Charles N. Page

CHARLES N. PAGE has been a figure in the civic and business life of Oberlin for thirty years or more and the people of that town take particular pride in referring to their postmaster as one of the oldest and best known local citizens.

Mr. Page was born at Rock Island, Illinois, July 30, 1857. His father, Charles Page, was born in England in 1830, and when a young man came to the United States and located at Muscatine, Iowa. He lived in that city many years and was prominent in local banking circles, being cashier of the Muscatine Savings Bank and he held that office at the time of his death. He died while visiting in Dallas, Texas, in 1903. He was a democrat as to politics, and held an office in the Muscatine City Council. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and of the Masonic fraternity.

Charles Page married Mary A. Pycroff, who was born in England in 1825, and is still living, past ninety years of age, in Springfield, Illinois. Charles N. Page is the second of their children. The oldest, James W., is a traveling salesman living at Joplin, Missouri; Lucinda living at Dallas, Texas, the widow of C. F. Freeman; Mary A. is unmarried and lives at Springfield, Illinois, and Harry C. is a wholesale lumber dealer at Springfield, Illinois.

Charles N. Page grew up and received his education in the public schools of Muscatine, Iowa, graduating from high school there. He was in the wholesale fruit business at Muscatine for several years, and while there became an active member of the Muscatine National Guards, the "Muscatine Rifles." He was with this noted organization eight years, one of the best drilled companies in the United States, and it frequently participated in drill contests with other militia companies, visiting Washington, Mobile, Alabama and many other cities, and it was rarely beaten in these competitive drills.

When Charles N. Page moved to Decatur County, Kansas, in 1887 he engaged in the real estate business at Oberlin and he continued that line effectively until he entered upon his present duties as postmaster. He was appointed postmaster July 1, 1914, by President Wilson and has given much of his time to other public service, having been city clerk, city treasurer and for one term mayor of Oberlin. For three terms, nine years, he was chairman of the local school board. He is a democrat, a member of the Episcopal Church, and is affiliated with Mountain Slope Lodge No. 186, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Topeka Consistory of the Scottish Rite. He also belongs to Oberlin Lodge, Knights of Pythias.

Mr. Page is keenly interested in the welfare of Decatur County agriculture, being owner of a farm of 320 acres, and also has 480 acres in Rawlins County. He also owns a modern home at Oberlin.

In 1891, in Decatur County, Mr. Page married Miss Jennie Lee Burrus, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Burrus, both now deceased. Mr. Burrus located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, in 1864, and was one of the first settlers and farmers in that region.

Pages 2131-2132.