This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Smith, Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/SMB.2ACI/1313 Message Board Post: I am researching the Lafayette F. Smith family. Lafe, b. NY & Sarah, b. PA went from PA in 1850, WI in 1860, MO, Benton Co. in 1870. In 1880, 8 of their 10 children were in Johnson Co.,MO. Would like to know what happened to Lafe, Sarah & oldest daughter, Florence. Lafe is my 2nd great grandfather.

I'm glad Denice is posting obits on the board. I don't always have a chance to go though the Cole Camp newspapers and I have a lot of relatives who lived to the Edmonson area from 1840 to 1920 and am saving the obits of names of families that I know my family have married into to see if I can find a connection later. Always collecting data on Dillon, Swearngin, Jeans, and related families. Keep up the good work Denice. Dolly Cobb

A suggestion: I subscribe to several lists including Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. That list is very active with two women posting similar information which has been of help to a lot of people but not to me. I simply delete their posts after a quick check. The big difference is this: They post all of their information for a day (or longer) in one E-mail. One E-mail may contain info on 30 or 40 marriages for a particular place in a particular year or adjacent years. If the person posting on this list would do similarly, then it would be much easier to scan for interesting data and to delete the bunch if not of use. It would also remove the problem of overloading some subscribers mailbox. Hope this observation is of help to you and the list. Norman Hall, Bakersfield, California Researching John Henry Hall & Mary Helen Moore Hall who were in Benton County around 1870 for a few years. (Have had no luck so far.)

List Members, My Stevens relatives were in Benton County in 1900. Shade Stevens was born in Wisconsin (many Germans there!) and moved to Benton County and was married at the 1900 Census. Would anyone have any information to link any of the Stevens to the many Steffens (German) of Benton County? Charlene

I would be glad to reformat them for the archives. Unfortunately, I have not saved them, but perhaps she could resend them to me. I think it is so sad that the folks who are responsible for GenWeb don't have space or time. It makes me wonder how many other contributions have been overlooked. I am the archives file manager for some sites in OK and VA so I know what the formatting means. (I just wish she had ancestors in one of my counties. I would love all these incredible obits.) Sharon Hamilton HRFTX@aol.com wrote: >I think we are all a bit in awe of the large number of obits posted to the >list, and they have apparently exceeded the capacity of at least one >subscriber's email server. However, I have neither the web space nor time to manually >post these to the Benton County GenWeb pages, and the Benton Archives manager >would have to reformat them to use them there. > >If there are subscribers who would prefer not to get these, I can unsubscribe >you until Denise has completed her submissions, and then add you back. > >All list submissions are permanently available and searchable in the list >archives, at following link: >http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?surname=MOBENTON > >Homer R. Ficken, Benton County Mo GenWeb/Message Board/List Admin. > > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

I think it is just wonderful that she is posting them to the list. Charlene

I think we are all a bit in awe of the large number of obits posted to the list, and they have apparently exceeded the capacity of at least one subscriber's email server. However, I have neither the web space nor time to manually post these to the Benton County GenWeb pages, and the Benton Archives manager would have to reformat them to use them there. If there are subscribers who would prefer not to get these, I can unsubscribe you until Denise has completed her submissions, and then add you back. All list submissions are permanently available and searchable in the list archives, at following link: http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?surname=MOBENTON Homer R. Ficken, Benton County Mo GenWeb/Message Board/List Admin.

It would be more appropriate for you to supply this information to the Benton County web site adminstrator to have it added on the website. Then you could send a single e-mail to the list notifying subscribers that it's available (or have the admin do the notification). That way the information would be available to others, not just the list members and would not cause any problems for any of list members. As you have elected to continue the postings and these postings have caused my e-mail to exceed it's limits (which causes me to lose other business-related e-mails), I feel that I have no choice but to unsubscribe from this list. Debbra Mullen Denise Hoehns wrote: >I am soooo sorry for making all of you mad for posting these obits. > >I thought I was doing a service, for Benton County. Other list I belong to >post them. > >Sorry, >Denise >rwbrauer@iland.net > > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > >

