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 Century Farms of Miller CountyA complete list of Missouri Century Farms can be found in this document provided by the University of Missouri Extension Office.
Barnett/Riemensnider/Beckham Family Farm History Terry and Linda L. Beckham’s family farm is located in Miller County. When Linda’s great-grandfather, Will Barnett, bought the farm there was only a one-room log cabin on it. He added 2-3 rooms on to it and also added a new chimney. Later in his life when he became unable to work his son Owen Barnett and his wife Della came to live with him and new-framed rooms were added on. Della and Owen lived on the farm until their deaths. Linda’s brother, Randy Riemensnider, bought the farm in 1983 and then Terry and Linda purchased it from him in the early 90’s. They moved from Alaska to the farm in the summer of 1997 and lived in the original house. They then built a new home on the site, completing it in 1999, and tore down the old house shortly after. Terry was very careful to take down the house in a manner to preserve the logs of the original house. As they removed the outer shell of the home, it was very easy to see the various stages where new logs and later oak framing were added. The logs were numbered and transported to Linda’s brother’s farm nearby with plans to reconstruct the original cabin. Many local people are familiar with the farm because of the “Barnett Cave” located on the property near the Tavern Creek. Linda’s mother also tells that when Grandpa would plow his fields along Highway 17, people would stop and ask to look for arrowheads that were very common on the property.
Bear Family Farm History Being of sturdy pioneer stock, the Bear family moved westward to Missouri in 1857. The children were John, Henry, Madison, Andrew, Absalom, Simeon, George Jr., Benjamin, David, Catherine, and Polly. They were all born in Hocking County, Ohio, before the family moved to Missouri. The family traveled by wagon to Cincinnati and by boat to St. Louis. As their occupation in Ohio had been farming, they came to Miller County and bought and entered a tract of land in Equality township. The property had few improvements, but the family set to work and soon developed a well improved farm near Dog Creek. George lived there until his death in 1876, and his wife until her death in 1877. The land is still in the Bear family. It was owned by George William Bear, only son of Andrew Bear. Both George William and his son Roy Bear have passed away. The farm remains in the Bear family in the possession of Roy’s wife and son.
Benage/Cothran/Onstott Family Farm History The Benage’s were the original members of my family who owned this property. The Benage name is a French name and it was originally spelled "Bennage." The family moved from France in 1690 to Rotterdam, Holland. They came on the ship "Adventurer" from Holland, and were qualified at Philadelphia (took the oath of allegiance to Great Britain) on September 23, 1732. John Benage, Cynthia’s great, great grandfather, was born in Pennsylvania, near Lewisburg on April 17, 1804. He was married to Catharine Hoffman. She died in 1849 and John Benage and his five children moved to Missouri in 1860. One of those children was Cynthia’s great grandfather, Andrew Benage. After the Civil War, he became a school teacher in the Vienna school. He married Margaret Rowden in 1872. He then worked in the mercantile business in Iberia until he retired in 1905. Andrew and Margaret had six children: John L and Otto C Benage who became doctors; Maude Benage Bradshaw; Fred Benage; Sylvia Benage Bear; and Ernest Benage, Cynthia’s grandfather. Cynthia’s grandfather was only a few years of age when he moved to the farm near Iberia. He was the second graduate of the Iberia Academy. He studied law at the University of Missouri and was admitted to the bar in 1901. He practiced a few years in Miller County. In 1898, Ernest married Cora Mace. They established their home on this farm near Iberia and lived the remainder of their lives. They had two children, Norman and Barbara, who are now deceased. Both children lived on this farm during a part of their lifetime. Cynthia’s mother was Barbara Benage Cothran. Now it is Cynthia’s family's turn to be a part of the history on this piece of property. Greg, his wife Stella, and their family; Debbie Bond, her husband Chris, and their family; Kevin, his wife Charlotte, and their family; Jeffrey, his wife Jessica, and their son, and Cynthia are all proud to honor their grandparents. Every morning when Cynthia looks around, she is filled with awe and thankful to her ancestors for establishing their home here. She is especially thankful that they can still be a part of its history. Note: A second Century Farm that was originated by John Benage in 1858 is owned by Kevin Onstott, a great-great-great grandson.
Blackburn/Bennett Family Farm History William Nolen Blackburn married Hannah J. Spalding in Miller County on January 12, 1882. This year the farm near Gageville was purchased. William and Hannah had two sons and two daughters. Their daughter Ethel Blackburn married Eugene Bennett. Leonard Nathan Bennett was born in Stone County, Missouri, in 1912. He was the third child of Ethel Blackburn Bennett and Eugene Nathan Bennett. Both of Leonard’s parents died while he was a small boy. He was raised, along with his sister Velda and brothers Martin and Howard, by his Aunt Tina Rasmussen and Uncle Clarence Blackburn. Tina and Clarence were the children of William and Hannah Blackburn. Leonard married Cleta Johnston in 1934. The family lived in Nevada until returning to the farm where Leonard had been raised in 1977. Their son, Jack L. Bennett, of Safford, Arizona, owns the farm today.
