________________ William H. Sikes William Herman Sikes (W.H.) was born at Wayne Center, Du Page County, Illinois on August 1, 1858 to Lewis and Lucretia Sikes. He was the fifth child in a family of six children (George, Francis, Charles, Melva, William, Ernest.) His father was a minister of the Congregational Church and consequently moved often from place to place. In 1862 his family moved to Cooper Center, Michigan, just north of Kalamazoo. The family remained there until moving to Kansas in 1870 when he was 12 and they settled in Pottawatomie County in Vienna, 30 miles north of Wamego."Mr. Leonardville" My choice for "Most Noteworthy" Graduate of K-State in 1879 & Founder of the Sikes Store Co. W.H. entered Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan in the fall of 1875. He graduated in 1879 (one of a class of nine) and taught school in Wamego during the school year 1879-80. W.H. then became a country storekeeper. In 1880 he went into partnership with Frank Landon and they started a general store in the new city of Garrison, on the Big Blue River north of Manhattan. The Kansas Central Railway had just completed their railroad line to Garrison from Leavenworth in 1880. With the incoming railroad they had high hopes that the newly settled city would develop into a great metropolis, but it didn't. After a year in business together, Frank decided to sell his share of the store and go back to Vienna. W.H. bought out his partner and decided to move west. He resigned his position as Postmaster in Garrison, packed up his general store stock and moved 12 miles west to Leonard a newly platted city on the Kansas Central Railway. He arrived on election day, in November 1881 and started his new Sikes Store. The Sikes Store was own and operated by the Sikes family for 96 years, closing in 1977. In 1884 W.H. married Hilma Shillerston Halstead, a widow with two children, Hugo and Ellen. To this union was born three children, Elva, Lewis and Edward. W.H. died in 1957 at the age of 98. ________________  Sikes Store Building 1882 - 1909 ________________ The following was taken from the book "City of the Plains - A Story of Leonardville" and was written by his granddaughter Phyllis. Memories of W. H. Sikes His grown-up children called him "papa" with a mixture of respect and exasperation. His mother called him "Willie," and said that he was her most headstrong child. He called himself a philosophical anarchist, in a community in which conformity was expected, and was quick to point out to anyone who would listen, and to many who would not, how peace and plenty could be achieved. As his physical strength waned, his rebellious nature waxed stronger than ever. A granddaughter remembers him pounding the table in anger at Sunday dinner, while the rest of the family calmly proceeded with the fried chicken and mashed potatoes. When W.H.S. died in 1957, the editor of the local paper, wrote: "He often came into the office for the sole purpose of politics. I believe that was one of his favorite indoor sports. As we heatedly discussed one phase after another of Kansas Republicanism, he would move all around the office. Having a very limited amount of space for an office, it took no time at all for Mr. Sikes to go from the top of the desk, to the safe top, to the back of a chair with his feet in the seat, to the counter top, and then back again to the desk top. After making the circle of the office at least once and sometimes three times, he left the office in one of two moods -- that of the conqueror who had won his point, or mad as a wet hen. It wasn't unusual for him to stick his head in the door the next day and start all over again." He read widely -- newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, scraps of paper that had been used in packing, anything in print. He often read standing up in the middle of the south sitting room, for, as he explained, if he sat down he went to sleep. I remember him writing his Spencerian script on the old, red, Big Chief tablets, the kind we used in school. When he used ink, it soaked through the pages, leaving his writing quite illegible. He wrote letters to the editor, tributes to those who had died, had birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or just because he felt like getting something off his chest. At the closing ceremony of the Walnut Creek school he reflected: "This adds one more to the closing of the horse and buggy community centers. From them have come the great and the small, who have made and shaped this nation, the greatest on earth. What will replace the rural schoolhouse