The Staples Families of Nodaway County, Missouri

MYRON W. STAPLES.

A man who has long been an important factor in the citizenship of Nodaway county is Myron W. Staples, and his popularity is well deserved, as in him are embraced the characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabated energy and industry. He is public spirited and takes a deep interest in what ever tends to promote the intellectual and material welfare of the community in which he has resided.

Mr. Staples was born in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, in 1852, the son of A. R. and Abigail (Ward) Staples, the former a native of Vermont, and the latter a native of New Hampshire, in which state they were married. They came west in about 1850 and located in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where they pre-empted land and were pioneers. In about 1853 they moved to Monroe county, Wisconsin, and in 1856 to Gentry county, Missouri, where they bought and pre-empted land, and there developed a good farm, becoming well established, and lived there until 1862, when they moved to Nodaway county, this state, and located four miles west of Hopkins. Mr. Staples bought and traded land, and about 1876 he bought land in Atchison county and lived there until his death in 1879. His wife died in 1883.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

RODOLPH R. STAPLES, SR.

In the collection of material for the biographical department of this work there has been a constant aim to use a wise discrimination in regard to the selection of subjects and to exclude none worthy of representation within its pages. Here will be found mention of worthy citizens of all vocations, and at this juncture we are permitted to offer a resume of the career of one of the substantial and honored citizens of Burlington Junction, Nod away township, where he has long maintained his home and where he has attained to an enviable position in the community.

R. R. Staples, Sr., who gave eminent satisfaction as mayor of Burlington Junction, 'was born near Sparta, Monroe county, Wisconsin, on December 23, 1854, and is descended from sterling Irish ancestry in the agnatic line, a remote ancestor, Thomas Staples, having been made a baron in 1628. The subject’s great-grandfather. Sergeant Abraham Staples, rendered valiant service to the colonies in the war of the Revolution and his death occurred at Mendon, Massachusetts, where, on October 31, 1877. a state was unveiled in his honor, the address being delivered by Rev. C. A. Staples, a descendant and a resident of Providence, Rhode Island. The subject's paternal grandfather, Job Staples, was a native of the state of Vermont, and for many years was a sailor on the high seas. The subject’s father, Abial Staples, who was born in Orange county. Vermont, married Abigail Ward, who was born in New Hampshire, the daughter of Benjamin Ward, a native of that state and of English descent. In 1847 Abial and Abigail Staples removed to Jefferson county, Wisconsin, going later to Monroe coun- IOI I ty, that state, where they remained until 1856. In that year they came by ox team to Gentry county, Missouri, and six years later they came to Nodaway county, locating near where Hopkins now stands. There the father remained until 1877. when he went to Colfax township, Atchison county, locating on a farm which is now owned by the subject of this sketch. There the father died in 1879, at the age of sixty-seven years. His wife survived him a few years, dying in 1883, at the age of sixty-seven years. They were consistent and active members of the Christian church and enjoyed the sincere respect of all who knew them.

R. R. Staples was reared under the parental roof and secured his education in the public schools of Gentry and Nodaway counties. He was reared to the life of a farmer and, under the directions of his father, he soon be came an expert judge of livestock. After the death of his father he continued the operation of the home farm, carrying on the raising and feeding of stock on the Grand View farm. He steadily pursued his way along these lines, meeting with well deserved success, and is now numbered among the big cattle dealers of this section of the state. He is the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of fine land, all under fence and either in cultivation or in grass. His efforts have been characterized by enterprise and progressive methods and as an up-to-date business man he is the equal of any of his com peers.

In 1901 Mr. Staples made a pleasure trip to Europe, being absent from home about five months, and on his return he devoted himself to farming in Atchison county, this state, where he resided until December, 1904, when he moved to Burlington Junction, where he now makes his home, though still maintaining an active supervision of his farming operations.

On April 9, 1876, Mr. Staples was united in marriage to Hannah Isabel Fine, a native of Fountain county, Indiana, and the daughter of Harrison and Elizabeth (Emerick) Fine, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Staples have been born four children, Arvilla L., Weltha J., Lester O. and Rodolph R., Jr. These children all reside at home excepting Lester, who is engaged in the operation of a farm six miles southwest of Burlington Junction. They were all educated at Tarkio College, Rodolph continuing his education at the Capital City Commercial College, at Des Moines, Iowa, graduating in 1909.