Blankenship Family Farm History Joel R. Blankenship traveled to Missouri from Russell County, Kentucky, with his family, including his father Elzey Blankenship. Joel and Mary Josephine Shockley were married in Macon, Missouri in 1874. By 1880 the family was living about four miles west of Iberia near a small hamlet called Watkins. The farm they purchased west of Iberia straddled Barren Fork, a small creek that cut through the farm site. Their oldest son, John Elza Blankenship, married Emma Josephine Hensley, in 1899. In 1903 John purchased a farm near his father’s farm. On the farm they raised hogs, had chickens, and grew some wheat and corn along the bottom land near the Barren Fork Creek. At his death at 86 years of age, he left the farmhouse to his son Barney who had lived with him since his wife’s death. Barney’s brother, Ora Jasper Blankenship, married Mattie Carolyn Waite in 1928. He worked as a carpenter at Fort Wood and they raised turkeys on the farm. One of their sons, Berry Blankenship, owns the farm today with his wife Betty. The couple owned side-by-side stores in Iberia in 1998. Berry ran a hardware store and Betty owned a quilting/sewing supply store called Front Porch.  Berry and Betty Blankenship on their 60th Wedding Anniversary in 2012 Source: Lake News Online
Borgmeyer/Lueckenhoff Family Farm History Johann Jodocus Josquin Borgmeyer immigrated to the United States from Germany with his family circa 1840-41. The family located in Westphalia, Missouri, where Johann’s son, Johann Martin Borgmeyer, married Maria Ann Hammenkamp in 1857. The couple’s oldest son, Joseph Borgmeyer, was born in Koeltztown in 1857. He purchased a farm near St. Elizabeth in Miller County in 1885. Joseph married Catherine Stuckenschneider in 1886. Joseph and Catherine’s son, Christian Borgmeyer, bought the farm in 1930 for $10,000. Chris Borgmeyer’s daughter and her husband, Robert and Mildred Borgmeyer Lueckenhoff, moved to the farm in 1963 but farmed on shares until they acquired the farm in June of 1974. Mildred’s grandfather and dad both sowed wheat, oats and sometime barley, along with corn. Today they grow corn and in recent years soybeans and corn. Robert and Mildred lived in the original house that Joseph built. Of course, it has been remodeled several times and additions built over the years. Mildred passed away in 2002 and Robert passed away in 2007.
Brown Family Farm History Walter and Ova Brown are owners of a farm located in Glaze Township which has been in Mr. Brown's family since 1866. The original purchase of 80 acres has grown to 183 acres over the 110 years of Brown ownership.  Ova Brown Ova Brown stands in front of the house which was originally built by her husband’s father in 1912. Walter Brown’s grandmother purchased the property in 1866. Mr. Brown's grandmother, Catharine, was the first family owner. She had the land until 1886, when her son, Hezekiah, took possession of the land. Hezekiah is the present owner's father. Walter bought the farm from his father in 1947. The Brown residence was originally a log house, but has been rebuilt. Mrs. Brown said that the house was rebuilt when her husband was a boy, probably in 1912.  Brown Farm Location on Plat Map
Burks/Livingston Family Farm History The second oldest farm in continuous family ownership is the property owned by Robert and Lillie Livingston.  Robert and Lillie Livingston Robert and Lillie Livingston in front of the home they have lived in since 1928. Three generations of Livingston ownership has spanned over 115 years. The property is in Richwoods Township, approximately four miles north of Iberia. Three generations of Livingston ownership has spanned over 115 years. The property was bought on June 1, 1859 by John JR. Burks, the grandfather of Mr. Livingston. Burks had possession of the farm until September 10, 1892, when he turned it over to R.M. Livingston, father of the present owner. On March 15, 1928, the present owners took possession. The farm was originally 79½ acres but now is 101½ acres.  Burks/Livingston Farm Location Plat Map Additonal Notes: The Century Farm status was transferred to Ellis Livingston, Trustee, in 1986. Ellis Livingston passed away in 2008. The following information was obtained from the Find A Grave web site for Ellis Noel Livingston: “Ellis was born Nov. 27, 1920 near Iberia, Mo. He graduated from high school in Tuscumbia, Mo., attended Iberia Junior College, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., in 1942 with a degree in History. Ellis was a Marine veteran of World War II, serving in the first Armored Amphibian Battalion in the Pacific, commanding a platoon of amphibious tanks in Guam, Marsalles, and Okinawa. Ellis was awarded the Bronze Star. He was appointed Commanding Officer at the Duluth Marine Corps Reserve, retiring in 1980 as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1945, Ellis married Edith Nixdorf in Eldon, Mo. He graduated with a PhD. in history from the University of Minnesota in 1953, and then served as a professor of American History at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, from 1949 to 1983, and he attained full professor rank in the early 1960's. He and Edith moved back to the family farm on Barren Fork Creek in Miller County, Missouri. Ellis became a Licensed Minister of the United Church of Christ, serving as Minister for the Iberia Congregational Church.”
