Biographical Sketch of Clinton J. Rucker, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Clinton J. Rucker, one of the directors of the American Trust Company of Warrensburg since its organization of the bank as the Johnson County Trust Company in 1898, a successful and prosperous farmer and stockman and operator of a threshing outfit, is one of the best and most skilled mechanicians in this section of Missouri. He was born in 1858 in Greene county, Ohio. Clinton J. Rucker is the oldest of ten children born to his parents, John and Mary J. (Smith) Rucker, natives of Rockingham county, Virginia, who were as follow: Clinton J., the subject of this review; Mrs. Mary Crow, Decatur, Ill.; Mrs. Sarah Barnhardt, the wife of John C. Barnhardt, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mrs. Jennie Smith, the wife of Dr. Alexander Smith, Union county, Ohio; William, Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Alice Hitt, the wife of Henry T. Hitt, now deceased; Dr. Frank, who was a prominent and very successful physician of Centerview, Missouri, and is now deceased; Mrs. Rosalie Bolton, the wife of Dr. Wesley Bolton, who is a graduate of the St. Joseph Medical College, St. Joseph, Missouri, and is now engaged in the practice of medicine in Warrensburg; Mrs. May McBride, the wife of J. C. McBride, the well known druggist of Warrensburg; and Mrs. Annie L. Leary, the wife of Harry Leary, Kansas City, Missouri. Of the three sons born to John and Mary J. Rucker, only two are now living. Dr. Lee Franklin Rucker, known as Dr. Frank Rucker, died several years ago. He was a graduate of the St. Louis Medical College and for many years was engaged in the practice of medicine at Centerview. Doctor Rucker was widely known in Johnson county and his loss has been keenly felt in the medical pro- fession. The only surviving brother of Clinton J. Rucker, William Rucker, of Portland, Oregon, is a master mechanic and engineer, super- vising the erection of steam machinery. John Rucker came with his family to Missouri in 1884 and settled on land known as the Gallaher addition to Warrensburg, where he engaged in farming. Mr. Rucker in- creased his holdings at different times, purchasing 80 acre of land in the southeastern part of Warrensburg, which was later included within the city limits of Warrensburg, which place Clinton J. Rucker used to farm; and 480 acres of land, known as the C. H. McFarland farm; and the Shelton place southeast of Warrensburg with 80 acres adjoining the place on the east. John Rucker was an industrious, capable, remarkably intelligent business man and richly deserved the success which attended all his efforts. His death occurred in Warrensburg in 1887. His widow survived him only six years, when she joined her husband in death, on September 23, 1893. At the age of 21 years, Clinton J. Rucker began life for himself and for three years was engaged in farming in Greene county, Ohio. With his accumulated savings, he purchased a small farm in Ohio, the place comprising 27 acres of good farm land, for which he paid $75 an acre. January 13, 1883 he came to Warrensburg and 6 months later his father came West. Until the marriage of Clinton J. Rucker, father and son were associated in farming on a place one and a half miles southeast of Warrensburg, and later, on a farm twelve miles south of Warrensburg. Prior to his marriage, Clinton J. Rucker purchased 250 acres of the old homestead. March 18, 1885 Clinton J. Rucker was uni- ted in marriage with Sadie E. Drummond, of Guernsey county, Ohio. Sadie (Drummond) Rucker is one of eight children born to her parents, Samuel and Sarah (Tingle) Drummond, the other children being as follow: Albert, who married Eliza Day and resides in Warrensburg; Theodore, who married Georgia Gilliland, now deceased, and he resides in Warrensburg; Mrs. Rowena Davies, the wife of Ezra Davies, a highly respected hardware merchant of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Mrs. Rhoda Fickas, the wife of Richard Fickas, of Santiago, California; Joseph H., who is a successful real estate man, residing in Arkansas Pass, Texas; William, Los Angeles, California; and Edward, a civil engineer, residing in Portland, Oregon. Samuel Drummond was a skilled cabinet maker, having learned the trade in early manhood, but he was engaged in farming after coming to Miss- ouri in 1867. He died in July, 1878 and in November, 1890, Mrs. Drum- mond joined him in death. To Clinton J. and Sadie E. Rucker have been born the following children, all of whom were born in Johnson county and now live at home with their parents: Pearl, who is a graduate of the Warrensburg High School; Grace and Mabel, graduates of the High School and the Warrensburg State Normal School. Grace is a graduate of the city High School and Normal and taught school for four years. Mabel is a graduate of the High School and Normal College and is now a super- visor in the State Normal School at Ada, Oklahoma. Drummond is a grad- uate of the city High School, class of 1917, and is now a junior in the Normal School. The Rucker farm, which is located two miles northeast of Warrensburg, adjoining the county farm on the east, comprises eighty acres of valuable land, which Mr. Rucker purchased in February, 1904. Mr. Rucker has greatly improved the place since his coming to it, remodeling the house, making it modern, and rebuilding the barn, which is now 60 x 72 feet in dimensions, with concrete floors and a splendid basement. Mr. Rucker's machine shop, in which he rebuilds machines, is located on the farm. The shop is equipped with engines, lathes, power drill presses, grinders, boilermaker's tools, plumber's tools, carpen- ter's tools, tinner's tools, and complete blacksmithing equipment. In connection with the shop, there is a large warehouse, 44 x 64 feet in dimensions, in which are stored machines. Mr. Rucker has, at the time of this writing, ten grain separators, six steam and one oil tractors for sale. In a stock room 16 x 24 feet in dimensions, are kept all the supplies necessary for his work. Mr. Rucker makes a specialty of re- building engines and threshers. In addition to general farming and stock raising, Clinton J. Rucker annually operates a thresher. He has been engaged in this work for 34 consecutive years. In connection with this work, he has improved many of the outfits that were difficult to operate. Mr. Rucker has 3 machines at work this season, 1917, and has sold two outfits this year. Last year he made seven sales. He buys old machines, paying cash for them, and then rebuilds and sells them. He can put any old machine in excellent condition. Mr. Rucker purchas- es some casting, but makes most that he uses. He can make any part of a machine and he always keeps in his shop a large stock of repairs. Mr. Rucker has seserved all the splendid success that has come to him. He has prospered remarkably well and at the time of this writing is the owner of extensive property interests, owning a fine 20 acres tract adjoining Warrensburg on the north, on which place is a handsome, mod- ern residence, one of the finest in the state of Missouri; residence property in Magnolia, Missouri; a cottage and flat of 24 rooms in Sedalia, Missouri; and residence property on Walnut street in Kansas City, Missouri. The Rucker property north of Warrensburg was formerly the Marcus Youngs place. It is a beautiful home, surrounded with large, native trees and with a park, including ten acres of land. An excellent spring is on this farm. Mr. Rucker's home, although in the country, has all the conveniences of a city residence, being supplied with city water and electric lights obtained from Warrensburg. Mr. Rucker is also the owner of an Oldsmobile, a $4800 carr, sixty horse-power engine and a six cylinder Mitchell machine. With the Oldsmobile, the Rucker home is but two hours ride from Kansas City, Missouri. ==================================================================== 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: <> Penny Harrell ====================================================================