Goppert Financial Bank:
A Story of Roots, Resilience, and Community

L.L. Stearns and Fred Edwards opened the Clinton County Bank in 1869—the first bank ever organized in Lathrop, Missouri. In 1879, James and W.H. Bohart stepped in, renaming it The Lathrop Bank and bringing with them a then‑impressive capital of $11,000. By 1899, The Lathrop Bank officially incorporated with a solid paid‑up capital of $25,000—an extraordinary milestone at the turn of the century. Additional capital increases followed as the bank cemented itself as a financial pillar in the region.

A turning point arrived on March 28, 1953, when C.H. Goppert & Associates purchased controlling interest, planting the seeds for the modern Goppert Financial Bank. The decades that followed saw expansion and modernization: a new main building in 1969, branch openings in Holt (1974) and Lawson (2003), and a celebrated 100‑year anniversary in 1979.

The 21st century brought further growth through mergers. In 2008, Citizens Bank of Norborne merged into The Lathrop Bank, officially creating Goppert Financial Bank. Later, in 2017, Pleasant Hill Bank became part of the Goppert family as well—bridging communities while strengthening the bank’s regional presence.

Leadership transitioned again in 2018, when Corey Strider became President, carrying forward the commitment to service, stability, and hometown values. Most recently in late 2025 the bank opened a branch in Richmond, Missouri, enhancing services in a gap that’s now filled between Lawson and Norborne. Across more than 145 years, the bank has seen eras of growth, hardship, war, economic shifts, and generational change. But one constant remains: A Legacy of Local Investment.