Condra Family Farm History David Herman Condra was born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1853. His parents came to Missouri from Tennessee. In 1867 his father, Greenberry Condra, moved the family to a farm near Iberia.  Condra Family Photo David married Emma Smith in 1891 and they lived in the original home, which at first was no more than a log cabin. David made some improvements, as did his son, Clate Condra.  Condra Family Home David died of pneumonia in 1931. The land was farmed by David's son, Clate Condra who passed away in 1981. Additional Condra family photos and information can be found at the Miller County Museum website listed at the top of this article.
Cotton/Stark/Fleeman Family Farm History On April 15, 1853, Thomas W. Cotton acquired land in Miller County, Missouri. Corn, wheat, cattle and horses were raised on the farm. On August 18, 1919, Thomas W. Cotton sold the farm to Elisha H. Stark and Lydia Ann Cotton Stark, his only daughter. As a consideration for the deed, Elisha and Lydia agreed to provide Thomas with a home and all necessary and proper food suitable, proper care in sickness, do his washing, ironing, and mending, and to allow Thomas to keep a horse and furnish pasture for said horse. No nursing homes in those days.  Cotton/Stark/Fleeman Family Home E. H. and Lydia Stark sold the farm to Joe Stark and Lila Stark on November 24, 1945. In December 1962, Joe and Lila sold the farm to Irma Lee Stark Fleeman and Paul G. Fleeman. The farm has native grasses and Missouri wildflowers growing on it. Historic buildings on the farm are the house, log stable, and barn, although no livestock. The farm has been rented for the past 48 years to the same people.
Crane Family Farm History Oleph and Kathleen Crane own the farm established by his great-grandfather, John Crane, in 1876. John Crane died in 1929 at the age of 84. He had lived on his farm near the old settlement called Blackmer for about 55 years. He was survived by his wife, 6 children, 27 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.  John and Rachel Crane
Doerhoff Family Farm History The Alfred Doerhoff property, located in Jim Henry Township, north of St. Elizabeth, has been under family ownership since 1870. The farm was bought March 3 of that year by Henry and Benjamin Doerhoff, great grandfather and great uncle of the present owner, Alfred Doerhoff.  Alfred Doerhoff Alfred Doerhoff, who has owned the family’s farm since 1966 in front of a barn built about 1920. Doerhoff said the material used to build the barn once served as a canning factory located near a cave on the property. The Doerhoff brothers owned the 110 acre farm until August 11, 1896, when Bernard, the present owner's grandfather bought the property. Bernard sold the property to his son Herman, on June 17, 1926, who owned the farm until his son, Alfred, took possession of the property on July 26, 1966. Over the years of Doerhoff ownership, the property has expanded from its original 110 acres to 235 acres. The only building on the property which has historical interest is a barn built about 1920 out of material which was a canning factory. The factory was a community effort run by several neighbors. It was located at a cave on the Doerhoff property.  Doerhoff Farm Plat Map
Duncan Family Farm History The farm owned by William C. and Doris Duncan Gilliam was established by Doris’ grandfather, John Duncan in 1905. In 1860, two Duncan brothers, Greenberry and Gillam, were living in southeast Glaize Township. Greenberry, age 16, was living in the home of Mary Jane Smith (widow of Thomas L. Smith) and her 8 children. On an adjoining farm, Gillam Duncan, age 18, was living in the Hamon Shelton home. I am sure they were closely related and the two teenagers had come to central Missouri from Marion County, Illinois, to live among their kinfolks. I believe the father and mother of Greenberry and Gillam eventually moved to the same region of central Missouri and settled near their sons. Hayden Duncan born 1820 and his wife, Sarah Duncan born 1817, were natives of Tennessee and were enumerated in the 1870 census of Pulaski Co. living next door to Greenberry and his family in northern Tavern Township of Pulaski County. Their farms bordered the Miller County line so it was easy for the census taker to put them in either county. Greenberry Duncan married Elizabeth Shelton, daughter of Peter and Rhoda (Barnett) Shelton in Miller Co. on March 5, 1866, the marriage performed by Rev. Thomas Owen Workman. Seven months later, on October 11, 1866, Gillam married Lucinda Jane Henderson, daughter of William and Casanda (Shelton) Henderson. Rev. Workman also performed that marriage. Both families continued to live on the southern prairies of the Miller/Pulaski boundary line where they homesteaded many acres of rich, plentiful land. John Duncan was born to Greenberry and Elizabeth Shelton Duncan in 1870. He married Ruthie Jane Workman in 1887. Their daughter, Opal Duncan Luttrell, was the mother of the present owner, Doris Duncan Gilliam, and her husband. Additional information about the family is available at the web site listed at the top of the article.
