Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/715

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 629 are located in a fine concrete structure at Fredericktown, the same being situated on West Slain street. As president of this great corporation Jlr. Grisham has displayed un- usual shrewdness and excellent executive ability and under his able management it has been decidedly prosperous. In addition to his mercantile interests jMr. Grisham is a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Fredericktown and he is also a member of the board o'f curators of ilarvin College. In Wayne county, ilissouri, in 1892, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Grisham to Miss Josie Dixon, a native of that county and a daughter of Benton Dixon. Mr. and ]Ii-s. Grisham have two sons, — Leonard, whose birth occurred in 1893 ; and Lloyd, born in 1897 and at present a student in Marvin College. In polities Mr. Grisham is aligned as a stalwart supporter of the principles and policies for which the Republican party stands sponsor. He is not a politician, prac- tically speaking, but he has given splendid service as a member of the Central Repub- lican committee. In the Masonic order he is a member of Marcus Lodge, No. 110, Free and Accepted Masons; and Solomon Chap- ter, Royal Arch Masons. In their religious faith the Grisham family are devout mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. South, to whose good works, they are liberal contributors of their time and means. Christian E. Stiver. The present able and popular incumbent of the position of city engineer of Cape Girardeau is Christian E. Stiver, who was elected to that important office in April, 1911. He is a prominent business man of the younger generation who has achieved success as the result of his own well directed endeavors and he is a citizen who is ever on the alert and enthusiastically in sympathy with all movements projected for the progress and improvement of this section of the state, where he has maintained his home since March, 1909. A native of the fine old Keystone state of the Union, Christian E. Stiver was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of January, 1884. He is a son of Charles L. and Sarah (Hagey) Stiver, both of whom were likewise bom in Philadelphia and both of whom are now living, their home being at Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Of the two children bom to Mr. and Mrs. Stiver the sub- ject of this article, is the eldest and his brother, Ellwood H. Stiver, is attending col- lege. In his youth Christian E. Stiver was att'orded excellent educational advantages. After completing the curriculum of the pub- lie schools of his home community iu Phila- delphia he was matriculated as a student in Nazareth Hall, a military academy at Naza- reth, Pennsylvania. In 1901 he was a stu- dent in the Lehigh University, at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He entered Lafayette Col- lege, at Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1904, in the engineering department of which excel- lent institution he was graduated as a mem- ber of the class of 1907. In JIarch, 1909, he came to Cape Girardeau, where he ac- cepted a postion with the Cape Girardeau Portland Cement Company as engineer. In June, 1909, however, he left that concern and took up railroad survey work. In September of the same year he entered the employ of the Kettle River Company, a paving concern in this city, and in July, 1910, he again turned his attention to railroad surveying. In April, 1911, he was honored by his fel- low citizens with election to the office cf city engineer and he is now serving in that capac- ity with the utmost efficiency. In his political convictions Mr. Stiver is aligned as a stalwart in the ranks of the Re- publican party and his religious faith is in harmony with the teachings of the Jlethodist Episcopal church. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the local lodge of the Benevo- lent & Protective Order of Elks and he is also connected with the Sigma Nu college fraternity. He is a young man of splendid mentality and fine moral fiber and iu all the relations of life he has so conducted himself as to command the unalloyed confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in con- tact. He is genial in his associations, aff'able in his address, generous in his judgment of his fellow men, and courteous to all. As a citizen and enthusiast of his town, it is but just to say that communities will pro^^^or and grow in proportion as they put a pre- mium on men of his mould. WiixiAM S. C. Walker. Distinguished for his umblemished record as a man and a jurist is William Samuel Crittenden Walker, circuit judge of the Twenty-second Judicial Circuit, Judge Walker is the son of Thomas C. and Susan F. (Crittenden) Walker, both repre- sentatives of old Virginia families and na-