Few citizens of Reno county, Kansas, enjoy a higher measure of esteem than Samuel Sallee, a very successful farmer on Section 28 in Bell Township. The birth of Mr. Sallee occurred in Preble County, Ohio, on June 11, 1823, and he is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Croft) Sallee.
Samuel Sallee, the father, was born in Pennsylvania, about 179 ? and he was one of the early settlers in Ohio, going there prior to his marriage. Later he met and married Elizabetii Croft, who was born in Virginia, and they had a family of ten children, four of whom grew to maturity, these being: William, who lives in Morocco, Indiana, at an advanced age still robust and vigorous ; Samuel, of this sketch, who bears his years with remarkable capacity, also Urana, who married Robert Smeddy, and lives near Lincoln, Indiana. and Mrs. Lucinda Jane Cox, who died in middle life, in her home in Indiana having had a family of ten children. Mr. Sallee removed to Indiana from Ohio and for some years carried on a milling business, but died in that state at the age of fortv years. The mother contracted a second marriage and died in Iroquois County, Illinois. at the age of sixty years.
Samuel Sallee of this sketch was reared on the farm in Indiana and there learned the trade of a blacksmith, following the same for a period of fifteen years and continuing in the same business after his location in Kansas, in addition to his agricultural labors. In1841 he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Clear, who was born in Preble countv, Ohio, on August 6, 1828, being but two months younger than her venerable husliand. To this happy marriage was born a family of ten children, and eight were reared to maturity, these being as follows: Joel B., who was born in 1843. became a soldier during the Civil War. and after escaping wounds and death came home only to die of disease contracted in the army, passing awav in 1865, and was buried near St. Marys, Illinois: John, who was born in 1845. is a successful farmer in Kingman county and has reared eleven of his twelve children ; William, the third son, also became a soldier in the service of his country and was mortally wounded at Chattanooga, and was buried at Nashville, Tennessee; Mary, who married Richard DeFoe, was born in Ohio, and now resides in Kingman county, Kansas, and she has six children ; Adresta, who was born in Illinois, married Robert Blanchard and lives in Langdon. Reno county: Delilah, who was born in Illinois. married John Halstrom and lives in her native state and has a family of twelve children; Ellen, who married Benjamin Moore, lives at Lerado, and she has a family of ten children; and Emma, who is the widow of Edward Murry, has six living children, but has suffered several bereavements, her husband being killed in July. 1900. and a son of seventeen years, being drowned in June, 1901.
Mr. and Mrs. Sallee removed some years after their marriage to the state of Illlnois, living near St. Marys for some eighteen years, coming then to Kansas on March 13, 1879. Here our subject bought a settler's claim of one hundred and sixty acres of Osage land, paying one hundred dollars and the pre-emption fees. Their son, John, had preceded them, coming here on March 13. 1874. All have been very successful in their farming operations. Mr. Sallee has
proved himself an excellent agriculturist and has land which produced over two thousand bushels of wheat in 1900, from one hundred and forty acres, and in 1901 yielded the enormous amount of thirty-five thousand, eight hundred bushels of this cereal.
Mr. and Mrs. Sallee have had the usual amount of misfortune attendant upon settlement in a new country, and have always been industrious, energetic people. For the past two years our subject has not operated the farm himself, but proposes to do so in the future, although he has reached the age fit which many men feel they must retire from active duty. Their remarkable vigor, however, makes them seem only in the prime of life, and testifies to lives lived in accordance with the laws of health and high morality. They have journeyed together for sixty vears, and among their many blessings they number their sturdy and intelligent descendants of the younger generations, consisting" of fiftv-five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. They not only receive the affection and high regard of these descendants, but also of the neighljorhnod through which they are known for those qualities calculated to win esteem and approbation.
In his political life Mr. Sallee has always been a Democrat and has taken quite an interest in public affairs. Both he and his most estimable wife are consistent members of the Christian church and are highly valued for their innumerable good qualities.
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