CHAPTER XXVII (Part 90)
BIOGRAPHICAL
W. A. Stansberry, a Henry County pioneer and prominent farmer and stockman of Big Creek township, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Fairfield County, in 1852, a son of W. H. and Rachel (Elsborn) Stansberry, natives of Ohio. They came to Missouri in 1870 and settled in Big Creek township, Henry County. Later, they removed to St. Clair County, where they lived for a time, but returned to Henry County and both died here, and their remains are interred in the Carpenter Cemetery in Johnson County. They were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Samantha Jane Crist, now deceased; Mrs. Mary Showalter, Carroll, Ohio; Mrs. Kate Lane, Clinton, Missouri; John, Old Chilhowee, Missouri; W. A., the subject of this sketch; George, died in Montana; Charles, resides at Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mrs. Rachel Sherman, died at Pittsburg, Kansas; Mrs. Emma Corsen, died in Johnson County, Missouri; Noah, lives in Johnson County, Missouri; J. J., Miami, Oklahoma; Mrs. Frank Murphy, Honey Creek township, and Mrs. Millie Heath, Taborville, Missouri.
W. A. Stansberry was reared and educated in Ohio and was about eighteen years of age when he came to Henry County with his parents in 1870. After coming here, he worked some by the month, but soon engaged in farming in Big Creek township on rented land. Later, he bought a farm and now owns one hundred twenty acres, two and one-half miles southeast of Blairstown. His place is well improved with a good farm residence and other suitable farm buildings. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, having been especially successful raising Duroc Jersey hogs in recent years.
Mr. Stansberry was married in 1876 to Miss Sarah E. Webster, daughter of James H. and Mary Jane (Carpenter) Webster of Big Creek township. The father died in Arkansas in 1903, and the mother died in Henry County during the Civil War, having contracted pneumonia from exposure when driven from home by "Jayhawkers." Mrs. Stansberry was one of four children born to her parents, the others being: Pleasant Webster, who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and now resides at Bozeman, Montana; Mrs. Mary Haney, Chickalah, Arkansas, and Mrs. Hester Anderson, now deceased. After the death of the mother of these children, the father married again to Mary Lotspiech, and to this second marriage were born the following children: Charles, lives in Arkansas; Mrs. Dora Hanes, deceased; Walter, lives in Oklahoma; Oscar, Arkansas; Florence, Arkansas, and Maude, deceased.
To Mr. and Mrs. Stansberry have been born four children, as follows: Blanche, died at the age of three years; Hattie, married Sterling S. Patterson, who is now deceased, having left one child, Ora Ellen, who resides with Mr. and Mrs. Stansberry; John W., at home; Mary J., married Cecil Gray, Big Creek township.
Mr. Stansberry has seen much of the history of Henry County in the making, as it were. He recalls when the town of Norris was known as Norris Fork and when the post office was established there on the star mail route from Holden, and they received mail three times each week. He recalls the first store building there which was erected by Moore & Wright. This was about 1873, and this firm carried on the mercantile business there for a number of years.
Mr. Stansberry is one of the substantial pioneer citizens of Henry County and the Stansberry family are prominent in the community.
Walter W. Cheek, a prosperous farmer and stockman of Big Creek township, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Mason County, May 7, 1862, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Newkirk) Cheek, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Maryland. The Cheek family came to Missouri and settled in Henry County in 1883. The parents returned to Illinois and now reside at Havana, that State. They are the parents of the following children: George, Havana, Illinois; Thomas, deceased; Walter W., the subject of this sketch; Robert died at Urich, Missouri, in 1901; John, lives at Manito, Illinois; Samuel, St. Louis, Missouri; Frank, Phelps County, Missouri; Fannie, died at the age of fourteen; James Madison lives in South Dakota; Marietta, resides with her parents at Havana, Illinois, and Delia, died in infancy.
Walter W. Cheek came to Henry County with his parents in 1883, when he was about twenty-one years of age. He followed fanning in the vicinity of Urich for a number of years and in 1890 purchased his present place in Big Creek township. This is a valuable farm of one hundred twenty acres, and is a part of the Fox estate, which was originally entered from the Government by William Fox, grandfather of Mrs. Cheek. He was a very early settler in this vicinity and entered a great deal of land from the Government in Henry County. At one time he owned about eight hundred acres.
Walter W. Cheek was married to Miss Geneva A. Fox in 1888. She is a daughter of William C. Fox, a native of Kentucky, who was born in 1814. He married Emma Hornbarger, a native of Tennessee, born in 1826. William C. Fox died May 21, 1899, and his wife died in 1897, and their remains are interred in the Carpenter Cemetery.