Dushek Family Farm History Louis Dushek came to Miller County in the late 1800's, settling in the Mary's Home area.  Louis and Mathilda (Sestak) Dushek - 1904 Their families immigrated from Bohemia, an area now known as the Czech Republic. One of the exhibits at the Miller County Museum is a stone mason's tool, used by Louis Dushek in the construction of the Tellman Store and St. Mary's of the Snows (now Our Lady of the Snows) Church in the early 1900's.  Stone mason’s tool used by Louis Dusheke Louis travelled quite a bit before coming to Miller County. He was known to have spent some time in South America as well as Chicago where many Czechs lived after coming to the U.S. Matilda Sestak, Louis’s wife did not meet Louis until he came to the Mary’s Home area since her parents had moved to the area years earlier living on a farm just across the Cole County line. In fact, Louis and Matilda purposefully for fun stood astraddle of the Miller/Cole County line during their wedding ceremony. Louis had owned his farm near Mary’s Home for two years before he married Matilda. Louis’s farm was homesteaded by Robertson Jenkins. The second owner was Hugh Roark, and the third was John Levitt. Louis bought the farm from John in 1879 paying three hundred dollars for eighty acres. Later, Louis added other properties ending up with one hundred sixty acres total. The farm home was nestled behind a hill such that the family couldn’t hear the bell ring at the Catholic Church in Mary’s Home which caused them sometimes to miss the Mass, especially since at that time the Priest was not there every Sunday.  Dusheke Home Place Picture taken 1909-1910
 Dancing at the Dusheke Home
 Music at the Dusheke Home Other items on display at the museum include a kraut cutter of Louis's and a boot jack made by his son Albert.  Dushek Brothers - 1961 Tony, Frank, Albert and Ed Albert was born in 1901. As a young man, he was employed with Western Electric in Chicago. He returned to the farm in Mary's Home in the 1920's where he spent the remainder of his life. Today the farm is owned by Bernard Dushek, Albert's nephew. Additional family photos and information can be found at the Miller County Museum website listed at the top of this article.
Eicholz Family Farm History Michael L. and Doris A. Call own the farm that was established by Doris’ great-grandfather, Henry Eichholz, in June of 1893. He and his wife had 10 children (5 boys & 5 girls), which were all raised on the farm. One daughter was Doris’ grandmother, Katie Eichholz Kempker. She had 6 children (3 boys & 3 girls). She bought the farm in 1950. Doris and her husband, Michael, have 2 boys. They bought the farm in November 1989. They row crop some of the bottom ground and the rest of the land they bale hay. They also raise beef cattle.
Evers Family Farm History Fred G. and Margaret A. Evers own their family farm in Miller County. In 1856, at the age of nine, Fred’s grandfather, Henry Evers came to the United States from Prussia with his mother, father, four brothers and sisters. They settled in Westphalia, Missouri. In December 1882, Henry and his wife, Theresa, bought the family farm and moved there from old St. Elizabeth, Missouri. Henry set up a blacksmith shop and worked with different types of blacksmithing. He was the first and only blacksmith within a twenty-mile radius. He and his wife raised eight children. In July 1923, Fred’s father, Conrad Evers, then purchased the farm. On November 23, 1925, the day before his wedding to Anna Kirkweg, the house on the farm burnt down. Lost in the fire were his suit and the wedding rings. They built a small shop to live in while building a new home. The small shed was to be used as a smokehouse after the new house was finished. Conrad did general farming, custom hay baling, and milk hauling. He and Anna raised six children. In December 1953 Fred and Margaret bought the farm when Fred got out of the United States Marine Corps. While on the farm they have dairy farmed, grain farmed, and Fred hauled milk from 1953 to 1969. They built a new home on the farm in 1989. Fred and Margaret raised seven children on the farm and now their daughter and one of their sons have each bought a few acres of the farm and built their homes on it.
Fischer Family Farm History John Nicholaus Fischer was born in 1857 near Alsace Lorraine in Germany. He came to Ellis Island looking for work and a better life at the urging of an uncle who was already here. He stayed in New York with his uncle for a brief time, then moved on to Nebraska, where he bought a farm and married. His first wife died, and he sold that farm.  J.N. Fischer When he came to Miller County, he stayed in Arzenie Nixdorf's house, which in those days was a hotel. He bought 200 acres off the Ulman-Tuscumbia road, now called the Ulman Ridge Road in 1896. He said he was ostracized for being a foreigner. He married Nellie Palestine Sooter, daughter of well-known preacher, Rev. Charles Sooter, in 1903. Their son, Bryce was 12 when his father died, but he recalled going with his dad to Tuscumbia to get supplies. It would take all day and was usually dark before they got home. Bryce recalled seeing sparks flying from the horses' shoes hitting the rocks as they pulled the load up the Ulman Ridge Road hill at the end of the journey. Bryce also told of standing on big rocks in the field, all day, to mark them so his dad wouldn't hit them with his plow or haybine. John Fischer died in 1920. Nellie remarried to Johnny Wiles and they lived on the Fischer farm until old age. Four of J.N.'s children survived to adulthood, Katherine, Christina, Bryce (Ersil), and Ialeen. Bryce married Eula Bilyeu in 1932.  Eula (Bilyeu) Fischer Eula Bilyeu Fischer was a long-time Miller County educator. More information on her life can be found at www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/100705.html One of their two children, Roger Bryce Fischer, lives on the farm today. Roger's daughter, Jamie Fischer Patterson, tells of going to the spot where J.N.'s house stood and finding pieces of porcelain plates, glass, crockery, a medicine bottle, and a wagon wheel. A big rain would wash new things up, and it was cool to be an "archaeologist" and find little pieces of my history.
