William A. Sewell

WILLIAM A. SEWELL.

The subject of this biographical review has well earned the title to be addressed as one of the progressive, self-made men of Nodaway county, being the owner of valuable landed estate in Hughes township, though he is now living at Graham, having practically relinquished active labor owing to advancing years. He is well liked, his popularity having been gained by his high personal character and his genuine worth. Mr. Sewell was born in Athens county, Ohio, on February 27, 1833, and he is a son of Samuel H. and Elizabeth (Blackwood) Sewell. Both of these parents were natives of Ohio and their deaths occurred in Athens county. The subject was the second child in order of birth of their seven children. He was reared on his father’s farm and remained in Athens county until 1864, engaging the meanwhile in farming and stock raising. In November, 1864, he came to Missouri, local ing in Andrew county, where during the following summer he operated a rented farm. In October of the same year he came to Hughes township, Nodaway county, and bought two hundred and twelve acres of land, located four miles northeast of Graham, which he resided on and operated until March. 1908, when he came to Graham and has since resided here. He is now the owner of two hundred and twelve acres of fine land, all of which is highly improved and under cultivation.

Mr. Sewell was married in Morgan county, Ohio, on October 25, 1855, to Lydia R. Tryon, a native of that state and whose death occurred in Hughes township on November 11, 1872. They had a family of eight children, name ly: Phoebe, the wife of Amos Croy; John, who is engaged in the hardware business at Burlington Junction, this county; Abner, who died at Hot Springs, Arkansas, when about thirty-four years old, is mentioned in a later paragraph; Isaac, a farmer in Texas; Frank, in the South; Mary, the wife of Edward \Y. Geyer, of Graham, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work; Rozella, who died in Graham when about twenty-five years old; Milton, a farmer. In Hughes township, on April 3, 1873, Mr. Sewell was married to Amanda Warner, a native of Illinois, and they are the parents of three children, namely: Guy, a successful farmer in Hughes township, this county; Claud, a farmer in South Dakota; Merl, who is engaged in farming the home place in Hughes township.

Mr. and Mrs. Sewell are members of the Baptist church and have always taken a keen interest in the activities of the society. In fact, everything that has promised to be of benefit to the community in any way has at all times received Mr. Sewell's earnest endorsement and support and he is justly regarded as one of the representative citizens of the community, where so many years of his life have been spent.

Of the life and death of the subject's son, Abner Sewell, the following excerpts are taken from the Skidmore Standard of May 28. 1897: “Abner Weston Sewell was born in Athens county, Ohio, July 19, 1862, making him at the time of his death thirty-five years, ten months and two days old. * *

“A. W. Sewell, with his parents, left his birthplace at the tender age of three years, for Andrew county, Missouri, where they resided one year and then moved to his father's present home, in Nodaway county, seven miles southeast of Skidmore.

“While a boy, on the farm with his father, he suffered from an attack of hip disease which made him a cripple for life. * * * He remained with his father on the farm until about eighteen years of age, when he went to Graham and engaged in the general mercantile business as a clerk for A. C. Snyder. From Graham he went to Maryville where he acted in the capacity of assistant general manager of the Co-operative Grange Store. He filled this position honorably and successfully for over two years, when he resigned his position and came to Skidmore and engaged in the drug and livery business. Later he left for Grand Island, Nebraska, where he successfully operated a large livery business and later conducted the same kind of business at Aurora, that state. He then returned to Skidmore for a short time and wras engaged in the drug and livery business here. From Skidmore he went to Burlington Junction, where, with his brother, John H. Sewell, he was interested in the livery business, also being connected with Sam Butcher in the drug business at the same time. From Burlington Junction he went to Everest, Kansas, and for a number of years run a drug business at that place From Everest he returned to Skidmore and with his brother, I. N. Sewreil, engaged in the general mercantile business, which they were very successfully operating at the time of his death.

“Mr. Sewell met and loved Miss Nora E. Conn at Burlington Junction and they were married in St. Joseph January 5, 1887. Their union was happily blessed by six children, three girls and three boys. * * * Mr.

Sewell was a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America. * * *

“He was a very successful and energetic business man, having a mind that conceived of and successfully executed great possibilities. He was thorough, business-like and untiring in the business world and was well known and respected by all the wholesalers in this part of the country for his sterling

5°6 integrity and business qualifications. Skidmore business men have suffered a great loss from their ranks in his death and how well they esteemed him is given in silent testimony by their actions during the sad bereavement to his family.”

As printed in Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.