by Lee Edgar "Jelly" Settle

Lee Edgar Settle was born in New Franklin MO, on July 20, 1882, the son of J. M. and Laura (Van Aradale) Settle at xxxx S. Howard Street. Edgar Settle was a natural piano player and began playing at the age of five or six years [balance illegible].

[2nd and 3rd paragraphs largely illegible]

[4th paragraph begins largely illegible, then]

Frederick Knight Logan, a composer and arranger[?], procured the rights to the tune from Eppel and paid for the printing and publishing of the first 1,000 copies of sheet music. By 1940, about six million copies of the sheet music had been sold and became the second most popular sheet music seller for many years. Settle was given official credit for composing the tune.

On June 30, 1949, the Missouri State Legislature declared "The Missouri Waltz" as the official State Song. Lee Edgar "Jelly" Settle died on February 4, 1949, and is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery at New Franklin, never knowing his original tune became the State Song of Missouri. The South Howard County Historical Society erected a stone monument at his unmarked grave site in 1992.

————————

[The New Franklin Viaduct text on the marker is essentially illegible]

Marker is on Broadway, in the median.

Courtesy hmdb.org

Credits and Sources: