and they killed a deer about where the town of Hartwell now stands. Major Dunn was one of the prominent pioneers of Henry County and was among the influential men of the early days. He died in 1869 and was followed in death by his wife three years later in 1872.
James A. Dunn, father of William E. Dunn, spent his early boyhood days in Honey Creek township and during his lifetime, acquired considerable land, owning about 700 acres. When the Civil War broke out, he was a man of deep southern sympathy and cast his lot with the cause of the Confederacy. He joined General Price's army and among the first engagements in which he participated was the battle of Lone Jack and continued his service in the Confederate army until the close of the war. He died in September, 1911, his wife and the mother of the subject of this sketch having preceded him in death many years. She passed away in 1878.
They were the parents of the following children: William E., the subject of this sketch; Georgia, died in childhood; Nathan James, whose present whereabouts is known; Mrs. Eliza Maude Blevins, now deceased; and Mary Elizabeth, now Mrs. Thomas Childers, Blairstown, Missouri. After the death of the mother, James A. Dunn was married to Martha Tarter, and the following children were born to this union: Mrs. Ida Jagerman, Garland, Missouri; Mrs. Stella Coe, who resides in Oklahoma; Mrs. Tina Swart, Blairstown, Missouri; Grady, Ola, Temple, Mabel and John, all residing at home with their mother.
William E. Dunn received his education in the public schools of Henry County, attending school at the Victor school house. At the age of twenty-two years, he began farming for himself. In 1897, he purchased his present place of 240 acres in White Oak township. Mr. Dunn has added to his original purchase from time to time until he now owns a splendid farm of 440 acres, under a high state of cultivation. He ranks among the leading farmers and stock raisers of Henry County, and is recognized as a leader. In addition to farming and stock raising, he is one of the extensive cattle feeders of this section of the country and his feed yards are usually occupied by about 100 head of marketable cattle. The Dunn home presents an appearance of the thrift and progress of its owner and is one of the fine and imposing appearing homes of Henry County.
Mr. Dunn was united in marriage in 1893 with Miss Belle Walker of Shawnee township, Henry County, a daughter of Washington Walker, a worthy pioneer of that section of Henry County, who is now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Dunn have been born the following children: Florence, Opal and Edward.
Mr. Dunn is one of the leading farmers and stockmen of his section of Henry County and the Dunn family are prominent in the community. In politics, he is a Democrat and he and Mrs. Dunn are members of the Baptist Church.
William F. Standke, old settler and prosperous citizen of Henry County, is proprietor of one of the prettiest and best kept eighty acre farms in Henry County. His home is a handsome white cottage surrounded by shrubbery and trees, orchards and vineyards, with all kinds of fruits and everything to make a man pleased with himself and make his outlook on life one of pleasant retrospection and undismayed by what the future may hold for him. The man who owns a plot of ground which will produce his living and something over for a rainy day in these times of war and high prices of commodities is fortunate indeed, and Mr. Standke, in spite of a misfortune which resulted in the loss of one hand and part of his arm which renders most farm work impossible for him, is happy and contented, for the simple reason that he has a devoted and capable wife who is able and willing to take much of the work from his shoulders which he is unable to do.
William F. Standke was born in Brandenburg, Germany, January 18, 1853, the son of August and Christina Standke, who immigrated to America in 1871 and made a settlement in Ottawa County, Ohio. August Standke made his home with his oldest daughter in Ohio when old age came upon him and died at her home. There were four children in the Standke family: Mrs. Minnie Frank, Oak Harbor, Ottawa County, Ohio; Mrs. Hannah Myers, died at Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio; William F., subject of this sketch; Mrs. Augusta Tenke, Pendleton, Indiana.
William F. Standke was educated in the schools of his native land and after coming to America with his parents, he was employed in a saw mill in Ottawa County, Ohio, at a wage of $1.75 per day. This was much larger wages than he could ever have received in Germany, a country of notoriously low wages, and he made the best of his opportunity to save a competence. In 1881, he came to Missouri and bought a farm of sixty acres, to which he later added forty acres, upon which he placed every stick and shrub, every vine, and every flower, with the assistance of his capable wife, and also built the cottage home and other farm buildings. It can be truly said that William F. Standke created his own farm from the prairie.
In 1875, he was married to Caroline Neumeister, who was born in Germany, January 28, 1859, and came to America when a child with her parents, Schik and Christina Neumeister. Seven children were born to this marriage: Charles, a farmer in Clinton township; Mrs. Clara Louise Blatt, Toledo, Ohio; William F., New Orleans, Louisiana; George, Indianapolis, Indiana; Mrs. Emma Neif, Toledo, Ohio; Otto, Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Minnie Brawn, Fairview township.
Mr. Standke is an independent voter. He and Mrs. Standke are members of the Evangelical Association and are a contented and congenial couple who have the esteem and respect of their neighbors and many friends.
Henry F. Miller, a pioneer merchant of Urich and a member of one of the pioneer families of Henry County, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Bedford County August 8, 1842, and is a son of Jonathan Miller and Sarah A. (Gump) Miller, both natives of Pennsylvania. The Miller family removed from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1853 and after remaining there four years, they came to Missouri and settled in Bogard township, Henry County, and here the father purchased a farm of eighty acres to which he added from time to time until he owned 400 acres. He was born June 3, 1818. He died in 1892 at the age of seventy-four years.
