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W.R. Butler, councilman
from the fourth ward of Moberly and the
owner-manager of one of
the leading grocery houses of the city, was born
in Adams County, Ill.,
Oct. 21, 1871. He is the son of W. J, and Eliza
Jane (Stevens) Butler, who
came to Missouri in 1878 and located in Mon-
roe County and spent the
remainder of their lives there. The mother
died in 1885 and the father
lived to be a man of advanced age. He was
nearly 80 years old when
he died. W. J. Butler enlisted in the Union
Army at the outbreak of
the Civil War and served in Company I, 84th
Regiment throughout that
memorable conflict, There were eight chil-
dren in the Butler family:
C. L., of Moberly; W. A. and W. R. of this
review, also of Moberly;
Walter and Solon also residents of this city, the
latter being connected with
the Wabash Railroad; Jennie Carney, of St.
Louis; Bessie Roderman,
of Dallas, Tex.; and Hester Freeman, of Flat
River, Mo.
W. R. Butler spent his
boyhood and early youth in Monroe County,
Mo., was educated in the
public schools there and after his school days
were over learned the
barber's trade, a vocation which he followed until
he reached his 29th year.
In 1915 he engaged in the grocery business.
From first opening up his
establishment here Mr. Butler met with a warm
response from the
residents. He has built up a fine trade and is one of
the progressive and
prosperous men of the city.
On April 9, 1886, Mr.
Butler married Miss Anna Messerla, a native
of St. Louis County, Mo.,
the daughter of Lee and Margaret (Zimmer-
man) Messerla. Mrs.
Butler has ever been an encouragement to her
husband in his business,
takes a keen and practical interest in the grocery
business and is his
capable and able assistant in the store.
From first locating in
Moberly, Mr. Butler has taken an active and
interested part in civic
affairs. He was elected a member of the city
council by 'a big majority
in 1916 and was reelected in 1918 and now is
serving his sixth year as a
member of that body. At the present time
he is chairman of the
committee on parks, public buildings and also
serves as a member of the
cemetery board. Mr. Butler is a member of
the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and the Rebeccas and maintains
a residence at 410 Johnson
street and owns property at 401 Johnson
street, Moberly, Mo.
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