JULIUS ALBRECHT, a prominent farmer of Kelso Township, Scott Co., Mo., was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany in 1843.  His parents, George and Mary (Mogge) Albrecht, were born and reared in a village near the birthplace of Julius.  The father was born in 1803 and the mother in 1807.  George Albrecht was a baker by trade, which he followed until 1850, when he with his family came to the United States.  On June 1 they landed in Baltimore, from whence they went to Greene County, Ohio, whee they remained four years engaged in agricultural pursuits, after which they went to Iowa.  Soon after they came down the Mississippi River to Southeast Missouri, and located in Scott County.  There George Albrecht purchased a farm lying near the river.  This was in the spring of 1855, and he remained there until his death in 1866.  His widow survived until 1877.  They had five children--four boys and one girl--all dead but the subject of this sketch.  Louisa was married and died leaving three children, two of whom are living.  Soon after the death of his parents Julius began work for himself.  During the Civil War he served in the State Militia, and after the war was over resumed work on the farm.  He first married Catherine Roth, a native of Germany.  She died, having borne an infant that died soon after its birth.  On September 5, 1872, Mr. Albrecht was united in marriage with Eva B. Eifert, a native of Germany, who came with her parents to America in 1854, when she was but three years of age.  By this union Mr. Albrecht has seven children:  Anna, Julia, Eliza, John, Mary, Amelia and Lewis.  In religious faith the family are Lutherans, of which church Mr. Albrecht has been a member since a child, has been treasurer and trustee for two years, and has also served as elder for two years.  He is a self-made man, and has liberal education, being well informed on all general topics.
Source:  Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, p 914.


REV. JAMES M. ALLEN was born in New Madrid County, Mo., January 16, 1851, and is a son of David C. and Angeline (Strong) Allen, the former a native of Louisiana and the latter of Tennessee.  The parents came to Missouri at an early day, and entered land in Scott County, which, after a few years, they sold, and removed to New Madrid County, locating near Sikeston.  They resided there until Mr. Allen's death, in 1856.  He was the father of five children:  James M., Samuel M., Martha (Mrs. J. B. Burton), Cyrus J. (deceased) and Benjamin (deceased).  Mrs. Allen was married three times, and had children by each husband.  She died in August 1885.  Rev. James M. Allen has always been engaged in farming, but in 1887 he engaged in the mercantile business, which he still manages in connection with farming.  In 1882 he began studying for the ministry and was ordained a minister in the Missionary Baptist Church in 1885.  He has since been preaching the gospel at different points, and has been instrumental in building several churches in Southeast Missouri.  Although he has been preaching but a short time he has done much good for the cause of religion.  In 1870 he was united in marriage with Sarah E. Holmes, by whom he had four children, one of whom is living:  William D.  His wife died in 1878 and he was again married in 1879, choosing for his second wife Maggie Martin.  This union has been blessed by two children (twins), one of whom, George M., is living.  The one deceased is Samuel.  Mrs. Martin had five children by a former marriage:  Katie (deceased), Lila, Bettie, Alvan and Thomas.  Mr. Allen is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the Agricultural Wheel.
Source:  Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, p 915.


JAMES B. ANCELL, a substantial farmer residing on a fine hill-farm of 240 acres, near Kelso, Mo., was born in Kentucky in 1813.  He is the son of Henry and Nancy (Beesley) Ancell, who were born and reared in Virginia.  Several years after his marriage Henry Ancell removed his family in wagons to Kentucky, where he resided working at the brickmason's trade, until his death, which occurred when the subject of this sketch was a small boy.  Besides the latter, there were six children:  Washington, Thornton, Pascal E., John, Henry and Harriet, all of whom are dead.  James B. came to Southeast Missouri in 1830 from Todd County, Ky., and located on land which he entered from the government near his present home.  He afterward entered the farm on which he now resides.  Here his mother died in 1856.  In 1859 he married Frances Adaline Clark, a native of Cape Girardeau County, born in 1825 and a daughter of John and Sarah Clark , natives of Kentucky, who came to Missouri before their marriage and located in Cape Girardeau County.  After their marriage they still remained in Cape Girardeau County, and reared a large family, consisting of ten girls and one boy.  The girls all lived to maturity and married.  Mr. and Mrs. Ancel are the parents of five children:  Emma (wife of Walter Goddard), Sarah M. (wife of S. McFerron), Mary J. (at home), James P. and Mattie J. (both also at home).  Mr. Ancell, his wife and two children are devoted members of the Baptist Church.  Emma belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Source:  Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, p 915.


JOHN HARVEY ANCELL, a farmer of Kelso Township, Scott Co., Mo., was born where he now resides in 1835, and is a son of Thornton W. and Elvira (Wright) Ancell, natives of Virginia.  They were married in Kentucky, where they resided until about 1830, when they came to Missouri and located in Cape Girardeau County.  Remaining there one year they removed to Scott County and located on a farm near the Rock Church, in Kelso Township, where they died, the father in April 1887, aged eighty-two years and the mother sometime previously.  To them were born eight children--four boys and four girls--of whom four are living:  Thornton A., Parthenia (wife of James Powell), Mildred (wife of John McKinley, residing on a part of the Ancell homestead) and James (sic-John) Harvey.  Those dead are:  Leander, John, Georgia Ann and Nancy.  Georgia Ann was the wife of Edward Joyce, of Cape Girardeau.  Thornton W. Ancell first married a Miss Williams, who died previous to his second marriage.  James (sic-John) H. Ancell remained with his parents until 1868, when he was united in marriage with Mrs. Emeline (Baldwin) Wiley, the widow of Wilson Wiley, by whom she has two children:  Edward and Albert, living near Commerce and Sikeston, respectively.  Mrs. Ancell was born in July 1835.  Her first husband died in 1862.  Mr. and Mrs. Ancell are the parents of four children:  Mary E. (who lives with her step-brother near Commerce), Naomi, Ada and Alice.  Mr. Ancell is a successful farmer, and also a member of the Wheel.
Source:  Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, p 915-916.


