Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Runkle, H. 1860 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 22, 2007, 12:00 am

Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

H. RUNKLE.
    H. Runkle, one of the well-known and successful farmers of Waterville
township, Marshall county, was born in the state of Indiana on July 6, 1860, and
is the son of Emanuel and Margaret (Sawyer) Runkle, both of whom were natives of
Ohio and of Pennsylvania-German descent.

    Emanuel Runkle was born in 1828 and died on November 2, 1897; Margaret
Runkle was born in 1827 and died on December 12, 1898. They spent their early
lives in their native state and later located in Indiana, where they lived for a
number of years. In 1865 they came to Kansas, and later established their home
on a farm west of Waterville, Marshall county. They purchased a farm, which they
developed and improved and there made their home until they retired from the
activities of farm life, and moved to Waterville where they died. Mr. and Mrs.
Runkle were the parents of the following children: Philip, of Kansas City; Mrs.
D. O. Parker, now deceased; H. Runkle, the subject of this sketch; Alonso, on
the old home place, and Samuel, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Runkle were
among the highly respected people of the district in which they lived and were
held in the highest regard and esteem.

    H. Runkle received his education in the log school house of the early times,
on the plains of Kansas. He seldom had the opportunity to attend school for more
than two months in the year. As a lad he went on many a hunting trip with his
brother, Philip, and brought home the slaughtered buffalo and deer. At times his
mother would hang out a red cloth to attract the attention of the deer, when his
brother, Philip, would shoot the animal. The father would go after buffalo in
the fall, and many a wagon-load he would bring home with him. There were many
Indians in the country at that time and there was a large camp on the home farm.
The family made friends with the red men and the father was one of their best
friends.

    H. Runkle lived on the home farm and there grew to manhood. At the age of
twenty-three years, he engaged in farming for himself. He purchased a farm on
which he lived for a number of years. In 1909 he traded his farm for the
telephone exchange, which he operated for two years and sold the business. He
then purchased his present farm in Waterville township, where he has made many
valuable and substantial improvements. His house is one of the best modern
structures in the district and his barn is a modern and convenient structure. He
has a splendid farm of one hundred and sixty acres of high-class land, all of
which is nicely improved and under a high state of cultivation.

    On June 13, 1883, Mr. Runkle was united in marriage to Emma Shirck, who was
born in Monrovia, Atchison county, Kansas, on April 22, 1864, and is the
daughter of Samuel and Mary (Young) Shirck, both of whom were natives of the
state of Pennsylvania. Samuel Shirck was born in 1839 and died in 1910; Mrs.
Shirck was born in 1842 and died in 1907. At the age of fourteen years, Mrs.
Shirck came to Kansas with the Hippie family, who were pioneers of this section.
Mr. Shirck came to the state in 1856, and here he was married and established
his home, and for a number of years taught school in Atchison county, before
locating in Marshall county. He later engaged in general farming and became one
of the successful men of the county. He later retired to Waterville, where he
died. His home farm, in Washington county, was one mile west of the county line
from Marshall county, and was known as one of the best developed and improved in
the district. To Mr. and Mrs. Shirck were born the following children: Emma
Runkle, Anna Allingham, a resident of New Mexico; May Ritzel, who resides on the
home farm in Washington county and Harvey, a*mail carrier on a rural free
delivery route.

    To Mr. and Mrs. Runkle have been born the following children: Grace, Jessie,
Elsie, Mabel and Clarence. Grace Hubbard is living at home with her parents;
Jessie is the wife of Ellis Alley, and is a resident of Cottage Hill township;
Elsie Runkle lives at Waterville and is a telephone operator; Mabel Reboul lives
at Green, Kansas, and Clarence is at home.

    Mr. Runkle has always been a hard-working man and has met with much success
in his work as a general farmer and stockman. His life has been a most active
one and by hard work and close economy he has risen to a substantial and
influential position in the county. He is independent in politics, and while he
has never been an office seeker, he has always taken an active interest in the
affairs of the township and county, and his advice is often asked in matters
pertaining to the important affairs of the district. He is a man of progressive
ideas and is recognized as one of the successful men  of  the  community.

    Fraternally, Mr. Runkle is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and
Mrs. Runkle is a member of the Royal Neighbors and also one of the active
members of the Lutheran church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Runkle are among the
representative people of the community in which they live and where they are
prominent in the social life of the township, and where they are held in the
highest regard and esteem.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions
by
Emma E. Forter

Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917)



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