DEATH NOTICE IN THE MEXICO, AUDRAIN, MO. NEWSPAPER DATED 11-29 -1909:
"W. H. (KERN) WHITE DROPPED DEAD OPPOSITE THE CITY SCALES MONDAY
MORNING AT 11:35 A.M. THE CAUSE OF HIS DEATH IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN A
STROKE OF APOPLEXY. THE DECEASED SUFFERED A STROKE OF PARALYSIS
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
HE HAD BEEN WORKING MONDAY MORNING FOR B. A. POWELL IN THE SEWER DITCH
THAT HAD BEEN STARTED ON WHITLEY STREET. AT 11:30 A. M. MR . WHITE
TOLD MR. POWELL THAT HE WAS FEELING BAD AND HE BELIEVED HE WOULD QUIT
UNTIL HE FELT BETTER. NOT THINKING THAT ANYTHING SERIOUS WAS WRONG
WITH MR. WHITE, MR. POWELL TOLD HIM HE MIGHT GO HOME AND WHEN HE FELT
BETTER TO COME BACK TO WORK.
MR. WHITE STARTED HOME BUT HAD WALKED ONLY FEW BLOCKS WHEN HE DROPPED
DEAD. HE WAS CONVEYED TO HIS HOME TO BE PREPARED FOR BURIAL.
WILLIAM H. WHITE WAS BORN IN SALT RIVER TOWNSHIP SEPTEMBER 9 , 1838.
REARED ON HIS FATHER'S FARM, HE WAS EDUCATED IN THE SCHOOLS OF MEXICO
AND EARLY EMBARKED IN FARMING FOR HIMSELF, THE OCCUPATION TO WHICH HE
HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP. AS A FARMER, HIS CAREER HAD BEEN ONE OF SUCCESS.
THE DECEASED HAD BEEN MARRIED TWICE. TO HIS PRESENT WIFE HE WAS
MARRIED NOV. 22, 1863.
MR. WHITE HAS HELD OFFICES OF TRUST, BOTH IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
IN ABOUT 1869 WHEN THE OFFICES OF SHERIFF AND COLLECTOR WERE TOGETHER,
HE SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY, AND IN RECENT YEARS HE HAS SERVED TWO
TERMS AS CITY MARSHAL.
THE DECEASED IS SURVIVED BY THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN: WM., CLAY AND DR.
A. C. WHITE, MRS. THOMAS MATTHEW AND MISS FINNIE WHITE.
THE LEDGER JOINS OTHER FRIENDS IN EXTENDING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE
BEREAVED ONES IN THE SUDDEN DEATH OF THIS GOOD MAN."
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William Henry White, Wm. Merritt's father was married twice. See page 966
and 967 of "History of Audrain County" (Missouri):
"WILLIAM H. WHITE
one of the principal farmers and stock raisers of Audrain County, and one of
its prominent and influential citizens, is a native of the county, and come of
one of the oldest and best families. His parents, William White, and wife,
nee Elizabeth Shugart, emigrated from Pennsylvania to this State in about
1834, and settled in Audrain County two years afterwards, where they lived
long and useful lives and were followed to their graves by the regret and
sorrow of all who knew them. William White, Sr., was extensively engaged in
farming in this county, and also followed merchandising at Mexico in an early
day. He became quite wealthy, and when he died left a large estate. Of the
family of children, three are now living,_ besides William H., Mary E., now
the wife of Hon. James M. Proctor, of Boone County; and Martha E., the wife of
John G. Strode, of Boone County. William H. White, the subject of the present
sketch, was born on his father's homestead in Salt River Township, September
9, 1838. Reared on his father's farm, he was educated in the schools; of
Mexico, and early embarked in farming for himself, the occupation to which he
has been brought up. As a farmer, Mr. White's career has been one of marked
success. Left by his father with a comfortable start in life, he has shown
himself to be worthy of it by the manner in which he has managed his affairs
and the success which has crowned his industry and enterprise. Mr. White has
increased his possessions in this county until now he has some 1,200 acres of
fine land, the major part of which is improved and either in active
cultivation, meadow or pasturage. He raises over 300 acres of grain,
principally corn, and harvests annually about 250 acres of meadow. Mr.
White is extensively engaged in stock raising and handling stock and ships to
the wholesale markets yearly about 200 head of cattle and the same number of
hogs. A man of broad and liberal ideas, he is known to be one of the public
spirited citizens of the county, and contributes freely by his efforts and,
whenever necessary, of his means to all movements designed for the building up
and best interests of the county. Mr. White has been married twice. On the
7th of November,1858, he was married to Miss Julia Violet [Juliet Elizabeth
Priscilla Violette], of Monroe County. She died six years afterwards, June
13, 1864, leaving him two children: William M. and Clay Price, the former a
resident of this county, but the latter of Paris, Arkansas. To his present
wife, formerly Miss Mary C. Holliday, a daughter of William Holliday, of
Bourbon County, Kentucky, he was married November 22,1866. Mr. and Mrs. White
have five children: Lizzie Lee, Abner C., Louella, Charles H. and Marion:
One besides, the second child, Nannie, died in tender years. Mr. White is a
member of the A. F. and A. M., being a brother in the Royal Arch Chapter. He
is also a member of the A. O. U. W."
William attended school in Mexico, MO. It is said that the White family
was originally from Pennsylvania.
NOTE: WILLIAM AND A BROTHER WENT TO ALASKA IN 1898 IN SEARCH OF GOLD . THEY
WERE IN ALASKA ABOUT ONE YEAR.