Frank Family Farm History Edward and Anna Frank purchased a farm near Etterville in 1904. His father was Karl/Charles "Charlie" Frank born November 1, 1844 in Baden, Germany. Edward's mother was Christina "Katie" Hoffman born May 1, 1845 in Baden, Germany. Charlie's parents would have witnessed the Baden Revolution, an unsuccessful peasant uprising to establish a democratic republic in southwestern Germany from 1847-1849. The Baden Army was defeated by the Prussians in several bloody battles and the revolutionaries that didn't escape into exile were put to death or imprisoned. A long-lived migration chain from Baden to central Missouri began as immigrants who sought to own their own land wrote to friends and family members in Germany of the opportunities in Missouri. According to census records, Charlie and Katie immigrated to the U.S. in 1868. Charlie and Katie's oldest child, Edward, was born in Missouri on October 4, 1870. When their daughter Mary was born in 1872, they were farming near Henley, Missouri. Two more daughters, Sofia Minnie and Josephine, were born in 1876 and 1880. Three more sons; William Francis, Charley C, and August Lee, were born in 1882, 1883,and 1886. Charlie and Katie's son, Edward, married Anna Rosena Thomas on January 12, 1897, in Cole County. Anna was born February 28, 1877, in Indiana to parents Antone and Mary Magdalena "Lena" "Tilly" Jacques Thomas. Antone Thomas was born January 16, 1835, and Lena Jacques was born November 22, 1836. Anton and Joseph Thomas arrived in New York on April 16, 1867, aboard the ship Mercury which had departed from LeHavre. Antone and Lena married circa 1870, residing in Indiana for the next ten years. By 1880 they had moved to Miller County. Their son Augustus "Gus" Thomas was a merchant in Henley. By 1900 Edward and Anna had two small children, Lena and Charles. They were living near the Tharp, Henley, and Carrender families in southern Cole County. In 1904 they purchased a farm west of Etterville in Miller County, near Anna's father, Antone, and her brother, Joseph Adam Thomas, and their families. Rosa, Lillian, Clarence, Cleo, Gertrude, and Myrtle ware born over the next fifteen years.  Ed Frank family in front of building that was on the farm when the Frank family purchased it
 Ed Frank family in front of family home Edward built a saw mill on the farm, operated a threshing machine run by a steam engine, and ran a trucking business. He had a wide acquaintance over Cole and Miller Counties. About ten years after purchasing the farm, all four of their parents passed away. In 1938 Edward Frank died suddenly from a heart attack soon after he had gone to the field to work one Monday morning. He had harnessed his team to plow and evidently had suffered the heart attack after one horse had been hitched to the plow. One of his sons working in the same field, disc-ing, saw him fall and went at once to give him aid, but he was beyond assistance before a physician could be summoned. Anna Frank died on November 17, 1961. Their son, Clarence Frank, bought the farm in the 1960's. Sadly, his brother Charles lost his life when the original house burned in 1978. When Clarence passed away in 1996, his son and wife, David and Mary Ann Frank, moved to the farm. They raise cattle and their son, Brandon Frank, raises turkeys on the farm. Many of the old buildings still stand today, including a barn, chicken house, grainery, and the building where lumber from the saw mill was stored.  Frank Farm Today
Graham Farm History John and Catherine Pridemore Graham immigrated to Missouri in 1851 with 11 children. Their third son, George Washington Graham, married Eliza Ellen Golden in 1857. Their third son, George E. Graham, was born just after the Civil War and married Ella Hendricks in 1912.  The adults L-R are George E. Graham, George W. and Eliza Ellen Golden Graham, Ella Hendricks Graham, Anna ?, Loretta Graham Catron, and Zalmon Edward Graham. George E. and Ella Graham had only one child, Ray Graham. Ray and his wife Ethel had nine children. Today the farm belongs to three of their grandsons: William and James Alieksaites, and Gary Graham. The George Washington Graham home is located off Highway C, north of Brumley. The Graham house has a poured interior wall that runs from front to back for extra support for the upper story. The crumbling remains of this once solid old home still stand. The house was built of poured concrete using a slip-form process. The cement was first created by building a three-sided frame of hardwood logs around a pile of limestone. The logs were ignited and the heat generated converted the stone to cement. Slip forms about one foot high were built for the walls and filled with river rocks combined with the cement. The next day the forms were raised and the next level poured. This time-consuming process continued until the building was of the desired height.  Graham Concrete House Additional information is available at: http://www.millercountymuseum.org/homesteads/graham.html. A fence was built of quarried limestone, surrounding the house. The barn is gone, but the limestone foundation still stands.  Graham Log Home The remains of a small log house sits a short distance from the house. We were told it was used to house pigs in later days. Most likely it served as living quarters for the family while their "new" house was being built.
