The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1882-01-25
DIR. WIN. c. REQU A.
Something of the Life of One of
Bates County's First Pioneers.
CHAPTER ii.

!
nected with its history, and identified
with the moral, religious and physi-
cal growth of Bates county, should
follow, in our judgment, the BIZ
ographical sketch of DIR. VIM. {.
Requa, of Lone Oak township. now
one of the oldest living pioneers and
citizens in the county-a man uni
versally respected and honored bv
his fellow citizens:
OLD DR.. REOUA.
To put final stop to all persecu-
ton on account of religious belief,
Henry the Fourth, King of France,
issued, in 1898, the famous ''Edict
of Nantes," decreeing that Protest
ants should enjoy the same rights
and privileges in all respects with
Catholics. put Louis Fourteenth re-
voked it in I6S5, and severe per-
secution of Protestants, or Hugen-
OTIS, as they were called, was at once
set on foot. To escape this many
fled to other countries, some taking
refuge in America. Among these
was the grandfather of the subject of
this sketch, who settled at New
Rochelle, n. Y. The mother OF the
late President Garfield was also a
descendant of the same people
VIM. C. Requa was born in West
chester county, n. y, August 22,
I7o5, and is now SO IL years OF
age. His grandmother was from
Aberdeen, Scotland, therefore the
blood of the gay. enthusiastic
Frenchman, and the stern, rigid. old
Covenanters is commingled in his
VEINS. He was educated at an
academy IN Duchess county. n. \.
While there the school was visited
by Rev. Mr.. Chapman, who was
seeking for volunteers to go with
him to q mission at Fort Gibson,
Arkansas, to the Usage Indians.
This Mission was established and
supported in the same manner as
Harmony Mission, in this county,
heretofore described in these sketch
es. In the year 1920, he joined a
Mission party that went from New
York to Philadelphia by steamboat
and stage. Thence in wagons with
six horse teams, to Pittsburg, Penn.
Thence down the Ohio and Missis-
sippi and up the Arkansas and Neo-
sha, in keelboats. While going down
the Mississippi, Mr.. Requa, who
was good swimmer, rescued the
son of the Superintendent of the
Mission from drowning. He served
.as teacher in what was known as
the Union Mission for twelve years.
Was married in 1921 to Miss Susan
Ccmstock. Having learned the In
dian language, he often preached to
the Indians, but was not a licensed
minister while there. The Mission
was disbanded in 1892. and the
members scattered. Mr.. Requa had
at different times made trips through
what is now Bates county, and liked
the country SO well that after rowing
about and making one trip east, he
came to Harmony Mission. near
Papinyille. His wife died in 1883.
leaving two children, both of whom
have since died, one leaving son,
Lyman r. Sperry. who is now in
school at Butler. He was married
i. IN 1887 to Jane Montgomery, vino
only lived one year after her mar
riage.
The Mormon settlement in Jack
son county having been broken up,
two of them had settled IN what IS
now Lone Oak township. and in
1897 MIR. Requa bought out the inn
provements of one Daniel Francis,
the country not yet having been sur
veved and put in market. This has
ever since been his home. During
his work at the Mission he studied
medicine, and after coming to Bates
county was ordained as a minister of
the Presbyterian church. So that
during pioneer times and the troub-
lous times of the border war and the
civil war, besides carrying on his
farm, he served the settlers III the
capacity of minister and physician.
and was acknowledged to be one of
the most useful members of society.
In 1870 he was married TO his pres
ent wife. They have six sons and
three daughters now living. Two
of his sons We're soldiers III the
Union army. Upon making . visit
to the Decttorr at. his pleasant home
he was found occupied with caring
for the years supply of PORK for the
family. His health is yet remark
ably good. and he is enjoying as
comfortable ard happy old age as