Peggy Smith-Hake's
"Window to the Past"
Miller County Historians
By Kelly Warman-Stallings
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Published to "Window to the Past" website on -- September 2022
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During the course of Miller County's history there have been three notable historians that recorded and published the history of the county, which was created in 1837, and many other historical articles. They are Gerard Schultz, Clyde Lee Jenkins and Peggy Smith Hake. Each historian brought their own flair of writing about the people, towns, establishments and other articles of interest for 80+ years combined.
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This is their fantastic stories...
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Gerard Schultz (pictured on left) was born in Gasconade County, Missouri on 11 February 1902. His parents were Rev. Georg H. C. Schultz (1856-1925) and Helene H. (Meier) Schultz (1865-1952), who were residing near Owensville during this era. Gerard had seven siblings (three brothers & four sisters).
Both his parents were natives of Germany who immigrated to the United States around 1885 and married that same year upon arrival in Troy, New York. The newlyweds emigrated to Missouri and their first child (Emma Schultz) was born in Gasconade County in 1886.
It is interesting to note Gerard Schultz's paternal grandfather was a manufacturer in Westphalia, Germany and his maternal grandfather owned and operated a bakery in Elberfeld, Germany.
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Gerard Schultz left Gasconade County sometime around the late 1910s - early 1920s and traveled to Galesburg, Illinois where he earned a bachelor's degree from Knoxville College and went on to obtain his master's degree from the University of Minnesota. By 1926, Schultz was back in Missouri. He accepted a teaching position at the Iberia Academy, officially becoming a college professor, where he taught history and German from 1926-1944.
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On 22 August 1928, Professor Schultz married a local Iberian, Jennie L. Brumley, at the Iberia Academy. She was the daughter of John D. Brumley and Aulta (Ramsey) Brumley, whose families were early Miller County pioneers. Jennie was born 14 April 1908 and attended Iberia Academy during the early 1920s. Gerard and Jennie had three sons: John, Gerard, Jr. and Daniel.
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During the county's centennial celebration in 1937, a pageant that was based on Schultz's history of Miller County, Professor Schultz served as a general chairman of the committee. While residing in Iberia, he wrote the History of Miller County, Missouri, published on 1 January 1933, and Early History of the Northern Ozarks on 1 January 1937. Both books were published by Midland Printing Company in Sedalia, Missouri. Professor Schultz also wrote several other books about the histories of various areas in Iowa and Michigan.
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Sometime after 1944, Gerard Schultz moved his family to Iowa, where he continued teaching and writing his histories. By 1955, Professor Schultz had migrated to Huron County, Michigan. There he became the first full-time librarian at Huron County College (no longer in existence). It is unknown how long he worked at this college, but in 1967 he officially retired as a librarian of Laker High School, which was located midway between the towns of Elkton and Pigeon in Michigan. After retirement Schultz continued his historical writing.
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Professor Gerard Schultz died at the age of 72 years from an apparent heart attack on 14 April 1974 while visiting with his sons and their families in Elkton, Michigan during the Easter holiday. The professor's sons all resided in Illinois during this era. Sadly, he passed away on his wife's birthday. Rev. O. William Cooper officiated the funeral at the United Methodist Church in Elkton. The professor's wife, Jennie (Brumley) Schultz, passed away in 1986 and was buried next to her husband in Grand Lawn Cemetery in Pigeon, Michigan.
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Clyde Lee Jenkins (pictured on left) was the third child born to Ingram D. Jenkins (1883-1968) and Lettie L. (Holloway) Jenkins (1898-1986) of Eugene, Missouri (Cole County). He was born in the small town of Eugene on 3 September 1919. Around 1920, his family migrated to Saline Township in Miller County. Jenkins had four brothers and one sister.
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During World War II, Clyde Jenkins enlisted in the Navy and was on the U.S. Argonne when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. He was classified as a Chief Radio Technician. After the war ended, he returned to Miller County and put down temporary roots in Eldon.
