Stanley Livingstone Soper, a well known educator and superintendent of the city schools of Eureka, Kan., is a native of Illinois, born in Champaign county, May 31, 1875. He is a son of Milton H. and Catherine A. (Soper) Soper. The father was born in Franklin county, Vermont, April 2, 1836, of Vermont parents, and was educated for the profession of medicine at the University of Michigan. However, he did not take up the practice, but returned to the home farm in Vermont. He remained there until the death of his father, in 1857, when he came west, locating in Champaign county, Illinois, and bought a farm of 160 acres at $3.00 per acre. He improved this place and brought it under a high state of cultivation, and became a very successful farmer. He was prominent in the public affairs of Champaign county, and held several local offices of trust. In 1892 he sold this farm and removed to Hamilton county, Illinois, and purchased a larger place, containing 600 acres, engaging in farming on a more extensive scale. In 1899 he came to Kansas, locating at Russell and engaged in the milling business, where he remained three years, when he removed to Fairbank, Minn., and spent his remaining days. He died December 19, 1909. He was a member of the Masonic lodge, and a man of deep religious convictions, and lived a consistent Christian life. Milton H. Soper and Catherine Soper were married in 1863 at Fairfax, Vt. They were not related, in any way, as bearing the same name might indicate. Mrs. Soper was born June 1, 1845, at Fairfax, Vt., and was a daughter of John M. and Mary Soper, both natives of Vermont. She died January 13, 1893, at Garrison, Ill., in the midst of a useful career. She was a highly educated woman, of considerable literary ability, and a high type of womanhood of noble Christian character. To Milton H. and Catherine Soper were born six children, all of whom are living: Cora May, born November 9, 1865, married Green B. Dasrham, farmer, Hamilton county, Illinois; Adrain E., born October 7, 1868, farmer, Hamilton county, Illinois; Arthur M., born May 9, 1872, farmer, Belle City, Ill.; Stanley Livingstone, the subject of this sketch; Morton N., a horticulturist, Creswell, Ore., and Laura Edith, born June 2, 1881, the wife of James A. Hervey, Fountain, Minn.

Stanley L. Soper was reared in Champaign county, Illinois, and attended the public schools, graduating at the Rantoul High School in the class of 1892. He then entered the University of Illinois, and was graduated with honors in the class of 1898, standing second in a class of ninety-one. He then came to Kansas with his parents and worked in the capacity of bookkeeper for the firm of Soper & Sons, of which he was a member. They conducted a flour mill at Russell, Kan., for three years, when they sold out, and he engaged in teaching in Russell county two years, when he became superintendent of the Waterville city schools, and later was superintendent of the city schools at Axtell, Kan., for four years. In 1912 he became superintendent of the Eureka city schools, and still holds that position. In addition to his school work, Mr. Soper has been a hard student, and has constantly gone forward with his educational work. Since he began teaching he has taken a post-graduate course in the University of Chicago. In 1902-03 he took a special course at the State Normal School at Emporia, and is a man thoroughly qualified for the great educational work before him. He is progressive in his work and since coming to Eureka has made many improvements, such as reorganizing the grades, extending the manual training course, etc. Mr. Soper was united in marriage January 1, 1903, to Miss Mabel, daughter of J. F. and Callie (Perce) Dollison, natives of Ohio. The father was a prominent attorney of Russell. The Dollison family came to Kansas in 1870 and the father died October 27, 1912. Mrs. Soper was born August 24, 1878, at Russell, Kan., where she was educated and graduated in the high school in the class of 1895, and was engaged in stenographic work prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Soper have been born six children: James Milton, born January 11, 1904; Doris Amy and Dorothy Mabel (twins), born May 27, 1906, the latter dying May 1, 1908; Cecil Stanley, born May 24, 1909; Rebecca, born February 28, 1911, and Franklin Everett, born September 12, 1913. Mr. Soper believes there is always room for improvement, and is one of the progressive educators of the State. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.