Biographical Sketch of Richard A. Elkins, Jefferson County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

**********************************************************************

Richard A. Elkins, judge of the probate court of Jefferson County, is a
native of Franklin County, Ill., and was born in 1844.  His parents are
William B. and Malinda (Godby) Elkins, the former of whom was born near
Chattanooga, Tenn., about 1820, and was taken by his parents to Frank-
lin County, Ill., where they were early settlers.  William B. was 
married in Franklin County, about 1842, and remained in that county, 
engaged in farming, until 1855, when he went to Mount Vernon, Mo., and
from there, in 1856, to Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.  He moved to
Jefferson County in 1864, and located at De Soto, where he has since
lived.  His father, Rev. Ananias Elkins, a native of North Carolina, 
was born in 1790, and was for many years a Methodist minister.  He died
at Mount Vernon, Mo., in August, 1887.  Mrs. Malinda Elkins is a native
of Virginia, and is still living, at the age of sixty-three years.  She
is the only daughter of Rev. William Godby, also a Methodist minister,
who died in Virginia, about 1829.  Richard A. Elkins received his 
education principally in the public schools at Farmington, Mo., and 
began teaching school at the age of seventeen years.  At the breaking
out of the Civil War he went to Illinois, where he was engaged in 
teaching until 1868, when he came back to the State of his adoption, 
and was engaged in the public school at De Soto, where he remained un-
til 1871, when he was chosen principal of the Kimmswick school, which
position he held for nearly six years.  In September, 1876, he was 
chosen principal of the North De Soto public school, where he remained
until 1880, when he was elected to serve two years as judge of the pro-
bate court, and elected to the same position for a term of four years
in 1882, and again elected in 1886.  He has proven himself a worthy and
efficient public officer and has served with distinction.  As an educa-
tor he ranked as one of the foremost in the State, his experience in
that direction covering a period of twenty years.  He was married in
Rome, Ill., in October, 1866, to Miss Emma, daughter of Rev. Henry 
Walls, a native of Kentucky, and of Welsh descent.  Mr. and Mrs. Elkins
are the parents of two children: William H. and Mabel.  In political 
preference Mr. Elkins is a Democrat.  He is a member of the I. O. O. F.,
and was a charter member of Industry Lodge, No. 251, at De Soto.

====================================================================
     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: Joe Miller <mio@netins.net>
		      Penny Harrell <Incog3678@aol.com>

====================================================================