Virgil M. Hines of Texas County, Missouri

Virgil M. Hines, attorney, of Houston, Mo., was born in Warren County, Ky., October 23, 1851, and is the son of Vincent K. and Ann M. (Stone) Hines, both natives of Warren County, Ky., and both now living at Windsor, Henry Co., Mo. Vincent K. Hines was born August 7, 1815, and his wife in 1819. They were married in Warren County, Ky., January 15, 1840, and resided there until 1867, when they moved to Johnson County, Mo., where they resided until December, 1875. They then moved to Windsor, Henry County, where they now reside. Both are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and he is a Democrat in politics. He followed farming until 1875, when he engaged in merchandising at Windsor, and continued at this until 1888, when he retired from business. He has been successful in all his business transactions. The Hines family came from Virginia to Kentucky, and were among the very earliest settlers of that State. William Hines, grandfather of our subject, it is thought, was a soldier in the War of 1812. He died in Kentucky. The Stone family were also early settlers of Kentucky. To Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Hines were born six sons and four daughters, nine children now living: James H., John W., died in 1871, when twenty-four years of age; W. M., V. M., Frank B., V. G., Mary, wife of W. Y. Cross; Jane, wife of T. C. Craig; Julia, widow of E. H. Wall, and Ida, wife of Eli Dawson. Virgil M. Hines remained on his father’s farm until twenty-one years of age, when he began farming for himself. In 1871 he attended school at Springfield, and afterward at Central College, Fayette, Mo., in the fall of 1872. He studied law under N. Blackstock, at Knobnoster, and entered the law department of the State University of Missouri in the fall of 1874, and graduated in the spring of 1876. In 1877 he came to Houston, Mo., where he has since practiced very successfully. In 1884 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Texas County, Mo., and re-elected in 1886. On September 13, 1879, he was married to Miss Florence Owsley, a native of Johnson County, Mo., born in 1855, and the daughter of John N. Owsley. One child has been the result of this union, Leslie. Mr. Hines is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and is a Democrat in politics.