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BIOGRAPHICAL

The remainder of the pages of this book will be devoted to biographies of people.  A history of any sort is
next to worthless that does not tell something about the people that made the history of a given period of the
country’s growth and development.  What is a history?  It is a record of what men and women have done.
Aside from its natural resources and continued blessings from God, Morgan county is what the people of
different generations have made it.  That and nothing more.
 A biographical history will be laid away in the book-case and kept by the children generation after
generation because it contains their family history.  It contains the names of father, mother, brothers, sisters
and neighbors.  The book is a good family record and furnishes much valuable information that will always
be valuable.  These biographical sketches are correct if they were given correctly by the person written
about.  The matter is all direct from them and does not come second-hand or by heresay.
 

E. K. BUCK

 E. K. BUCK -- Emanuel K. Buck, present county clerk, lives in Versailles where he owns property.
He was born at Tousburg, Ohio, September 6, 1860.  He is the son of Dr. Henry Buck who also lives in
Versailles at the advanced age of 92 years and is still able to walk briskly up town.  Dr. Henry Buck, the
father of this  sketch, was born in Millerstown, Pa., Feb. 8, 1915.  His wife, Rebecca Buck, was born in
Ashland county, Ohio, December 30, 1828.  E. K. Buck came with his father’s family from Salem, Ohio, to
Morgan county in 1875.  Emanuel’s brothers and sisters are as follows:  Mellie, age56, John W., age 54;
Charles W., age 51; W. H., age 49; George, age 45; Valinda E., age 44; Carrie, age 42; Viola M., age 38.
The father of this sketch has been a physician all of his live.  In politics he has always been a leading,
thinking Republican and the son Emanuel is like his father in these matters.  Emanuel got his education in the
country district schools.   He is a Charter member of the Gravois camp M.W.  of A.  He was married in Linn
Creek, Mo., May 3, 1891 to S. Elizabeth McComis who is still
 

living.  Their children are: Glady M., age 15; Helen, age 12; Bernice, age 10.
 E. K. Buck is the present county clerk of Morgan county.  He was elected in the fall of 1906 for a
term of four years.  His Democratic opponent was Prof. Wray Witten, the present county school
commissioner.  Mr. Buck’s majority over Mr. Witten was 282 votes.
 Mr. Buck has spent the most of his live in the mercantile business.  He clerked several years in Linn
Creek for a business house.  He clerked for business houses in Osage Iron Works, Gravois Mill, and
Versailles.  In the year 1901 he was in the mercantile business for himself at Gravois Mill and was burned
out that year after which he moved to Versailles and formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, W. N.
Gilson, in the mercantile business.  In a few months Gilson bought Mr. Buck’s interest when the latter
accepted a position with A. Popper which position he held till he was elected county clerk.
 

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J. W. MILLS

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was postmaster of Versailles four years prior to his death.
 James W. Mills, the only living member of this family, was educated in the public schools of
Versailles.  He was a postal clerk on the railroad several years.  For several years he has been a member of
the I.O.O.F., having joined at Tipton but later brought his membership to Versailles.  He is one of the chief
promoters in the erection of the large new Odd Fellow building that is just completed at this time (July 1, married in Tipton.  Mr. Mills lived in Tipton from 1883 to 1890 when he moved back to Versailles.  In 1892
he was the Republican nominee for collector of Morgan county.  His Democratic opponent was C. C. Hardy
Jr., who was elected by a small majority.  He was appointed postmaster at Versailles, July 15,  1897 by
President McKinley and is still postmaster.  Mr. Mills has been chariman of the county Republican Central
committee for several years by Dr. H. N. Lutman, the present chariman.  Mr. Mills has done much efficient
work for the Reptilian party in the county and congressional district.   He has been sent by his party as a
delegate to various state conventions, and district conventions as a representative of his party.
 Mr. and Mrs. Mills are the parents of the following children:  Harry T., born November 7, 1888,
James Neville, born May 2, 1900.  Mr. Mills owns a nice home and much other valuable property in
Versailles.
 

