Col. Robert Waide, one of the
     oldest attorneys of Southeast Missouri, was born  in  Augusta  County,
     Va., on June 16, 1821. He is a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Beard)
     Waide, both of whom were natives  of  Virginia,  and  of  English  and
     German descent, respectively. They were the parents of  ten  children,
     five of whom are living. Robert was reared on  his  father's  farm  in
     Virginia until he was twenty years  of  age,  after  which  he  taught
     school. In 1847 he began  the  study  of  law,  and  two  years  later
     immigrated west, locating at Charleston, Mississippi Co.,  Mo.,  where
     he taught school for a short time. In 1852 he was admitted to the bar,
     and has since been in constant practice. He has been a  notary  public
     for sixteen years, and has held the office of county attorney for  two
     terms. In 1866 he was elected to represent Mississippi County  in  the
     Legislature, and was re-elected in 1868. Mr. Waide was  married  first
     in 1855 to Catherine Minne Firebaugh. She died in  1856,  leaving  one
     child, Catherine Elizabeth. He was married again in 1862:  his  second
     wife being Mrs. Mary A. Gerdon, by whom he has  two  children  living,
     viz: Hampton and Robert P. His wife died  in  1886.  In  politics  Mr.
     Waide is a Republican.

Joseph   F.   Watkins,    a
     prominent farmer and  stock  dealer  of  Scott  County,  was  born  in
     Stoddard County, Mo., on February 6, 1849. He is a son of  Joseph  and
     Louisa (Northcutt) Watkins. The former  was  born  in  Benton  County,
     Tenn., and was killed in Cape Girardeau County by a horse throwing him
     against a tree, in January 1849. About two years after his  death  his
     widow  and  children  removed  to  Scott  County,  and  settled   near
     Dieblstadt, where she was  married  to  Samuel  Hennon,  a  native  of
     Missouri. She was a member of the Baptist Church, and died in February
     1855. She had four children by her first husband and two by the  last,
     viz: Thomas (deceased), Sarah  (deceased),  Benjamin  (deceased),  and
     Joseph Watkins, Marcella H. Hennon (Mrs. Cury Nathons) and a  daughter
     who died when one year old. Joseph F. lived with his  uncle  until  he
     was twenty-two years of age. The uncle,  Francis  Kirkpatrick,  was  a
     native of Tennessee, but removed to Scott County at an early day. When
     twenty-four years of age he wedded Paralee Holms, born on February 29,
     1854, in Benton County, Tenn. She came with her parents to Mississippi
     County when she was four or five years of age. She died on October 18,
     1876, having borne two children, Benjamin and Ida May, both  deceased.
     Mr. Watkins was afterward married to Laura Holmes, also  a  native  of
     Benton County, Tenn., born  October  11,  1858.  She  was  married  on
     January 10, 1878, having removed to  Mississippi  County  in  November
     1877. They have four children: Effie F., Elbert  (deceased),  Mary  A.
     and Clara. Our subject and wife are highly respected citizens. He is a
     member    of    the    I.O.O.F.    and    of    the     A.F.     &
     A.M.

Benjamin C. White,  a  farmer
     of James Bayou Township, Mississippi County,  Mo.,  was  born  in  the
     State of Mississippi in 1840  and  is  a  son  of  Wiley  and  Pernina
     (Clibourne) White, of English and French descent,  respectively.  They
     were both born in Charleston, S.C. and were married  in  their  native
     State, from which they removed to Mississippi in 1833, living  in  the
     latter State until their deaths. Mr. White died on March 14, 1850, and
     Mrs. White in February, 1845. Their children were William  (deceased),
     Martha Ann (deceased), Louis W.  (farming  in  Pikens  County,  Ala.),
     Louisa J. (deceased), Benjamin C. and  Pernina  Ellen  (wife  of  S.W.
     Nunn, a farmer of James Bayou Township, Mississippi County).  Benjamin
     C. lived with an elder brother until he was sixteen years of age, when
     he came to Mississippi County, Mo. He stopped near his  present  home,
     but being without capital, he rented land, and worked out by the mouth
     until he had accumulated enough to buy him a home, which was in  1871.
     He then purchased 131 acres of the farm  which  now  consists  of  263
     acres, with 215 under cultivation. In 1860 he was united  in  marriage
     with Mrs. Sophronia Arnold, born in Hickman County, Ky., in 1839.  She
     is the daughter of David H. Kelley, who came to Southeast Missouri, in
     1843, and located in Mississippi County. Mrs. White was first  married
     to James Arnold, by whom she had one son, Martin  Arnold.  Mr.  Arnold
     died in1858. To Mr. and  Mrs.  White  have  been  born  six  children:
     Pernina Ellen (deceased), Georgia Ann (Mrs. R.S. Fleming, of Indiana),
     Mary J., Benjamin Co., Jr. (who is now attending  school  in  Clinton,
     Ky.), Minnie Dixon and Thomas Lee. Mr. White has  given  each  of  his
     children a good education. He is also rearing a niece,  whose  parents
     are dead. He name is Eliza Kelley.  Mr.  White  is  a  member  of  the
     I.O.O.F. lodge of Charleston.

