Fields of faith - The story of Enoch Ernest Shikles is one of faith, family and farming

Enon community of Cole and Moniteau counties, built his life around faith, family and the land. A member of Enon Baptist Church, he and his wife, Annie Roark Shikles, raised four children while enduring both hardship and change in rural Missouri. Shikles died in 1962 and is buried in Enloe Cemetery, where his legacy remains tied to the community he helped sustain. Courtesy of Karen Farris O’Farrell

In the rolling countryside of central Missouri, where fields stretch toward timbered ridgelines and communities are often defined more by faith and family, the life of Enoch Ernest Shikles silently unfolded. Though his name may not resonate in history books, his story reflects the enduring values that shaped rural Missouri for generations.

Enoch Shikles was born on Sept. 16, 1876, on a farm near Enon in Cole County, Missouri, the son of Allen Shikles and Ann Elizabeth Wiser. His roots in the region, however, stretched back much further. According to a souvenir book published for Russellville’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1988, members of the Shikles family “came to the Russellville area in 1835 or 1836 from Allen County, Kentucky,” placing them among the early settlers who helped shape the community in its formative years.

Raised in a time when life was closely tied to the land, Enoch was raised like many boys who came of age in the post-Civil War Midwest. His early years were likely filled with chores, seasonal rhythms and the steady influence of family and church. The Shikles family roots extended deep in the region, and Enoch spent his life continuing that tradition. Farming was not simply an occupation, but rather a way of life that required patience, endurance and a willingness to accept both the rewards and hardships that came with the land.

One of the most defining and difficult periods of his life came in 1902. In the span of just a few days, Enoch and his family endured devastating loss. His younger brother, Lorenzo, died on Jan. 21, 1902, at only 20 years of age. Then, just three days later, tragedy struck again with the death of his father, Allen Shikles.

A local newspaper, the California Democrat, captured the weight of that moment in its Feb. 6, 1902 edition, writing: “The grim reaper, Death, invaded the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Shikles on Wednesday of last week, plucking therefrom their son, Mr. Lorenzo Shikles, a sturdy young man of some 20 summers, and, as if unsatisfied with this one blow, he returned on Friday and claimed for his own the head of the family, Mr. Allen Shikles….”

For Enoch, then a young man in his mid-20s, the sudden loss of both a brother and father within days would have left a profound mark. In a rural household where family labor and leadership were essential, such losses were not only emotional but represented in the daily realities of sustaining the farm and caring for those left behind.

On June 2, 1901—just months before that difficult year—Enoch had married Annie Roark, beginning a partnership that would anchor his life for decades. Together, they built a home grounded in shared values, raising a family that reflected their commitment to both faith and community. The couple became the parents of four children—two sons and two daughters.

Central to their life and community was Enon Baptist Church in Moniteau County. Church records indicate that both Enoch and Annie became members in January 1909, formalizing a commitment they carried forth for decades. The church itself had been established only a few years earlier, born out of a shared vision among local residents.

A booklet titled The Jubilee Year of the Enon Baptist Church: 1904–1954 explains, “The Enon Baptist Church had its beginnings, even before the memorable year of 1904, in the hearts of several consecrated Christians who had a burning desire to have a place of worship in their small village, which was the natural meeting place of the community.” It further notes, “On the 4th day of December 1904, the group of Christians met for the purpose of organization.”

For families like the Shikles, the church was far more than a place of worship; it was a cornerstone of daily life that shaped relationships, values and community identity. Just as vital to that life was nearby South Moreau Creek, whose waters sustained local farms and provided a natural gathering place for recreation, picnics and baptisms.

Life in rural Missouri during the early 20th century was certainly not without hardship. Economic uncertainty, changing agricultural practices and the broader shifts of the modern world all touched even the most remote communities. Yet individuals like Enoch Shikles adapted as best they could, maintaining their way of life while boldly navigating those changes.

By the time he reached his later years, Enoch had witnessed the horse-and-wagon days of his youth transition to the mechanization of agriculture. Still, the core elements of his life—faith, family and the land—remained a constant.

Enoch Shikles passed away on Dec. 10, 1962, at the age of 86, his death attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage. He was laid to rest in Enloe Cemetery in rural Moniteau County, not far from the land where he had spent his life. His wife, Annie Roark Shikles, with whom he had shared more than six decades of marriage, died on Feb. 15, 1965, and was laid to rest beside him.

He was like many farmers of the region and era, never seeking recognition beyond the boundaries of his family, his church and the land he worked. Yet it was within that sphere that his life carried lasting meaning. He endured loss, built a home rooted in faith and helped sustain a community shaped by shared values and hard work.

In places like Enon, where the waters of South Moreau Creek still wind through the countryside, the legacy of families like the Shikleses remains … not in monuments, but in memory, tradition and the enduring ties between land, faith and family.

Jeremy P. Ämick is author of the historical compilations “Moments on the Moreau” and “Beyond the Moreau.”