May contain mistakes Partial abstract Cole Camp Courier June 21, 1979 pg 5 Mrs. Goldie Mills, 57 of Lakeview Heights, died Sat. morning June 16, 1979, at Bothwell Hospital, Sedalia, Born March 13, 1922, Norwood, MO Daughter of Elizabeth Owens Sparks and the late William Sparks. Married to Harry Mills, survives, Aug. 1965. Moved to this area 8 years ago. Survivors: Mother, Elizabeth Owens Sparks, Kansas City, KS 3 sons: Larry Dyke and Gary Dyke, Lincoln; Bill Dyke, Kansas City; 1 daughter Miss Sheila Kreisel, Lee's Summit; 1 sister Mrs. Alex (Myrtle) Jaruta, Kansas City, KS 2 brothers: Jesse Sparks, Kansas City, KS; Elgean Sparks, Kansas City 7 grandchildren 1 g-grandchild Funeral: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Edmonson Baptist Church, Rev. Clarence Hyde Burial Church Cemetery Pallbearers: Jerry Horseman, Donnie Sparks, Raymond Sparks, Ronnie Sparks, Jim Kreisel & John Young Rest cut off rwbrauer@iland.net

I am seeking information on brothers, William and James Taylor who married Wilson sisters. James Taylor married Martha Wilson, she died Apr 1921 William m. Mariette Wilson, she died May 1919. I believe the Taylor family were from Ireland. Viola in CA.

