In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1915) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From A history of northwest Missouri (1915), The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts. It contains a condensed history of the state of Missouri and its chief cities ... ; it (1881)
R. A. COLLIER.
Robert A. Collier was born in Fayette, Missonri, March 19, 1838. In 1844, when he was six years old, his parents came to Grundy county and settled in Trenton, then a small hamlet, where he was reared and educated and has lived ever since with the exception of four years spent in travel in Colorado, Utah and Illinois. His father being a bricklayer he learned that trade but followed it only a short time after attaining his majority. In 1861 he enlisted in company B, Twenty-third Missouri volunteer infantry under Colonel Tindall, and participated in the battle of Shiloh, where he was taken prisoner and held as such seven months, during which time he was confined at Corinth, Memphis, Mobile, Montgomery, Chattanooga, Macon, and in Libby Prison; was paroled at Aiken's Landing, Virginia, October 19, 1862; was twice promoted, first as orderly sergeant and next as second lieutenant. In 1863 he was detailed assistant commissary for the district of Rolla, Missouri, and was mustered out in 1864, serving six months longer than the term enlisted for. Returning to Trenton he was deputized county and circuit clerk by Hon. George H. Hubbell. In 1866 he engaged in the mercantile business with W. T. Wisdom, under firm name of Wisdom & Collier, and retired from the firm the following winter. In the fall of 1870 he was elected county treasurer of Grundy county and was elected his own successor. In 1875 he was appointed township trustee of Trenton, which he was legislated out of by a change made in the law. Since that time he has been variously employed, becoming book-keeper for
K Shanklin & Brother in 1880. In 1862 Mr. Collier married Miss A. E. Oooper, of Trenton. They have four children: Willie C, Robert E., Leon E., and Mary Ellen.
As printed in The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts. It contains a condensed history of the state of Missouri and its chief cities ... ; it (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Robert A. Collier. One of the venerable citizens of Grundy County is Robert A. Collier, whose home has been in that locality for more than seventy years, and whose mind is filled with recollections of the early surroundings and events of Northwest Missouri. He is one of the honored veterans of the great Civil strife of the '60s, and has given many years to public in Grundy County.
Robert A. Collier was born at Fayette, in Howard County, Missouri, March 19, 1838, a son of William and Susan Collier. His father was a man whose enterprise did much for early Grundy County, and who was the contractor who constructed the first courthouse at Trenton. The family history is of much interest, and will be found somewhat in detail in the sketch of Hon. Luther Collier, a brother of Robert A.
Robert A. Collier was five years old when the family moved to Trenton, and grew up in that city. He has recollections of some of the early schools and early school teachers, and among those who directed his mental training as a boy he recalls Col. John H. Shanklin, George H. Hubbell, James Turner, Jacob T. Tindall, Rev. James Vincent, J. B. Allen and Joseph Ficklin. Later he attended school for a time at Bethany. For a practical vocation in life he learned the trade of bricklayer under his father's direction, and that has been his main business, although the greater part of his active years have been spent in other duties.
In 1861 Mr. Collier enlisted for service in the Union army, becoming a member of Company B, of the Twenty-third Regiment of Missouri Infantry. He was made orderly sergeant, and in 1863 was commissioned lieutenant by Governor Gamble. Soon afterwards by order of President Lincoln he was appointed a mustering officer, and thus became a member of the general staff. He served on the staff of (Jen. Thomas A. Davies, General Guitar and General McNeil. After three years and four months in the army he returned home and was appointed mustering officer for Grundy County, a position which he retained for about one year. Soon after the close of the war Mr. Collier continued his public work as deputy county clerk, and finally resigned that position to engage in merchandising. In 1870 he was elected county clerk, and gave twelve years to that office.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
As printed in A history of northwest Missouri (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: George H. Hubbell Luther Collier (b. 1842) W. T. Wisdom (b. 1841)
The printed record stops around 1915. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.