WILLIAM S. BABB, an intelligent and energetic young farmer of Scott County, was born in West Tennessee, January 24, 1852.  He is a son of Thomas and Emily (Davis) Babb, both of whom were natives of Tennessee.  The family immigrated to Kentucky at an early day, and located at Hickman, where the father died.  The mother still lives in Kentucky.  They were the parents of nine children, six of whom, James L., William S., Martha, Henry, Charles and Mary, are living.  William S. was reared to farm life, and received a liberal education in his own district.  He remained with his parents in Kentucky, until 1881, when he came to Missouri.  After remaining in Mississippi County one year, he went back to Kentucky.  In 1884 he made a permanent settlement in Scott County, Mo.  He then purchased the farm he now owns and occupies.  He has chosen farming as a life vocation, and bids fair to become one of the first farmers in the county.  In 1885 he was united in marriage with Ida Holmes, by whom he has one child, Clarence.  Mr. Babb is a member of the I. O. O. F.
Source:  Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, p 916.


WILLIAM BALLENTINE, a prominent citizen of Scott County, Mo., was born in Scotland in 1826.  He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Stoddard) Ballentine, both of whom lived and died in Scotland.  His mother dying when he was a child.  William was reared by his grandfather until he was ten years of age, after which he lived on sheep-farms with Mrs. Carson and others, until he was fifteen years of age.  He then served as an apprentice in a blacksmith shop for five years, after which he worked at his trade until he had saved money enough to pay his way to America.  In 1847 he set sail for New York, and upon his arrival went to Middleton, Conn., where he remained two years working at his trade.  It was about this time that the news of the excitement over the discovery of gold in California reached him, and he accordingly started west.  Reaching Winnebago County, Ill., he worked at his trade until the next March (1850), when he with ten other men started across the plains with teams for the gold fields.  They lost their wagon-load of supplies in Weber River, near Salt Lake, but were provided by other emigrants with crackers to eat until they reached Salt Lake City.  Arriving in California, in August, Mr. Ballentine worked at his trade and in the mines until the fall of 1851, when he came to Commerce, Mo., via New Orleans.  Locating in Commerce he worked at his trade five years.  In 1853, on the 4th day of April, he was married to Nancy Pierre, a native of Humphreys County, Tenn., and resided in Commerce until the beginning of the Civil War, when he removed his family to Santa Fe, Ill.  He returned to Missouri, and in 1862, under Gov. Gamble, was appointed clerk of Scott County Court, and served until January 1, 1867.  In the same year, under Gov. Fletcher, he was appointed judge of the common pleas court.  Soon after this court was abolished.  Meantime Mr. Ballentine had read law and was admitted to the bar.  In 1866 he entered the land on which he now resides.  Since entering the land he has cleared and improved over 500 acres, nearly all awamp lands.  Mrs. Ballentine died in 1884, leaving one child, Charles.  She left four childen, now dead, viz:  Elizabeth, William, Nancy and Lucy.  Lucy lived to be grown and was postmistress in Commerce for several years.  He married the second time, choosing for his wife, Mrs. Emily (Brooks) Sewell.  Mrs. Ballentine had three sons and five daugthers by her first marriage, viz:  Alice, Jane and Florence at the home of our subject; Josephine and Dora, married, and Frank, living near Commerce.  Of the other two boys, one is dead.
Source:  Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, c1888, p 916-917


WILLIAM R. BATTS, an enterprising farmer and stock grower of Scott County, Mo., was born in Cheatham County, Tenn., August 13, 1851.  The parents, Benjamin F. and Sarah Ann (Gupton) Batts, were born in Tennessee, the former on January 5, 1828, and the latter on February 1, 1832.  They were reared and married in their native State, after which they engaged in farming.  In 1866 they came to Southeast Missouri, but after four and one half years returned to Tennessee.  However, they came back to Southeast Missouri in 1876, and located on land which they purchased near the farm of William R. Batts, on which they have since resided.  To them were born thirteen children.  Those living are:  William R., Sarah (Mrs. H. H. Daugherty), Martha (Mrs. D. A. Potter), Nicholas C., John T., and Caledonia.  Those dead are Mary F. (wife of I. E. Wilson), Robert (aged seven years) and Juda (aged ten years).  William R. remained with his parents until he reached his majority, when he engaged in farming for himself, first in Stoddard County, and then in Tennessee, but in 1871 he came back to Missouri, and after working eighteen months in Dunklin County, returned to Tennessee.  In 1875 he returned to Scott County and located on his present farm in Morley Township.  He was elected justice of the peace of the township on November 15, 1886, and is clerk of his school district.  He has been married twice; first February 7, 1878 to Julia A. Finley, who was born January 2, 1842, and died December 20, 1883.  To them were born two children:  Benjamin R. (born March 24, 1879) and John A. (born March 24, 1882).  He next married Emma E. Jones, on January 15, 1885.  She was a native of Kentucky, born March 5, 1869, and is a daughter of George W. L. and Sophronia I. (Potter) Jones.  Her father died in July 1879 after which her mother and family came to Southeast Missouri in 1880, and located on a farm in Scott County.  She is the mother of nine children:  Lewis A., Marion A., Alice D., Ada A., Emma E., Ella M., Henry A. (deceased), Robert J. (deceased) and Charles H. (deceased).  By this union Mr. Batts has two children:  Industry (born October 15, 1885) and Marion (born April 2, 1887, died when three days old).  Mrs. Batts is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.  He belongs to the I. O. O. F.

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