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WESLEY C. THOMAS
 

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 Mr. Thomas is the present circuit clerk and recorder of Morgan county.  He is serving the first year
of his second term.  He was first elected in the fall of 1902 and served the people so faithfully that he was
re-elected over his Democratic opponent, Dr. T. R. Bridges, in 1906.  In his first election he defeated James
B. Spurlock.  Mr. Thomas was born in Cooper county, about three and a half miles northwest of Tipton,
May 13, 1871.  His father, Allen Thomas, was born Feb. 22, 1840, near Bloomfield, Calloway county, Mo.,
and his mother, Angeline Thomas, was born April 12, 1845.
 

near Russellville, Cole county, Mo.  W. C. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, moved from a farm, in north
Cooper county, in December, 1996, to Syracuse, Morgan county, where he bought a durgstore and was
soon appointed postmaster at that place, which position he held till he moved to Versailles in 1902,
following his election as circuit clerk and recorder.  Wesley’s parents now live in Kansas City, Mo.  Wesley
has six brothers and sisters, as follows:  A. J., J. W., Elizabeth, Nancy C., Augustus and Arthur.  Wesley’s
father was a farmer the first 40 years of his life and has since been engaged in the real estate business.
Wesley was educated in he public schools of Tipton where the Thomas family lived for many years.  He has
been a member of the Modern Woodmen of America for eight years.  He has been a member of the Odd
Fellows four years.  February 11, 1892, he was married to Martha F. Bayne.  To this union seven children
were born as follows:  Joseph Ray, aged 14; Chas. Morgan, aged 12; Wesley Earl, aged 10; Everett F., aged  Wesley Thomas has always been an industrious worker and public spirited.  As a public official he
has met the expectations of the people.  He owns property in Versailles and this is his home.  He is a good
and faithful worker in the Republican party of which he has always been a worthy member.
 

ALFRED W. BURNS
 

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ISAAC MELVIN SCHANNEP
 

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 The subject of this sketch lives in Versailles where he has lived for years.  He was born near this
city October 15, 1877.  He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac  Schannep who live two miles northwest of this
city.  The father was born in Ohio and his mother, whose maiden name was Catherine Lynch, was born in
Wilmington, Delaware.  The parents came to Missouri during the civil war.  There were nine children in the
Schannep family, two of whom are dead.  The living are:  Mrs. Telena Estes, of Denver, Colorado; Mrs.
Jemima Felton, of Denver; Mrs. Lucy Miller, of Shawnee, Okla.; Joseph Schannep, of Versailles; Lex
Schannep, of Denver; Susana Pennington, of Morgan county; John Schannep and I. M. Schannep, of
Versailles.  Melvin, about whom we are writing, was raised on his father’s farm and was educated in the
Versailles High school.  After reaching his majority he clerked for several years in the M. Joachimi general
merchandise establishment where he was recognized as one of the best clerks in the city.  He had thought
some of teaching school but abandoned that idea and took up the study of law and after burning much
midnight oil he found himself qualified to pass the examination for admission to the bar.  He was admitted
after a rigid examination and his practiced some but has never branched out into the practice in the sense
that he has been a hunter of business.  He is a member of Episcopal church, having become a member in of P. lodge of Versailles in which he is K. of R.&S.  He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America.  March 12, 1902, he was married to Mary D. Bahney.  Two children now bless this home.  They
are:
 

 Maxine Elizabeth, four years old, and Dwight Bahney, one year old.  Besides being an attorney-at-law, Mr.
Schannep is deputy circuit clerk and recorder for W. C. Thomas, which position he has held since Mr.
Thomas first went into office four years ago, and a position he held with circuit clerk J. Loan Enloe part of
that gentleman’s administration between the years of 1894 and 1898.  Mr. Schannep has been secretary of
the Rep ublican county central committee for years and has always been an active party worker.  He has
never held public office nor has asked for any.
 

