LETTER TO SHELBINA TORCHLIGHT

29 November 1901

Clarence, Mo.

Editors Shelbina TORCHLIGHT

Gentlemen:

We last week mentioned the names of several old citizens of Walkersville, but overlooked the name of Mr. John Beck, a German, who was born in Prussia and came to America in early manhood, and in the fifties settled in Walkersville. Mr. Beck was a weaver by trade, but finding no opening for this kind of work in the new West, he learned the carpenters trade and followed this until in ‘62 he joined the Federal army where he remained until the close of the war, when he returned to his trade for a short time, soon moving to the far West and settling in California.

James G. Glenn was an old citizen of Shelby County. Mr. Glenn was born in Marion County, Kentucky in 1810. In ’57 he bought and settled on the John S. Duncan farm of 180 acres southwest of Bacon Chapel. While Mr. Glenn had a fine tract of land, he farmed on a small scale, but was the neatest farmer in the neighborhood and was always in easy circumstances, becoming in his latter days a money loaner. Mr. Glenn’s religion consisted in helping the poor, visiting the sick and afflicted and doing good to his fellow men in general. He was married twice, his first wife dying in ‘41. No children were born of either marriage. Although Mr. Glenn was a strong Union man and my father equally as strong a southern man, they were warm friends. When my father bid farewell to home and started to Monroe County to join the Confederate army, he rode to Mr. Glenn’s house and called him out to the road and told him of his decision and intentions and bid him farewell. He took hold of my father’s hand and as he bid him a kind, neighborly and friendly farewell, he wept. Thus they parted the best of friends although their acquaintance was but a few months old. Soon after this Mr. Glenn joined the militia at Shelbyville and remained in the army one year when he came back to his farm where he and his wife died at a ripe old age, loved and respected by all who knew them. For a long time while my father was in the south enduring the hardships of an army life, my mother, brother and myself were struggling as best we could to make a living; not knowing that our father was even alive, or that we would ever see or hear of him again. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn were our best friends and were ever ready to counsel and advise my brother and I in our work, and when my brother was stricken with typhoid fever and lay for weeks hovering between life and death, they could not have been more attentive had we been a part of their family; and at the critical turn in the disease our father without warning or notice came home; and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn were the first to greet him and welcome him home and rejoice with a mother and two little boys, over the return of a lost husband and father. And as friends are passing to the great beyond and sweet memories are cherished, there will ever be a tender feeling in the memory of my brother and I for; --as we loved to call them – “Uncle Jim and Aunt Mollie Glenn.”

Mr. Prather, a nephew of Mr. Glenn, was born and raised in Kentucky. At the breaking out of the war he joined the Confederate army and remained in the army until the surrender. In the early eighties he came to Missouri and being single stayed with his uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn being well along in years, afflicted and having no children to look after them, Mr. Prather made this his permanent home. He took charge of the farm and looked after his uncle’s business. Being handy about the house, a good nurse and industrious he did the house work, looked after the farm work and nursed the uncle and aunt as tenderly and as affectionately as a son could have done, denying himself of many of the pleasures of life for their comfort, until death relieved them of their sufferings, when he laid them to rest with the tenderness of a child. When Mr. Glenn’s papers were opened a will was found in which Mr. Prather’s name was mentioned as the heir to the fine farm. Mr. Prather has since married and lives on this farm; a member of Bacon Chapel church, a good neighbor and a high-toned Kentucky gentleman.

Mr. Robert Glenn, a nephew of Mr. James G. Glenn, was raised in Marion county, Mo. He enlisted in the Confederate army in ’61 and fought in good faith until the surrender. On his return home he resumed farming, which he followed until his death. In the latter part of the seventies he moved to Bacon Chapel neighborhood and settled on a farm one mile east and one mile north of Lentner where his family now live, he having died some three years ago. Mr. Glenn was a kind hearted man, a good neighbor, an honest, upright gentleman worthy of the respect shown him by his acquaintances.

A gentleman from old Virginia by the name of Charles Shumaker, was the justice of the peace for many years, and the only officer of this kind that ever lived in the neighborhood. Mr. Shumaker died in the latter part of the fifties.

C. L. Spicer was an old resident. His farm was ½ mile east and ½ mile north of the Chapel, and is now owned by Mr. Ben Williams. Mr. Spicer was constable for many years: and the only one in my knowledge that ever lived in the neighborhood. Mr. Spicer was a Mexican soldier, and was drawing a pension at his death. Mr. Spicer lived at one time on the farm now owned by Mr. Althof and a short time on the farm owned by Mrs. Ruffner. From this farm he moved to south Missouri where he died several years ago. Mr. Spicer was married four times, his first, second and third wives dying, his fourth surviving him, now lives at Hale, Missouri.

J. H. Pollard