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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",  published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     CLINTON STASER.  Among the prominent lawyers of Adams county is Clinton Staser, who was born in Indiana, January 15, 1842.  His father, John C. Staser, who was a native of Germany, came to the United States in 1817, settling in Vanderburg county, Indiana, where he became a well-known and influential citizens.  He died on the old Indiana homestead in March, 1886.  Mr. Staser's mother, Margaret (Clinton) Staser, an Ohioan by birth, was a lineal descendant of De Witt Clinton.  She died in Indiana in April, 1866.
     Mr. Staser was raised in Indiana and lived there until 1894, when he came to Ritzville.  His early education was received in the district schools of his native state.  At the age of twenty he began the study of law in the office of Peter Maier, county judge, and a prominent attorney of Indiana.  At twenty-four he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of his profession in Evansville.  Here he remained twenty-six years, devoting his time principally to civil practice, and also engaged to some extent in the real estate business.  Since coming to Ritzville Mr. Staser has been more or less prominently identified with politics.  He is a staunch Democrat, at the hands of which party he has been made a member of the city council, police judge, member of the school committee, county delegate to his party's conventions, while at present he is filling the position of court commissioner, to which position he was appointed in 1896 by Judge Wallace Mount.
     Mr. Staser has the following named brothers and sisters, all living in Indiana: Frederick, Franklin, John C., Letitia, wife of James W. Lauer, and Anna, wife of George H. Stockfleth.
     On October 25, 1870, occurred the marriage of Clinton Staser to Clarissa E. Willey, a native of Delaware county, Ohio.  Her father, Henry Willey, a farmer, and her mother, Elizabeth (Weiser) Willey, were natives of Pennsylvania, and came of Pennsylvania Dutch families.  Mrs. Staser has two brothers: Ephraim and Samuel, both living in Ohio; and two sisters, Mary, wife of Dr. Mathew Loy, founder of the Lutheran college at Columbus, Ohio, and Elizabeth, widow of Dr. Morrison, living in Boston, who was an officer in the Civil War.
     Mr. and Mrs. Staser have seven children living: Walter, his father's law partner; John C., ex-county clerk, who is now with the Northern Pacific railroad survey, as is also J. Loy, the third child; Eva, wife of Oscar R. Holcomb, mentioned elsewhere in this book; Edith, Eleanor and Eloise.
     On September 2, 1903, Edith was married to Mr. Otto L. Hanson, a civil engineer and manager of the Northern Pacific irrigation ditch at Kennewick, Washington.  Mr. Hanson is mayor of Kennewick and a prominent man.
     An interesting point of family history is that Samuel Willey, the grandfather of Mrs. Staser, was a patriot in the Revolution.
     Mr. and Mrs. Staser, together with their children, are members of the Episcopal church.
     Mr. Staser owns some uncultivated land in Adams county, besides the block in Ritzville upon which his house is situated.
 
 

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