Missouri

Biography of Silas W. Nossaman, M. D.

Silas W. Nossaman, M. D. For the past fifteen years Doctor Nossaman had been carrying the heavy burdens of an extensive country practice as a physician and surgeon at Cunningham. He is one of the prominent medical men of Kingman County, and had spent the greater part of his life in Kansas. He is of old American stock. His great-grandfather was a Virginian, was reared and married in his native state, and in early pioneer days came north and west to Indiana, locating on a farm in Marion County, not far from the City of Indianapolis. He lived there the … Read more

Biography of Emery Trekell, M. D.

Emery Trekell, M. D. On the wall of his office at Harper hangs a diploma showing Doctor Trekell is a graduate in medicine from Northwestern University of Chicago. Immediately after leaving that school in 1910 he took up active practice in Kansas, and for the past three years had been looking after a very large and accumulating professional business at Harper. Doctor Trekell though born at West Union in Cass County, Missouri, March 13, 1877, had some interesting historical family connections of early days in Kansas. He is of a family that came to the United States before the Revolution. … Read more

Biography of J. B. Congle

J.B. CONGLE. – Mr. Congle was one of the men of wealth who contributed largely to the early growth and prosperity of our state, and especially of Portland. He was born December 9, 1817, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. In the year 1832 he went to Philadelphia to learn the harness and saddlery trade, and in the spring of 1838 removed to Virginia, thence to Missouri, and in the year 1841 was at Lafayette, Indiana, where he resided ten years thereafter. On May 21, 1844, he was married to Miss Ellen H. Gray, of the place last named. He came as … Read more

Biography of W. T. Cook

W.T. COOK. – There may not be a million dollars at the end of the pathway of every industrious young man; but in this country there is a competency, and, what is more, an honorable business and a happy home. Mr. Cook’s career proves this. He was born in Polk county, Missouri, in1848. Being thirteen years of age at the outbreak of the Civil war, his education was neglected for the next five years; but, repairing this loss by his own exertions, he fitted himself as school teacher, and thus supported himself for three years. Coming to Oregon in 1874, … Read more

Loftis, Hermal Donna Bushong Mrs. – Obituary

Hermal Donna Loftis, 81, of Pendleton, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003, at Elizabethan Manor, in Pendleton. A private family memorial will be held at a later date. Hermal Donna Loftis was born May 24, 1921, in Brixey, Mo., the youngest of 10 children born to Marion and Nancy Bushong. She married Earl Loftis of Brixey, Missouri. The had two sons, Lester and Eldon. They were later divorced. Moving from Missouri in 1952 to Pendleton. She moved to Baker City in 1956 to attend Business College. She worked for Doctor Pollock for 22 years. in 1988 she moved back to Pendleton … Read more

Robb, Earl Robert – Obituary

Earl Robert Robb, 81, a former Baker City resident, died April 18, 2003. A celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church, Cathedral of the Rockies, in Boise. Earl was born Jan. 20, 1922, the first child of Albert and Lola Robb at Oxly, Mo. He married Shirley Mahan on March 14, 1948, and lived at Moorpark, Calif., and Baker City before moving to Boise in 1974. He was involved with various agricultural ventures during his working years. Earl served his country during World War II as a pilot flying the Burma … Read more

Gorrell, Uva L. Dodson Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Uva L. Gorrell, 89, a longtime Baker City resident, died March 29, 2003, at her home. Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Dean Baxter will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at the funeral home. Mrs. Gorrell was born at Sneedville, Tenn., on Sept. 4, 1913, to Aberham John and Bertha Hewitt Dodson. She was raised and educated at Ava, Mo. She came to Baker City in 1939. Mrs. Gorrell was an accomplished gardener, an avid … Read more

Stehwien, Ruth Everson Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Ruth Stehwien, 89, of Baker City, died March 12, 2003, at her home. Her memorial service and a celebration of her life will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Calvary Baptist Church at Third and Broadway streets. Pastor Ed Niswender of the church will officiate. There will be a reception afterward at the Calvary Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Mrs. Stehwien was born June 24, 1913, at Rockville, Mo., to Emma and Isaac Everson. She attended school at Humansville, Mo. She married … Read more

Medlin, Nellie Jo Daniels Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Nellie Jo Daniels Medlin, 89, of Baker City, died March 15, 2003, at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Her funeral will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Roger Scovil of the Baker City Christian Church will officiate. Private vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Coles Funeral Home. Nellie was born on May 9, 1912, at Bernie, Mo., to John Daniels and Roxie McBroom. She was married to Cecil Thomas Medlin on Nov. 12, 1930, at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Ford

DAVID FORD. – This highly esteemed citizen, a portrait of whom is placed in this history, was born in Indiana July 27,1837. After his marriage to Miss Mary Medler, October 11, 1857, he was occupied at his home until the war of the Rebellion, in which he served as a soldier in the Union army, bearing an honorable part, and making a brave record up to the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, where he received a wound which made him unfit for service. He belonged to Company A, Eighty-fourth Indiana Volunteers. In 1872 he came to Missouri, and five years later … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Alvin T. Ferriss