James   W.   Whitsell,    a
     competent blacksmith and wagon-maker,  of  East  Prairie,  Mississippi
     County, was born in Kentucky, in 1855, and is a son of  James  P.  and
     Sarah Ann (Thompkins) Whitsell, both of  whom  were  born  in  Hopkins
     County, Ky. Their grandparents came from Georgia in a very  early  day
     and located in Webster County, Ky. James P. Whitsell was reared  as  a
     farmer, in which occupation  he  was  afterward  extensively  engaged;
     later in life, however, he was engaged  in  blacksmithing.  His  first
     wife died in1860, leaving two children,  John  J.  and  James  W.  Mr.
     Whitsell afterward married Virginia Crineham, who was born and  reared
     in Kentucky. To this union were born D. Edgar, J. Cloud  and  William,
     all of whom are living. J.J. Cloud resides with the  subject  of  this
     sketch. James P. Bradley [Whitsell] died in 1875 or 1876 and his widow
     is now living in Kentucky.  James  W.  learned  his  trade  under  the
     direction of his father, in Hopkins County, Ky., and in 1879 he worked
     with an uncle in Kentucky. In 1880 he came to Mississippi  County  and
     located at Bertrand, removing to his present location in the summer of
     1887, at which place he has a good home, and a lucrative business.  In
     1887 he was united in marriage with Miss Nancy  A.  Diviney.  She  was
     born in Tennessee and came to Bertrand with her parents  in  1874  aor
     1875. Two children have blessed the union of Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitsell:
     James C. and Nora W. Mrs.  Whitsell  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist
     Episcopal     Church.     He     is     a      member      of      the
     A.O.U.W.

Dr.   George   W.Wilson,   a
     physician of Wolf Island township, Mississippi  County,  was  born  in
     Richmond, Ind., in 1839, and is a son of William D. and Mary  (McMinn)
     Wilson,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Delaware,  respectively.  William
     D.Wilson removed his family to Indiana,  in  1826  and  established  a
     foundry and machine manufactory, one of the first in that  section  of
     the county. He remained in Richmond until 1858,  when  he  removed  to
     Greencastle, Ind., and resumed the manufacturing business.  He  was  a
     very prominent many in his day, taking an active part in politics  and
     other  matters,  being  a  strong  prohibitionist,  and  was  a  great
     temperance worker. He did in Greencastle, at the age  of  seventy-tree
     years, and his widow is still residing there, with one  of  her  sons,
     John t. Wilson, who is now in the manufacturing business. Mr. and Mrs.
     Wilson were the parents of eight children, four of  whom  are  living:
     John T. David L., Emma (Mrs. Harvey Fleming, of California),  and  Dr.
     George W. Those deceased are Virginia, Eliza, William  and  Elizabeth.
     Dr. George W. graduated from the high school  of  Richmond,  Ind.,  in
     1857 or 1858, after which he entered college at Oberlin, Ohio, and was
     only in the junior class when the war broke out. He left  school,  and
     went to Terre Haute, Ind., and enlisted  in  the  Forty-third  Indiana
     Regiment, and served for two years as hospital steward,  and  then  as
     assistant-surgeon for a longer time. He enlisted in August, 1861,  and
     was mustered out in St. Louis, in November, 1865. On returning home he
     entered a medical college at Cincinnati, graduating in 1867.  He  also
     attended a college at Philadelphia. After  securing  his  professional
     education, he  returned  and  remained  there,  engaged  in  the  drug
     business, and the practice of his profession, until 1878, when he came
     to Southeast Missouri, and located in Mississippi County, where he has
     since resided, with the exception of two years in Florida. In 1869 Dr.
     Wilson married Mary Peck, daughter of Charles and Ursula Peck, both of
     whom were born and reared in New York. The Doctor is a member  of  the
     A.F. & A.M., and of the Knights Templar. He  and  wife  have  four
     children:     Charles     D.,     Douglas,     McMinn     and      Amy
     L.