Biography - Ray H. Farmer

Financial interests in Burke county have a representative in Ray H. Farmer, president of the Bank of Flaxton. He was born in Chamberlain, Brule county, South Dakota, June 21, 1882, a son of W. J. and Anna B. (Middaw) Farmer. The father, a native of Indiana, is largely a self-educated as well as a self-made man. He became a pioneer settler of South Dakota, arriving in an early day at Chamberlain, where he engaged in the practice of law. He became a prominent and influential citizen of that locality and filled various county offices, while upon public thought and opinion he exerted a beneficial and widely felt influence. He has now retired from active practice and makes his home in Chamberlain. His wife is a native of Indiana but was reared, educated and married in Iowa.

Ray H. Farmer obtained his education in the public schools of his native city and after leaving the high school entered the Dakota Wesleyan University at Mitchell, South Dakota, after which he made his initial step in the business world as an employe in the National Bank of Huron at Huron, South Dakota, with which he was connected for nine years. He started in as office boy and worked his way upward to the position of assistant cashier, which position he resigned in 1913 to become president of the First Bank of Flaxton, in which capacity he still continues, actively directing the interests and development of that institution.

On the 10th of March, 1914, Mr. Farmer was married to Miss Carrie A. Morrison, of Pine River, Minnesota, who was born at Pierre, South Dakota, and educated at Miller, that state. She afterward taught school at Miller and at Brookings, South Dakota, and following her marriage came with her husband to Flaxton, where she passed away February 22, 1916, her death being deeply regretted by many friends.

In his political views Mr. Farmer is an earnest republican. He has served as a member of the town board of Flaxton and in the spring of 1916 was elected mayor, which position he is now acceptably filling. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen camp of Flaxton and the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and he is an active and prominent member of the Presbyterian church, in which he is serving on the board of managers. His has been an active and well spent life characterized by high principles and a ready recognition of the rights of others at all times.

Extracted 05 Nov 2019 by Norma Hass from North Dakota History and People, published in 1917, volume 2, pages 319-320.