Frank B. Gillmore of St. John, Kan., vice-president of the St. John National Bank, is one of Stafford county's prominent financiers and successful farmers. He was born June 1, 1853, on a farm in Lake county, Illinois. His parents, Benjamin P. and Mariam S. (Harper) Gillmore, were natives of Genesee county, New York. The father died in Illinois in 1862 and the mother at St. John, Kan., in 1896. Of their union were born seven children—five sons and two daughters: Capt. Evangelist J., the eldest, enlisted at the outbreak of the Civil war in Company B, Ninety-sixth Illinois infantry. He later became captain of his company and was killed in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, in June, 1864. Elizabeth J., the eldest daughter, is the wife of B. H. Hall, a retired farmer at Oskaloosa, Kan.; Maria is the wife of Andrew McKinney and resides at Cottage Grove, Ore.; Myron, who was a soldier in Company B, Ninety-sixth Illinois infantry, and was wounded at the battle of Dalton, Ga., is a resident of Topeka; Dwight L., who was a soldier in a Kansas regiment, is a resident of Obiquio, N. M.; George A. died in 1900, on his farm in Lake county, Illinois.

Frank B. Gillmore, the youngest son, received a limited education in the public schools of Lake county, Illinois. After his school days he worked on his father's farm and clerked in a store for several years.

In 1876 he married Miss Mary A. Ellis, who is a native of England. In November, 1877, they came to Kansas and located in what was formerly Barton county, but now Stafford county. There Mr. Gillmore took up a homestead in what is now Byron township, where he built a sod house and stable and went to work. He had less than $500 in money, but his small capital was complemented by firm determination and pluck, which qualities, together with business acumen, have made his subsequent career a successful one. He lived on his claim four years. In 1881 he was elected register of deeds of Stafford county. He was reëlected to that office, in 1883, and held it four years in all. He opened in Stafford county the first set of abstract books, which he kept up to date and conducted for twenty-one years. In 1886, with others, he organized the Kansas Security & Trust Company of St. John, of which he served as secretary fifteen years and as president five years. In 1905, with a capital of $25,000, he, with others, organized the St. John National Bank, of which he is now vice-president. Besides his banking interests he is a large Kansas land owner, 2,100 acres of his land being under cultivation. He also owns valuable town property in St. John.

Mr. and Mrs. Gillmore have five children—two sons and three daughters: Robert E., the eldest, is a resident of Brownsville, Tex.; Lois is the wife of P. O. Gray; Elizabeth is the wife of B. E. Osborne; Edna is the wife of Harry Aitken; and George F., all of whom are married and all, except the eldest son, reside in St. John, Kan. Mr. Gillmore takes an active interest in public affairs, and in his political views is a Republican. He has served as a city councilman of St. John six years and was acting mayor two years, during which time the electric light system, the sewerage system and waterworks were installed. He was also at one time editor of the "St. John Advance." He associates fraternally with the Masonic order, in which he has attained the Thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. Mrs. Gillmore is a communicant of the Episcopal church.