Biographies
Biographical Sketches
G-K
From Goodspeed's 1889 History of Camden County
H. George, county clerk, was born in Russell county, Ky., October 20,
1841, and is the son of H. and Jane (Wilson) George, both natives of
Kentucky. In the spring of 1842 the parents immigrated to Miller Co.,
Mo., and located four miles west of Brumley. The father entered a
large tract of land, which he improved, and which is now known as the
William Pope farm. He remained on this a number of years, and then
removed to Camden county in the fall of 1854, purchasing a farm in
Jackson township, known as the James Wilson farm, which is one of the
oldest settled farms in the county. It was improved when he purchased
it, and on this farm he spent his last days, his death occurring in
March, 1855. The mother is yet living in this county, having married
William A. Bradshaw. They were the parents of nine children, eight
now living. H. George was but an infant when he came with his parents
to the state of Missouri, and in this state he attained his growth,
receiving a liberal education, and followed the occupation of farming
and teaching until 1878. He was then elected county court justice,
and was also appointed public administrator. In 1880 he was elected
sheriff and collector of revenue, which position he held for four
years, being re-elected in 1882. In 1886 he was elected county clerk
of Camden county, which office he now fills. He owns two good farms,
of 250 acres in each tract. He has an unusually fine vineyard on one
of his farms. In the spring of 1861 he married Miss Luticia Ulmon, of
Miller county, and to them have been born five children: Josiah M.,
Elizabeth J. (wife of W. R. Waters), Samual H., Milton L. and Frederick
A. In August, 1861, Mr. George entered the Federal service, in the
Osage Regiment, Home Guards, Company G, commanded by Capt. William A.
Bradshaw. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a member of
the A. O. U. W., and is an enterprising and intelligent citizen and
prominent man.
Mrs. Eliza J. Gerhardt, nee Wallace, is a resident of Russell Township,
Camden county, Mo. She was born in Benton county, Mo., in 1839, and is
a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Rice) Wallace, the former of whom
was born in Madison county, Mo., in 1809, and the latter in North Caro-
lina in 1814. In 1838, when the country was new, the parents removed
from Madison to Benton county, Mo., where they still live. Jacob
Wallace, who is now seventy-nine years of age, is an active, well
preserved man for his years, and still delights to hunt as in his
former days. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace are the parents of eight children,
viz.: Eliza J. Gerhardt, Ellen Smith, George W., James, William, Mary
Sally, John Wesley and Alzada Franklin, the two latter deceased. All
four of the sons served in the Union army during the late Civil War,
in which service John Wesley lost his life. Our subject spent her
early life in her native county and in 1856 married August Gerhardt, a
native of Germany, who was born in 1834, and came to the United States
when seventeen years of age. He first located in Cole county, Mo., but
subsequently went to Benton county, where he worked at his trade of
wagon maker. In 1862 he enlisted in Company F, Eighth Missouri Cavalry
and served until the close of the war, receiving his discharge in 1865.
Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gerhardt, eight of whom are
living, viz.: Johanna E. Derrick, Frederick J., Katherine E. Smith,
Harmon W., Adolph N., Ulyssimus S. A., Laura and Pinky A. In 1874 Mr.
Gerhardt engaged in a general merchandising business in Duroc, Mo., in
partnership with Mr. Campbell, whose interest he afterward bought out,
and in 1883 he moved to Coelleda, where he purchased the present home
and built the store. He owned 160 acres of land, and built all the
houses in the little town of Coelleda. Mr. Gerhardt served four years
as justice of the peace in Benton county, and was a Republican in
politics. He was a member of the Lutheran church, while Mrs. Gerhardt
is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.
