RAGLAND BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== RAGLAND, Frank - b: 1871 Clinton, Henry Co, MO source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 492 residence: Bear Creek Twp Frank Ragland, owner of a splendid farm of 300 acres in Bear Creek township, is a native of Henry County. Mr. Ragland purchased his farm in 1912 and it is a fertile and well watered tract, crossed by Panther Creek and situated in the southeastern part of Bear Creek township. Mr. Ragland was born in Clinton, Missouri, December 19, 1871, the son of Robert H. and Laura E. (Gillespie) Ragland. Robert H. Ragland, his father, was born in 1839 and died in March, 1906. He was born in Monroe County Missouri, the son of Nathaniel Ragland, a native of Kentucky, who was one of the Missouri pioneers. Nathaniel Ragland came to Henry County in the early forties and entered Government land, two and a half miles north of Clinton. He improved this tract and became prominent in the affairs of Henry County. Robert H. Ragland became owner of a farm north of Clinton which he sold when he located in Clinton. He served as constable of Clinton township and was deputy sheriff of Henry County for eight years. He later bought a farm in Bates County upon which he resided for a few years, and at the time of his death, made his home with his son Fred in Clinton. To Robert H. and Laura E. Ragland were born seven children: Ernest A., Harrison, Arkansas; Fred W., killed by a train in Clinton, in October, 1905; Frank, subject of this sketch; Robert, deceased; Mrs. Annie Wyatt, Shawnee township, Henry County; Roland and Auda, deceased. Mrs. Laura E. (Gillespie) Ragland was born February 11, 1838, and departed this life July 31, 1894. She was twice married, her first husband being Tolliver H. Whittaker, and to this marriage three children were born; George A., deceased; Mrs. Mary Elbertha Hoover, Grinnell, Kansas; Tolliver H., deceased. Frank Ragland was educated in the district schools and he accompanied his parents to Bates County in 1881. After two years' residence in Bates County, he returned to Henry County and made his home with his uncle, George Blakemore, and operated the Blakemore farm for twelve years. Later he spent two years in Duluth, Minnesota, and returned to Henry County in 1901. For the ensuing six years he resided on a farm north of Clinton. For the next four years he rented a place in Bear Creek township, and then purchased his present farm. Mr. Ragland is engaged in general farming and stock raising. January 10, 1893, Frank Ragland and Miss Ella Middlecoff were united in marriage. This marriage has been blessed with nine children, all of whom are at home with their parents: Walter F., born January 14, 1896, recently enlisted in the United States Navy; Robert N., born October 12, 1897; Jehu Baker, born October 25, 1899; Howard L., born March 5, 1902; Clara Belle, born June 27, 1903; John W., born March 14, 1906; Ernest Henry, born December 20, 1909; Calvin Land, born June 1, 1911; Mary Elizabeth, born March 19, 1914. Mrs. Ella (Middlecoff) Ragland was born on a farm five miles east of Clinton in Deer Creek township July 8, 1872, the daughter of J. W. and Elizabeth (Land) Middlecoff. J. W. Middlecoff was born December 10, 1822, and died January 19, 1910. Mrs. Elizabeth (Land) Middlecoff was born April 6, 1834, and departed this life on March 27, 1887. She was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of Aaron Land, a native of Tennessee. The first wife of J. W. Middlecoff was Amy W. Anderson, who bore him three children: James, John and Helen. James Middlecoff served in the Civil War and is deceased. John lives in Los Angeles, California. Helen died in infancy. The second marriage of J. W. Middlecoff was with Elizabeth Land, who bore him children as follow: Byron Cicero and Lucy Ann, deceased; Aaron Land, Milan, Tennessee; Clara, wife of J. C. Inlow, Clinton, Missouri; Lawrence, was an attorney in Los Angeles, California, and is now deceased; Maryline, wife of John Foster, Lewis Station, Henry County; Judge Jehu Baker, a successful attorney and probate judge of Duluth, Minnesota; Elmer, Seattle, Washington; Walter Whitfield, an attorney, Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Ella Ragland; Archie, Los Angeles, California. J. W. Middlecoff was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, and moved to Belleville with his parents when a child. He came to Henry County in 1866 and his first year in this county was spent on a farm north of Clinton. In 1867 he settled permanently on a farm five miles east of Clinton. He improved a large tract of land and built a home for himself and family, hauling the lumber from Warsaw, Missouri. He spent the rest of his days on this farm, reared his splendid family and became one of the most prominent citizens of Henry County. He was president of the Henry County Bank and was one of the wealthy and substantial citizens of this county. The Middlecoff family is an old American family, the history of which begins with Peter Mittelkauff, who sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, and arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1728. Mr. Ragland is a Democrat and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World, Lodge No. 250, La Due, Missouri. He and Mrs. Ragland and the children worship at Teays Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. ==================================================================== 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. ====================================================================