Friday, 11 Feb 1916--JUDGE M. M. BURTON DEAD-- Although he hardly needs more accolades, I thought I would post this excerpt from "Old Families of Randolph County, Missouri" May Medley Burton was born December 14, 1822 about a mile south-west of the present site of Higbee, Missouri. His father, May Burton was born in Orange County, Virginia, though his parents Ambrose and Ann Wisdom Burton became pioneer settlers of Mercer County, Kentucky in 1786. May Burton grew up in Kentucky and married Nancy Woolfolk. In 1819 he came to Missouri and settled in the souther part of what is now Randolph County. May Medley Burton was one of the earliest native born residents of the county. He was reared on his father's farm. His father being a man in good circumstances provided his son with a good education. He received part of his education from his brother Ambrose who was a county and government surveyor. As a young man he started teaching school which he followed for several years. On December 5, 1845 he was married to Minerva Brooks, a daughter of William H. and Susan Pyle Brooks. After he married he settled down and engaged in farming. He secured an extensive tract of land near his father's homestead on which he resided and continued farming and stock raising until 1870. In 1856 he was elected to the legislature over George Settle by a large majority. He rode horseback to Jefferson City for the legislative sessions. May Medley Burton and his wife had two sons, Ambrose Chiles (born September 23, 1846), and William Henry (born December 20, 1848). The War Between the States brought problems and decisions, Missouri was a border state. May M. Burton was a slave-holder with southern sympathy. He bought slaves but never sold one. In the fall of 1864, with his two teen-age sons he left Randolph County to join the Confederate Army. They were sworn in at Lexington, Missouri, and left Missouri following General Sterling Price's raid in 1864. They surrendered in Louisiana and were returned to St. Louis where they took the oath of allegiance. In 1870 he was elected a member of the county court. He was reelected from time to time until he served 8 years. He retired from the farm in 1870 and engaged in the mercantile business in Higbee, Mo. He moved to Sweet Springs, Mo. for his wife's health in 1878, returning to the farm in 1881. Judge Burton's first wife died in April 1881. After the death of his wife he moved to Huntsville. I n1883 the judge was married to Mrs. Sarah Lassiter Gilman, the widow of Robert G. Gilman. Her first husband was for many years treasurer of the county. Judge Burton lived for many years in Huntsville until failing eye sight and old age made him decide to spend his remaining years with his sons in and near Higbee. He died Feb. 6, 1916 at the age of 93, the oldest native-born citizen of Randolph County. Carole Brace