George Griesel, farmer and miller at Climax Springs, Mo., was born in
Germany in 1826, and is a son of Adam and Anna E. (Sharp) Griesel, who
were also Germans, born in 1774 and 1789, and died in 1840 and 1867,
respectively. The father was a farmer, and served as justice of the
peace and city appraiser, and was captain of a company of Home Guards
in his native land. He was in the war from the time he was sixteen
until he was thirty-two years of age, with Napoleon Bonaparte, and was
at the battle of Waterloo, under command of Gen. Blucher. Five of his
six children came to America, but only two are now living, George and
Jacob, of Sacramento, California. The grandparents, Jacob and Anna E.
Sharp, were also Germans. George Griesel received a good education in
his native land, and in his boyhood days learned the millwright's
trade. When twenty years old he was mustered into the army, and was
discharged at the age of thirty, having participated in the war between
Germany and Denmark in 1850-53. In 1854 he was married in his native
land to Catherine E. Leidheiser, who was born in 1834, and is a daughter
of John A. and Ann E. (Tibmar) Leidheiser, who were tillers of the
soil, and the parents of eleven children, three of whom crossed the
ocean to America, and four are yet living: John A., Conrad, Martha E.
and Catherine (Mrs. Griesel). Mr. and Mrs. Griesel are the parents of
the following family: Anna E. (Darnell), Sophia C., Lou, John A.,
William A., George K., Mary M., Antulf and Della May. Since 1859 Mr.
Griesel has been a resident of Camden county, Mo., and was first
engaged in operating the mill for Mr. Arnholdt, but when it was burned
during the war he rented land and engaged in farming, and since 1867
has resided on his present farm, and has been occupied in milling. He
is a Republican in politics, and cast his first presidential vote for
Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He and wife belong to the Lutheran Church.
James Harvey Hall, one of the successful agriculturists of Osage
Township, Camden county, is a native of Laclede county, Mo., born
October 12, 1861, being a son of James and Mary (Porter) Hall, the
father a native of Virginia, and the mother of Kentucky. The father,
with his brother William, immigrated to Laclede county, Mo., quite early,
and located twenty miles south of Lebanon. They entered land which was
wild and unbroken, and remained there until the breaking out of the
late Civil War, when the father enlisted, and while in service took a
fever and died, as did also his brother. The mother came to Laclede
county with her parents when about eight years of age, and, when grown,
was married in that county to Mr. Hall, by whom she had two sons:
William Edgar, who died February 3, 1888, and James Harvey. The mother
was again married, to John Frieze, who is also deceased. By the last
marriage she had four children: Louis, George, Ina B. and Arty. The
widow now resides near Lebanon. James H. Hall was reared and educated
in Laclede county, Mo., and in 1881 he took a trip to Texas, where he
worked on a cattle ranch. In 1885 he moved to where he now lives, and
is the owner of 200 acres of good land, with about seventy-five under
cultivation. He was married May 5, 1886 to Miss Edna Selby, who was
born in Camden county, February 16, 1869. They have one child, Thomas
E., born October 7, 1887. Mrs. Hall's parents were Legrand and Rebecca
E. (Neal) Selby, natives of Ohio, but now deceased. She is their only
living child, and was reared by her paternal grandparents, Thomas and
Huldah Selby. Mr. Hall is a wide awake, stirring young man, is a
successful farmer, and deals quite extensively in stock, especially
hogs.
