ALLDERDICE,
CHARLES EMMOR
Charles Emmor Allderdice merchant, was born in Kiowa County, Kansas, September 9, 1884, son of James Henry and
Ella R. (Cline) Allerdice.
Mr. Allerdice received the degree of Bachelor of Science from Baker University in 1907. He is a Republican and
a Methodist.
On June 2, 1909, he was married to Burdee Pauline Rucker at Blackwell, Oklahoma, and to them were born three children,
Charles, August 26, 1910; Elizabeth, April 23, 1914; and John, November 19, 1927. Residence: Coldwater. (Illustriana
Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933, Page 21)
BRUMBAUGH,
WILLIAM
William Brumbaugh, banker was born in New York, New York, November 28, 189, and is a foster son of Milton Clarence
and Olivia (Rozell) Brumbaugh. His father, a native of Indiana, was a school teacher, politician, and banker, whose
death occurred at Maitland, Missouri, May 5, 1920. His mother is an educator, club and church worker.
Upon his graduation from public school at Maitland in May, 1914, William Brumbaugh entered the Maitland High School
from which he was graduated in May 1918. In 1920 he attended Missouri Wesleyan College at Cameron. Mr. Brumbaugh
received a letter in basketball while in high school.
On November 8, 1924, he was married to Hazel Kathleen Meers at Wichita. She was born in the Dominion of Canada,
February 8, 1902. Two children were born to them one of whom is living, Beverly born July 21, 1928 who died the
same day and Willaim Milton, January 27, 1930.
Coming to Kansas in 1920, Mr. Brumbaugh became associated with the Coldwater National Bank in the capacity of teller.
At the present time he is also serving as city clerk of Coldwater and the county chairman of the Comanche County
central committee for the Republican party.
He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Lions Club (Charter member, first lion tamer 1927; third
vice president, 1931; and first vice president in 1932; president 1933-34). He served from 1927 until 1928 as 7th
district state executive committee member of the American Legion. During the World War he served as a private in
the second division of the United States Marines with the American Expeditionary Forces, participating in the St.
Mihiel, Mt. Blanc-Champagne, and Meuse-Argonne offensives. He spent eight months after the Armistice was signed
in the Army of Occupation in Germany. Residence: Coldwater. (Illustriana Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert
Morton Baldwin, 1933, Page 165)
BUTCHER,
HERSCHEL V.
Herschel V. Butcher, pioneer Kansas newspaperman and editor of the Western Star at Coldwater, was born in Springville,
Indiana, November 20, 1860, son of William T. and Amanda (Brazelton) Butcher. His father, a native of Orange County,
Indiana born August 15, 1837, was a miller, farmer and later a merchant. He served three years and nine months
in the Union Army during the Civil War as captain of Company E, 97th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. William's father
was born in Virginia in 1801, and settled in Orange County in 1831.l His grandfather was a native of Germany who
came to America about 1800 settling in Virginia. William T. Butcher died at Lafontaine, Kansas, December 25, 1913.
Amanda Brazelton his wife was born in Gosport, Indiana in 1840 and died at Fredonia, Kansas, February 9, 1892.
Her ancestry was English. She was married to William T. Butcher on May 6, 1858.
In the fall of 1869 Herschel V. Butcher came with his parents from Indiana, and settled in Linn County, Kansas,
the trip requiring thirty days, and being made by covered wagons. At that time there were no bridges across the
streams even of the larger ones, and the crossing over the Missouri River was made at Rocheport and over the Mississippi
at Alton. At that time ferry boats were used instead of bridges. At the time of the Butcher family's arrival in
Kansas there was scarcely a railroad in the state, and practically no settlements west of Wichita. A short time
after William arrived in Kansas he traded a wagon and team for a quarter section of land in Wilson County. This
land was directly in the path of the Delaware Trail and Mr. Butcher's father traded with the Delaware Indians.
A year after settling there he built a house out of native walnut lumber and this house stood until 1930.
The Western Star with which Herschel V. Butcher has been connected for more than 35 years, is one of the pioneer
newspapers in that part of Kansas, having been started on August 16, 1884, six weeks after the town of Coldwater
was laid out. It is remarkable that during all of this time not an issue of the paper has been missed. It is in
reality Comanche County's old home newspaper.
In July, 1910, Mr. Butcher lost his eyesight as a result of a cataract operation. However, with the aid of his
wife, he has since continued to carry on his newspaper work and is at his office every working day. During the
past 35 years he has written most of the copy and editorials for every paper printed, and it is his endeavor to
keep up with the current events, local, state and national, and with educational, religious and political activies.
