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James C. Enslen, a well-
known passenger conductor of the Wabash
railroad, has been in the
employ of this company for 30 years, and dur-
ing that time Moberly has
been his home. He was born in Audrain
County, near Wellsville,
Mo. He is the son of George W. and Mary J.
(Clayton) Enslen, George
W. Enslen was also a native of Missouri,
born on a farm in Audrain
County,' where he was engaged in farming
throughout his active
career. In later life he retired and moved to Wells-
ville, where he died, He
was a descendant of very early pioneers of this
state. During the Civil War
he served in the Missouri State Militia.
His wife, Mary J. Enslen,
was born in Pike County, Mo., and was a
daughter of F. C. Clayton.
She died in Moberly in 1908. They were the
parents of the following
children: James C., the subject of this sketch;
Mrs, J. W. Ingram,
Moberly; Lillie S., deceased, and J. W., lives in
Moberly.
James C. Enslen was
reared on the home farm in Audrain County
and was educated in the
public schools. He remained at home on the
farm until he was 21 years
of age, when on account of failing health,
he went to California and
followed ranch life for a time. In 1886, he
went to Colorado, where
he began his railroad career as a brakeman
in the employ of the Santa
Fe Railroad Company. Two years later he
went with the Denver and
Rio Grande. In 1890, he returned to Missouri
and settled in Moberly,
where he entered the employ of the Wabash
Railroad Company as
brakeman. In 1892, he was promoted to freight
conductor and in 1899
was promoted to passenger conductor, a position
which he has held on this
road for the past 21 years, and is now on
Moberly Division.
Mr. Enslen was married to
Miss Mary E. Foster,. a native of Dallas
City, Ill., born Nov. 23,
1861, and is a daughter of John W. and Alvina
(Stewart) Foster. John W.
Foster was a native of the state- of New
York. He was a Methodist
minister and during the Civil War, served
as chaplain in the Union
army and died while in the service. His wife,
Alvina (Stewart) Foster,
was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1840, and died
in Colorado in 1908. They
were the parents of the following children:
Mary E., wife of James C.
Enslen, the subject of this sketch; Frank,
Emma, George, Carol,
Edith, deceased; and Mrs. Lillie Sheidow, of Kan-
sas City, Mo. Mrs. Enslen
and Mrs. Sheidow are the only living mem-
bers of the family, Mr. and
Mrs. Enslen have no children.
Mr. Enslen is a Republican
and he and Mrs. Enslen are members
of the Presbyterian
church. He holds membership in the Order of Rail-
way Conductors and is a
Knights Templar Mason and belongs to the
Shrine, Ararat Temple, at
Kansas City, Mo., and Mrs. Enslen is a mem-
ber of the Auxiliary of the
Order of the Railway Conductors and the
Order of the Eastern Star.
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