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Mr. Jenkins was able to use the radio and electronics training he obtained in the Navy to set up his own radio repair shop in Eldon. It is interesting to note, Clyde Jenkins was the first person in Miller County to have a television set.
During this same era, he became employed with the government. For a few years he held the position of Miller County Road Commissioner. He served as a State Representative for six years and retired as the Miller County Clerk in 1982.
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On 24 December 1951 Clyde Jenkins married Naomi "Pauline" Bittle in Tuscumbia. Pauline, the daughter of Archie E. Bittle (1903-1973) and Mildred E. (Bond) Bittle of Eugene in Cole County, was born 30 April 1933. Clyde and Pauline had two children: Clayton and Leila. They moved near Tuscumbia and put down permanent roots in the 1950s.
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Mr. Jenkins took an interest in the county's history and published Judge Jenkins' History of Miller County, Missouri, Volume 1 in 1971, which covered Miller County history up to the Civil War era. Judge Jenkins' History of Miller County, Missouri, Volume 2 was completed in 1995 and covered the history of the county after the Civil War. He not only was the author and publisher of his books, Jenkins also edited and illustrated the books himself.
Judge Jenkins created his books from a combination of eye-witness anecdotes and extracts from old courthouse records during his research. This was an easy feat for Jenkins as his long tenure as the County Clerk gave him access to many historical records. According to Joe Pryor, the former president of the Miller County Historical Society, "Clyde Jenkins spent decades researching and gathering material together to complete his books."
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Besides politics and history, Judge Jenkins also was involved with various community activities, including the County Fox Hunter's Association and was a devout Christian who attended Eugene Christian Church. Jenkins also was a "self-taught" banjo player in a local band. According to former band member, Clifford Hill, he is quoted as saying, "Clyde Lee had his own way of playing the banjo; it wasn't exactly Scruggs three finger picking or frailing or clawhammer... it was just Clyde's style, and it was good." It is recorded that Clyde Jenkins began playing banjo at sixteen years old.
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In the mid-1970s, Clyde and Pauline moved to Tuscumbia. Having been re-elected so many times to the office of County Clerk, it was more convenient to live at the county seat instead of being rurally local. This official position would become generational as his son, Clayton Jenkins, also held the position of Miller County Clerk for several years. Today, Clyde's grandson (Clinton Jenkins) currently holds the office of County Clerk.
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Clyde Lee Jenkins suffered a fatal heart attack on 13 December 1997 and died at Boone Hospital in Columbia (Boone County). Rev. Danny McNeal and Rev. Don Bilbary officiated his funeral services in Eldon, which included military honors at Spring Garden Cemetery. Pauline (Bittle) Jenkins, passed away 20 April 2016 and is buried beside her husband.​
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Peggy Smith Hake (pictured on left) was a native of Miller County, who was born on her grandparents' [Chesley and Amanda Wyrick] farm in Richwoods Township on 10 August 1935. She was the daughter of G. Oliver Smith (1914-1980) and Verlie A. (Wyrick) Smith (1914-1998). She had one younger brother.
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The roots of Miller County go deep on both sides of her family. Her Smith ancestors migrated from Kentucky to Pulaski County, Missouri in the early 1840s and put down permanent roots in Miller County the 1850s. The Wyrick family came from Tennessee to Miller County in the early-mid 1840s.
Peggy spent the majority of her formative years in Iberia, attending the public school. During the early-mid 1940s, she briefly lived at Ft. Leonardwood, continuing her elementary education in Waynesville (Pulaski County), while World War II raged on. She graduated from Iberia High School in 1953.
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On 1 January 1955, she was married to Kenneth H. Warman (1934-1986) at the home of her parents in Iberia. Rev. George Warman [of Dixon], the groom's father, conducted their wedding ceremony. Peggy and Kenneth had five children: Kevin, Kathy, Kerry, Kelly and Kirk. The newlyweds spent their first year of married life in the state of California. By 1957 they were back in Missouri and moved to the greater Kansas City metro area. Peggy and Kenneth divorced in 1970. For the next 9+ years Peggy resided in Kansas City, Kansas, raising her children and working mostly in the financial sector. She was promoted to the Vice-President of Indian Springs Bank [in Kansas City, KS] in 1976. She was the first woman in this particular bank to achieve such a status.