F. Hooker, merchant at Linn Creek, and son of John A., and Sallie A.
(Cherry) Hooker, was born in Laclede county, Mo., March 13, 1854. His
parents immigrated to Laclede county, Mo., at a very early day, settling
near the Osage Fork, and were among the first settlers of that
county. Here the father died. He was in the nursery business at the
time of his death. He was a soldier in the Confederate army during the
late war; was with Price, and was captured and cast into prison, where
he was kept for some time. He was also wounded during his service, by
a gunshot in the ankle. He was the father of two children, a son and
daughter: Fernando, and Helena A., wife of Mr. Odenweller. F. Hooker,
the subject of this sketch, was reared by his father to the nursery
business, and also in the mercantile business. At the age of fourteen
he drifted out to do for himself. He was employed with D. W. Faulkner,
a merchant of Lebanon, as clerk, and remained with him for about six
years. In 1878 he came to Linn Creek, where he engaged in mercantile
business in partnership with E. W. Craig, which continued until the
fall of 1880, when W. P. Hooker bought out Mr. Craig, and the business
was continued under the firm name of F. & P. Hooker. After continuing
a short time at this, both sold out, and F. Hooker engaged in the busi-
ness for himself, and carried it on alone for about two years. He
again sold out and went to Tuscumbia, Miller county, and carried on the
mercantile business there until August, 1888, when he returned to Linn
Creek. Here he has since remained, and has been engaged in the mercan-
tile business. He carries a full line of general merchandise, and is a
good business man. He was married in 1884 to Miss Belle Freeman, by
whom he has two children: John A. and Lena M. He kept the post office
at Linn Creek for about two years.
Ephraim Hopkins, a successful tiller of the soil, was born in Marion
county, Tenn., September 1, 1829, and is the son of John and Rebecca
(Phillips) Hopkins, natives of North Carolina. The parents immigrated
to Tennessee at a very early date, and at a time when the Indians were
still there. The father was a farmer by occupation, and passed the
latter part of his life in Tennessee. The grandparents on both the
Hopkins and Phillips sides were soldiers in the War of 1812, and grand-
father Hopkins died while in the service. To John and Rebecca (Phillips)
Hopkins were born eleven children, four now living: Elisha C., Ephraim,
James F. and Elizabeth (widow of William Hicks). The subject of our
sketch was reared and educated in Tenn., and made his home in Nashville
for about twelve years, and was there engaged in teaming. About 1853,
he accompanied by his brother, Elisha C., came to Camden county in
search of a location, and here Ephraim settled in about 1857. He
entered a portion of land, and bought a part. He owned 881 acres, and
has about 150 acres under cultivation. He has deeded this land to his
children: John, Alpha, Charley and George W. He has made nearly all
the improvements, and has a good farm. He was constable for two years
during the war. In 1855 he married Miss Angelina Thomas, a native of
Kentucky, who bore him nine children, six now living: John, Rebecca
(widow of Dr. Lyon), Christopher C. (deceased), Margaret, James
(deceased), Alpha, Charles, George W. and Sarah Ann (deceased). The mother
of these children died in March, 1882, and Mr. Hopkins took for his
second wife Miss Sarah Herald, a native of Tennessee, who came to Tenn-
essee with her parents in about 1866. In July, 1861, Mr. Hopkins
enlisted in Company B, under Gov. McClurg, and served until disbanded,
in December, 1861, when he was taken sick, and remained in the hospital
at Jefferson City until February, 1862. He was on scouting duty most
of the time while in service, and now receives a pension, as his eye-
sight was affected. He is a member of the G. A. R. and an enterprising
citizen.
G. S. Howard, farmer, was born in Cole county, Mo., in 1837, and is a
son of William and Urana (Roberts) Howard, who were born in Tennessee,
but were reared and married in Cole county, Mo. The father was a farmer,
and served in the late war in McClurg's company, and died in 1874.
His children are as follows: Charlotte (Hasty), Elvira (Bench), Eliza-
beth (Starks) and G. S. The latter was reared on farms in Cole and
Benton counties, and when eighteen years of age began working for him-
self as a farm hand. In 1860 he married Miss Lucy Wisdom, who was born
in Camden county, Mo., and a daughter of Pollard and Charity (Mashburn)
Wisdom, natives of North Carolina, and by her became the father of the
following children: William J., Mary F. (Hicks) and Virginia A. The
mother of these children died in 1874, and three years later Mr. Howard
wedded Mrs. Marilla J. (Roney) Huffman, a daughter of Thomas G. and
Elizabeth Roney, of Tenn., by whom he is the father of four living
children: Effie C., Edna E., Ernest B. and Fred. This wife died on the
29th of February, 1888. In 1862 Mr. Howard enlisted in Company G, of
the Missouri State Guard, and was discharged in 1865. When first married
his entire property consisted of one horse, but he rented land for
about ten years, and in 1870 purchased the farm he had been renting,
and in 1883 bought the farm where he is now living, giving for it
$2,100 in cash. He is now the owner of 320 acres of land, mostly good
bottom land, on the Little Niangua River, about 175 acres of which are
under cultivation. He is a Democrat, and cast his first presidential
vote for Breckinridge in 1860.
