Francis M. Patterson, editor and owner of the "Weekly Advocate," at Yates Center, Kan., has been engaged in newspaper work but a few years, but being a man of excellent educational qualifications and good business ability he he[sic] has already achieved a success in that line of endeavor and publishes one of the strong weekly papers of the state. Mr. Patterson comes of Revolutionary ancestry and is a native of Missouri, born in St. Louis county, Nov. 8, 1855, to E. W. and Malissa (Fugate) Patterson, both born in Missouri. The father was a farmer by occupation and spent his whole life in his native state, where he died in 1902. In politics he was a Democrat, though he took no other than a voting interest in political affairs. He was a son of William and Assenth (Piggott) Patterson, the former of whom was born in North Carolina, but came to Missouri when a boy and spent the remainder of his life in that state. William Patterson was also a farmer and died in Missouri on the land that had been granted to his father by Spain. The parents of his wife, Assenth Piggott, were very early settlers in Missouri and her father owned the first ferry at St. Louis. James Fugate, maternal grandfather of Francis M. Patterson, was also an early settler in Missouri and was a carpenter. John Patterson, great-grandfather of Mr. Patterson, was a patriot in the Revolutionary war.

Francis M. Patterson was reared in Missouri and completed his education at the Kirksville Normal College, where he graduated in the teachers' course in 1885. From that time until 1908 he was engaged in the profession of teaching and attained a high standing as a successful and progressive educator. He was superintendent of the schools at Yates Center six years prior to taking up his newspaper work, in 1909. The "Weekly Advocate" is a Democratic paper and is one of the leading and most successful publications in Woodson county.

In 1901 Mr. Patterson was united in marriage to Miss Minnie L. Crosswhite of Missouri. She is a daughter of Isaac Crosswhite, a prominent and well known stockman of Missouri and the owner of the famous horse "Montrose." Mr. and Mrs. Patterson have two children—Francis K. in school, and Lee Crosswhite, five years of age (1911). Mr. Patterson is a stanch Democrat and is an active worker in promoting his party's success. He devotes his whole attention to his newspaper work and has already demonstrated his ability in that line of professional work as well as in teaching. He is a member of the Masonic order and has attained the Knights Templar degree. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.