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In 1979, she left Kansas City and returned to her Miller County roots, living in the Iberia area for a few years. In the Autumn of 1979, she was instrumental in setting up the Miller County Historical Society and Museum. Her love of history and genealogy took root not long after her grandfather, Frank "Cap" Smith passed away in 1975. Peggy often said, "With grandpa's passing a world of knowledge was lost." She began her genealogical journey not long after [grandpa's] death.
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On 17 February 1981, Peggy married Ambrose Hake (1927-2009) of St. Elizabeth. They resided on their "Whispering Hills" farm located between St. Elizabeth and St. Anthony for the next 28 years. Peggy Hake served two terms as the Miller County Road Commissioner (1990-1994). She was the first woman in the county to hold this position.
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She dedicated 35+ years researching and writing the history of various Miller County families, as well as writing about the county's towns, establishments, cemeteries, schools, churches and many other historical articles of interest. Peggy Smith Hake wrote three books pertaining to Miller County history, including: Iberia Academy and the Town, It's History (1988); Pioneer Families of Miller County, Missouri (1990); and They Left A Legacy (1992). The books were published by Ketch's Printing in Jefferson City, Missouri.
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For 18 years she edited and published a monthly newsletter, which was called "Seeking and Searching Ancestors". For over 20 years she wrote a weekly column in the Autogram-Sentenial newspaper entitled, "Window to the Past". She submitted her last article to the newspaper in April of 2013. Peggy was also involved with various community organizations, including VFW, American Legion, Miller County Historical Society, Missouri Genealogical Assn., and Miller County Republican Committee.
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In 2010, Peggy moved to Independence, Missouri with her oldest daughter (Kathy) when her health began to decline. Peggy (Smith) Warman Hake passed away from complications of Diabetes on 25 June 2013 in Independence (Jackson County). Rev. Rick Smith officiated her funeral service in Iberia. She is buried beside her second husband (Ambrose Hake) in the Iberia Cemetery.
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Honorable mentions:
Clarence Boyce Wright (1877-1953) ... while Mr. Wright was not considered an official county historian, he did author the "C. B. Wright Diaries" that were written between 1912-1926, which contains 15 volumes. The diary entries noted various events in Miller County, which were summarized and entered on the "Memoranda" at the end of each year's diary. He kept record of meteorological observations and remarked on the Osage River stages and conditions. C. B. Wright also commented on the business of Anchor Milling Company, where he was employed for 55 years. Unfortunately, Mr. Wright never had his diaries published. For more information, please visit: C. B. Wright Diaries
Greg Huddleston (born 1955) ... is a current county historian who has researched and written various annals about Miller County for over 45 years. Mr. Huddleston also created and edited six volumes of a magazine known as "Mill Creek, an Ozarks Heritage" between 1990-1992, which chronicles multiple stories of southern Miller County. He has contributed an assortment of interesting and compelling articles to the Miller County Historical Society over the years, as well. Today, Greg Huddleston continues his historical research and writing of Miller County. For more information, please visit: Mill Creek, an Ozarks Heritage
Kelly Warman-Stallings (born 1960) ... is a current county historian who has researched and written about various central Missouri counties, including Miller County, for over 30 years. She has published two books: The Ghost Towns of Central Missouri: Cole, Miller & Moniteau, Volume 1 (1992) and The Ghost Towns of Central Missouri: Callaway & Osage, Volume 2 (1994). Her books cover the histories of each county, the small towns that use to exist and are now gone, and various other interesting historical facts. Today, Kelly Warman-Stallings continues to research and write various historical articles about Miller County. For more information, please visit: Kelly's Contributions