Paul S. Witten, a veteran
of the World War and the first commander
of Theodore Bazan Post,
No. 6, American Legion, of which he is a charter
member, is a descendant
of a prominent pioneer family of Missouri. He
was born in Moberly, Jan.
21, 1891, the son of Thomas R. and Laura E.
(Nichols) Witten.
Thomas R. Witten was
born in Crundy County, Mo. and was killed
in a railroad accident at
Benton City, Mo., Dec. 24, 1905, at the age of 44
years. He was a son of
Samuel Witten, a Kentuckian, who came to Mis-
souri at a very early date
and settled in Grundy County, where he entered
government land.
Laura E. (Nichols) Witten,
mother of Paul S. Witten now resides
in Moberly. She is a
descendant of one of the very early pioneer families
of Missouri. Her father
served in the Mexican War under Colonel
Donaphin, having
volunteered with the Missouri troops which were com-
manded by Donaphin, He
was the standard bearer and the flag which
he carried in the Mexican
War is now in possession of his descendants.
He was one of the first
graduates of the University of Missouri. He
was a farmer and merchant
and after the Civil War he was engaged in
business at Edinburgh,
Mo.
Paul S. Witten is one of
two sons born to his parents. The other
son, Guy, died at the age
of 29 years and his remains and also the
father's are buried in the
Perry Cemetery at Trenton, Mo. Paul S. Wit-
ten was educated in the
public schools and graduated from the Moberly
High School in 1909. He
then entered the employ of Doctor Harlan, a
druggist of Moberly, and
later was in the employ of W. 0. Baker, of
Centralia, Mo., and at the
death of his brother he returned to Moberly
and was in the employ of
John F. Curry for three years when he became
a partner in the business
and had been thus interested for two years
when the United States
entered the World War. Mr. Witten then sold
his interest in the business
and on Dec. 14, 1917 he enlisted in the United
States Army and the
Medical Corps at St. Louis, Mo, He was with the
Medical Supply Depot at
St. Louis for a time when he was sent to New-
port News and after one
months training was sent to France with Field
Medical Supply Company
No. 9, arriving in France, Oct. 10, 1918. He
was stationed on the front
at St. Mazaire, France, and then sent to Tours,
the S. 0. S. headquarters
and from there to Gieviers and was stationed
at the latter place until
May, 1919, when he was returned to the United
States and received his
honorable discharge after being in the service
about 18 months. He
returned to Moberly and shortly afterwards entered
the employ of the Taylor
Music Company.
Mr. Witten is a member of
the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, the American Legion
and is a Knights Templar Mason and a mem-
ber of the Sbrine, He is
one of the progressive and enterprising men of
Randolph County.
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