Groff Farm History When Benjamin and Diana Groff, natives of Pennsylvania, came to Miller County about 1860, they bought some of the Allen land where the slave log cabin was located and where they still lived. Benjamin freed these slaves, but some stayed on and worked as hired hands for Mr. Groff. Their son, Hervey Groff was 5 years old. During the Civil War, the Pennyslyvanians were threatened and harassed by the Confederate troops in the area. Being from a northern state and voting for Republican Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 elections, they were prime targets of the Confederate forces roaming in Miller County. Benjamin enlisted for the duration of the war in November 1863 at Lebanon. Entering the 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry as a Private, Benjamin advanced to Corporal before being discharged due to a disability in February 1865. The surgeon noted he was completely blind in his right eye and it also affected his left eye to some extent. After he returned home, he and the former slaves were cutting wood when a tree fell on Benjamin and he was killed. The hired man’s name was Allen, a good friend of Mr. Groff. He had told Benjamin he would work for him as long as he was needed. Benjamin died on December 8, 1869, at the age of 37 years and was buried at Iberia Cemetery. Hervey married Louisa Mace in 1883 and they had four children. Hervey purchased 131 acres in 1908. Their son Benjamin T. Groff had one son, Robert William Groff. Robert graduated from Iberia High School in 1942. He attended the Iberia Academy until he volunteered in the U.S. Army. He served as Staff Sergeant in the United States Army from March 1945 until his honorable discharge in July 1946. After the war he farmed, raising beef, dairy cattle, and fish. He worked at Fort Leonard Wood and retired as an accounting supervisor after 30 years of civil service. After his retirement, Robert enjoyed taking care of his garden, traveling, trout fishing and helping his son Gene manage the farm. Eugene "Gene" and Darlene Groff own the farm today.  Robert Groff For more information about the Groff family: http://www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/120409.html.
Huhmann/Huhman Family Farms History There are two Huhman Century Farms in Miller County, and a third will be eligible for Century Farm status soon. All three farms are near the Osage River on Twin Creek Road between St. Elizabeth and Tuscumbia. One farm at 450 Twin Creeks Road was recognized as a Century Farm in 1976. Johann Anton August Huhmann and Caroline Elisabeth Potthast, came from Germany in 1861, and arrived at the present farm site in 1874. They were married in February 1862 in St. Thomas. The couple originally lived in Koeltztown and Meta in Osage County. Johann was hired to cradle wheat and Caroline tied wheat bundles. Johann's hands were not conditioned to this type of work resulting in his hands swelling to four times their normal size. He went to his employer, and he treated it by wrapping Johann's hands in fresh cow manure. The swelling went down the next day and he was able to resume his work. Their pay was one bushel of wheat per day. The couple had three girls and three boys before moving to Miller County. Caroline never liked the Miller County farm as the roads were bad. She preferred the Meta location where travel was easier. The Miller County land,however, was better. Johann and Caroline owned the land until November 14, 1901, when their son, John Henry Huhman, took possession of the property. Johann Huhmann's granddaughter remembered her grandfather as an old man, living with his son and his wife, John and Fina. He did chores and kept the woodpile “as high as the house”. She also remembered that he did not want to be buried in a suit. He wanted a gown or shroud which had to be specially made. His favorite soup was made of buttermilk and canned peach halves. The house today sits on top of a hill overlooking the river bottoms. The house they originally moved into was below the hill near where the barns are today, of log construction. Water was carried from a small spring, hardly more than a seep, and the family was said to have been besieged by sickness. Thinking the sickness was caused by the more stagnant air below the hill, the new house was eventually constructed. It took the family about an hour and half to get to church by wagon. In winter, someone always had to stay at home to care for the fires and prepare dinner. The girls had to brush the boys’ jackets and shoes so they’d be ready for the next Sunday. Education was limited to several years at various small schools near the farm and religious education in St. Elizabeth.  Huhmann Farm Home John Henry Huhman and his wife, Josephine Boeckman, owned the farm until June 1, 1940, when their son, Fred (Fritz) took ownership. When electricity came to the rural areas in the later 1940's, Fritz wired many of the farms to take advantage of it. In the 100 years of family control, the farm has grown from 107 acres to 420 acres. Today the farm is owned by seven of the sons and daughters of Fred J. Huhman, Sr., and his wife Zita Adrian. ***
