Martin R. Heninger Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1283-1284 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	MARTIN R. HENINGER comes of staunch old Virginia stock and is 
himself a native of the state of Missouri, having been born on the 
homestead farm, in Monroe county, on the 28th of November, 1851, and 
being a son of William W. and Eliza J. (Stalcup) Heninger, both of whom 
were born in the Old Dominion state, whence they came westward as 
pioneers of the state of Missouri, where the father devoted the 
remainder of his life to agricultural pursuits. The subject of this 
sketch was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm and after 
completing the curriculum of the common schools, took a course of study 
in Central College, at Fayette, Missouri. When he was seventeen years of 
age his father died and he then left school to assist in caring for the 
widowed mother and the seven other children of the family. He remained 
on the old farm until 1882, when he came to South Dakota and located in 
the village of Ordway, Brown county, where he followed the lumber trade 
for one season and then, in February, 1883, removed to Westport, where 
he was successfully engaged in the lumber business until July, 1902, 
since which time he has maintained his home in Aberdeen. While a 
resident of Westport he did the banking exchange business of the town, 
affording accommodations that were duly appreciated by its business men, 
while in the vicinity of the town he also owned a fine farm of four 
hundred and fifty acres. He disposed of his interests in Westport in 
January, 1902, and came to Aberdeen, where he purchased an interest in 
the Aberdeen Gas and Electric Light Company, of which he has since been 
vice-president, and to this important enterprise he has since devoted 
the major portion of his time and attention, while he also has other 
capitalistic interests. 

	The father of the subject was a staunch Union man during the war 
of the Rebellion, and thus the son was reared in the faith of the 
Republican party, to which he has ever continued to give an unfaltering 
allegiance, while he has taken an active interest in its cause and been 
prominent in public affairs of a local nature. He was a delegate from 
Brown county to the state constitutional convention in 1889, held in the 
city of Sioux Falls, and was appointed by Governor Sheldon a member of 
the state board of regents of education, but he resigned the position 
shortly afterward, feeling that the demands of his private business 
would not permit him to give the requisite attention to official duties. 
He was elected clerk of Brown county in 1895 and served for two years, 
giving a most able and satisfactory administration. He has been 
frequently a delegate to the county, state and district conventions of 
his party and been an active factor in its councils. He is identified 
with the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the Knights 
Templar degrees and also with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and 
the Modern Woodmen of America. 

	On the 8th of July, 1882, Mr. Heninger was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary A. Way, who, like himself, was born and reared in Monroe 
county, Missouri, and they have three children, Nora L., Mabel H. and 
Mildred D., all of whom still remain beneath the home roof and lend 
cheer and brightness to the family circle.