Biography of O. F. Walke

O. F. Walke who has spent most of his life in Kansas has developed a very substantial business career, and for several years has been proprietor of the Independent Laundry, one of the best equipped establishments of its kind in the southern section of the state. He is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and his great-grandfather came from the North of Ireland, and was an early farmer in Ohio. Mr. Walke’s grandfather, William Walke, was born in Ohio in 1840, came to Kansas about a quarter of a century ago, and was an active farmer until he retired and died at Columbus, … Read more

Biography of Hans E. Mayer

That he had authoritative knowledge of the details of the life-insurance business and is also an able execntive needs no further voucher than the statement that Mr. Mayer holds the responsible office of manager of the Missouri State Life Insurance Company for the State of Kansas. He maintains his administrative headquarters and his residence at Wichita and is one of the popular and progressive citizens of this vigorous city of the Sunflower State. Mr. Mayer was born in Coblentz, Germany, and in the excellent schools of his native place he acquired his early education, which was supplemented by a higher … Read more

Biography of Charles E. Phillips, M. D.

Charles E. Phillips, M. D. A resident of Kansas since infancy, Doctor Phillips is a highly trained physician and surgeon and since locating at Zenda twelve years ago had built up more than a local reputation in the field of surgery and enjoys a highly successful and profitable practice. Doctor Phillips was born in Knox County, Missouri, August 15, 1877. His father is Mr. P. W. Phillips, now a resident of Pratt County, Kansas. In his experiences as well as his achievements he deserves mention as one of the remarkable men of Kansas. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, … Read more

Biography of William M. Jamieson

William M. Jamieson. Few of the business men of Wichita have had more varied careers than has William M. Jamieson, who, since 1910, has been engaged in the handling of large realty transactions in this city. A Scot by birth, he came to America as a lad, and during the next forty years his activities carried him to many out-of-the-way places of this continent, where he was connected with the construction of some of the largest engineering projects of the time. The broad experience and knowledge of men which he gained during this period of his life have been of … Read more

Biography of Elisha H. Rollins

Elisha H. Rollins, partner of Mr. Ireland in the proprietorship of the Ireland & Rollins Planing Mills Company, and one of the progressive and energetic business men of Fort Scott, was born March 15, 1859, on Prince Edward Island, a son of John and Mary (Harker) Rollins, natives of that place, who passed their entire lives there in agricultural pursuits. The father died in 1909, at the age of seventy-five years, while the mother passed away many years before, being forty-seven years old at the time of her demise. The fourth in a family of nine children, Elisha H. Rollins … Read more

Biography of Rev. James J. Barry

Rev. James J. Barry since his ordination as a priest of the Catholic Church had been identified with various Kansas missions and pastorates, and in the fall of 1915 became pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at Humboldt. Organized Catholic services were first held in Humboldt in 1866. The first church was begun in that year, though not completed in detail until 1868. The old church was replaced by the present substantial brick edifice in 1911. This is situated on the large grounds owned by the parish at Fifth and Central avenues. There is also a substantial rectory. The parish … Read more

Biography of Clyde Magill, Dr.

One of the younger members of the medical profession in Sedgwick County, Dr. Clyde Magill had found his work at Clearwater, not far from his birthplace, and in the past four years had enjoyed a rapidly accumulating practice and is accounted one of the ablest doctors in that vicinity. He was born on a farm twelve miles east of Wichita December 6, 1887. His father, Silas Magill, is an old settler of Sedgwick County, having come to Kansas from Illinois, in 1871, and taking up a homestead in Sedgwick County. In the years that followed he proved one of the … Read more

Biography of Elmer Stover Emmert

Elmer Stover Emmert, senior partner of the well known firm of Emmert Brothers and thus head of one of the strong insurance agencies not only of Muskogee but of the state, was born in Humboldt, Kansas, May 18, 1868, and is a son of David B. and Margaret D. (Moffett) Emmert, the former a newspaper publisher. During the early boyhood of Elmer S. Emmert the parents removed with their family to Wichita, Kansas, and there he pursued his education in the public schools until a further removal was made to Albuquerque, New Mexico. After the death of his father, at … Read more

Biography of Andrew C. Jobes

Andrew C. Jobes. Though vice president of the First National Bank of Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Jobes still had his home in Kansas and had been a resident of the state for thirty-two years. Throughout that time he had been an active factor in banking, and made his reputation which preceded him to the metropolitan district of Kansas City at Wichita, where he assisted in building up one of the largest and strongest banks of Southern Kansas. Like many men who have gained prominence in the financial world Mr. Jobes was born in a home of comparative poverty, and was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Paul Jean Wall

Paul Jean Wall was born at Wichita on the 19th of October, 1885, and after his graduation in the high school at St. Louis, Missouri, he entered, in 1904, the University of Kansas, in the law department of which he was graduated in 1908 and from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws. In June of the same year was recorded his admission to the bar of his native state, and in his chosen profession he is well upholding the prestige of the honored name which he bears., For three years after his admission to the bar he … Read more

