Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in Jefferson County, 1931 Lane E. Stansberry

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Friday, July 10, 1931
Front Page

Who's Who In Jefferson County
By Herbert F. McDougal

Lane E. STANSBERRY

Lane E. Stansberry has two major achievements to his credit--he has been elected twice to the sheriff's office--a democrat in a rock-ribbed republican county--and he has been decorated by the government for capturing twenty-two Germans lone handed in the battle of St. Mehiel. Either one is considerable of an accomplishment.

Born in Birmingham, Iowa, December 17, 1894, he was taken to Montgomery county, Missouri when his family moved there in his fifth year. He went to the public schools in his new home and then came back to Stockport and worked on a farm for a time. He came to Fairfield when he was twenty and soon went to work at Louden's. When trouble developed in Mexico in 1916, he was a member of Company M and spent six months on the Border. Then he came back to Louden's. The World War called him back into service and for three months he was with a detachment guarding bridges at Ottumwa. Then a number of Company M men were transferred to Company M of the 168th Infantry, 42nd division. Stansberry was among them. They went to Fort Des Moines in April, 1917. From there they were sent to Camp Mills, N. Y. where they trained until December. Early in that month they embarked for France but when the boat was four days out the rumor was started that time bombs had been set in the hold of the vessel, so it was turned back to port. The soldiers were landed. Stansberry took the measles and was in a hospital nine days. By the middle of December they all were on another boat zig-zagging its way across the Atlantic. It took nine days to make the trip. They landed in Liverpool, went across England by train, crossed the Channel in the night and soon were behind the lines. By July 1, 1918, they were in a quiet sector getting ready for active participation in the war. The sector wasn't so quiet, however, but that they went over the top for the first time March 10. That was in the Lorraine sector. From there they were moved to the Champaigne front to oppose the German rush to Paris, and give the Heinies their first pause. It was here that the Unted States (sic) army began to turn the tide.

There was more fighting for Stansberry--the Verdun front, Chateau Thierry, St. Mehiel Belleau Woods!

The war ended and Stansberry came back to Louden's. Then he went to Parsons, Kansas and tried farming. In 1922 he came back to Louden's. Then he ran for sheriff. There were two opponents, a republican and an independent. He got 3,800 votes to their combined 3,000. When he came up for reelection, he beat his opponent 3,767 to 1,294. As Roosevelt remarked to his wife when he was elected, after having come to office through the death of President McKinley "You see, my dear, it wasn't just an accident." Mr. Stansverry is a Methodist, a Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Lion and a Woodman.

He married Miss Julia Dempsey of Fairfield May 22, 1919. They have two children--Lane Jr. and Darrell Dean.