USA > Missouri > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County, Missouri, early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens, Volume II > Part 56
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lives in Galveston, Texas, and was in the great flood there in September, 1901; Mrs. Ada Jane Moore lives in Telford, Tennessee; and Benjamin Franklin is deceased.
It is worthy of note that Washington College, in Washington county, Tennessee, was founded by James McLinn and was long supported and managed by the McLinns, who were near relatives of our subject's father.
Albert S. McLinn grew to manhood on the home farm in Tennessee, and there assisted with the work when a boy, and received a good educa- tion in the home schools. He remained in his native county until May 10, 1881, when he left his native state and crossed the Cumberland moun- tains alone, carrying his clothes in a pillow-case. He was employed by a man named Day at Jackson, Breathitt county, Kentucky, and helped sur- vey a railroad in the Cumberland mountains under Captain Kelton, who surveyed and built the Frisco railroad through Willard, Greene county, the road being known as the Bolivar branch, terminating at the county- seat of Polk county, until it was built on north many years later to con- nect the Blair line at Osceola. He also attended school at Hazelgreen, that state, for three years, the town being at that time about one hundred miles from a railroad. Coming to Missouri, in 1884, he worked under Captain Kelton at St. Louis. Mr. McLinn located in the vicinity of Cave Spring, Greene county, on rented land, bought a team and began general farming, and has lived in this locality ever since. In 1896 he purchased eighty acres in Murray township, on which he resided until 1900, then sold out and rented the Spencer Watson farm of forty acres and the Wes- ley Wadlow farm of one hundred and fifty-three acres together and lived there until 1903, when he moved to the old homestead residence of Wesley Wadlow, whose widow still lived on the place, and after her death Mr. McLinn purchased the interests of the other heirs, in 1909, and here he still resides, now owning one hundred and ninety-seven acres of good land, on which he has made many important improvements, and carries on gen- eral farming and stock raising, handling large numbers of mules, cattle and hogs annually. During the winter months he buys, trades and ships live stock, and usually feeds a large herd of cattle and hogs. He has erected on his place a modern barn and silo and other substantial buildings, and his place, which is known as the "Side View Farm," is one of the best appearing and valuable in the township. Twenty-five acres of his land has been set to apples, principally the Ben Davis variety, and he devotes considerable attention to the same, and in favorable years this nets him a neat income. The farm is well located: public roads run past three sides of his farm and one passes through the place.
Mr. McLinn was married, first, on October 21, 1886, to Rachel Wilson, a native of Greene county, who died in 1900, leaving three children, namely :
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John Herman, who married Barbara Lee Kime, of Willard, lives on a farm in Murray township; Jessie Leona, who married Clarence Gorsuch, lives in Lamar, Missouri; Gladys Lucile lives at home.
On May 2, 1903, our subject married Lillie D. Wadlow, and two chil- dren have been born to this union, namely: Robert Wesley and Mary Margaret. Mrs. McLinn was born and reared near Willard, this county, and was educated in the local schools. She is a daughter of John Wesley Wadlow, who was born in Washington county, Virginia, now a part of West Virginia, December 17, 1797, and there he spent his early boyhood, immigrating from Tennessee to Greene county, Missouri, about 1835, and settling twelve miles northwest of Springfield. On July 24. 1837, he married Mary Hastings, and to them seven children were born, namely : Alzirah Jane, deceased ; Mary Louisa, living : Sarah Ann, Margaret Elizabeth, Martha Agnes, Matilda Caroline and John W. are all deceased. Mary Hastings was born on January 27, 1820, and her death occurred on December 12, 1854. On November 29, 1858, John W. Wadlow married Mary Ann Lethco, a native of Greene county, and seven children were also born to this union, namely : Joanna, Susan Arbell, Charles F., George W. and Dora Emma were twins; Laura May is deceased ; and Lillie Daisy, wife of our subject, is the young- est of the family. The death of the mother of these children occurred on March 13, 1909. Cyrus Cunningham, grandfather of the wife of our subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
John W. Wadlow was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and he gave a tract of land on which was built the Wesley chapel, of this township, and he also donated ground for a cemetery, and in this he was finally laid to rest at the advanced age of ninety-two years, after a long, useful and honest life, replete with kindness, good deeds and blessings to others. In his early days he taught school, and was justice of the peace in Greene county for many years. He was a typical pioneer. He entered land from the government in Virginia, and from that state moved to Tennessee with his parents, John Wesley Wadlow and Mary (Kenold) Wadlow, and received his education. He was a Democrat, was a well read and influential man and was a hard-working, successful farmer, and by his thrift and good management accumulated a comfortable com- petence. He remained vigorous in his old age and was able to do a great deal of work up to the last. His wife, Mary Ann Lethco, was born on March 28, 1829. in Richland county, North Carolina, and when twelve years of age she made the long overland journey from that remote section of Dixie land to Greene county, Missouri, the family locating near Ebenezer. in Robberson township. Her death occurred at the age of seventy-nine years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at
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Wesley chapel and Willard, holding membership in this denomination over sixty years.
Mr. McLinn, our subject, made a trip to Tennessee with his family in 1905 and attended a reunion of the MeLinns, a large number of whom still reside in Washington county. He has many valuable heirlooms, such as old gold and silver pocket-pieces, bed-spreads, table-cloths of fine linen, and many other things, all of which he highly prizes.
Politically, Mr. McLinn is a Democrat, but has never cared for an active public life. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at Willard, to which his wife also belongs, and they both take an active interest in church and Sunday school work, the missionary society and the young people's meetings. They are advocates of all good things for their community, and the general welfare of the township and county, being broad-minded. well-read and neighborly.
