Bates County Biographies

 

KAUFFER, Frank
Deer Creek Township - Frank Kauffer, farmer and stock raiser, section 35, was born in Northfield, Vermont, December 20, 1850. His father, John F. Kauffer was of German descent, and born in New Hampshire. He was a master mechanic by profession. He married Miss Jane R. Caswell, and they had two sons and one daughter, Frank being the second child. While an infant his parents removed to Bangor, Maine, where they remained until he was eleven years old; then going to Iowa. He was educated in Maine and Iowa, and worked in the mines at Coleville, Iowa, for five years. In May, 1870, he came to Bates County, Missouri, and has since been engaged in farming and mining. His estate contains eighty acres, all under fence, and it is an excellent stock farm. Mr. K. is a member of Crescent Hill Lodge, No. 368, A.F. & A.M. August 17, 1878, he married Miss Susan Satterlee, a daughter of William Satterlee. They have lost one child. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KEEP, James H.
Deer Creek Township - James H. Keep was born in De Kalb County, Indiana, February 15, 1848. His father, Oliver D. Keep, was a steamboat captain for a number of years on the Mississippi River. His mother was formerly Lucinda Rice, a native of Vermont. They had three sons and five daughters, of whom James was the fourth chhild. When he was four years old his parents removed to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he received his education at the public schools of that city, and in 1863 he graduated from Bryant & Stratton's College at St. Paul. In 1863 he went to Montana and followed mining until 1867, when he came to Bates County, Missouri, engaging in farming. This he continued until 1880, at which time he removed to Adrian. Mr. Keep was married, October 15, 1874, to Miss Druzie Griffin, who died October 9, 1879. They had two children, Oliver S. (now deceased), and Elmer Lee. He was again married, to Miss A.E. Fairchilds, January 16, 1881. They have one child, Ralph M. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KEIRSEY, M.S.
Spruce Township - M.S. Keirsey, farmer and stock dealer, was born in Polk County, Missouri, February 3, 1851. His father, Drury Keirsey, who was born in Murray County, Tennessee, in 1809, married Miss Agnes Thompson, of the same state. The former grew to manhood in his native state, and in 1837 came to Missouri and settled in Polk County. M.S. spent his youth as a farmer's boy and was educated at the public schools. He was married in Polk County, August 20, 1874, to Miss Mary Williams, of that county, and a daughter of W.J. Williams. Mr. Keirsey continued to live for four years in Polk, engaged in farming and stock raising. In the spring of 1878 he moved to Bates County, where he purchased land in Spruce Township in section 18. Here he now resides, owning 170 acres, with a fair house and outbuildings and a young orchard. He has thirty-five acres of timothy meadow, forty acres of pasture, and is extensively interested in handling and feeding cattle and hogs. Mr. and Mrs. Keirsey have three children: William D., born May 29, 1875; Sarah Olive, born April 14, 1877, and Ada A., born January 28, 1879. Mrs. K. is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KELSEY, William H.
Elkhart Township - William H. Kelsey, one of the most enterprising farmers of Elkhart Township, was born August 28, 1843, in Warren County, Illinois. His father, James Kelsey, was a native of Kentucky, and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Vandever, came originally from Illinois. William is the fourth of five children, all of whom except himself are in Illinois. In October, 1870, he moved to Missouri, and bought land seven miles south of Harrisonville, where he lived until October, 1881, then coming to Bates County. He purchased the farm which he now occupies, in section 5, where he has 161 acres, and is engaged in feeding cattle and hogs to some extent. Mr. Kelsey was married in Warren County, Illinois, September 24, 1869, to Miss Florence Thomas. She died in Cass County, March 3, 1872, leaving one child, which only survived a short time. August 28, 1873, Mr. K. married Miss Harriet T. Friend, daughter of Jacob Friend, of Harrisonville. They have two children: Fred and Augusta. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KEPNER, Frank
Spruce Township - Frank Kepner, section 7. The subject of this sketch is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born in Juniata County, June 5, 1842. His parents, Solomon and Sophia (Mark) Kepner, also came originally from that state. Frank moved with the family to Missouri in 1858, and located in Cooper County. He passed his youth on a farm and was educated at the public schools, and in the summer of 1863 he took a trip through the western states and territories and spent some two years in Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico. Mr. Kepner was married in Cooper County, December 20, 1870, to Miss Sarah E. Kuans, of that county. After this he settled in Bates County, and came on his present farm in the winter of 1874. He has 93 acres of good land, all fenced and in a fair state of cultivation, with a young orchard. He makes a specialty of dealing in stock and feeding cattle. Mr. Kepner and his wife are members of the Baptist Church. The former also belongs to the Masonic fraternity. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KIMBLE, Joseph
Deepwater Township - The subject of this sketch was born in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, June 24, 1825, and was the son of John Kimble, a native of New Jersey, and Lydia (Scott) Kimble, originally from Pennsylvania. Joseph moved with his parents to New York in 1828, and located in Tompkins County, from whence in about two years they went to Chemung County. Young Kimble spent his youth on a farm and received a good common school education. He came west to Illinois in 1851, and was engaged at his trade, that of carpentering, in Morgan County, for about eighteen months, and in the spring of 1853, in company with Little and others, he made a trip overland to California, arriving there in August. He worked at his trade in that country for three years, came to Missouri in 1866, and located in Jackson County, where he worked about one year, and then came to Bates County, and continued his trade for a greater part of the time up to 1875. He bought land in Bates County in 1859, and moved upon the place in 1867, which he has mostly improved. He has 132 acres, 120 fenced, with fair house and improvements, and resides on section 8. Mr. Kimble was married in Henry County, in October, 1866, to Miss Sarah Jane Austin, of that county, and a daugther of John Austin. She died in the spring of 1868, leaving one son, Ellis A., who was born August 14, 1867. Mr. K. is a member of the Masonic fraternity. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KIRKPATRICK, Edgar T.
Deer Creek Township - Edgar T. Kirkpatrick, editor of the Adrian Advertiser, was born in Johnson County, Missouri, June 28, 1855. His father, Edgar C. Kirkpatrick, who was a musician and school teacher by profession, was a native of Ohio. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Johnson, originally from Kentucky. Edgar T. was the fourth of five children. While an infant his parents came to Bates County, and remained at West Point until 1861, when they removed to Johnson Court House, Ohio. After a short time in that locality, they returned to Missouri, and lived in Sedalia until 1866, when they again came to Bates County. In 1867 the subject of this sketch embarked in the newspaper business with O.D. Austin, on the Record at Butler, remaining with him about one year, when he accepted a position in the Democrat office. Here he was employed four years. In 1875 he took a trip west, when he bought an interest in the Canon City Avalanche, which he published until 1876. From there he went to Lake City and worked on teh Silver World for a time. Mr. K. stayed in the west until 1879, occupied in mining and in the newspaper business. In September, 1881, he took charge of the Appleton City Journal, which position he held until April, 1882, when he removed to Rich Hill, when he began editing the Daily Gazette. In August, 1882, he sold this paper to the Greenback party, and on September 9, he issued the first number of the Adrian Advertiser, a neat, eight column paper, devoted to the town of Adrian and vicinity. It is a model paper, typographically, and one of the ablest edited papers in the county. Mr. K. is a member of the I.O.O.F., belonging to Butler Lodge, No. 180. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KNISLEY, George C.
Deer Creek Township - George C. Knisley, farmer, section 26, is a native of Miami County, Ohio, where he was born October 12, 1849. His father, John Knisley, was a Pennsylvanian by birth and a farmer and carpenter by occupation. He removed to Ohio in an early day, and married Nancy Weaver, a native of that state. George was the sixth of eleven children. When he was six years old his parents oved to Green County, Wisconsin, where they remained until 1863, then going to Illinois. The subject of this sketch received his education in the common schools of Wisconsin and Illinois, and in 1869, he came to Bates County, Missouri, and has followed the occupation of farming since that time. His farm contains 120 acres, all under fence and well improved. He was elected constable in 1870, and held the office five years. He has also been township collector. October 24, 1874, Mr. K. married Miss Josephine Sheppard, who was born in Illinois October 24, 1849. They have four children: Ezra C., John A., Clarence and Lulu. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KNISLEY, James P.
Deer Creek Township - The subject of this sketch was born in Miami County, Ohio, April 2, 1845, and was the son of John and Nancy (Weaver) Knisley; the former of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. James P. accompanied his father's family to Wisconsin and Illinois and remained on the home farm until nineteen years old when he engaged in farming and trading for himself. This he continued until 1870 when he came to Bates County, Missouri, embarking in the real estate business at Crescent Hill. He followed that business until 1876, when he again resumed farming. In 1881 he came to Adrian. Mr. K. is one of the live and energetic business men of this place and has done as much as any one man to build up the town. He now owns a good business house and a residence here. He is a member of Crescent Hill Lodge, No. 368, A.F. & A.M. August 23, 1864, he married Miss Saloma Noffsinger, a native of Ohio. They have three children living: Mary E., William J. and Ira J. They have lost three: Austin, Dora Alice and Harvey. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