B. F. Kendrick ranks among the successful farmers of Camden County, Mo.
and was born in Washington county, Ark., July 30, 1848, being a son of
John and Eliza A. (Hines) Kendrick, who emigrated from Alabama to Tenn.
thence to Illinois, and from there to Arkansas at quite an early day.
They located in Washington county, where the father's death occurred,
but the mother died in Camden county, Mo. B. F. Kendrick is the young-
est of their eight children, and until sixteen years of age was a resi-
dent of Arkansas. He was a member of the Enrolled Militia at Fayette-
ville, Ark., during the late war, and was in several hard skirmishes,
and after the death of his father was left to fight the battle of life
alone, and until 1874 resided in the following counties in Missouri:
Moniteau, Pettis, Cooper and at the latter date came to Camden county
and resided for a number of years at Climax Springs. Since that time
he has resided on the farm of 130 acres where he now lives. It is
nearly all under cultivation, well improved and is admirably adapted to
stock purposes, in which Mr. Kendrick is considerably interested. In
1870 he was married to Lucinda Beard, by whom he has a family of seven
children: William, Eliza A., George, Laura J., Mary, John and Lizzie.
The mother of these children died April 30, 1884 and on the 20th of
September of that year he wedded Catherine Nicholson, by whom he has
two children, Benjamin and Dora. Mr. Kendrick is a member of the
Masonic fraternity, and is one of the successful farmers and honored
citizens of the county.
Pleasant King, judge of the probate court, Camden County, was born in
Osage county, Mo., December 20, 1850, being the son of Hugh L. and
Delilah (Groves) King, and grandson of John S. King, who immigrated
with his family to Osage county, Mo., at a very early date, and located
on the Missouri River, where he established what was known as "King's
Landing." He was there engaged in the mercantile business, which he
continued until the breaking out of the war. He died a few years
later. He was a prominent man and a good citizen. Hugh L. and Delilah
(Groves) King were natives of Georgia and Missouri, respectively. The
father was a farmer by occupation, and this he followed the principal
part of his life, although when young he had followed merchandising
with his father at "King's Landing." He remained in Osage county, Mo.,
until his death, which occurred in 1867. He served in the Home Guards
and militia organizations during the late war, and held a number of
official positions, and was a prominent man in Osage county. The
mother is yet living, and resides in Camden county. They were the
parents of six children, three living: Judge Pleasant, Laura, wife of
John Bunch, and Oliver L. The three deceased were Luella, Sophronia
and an infant. Judge Pleasant King was principally reared in Osage
county, Mo., where he was educated. He was brought up on a farm, but
entered the profession of teaching at nineteen years of age, and con-
tinued in that work until admitted to the bar. He remained in that
county until 1882, when he removed to Richland, Pulaski county, Mo.,
where he was engaged in the practice of law and the newspaper business.
He was admitted to the bar in Osage county, Mo., in October, 1882. He
established the "Cyclone" at Richland, Mo., which publication he con-
tinued until 1885, when he sold out. In 1886 he came to Linn Creek,
and the same year was elected probate judge, which office he still
holds. He is also engaged in the practice of law and real estate busi-
ness, and represents the Phoenix (of Hartford) and the German (of Free-
port, Ill.) Insurance companies. He was married January 16, 1873, to
Miss Anna Agee, of Osage county, Mo., who bore him five children: Ray,
Ilma, Edith, Edgar and Nilla, three of whom are now living, namely:
Ray, Edith and Nilla. Judge King is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and
I. O. O. F. lodges.