Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/728

 640 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI a daughter of Johu Sites, who came to Mis- souri in 1818. He was a prosperous farmer iu this section of the state but died in the ante-belhuu days. He was a native of North Carolina and was descended from stanch old German stock. Mrs. Watts passed to the great beyond in March, 1911, at the vener- able age of eighty-seven years. In the ag- natic line Mr. Watts, of this notice, traces his ancestry to old English stock. Of the nine children born to ilr. and Mrs. Reuben Watts but three are living at present, namely, Mrs. ]lary J. Whitener, of Madison county, Missouri : Mrs. Missouri C. Bess, likewise of iladison county; and Napoleon B., the im- mediate subject of this review. Mr. Watts passed his boyhood and youtli on the old homestead farm, his education con- sisting of .such crude advantages as were afforded iu the schools of the locality and period. At the age of twenty-two years he launched out into the business world on his own account, engaging in the general mer- chandise business. Subsequently he turned his attention to farming and in 1882 was hon- ored by his fellow men with election to the office of county clerk, serving with the ut- most efficiency iu that capacity for a period of eight years. In 1882 he established his home at Fredericktown, where he has since resided. In 1890 he became interested in the banking business and was instrumental in the organization of the Madison County Bank, one of the most substantial monetary concerns iu southeasteru 3Iissouri. Mr. Watts acted as cashier until 1901. The se- curity of the bank had been previously in- corporated with a capital .stock of ten thou- sand dollars and the original officers were : Val Sehlesinger, president; J. F. Anthony, cashier. In April, 1904, the capital was in- creased to twenty thousand dollars and the institution reorganized as a state bank. In January, 1901, Mr. Watts became cashier, continuing in that office until January, 1910. The present officers are: N. B. Watts, presi- dent; E. H. Day, vice president; J. W. Blan- ton, cashier ; and J. F. Glaves, assistant cash- ier. Under the shrewd management of its eminently capable officers, the bank has pros- pered iu cverv connection, as shown b.y a recent statement, in which the surplus and profits amount to $4,513.38 ; the deposits, .$170,165.53; the cash on hand, .$58,090.96; and the loans and discounts, $136,587.95. In January, 1910, Mr. Watts was elected presi- dent of the bank and ably tills that position at the present time. Iu addition to his bank- ing interests he has extensive farming inter- ests iu ]Iadisou county, ilissouri, being the owner of the fine old farm on which he was born and reared. In the year 1870 was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Watts to Miss Luraney I. Whitener, a daughter of the late J. Q. A. Whitener, a prominent farmer and merchant in Madison county for a number of years prior to his death. Mr. and ilrs. Watts have two children, concerning whom the follow- ing brief data are here inserted. Duty S. is cashier of the ilarciuand Bank and he is also interested in farming in the vicinity of that place. He married Josie Hahn and they have five children, Ethel I., Bessie, Ru.ssell, Bryan and Charles. Minnie is the wife of Judge F. J. Parkin, former incumbent of the office of presiding county judge of iladi- son county. In politics Mr. Watts is an uncompromis- ing supporter of the cause of the Democratic party and as previously noted he served as count.v clerk for eight years. He was a mem- ber of the Fredericktown school board for a period of years, from 1884 to 1910, resign- ing in the latter year. As a result of his enthusiastic interest in educational affairs the schools of this city have been materially benefitted, many of the improvements along that line being due to his initiative. Socially he is a valued member of the local Knights of Pythias lodge and in religious matters he is a devout member of the Congregational ^Methodist church, in the different depart- ments of whose work he is an active factor. The beautiful Watts home is located on Col- lege avenue, in the southwestern part of the town. ILETiN C. Krueger. In view of the no- madic spirit which is gradually growing to animate all classes of American citizens to move restlessly about from place to place, it is most gratifying to come in close touch with one who has passed practically his en- tire life thus far in the place of his nativity, where his exemplary life has won him the unalloyed confidence and esteem of those who have been familiar with his career from earliest youth. ]Iartin C. Krueger was born at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on the 17th of January, 1877. His father was born at Bremen, Germany, and his mother, Elizabeth