Springfield-Greene
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ALVIN B. TRENARY. Although Springfield is a noted railroad town, thousands of trainmen and shopmen making their home here, it is impossible for each to know the other, but in some instances, like that of Alvin B. Trenary, an individual becomes well known in his own circle. This is partly because our subject has been a resident of this city for a period of thirty years, during which he has followed railroading, and partly because he is a good mixer, a jovial, companionable gentleman and is therefore popular among his fellow workers, and is a widely known passenger engineer.
Mr. Trenary was born in Franklin, Indiana, February 20, 1862. He is a son of Thomas L. and Mary A. (Stairs) Trenary, the father a native of Indiana and the mother was born in Ohio. They grew to maturity in their respective localities and received good educations for that period, the father becoming a successful teacher, which he followed for some time. He was also a carpenter by trade. During the Civil war he enlisted from Johnson county, Indiana, in 1862, and met death in the service of his country, being wounded in battle, and died from the effects of the same in a St. Louis hospital. His widow survived to old age, and died in Greene county, Missouri. Our subject's paternal grandfather and mother had the distinction of being the first couple to be married in Tippecanoe county, Indiana. To Thomas L. Trenary four children were born.
Alvin B. Trenary was a small child when he lost his father and he was thrown upon his own resources early in life, consequently his education was limited, but he has made up for this lack in later life by general reading and contact with the world. What schooling he obtained was in Urbana, Illinois, and when but a boy he began working in a grocery store in that town, and when eighteen or twenty years of age he went to Indianapolis, Indiana, and began his railroad career by firing extra on the Big Four road, and there he remained until in the autumn of 1884, when he came to Springfield, Missouri, where he has since resided, He went to work here for the old Kansas City, Ft. Scott & Memphis Railroad as fireman of a freight train on the Ozark division, and eighteen months later as fireman on a passenger train and about the same run. Later he ran a switch engine about three years, then was promoted to a regular freight engineer, and ran in this capacity on the Ozark division about six years, then was promoted to passenger engineer on this division, and at this writing still has the same run. This road has been a part of the Frisco System since 1900. Our subject is regarded as one of the safest and most efficient engineers out of Springfield, always sober, cool, alert and careful.
Mr. Trenary was married in Springfield on November 14, 1889, to Lutie Seaman, a native of Iowa, who was a small child when her parents brought her to Springfield, and here she grew to womanhood and was educated. She is a daughter of Levi and Mary (Fisher) Seaman. Mr. Seaman is a carpenter by trade.
To our subject and wife two children have been born, namely: Helen V., born on August 13, 1890, received her education in the local high school and normal, and is living at home; Elsie Louise, born on April 12, 1896, is a junior in the Springfield high school at this writing.
Mr. Trenary has a splendid and well furnished home on West Walnut street. Politically he is a Democrat. He belongs to No. 378, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic Order, in which he has attained the master's degree. He and his family are all members of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church, South.
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