Biographical Sketch of William F. Burns, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg. >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** W. F. Burns, one of Johnson county's best and most valued citizens, was born in 1847 in County Wicklow, Ireland. He is the son of John and Sarah (O'Neal) Burns, who emigrated from Ireland to America in 1849 and located in Port Huron, Michigan, when their son, W. F., was a child two years of age. In 1860, the Burns family moved from Michigan to Miss- ouri and settled on a farm of four hundred acres of land, located near Montserrat. This land was purchased for fifteen dollars an acre within a year or two after coming to Missouri. Sarah (O'Neal) Burns was a native of Ireland, but she never heard of the Irish language until she came to America, for English was exclusively spoken in her district. To John and Sarah Burns were born the following children: James, Kansas City, Missouri; Elizabeth, who was the wife of Thomas Farrell and they lived on the farm adjoining the home place near Montserrat and she is now deceased; Margaret, who was the wife of Michael Farrell, whose death occurred near Montserrat in February, 1916; John, who is in the employ of the Metropolitan Railway Company, Kansas City, Missouri; W. F., the subject of this review; and Lawrence, who died in 1906 at St. Joseph, Missouri. John Burns first located on the Jehu Robinson place between Montserrat and Knob Noster, upon coming to Missouri. When Mr. and Mrs. Burns moved to their home, which they had built on the farm in Montserrat township, the neighbors gave them a surprise party to welcome them and the weatherman gave the neighbors a surprise. A blizzard arose that night and thirty-two of the party were obliged to remain at the Burns home until the next evening. Both mother and father died on the farm in Montserrat township, with only one day intervening between their deaths. They departed this life together in 1886, Mrs. Burns preceeding her husband in death only a few hours. They were interred in the same grave in the Warrensburg cemetery. William F. Burns, the subject of this review, received his education in the public schools of Port Huron, Michigan. He came with his parents to Missouri in 1860 and until six years ago resided on the farm in Mont- serrat township. In 1911, Mr. Burns moved from the farm to Warrensburg and entered the coal business in partnership with J. J. Culp. Two years ago he opened an office in the Christopher building in Warrensburg. Mr. Burns has an enviable reputation among the business men of Johnson county. He is honest and square in all his dealings, a man whose word is as good as gold. The firm has enjoyed a splendid patronage from the start and is now doing an extensive business. William F. Burns is a genial, warm-hearted Irishman, whose quiet, unobstrusive, good humor has made him friends by the score. May 20, 1879 William F. Burns was united in marriage with Mary Ann Rogers, daughter of E. B. and Sarah (Burges) Rogers. E. B. Rogers was born in 1828 in New York and when sixteen years of age left New York and went to Illinois. His death occurred when he was seventy-seven years of age and his widow, who was born in Kentucky, is now residing at Montserrat. Mrs. Rogers is eighty nine years of age and still enjoying good health. To William F. and Mary Ann (Rogers) Burns have been born nine children: Mrs. E. M. Foster Warrensburg, Missouri; John, who is owner and manager of a garage at Knob Noster, Missouri; Sarah E., who was engaged in teaching and died at the age twenty-nine years; Margaret, who is engaged in the millinery business in Warrensburg; William, Jr., Smithton, Missouri; Frances, who died at the age of three years; Anna, who is engaged in teaching at Odessa, Missouri; Mrs. Aubrey Tockett, Blanca, Colorado; and Vincent, who lives at home with his parents. E. B. Rogers, father of Mrs. William F. Burns, came with his father from New York to Illinois and while on the way the senior Mr. Rogers fell from the boat on which they were coming, and was drowned in the Mississippi river. E. B. and Sarah (Burges) Rogers were the parents of the following children: M. S., Lamonte, Missouri; Fletcher, who died from illness caused by disease contracted in the Spanish American War; James, Kansas City, Missouri; Dewitt, who resides in California; Oscar, who resides at Montserrat, Missouri; and Mrs. William F. Burns, the wife of the subject of this review. E. B. Rogers was a veteran of the Civil War. He enlisted in the Union army in 1861 in Peoria county, Illinois and served three years. He took part in the famous battle of Gettysburg, which lasted three days, from July 1 to July 4, 1863 and resulted in the loss of more than twenty-three thousand men on the Union side. Mr. Rogers was mustered out and honorably discharged in 1864. William F. Burns has been a resident of Johnson county for nearly sixty years and he has in that time seen many changes incidental to the growth and improvement of the county. He recalls many of the men and women who nobly spent their lives aiding in the upbuilding of both the county and state. Those who devoted their lives to the cause of Christianity in the Catholic church in the early days, whom Mr. Burns remembers, were: Father Caloner, Father Murry, Father McKin, Father Everheart, and Father Phelan. The Catholic church was established in Warrensburg, Missouri in 1866 by Father Caloner, of Sedalia, Missouri. The house of worship was erected soon after and was constructed of brick at a cost of three thousand dollars. Father McCardle, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume, is the present pastor. Mr. Burns bears the unique distinction of having been a classmate of Thomas A. Edison, America's greatest wizard, when they were boys in Port Huron, Michigan. ==================================================================== 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. 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