Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 840 - 841

PROF. W. A. CRUSINBERRY, Professor of Mathematics, of Garfield University, Wichita. He is a native of Woodford County, Ill., and was born Nov. 19, 1851, and is a son of James and Samantha (Brown) Crusinberry, natives respectively of Ohio and Illinois. The paternal grandfather of our subject, William Crusinberry, is a native of Ohio, where he was for many years actively engaged in farming and building. He is now living in honorable retirement in Iowa, far advanced in years, aged eighty‑eight. His son James spent the early years of his boyhood in the home of his birth, and was a lad of ten years when his parents removed to Illinois. He was there trained to agricultural pursuits, and there married and settled down in life for many years. His first wife, mother of our subject, died in their home in that State in 1853. She was an exemplary woman, and worthy in every respect of the high regard in which she was held. Of her children our subject is the only survivor. Mr. Crusinberry's second marriage, which took place in 1858, was to Miss L. M. Tucker, a native of Illinois. Two children have been born to them, Leonidas and Frank. In 1865 Mr. Crusinberry moved with his family to Iowa, where he embarked in the business of contracting and building, and also managed his farm of 320 acres, which he purchased after locating in that State. He conducted his business very profitably for a number of years, but has now discontinued it and pays sole attention to his extensive agricultural interests.

             The subject of this biography passed his early years in his native State, and when a lad of fourteen moved with his parents to Iowa, where he remained on the home farm, assisting his father in its management until he was twenty years old, receiving, in the meantime, the rudiments of his education in the district schools. At that age he left home to attend college, Lenox College, Delaware County, Iowa, being the institution selected as the best one in all respects to fit him for a profession. He remained as a student within its walls for seven years, and was graduated from the scientific course with an honorable record for excellent scholarship, in 1877. After his graduation he continued teaching in the same college for seven years. To further prepare himself for his chosen calling he took a classical course in the Oskaloosa College, remaining a student there for one year. Subsequently he returned to Lenox College as one of its corps of instructors, at the same time keeping up with his studies in classics at Oskaloosa College, from which he was graduated with high rank in 1881. He remained at Lenox College, at the head of the mathematical department, until 1885, when he was called to take charge of the public schools of Floyd, Floyd Co., Iowa, which position he retained until June, 1887. He was then offered the Chair of Mathematics at Garfield University, a position for which his talents and fine scholarly attainments eminently qualified him.

              Our subject has been twice married. In 1876 he was married to Miss Mary B. Aitchison, a native of Scotland, and a daughter of James and Jeannette Aitchison. Two children were born of that marriage - Mabel and Arnot. Mrs. Crusinberry died Jan. 18, 1878, in Hopkinton, Iowa. His second marriage, which took place July 7, 1885, was to Miss Emma L. Flude, of Hopkinton, Iowa, daughter of Prof. William Flude, of Lenox College. She died five and one-half months after marriage.

             Prof. Crusinberry is very highly respected, not only for his learning, but for his irreproachable moral character. He is a member of the Christian Church; politically, he is a Republican.

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