SAUNDERS BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri
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SAUNDERS, Elijah W. - b: 1836 KY
source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - 
page: 487
residence: Deepwater, Henry Co, MO

Elijah W. Saunders. Living in comfortable retirement and ease at his pleasant 
home in Deepwater is Elijah W. Saunders, one of the oldest of the Henry County 
pioneers, who came to this county fifty-one years ago. Mr. Saunders was born in 
Kentucky September 15, 1836, the son of Easton C. and Demaris (Fradry) 
Saunders, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. Elijah W. 
Saunders was reared to young manhood in Kentucky and was there married to 
Lucinda Cook, who died in 1865, leaving four children, two of whom are living: 
Robert, a farmer and road overseer of Fairview township, has a son, Harry, in the 
National Army; John, a farmer in Fairview township, has a son, Rolla, in the 
National Army. After his marriage, Mr. Saunders removed to Sangamon County, 
Illinois, and settled on a farm near Taylorville, where he resided until November 
11, 1867, at which time he came to Henry County and settled in Fairview 
township. During the first year he lived with Mr. Withrow, east of Deepwater, and 
then returned to Illinois for his children. He resided on the Withrow place until 
his second marriage and then settled on the Martin place, which he rented for a 
period of three years. He then bought a modest farm of forty acres, south of the 
town of Deepwater. He traded this tract for a farm of 160 acres on the county 
line, between Henry and St. Clair Counties, and improved a splendid farm near 
Pleasant Valley Church. He continued to accumulate farm land until he became 
owner of 500 acres of rich land. Mr. Saunders has given 153 acres outright to his 
sons and has given each child a good start in life rather than to have them wait 
until after his death. January 3, 1869, Mr. Saunders was married to Miss Mary 
Hurt, who was born October 10, 1847, on a farm four miles south of Clinton. This 
marriage was performed by the Rev. Frank Laller, one of the well known 
ministers of that day. Mrs. Mary Saunders was born in her father's barn, as they 
had no house built at the time of her birth. She is the daughter of Andrew and 
Bertha (Mitchell) Hurt, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively. They were 
married in Indiana and first located in Boone County, Missouri, residing in that 
county until 1838, when the family came to Henry County and built the first 
cabin on the present site of the city of Clinton. Mr. Hurt entered Government land 
four miles southeast of Clinton. Mr. and Mrs. Hurt were parents of nine children, 
four of whom died in infancy: Margaret Allen, Eldorado Springs, Missouri; Mrs. 
Mary Saunders, of this review; Andrew, Deepwater, Missouri; Mrs. Berthina 
Langdon, living in Ohio. The children born of the marriage of Elijah W. and Mary 
Saunders are as follows: Lizzie, who is caring for her aged parents; Mrs. Diena 
Saunders, St. Clair County, Missouri; Charles, deceased; George, who is farming 
the home place, and took his father's place as school director of the home 
district, a position which Mr. Saunders filled for thirteen years and resigned upon 
removing to Deepwater in October of 1901. Mr. Saunders is a Democrat and a 
member of the Baptist Church. He served for years as deacon of the Pleasant 
Valley Baptist Church and was one of the builders and a charter member of this 
church.

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