Biographical Sketch of Mary C. (Divers) Greenlee, Johnson County, MO, Warrensburg Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Mary C. (Divers) Greenlee, widow of John White Greenlee, of Warrensburg is one of the honored pioneer women of Johnson county. She was born in 1844 in Post Oak township, Johnson county, the daughter of one of the most distinguished pioneer families in Missouri. Her father, Frank Divers, was born in 1811 in Franklin county, Virginia, 30 miles from the famous Natural Bridge of Virginia. He was the son of Christopher C. Divers, who came with his family from Virginia to Missouri and loca- ted in Post Oak township about 1832, where he entered land from the government in Johnson county. His death occurred on the farm in Post Oak township and his remains were interred in the family cemetery in Post Oak township. Frank Divers, the father of Mrs. Greenlee, entered about 1,000 acres of land from the government; located 8 miles south- east of Warrensburg. He was one of the first settlers in that vicinity. Mr. Samuel Kimzey, the nearest neighbor, lived six miles away. Mr. Divers conducted a general store near High Point church for many years, in the early thirties. In 1840, Frank Divers and Amelia A. Bouldin were united in marriage in Pettis county, Mo. Amelia A. (Bouldin) Divers was the daughter of Leonard Bouldin, who was a cousin of Henry Clay, the famous Kentucky orator and renowned "peace-maker." The name Bouldin was originally spelled Boling or Bowling but an ancestor, through error or otherwise, always signed his name Bouldin, and thus through the years the name has continued to be. To Frank and Amelia A. Divers were born the following children: Mary C., the subject of this review; Lucy M., who died in infancy; Nannie, who was first the wife of Theodore Jones, who died, and she later became the wife of Felix Bibb, in 1915 her death occurred in Warrensburg and she left five children: Bernice, the wife of Mr. Appel, Great Falls, Montana; David, banker, Lewistown, Montana; Frankie, married James Calicote, Hobson, Montana; and Leonard Greenlee and Robert Hunton, twins, ranchers near Hobson, Montana, all graduates of the State Normal School, Warrensburg, except the twins who attended school there; William Baxter, died in childhood; Leonard B., who is a prominent ranchman of Hobson, Montana, married Cora Lee; Frank, Jr., a well known ranchman of Roswell, New Mexico, married Kate Greenlee, of Fayetteville, and he is a trustee of Baptist Theological School at Waco, Texas, and a liberal contributor to the church and is also one of the directors of the First National Bank at Roswell, New Mexico; Virginia, who was the wife of William Dean and is now deceased, leaving two children, Leonard and Frank, of Kentucky; Vivia H., the wife of Reverend Earl D. Sims, a Baptist minister, state evangelist for Nebraska, who with his family is located at Liberty, Missouri, but for five years he and his wife were missionaries in China and they have one son, Rochester Ford, a student at William Jewel Coll- ege, Liberty, Mo.; and Lelia H., the wife of Thomas Fisk, of Butler, Mo., and they have one daughter, Helen Marie, married Raymond Percival, Cole Camp, Missouri. Both parents are now deceased. Mr. Divers died in 1874 and his remains were laid to rest in the family cemetery and the mother passed away three years later. On November 24, 1870, Mary C. Divers and John White Greenlee were united in marriage at the Divers home in Post Oak township, the marriage ceremony being performed by Reverend J. H. Houx. John White Greenlee was born in 1845 in Lincoln county, Kentucky. He enlisted in the Civil War, April 15, 1861 in the Confederate service and served throughout the war. Mr. Greenlee was captain of Company F, Gordon's regiment, Marmaduke's brigade, Shelby's division. His company served mostly in Missouri, Arkansas and in the western states. Twice he was severly wounded in battle. His brother, William P. Greenlee, was with Gen. Price during the war and was one of the general's escort. After the struggle ended he was one of the first regents of the Warrensburg State Normal School. He also represented Johnson county in the state Legislature in the early seventies. The Greenlee family have long been prominent in the public affairs of both county and state. To John White and Mary C. (Divers) Greenlee were born three children all of whom are graduates of the Warrensburg State Normal School: Elmo M., who was born March 17, 1873 and died May 28, 1912, in Mexico as the result of a railroad accident, where he is bur- ied in the Masonic cemetery at La Colorado, and he was extensively en- gaged in mining and a successful business man; Frank D., who was born February 187, 1875, a successful farmer and stock raiser in Post Oak township, on a part of the old homestead, married Bettie Berry and they have two children, John B., who was born January 5, 1907 and Mildred Elizabeth, who was born November 3, 1909, and their mother is one of the successful teachers of Johnson county; and Mary Amelia, who was born February 5, 1879, married Lin Bartholomew, and they reside in El Paso, Texas, where Mr. Bartholomew is successfully engaged in the mer- cantile business. Mary Amelia (Greenlee) Bartholomew is principal of one of the city schools of El Paso, Texas, well known as a very successful teacher of large experience in New Mexico and Texas. She is a graduate of the State Normal School of Warrensburg and took post graduate work here, and now has a life certificate in Texas and New Mexico. In 1888 Mr. and Mrs. John Greenlee moved from the farm in Post Oak township to Warrensburg. For eight years prior to coming to Warrensburg, they had resided on the home place of Mrs. Greenlee's father. Mr. Greenlee entered the lumber business in Warrensburg with T. J. Caldwell under the firm name of Caldwell & Greenlee. Both men were reared in the same vicinity and were life long friends. For many years Mr. Greenlee was connected with the mercantile business of John- son county and he was highly regarded by his business associates as an honorable, industrious, capable business man. His death January 25, 1901 removed one of Johnson county's most valued citizens and left a vacancy which has never been filled. Mr. Greenlee was a member of the Baptist church, as is also Mrs. Greenlee. Mrs. Greenlee has been a resident of Johnson county for nearly three quarters of a century and possessing a bright, keen mind and remarkable memory, recalls vividly the life of other days and the men and women, who moved amidst the scenes of pioneer life. Among those whom she recalls, who lived in Post Oak township were: Adam Fickas, Talton Embree, Harvy Dyer, Dr. William Huff, Judge Warnick, Uncle Nicholas Townsley, and Daniel Marr, and those of Jefferson township: Jeferson Davis, Daniel Cooper, Samuel Kimzey, who was the father of Judge Lee Kimzey, George Peak, Dr. Warren, Charlie Snelling, Addison Draper, Reverend William Caldwell, who was a Baptist minister, Frank Goodwin, and Jesse Enlow, who owned the first carding machine in High Point neighborhood. Mrs. Greenlee is active in church work, having been a member of the Baptist church since her marr- iage. She is a member of the Eastern Star, Roswell, New Mexico, and United Daughters of the Confederacy. She was one of the charter mem- bers of the Francis Cockrell Chapter and she and her daughter organized the Joe Wheeler Chapter, at Roswell, New Mexico and are both charter members and have been elected to all the offices. She has had an active club and social career. Mrs. Greenlee comes from Revolutionary stock. Her father's oldest brother, John, served in the Revolutionary War. She just remembers seeing him when she was a small child. She sat on his lap and she recalls of him telling her about the war. ==================================================================== 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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