C.W. McIntyre, Hannibal

C.W. McIntyre was born Oct. 27, 1904, in Dowagiac County, Michigan and grew up on a farm near Silver Creek, Mich., where he learned what hard work was like. At 15, he was the youngest freshman to enroll in Michigan Agricultural College, better known today as Michigan State University. C. W. received BS and MS degrees in dairy husbandry in 1924 and 1926.

One of his earliest jobs was as a county dairy extension agent in Jackson County, Missouri, where County Judge Harry Truman was one of his “bosses”. While serving as a county extension worker he married his wife of 62 years, Georgia Belle Donaldson of Kansas City, in 1929. Mrs. McIntyre died in 1992, two years prior to her husband’s death in 1994.

Upon leaving extension work, C.W. moved to St. Louis as general manager of the National Dairy Association. There, he was involved in the construction of the St. Louis Arena where he later produced numerous cattle and horse shows.

In 1932, he became superintendent of the Hatch Farm near Hannibal which was a dairy experiment farm funded by the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Missouri with both federal and state funds. Research at the Hatch Farm was related primarily to dairying and agriculture in northeast Missouri.

In 1946 C.W. left the University to start a grading and terracing company McIntyre and Sons which has been operating in Hannibal for 50 years. He retired from active work in 1989 at the age of 85.

In his eulogy of his grandfather, John W. McIntyre recalled the principles and values by which C.W. chose to live. Included were the principles of personal integrity and responsibility; the value of wife and family; the principles of contributions to society and hard work; patriotism and love of country; the value of education and books; and the values of blue cheese, buttermilk, and ice cream.