His wife departed this life in April, 1918, at the advanced age of ninety-six years, three months and seven days, and their remains rest side by side in the Urich Cemetery. They were the parents of the following children: Henry F., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Mary E. McCoy, Creighton, Missouri; J. J., Urich, Missouri; Mrs. Susan Coolidge, who resides in North Dakota; George W., lives in Barton County, Missouri; Mrs. Rebecca Wells, Urich, Missouri; W. C, Urich, Missouri; James, died at the age of two years; R. F., Urich, Missouri; and Mrs. Emma Howard, Kansas City, Missouri.
Henry F. Miller received his education in the public schools of Pennsylvania, Illinois and Missouri. He was seventeen years of age when the family came to Henry County. He spent his boyhood days not unlike the average boy of that time, and when the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in Company G, 7th Regiment Missouri Cavalry. Most of his military service during the war was in Missouri and for a long time, his regiment was stationed at Warrensburg. He was also with his command in Arkansas and at the close of the war, he was honorably discharged and mustered out of the service. He then engaged in farming for five years, when he engaged in the mercantile business at old Urich in partnership with a brother. The new town of Urich came into existence in 1885 and he sold out to his brother, R. F. Miller, and opened a general store in the new town where he has since been engaged in the general mercantile business. Mr. Miller is the pioneer merchant of Urich and has, to his credit, over a third of a century of successful mercantile experience, and during the course of that time, he has done business with thousands of people and his honesty, integrity and square business methods have never been brought into question. He has never had an ambition to be a merchant prince of the large centers of trade, but he has always derived a great deal of satisfaction from the fact that his large circle of patrons and customers have learned to regard his representations with absolute confidence and fidelity.
Mr. Miller was united in marriage March 7, 1875 with Miss Nancy E. Poge, a daughter of William and Delaney Poge, pioneers of Big Creek township, who settled here prior to the Civil War and are both now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born the following children: Mrs. Inez 0. Duncan; J. F.; Erastus, all living at Urich, Mrs. Amy Blevins.
Mr. Miller is a member of the Masonic Lodge and also holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a charter member, and he has belonged to the Baptist Church for over fifty years.
Mr. Miller is one of the pioneers of Henry County. He recollects when a boy that goods were hauled from Lexington a distance of over sixty miles, to supply the early settlers of Henry County. He has seen Henry County develop from an unbroken plain to the garden spot of the gods, and has done his part nobly and well in this great transformation that has taken place during his sixty-one years of residence within the borders of this, one of the great political subdivisions of the state of Missouri.
James A. Kerr, a prominent druggist of Urich, belongs to one of the pioneer families of Henry County. He was born in Greenville, Ohio, April 17, 1859, and is a son of Hugh C. and Anna M. (Cromer) Kerr, both natives of Pennsylvania. The Kerr family came to Henry County in 1879, where the father bought 208 acres of land, and was engaged in farming and stock raising until the time of his death in 1885. His widow now resides in Darke County, Ohio, on a place which her father bought in 1824, To Hugh and Anna M. Cromer were born the following children: William J., deceased; James A., the subject of this sketch; J. C, deceased; Mrs. Azora May Livingston, deceased; and John H., deceased.
Hugh C. Kerr, father of James A. Kerr, was one of the early day advocates of good roads more than fifty years ago in Ohio, and was one of the promoters of what was known as the National Turnpike through his section of the country. It is but recently that men have been brought to the proper conception of the value of good roads. Methods of transportation have always been one of the world's great problems and the wonder and pity of it is that mankind is so short sighted that they cannot, or will not, see the value of road improvement.
James A. Kerr received his education, principally, in the public schools of Darke County, Ohio. After coming to Henry County he followed farming and stock raising until 1885, when he came to Urich and opened a drug store, in partnership with Dr. J. Noble. He studied pharmacy under the preceptorship of Doctor Noble and their business relations continued for three years. At the expiration of that time, Mr. Kerr bought the interest of his partner in the business which he has since conducted. The Kerr drug store is not only the pioneer drug store of Urich but is the principal one there. Mr. Kerr is up to date. He not only aims to cover the field of the retail druggist, but in his store is found a complete line of what is known to the trade as druggists sundries, a line as complete as can be found in any town.
James A. Kerr was united in marriage June 1, 1896, to Miss Rachel Gillson, a daughter of D. Gillson of Appleton City, Missouri. Her father, who was well known throughout western Missouri as Captain Gillson, is now deceased, as is also his wife, and their remains are buried at Appleton City, Missouri. To Mr. and Mrs. Kerr have been born two children, Edith, the wife of R. C. Glenn, a son of Judge Allen Glenn of Harrisonville, Missouri, and they reside at Powersville, and Hugh Chester, who resides at home with his parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Kerr are members of the Presbyterian Church and they have a broad social acquaintance in western Henry County and are of the representative and highly respected citizens of this county.