Mr. Cheek is not only a successful farmer and stock raiser, but takes a keen interest in local affairs and is especially interested in the public school system and for seventeen years has served as director of his school district. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Presbyterian Church and is one of the substantial citizens of Big Creek township.
William C. Fox came to Howard County, Missouri, from Kentucky. He was a "forty-niner," crossed the country and was in the gold mining country of the Pacific Coast for twelve years. Upon his return via Cape Horn, he settled in Big Creek township, Henry County. He was a farmer and stockman on a large scale. W. C. Fox had two children: Mrs. Walter Cheek and James Edgar Fox, who died in 1908 in Kansas City, where he had moved from his farm in Big Creek township.
William C. Fox was the son of James Fox, a Missouri pioneer who was one of the earliest settlers of Howard County and later of Henry County. W. C. Fox owned a fine farm of 320 acres and dealt extensively in live stock.
Thomas Marshall Swart, an extensive land owner and prosperous pioneer of Big Creek township is one of the leading citizens of Henry County. Mr. Swart Avas born in Kentucky, August 21, 1839, and is a son of George W. and Elizabeth (Bartlett) Swart, both natives of Nicholas County, Kentucky. The parents were both born in 1799 and the mother died at the age of forty years and the father lived to be ninety-three years old. George W. Swart was a son of James Swart of Virginia, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and served under General Washington. He died in Nicholas County, Kentucky. His wife lived to the advanced age of one hundred six years.
George and Elizabeth (Bartlett) Swart were the parents of the following children: Margaret; Mrs. Phoebe Jane Campbell; William; Mrs. Hannah Ferguson; Mrs. Elizabeth Parker; George H.; Mrs. Mary Weaver; Mrs. Fannie Wood; Angeline; Mrs. Caroline Graves; all of whom are now deceased, and Thomas M., the subject of this sketch.
Thomas M. Swart was reared to manhood in Nicholas and Mason counties, Kentucky, and received his education in the schools of his time. He engaged in farming in his native State in early life and followed that vocation there until 1878, when he came to Henry County, Missouri. He settled near Maurine, where he first purchased two hundred and thirty acres at twenty dollars an acre. Before coming to Henry county he was engaged in raising tobacco, hemp, corn and wheat in Kentucky. He sold his land in the Blue Grass country for ninety dollars an acre. Since coming here he has followed farming and stock raising and has met with unusual success, and is now the owner of about two thousand acres of valuable land and is thus one of the largest land owners of Henry County. His children have 700 acres. His home place is well improved, as is all his land, and his is one of the finest farm residences of the county.
Mr. Swart was united in marriage December 18, 1861, with Miss Mary C. McFerrin, a native of Mason County, Kentucky. She was born in 1844 and is a daughter of James and Louisa (Paul) McFerrin, natives of Kentucky, who are both now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Swart have been born the following children: William S., married Chessie A. Ross of Blairstown and now resides on the old home place; Mary J., now the wife of Newton D. Yount of Sedalia, Missouri.
Mr. Swart is one of the substantial men of Big Creek township and is entitled to classification among Henry County's most successful citizens. He is a Democrat in politics and he and Mrs. Swart are members of the Presbyterian Church.
Kapels Forsythe of Big Creek township is a descendant of one of the pioneer families of Henry County. He was born in Big Creek township March 7, 1891, a son of Edward and Jamica (George) Forsythe. George Forsythe was a native of Ohio and a son of James Forsythe, who settled in Henry County with his family in 1874. James Forsythe spent the remainder of his life in Honey Creek township, where he settled upon coming to this county. He died in 1891. Edward Forsythe died in 1916 and his wife departed this life January 20, 1897. She was a native of Henry County and a daughter of Elijah George, who was among the very early settlers in this county.
To Edward and Jamica (George) Forsythe were born the following children: Anna, married Chester Malone, Blairstown, Missouri; Ione, married Grover Eraser, who is now serving in the United States Army in France; Kapels, now serving in the United States Army in France; Noel, serving in the United States Army, now stationed at Camp Funston; Hazel, married Howard Harper, Blairstown.
Kapels Forsythe received his education in the public schools of Big Creek township and remained on the home farm until he was twenty-three years of age. In August, 1913, he went to Montana, where he bought 320 acres of land in the yellowstone country. He has made some substantial improvements on his place and has raised fifty acres of wheat there during the present season.
The Forsythe home farm in Big Creek township consists of 160 acres of well improved and valuable land. It is located two miles northwest of Garland, a part of the place being situate in Honey Creek township. The Forsythe family rank among the substantial and highly respected citizens of Henry County.