At the present time two nephews Ward H. and Merle T. Butcher are partners with hium in the publication of the paper.
Mr. Butcher attended rural schools of Wilson County, Kansas, the first of which was known as Blackjack College,
because it was built of blackjack oak logs and the high school at Fredonia. In June 1896 he was graduated from
Kansas Normal College at Fort Scott with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. During his last year in college he was
a member of the faculty. From 1889 until 1893 he served as county superintendent of schools of Wilson County, elected
on the Republican ticket. He was engaged in educational work for twenty years before becoming an editor, serving
as county superintendent as above and as superintendent at Altoona, Augusta and Medicine Lodge.
After leaving high school he taught school in Wilson County and followed educational work as above, during which
time he taught in ten different county normal institutes. Having become interested in newspaper work when he served
as a news correspondent for the Wilson County Citizen under John S. Gilmore, the veteran publisher, Mr. Butcher
entered the business through having come to Coldwater to teach in the Normal Institute and having purchased the
Western Star prior to his departure. He is a member f the Southwest Kansas Editorial Association, is a life member
of the Kansas Association for the Blind, and was superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School for ten years.
On July 20, 1907, Mr. Butcher was married to Martha Lenore Stewart at Waukesha, Wisconsin. Mrs. Butcher, who was
a stenographer before her marriage, was born near Seneca, October 1, 1870. She is the daughter of William Wallace
and Sarah Ann (Hammond) Stewart. Her father was of Scotch descent, and her mother English. They came to Kansas
from New York State in 1868. She is eligible to the Daughters of the American Revolution through her great-great-grandfather,
Samuel Fuller, who enlisted at Colchester, Connecticut and marched from Cheshire County, New Hampshire in October
1776; was in Colonel Moses Nichols regiment at Saratoga in 1777 and was present at the Battle of Bennington, October
6, 1777. He was granted a pension, April 18, 1888.
Mr. Butcher is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Coldwater, the Sons of Veterans of the Civil
War, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (past noble president) and the Knights of Pythias. During 1892 he was
president of the Southeastern Kansas Teachers Association. Residence: Coldwater.(Illustriana Kansas, by Sara Mullin
Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933, Pages 182-183)
ELLIS, ROY
WARD
Roy Ward Ellis, farmer, stockman, and executive, was born near Fort Scott, Kansas, November 12, 1886 son of Philander
Anderson and Helen Jane (Pineo) Elis. The father was born in New York State, February 1, 1846 and served in the
Civil War. He came to Kansas as a farmer and stockman, having homesteaded in Hodgeman County in 1895. He died at
Nickerson, March 3, 1909. His parents who were Scotch-Irish lived in New York State until middle age and then moved
to Illinois.
Helen Jane Pineo was born in Pennsylvania, February 12, 1850 and died in Coldwater, Febraury 21, 1929. She was
of French ancestry.
Educated in public school, Roy Ward Ellis engaged in farming since reaching manhood, and in 1930 was chosen a master
farmer of Kansas. He engaged in the implement business from 1925 until 1926 and later in the automobile business
under the firm name of Ellis Darroch Implement Company. He has been a director of the Coldwater National Farm Loan
Association since 1923 and a director of the Co-operative Oil Company since 1992. He is now serving as president
of the former organization. He is chairman of the finance committee, the building committee and a trustee of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and a Master Mason. He is a member of Comanche Lodge No. 295, of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons. He has held all offices up to and including Master, serving in one each year except the one of
senior warden. He is a member of the Lions Club, the school board, and the Republican party.
On August 8, 1906, Mr. Ellis was married to Harriet Myrtle Deyoe at Jetmore. She was born in Ravenna, Missouri,
September 26, 1887 and before her marriage was a school teacher. She is the daughter of Joseph F. and Mary Jane
(Smalley) Deyoe. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have two children, Beulah, born December 22, 1907, and Harold Ward, July 31,
1909, who married Naoma Ruth McKinney at Coldwater, August 5, 1931. Beulah is a teacher and has a Bachelor of Science
degree from Manhattan College.
During the World War Mr. Ellis handled bond sales for his local school district. He is fond of hunting and fishing
and enjoys football as a spectator. Mrs. Ellis is quite active in church work, particularly the missionary society.
She is president of the Farm Bureau Club. Residence: Coldwater. (Illustriana Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin &
Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933, Page 365)
GATES,
VICTOR E.
Victor E. Gates, farmer, was born at Coldwater, Kansas, August 9, 1899, son of Henry and Nira (Wright) Gates. His
father, a farmer, also, was born at Albia, Iowa, June 23, 1860. His mother is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana,
born December 4, 1859. They reside near Coldwater.
