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GREEN IRWIN BLANCHARD. There is a recess in every man's brain that answers to the call of the wilderness, a heritage of pre-historic origin which will be with us always. If given the opportunity, it will respond at once to nature's beauty and depth. What is more natural than man's love for the conditions and environment that gave him food and shelter, enabling him to live during the dawn of his existence? Thus it is easy to understand why many of us prefer the country and life on the farm to that of the city. One such family is the Blanchards of whom Green Irwin Blanchard, of Center township, Greene county, is a creditable representative. For generations they have tilled the soil, made a good living and been happy. The older members knew what it was to fight the wilderness in order to live, but this they did courageously and successfully, and never complained that their lot was hard.
Mr. Blanchard was born on December 17, 1838, at Russelville Logan county, Kentucky. He is a son of Henry Hudson Blanchard and Mary (Patton) Blanchard, both of whom were born, reared and educated in that county and state and there they were married and established their home. Their parents were from North Carolina, immigrating to the Blue Grass state in an early day. The family is of English origin but for the last four generations they have lived in the United States. When our subject was one year old he was brought by his parents in 1839 to Greene county, Missouri, the family locating in Center township on what is known as Leeper's Prairie and theirs was the first house built in that neighborhood, their nearest neighbor being over three miles away. When Henry H. Blanchard landed in the wilds of this locality his worldly possessions consisted of a broken down wagon, a team of ponies in the same condition and five dollars in money; but, being a man of enterprise, he forged ahead and at the time of his death in 1862 he had acquired over three hundred acres of good land, several hundred head of live stock and a competency, besides a comfortable home. This was considered quite an achievement for those days and proves the sterling mettle from which the Blanchards are made. His family consisted of but two sons, Green I. of this sketch and John A., who was born in 1836. The latter received his education in the district schools of Greene county and here worked on the home farm when a boy, and he devoted his active life to general farming. He took a deep interest in public affairs and in 1872 was elected recorder of deeds of Greene county, the duties of which office he ably discharged for four years, then moved back to the farm, and later he served fourteen years as justice of the peace and was a member of the school board for several years, giving satisfaction as a public servant in every respect; in fact, he was a strong personality and influential in his locality. His death occurred in 1895.
Green I. Blanchard grew to manhood, on the home farm in Center township where he worked when a boy and he received his education in the schools of his community, attending subscription schools until he was fifteen years old, after which the public schools being established he attended them until he was twenty-one years old. He was twelve years old when the family moved to within a mile of Elwood and there our subject lived until his marriage in 1860 to Mary Eaton, who died in 1884. For his second wife he married Mrs. Mary E. Lawdermilk, nee Craven, a daughter of Thomas G. and Mary Craven, of Center township, in September, 1886. The first marriage resulted in the birth of seven children, six of whom are still living, namely: Dora A., born on September 26, 1865, married in 1883 A. A. Vaughan, a cabinet maker in the Frisco shops at Springfield, and they have one child, Earl, born on July 24, 1895; he was graduated from the Springfield public schools, and is now a teacher in a manual training school there. Delia A., born April 2, 1867, married in 1884, B. L. Chastain, a contractor of Springfield; Henry W., born on December 23, 1868, is a conductor on the Rock Island railroad, lives in Kansas City, married Cora O'Neil in 1890 and they have one child, Irwin, who was born in 1911. Fannie, born on November 9, 1870, married on May 30, 1893, Millard Brady, a railroad man of Parsons, Kansas; they have one child, Grace, who is now eleven years old; Robert Lee, born on August 12, 1874, who is a conductor on the Missouri Pacific railroad; he lives in Kansas City, and he married Bernice Gilty of that place. Virginia, born on September 3, 1877, married F. E. Blockman, a farmer living near Elwood, Center township, and they have two sons, Robert and June, fifteen and thirteen years old, respectively. John M., born on June 25, 1880, was a railroad man and died in Nevada, April 8, 1914; he married Della Kindrix, of Center township, this county, who, with one child, Geraldine, eleven years old, survives him.
Our subject's second wife was born on May 27, 1855, in Randolph county, North Carolina; she was first married to Dr. A. A. Lowdermilk, who died in 1884. She spent her girlhood in North Carolina and there she was educated. When nineteen years of age she removed with her parents to, Greene county, Missouri, the family locating near Springfield where she livid until her marriage.
Our subject has made a success as a general farmer. He moved to his present farm of fifty-five acres in Section 11, Center township, in 1892 and here he has a neat home.
Mr. Blanchard was a soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted in May, 1863, in the Sixth Missouri Provisional Militia and served faithfully until August, 1864, with the rank of corporal.
Fraternally, he is a member of United Lodge No. 5, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He belongs to the Baptist church. Politically, he is a Democrat.
[1846-1848]
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