Biography of Thomas Azro Noftzger

Thomas Azro Noftzger had long been successfully identified with the legal profession in Kansas, and is now senior member of the firm of Noftzger & Gardner, with offices in the Beacon Building at Wichita. His partner is Mr. George Gardner. Mr. Noftzger was born November 15, 1861, in Jackson Township of Kosciusko County, Indiana. His father, Levi J. Noftzger, was born September 3, 1836, and is still living at the age of four score. The mother, Mary C. Noftzger, also living, was born September 2, 1840. Party through the liberality of his parents and partly through his own ambitious determination … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Mary C. Wuester

A representative of the best type of the progressive women of the Sunflower State is she whose name initiates this paragraph, and she had proved specially successful and influential in connection with a line of educational and business enterprise in which few women have made exploitation. In 1909 Mrs. Wuester established in the City of Wichita the Wuester School of Pharmacy, and she had made this institution one of the valuable and ably directed technical schools of the state. Mrs. Wuester was born in Marshall County, Kansas, and after completing the curriculum of the public schools she pursued a higher … Read more

Herndon, Marchieta L. Blank – Obituary

Marchieta L. Blank Herndon, 76, died at home in Wichita, Kans., with her husband at her side, after a battle with cancer. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Cove Cemetery. Loveland Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Mrs. Herndon was born in February 1930 at Personia, Okla., to Roy and Agnes Sheppard. In 1962 she married Robert L. Blank, who preceded her in death in 1981. She then married Robert Herndon in 1984. She is survived by her husband, Robert Herndon of Wichita; children and their spouses, Terrine and Chuck Warriner of Salt Lake City, Zane and … Read more

Biography of Chester I. Long

Definite distinction and assured prestige have been gained by Chester I. Long as one of the representative member of the Kansas bar, and his influence in public affairs had been wide and potent, as indicated by the fact that he was elected to the United States Senate from Kansas and had been a recognized leader in the councils of the republican party in the Sunflower State. He is engaged in the practice of his profession in the City of Wichita, had honored Kansas by his character and achievement, and is eminently entitled to recognition in this history. Mr. Long was … Read more

Biography of Walter S. Ezell

Walter S. Ezell. Contributing to the prestige of the City of Wichita as an educational center are a number of well ordered business and technical institutions, and prominent among the number is the Wichita Telegraph College, which was founded in the spring of 1912 by its present owner and manager, Walter S. Ezell, who as a mere boy had manifested a distinct predilection for the art of telegraphy and who contrived to pass much of his time in the telegraph office of the railway station of which his father was agent in the City of Memphis, Tennessee. As an expert … Read more

Biography of Joseph Newton Allen

Extensively interested in farming and also identified with the oil industry of the southwest, Joseph Newton Allen has made for himself an enviable place as a business man in Muskogee. Born on the 7th of February, 1868, in Greencastle, Indiana, he comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry, through a line of Virginia and Kentucky pioneers, being the eighth son of a seventh son and the seventeenth child in a family of eighteen children. His early education was acquired in the public schools of Greencastle, which is the seat of DePauw University, formerly known as Asbury University. When his public school course was … Read more

Biography of Frank S. Porter

This representative business man of the City of Wichita was about twenty years of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Kansas, and he had since continued his residence within the borders of the Sunflower State, where he had been long and prominently identified with the retail drug business, of which he is now a leading representative in the City of Wichita, his attractive drug store, metropolitan in equipment and appointments, being eligibly situated on East Douglas Avenue, in the College Hill District of the city. Frank S. Porter was born in the Village of Rushsylvania, Logan … Read more

Biography of G. G. Wiechen

G. G. Wiechen, who came to Kansas over forty years ago, had found his best and most congenial activities in the line of grain merchandising. He is the leading grain merchant and elevator proprietor of Robinson, Kansas, where he had built up a large and successful business. Mr. Wiechen is a son of a veteran resident of Rush County, Kansas, J. H. Wiechen, who is still living, though past ninety years of age. J. H. Wiechen was born at Schweringen, Germany, in 1826. At the age of eighteen he came to America, living for a time in New York City … Read more

Biography of Clayton A. Swiggett

Clayton A. Swiggett is a mechanical engineer both by college diploma and by long and practical experience gained in many localities and in many positions. He is now superintendent of the Western States Portland Cement Company at Independence, and is contributing his ability towards the making of that one of the great industries of Kansas. The Western States Portland Cement plant began operations at Independence in 1905, and from time to time it has been enlarged and improved until its annual capacity is now a million barrels. About 250 men are employed and the pay roll is one of the … Read more

Biography of Edward Staton Hymer M. D.

Edward Staton Hymer, M. D. A physician and surgeon of most thorough qualifications, whose work had brought a large practice and a rising reputation, Doctor Hymer had spent his professional career chiefly at Sedgwick. A resident of Kansas most of his life, Doctor Hymer was born at Albany, Missouri, November 6, 1883. His remote ancestors came from Germany. His father is E. R. Hymer, who was born in Illinois in 1852, grew up in that state, and at an early day came to Kansas and located at Centralia. After several years he removed to Missouri, but in 1884 was back … Read more