Denver-Pueblo-Teller County CO Archives Biographies.....Gardner, John R. 1864 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 January 1, 2009, 6:08 am Author: Wilbur Fiske Stone (1918) JOHN R. GARDNER. John R. Gardner, secretary and manager of the Merchants Fire Insurance Company at Denver, was born in Polo, Illinois, on the 15th of September, 1864, a son of Charles W. Gardner and a grandson of James Burnett Gardner of New York city, who was a cabinet maker by trade and was a descendant of Lord Gardner of England. It was James Burnett Gardner who removed westward from New York and became a resident of Polo, Illinois. Charles W. Gardner followed the occupation of farming for many years until he was called to his final rest. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Catherine Reed, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and is still living, making her home with a daughter in Iowa. John R. Gardner, who is the eldest in their family of five children, acquired his early education in one of the old-time typical little red schoolhouses of Clay county, Nebraska, and when not busy with his textbooks he assisted his father in farm work and was thus engaged until he reached the age of twenty years. He then left home and went to Oakley, Kansas, where for five years he engaged in the livery business. He was afterward for two years active in the commission business in Pueblo, Colorado, and in 1890 he became a resident of Denver. After locating in this city he spent one year in the employ of the Hanson Produce Company and later became connected with the N. B. McCrary wholesale grocery house, where he spent three years. On leaving that employ he secured a position with the Brown Mercantile Company, with which he was connected for two years, and later he purchased the grocery and meat business of the firm of Ford & Sulzer at Victor, Colorado, in which business he continued for six years. In 1903 he was made president of the Retail Merchants Association of Colorado, which position indicated his high standing in trade circles. In 1904 he was elected secretary and manager of the Retail Merchants Association and had entire charge of its interests. He conceived the idea and was the main factor in organizing the Merchants Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which operated as a mutual company until 1907, when it became a stock company under the name of The Merchants Fire Insurance Company, with Mr. Gardner as secretary and manager. This is the only local stock fire insurance company now in existence in Colorado. He is also the president of the Citizens State Bank of Victor. Colorado. In February, 1888, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage to Miss Emma L. Epard, of Colby, Kansas, a daughter of Simon and Jane Epard, both of whom are still residents of Colby, Kansas, and are natives of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Gardner were born two sons. Guy N., now twenty-nine years of age, was born in Kansas, was a year old when brought to Denver and pursued his education in the schools of this city. After completing the high school course in East Denver he attended the Denver University and later was associated with his father in business until 1917, becoming assistant secretary of the company. He was also secretary of the Fuel Administration of Colorado but after the declaration of war he enlisted in the aviation department of the navy and graduated on July 6, 1918, from the aviation department of the United States Navy, of the Boston Institute of Technology, and at present is studying balloons at Akron, Ohio. Clyde H., aged twenty-seven years, was born in Pueblo, Colorado, and attended the Denver schools, completing his course in the East Denver high school, after which he, too, became associated with his father in business. For four years he was traveling special agent for the company but in May, 1917, enlisted in the quartermaster's department of the regular army and on the 29th of December of that year was sent to Jacksonville, Florida, and is now in the quartermaster's department of the United States Regular Army, stationed at Douglas, Arizona. Both the father and sons are members of the Masonic fraternity of Denver and Mr. Gardner has taken the degrees of the Scottish Rite and is a member of El Jebel Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He likewise belongs to the Rotary Club and to the Lakewood Country Club. In politics he is a republican of the independent type, for he does not feel himself bound by party ties. His business career has been marked by steady advancement and step by step he has reached the prominent position which he occupies as a representative of insurance interests, being now an official in a company which is controlling an extensive business, all of which is under the immediate management of Mr. Gardner. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF COLORADO ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 1I CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1918 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/teller/bios/gardner191nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cofiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb