STARNS-Francis Marion - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Francis Marion Starns, Sr. - It is probable that an interesting volume entitled 60 Years in KS could be written concerning the career of Francis M. Starns, the oldest retired pioneer and veteran of Sabetha, KS. he was not only a pioneer in the struggle to redeem a wilderness of priarie and make it habitable for mankind but was actively engaged int he border warfare and struggle to make KS a free satte and was one of the 1st in this section of the state to advocate the cause of prohibion in behalf of which he has been a life long advocate, espousing the cause of prohibition at a time when he incurred the hostility of even his friends and neighbors because of his outspoken tendencies in voicing his convictions. Francis M. Starns was born at Geneva, Kane Co IL Dec 1, 1836 and is a son of James and Matilda Ware Starns, who were the paernts of 8 children, six living: Eliza, widow of William McBride,Jamestown KS;Francis Marion of this review; William H, retired Civil War Veteran, Ottumwa, Iowa; James F, retired farmer, Sabetha, who was a soldier in the 8th KS infantry; Martha J, widow of John Fletcher, Pomona, Cal; Milton J, a retired Civil War veteran of Salina. The other two children of the Starns family die din infancy and it is a very remarkable fact that there has not been a death among the children of James and Matilda in 75 years. James Starns was born in east Tenn Feb 14, 1799 son of William and Abigail Crabtree Starns, natives of Carolina and descendants of colonial ancestra stock. James died Dec 22, 1888. Matilda, his wife was born near London Madison Co OH in 1809 and died in 1870. James and his wife came to KS and joined Francis M in 1856 driving across the country via the ox wagon route. In his younger days, Francis M. Starns followed the trade of brick maker and carpetner. When he was still young his parents moved from ill to In and in 1844 made a settlement at Ottumwa Iowa where he received the major part ofhis schooling attending school for aobut 3 months of the year. In 1856 he came to KS and settled on160 acres of raw, unbroken prairie land, one and ahalf miles NE of Sabetha, Berwick Twp, Nemaha Co. HIs parents came to the state during that same year, driving a team of oxen. They built a log cabin which served as their first home in KS and Francis M. tilled his land until the outbreak of the Civil War and then enrolled as a member of Co. D 8th Ks infantry. His greatest battle was at Chicakamauga where he was wounded in the right forearm and incapacitated for duty. He received his honorable discharge from the Union service at Nashville, Tenn in 1864 and returned to his farm near Sabetha. It is well to remark here that he took part in the border warfare and was deatiled by Jim Lane and John Brown for border service in keeping order along the border of KS an MO and protecting the state from forays of the border ruffians (picture of him on next page) and pro-slavery men. In those days when towns were few and far between there was not town on the site of Sabetha and his nearest trading point was WHite Cloud, KS. Mr. Starns well remembers the famous "grasshopper years" and the hardships incidental to the loss of his crops -b ut time and patience changed conditions in KS and he prospered as the years rolled on, and he tilled his fine farm of 160 acres until his retirment to Sabetha in 1907 at which time he disposed of his acreage at a good price. He is well-to-do and is interested in the Mutual Telephone Co at Sabetha. He has been 3 times married; his first marriage was in 1857 with Eugenie Archer of Pontiac Il who died in1858. His second marriage in 1859 married Isa J. Vassar born in Gentry Co MO Feb 21, 1840 died Aug 13, 1908. Seven children bless this uion: Mrs. Alice E. Haigh, Baldwin KS; John F a carpenter living at Fremont, NB; Mrs. Mary Bird, Sabetha; martha wife of EP Buck, deceased; Francis marion jr. a blacksmith and auto dealer, Oneida, KS; Ada deceased; Nellie E wife of B. Roberts, a carpenter. On Sept 1, 1909 at Colorado Springs, Co he married Mary E. Offutt born in Montgomery Co MD Aug 17, 1845 and who came to Holt Co MO with her parents when 6. She attended the normal school at Peru, NB and Oregon, MO., Normal College and taught in the district schools of MO for 10 years. Mrs. Starns is a Prohibitionist in Politics. Since 1884 he has been a sincere and active advocate of prohibiton and was one of the original prohibition men of KS. When he first advocated and talked in favor of prohibition among his Methodist Church brethren his fellow members were not ready to adopt his views. He is a strict prohibitionst and has lived to see the cause which he has so consitently advocated during many long years gain ground year after year and has seen its spread and adoption in many states, cities and counties of the union and is hoping that the Almighty will spare him long enough to see his beloved cause a nation wide affair and adopted by a national vote of all people of the country.