Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/795

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 689 plier became the parents of seven children, of whom four grew to maturity and three of whom are living at the present time, namely, — Felix, of Cape Girardeau; Mrs. Amanda Moore, of Ironton, Missouri; and George V., of this notice. George W. Lanpher, Sr., the immediate subject of this review, was reared to matur- ity at Fredericktown, where he attended the common and subscription schools. As a mere youth, in 1854, he accompanied a band of fel- lows on the overland trip to California, where he remained until the latter part of 1857 and where he was interested in mining ventures. After his return to Madison county, Mis- souri, he farmed for eight or ten yeai-s, his fine homestead, a mile and a half west of Fredericktown, being now operated by a son. In 1872 he was elected to the office of assessor of Madison county and later he was chosen as county sheriff and collector, serving in the latter offices for four years. In 1879, in com- pany with Michael DeGuire, he built the mill at Fredericktown, continuing to operate the same for a period of twenty-one years, at the expiration of which he disposed of his inter- est therein to William Gudger Since 1901 he has lived in virtual retiremenc. On the 14th of October, 1858, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Lanpher to Miss Eliza Virginia Parkin, whose birth occurred in Madison county, August 28, 1838, and who is a daughter of Joseph and Emily (Johnson) Parkin. Joseph Parkin was born in England, whence he removed to Virginia in an early day, settling at Wytheville. He was twice married, Mrs. Lanpher having been a child of his second union. On his trip to America, Josenli was accompanied by two brothers, one of whom died at sea, en roiite, and the other, Thomas, who died in Missouri shortly after the Civil war. Mr. Parkin was a farmer and miner by occupation and he died in the vi- cinity of Fredericktown in 1845, at the age of sixty years. Emily (Johnson) Parkin was a sister of Thomas and William Johnson, former residents of Cape Girardeau. She was born at Louisa Coui-thouse, Virginia, re- moving thence to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, and coming from the latter place to Missouri as a girl. Mrs. Lanpher has one brother and a sister living and one brother deceased, namely: Joseph resides at Fredericktown; Emily is the wife of Dr. Reuben Fugate, of Farmington, Missouri ; and A.ylette B. was a soldier in the Confederate army and lost his life during the Civil war, at Farmington, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Lanpher became the parents of seven children, of whom five are living at the present time, in 1911. Emma is the wife of M. E. Blanton, of Fredericktown; they had four children — James, William, Charles (who died at four years of age), and Almeda. William, who had been attending the State Univei-sity at Columbia, Missouri, died at the age of twenty-three years, at Frederick- town, Missouri. Edgar is a farmer near Fredericktown ; he married Patty Wiley and they have three daughters — Belle, Eliza V. and Dorothy. Lillian married Samuel Bu- ford and she died on the 17th of August, 1909, being survived by four children — Prank, Charles, George L. and Nellie Jane. Annie is the wife of William H. Blanton and they reside on a farm one mile north of Fredericktown ; they have three children — Lillian, Walter and Clyde. Charles A. is en- gaged in the general merchandise business at Fredericktown; he married Belle Hoffman and they have two children — Eliza Elizabeth and Charles, Jr. George W., Jr., operates his father's farm near Fredericktown; he married Annie Nevada Graham and they have one child. Alma. In politics George W. Lanpher, Sr., is a stalwart in the ranks of the Democratic party. in the local councils of which he has been a most active factor, serving with efficiency in a number of important offices of public trust and responsibilty, as previou.sly noted. For the past fifty years he has been a valued and appreciative member of the time-honored Masonic order, being the oldest living mem- ber of the lodge at Fredericktown, He and his wife are both connected with the Order of the Eastern Star and in their religious faith are consistent members of the Christian church. Robert F. Wichterich, M. D. During the years which mark the period of Dr. Wichterich 's professional career he has met with gratifying success and during the pe- riod of his residence at Cape Girardeau he has won the good will and patronage of many of the best citizens here. He is a thorough student and endeavors to keep abreast of the times in everything relating to the discover- ies in medical science. Progressive in his ideas and favoring modem methods as a whole, he does not dispense with the time-