Biographical Sketch of Benjamin F. Fraker, Dallas County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas,
 Pulaski, Phelps & Dent Counties, Missouri, Published 1889, Goodspeed
 Publishing Company.

Transcribed by: Penny Harrell (Incog3678@aol.com)

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Benjamin S. Fraker was born in Knox County, Tenn., May 14, 1818.
His paternal grandparents, Michael Fraker, and wife, came to this
country from Germany in 1700, first settling in Virginia and then
in Tennessee, where they died in 1700.  They reared a large family
of children, who became successful farmers.  One of the sons, 
Michael Fraker, Jr., moved to Kentucky in an early day, and was
instrumental in the building of a town called Frakertown.  The
maternal grandparents of Benjamin, Christian Sandes and wife, Mary,
also settled in Tennessee in 1700.  The former was a blacksmith by
trade, a calling in which he made a good living.  Christian Fraker,
father of the subject of this sketch, was born August 19, 1782, and
died in 1828, in full fellowship with the Methodist Church, of which
he had lived a devoted member.  He was a successful farmer, and had
accumulated considerable property.  His wife, Mary Sandes, daughter
of Benjamin Sandes, was born November 29, 1785, and died in 1854.
After her husbands death she came with five children to Missouri,
in the fall of 1842.  The following constituted the family: Margaret,
born September 20, 1804 and died in 1833; Michael, born March 22, 
1806 (also deceased); George W., born December 9, 1807 and died in
1886; Mary, born February 23, 1810 and died in 1829; Robert, born
January 7, 1812 and died in 1832; Sarah, born March 23, 1814 and died 
in 1880; Elizabeth, born May 8, 1816; Benjamin S., our subject; 
Catherine, born April 17, 1820, died the same year; Susan, born April
22, 1822 and died in 1849; Marth J., born February 4, 1826.  Benjamin
and Nancy are the only ones now living, the latter keeping house for
her brother.  She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
south, for many years.  Benjamin S. Fraker was the youngest son, and
with his sister Nancy resided with and cared for his mother until her
death.  In 1842 he came to Missouri, to him a land unattractive by
reason of the presence of a multitude of snakes and wild animals, 
though good hunting (of which he was fond) abounded.  In 1843 he took 
up his abode in Dallas County, which has since been his home.  During
the war he lost heavily, but has since managed to retrieve his fallen
fortunes, and is now in good circumstances, and is considered one of
the enterprising and prosperous citizens of the county.  His farm 
consists of 240 acres of excellent land, and is well adapted to stock
raising, an enterprise in which Mr. Fraker has taken considerable
interest.  He has always been a stanch Democrat, and for the past
thirty years has been a steward in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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