The Cousin Collector

Wm. Womack, aged about sixty years, and one of the oldest settlers in this county, died last Saturday from the effects of a broken limb.

St. Joseph Morning Herald, 12 Aug 1873, p. 4

Submitted by Monica Schirmer Eshelman

Marjorie Adams submitted this photo of William A. Clark, wife Tabitha Catherine (Brooks) Clark, and daughter Allie:

“William A Clark was married to Tabitha (nickname Kate) Brooks Clark. He ran away and when a William A Clark died in Butte Montana, the daughters of Kate sued the estate of William A Clark–who had become a multi millionaire and was know as “The Copper King”. The trial was in about 1928 — I have old newspaper records. Anyway, the girls could not prove it was their father and lost the case. Do a search for the Copper King, and you will find a bed and breakfast in Butte Montana that has a photo of William A Clark–the Copper King. I can see some resemblance–remember the photo of young william and the copper king old william! Interesting! Kate was the sister of my great great grandmother Lavina Brooks Clark. The . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

Lewis H. Weatherby was born in Tompkins County, N. J., in 1830, and is the second of six children born to Samuel and Dorcas (Hinkley) Weatherby, both natives of New York. The father was born about 1808, and was the son of Edmund Weatherby, a native of New Jersey, who removed to New York, and thence to Ohio, where he died. Samuel was a farmer by vocation, and died in Ohio in 1853. The mother was born about 1810, and was the daughter of Joshua Hinkley. She died in Missouri in 1868. Lewis H. was reared on the farm, and attended the schools of Delaware, Ohio. He began the study of medicine in 1847 with Dr. Kelley, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and later studied with Dr. Russell. He then attended Sterling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, for two years, graduating in 1850. Although he was not yet twenty-one years of . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

G. W. Tunks, treasurer of Grant Township, was born in Clark County, Ohio, on August 10, 1823. He is the eighth of ten children born to Philip and Phebe (Wallingsford) Tunks. The father was born in Virginia, on March 1, 1783. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, volunteering from Clark County, Ohio. He is a farmer and also a tanner. He died in Shelby County, Ohio, on April 15, 1845, to which county he had removed in 1827. The mother was born in Kentucky on September 3, 1788. She died in Shelby County, Ohio, on November 5, 1862. G. W. was reared on the farm, and received his education in the public schools. He remained on the farm with his parents until their deaths. On January 10, 1850, he was united in marriage with Silence B. Beazley, who was also born in Shelby County, Ohio, on June . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

Departed this life at his late residence, seven miles northwest of Stewartsville, Missouri, on Thursday, the 22d day of August, 1872, after a short illness, Mr. Thomas Rankin Thornton, aged 44 years. Mr. Thornton was born in Callaway county, Missouri, in the year 1828. When about sixteen years old his parents moved to what is now De Kalb county, where he resided at the time of his death.

Mr. Thornton was a man of unblemished character and unquestioned integrity, and was universally beloved by all who knew him. Several years before his death he made a profession of religion, and has since lived an exemplary christian. His sickness was short and he bore it with christian fortitude, and gave unmistakable evidence that he was prepared to meet his God. He leaves a large family and an extensive circle of friends to mourn his loss.

J. C.

St. Joseph Daily Gazette, . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

PIONEER MISSOURIAN DEAD. Luke Thornton Had Lived at Clarksdale Since 1840 — Funeral Will Be Held Tomorrow.

Clarksdale, Mo., Feb. ??.—Luke Thornton, one of the pioneer residents of this vicinity, died at his home here yesterday following an extended illness. The funeral will be held tomorrow with interment at the Thornton Cemetery where between fifty and sixty of his relatives are buried. Mr. Thornton is survived by one son and two daughters.

Mr. Thornton who was eighty-two years old, was born in Calloway County, Missouri in 1831, and came to Clarksdale in 1840. He was a member of the Baptist Church, Politically, he was a member of the Democratic party.

Source: St. Joseph News-Press, 16 February 1912, p. 1, col. 4

William and Adam Thompson, the subjects of this sketch, are leading stock dealers of Missouri, and residents of Camden Township, De Kalb County. They are proprietors of Rosedale stock farm, situated two miles southeast from Amity, and importers and breeders of English Shire and Cleveland Bay horses, Shetland ponies and Shorthorn cattle. They were born in Lancashire, England, the father on May 30, 1840, and the son on March 24, 1861. They immigrated to the United States in April, 1869, locating upon the farm where they now reside. In 1877 they began their present business by the importation of English stock. Their business has been increasing each year, both by importation and breeding, until they now have the largest stable of blooded stock in Missouri. Their stock at present consist of eleven head of imported brood mares, seven Shetland brood mares, two imported Cleveland Bay stallions, seventeen imported Shire stallions, . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

Robert Stockton is a native of Kentucky, born in 1818. In 1825 he moved to Indiana with his parents, where he resided until 1850. In 1844 his father removed to Platte County, Mo., thence to Iowa, and afterward to Gentry County, Mo., locating at his present home. Robert’s mother died in 1832, and his father married Margaret Wilson. She died, and he was united in marriage with Martha Wilson. When our subject left Indiana, he went to Henry County, Iowa, where he lived until 1868, then came to De Kalb County, Mo., locating on his present farm, which contains about 200 acres of good land; besides tilling the soil he is engaged in stock raising. While living in Indiana and Iowa he followed blacksmithing in connection with farming and stock dealing. In 1840 he was united in marriage with Lucinda Varner, daughter of Jacob Varner. She was born in 1822, . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

J. T. Stewart, a citizen of Fairport, and senior member of the firm of J. T. Stewart & Co., general merchants, was born in Hardin County, Ky., on February 18, 1856. He is the second of seven children born to A. H. and Adner (Lewis) Stewart, both natives of Hardin County, Ky. They reside at present in Daviess County, Mo., to which point they removed in 1872. The father has been a very successful farmer and stock raiser. J. T. was reared on the farm, and received his education in the district schools of Kentucky, and in the high school at Gallatin, Mo. He remained on the farm until February 1, 1880, when he removed to Fairport and engaged in his present business. The firm now carries a stock valued at between $5,000 and $6,000, including dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, hats, notions, groceries etc. They do an annual . . . [Yes! There’s more!]

Robert Smith is the son of Thomas and Laura I. (Silvers) Smith. The father was born in Pulaski County, Ky., on September 21, 1807, and is the son of Robert Smith, who is a native of Rowan County, N. C. He first moved to Kentucky, and then to Howard County, Mo., of which he was one of the pioneers. The father removed to the Platte Purchase in 1838, settling in Buchanan County, but removed to De Kalb County in 1845, locating on a farm in Grant Township, where he now resides. He is now in his eightieth year, and is one of the oldest citizens in the township. He has seen the Platte Purchase grow from a barren waste of prairie into one of the most productive of countries. The mother was born in Kentucky in 1811. She is the daughter of Hugh Silvers, a native of North Carolina, who . . . [Yes! There’s more!]