The Wagoner Families of Lafayette County, Missouri

JOHN T. WAGONER.

Our present task concerns itself with one who is the efficient and popular postmaster at Odessa, a man who has always taken especial interest in the affairs of public interest and who has been among the foremost advocates of every measure which was calculated to benefit the community. By his zealand activity in behalf of such enterprises he has become well known in the county and much respected.

John T. Wagoner was born in Sniabar township, Lafayette county, Missouri, June 20, 1857. His father was Edward M. Wagoner, who was born in Kentucky in May, 1826, the son of Edward Wagoner, who was a pioneer Methodist minister, a man of great piety and usefulness, who died in Lafayette county. His mother was Julia Ann Summers, born in Washington township, Lafayette county, and died in Sniabar township, in October, 1887. His parents were married in this county and located in Johnson county, Missouri, where they lived until the early sixties, when they moved to Lexington, Missouri, and lived there four years. Edward M. served in the state militia two and one-half years. On leaving Lexington he located in Sniabar township, where he has since resided and is now one of the oldest residents of that township. He had but one child, John T.

John T. Wagoner grew up on his father's farms, and attended the common schools and the State Normal School at Warrensburg. On leaving school he engaged in farming and continued at that occupation from 1875 until 1901, when he was appointed postmaster of Odessa by President Mc- Kinley, which position he has since satisfactorily filled. He has always been a strong Republican.

Mr. Wagoner was first married to Nannie E. Cheatham, who died in Sniabar township. He was again married to Cora Baker, of Wappello county, Iowa, by whom he had one son, Cecil V., who is assistant postmaster under his father. Cora Wagoner died at Eldorado Springs, Missouri, May 23, 1887. Mr. Wagoner's third marriage was to M. J. Reddick, of Nodaway county, Missouri.

Mr. Wagoner is a member of the Methodist church. He has by his character won the esteem of his fellow citizens, and is a man of many attainments and one possessed of much intelligent information on all the important matters of the day.

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

CHARLES W. WAGONER.

A young man of highly respected family and with many advantages in the heritage of character left to him by his forefathers, and himself one of many attainments, personal worth and splendid character, Charles W. Wagoner has engaged in business in Odessa and is meeting with the success which he deserves.

The Rev. William F. Wagoner was born eight miles south of Odessa, May 6, 1852, son of William G. Wagoner, who was a native of Kentucky, came to Lafayette county in the forties, and settled on the farm where William F. was born. His mother was a native of Kentucky and is dead. William F. grew up in Lafayette county and is now a clergyman of the Methodist church South. He was married in Lafayette county to Ella Triplett, a native of the county. She bore to him five children: Mayme, wife of Max Kahn, of Montrose, Missouri; Charles W.; Ruby, wife of Carl Kahn, of Montrose, Missouri; Anna, wife of Dr. Hayden Osborn, of Odessa; and Helen. The Rev. Mr. Wagoner has served many stations and is an able and godly minister.

Charles W. Wagoner was born in Gunn City, Cass county, Missouri, May II, 1881. He was educated in different public schools in central Missouri, in which field most of his father's pastorates have lain, and graduated from the Central College of Fayette, Missouri. After graduation, he, in 1904, entered the mercantile business in Odessa, as a member of the firm of Conner Brothers & Wagoner, and has since been engaged in that business. His business affairs have flourished and are in a very prosperous and promising condition. He takes great interest in all public affairs and is always ready to lend a hand to any enterprise which has for its object the bettering of the community. The Methodist church South relics upon him as one of its most active members and he has been superintendent of their Sunday school for three years. We know of no more deserving or promising young man in the county than Mr. Wagoner, and he has already placed himself well on the road to success.

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

IRA E. WAGONER.

One of the able and active business men of Odessa comes under consideration in this review, one who by his skill and application has made himself the head of a large and prospering business. Mr. Wagoner is a master of the lumber business in all its conditions and in all its stages from the standing tree to the finished lumber. While he is a good judge of the quality of lumber and timber and its fitness for his purposes, he is also as familiar, or more so, with the wants of his trade in different sections and adapts his operations accordingly. For these reasons he has been very successful.

Ira E. Wagoner was born in Allen county, Kentucky, March 30, 1849, son of Amos H. Wagoner, also a native of the county, and born about 1816, and Mary M. Meadow, born in Tennessee about 1818. His parents came to Lafayette county in the fall of 1849 " settled near Chapel Hill, where they resided until their death, he dying in 1901, she in December, 1908. They were the parents of eight children: Nancy A., wife of R. A. Hampton; Martha L., wife of Robert F. Cobb, died in Sniabar township; Mary

M., wife of the Rev. Thomas M. Cobb; Frances C, wife of the Rev. T. P. Cobb; Ira E.; WilHam H., who died in Oklahoma; Sarah E., wife of Henry Green; and Ella, who died in Sniabar township.

Ira was six months old when his parents came to this county. He grew up on the farm and lived at home until 1877, attending the common schools. On leaving home he began to farm for himself, buying a farm in Jackson county, Missouri, where he lived for about two years. He sold the farm and came to Odessa in the latter part of 1880 and engaged in the grain business for about three years. While still carrying on the grain business, he in 1882 began operations in the lumber business, and has since devoted his time to that, not only in Odessa, but also in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Norman, and Hobart, Oklahoma.

Mr. Wagoner was first married in Jackson county, Missouri, September 4, 1887, to Lettie H. Hobson, a native of that county. She died in Odessa, May 13, 1887. They were the parents of two children, Stella M., who died when nine years old, and Alta L. In 1889 Mr. Wagoner was married to Edmonia H. Pearcy, of Odessa, who died in that city in August, 1905. She was the mother of three children: Mary F., Josephine and a son who died in infancy. Mr. Wagoner was again married in December, 1908, to Frances Wilmot, of Odessa.

Mr. Wagoner is a public-spirited man and takes a leading and active interest in all public affairs. He has been a member of the Odessa council and school director and is a strong friend of education. In politics he has always acted with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Methodist church South, and has filled many of the church offices. As a keen business man he has few superior.

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

J. E. WAGONER.

The subject of this sketch is a native of Allen county, Ky., and came to Missouri with his parents in 1849, locating in Lafayette county, where, after arriving at manhood's estate, he engaged in farming and merchandising. In 1880 he went to Odessa, where he now resides engaged in the grain trade. Sept. 18, 1877, he was married to Miss L. H. Hobson, of Jackson county. They have one child, Stella M. Mr. Wagoner is a member of the Grange and also of the M. E. Church, south. Is a partner in the firm of Cobb & Wagoner, grain dealers, Post Office, Odessa.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.