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JAMES A. ALLISON
 

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 Mr. Allison was born near Florence October 8, 1875.  He w as raised in the same neighborhood and
lived there till 1907 when he moved to Waverly, Mo., where he bought a system of telephone lines and now
operates them at that place.  His father’s name was Robert Allison and he was born March 1, 1843.  His
mother’s maiden name was Emoline Cramer and she was born November 4, 1854.  His father and mother
were both born in Morgan county.  Both are now dead, his father having died in north Morgan December and never held public office.  James was educated in the district public schools and in the Warrensburg state
normal.  He is a leading member of the Baptist church, having been superintendent of the Sunday school at
Bethlehem several years and otherwise a church leader.  He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America.  March 21, 1900, he was married to Lillie S Decker who is still living.  Two children bless the home.  The oldest is Leo Jewel who
was born April 11, 1901; the second is Erma Emoline, born October 12, 1903.  Mr.   Allison was raised on
the farm and lived there till he moved to Waverly this year (1907).  He went to the Warrensburg normal
school a term or two where he qualified himself to teach school.  He taught several terms in Morgan county
and was pronounced one of the best teachers in the county.  His services as teacher always commanded the
best salaries paid to any teacher and his services as teacher were called for in many districts.  Although a
young man he was so highly respected and liked among the people who knew him for that his friends
prevailed upon him, against his will, to run for office and after considerable persuasion he concluded to ask
for the nomination for county clerk in the year 1906.  The Republican party being safely in the majority in
the county, there was a hot contest for all the places on the ticket, resulting in Mr. Allison’s defeat for the
nomination, by only two or three votes, by E. K. Buck, an old time party worker.  The county has lost a
good and useful citizen by Mr.  Allison’s leaving it.
 

HARVEY EDWARDS NEVILLE

 HARVEY EDWARDS NEVILLE -- Mr. Neville lives in Versailles, Missouri, and is the present
probate judge of the county.  He was born October 25, 1849, in Barren county, Kentucky.  His father,
Carroll Neville, was born in Barren county, Kentucky in the year 1816; his mother, whose maiden name was
Eliza Edwards, was born in Barren county, Kentucky, in the year 1820.  In the fall of 1850 Carroll Neville
and family left Kentucky with the intention of going to Kansas but stopped in Illinois where they spent one
season, after which they left Illinois for Missouri, where they spent a few months in Cole county.  After this
sojourn the family moved to Moniteau county in 1851 and lived till 1856 when they moved to Miller county
where they lived till 1868 when they moved back to Moniteau county and  after a residence there of two
years moved in 1870, to Ozark Christian county, Missouri.  Mrs. Carroll Neville died in Miller county in four sisters and three brothers, all of whom lived to be grown.  Only one sister is now (1907) living; all of
the brothers are living.  Carroll Neviille  was a Baptist preacher and once represented Miller county in the
state legislature.  Harvey E. Neville was educated in the public schools and in the Warrensburg state normal
school.  He taught school from 1874 to 1882.  His fields of work in this capacity were in Moniteau, Miller
and Morgan counties.  He helped organize the Miller County Exchange Bank at Olean and was for several
years its vice-president.  For ten years he was interested in and conducted a lumber business at Olean.  He is
a member of the Baptist church and is a member of the I.O.O.F.  Judge Neville has been twice married. He
was first married to Ida Morris, in 1880.  She died in 1901 and afterwards he married Anna Rutherford, of
Versailles, who is now living.  Judge Neville is the father of no children.  He represented Miler county in the
state legislature in 1897 and ‘98.  He is a lawyer.  Mr. Neville was elected probate judge of Morgan county
in 192, served four years and was re-elected in 1906 for another four years.  His present term of office
expires January 1, 1911.  He is a Republican in politics and takes an active part in the campaigns of his party.
 

 

Section 17

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