May have mistakes Cole Camp Courier 7/05/1984 Pg. 6 Lois I. Gardner, 71, Lincoln, died Thursday morning, June 28, 1984, at Bothwell Hospital, Sedalia. She was born January 19, 1913, near Cole Camp, daughter of James and Sylvania Casto Spencer. In 1945, she was married to Homer E. Gardner, who survives of the home. Mrs. Gardner spent her married life in Lincoln where she was a member of the Black Oak Community Church. Survivors include a son, Ray Gardner, Lincoln; two brothers, John Spencer, Fair Play, Mo.; Herbert Spencer, state of Iowa; five sisters, Bertha Allen, Cole Camp; Rachel Snyder, Emma Cooper and Edith Duncan, all of Lincoln; Ethel Young, Mora, Mo.; and two grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Jake and James Spencer. Lois will be sadly missed by family and friends. Funeral services were at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Fred Davis and Son Funeral Home, Lincoln, with the Rev. Herman Bowers officiating. Organ Selections were by Evelyn Gardner. Pallbearers were Robert Eversole, Lonnie Allen, Finis Woolery, Charles Burnett, Ernest Burnett and Emmett Gardner. Burial was in the Union Cemetery, Cole Camp. rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Cole Camp Courier June 8, 1967, Pg.1 Leonard Steffens Funeral Rites Leonard Steffens farmer of Cole Camp, died at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon, June 3, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Funeral services were held at 11 o'clock Monday morning, June 5 at the Fox Funeral Chapel with the Rev. L. R. Krout, officiating. Mr. L. C. Schnell served as organist. Pallbearers were Virgil Eckhoff, Larry Schlesselman, Leonard Ives, Harold Goosen, Cleo Viebrock and Rufus Tobaben. Military services were conducted by Abraham Lincoln Post 305 of the American Legion, at the cemetery. Leonard Carl Steffens was born at Cole Camp on August 28, 1931, son of the late Carl and Sophia Mueller Steffens. He was baptized and confirmed in the Trinity Lutheran Church, Cole Camp in 1945. Most of his life was spent in the cole Camp community. He was a veteran of the Korean War. He attained the age of 35 years, 9 months and 5 days. He was united in marriage to Miss Leona Arlene Kaiser. The couple have resided on a farm near Cole Camp. Three children were born to this union. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Leona Steffens, two sons, Randell and Jerry and one daughter Karen Steffens, all of the home; one sister, Verna, Mrs. Calvin Witte, Stover, Mo.; one brother, Emil Steffens, Cole Camp; his step-mother, Mrs. Zelma Steffens, Canton, Illinois; an aunt, Miss Bertha Mueller, Cole Camp, who cared for him after the death of his mother; three maternal aunts, and one uncle and one paternal aunt. His mother preceded him in death in 1933 when he was two years old; his father died in 1960. Typed as found. Denise Brauer Hoehns rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Sedalia Democrat Sunday Dec. 29, 2002, Pg 2A Calvin E. Witte 1924-200- STOVER Calvin Edwin Witte, 78, of Stover, died Saturday, Dec. 28, 2002, at the Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City. He was born Aug. 9, 1924, in Stover, a son of Edward and Carolina Wehrman Witte. He married Verna Steffens, who survives of the home. Mr. Witte was raised and educated in Stover and was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was a farmer, raising hogs, cattle and turkeys on the same ground for 52 years. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stover and served as trustee, elder and treasurer. He was also on the St. Paul Lutheran School board of education. He helped to establish the Stover Rural Fire Department and served as its first president. He has been a member of the Galloway-Martens American Legion Post #343 in Stover and the Stover Chamber of Commerce. Survivors also include two sons, Larry Witte and Darrell Witte, both of Stover; two daughters, Barbara Schnirch and Joyce Witte, both of Stover; two sisters, Luella Viebrock of Lincoln and Ardella Monsees of Shawnee, Kan.; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Edgar Witte, and a granddaughter, Amber Witte. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stover, with the Rev. Gerald Scheperle officiating. Burial will be in the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Stover. Friends may call from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Scrivner-Morrow Funeral Home in Stover. A prayer service will be conducted at 4:30 p.m. The family suggest memorial contributions to the St. Paul Lutheran Church or the St. Paul Lutheran School. rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Cole Camp Courier January 9, 1997 Arnold J.E. Steffens Arnold John Ernest Steffens, age 73, of Cole Camp, Missouri died Thursday afternoon, January 2, 1997, at his farm near Cole Camp. He was born August 5, 1923, near Cole Camp. The son of Ernest F. and Emma C. (Mueller) Steffens. He was united in marriage to Evelyn Heisterberg. He worked as a moldstripper of Pittsburgh Corning Corp. in Sedalia for 30 years, retiring in 1985. He also farmed. He was an Army veteran of World War II. A member of the American Legion Post 305 and Trinity Lutheran Church, both at Cole Camp. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Steffens of the home, one son Melvin Steffens of Overland Park, Kansas; two daughters, Marlene Ehlers of Cole Camp and Elaine Froeschle of Lee's Summit, Mo.; two brothers, Harold Steffens of Ionia, Mo. and Delbert Steffens of Sedalia, Mo. and seven grandchildren. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Sunday, January 5, 1997, at Trininty Lutheran Church at Cole Camp. The Rev. Randal G. Ehrichs and Vicar Paul E. Grammit will officiate. Pallbearers will be: Delores Steffens, Michelle Steffens, Leesa Bishsel, Brain Bischsel, Lori Ehlers, Daren Froeschle, and Brandon Ehlers. Buriel was at the Trinity Cemetery, Cole Camp. Prayer services were held at 7 p.m., Saturday, January 4, 1997, with visitation following, at the Fox Funeral Home in Cole Camp. The family suggested contributions to the Trinity Parish Fund or The Lutheran Hour in care of the funeral home. Typed as found. Denise Brauer Hoehns rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Memoriam from Shaw & Sons Funeral Directors Yakima, Washington " In Memory of Mrs. Anna Mary Manaro Date of birth September 18, 1898 Edmonson, Missouri Date of death January 5, 1985 Yakima, Washington Services at Terrace Heights Memorial Park Tuesday, January 8, 1984 (Typo) at 1:00 PM Rev. Daniel P. Smith, Officiating" Clipping "Anna Mary Manaro, 86, formerly of 1420 S. 12th Avenue, died Saturday afternoon in St. Elizabeth Medical Center. Born September 18, 1898 Edmonson, MO to Fred and Julia Steffens. She lived in Missouri until 1914 when she moved to Yakima with her family at age 16. She married Mikael Angelo Manaro in Yakima January 29, 1917." rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes A6 Bartlesville, OK Examiner Thursday, February 5, 1998 Clara E. Cowan Clara E. Cowan, 95, a longtime Bartlesville resident, died at her home, Tuesday evening. Services will be 2 p.m. Friday in the Colonial Chapel of the Neekamp Funeral Home with the Rev. Duncan Cox, pastor of the Redeemer Lutheran Church, presiding assisted by the Rev. Gilbert Becker, former pastor of the church. Final committal rites will be accorded on the family plot of Memorial Park Cemetery under direction of the Neekamp Funeral Home. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, those who wish to contribute in her memory may do so in the care of the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3700 S.E. Woodland Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006. Casketbearers will be James W. Featherston, Bill Norwood, John Meine, James E. Featherston, Tony Norwood and Josh Featherston. Mrs. Cowan was born in Appleton City, MO, July 15, 1902 to William and Anna (Steffans) Linstrot. She married James M. Cowan in Jefferson City, MO, in 1918 and they moved to Bartlesville in 1944. Mr. Cowan preceded her in death on Dec. 2, 1954. Mrs. Cowan had continued her home in Bartlesville since that time. She was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church. Survivors include her daughter, Dorothy Burkart, of Bartlesville; two grandchildren, James W. Featherston and Sharon Norwood; four great-grandchildren, Marsha Meine, Tony Norwood, James E. Featherston and Joshua Featherston; and two great-great-grandchildren, Courtney and Jennifer Meine. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Cowan was preceded in death by a daughter, Dixie Cowan. rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Newspaper clipping of obituary: Funeral services for Samuel J. Lutjen, 59, former deputy sheriff of Pettis County, who died at his home, 403 West Twentieth Street Tuesday night, will be held at the Ewing Funeral Home at 2 P.M. Friday. The Rev. Walter F. Stickert pastor of the St. Paul Lutheran church will officiate. Pall bears will be Harry Sullivan,, Norman Myers, Louis Gero, Ed George, John Vinson and Paul Johnson. Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery. The body is at the Ewing Funeral home. (From Vicki Lutjen Stutes) rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Benton County Guide Friday, Feb. 8, 1946 L. F. JACOBS DECLARED DEAD Mrs. Claus Steffens of Cole Camp received word from her daughter last week of the death of her son, Lee Francis Jacobs, only son of Mrs. Katherine Jacobs of Canton, Illinois. Seaman first class Jacobs had been reported as missing in action since March, 1944 when the USS Grayback, a submarine on which he was serving, failed to return from patrol operations in the Pacific area. The following item in part was taken from a newspaper published at Peoria, Illinois: "On February 3, 1944, the Grayback left from Midway Island to patrol waters in the Western Pacific where she was likely to encounter the enemy. On February 25, 1944 the submarine reported having had an engagement with the enemy in which hits had been obtained on two enemy vessels, but did not indicate that she herself had been damaged. Thereafter, the Grayback was unreported and messages to her attempting to establish her location were unanswered. "In view of the length of time that has now elapsed since your son was determined to be missing and because there have been no reports that any personnel of the vessel survived or were taken prisoners of war, I am reluctanlty forced to the conclusion that your son is deceased." Lee Francis is survived by his mother and a sister. He is a grandson of Mrs. Claus Steffens of Cole Camp. His father passed away several years ago. Typed as found. Denise Brauer Hoehns rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Cole Camp Courier April 13, 1933, Pg. 1 MRS. CARL H. STEFFENS ENDS LIFE Despondent Over Failing Health She Kills Self With Gun Wednesday Morning. Mrs. Sophia Steffens, wife of Carl H. Steffens, who lived in the Tahoma neighborhood, southwest of Cole Camp, was found dead near her home Wednesday morning about 11 o'clock, death being caused from a self inflicted gun shot wound. Mrs. Steffens had been in poor health since her accident several months ago when a mule kicked her on the head from which she had never fully recovered. Mrs. Sophia Steffens, nee Mueller was born March 17, 1896, in Cole Camp, Mo. She reached the age of 37 years and 26 days. On July 5, 1923 she united in marriage with Carl H. Steffens. This union was blessed with three children, two sons, Emil and Leonard, and one daughter Verna. Besides her grief stricken husband and children she leaves to mourn her death her father, George Mueller of near Cole Camp and the following brothers and sisters: Bertha Mueller of the home; Anna, Mrs. Harry Heisterberg, Cole Camp; Mrs. Emma Wear, St. Louis; Adolf Mueller, Scribner, Neb., and Rudolph Mueller of Jefferson City. Funeral arrangements had not been made up to the time of going to press. rwbrauer@iland.net

