William N. Bendure

WILLIAM N. BENDURE is now serving as postmaster at Bartlett, and is one of the young but very influential figures in democratic politics in that section of the state. He was admitted to the bar in January, 1917.

Mr. Bendure was born at Bartlett, February 6, 1890, a son of Dr. Charles Samuel Bendure, a prominent physician of Bartlett for many years. Doctor Bendure was born in Marshall County, Indiana, August 3, 1860, a son of W. H. and Rebecca J. (Stallard) Bendure. W. H. Bendure had a very notable career and was one of the very earliest settlers of Labette County. He first came to Kansas in 1870, lived on a homestead in Neosho County for ten years, then went to Longton, and after varied experiences in Kansas he entered the Indian Territory in 1885 and was engaged in farming there for four years. He was one of the pioneer business men of Bartlett in Labette County, but afterwards sold out and made the run into the Cherokee Strip in 1893. He finally bought a farm in Arkansas, where he died.

Dr. Charles S. Bendure, who was the second in a family of seven children, spent his early life on his father's farm, chiefly in Kansas, and began the practice of medicine nearly thirty-five years ago. He practiced in Kansas and also in Oklahoma, but since 1889 has been caring for a large general practice at Bartlett. He was given the M. D. degree in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Kansas City, Kansas, in 1897. Besides practicing medicine he has also been a prominent worker in the civic ranks of Labette County and his home town. Doctor Bendure was married in 1883 to Miss Ellen M. Ashmore, whose father, R. N. Ashmore, was for many years probate judge of Elk County, Kansas. Doctor Bendure and wife had a family of four children: Harl W., Harvey Leonard, William N. and Gertrude May.

William N. Bendure was born at Bartlett, Kansas, February 6, 1890. He received his early education in the public schools of his native village, and graduating at the age of fourteen he had the equivalent of a high school education. He has been self supporting since he was eleven years of age, and is a man of good natural gifts and abilities and of a great degree of energy to make the best use of all his opportunities. In 1905 he attended the Fredonia Business College.

For a year and a half Mr. Bendure studied medicine with his father. From Bartlett he then moved to Oswego, where he took up the study of law with the Hon. Francis M. Brady, first assistant to the United States district attorney of Kansas City, Kansas. After his return to Bartlett Mr. Bendure took extension work, and in 1916 was awarded the degree LL. B. by Hamilton College of Law at Chicago.

He is a very active democrat and on November 23, 1914, Thanksgiving Day, was appointed postmaster at Bartlett, an office he still fills with credit to himself and in a most satisfactory manner to the patrons of the office. During the session of 1915 Mr. Bendure was journal clerk of the State Legislature.

He was formerly a stockholder in the Conklin Mortgage Company of Wichita. He is affiliated with Lodge No. 458 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Bartlett, in which he has held several of the chairs. He organized the Citizens Concert Band at Bartlett for the purpose of boosting the town and he has always played one of the instruments in that band of thirty-four pieces, which has a more than local reputation as a musical organization. Mr. Bendure belongs to the Sons and Daughters of Justice and to the Rebekahs.

On July 2, 1913, at Carthage, Missouri, he married Miss Estella M. Long, a daughter of Addison and Mary (Detchon) Long, both of whom are now deceased. Her father was at one time a retired farm owner at Chetopa, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Bendure have one daughter, Mary Ellen, born June 22, 1915. Mrs. Bendure is a graduate of the Chetopa High School and the Kansas State Manual Training Normal at Pittsburg, and has a life teacher's certificate. She taught one year in Bartlett and three years in Chetopa before her marriage. Mrs. Bendure was born in East Palestine, Ohio, and her parents moved to Kansas in 1890, locating in Chetopa. It was in Chetopa that she grew to womanhood and received most of her education. She is an active member of the Rebekahs and of the Bartlett Band Boosters Club.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 1 & 2
BIOGRAPHIES — VOLUMES 3, 4, & 5
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