Shawnee County KS Archives Biographies.....Penwell, Leroy McLellan 1862 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 29, 2006, 3:09 am

Author: James L. King (1905)

LEROY McLELLAN PENWELL.

    LEROY McLELLAN PENWELL, president of the National Funeral Directors'
Association, treasurer of the Commercial Club of Topeka, a prominent Democratic
politician and one of the best known fraternity men in this section of the
country, was born November 25, 1862, at Buchanan, Michigan, and is a son of Eli
W. and Mary L. (Rouse) Penwell.

    On the paternal side Mr. Penwell comes of Welsh ancestry and on the maternal
the line runs to Ireland. The paternal great-grandparents were David and Jerusha
(Hyde) Penwell, and John Nelson Penwell was our subject's grandfather. In early
days in Michigan, Mr. Penwell's father was a prosperous lumberman but the panic
of 1872 caused him great loss as it did hundreds of other honest men. During the
last years of his life he followed the carpenter's and cabinet-maker's trades.
He died in 1886 and his widow survived only until September, 1892. They had six
children, four sons and two daughters, the latter of whom died in infancy. The
sons still survive but our subject is the only one who resides in Kansas.

    Mr. Penwell's education in the public schools closed at the age of 13 years
and since then he has made his own way in the world, reaching positions of
honor, responsibility and financial ease entirely through his own abilities. He
began working as a farm hand at $7 a month and kept it up for three years,
during this period getting up regularly at four o'clock in the morning and
working until dark. Possibly the discipline was good for him but it did not
result in his becoming a permanent agriculturist. Later he adopted his father's
trade and has often found it a valuable aid in his business ventures.

    In 1875 he came to Topeka at the time the Santa Fe shops were located here.
Although Mr. Penwell is still a comparatively young man, he expresses it that he
feels like a pioneer when he recalls the wonderful changes which have taken
place in the development of the city in his life here. On May 1, 1894, he became
the junior partner of E. O. De Moss and they jointly opened an undertaking
establishment at No. 511 Quincy street, at first on a small scale. The firm now
utilizes eight rooms and are preparing larger accommodations. The present
equipments are all modern and sanitary and in every detail of the business
public convenience and private respect is shown. Mr. Penwell is a practical
embalmer, having received his diploma on April 13, 1900.

    Mr. Penwell has become very prominent in political and also in fraternal
circles. He is chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee and treasurer
of the Democratic State Central Committee and during the last campaign he was a
member of the executive committee. He is a member of almost every reputable
fraternal organization and is an official in many. He is past grand of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has passed all the degrees in the order,
including the encampment and at present holds the office of czar of the
Muscovites, which society has practically the same relation to Odd Fellowship as
the Mystic Shrine has to Masonry. He is past chancellor of the Knights of
Pythias, past commander of the Select Knights, past master of the Ancient Order
of United Workmen, past consul of the Modern Woodmen of America, a Royal Arch
Mason, a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, of the Fraternal Order of
Eagles, of the Knights and Ladies of Security and on March 22, 1905, he was
elected exalted ruler of Topeka Lodge, No. 204, Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks. He is one of the degree team taken from the four Odd Fellow lodges of
Topeka that won the first prize of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the World. He
has also served as lieutenant colonel on General Mitchell's staff in the Modern
Woodmen of America.

    Mr. Penwell is secretary of the Kansas Funeral Directors' Association,
organized at Emporia, Kansas, in 1897, and is one of the board of five examiners
that put through the law to license embalming, which placed this matter in the
hands of the State Board of Health. He served as 1st vice-president of the
National Funeral Directors' Association one year and was elected president at
the annual meeting held October 13, 1904, at St. Louis, Missouri.

    At Mount Hope, Kansas, August 18, 1888, Mr. Penwell was married to Ella
Maston, and the have one bright, attractive daughter, Portia W. It may not be
out of place to remark that she is the light of the beautiful home, which is
situated at No. 520 Monroe street. The family belong to the First Christian
Church of Topeka.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.

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