James Cash Penny

James Cash Penny

James Cash Penny (1875- 1971) = Farmer. Retail Entrepreneur. Author. Lecturer. Philanthropist. Best known for his retail department stores called J.C. Penny. Jim was born on September 16, 1875, the seventh child of twelve to Fannie and James Cash Penny. His father, a Baptist preacher and farmer in rural Caldwell County near Hamilton, MO., died during Jim's high school years and he helped his family financially by clerking at a small retail store nearby.

James moved when he was about twenty-two years from Missouri to Out West. He clerked for a frontier town dry-goods store called the "Golden Rule Store" which was run by Guy Johnson and T.M. Callahan. He, as a one-third partner, eventually bought the other's shares of the business to form what became known as the J.C. Penny Company, a cash and carry store. Due to the strict upbringing he had, Penny had high ethical standards, a strong work ethic, valued excellent service and rewarded his employees accordingly. His company motto was "HCSC"-- Honor, Confidence, Service, and Cooperation

James was married three times and had five children. His first wife, Berta Hess, died of pneumonia in 1910, his second, Mary Kimball, died suddenly in 1923, and his third marriage to Caroline Autenrieth lasted forty-five years until his death.

After a time of personal financial difficulty and during an illness, he heard people praying and softly singing hymns he recognized from his youth in the hospital chapel. A compassionate woman welcomed him, saying "Brother, come join us and know peace." Consequently, he prayed and an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders. He found peace and began to recover.

A t the age of ninety-five, James Cash Penny passed away on February 12, 1971. Rev. Norman Vincent Peale spoke during his funeral services at Manhattan, NY. St. James' Church.

More to Read:

1.) Celebration of Fools; An Inside Look at the Rise and Fall of JC Penney. By Bill Hare. 2004.

2.) Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penny. By Mary Elizabeth Curry, 1993.

3.)  Missouri Legends: Famous People from the Show-Me State. By John W. Brown.
4.) Papers of James Cash Penny (1941-1970) at the State Historical Society of Missouri.
5.) Findagrave # 803

Places to Visit in MO.:

1.)  J.C. Penny Museum and Boyhood Home. 312 N. Davis St., Hamilton, MO.

2.)  Local J.C. Penny department stores.

Citation: "James Cash Penny." Written by Dolores J. Rush. 15 October 2010. History Nut of Missouri, USA. 

Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon

Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon (1857 - 1946) = Congregational Minister. Author. Magazine Editor. Best known for his book titled "In His Steps," published in 1897. Charles, a P.K. (pastor's kid), was born in Wellsville, New York; one of five children, to Reverend Stewart Sheldon who ministered on the South Dakota prairie.

Charles was educated at the Phillips Academy (graduated 1879), Brown University (BA, 1883) and the Andover Theological Seminary (BD, 1886). He began his ministry in Waterbury, Vermont (1886-1888), then accepted a call to the Central Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas, arriving in 1889.

Sheldon wrote "In His Steps" to create interest in the Sunday night services at Central. It was written, out-of-doors, on the porch of the Author's house, in the month of July, 1896. The story, when finished, was read one chapter at a time instead of a sermon, leaving his audience hanging in suspense when he broke off his narrative for the night. Rev. Sheldon then submitted it to the Advance, a denominational weekly paper printed in Chicago, where it was published as a serial, then in paperback book form. Since then, it has become a Christian classic and sparked the W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do?) Christian marketing fervor a few years ago. A sequel to the book called "Jesus Is Here!" was published in 1913.

During the latter part of his life, he was the editor-in-chief for the Christian Herald (1920-1946), then a contributing editor (1925-1946). He wrote some fifty books and hundreds of articles in religious and secular periodicals as well as poems, hymns, and plays.

As a social gospel reformer, he worked for improvement in many areas: religious reform, basic rights of minorities, better living and working conditions, prohibition and world peace.

More to Read:

1. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Edited by: Reid, Linder, Shelly, & Stout. Intervarsity Press, 1990.

2. A Century of Congregationalism in Kansas; 1854 - 1954. By Charles M. Correll. The McCormick-Armstrong Co, Wichita, KS., 1953

3. Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA; 1956. 
4. Kansapedia article on Charles Sheldon

5. Findagrave #6532535

Other books written by Charles M. Sheldon: Richard Bruce (1891), The Crucifixion of Philip Strong (1894); Robert Hardy's Seven Days (1899); In His Steps Today (1896; 1921); The Narrow Gate (1902); All the World (1918).  and his autobiography: Charles M Sheldon, His Life Story (1925).

Citation: "Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon." Written by Dolores J. Rush. 13 October 2010. History Nut of Missouri, USA.