KNORP, William
Spruce Township - William Knorp, farmer and stock raiser, section 22, was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, June 6, 1837. His father, George Knorp, was born in Germany, and emigrated to the United States when a young man, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he was afterward married to Margaret Grewy. William moved to Missouri with his parents in 1843, and located first in Cole County, and in about one year in Jefferson City, where they lived some three years, going thence to Moniteau County. His early youth was passed on a farm, and in February, 1862, he enlisted in the Union army, in the Fifth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, which regiment was afterward consolidated with another and known as the Twelfth Regiment. He served about two years in this regiment, and reenlisted in teh Twelfth Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, with which he continued till April 9, 1865, when he was discharged at Leavenworth. After his discharge Mr. Knorp returned to Moniteau County, and was engaged in farming there about one year. In the fall of 1866 he came to Bates County and purchased land, subsequently retracing his steps to Moniteau County. In the fall of 1868 he located on his land in Spruce Township, Bates County, which embraces 210 acres, 180 of which are fenced, 40 in timothy meadow and 40 acres in pasture, adn 100 in cultivation. His residence is a new one, and upon the place is an orchard with some select varieties of fruits. Mr. Knorp was married in this county, June 15, 1869, to Miss Margaret J. Burnett, a daughter of John Burnett. She is a native of Missouri, and was born in Johnson County, Decmeber 30, 1849. They have four children: John Lewis, born October 6, 1870; Mary Angeline, born August 28, 1872; James Henry, born May 11, 1876; and Charles Edmond, born August 27, 1879. Mrs. K.'s father died in the army, in 1862, and her mother died July 22, 1882. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church. (History of Bates County, Missouri, 1883)

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