Jessie Varner, now deceased, was an early settler in Butler county, and, for a number of years, was a successful farmer and stockman. He was industrious and thrifty, and not only accumulated a competence and left his family in comfortable circumstances, but he was a citizen whose real worth to Butler county was recognized by all who knew him.

Jessie Varner was born in Washington county, Ohio, in 1828, and was a son of Joseph and Martha (Drumm) Varner, natives of Ohio. They were the parents of the following children: David; George; Mrs. Martha Pugh, all of whom reside in Washington county, Ohio; and John, deceased; Mrs. Rebecca Seal, Cedar Grove, Ind.; Daniel, died in Oregon; Mrs. Sarah Dunbar, died in Washington, and Jessie, the subject of this sketch.

Jessie Varner was reared to manhood in Washington county, Ohio, and educated in the public schools. For a time, he was a school teacher in early life in his native county, but later engaged in farming and stock raising. In 1861, he went to Illinois, locating at DeSoto, Jackson county, where he bought a farm and followed farming and stock raising until 1880. He then came to Kansas and located at DeGraff, Butler county, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1892, when he bought 1,190 acres of land in the fertile Walnut river valley in Walnut township. He was an extensive feeder, and made money in this enterprise, and his career, all together, was that of a successful business man, who made the most of his opportunities. He died in 1904. He had an extensive acquaintance and many friends in Butler county. He was a member of the Masonic lodge at Augusta.

Jessie Varner and Miss Olive Orr were united in marriage on April 4, 1861, in Wayne county, Illinois. Mrs. Varner was a native of Mahoning county, Ohio, where she was born in 1837, a daughter of Russel and Eleanor (Winans) Orr. To this union were born the following chil-

dren: Ed C., married Ona Carr, Augusta, Kans.; George F. married Mabel Marshall, Burlingame, Kans.; Frank, resides at home; Charles, married Gertrude Long, Augusta, Kans.; Mrs. Ella McDougal, Rock, Kans.; Emma, resides at Augusta, and Mrs. Dora Boss, Denver, Colorado. The Varner family is prominent in Butler county, and are known as substantial and representative people.

Ed and Frank Varner own the best oil producing land in Butler county, and, notwithstanding the high financial rating owing to this, they are still the plain, unassuming men of affairs their friends knew before, and their good fortune is a matter of rejoicing among these old time friends.

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