BOLINGER BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== BOLINGER, Perce - b: 1872 Clinton, Henry Co, MO source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 332 residence: Clinton, Clinton Twp Perce Bolinger, senior member of the B. & S. Plumbing Company of Clinton, Missouri, is a native son of Henry County. He was born in Clinton, in the house where he now lives, at 301 North Washington street, June 3, 1872, and is a son of W. W. and Eulalia (Lowden) Bolinger, natives of Pennsylvania, the former born near Beech Creek, Clinton County, and the latter was born at Jersey Shore, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. W. W. Bolinger, the father of Perce Bolinger, was a jeweler by trade, and when the Civil War broke out he enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment, and served in the Union Army until the close of the war. In 1867 he came to Missouri, his destination being Osceola. He came as far as Sedalia by rail, and at that time there was no railroad from that point to the Southwest, but transportation facilities from Sedalia to Osceola, consisted of a stage coach which carried the mail, making the round trip from Sedalia to Osceola twice a week. Mr. Bolinger reached Sedalia just as the stage had left on one of its weekly trips, and rather than wait until the following week, he proceeded to make the journey on foot. However, after reaching Clinton, he was so favorably impressed with the town that he decided to engage in business there and for thirty-five years he was actively engaged in the jewelry business. He spent his latter life in retirement, and died October 25, 1912. His wife preceded him in death a little over two years, having departed this life in January, 1910. They were the parents of three children, T. S., who died at Moberly, Missouri, in 1902, Perce, the subject of this sketch, and Blossom, now the wife of R. C. Woods, Sedalia, Missouri. Perce Bolinger was reared and educated in Clinton, attending the public schools and Lamkin's Academy. After leaving school, he learned the printer's trade, which he followed about sixteen years, after which he served as chief of the Clinton Fire Department for six years. He then engaged in the bottling business in Clinton in partnership with R. C. Woods, which they conducted for nine years, when Mr. Bolinger disposed of his interest in that enterprise and engaged in the plumbing business. Mr. Bolinger was united in marriage July 2, 1893, with Miss Etta Onwiler, and one child has been born to this union. John W., a member of 128th Machine Gun Company, 35th Division, National Army. He volunteered in the service early in the summer of 1917. Mr. Bolinger's first wife died in 1894. On June 20, 1896, he was married to Miss Alice Simmons of Clinton, Missouri, a native of Illinois. Mr. Bolinger is one of the progressive and enterprising business men of Clinton, and takes a just pride in his native city and county. He has been a lifelong Republican and has been active in politics since he was eighteen years old. He has served as city and county committeeman, and has been chairman of the Republican County Central Committee. Although he has taken a deep interest in politics and been identified with the local Republican organization, he has never been a candidate for office but once and was then elected councilman of the Second Ward of Clinton, and is now serving in that capacity with the same progressive spirit which characterizes his private business methods. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of the Maccabees, and the Woodmen of the World. He is one of the widely-known and substantial citizens of Henry County. ==================================================================== BOLINGER, William W. - b: 1834 Clinton Co, PA source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 500 residence: Clinton William W. Bolinger, jeweler, and a member of the grocery house of Bolinger & Barlow, was born in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, October 30th, 1834. He was reared in the occupation of farming, being educated in the schools of his native county. When 19 years of age he began the jewelry trade at Jersey Shore, and remained there for three years, then, in 1856, going to Kendall County, Illinois, where he stopped six mouths, and thence to Jackson, Michigan. After seven months time spent in that city he returned home and resided at his birthplace one year. Going again to Kendall County, Illinois, he stayed nine months, and after a short residence in Jersey County, went to Leavenworth, Kansas. Two months after he returned to Jerseyville, Illinois, and in one month went back home, where he stopped till the spring of 1865. Coming westward he stopped in Princeton, Illinois, for five months, and from there to Jerseyville, where he made his home till February, 1868. Then he came to Clinton, Missouri, and began the jewelry business, at which he has since been engaged. In September, 1880, he commenced in the grocery business with the present manager of the firm, Mr. Barlow. Mr. Bolinger was married August 15th, 1859, to Miss Lallie Loudou, a native of Pennsylvania. They have three children, Thaddeus S., William P. and an infant. Mr. B. is a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity and of the encampment of that order. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the A. O. U. W. orders. He has been a member of the city council for four years. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by the Henry County MOGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~mohenry/henryco.html Contact the Henry County Coordinator for comments or corrections. ====================================================================