Pauline Huhman was the owner of a second Century Farm recognized in 2000. The original owner was Joseph Huhman, a son of Johann and Caroline Huhmann and brother to John Henry Huhman. Joseph married Margaret Boeckman, a sister to John's wife, Josephine. The couple purchased the farm in 1898. As their sons told it, much hard work went into clearing trees from the bottomland. The only tree left standing is the large pecan tree still there today. Family members recall visiting Aunt Maggie and Uncle Joe and the tire swing that swung out over the road. Herman Joseph Huhman, a son of Joseph and Margaret Huhman, took over operation of the family farm after returning from his tour of duty in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Herman's widow, Pauline Huhman, owned the farm when it was first recognized as a Century Farm. She passed away in 2009. The farm is owned today by their son, Joe Huhman. Elaine Huhman Kempker, Joe's sister, explained that there are over seventy first cousins in the family today. ***
In 1916, Joseph Huhman purchased the Willie Pile place, the next farm downriver. The log house on that farm was used for a while as a school for the neighborhood children. The families in the neighborhood, realizing the importance of a good education and too far from town to walk there, combined resources to hire a teacher. Their youngest son, William (Bill) Huhman, married in 1945 and purchased the Willie Pile place from his parents. Asked about choosing to live on this fairly poor holler farm, Bill's answer was that he as a young boy had grown fond of that farm, plowing the creek bottom with mules was more peaceful than the larger, swampier river bottom. The farm not being large enough to support a family with hogs or cattle, Bill turned to poultry farming for a livelihood. In 1962 a 300' x 50' poultry building was built on the hill above the house, and 5000 hens laid eggs for hatching. In about 1968, the operation switched to brooding turkeys, 15000 at a time. In 1981 the turkey house burned down. This farm is owned today by his sons, and will be eligible for Century Farm status in November 2016.  Huhmann Farm Location - Plat Map
Law Family Farm History The Law farm has been in the family since 1905. J. Author Law, son of Joseph Frederick Law and Henrietta Clay Jordan Law, bought 195 acres with a log house on December 7, 1905. The farm was East of Iberia on the Big Tavern Creek. Three weeks later he married Jennie Bond, daughter of Louis Allen Bond and Martha Elizabeth Blize Bond, and moved his new bride to the farm. In 1913 he bought an adjoining farm of 154 acres and built on to the log part of their home.  Law Family: Robert, Jennie (Bond), Fannie, and Author Law Later that year Jennie died, after being stuck in the leg with a buried rusty pitchfork tong in the barnyard. Claude and Sadie Law moved in to help Author care for his two young children until he remarried. J. Author Law and Martha Bilyeu, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bilyeu of Dixon, were married on January 16, 1916. The name Tavern Stock Farm was painted on the front of a barn that Author Law built in 1928.  Law Farm After the deaths of Author and Martha Law, the heirs sold the farm to Louie and Marjorie Martin in 1959. Marjorie was Author's niece; her father Clarence Law was Author's brother. Many family reunions were held at their home. The family enjoyed hot dog roasts and swimming at the Tavern Creek gravel bar. During these years the couple bought an adjoining 80 acre farm. Because of declining health, Louie and Marjorie Martin sold their 429 acre farm to their grandson, Dwayne Thompson, and his wife Cathy in 1996. Dwayne is the son of Bill and Brenda Martin Thompson. Cathy is the daughter of Al and Elsie Kliethermes. Dwayne, Cathy, and children were celebrated as the Miller County Farm Family for 2007.  Law House and Barn Today
Miller Family Farm History Our farm was established on January 6, 1838, by William Miller, who is the Great, Great, Great Grandfather of Curtis Neil Atkinson. It has been our privilege to won this property since December of 1965. We now own 252 acres of the original 640 acres once owned by William Miller. Our house was built in 1884 by John Mulkey Tate Miller who is the Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle of Curtis.  Miller Farm Is it any wonder that William Ernest Miller, the grandson of William and Sarah Mulkey Miller, looks upon tis heritage with pride and honor? Who among you yet walking the earth today can say that your grandfather was born when George Washington was serving as America’s first President in 1795; when your father was born in 1845, William Knox Polk, America’s 11th President was in office, and when you were born in 1898, William McKinley, America’s 25th President was holding the reins of government. In only three generations of the Miller family (William 1795 to Ernest 1994) they have spanned 199 years and lived under the leadership of 42 Presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton. Isn’t that a marvelous statistic and almost unbelievable? In 1837 William Miller carried a petition signed by area residents to the Capitol in Jefferson City asking that a new county be formed and that it be named “Miller” for Ex-Governor John Miller. The first county seat was established in Tuscumbia. According to the story of information of Miller County as told by long-time inhabitants the county was named for Pinkney Story Miller, son of William, who was said to be the first male white child born in the area. However, state and county records shows that the county was officially named for John Miller. One of William’s descendants said that William didn’t believe the state legislature would agree to name the county for a “local