May have mistakes Cole Camp Courier December 1, 1960; Pg. 1 Attended Funeral Of Father In Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Emil Steffens, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Steffens of this city and Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Witte of Stover attended the funeral of their father, Carl H. Steffens, 66, who passed away in Canton, Ill., Tuesday, November 22 at the Graham Hospital. Mr. Steffens was born September 20, 1894 in Lincoln, Mo., a son of the late Claus and Louise Grube Steffens. His early life was spent in Benton County. He was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Mueller, and the couple resided on a farm near Cole Camp. Three children were born to this union. Mrs. Steffens preceded him in death on April 8, 1933. Mr. Steffens had lived in Canton, Ill., since 1940. He retired in 1959. On June 8, 1942 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Zelma Rowe Melgreen. Mr. Steffens was a veteran of World War I and a member of the V.F.W., a member of the Eagles and the United Mine Workers. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Zelma Steffens of the home, three children by the first marriage, two sons Emil and Leonard Steffens of Cole Camp and a daughter, Mrs. Verna Witte of Stover, two step-children, Mrs. Margorie Ubell of Canton and Frank Melgreen of Farmington; nine grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Katherine Miller of Canton. Funeral services were held Friday, November 25, at 10:30 a.m. in the Murphy Memorial Home with the Rev. Orville Wright officiating. Burial was in the Greenwood cemetery. rwbrauer@iland.net