HON. ALVIN T. FERRISS.- This representative citizen of Eastern Washington was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1852, being the son of James R. and Mary Worth Ferriss. He resided at his birthplace until fifteen years old, at that date removing with his parents to Northwest Missouri. In the spring of 1872 he came west to Denver. After a short stay among the Rocky Mountains, engaged in mining and other operations, and at one time as railroad contractor on the Oregon Short Line, he crossed the continent in 1883 to Washington Territory, and, after looking over the country, selected Pullman … Read more

Biography of John B. Ferguson

JOHN B. FERGUSON. – This now venerable pioneer, one of the large-landholders of Lane county, was born in Richland county, Ohio, June 29, 1825. As an infant he accompanied his parents in 1842 to Hudson county, Illinois, and in 1842 went with them still further westward to Missouri, where they died in 1844 and 1845 respectively. In 1846 he was married to Miss Mary Waldrip, whose father, Wyatt Waldrip, had come from Kentucky to Illinois, and had died there in 1844, after which his family came to Missouri. Not many months after his marriage, Mr. Ferguson prepared to cross the … Read more

Biography of Solomon Emerick

SOLOMON EMERICK, – Some time before Horace Greeley gave his advice, “Go West, young man, go West,” there were hardy young Americans making tracks across the Rocky Mountains, and pushing into the fastnesses towards the pacific Ocean. “Ribs of brass and hearts of steel” had these young fellows; and they were without fear or even caution. One of these was Solomon Emerick, who was born in Ohio in 1820. He moved to Buchanan county, Missouri, in 1830, and in 1843 was on the way to the rendezvous on the border. Falling in with the pioneer Gilmore, he accepted of him … Read more

Biography of Rev. St. Michael Fackler

THE REV. ST. MICHAEL FACKLER. – The Reverend Mr. Fackler was the first clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal church in Oregon. He was a native of Staunton, Virginia, first moved to Missouri, and then crossed the plains for his health in the year 1847. This was greatly improved by the trip; and he soon undertook such work as he could do, teaching and preaching as opportunity offered. For a short time he taught in the Methodist school at Salem, the progenitor of the present Willamette University. At an early day he secured a farm not far from Butteville, where he … Read more

Biography of William H. Holt

William H. Holt came to Kansas a number of years ago as a railway employee, but soon took up banking and had had a wide experience in that field, partly in Kansas and partly in Northwestern Texas, and is now cashier of the Central National Bank of Ellsworth. This is one of the largest and most substantial banks in Southern Kansas. Mr. Holt was born at Grafton, West Virginia, August 2, 1879. His ancestors came originally out of England and were colonial settlers in Virginia. His father, James W. Holt, was born at Kingwood in Preston County, West Virginia, in … Read more

Biography of Maj. Willis L. Brown

Maj. Willis L. Brown, of Kingman, is one of the eminent Kansas whose records serve to illustrate and adorn the history of the commonwealth. Mr. Brown had been through nearly everything that is significant of Kansas life for forty years. He was at one time a poverty stricken homesteader and while the general public knows him chiefly through his broader business and civic relations, he is still in close touch with Kansas farming and through his work and initiative had probably done as much as any man in Kingman County to promote intensive and high class farming and stock raising. … Read more

Biography of Charles W. Sample

Charles W. Sample has been a business man at Kingman nearly forty years and had been closely identified with the commercial affairs of that city, as a land owner, banker and in real estate and loans. Mr. Sample was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, October 29, 1851. His ancestors came out of Ireland and settled in Virginia in colonial days. His grandfather, Andrew Sample, was a pioneer farmer in Indiana and died in Jefferson County in that state in 1854. George W. Sample, father of Charles W., was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1815, a date which indicates the … Read more

Biography of John Ellsworth Wiley

John Ellsworth Wiley, a prominent lawyer of Mound City, had been a resident of Kansas for half a century and during his active life had made himself useful both in the field of education and in that of the law and had attained no small degree of success and honor in his chosen vocation. Mr. Wiley was born on a farm in Knox County, Missouri, November 20, 1861, son of Elijah Perry and Amy Jane (Shahan) Wiley. The Wiley family had the spirit of pioneers and have lived successively on various frontiers of advancing civilization. Elijah P. Wiley was born … Read more

Biography of N. A. Eberman

N.A. EBERMAN. – This still vigorous and erect gentleman of sixty-eight years is a perfect representative of the daring, athletic and pioneer Western men who crossed the plains nearly half a century ago. He was born in Henry county, Tennessee, in 1821, and at the age of ten went with his parents to settle in Madison county, Illinois. In Warren county of the same state he saw something of the Black Hawk war. In 1840 he left home for Missouri, stopping in that then unsettled region until, in 1843, the eloquence of Burnett and the exertions of others resulted in … Read more

Biography of William Elliott

WILLIAM ELLIOTT. – This now venerable citizen of our state, whose form and character are familiar to many in Western Oregon, was born in Knox county, Indiana, September 14, 1815. Losing his mother by death when but a child of five years, he was received by an uncle, and remained in his family, removing with him to Missouri in 1820, and not leaving his kind relatives until he had attained his majority. In 1836 he became a volunteer soldier under A.J. Morgan, of Fort Leavenworth, to prosecute the war in Florida, and in this service experienced many sharp encounters. After … Read more