farmer” so asked that it be named for Ex-Governor John Miller. In that way, everyone around here would know that the actual intent was to name it in honor of Pinkney. Curtis Atkinson married Dee Ellen Lee Shikles on September 11, 1965. Three days after their marriage he received his draft notice and left for basic training on October 19, 1965. He took basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, graduating in December 1965. In January 1966 he reported to Ft. Rucker, Alabama, where he was stationed until May 1, 1966. He arrived in Ft. Riley, Kansas mid-May of 1966 and was stationed there untilhe left for Viet Nam in January of 1967. He returned state-side in October of 1967 where he, Dee Ellen, and son Neil; who was six weeks old, moved to their farm purchased in December of 1965. Curtis passed away on May 13, 1991, but the farm is still owned by his wife Dee Ellen Lee (Atkinson) Maher; who operates a cow/calf operation with her husband Kent Maher. Curtis and Dee Ellen had three children, Neil Atkinson, Mark Atkinson, and Crystal Atkinson Smith. They are all married but still help with farming concerns as needed or time and jobs allow – especially working the cattle and harvesting the hay crop. There have been numerous renovations made to the house and property since our purchase in 1965. There was no running water in the house as Aunt Josephine didn’t want a hole cut in the house to supply water inside (even though there were several avenues for mice to visit). Shortly after the purchase a bathroom was put in, as well as a kitchen update with running water!! We were told by Ernest Miller that when the house was built that the cornerstone was under the front hallway floor that placed each room of the house in a different section of the 640 acres owned by William Miller. We had to do repair to the floor recently and sure enough we found the chiseled cornerstone marker designating what Ernest had told us. The stores and information that we have received from the Miller Book published in 1971 by Gwen Gunn Shoemaker and Grace Adams Farmer and information obtained from Ernest Miller along with stories from other individuals is very detailed and enlightening as to the journey this land has made since its purchase in 1838. In 1994 we built a shop which we have used for farm machinery repairs to wedding receptions, birthday parties, retirement parties, family reunions, baby showers, wedding showers, etc. In 2000 our daughter Crystal and her husband, Philip Smith, held their wedding reception here on the homestead where we entertained approximately 450-500 people. They were married at the Spring Garden Baptist Church in Spring Garden, Missouri, that was built and the Spring Garden cemetery erected on two (2) acres of land donated in 1845 to the community for 999 years by Boyd Miller, who was Crystal’s Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather. Our son Neil and his wife Debbie surprised us in February of 2011 with their wedding performed in our living room. In July of that year they held their wedding reception at our 7 acre lake and pavilion where approximately 250-300 people attended. Each May over Memorial Weekend we host the Maher reunion with approximately 100 people sharing the holiday with us. Our family has definitely grown with our blended family consisting of Neil and Debbie Atkinson; their children, Braden Atkinson, Rachel, Courtney and Kelsey King. Mark and Dawn Atkinson; their children, Taylor and Kelsey. Philip and Crystal Smith, who are expecting their first child in October. Ronnie and Leslie Maher; their children Dalton, Cale and Ella. Chad and Jill Maher Williams; their children Chase, Macy and Gage. This is only a very small portion of the many, many stories regarding this property and the importance the Miller family played in the settlement and organization of Miller County and this area.
Worms Family Farm History The Worms Farm at the intersection of Kemna Bridge Road and Ridge Road, was purchased by William Worms in 1884. His grandson, Irvin Carroll, related that William came from Westfalen, Germany, as a young man with three other young men. According to Mr. Carroll, the men settled in Miller County because it looked similar to their homes in Germany. William built a one room log cabin on the farm, then met a lady from Loose Creek. Marriage records for William indicate he married Gertrude Bisges in 1885. The couple lived in the log cabin, then built a two room two story log cabin just up the hill as the children came along. They had 10 children, 7 boys and 3 girls. Four boys were killed or injured in World War I. All three girls went to St. Louis, but one girl returned to the farm. Mr. Carroll's mother chose to stay in St. Louis and was the only child who got married. Stan Huhman recalled seeing William's son, Alloy, drive his very well-kept Model A to church in St. Elizabeth in the early 1960's. Mr. Carroll shared a photo of the car which he had kept and maintained.  Model A Belonging to William Worms The Worms family has ties to the Huhman family, also owners of Century Farms in Miller County. William Worms' father, George Worms, married Agnes Drewes Huhman in 1842 in Westfalen, Germany.  John and George Worms |
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P.O. Box 57 Tuscumbia, MO 65082 http://www.MillerCountyMuseum.org © 2016 - Miller County Historical Society millercountymuseum@att.net |
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