My Genealogy Hound

Hon. Joseph William Hunter, attorney at law at California, Mo., was born in Belmont County, Ohio, November 17, 1851, his parents being James and Margaret (Williams) Hunter, natives, respectively, of Ohio and Ireland. They are now living in Guernsey County, Ohio, where the father is engaged in farming. Joseph W. is the eldest of twelve children; was reared on a farm, attending the public schools in winter. He also attended Franklin College, at New Athens, Ohio, Scio College, at Scio, Ohio, and the University of Wooster, securing in these institutions a thorough education. He was engaged in teaching for four years, and commenced the study of law in 1879; came to California, Mo., in 1880, where he was admitted to the bar in 1883. Since that time he has built up a large and lucrative practice, and has been city attorney and counselor for two terms. In 1888 he was elected to the State Legislature, and is now serving his first term. He is a member of the Masonic order, is genial and kind-hearted as a neighbor, intelligent and enterprising as a citizen, and well merits the esteem with which he is regarded by his fellow men. In his student days Mr. Hunter learned the trade of brick-layer, working at the same during his summer vacations, and for two years after his admission to the bar he was engaged in the business of contractor and builder. In 1885 he married Miss Martha Kuhl, of Carthage, Ill., by whom he has two children, Margaret E. and Gertrude. Michael J. Imhoff, Sr., a farmer of Linn Township, Moniteau County, was born in Europe September 29, 1831, and is a son of George A. and Catherine (Emeich) Imhoff. The parents were natives of Hamburg, where they lived until 1852, when they set sail for America, reaching New York City after a voyage of sixty days. They reached Boonville, Mo., the following August, where they purchased a small farm, and engaged in the pursuit of agriculture the rest of their lives. The father died in 1881, aged over seventy years, and the mother in 1884, aged eighty-four years. Both were members of the Catholic Church. George A. Imhoff was a weaver by trade, and served six years in his native country as a guard of the King’s palace. He was well educated, and was a good citizen. In this family were six children, viz.: John (deceased), Michael J., Felix, Phillip, Jeronia (wife of F. Laley), and Genevieve (wife of George Westerman). Felix and Phillip served four years each in the Union army during the late war, and Michael J. served about six months in the State Militia, The latter engaged in farming for himself in 1862, locating but a short distance from his present place, to which he removed two or three years later. He married Elizabeth Weaver, who was born in Moniteau County in March, 1841, and is a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Weaver, natives of Europe. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Imhoff, of whom John, Andrew, Frank, Joseph and Louisa are living. Joseph was killed at the age of eleven years, and Michael died in infancy. The family belong to the Catholic Church.