David E. Wheat, who has been representing the Union Dairy Company, of
St. Louis in Medora for the past nine years, belongs to one of Indiana’s
pioneer families. His birth occurred in the vicinity of Shelbyville,
that state, on the 3d of December, 1869, his parents being Richard and
Rachel (Markley) Wheat.
The paternal great-grandfather, a
farmer, emigrated from Germany about 1800 and located near Shelbyville,
where he died. There the grandfather, James Wheat, was born in 1810.
Reared on a farm he was early trained in agricultural pursuits with
which he was identified all of his life. In 1871 he removed to Missouri
and filed on some government land in Gasconade county, near Hermann,
where he spent his latter years. His family numbered eight children, the
second in order of birth having been the son Richard, who was born in
1839. The others are: Rebecca, the widow of James Larimore, of Jake
Prairie, Gasconade county, Missouri; Martin, who is a resident of St.
Louis, Missouri; Elizabeth, the widow of a Mr. Montgomery, living near
Hermann, Missouri; Isaac, who is also living in the vicinity of Hermann;
Eli, who is a resident of Gasconade county; Martha, now Mrs. Tackett, of
Gasconade county; and David, who lives near Shelbyville, Indiana. Reared
on his father’s farm near Shelbyville, Richard Wheat was educated in the
district schools of the vicinity. He remained under the parental roof
until close before the war when he was married to Miss Markley, who was
born in Germany about 1842. She emigrated to the United States in the
early ’50s with her father, who took up some government land near
Shelbyville, that he cultivated until his death. When the Civil war
broke out, Richard Wheat enlisted as a private in Company A, Indiana
Volunteer Infantry and went to the front where he remained until the
close of hostilities. He took part in many of the most notable battles
and was with Grant at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg. After
receiving his discharge he removed to Missouri, first locating in
Gasconade county, but subsequently went to Oregon county, where he took
up government land about 1882, and there the mother passed away some
three years later. To Mr. and Mrs. Wheat were born twelve children :
Marion, a farmer in Gasconade county; Samantha, the widow of John
Pliler, of Joplin, Missouri; Andrew, who died in infancy; Rebecca lane,
the wife of James McCoy, of Piasa, Illinois; David E., our subject;
Thomas, who died at the age of five years; Louisa, who was four years
old at the time of her demise; Mary, who is married and resides in
southern Missouri; Albert Lee, who is living in Belgium, Missouri;
Relda, the wife of James Laramore, of lake Prairie, Missouri; Columbus,
a veteran of the Spanish-American and Philippine wars; and Anna, the
wife of Ed. Walter, of St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Wheat again married and
went to Thayer, Missouri, where he conducted a meat market for a time,
but later settled on a farm in that vicinity, and there he passed away
in 1909.
The common schools of Missouri educationally equipped
David E. Wheat for the responsibilities of life. He remained on his
father’s homestead until he was fourteen years of age, when he became
self-supporting and for a time there after worked out by the month, but
subsequently apprenticed himself to the carpenter s trade, which he
followed for five years. In 1894 he entered the employment of the Union
Dairy Company, of St. Louis, Missouri, with which concern he has ever
since been identified. On the 22d of August, 1902. he was sent by the
firm to Medora to take charge of their interests here. An energetic man
of thrifty and steady habits, Mr. Wheat in 1910 was able to purchase the
hotel and restaurant business of J. R. Richardson, which he has ever
since successfully conducted. He owns the building and also a
comfortable cottage in Medora that he rents.
St. Louis was the
scene of Mr. Wheat’s marriage on the 8th of March, 1893, to Miss Minerva
Souders, who was born in Crawford county, Missouri, on the 25th of
November, 1877. Mrs. Wheat is a daughter of William and Elizabeth
(Woodruff) Souders, the father being of German and the mother of Scotch
extraction. Mr. Souders was born and reared in Crawford county where he
engaged in farming until 1884, when he removed to St. Louis. He is now
engaged in cement construction work. Mrs. Souders’ people, the
Woodruffs, have also long been residents of Crawford county. Seven
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Souders, Mrs. Wheat being the second
in order of birth. The others are Alollie, the deceased wife of George
Markley, of Crawford county; Susan, who died in infancy; John, who is a
resident of St. Louis; Frank, who is also living in St. Louis; Grace,
the wife of Thomas Rhyner, of St. Louis; and Ruth, who married William
Muschamp, of the same city. Mr. and Mrs. David E. Wheat are the proud
parents of three children; Walter, who is assisting his father in the
dairy; and Ruby and Fay. They are all living at home.
The family
adhere to the Baptist faith and fraternally Mr. Wheat is a member of the
Masonic order and the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically he is a
republican, but never having been an aspirant to public honors does not
actively participate in municipal affairs. His modest estimate of his
own abilities, unassuming manner, reliability and high sense of honor in
all of his relations of life have won Mr. Wheat the general respect of
the community and he has many stanch friends.
Extracted 18 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 652-654.
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