Melville Cox Leinard

HUSTED, LEINARD, PRUITT, RUBY, SMITH, STUBBS

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/8/2004 at 19:01:52

Among the able business men of Winterset is numbered M. C. Leinard, who is dealing in coal and feed. His birth occurred in Harrison county, Ohio, on the 28th of February, 1852, and his parents were Jacob and Hester (Ruby) Leinard, a sketch of whom is found elsewhere in this work.

Mr. Leinard of this review was educated in this county, attending the district schools and the Winterset high school. He also took a course at the Des Moines Business College, upon the completion of which he returned to Winterset and for several years taught school. In the meantime he purchased a farm and for a number of years cultivated it successfully. In 1893 he leased his land and took up his residence in Winterset. In 1906 he removed to southern Missouri and there farmed and ran a sawmill until 1910, when he returned to Winterset. Three years later he entered the feed and coal business, in which he is still engaged. He is familiar with the methods of modern business practice, understands how to buy to advantage and is able to sell high grade coal and feed at reasonable prices. His patronage has already reached gratifying proportions and is constantly growing. He still owns his farm, but leases it.

On Christmas Day, 1873, Mr. Leinard married Miss Mary M. Smith, a daughter of James and Sarah Ann (Stubbs) Smith, an account of whose lives appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Leinard have two children, Ernest R. married Miss Rosa Husted and they have three children, Vesta, Thomas and Inez. Irma is the wife of Rev. J. J. Pruitt, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church of Paton, Iowa, and their children are Margaret and William.

Mr. Leinard is an influential member of the local, Methodist Episcopal church and has held many offices in that organization. For many years he was active in Sunday-school work and for more than a decade was secretary of the Madison County Sunday School Association. He believes that the religious education of the young is a matter of the greatest importance to the future of the country and sees in the Sunday school the institution best fitted to give that training. He has also held a local preacher's license and quite frequently in the past took the place of various ministers during their absence or sickness. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has served ably as road supervisor and as school director. He has been connected with a number of interests in the county and his success in life is due to his energy, determination and soundness of judgment.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa”