James F. Plecker

  General Notes:

PLECKER, James F.
source: 1883 History of Henry and St. Clair Counties Missouri , National Historical Co., pg: 762
--- James F. Plecker, farmer and stock dealer, section 28, a native of Augusta County, Virginia, was born August 29, 1843. His parents, John W. and Ann Eliza (Crawn) Plecker, were also born in the same county. James F. grew up there as a farmer's boy and enlisted in the Confederate army in March, 1862, serving three years in the Tenth Virginia cavalry. He participated in numerous important engagements, among which were the battles of Williamsport, the fights at Richmond and Fredericksburg and all of the encounters around Richmond, and two raids into Maryland and Pennsylvania, where they captured a large number of horses and cattle. Mr. Plecker came to Missouri with his parents in 1866 and settled in Henry County. He first bought only forty acres of land, but as his circumstances would permit, he added to his original purchase until he now has 933 acres in cultivation and pasture, with the exception of about fifty acres of timber. He had planted in corn the past season 225 acres, which yielded about forty bushels to the acre. He makes a business of trading and feeding stock, and is one of the most successful stock men in this township. He has over 200 head of cattle, and is feeding about fifty head of steers and seventy hogs. Mr. Plecker was married in the spring of 1874 to Miss Sarah Dodd, who died in about five weeks thereafter. He was again married September 7, 1876, to Miss Millie Whiteford, a native of Illinois, and a daughter of George W. Whitford. They have three children: Ida Belle, Ettie May and Roberta Mendora. Mrs. P. is a member of the Christian Church.
PLECKER, James F.
source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co, pg: 444
--- James F. Plecker. In every county are individuals who have been able to accomplish more than ordinary success. Whether it is because of exceptional ability or the power to take advantage of opportunities which present themselves is a moted question. If one were to ask the most successful men of Henry County as to the reason for their successes in the agricultural field of endeavor, we are of the opinion that the answer would be the same as that given by James F. Plecker, retired farmer and stockman of Deepwater and one of the largest land owners of Henry County, "Hard work, keeping everlastingly at it, raise lots of live stock, buy land and make the land help pay for itself." It is practically the truth of the matter and the only agriculturist who achieves more than an ordinary success is the fellow who is not afraid to work, combined with good business management in order to make good. James F. Plecker was born in Augusta County, Virginia, August 29, 1843, and is the son of John W. (born 1819, died 1877) and Eliza (Craum) Plecker (born 1820, died 1887). Mr. Plecker's parents were both natives of Virginia. They emigrated to Missouri and arrived in Henry County March 20, 1866, and until his death John W. Plecker was engaged in farming pursuits. He first settled upon 160 acres of land east and southeast of the Moyer place, where he lived for two years, and in 1868 moved to a tract of prairie land four and a half miles southwest of Deepwater, near the Pleasant Valley district school, and improved the land. To John W. and Ann Eliza Plecker were born eight children: A. H. Plecker, an artist, Lynchburg, Virginia, an ex-Confederate soldier, aged seventy-eight years; James F., of this review; Mrs. Margaret Ann Moyer, Clinton township; Mrs. Mary Pomeroy, a widow, living at Kokomo, Colorado; Mrs. Augusta Virginia, wife of Jacob Rhoads, Deepwater; David Brown, Nowata, Oklahoma; Edward Jackson, Minot, South Dakota. James F. Plecker enlisted in Company H, Valley Rangers, Confederate Army, in 1862 and served for the Southern cause for three years under Gen. William H. Lee, in the 10th Virginia Cavalry under Captain Newham. He took an active part in many battles and skirmishes, among them being the great Battles of Gettysburg and Cold Harbor, and during a greater part of his time he was on skirmish and picket duty with cavalry detachments. After the close of the war he returned home and began farming on forty acres of prairie land in 1868. From this small beginning, fifty years ago, he has become owner of 1,000 acres of land in Henry County. Seven hundred acres of this land is rented and he and his sons are farming the remainder. Mr. Plecker is also owner of 720 acres of land near Mt. Zion in St. Clair County, Missouri. He has some land in Texas. He has always been an extensive feeder of live stock and his success can be attributed to the fact that for years he has kept large herds of cattle and hogs on his farms. Mr. Plecker left the farm in 1913 and now makes his home in Deepwater, but continues to visit the farm daily and take a considerable part in the farming operations. In 1910 he located in New Mexico and farmed there for a few years but found that old Missouri was the best place after all, and he returned here in 1915. Mr. Plecker was married in 1876 to Miss Millie A. Whitford, who was born in Moultrie County, Illinois, on January 9, 1859, and is the daughter of George W., a native of Illinois, and Henrietta (Hedrick) Whitford, a native of Kentucky. Henrietta Hedrick Whitford was born July 30, 1839, and was a daughter of John and Eliza (Fletcher) Hedrick, who removed to Illinois from Kentucky in 1839. George W. Whitford was born in 1834 and died October 12, 1903. Three children were reared out of seven born to Mr. and Mrs. George W. Whitford: Mrs. James F. Plecker; William Alonzo, Nowata, Oklahoma, and George Franklin, Great Fails, Montana. The Whitfords came to Missouri in the fall of 1868 and settled in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. After some years they went to Colorado, thence to Oklahoma and from there to Arkansas, where Mr. Whitford died. James F. and Millie A. Plecker have reared a large family of nine children: Ida May, Etta May, Roberta Mendora, Olive Frances, Naomi Alvira, Estella, Bessie Virginia, George Washington, Archie Lee. Ida May married William Cannon, resides near Windsor, Missouri and has one son, Orville. Etta May married Will Craig and lives in Kansas City, is mother of three children: Imogene, Marjorie and Roy Lee. Roberta Medora is the wife of William Bradley, Kansas City, and has seven children: Jewel Fern, Ernestine, Glenn, Helen, Wilma, Joseph, Eugene and Mark. Olive Frances married Harvey Switser, Lawrence, Kansas, and is mother of a son, James David. Naomi, wife of James Eames, Denver, Colorado, has a daughter, Virginia Louise. Bessie Virginia, wife of Clyde Jackson, Denver, Colorado, has a son, William Benton. Estella is keeping house for her brothers on the home farm. George Washington Plecker is a farmer on the home place, married Maggie Huffman of Artesia, New Mexico. Archie Lee is on the home place. Mr. and Mrs. Plecker have fourteen grandchildren and up to a few years ago there were five generations of the family living on Mrs. Plecker's side and including her children and grandchildren. The Democratic party has always had the allegiance of Mr. Plecker but he has never devoted much time to political matters. He and Mrs. Plecker and all of the family excepting one are members of the Christian Church and they are hospitable, jolly and kindly people who are highly respected and esteemed in Henry County.

PLECKER, James F. - b: Aug 29 1843 Augusta Co, VA - d: 1932 - son of John W. & Anna Elizabeth CRAWN PLECKER - mil: 10th VA Cav Confederate Army Civil War - 1st m: 1874 to Sarah DODD - 2nd m: Sep 7 1876, Henry Co, MO to Millie Angeline WHITFORD - ch: Ida Belle, Etta May, Roberta Mendora "Dora", Olive, Noima, Stella, Archie - mvd from Dunning Cemetery ca 1979 - bur: Blk:607.5 Lot:D049 Gr:05