Mr. Gates attended public school in Comanche and Pratt Counties and attended Kansas State Agricultural College
at Manhattan one term. Since reaching maturity he has engaged in farming and stock raising, and has been active
in the Farm Bureau. He has been a board member of the local organization since 1924, was secretary and treasurer,
1928-29, vice president 1930, secretary-treasurer 1931, and president 1932. In 1930 he was delegate to the state
board of agriculture at Topeka and in 1932 to the State Farm Bureau meeting at Manhattan.
On May 6, 1922 he was married to Hazel Drucilla Henderson at Coldwater. Mrs. Gates who taught two years in Hodgeman
County, and four in Comanche County was born at Eudora, Missouri, October 14, 1898, daughter of Thomas T. and Crissie
(Eskew) Henderson. There are two children, Marjorie, born September 8, 1924; and Eugene October 22, 1930.
Mr. Gates is a Republican and a member of the Christian Church. He is a member of Coldwater Lodge No. 295 of the
Masons, and in 1930 was junior deacon. He was senior steward in 1929, senior deacon in 1931, senior warden in 1932
and worshipful master in 1933. Mrs. Gates is a member of Coldwater Chapter No. 224 of the Eastern Star, the Community
Club an the district school board of which she has been clerk since 1930. Residence: Coldwater. (Illustriana Kansas,
by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933, Page 431)
BOTTS, JAY T.
Jay T. Botts of Coldwater is one of the representative
lawyers of the younger generation in Kansas and has, through energy, ability and intrepid endeavor won a leading
place for himself at the Comanche county bar. Mr. Botts was born April 2, 1874, on a farm in Licking county, Ohio,
and in the same house in which his father, Isaac Botts, was born, Feb. 21, 1847 The latter was a farmer and came
to Kansas in 1884, settling on government land near Coldwater; he died in the town of Coldwater, April 24, 1901.
In 1872 Isaac Botts wedded Miss. Minerva Drake, a native of Licking county, Ohio, born Sept. 27, 1843. Five children
blessed this union, all of whom, except the youngest, was, born on the old Botts homestead in Licking county, Ohio,
and in the same house in which their father was born. Jay T. is the first in order of birth; Nellie, born Dec,
10, 1876, graduated in the Coldwater High School with the class of 1895 and is superintendent of public instruction
in Comanche county, Kan.; John B., born in September, 1880, graduated in the Coldwater High School in 1897 and
is in the butcher and ice business in Coldwater; Thomas N. L., born Feb. 17, 1883, is a graduate of the Coldwater
High School, class of 1900; and Myrtle was born Feb. 19, 1889, on a farm seven miles southwest of Coldwater.
Jay. T. Botts graduated in the Coldwater High School
in 1894, and after teaching one term in a country school in Comanche county entered Central Normal College at Great
Bend, Kan., April 2, 1895, his twenty-first birthday. He took up the science course there, and upon graduating,
in 1896, returned to Coldwater, where he was made superintendent of the city schools. After serving in that capacity
three years he entered the law department of the University of Kansas, in 1899, remaining one year. He then returned
to Coldwater and resumed teaching for two years, in order to earn the necessary funds to complete his education
in law. Returning to the University of Kansas, in 1902, he graduated in the law department of that institution,
in 1904, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. The very determination and pluck with which he pursued his objective
point, a good education and an adequate legal training, presaged for him a successful career, and the fact that
in less than ten years' time he has acquired a standing at the head of his profession in Comanche county demonstrates
that, though there is no indispensable formula for success, there are no obstacles which undaunted resolution,
industry, and courage cannot surmount. He began the active practice of law at Coldwater in July, 1904, but that
same year was elected clerk of Comanche county, on the Republican ticket, and for two terms, or four years, was
engaged in the duties of that office. Upon the conclusion of his official duties he devoted his entire time to
the practice of law at Coldwater, where he has his law office in his own brick building, erected expressly for
that purpose and modern in every respect.
On June 21, 1905, was celebrated the marriage of
Mr. Botts and Miss Mabel E., daughter of Lewis P. and Ollie Troxel. Mrs. Botts was born at El Paso, Ill., Aug.
28, 1877, and was a teacher for five years prior to her marriage, her duties for four years of that period having
been in Ford and Comanche counties, Kansas: Mr. and Mrs. Botts have one child, Ruth, born July 25, 1906. (Kansas
Biography, Part 2, Vol. III, 1912, Pages 985-986, Transcribed as written by Millie Mowry)