Politically Mr. Staples is a stanch supporter of the Republican party and has long taken an active part in public affairs, standing high in the councils of his party, having been delegate to a number of county, congressional and state conventions. In 1888 he was his party's nominee for the office of county judge and an unmistakable evidence of his popularity was the fact that he reduced the opposition majority from eighteen hundred to nine votes. In 1892 he was the nominee for the Legislature from Atchison county, be ing defeated by only two votes. In 1898 he was nominated for the position of county recorder and made a splendid race, being defeated again by a narrow margin. He served as mayor of the city of Burlington Junction and to the duties of this office he gave the same careful administration that has characterized his own business affairs. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, having taken all the degrees of the York rite and those of the Scottish rite up to and including the thirty-second degree, being also a member of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His wife and two daughters are members of the Order of the Eastern Star, the daughters being also members of the Order of Daughters of Isis. Religiously. Mr. and Mrs. Staples are members of the United Brethren church, to which they give an earnest and liberal support. Mr. Staples is genial and courteous in his relations with his fellow-men, enjoys an extensive acquaintance throughout this and adjoining counties and is held in high esteem by all who know him.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LESTER OAKLEY STAPLES.

One of the progressive and deserving young agriculturists of Green township, Nodaway county, is Lester Oakley Staples, who was born in Atchison county, Missouri, May 6, 1882, and is the son of Rudolph Richmond and Hannah Isabel (Fine) Staples, the father born in Wisconsin in 1853, being the son of Abial Richmond and Abigail (Ward) Staples. Abigail Ward was a relative of Montgomery Ward, the famous merchant of Chicago. When Rudolph Staples was about two years old the family moved to Nod away county, Missouri, making the trip with ox teams in 1855. locating below Hopkins and followed farming, and there Rudolph grew to maturity and lived there until 1876 when he and Hannah I. Fine were married, moving soon afterwards to Atchison county, locating on nearly a straight line west of Burlington Junction. Abial Staple, the grandfather, had buried a sum of money in Wisconsin, before coming here, knowing that it would be unsafe to bring it with him, having the family to protect at the same time. He afterwards went back alone on horseback and got it, making a ride there and back of about fourteen hundred miles.

Hannah Isabel Fine was born in Indiana, the daughter of Harrison and Elizabeth (Emerich) Fine. The Emerichs were in partnership with the wealthy Astor family. The mother of Lester O. Staples came west with her parents when she was a little child, the family locating near Hopkins, this county, then moved across the line into Iowa where Hannah grew to maturity and where she married Rudolph R. Staples. In 1876 they moved to Atchison county and there they were living when their son, Lester O., was born. There the father now owns a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres, and he has been very successful. Lester O. is one of a family of four children, namely: Arvilla Lavetta, Weltha Joanna, Lester Oakley, of this review, and Rudolph Richmond, Jr. All but Lester O. are living at home with their parents in Atchison county; however, for the past five years this family have made their home in Burlington Junction, though still operating their farm in Atchison county.

Lester O. Staples grew to maturity in Atchison county on the home farm, where he early in life learned the various phases of agriculture, which he has adopted as his life work. He received an excellent education in the high school and college at Tarkio, having attended school there for a period of nine years.

On December 28, 1904. Mr. Staples married Edna Pearl Smith, daughter of James William and Adeline ( Johnson) Smith. The mother is a sister of Augustus Johnson, of Quitman. The Smith family are widely known. Her father was a prominent farmer in the northwestern part of Green township for many years and he is now a well known resident of Burlington Junction, having been a man of influence in this part of the county. Mrs. Staples was born in Green township, May 9, 1884, and there she attended school and received a good text-book training. She also attended Lawrence University, at Appleton, Wisconsin. For a year after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Staples lived on his father's farm, then bought a farm of two hundred acres in Green township, six and one-half miles southwest of Burlington Junction, where he now resides. He has a rich and productive farm, well improved and well kept, and his home is an attractive and pleasant one. He is well equipped for carrying on general farming and, judging from the large success that he has achieved so early in life, it is safe to predict that the future holds in store for him much of good and promise.

Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Staples, namely: [name withheld], born September 10, 1906. and [name withheld], born November 27, 1908, died January 8, 1910. when fourteen months old.

Mr. Staples is a member of the Masonic order at Burlington Junction and one would judge from his daily life that he is making a persistent effort to live up to its high precepts, since his conduct among his fellowmen is that of an honest, straightforward, genteel gentleman.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.