Truman Thomas Burr, lawyer at Galena, was born on a farm in Miller county, Missouri, Sept. 10, 1880, a son of Truman Thomas and Agnes (Owsley) Burr. His father was a native of Connecticut, and his mother of Missouri. Benjamin Burr was the progenitor of the family in America. He came from England in Winthrop's fleet in 1635, and settled in Connecticut. Ebenezer Burr, the great-great-great-grandfather of Truman T., served as a private in the Fifth Connecticut regiment during the American revolution. The Owsley family is from Kentucky. Governor Owsley, of that state, was a member of the same family. Mr. Burr's parents were married in Missouri, from which state the families came to Kansas, the father having died in Missouri. As early as 1868, he homesteaded a claim in Cherokee county, and to this claim Mr. Burr's mother removed in 1889. His father was a veteran of the Civil war, enlisting when sixteen years old, and served three years as a private in Company D, Forty-third Missouri infantry. He was mustered out of the service in June, 1865, and was but forty-five years of age at the time of his death. To him and wife were born eight children: Ralph H. is a farmer near Pittsburg; William C. resides at Denver, Col.; Mattie is the wife of N. C. Pellissero, of Trinidad, N. M.; Betty; Truman Thomas; Chloe is the wife of Ray Marks, of Pittsburg, Kan.; Ettie is a teacher in the public schools of Galena; Edgar W. is a lieutenant of the Ninth cavalry, United States army.

Truman Thomas Burr was reared on a farm in Cherokee county. He graduated in the Webb City (Mo.) High School in 1900, studied law at Galena, and was admitted to the bar Nov. 27, 1901. At once he entered upon the practice of law at Galena, where he has built up a desirable practice in his profession and ranks among the leading lawyers of his county. He served two years as deputy county attorney, is now assistant attorney-general in Cherokee county, and aside from this has held no position of public office, other than as a member of the Galena city school board. He is a Republican in politics, and fraternally is a Master Mason, and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. From the age of nine years Mr. Burr has made his own way in life. Conditions of financial distress in his widowed mother's home made it necessary that he begin the battle of life for himself at that early age. Mr. Burr and Miss Trella Thomas were married in 1903. They have three children: Marjorie, Hortense and Truman Thomas, Jr. Mrs. Burr is a native of Webb City, Mo., and an undergraduate of the University of Kansas.