John Henry Wyrick

​​(Printed in THE MILLER COUNTY AUTOGRAM-SENTINEL in the column, 'WINDOW TO THE PAST', Oct. 4, 2012)

​John Henry Wyrick was born in Miller County in 1853, a son of Chesley Nelson Wyrick and Lucinda (Wyrick). His parents were cousins and made the trip to Miller County with members of other Wyrick families in the 1840s from Grainger County, Tennessee… the Wyricks were of German ancestry; came to America in the 1700s; settled in Wythe County, Virginia; moved on to Grainger County, Tennessee and finally some came on west to Missouri. (Since they are my ancestors I have spent some time in Wythe Co., Virginia and Grainger County , Tennessee where I conducted some extensive research----those counties have some marvelous records in their courthouses and libraries).

The children of Chesley Nelson and Lucinda (Wyrick) Wyrick included:
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1. John Henry Wyrick 1853-1923 m. Rachel Elizabeth Kinder
2. James Clemons Wyrick 1856-1941 m. Celia D. Kinder (sister to Rachel)
3. Joseph Wyrick 1864-1893 m. ? [He drowned in the Gasconade River in Pulaski Co., MO in 1893]
4. Amanda Wyrick b. c/1867 m. no record
5. Laura J. Wyrick b. 1870 m. (1)____Saunders (2)_____Heard

John Henry Wyrick married Rachel Elizabeth Kinder (1856-1932) in Miller County in 1878. She was a daughter of *John Kinder and Didama Ruth (Bilyeu). Her father was born in Litchfield, Illinois and her mother was born in Miller County, near Iberia. They were parents of several children including:
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1. Peter Kinder 1847-1928 m. Harriett Lamb
2. Jenny Kinder 1848- m. James Brannon in Illinois
3. Margaret Kinder [born and died young]
4. Nancy Kinder 1852- m. James Dinkens in Illinois
5. Sarah Kinder 1853- m. David Workman
6. George Allen Kinder 1855-1938 m. (1) Vienna Hale (2) Rebecca Howell
7. Rachel Elizabeth Kinder 1856-1932 m. John Henry Wyrick
8. Celia Didama Kinder 1859- m. James Clemons Wyrick
9. Ruth Kinder 1860-1945 m. Jesse Topping
10. John Kinder Jr. 1864-1933 m. Luella Blize
11. James Leander Kinder 1867-1949 m. Alvina Martin
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*John and Didama (Bilyeu) Kinder moved to Christian County, Illinois after 1870 and lived near the town of Stonington until their deaths……..the children and their families who remained in Miller County were Rachel Elizabeth (Wyrick), Sarah (Workman), Celia Didama (Wyrick), Ruth (Topping) , and John Kinder Jr.

John Henry and Rachel Elizabeth (called Betty) lived most of their married lives in the Ulman area of Glaize township. Their children were all born on their homesteaded land and were: 

​​1. Earnest Wyrick b. 1879 d. young
2. Perry Tolbert Wyrick 1880-1958 m. Carrie Gertrude Whittle
3. Vernetta Amanda Wyrick 1883-1942 m. Anthony Cordell Martin
4. Aretta Frances Wyrick 1885-1919 m. John Marion Hendricks
5. George Elmer Wyrick 1890-1975 m. (1) Leatha Elizabeth Shelton (2) Elizabeth Ferguson
6. Chesley Sylvester Wyrick 1896-1962 m. Amanda Eliz. Whittle

NOTE: Carrie Gertrude Whittle and Amanda Elizabeth Whittle were sisters, and were daughters of Josephus and Leatha Jane (Loveall) Whittle……..Chesley and Elizabeth (always called Lizzie) were my grandparents. PSH

Shortly before John Henry’s death on April 3, 1923, he and Elizabeth/Betty had moved west of Iberia to the farm of their son, Perry T. Wyrick. It was during this time that John Henry became ill with pneumonia and died on the farm that was called “Evergreen Farm”. Betty continued to live on the farm in the Pleasant Hill community. She died at the age of 76 years in July 1932 and was buried beside John Henry at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, the only Wyrick family buried in that rural cemetery. I have seen the death certificate filed with the state of Missouri for Rachel Elizabeth/Betty Wyrick and Dr. Kouns of Miller County, proclaimed her death as hemiplegia which was a stroke she suffered on the right right side of her body that left her with a brain hemorrhage and total paralysis for about 3 days before her death. Clarence L. Casey of Iberia was the undertaker who prepared the body for burial.

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