Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/674

 600 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI one, a graduate of the Western Military Academy, and Robert Lee, aged eleven. The other daughter. Miss Mary C, is also at home. Mr. Edgar is president of the Iron County Bank of Ironton, organized in 1897. For the tirst year of its existence Mr. I. 6. Whit- worth was president, but since that time Mr. Edgar has held the office continuously. He is no less prominent socially than profession- ally. He is master of the Star of the West Lodge, No. 133, A. F. & A. M. The son is also a member of the A. F. & A. M. John A. Pelts. The Pelts family is one of the best knoAvn of the old Dunklin county families and a citizen who bears the name with credit as one loyal to the best interests of the comnuinity is John A. Pelts, a man of quiet though forceful character, a native son of the county and an agriculturist, whose farm of eighty acres he redeemed from the virgin forest and brought to a high state of improvement. Mr. Pelts, who is a son of that prominent farmer-citizen, the late Joseph Pelts, of whom more extended men- tion is made on other pages of this record, was born March 20. 1857, at the family home- stead situated not far distant from his pres- ent comfortable home in the vicinity of Vin- cent, Dunklin county, Missouri. Here he was reared and in the district school received his education. In choosing a vocation he followed in the paternal footsteps and since young manhood has engaged in farming. He "has expended much time and labor upon his farm, which is new land and which he cleared and has brought to a fine state of im- provement. IIr. Pelts was married September 16, 1884, the young woman to become his wife being ]Iiss Lou Cook, who was born at Nash- ville, Tennessee, July 23, 1864, the daughter of Jesse S. and Nancy J. (Sparks) Cook. The father was a Union soldier and one of the martyrs of the "Great Conflict," his death upon the battlefield occurring in the month of September, 1864. He was a young man at the time. The widow removed with her two children, Lou, now Mrs. Pelts, and Thomas M., residing in Stoddard county, from Tennessee to Alabama in 1866, and there she resided until 1874, when she came • to Clarkton, Dunklin county, Missouri. In this state she lived for a good many years, being well-kno^^'Tl and highly respected in the community in which she made her home. The demise of this good woman occurred in January, 1900, at the home of her daughter, her years numbering sixty-two at the time of her summons to the Great Beyond. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. To Mr. and ilrs. Pelts have been born six children, an enumeration of the number be- ing as follows : The oldest children. Alma and Osa, were twins ; Osa died in infancy, and Alma is now the wife of David Brandon, of Waco, Texas. Rachel is the wife of Joseph Nesler, of Vincent, Missouri. Miss Eulah and Lee Shelton are at home and Ray died at the age of one year. . Mr. Pelts was previously married to Miss Mary Taylor, who died some twenty-eight years since, leaving one son, AVilliam T., now a farmer residing near Vincent, Mis- souri. This young man took as his wife Miss Alice Stephens and they share their pleasant home with three sons, namely: Oakley, Al- ton and Herbert. In the question of polities John A. Pelts has always been a firm supporter of Demo- cratic policies and principles and like every intelligent voter he endeavors to become familiar with all matters effecting the public welfare. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World, of Caruth, Missouri, ilrs. Pelts is a member of the Circle at Caruth and also of the Missionary Baptist church. Joseph Pelts. For many years, more than half a century in fact, one of the best- known, best-liked and most influential men of this section was the late Joseph Pelts, whose identification with Dunklin county dated from that day in 1S54 when, wearing "the rose of youth upon him." he took up his residence within the county. By voca- tion an agriculturist, he was a, man of many interests and it is characteristic of his energy and enthusiasm that at the age of seventy years he organized a stock company at Ken- nett for gold-mining and was on his way to the gold-fields at or near Alton. Missouri, when his death occurred and the company lost its leading spirit. He was a veteran of the Civil war. and, although by birth a Hoosier, the years of his residence in this state prior to the "Great Conflict" so enlisted his sympathies with the institutions of the South that he gave his