so fast disappearing?" In 1946, he put in a notice: "Wedding announcements in many cases are too long. Why not omit stating in detail the dress of friends and relatives? Simply say, 'They were all togged up fit to kill.' It would save paper and also save time in reading." He finally wrote an autobiography of a ninety year old rebel, another called "Life Begins at 80," and an update to it called "Life Begins at 90." When he reminisced he was fascinating, for he could remember details of more than 90 years of history, but it was difficult to keep him to the subject, for he would rather expound his monetary and economic theories. He told friends that he expected St. Peter to hand him an apple-peddling job when he passed over. He also said that he rather expected to be turned away from the pearly gates because he was a hypocrite, preaching one doctrine and practicing another. He hated war, unemployment, monopoly, and poverty; he believed in peace, plenty, freedom, Henry George, and Henry Wallace. ________________ | ________________  William H. Sikes 1858 - 1957 ________________ (Taken from the Leonardville Monitor-Regent, Thursday, January 17, 1957) Larry & Delia Marcellus, editors Obituary William Herman Sikes William Herman Sikes was born at Wayne Center, Illinois, on August 1, 1858, and died at Leonardville, Kansas on January 12, 1957 at the age of 98. He was the son of a Congregational missionary and when he was 12 years old he came with his family to Kansas. They settled in Pottawatomie county where his father bought a tract of land, and later founded churches at Onaga and Wheaton. Mr. Sikes received his elementary education in Vienna, Kansas, and in 1875 he entered Kansas State Agricultural College in Manhattan. As a member of a college surveying class he assisted in running the lines and placing the stakes for the north wing of Anderson Hall. In the autumn of 1877 he joined the Congregational church in Manhattan. He was graduated from KSAC in 1879 and the following fall took a teaching position in the Wamego elementary school. In 1880 he and a partner started a mercantile business in Garrison. In 1881 this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Sikes moved 12 miles west to Leonardville where he opened a store in which he was active for 68 years. In 1884 Mr. Sikes was married to Hilma Shillerston Halstead, a widow with two children, Ellen and Hugo. To this marriage were born three children, Elva L., Lewis A., and Edward L. His wife and son Lewis preceded him in death, as did his step-children. Mr. Sikes took an active interest in his business, his community and his college throughout his long and busy life. He was especially fond of horseback riding and took great pride in appearing in local parades and horse shows. Eight years ago he wrote in his autobiography, "Life begins at Ninety," "I have had my trials, tribulations and tragedies. I have also had my joys and my happiness, and tried in my small way to bring a happier world. I have health, security and a healthy, industrious family. What more could one ask for after a pilgrimage of 90 years!" Mr. Sikes is survived by his daughter, Elva, his son, Edward; three grandchildren, Phyllis M. Swanson, Evelyn L. Sikes and William E. Sikes; five step-grandchildren, Marjorie Crocker, Mildred and Catherine Halstead, Helen McQuade and Jean Jones; four great grandchildren, Sue Ann, Ronald, Robert and James Swanson and five step great grandchildren, Mary Jean, Fred, James, Larry and William Jones; one brother-in-law, Pete Johnson and three nephews, Dewey Shillerston, Charles Sikes and Robert Sikes. Funeral services were held January 14, 1957, in the Leonardville Methodist church with the pastor Rev. Ada Dickson, officiating. Music was furnished by Mrs. Wayne Haller and Miss Karen Wohler with Mrs. V.R. Rossell at the piano. Honorary pall bearers included Ben Pritchard, August Franson, Wm. Schrum, Sig Johnson, F.W. Hurley, John Stafford, Ernest Pfeffer, Louis Kopachek, Phil Blauer, Reuben Peterson. Serving as active pall bearers were Harold Daniels, Roy Daniels, Nester Rose, Warren Ford, Sr., Alf Johnson, Wm. Schwartz. Interment was in the Leonardville Cemetery. ________________  The New Sikes Store building completed in 1909. ___________________________________________________________ In 1948 W.H. Sikes published his autobiography called: Bill Sikes, the Preacher's Boy >> Links to this Autobiography << Click any of these links: Read Chapters 1 - 5 Read Chapters 6 - 10 Read Chapters 11 - 15 Read Chapters 16 - 20 ___________________________________________________________ |