Nancy Almira (Groves) Sooter

(Printed in THE MILLER COUNTY AUTOGRAM-SENTINEL in the column, 'WINDOW TO THE PAST', April 22, 2013)

Nancy Almira Groves was born in Miller County near Iberia in 1869, a daughter of Elijah S. Groves. I have tried to find more about her father, Elijah, but could only find him listed as buried at Brays Union Cemetery near Brays Church, northeast of Iberia. He was born 15 Oct 1829 and died 25 Dec 1896. On his tombstone the information was given that he was a veteran of the Civil War serving in Company F, Osage Co, MO Home Guards.

Nancy was listed as his only child but there could have been more children since the information found was far from complete.

Nancy Almira married Rev. William McClellan Sooter (1862-1951) in Miller County on 14 Sept 1890. They became parents of 6 children including:

1. Milton D. Sooter b. 1892 m. Amy Alice Barton
2. Zulu Jane Sooter 1893-1958 m. Sherman Grant Jarrett in 1919
3. Charles M. Sooter 1896-1917 m. no record
4. Herman V. (Van Buren ?) Sooter 1898-1945 m. Gardie Watson in 1922
5. Lillie Amelia Sooter 1901-1987 m. Robert L. Livingston in 1923
6. Evelyn M. Sooter 1908- ? m. ?

Nancy's husband, Rev. Wm. M. Sooter, was a son of Dr. Harvey Van Buren Sooter (1837-1899), born in Searcy Co., Arkansas and Sarah Ann Smith (1836-1914). The Smith and Sooter families probably knew each other in the northern Ozark Mountain region of Arkansas because they married in that area....... There was a family of Smiths who came from Arkansas in the mid 1800s and settled in Pulaski and Miller Counties. I am descended from that Smith clan so I think it is possible they knew each other and came to Missouri about the same time era of the 19th century.

Nancy Almira Groves-Sooter died in 1944 and was buried at Brays Union Cemetery in Richwoods township. Rev. W.M. Sooter, her husband, died in 1951 and was buried beside Nancy at Brays Union.