JESSE J. FOSTER, JR.
A strict adherence to a fixed purpose and faithfulness to duty, backed by correct individual habits of life, have been dominating factors in the career of Jesse J. Foster, Jr., for a number of years one of the successful educators of the locality of Strafford, where he later worked in the United States mail service and where he is now postmaster.
Mr. Foster was born on a farm in Webster county, Missouri, August 26, 1875. He is a son of Jesse J. and Elizabeth (Turner) Foster. The father was born in Webster county also, near the town of Seymour, in 1846, and was reared in Marshfield, county-seat of that county, and there , he received his education. He began life for himself by teaching, which he continued three years. When eighteen years old he enlisted for service in the Union army under Colonel McMahan, in 1863, and served creditably for two years, being honorably discharged at the close of the war at Spring- field, Missouri, after which he returned to Marshfield, then located on the James river in Greene county, where he engaged in farming. He later moved to the village of Henderson, where he operated a store, then moved to another farm in Greene county, where he continued to reside until three years ago, when he moved to Colorado, in which state he now resides. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife was born in Missouri in 1848, was reared on a farm and educated in the district schools. She taught school three years before her marriage. Two of her brothers were soldiers in the Confederate army and were wounded. She is a member of the Missionary Baptist church. Eight children have been born to these
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parents, namely : John D. is the oldest; William F. was well educated and taught school a number of years before his death; Joseph F. was next in order of birth; Jesse J., Jr., of this sketch; Mrs. Mary A. Mckerall; Mrs. Bessie Killian; Grace is teaching music in Colorado; Sarah is teaching school in Colorado.
The subject of this sketch was reared on the home farm and he was given the advantages of a good education. He began teaching school when young, which he followed with marked success for eight years, after which he began carrying the mail, remaining in this work for a period of nine years, giving entire satisfaction to the people and the department at Wash- ington. In February, 1914, he was appointed postmaster at Strafford, having passed a successful civil service examination for the same, and he is proving to be an alert, capable and popular postmaster.
Mr. Foster was married to Florence Hankins, who was born in Greene county in 1875, and she grew to womanhood in Strafford, and received a common school education here. She is a daughter of William T. and Mary (Comstock) Hankins. The latter is deceased, but the father is still a resi- dent of Strafford. Mrs. Foster is a member of the Baptist church.
Two children have been born to our subject and wife, namely: Joseph W., born May I, 1904; and Helen, born August 30, 1906.
Politically, Mr. Foster is a Democrat. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the Baptist church. He is active and influential in the affairs of his locality, is a director in the Bank of Strafford and a member of the local school board.
GEORGE W. O'BRYANT.
Although George W. O'Bryant, of Brookline township, Greene county, does not farm on so large a scale as some of his neighbors, yet he does well whatever he attempts and is making a good living. The time has arrived when farms the size of his will be more numerous than those that are larger, for it has been found that the methods of farming must change as climate and general conditions change, and in order to carry on intensive farming one does not need a vast acreage. Our subject has spent his life in this locality which he has seen develop from primitive conditions to its present high state of prosperity.
Mr. O'Bryant was born in the above named township and county, Octo- ber 7, 1864. He is a son of George W. and Mary Caroline (Howard) O'Bryant, natives of Tennessee and North Carolina, respectively. The father came to Missouri with his parents when he was quite young, the
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family locating in Cedar county, near Cane Hill, on a farm, and there G. W. O'Bryant was reared to manhood and received a meager education in the early-day schools. When older he located in Greene county. His wife, Mary Caroline Howard, emigrated from the far Southland with her parents to Missouri in 1839, the family locating near what is now Battle- field, on the James river, in Greene county, and there our subject's mother was reared on a farm and received such educational advantages as the early- day schools afforded, and she and Mr. O'Bryant were married in 1851. To their union nine children were born, namely: Armitta died in infancy ; Mary Frances is the wife of Levi Taylor, of Polk county, Missouri ; Martha Ann. married J. T. Phillips, both now deceased, who was at one time judge of
RESIDENCE OF G. W. O'BRYANT.
the county court of Greene county; William T. and Delilah E. are twins ; the former lives on a farm in Brookline township, and the latter is the wife of Winfield Lawson, of Republic; Alice A., deceased, was the wife of a Dr. Camp, of Springfield; Nancy C. is the wife of J. T. Crouch and lives in Arizona; George W. of this sketch; Jas. Henry is in the United States mail service in Springfield.
During the Civil war George W. O'Bryant, Sr., was a member of the Home Guards, seeing considerable service in this locality. He was one of the guides of Gen. Lyon's army from Springfield to the Confederate camps on Wilson's creek the night preceding the great battle there, August 10. 1861, and he was at Springfield during the various engagements that were later fought there. His death occurred on his farm in Brookline township in 1866, his widow surviving until 1903. outliving him thirty-seven years, and reaching the age of seventy-three.
(92)
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George W. O'Bryant of this sketch grew to manhood on the home- stead and here he still resides, in fact, has spent his life here. He received his education in the district schools of his native township, the first school he attended having been taught in an old log house, equipped with an open fireplace and hewn slabs for seats with no backs. He was about twenty years old before he went to school and eight years later he attended one term in Republic, walking almost daily to the school house which was three and one-half miles distant. He has spent his life engaged in general farm- ing and owns sixty acres, a part of the original home place, and he has kept the land well tilled and it is very productive, and he has a comfortable home.
Mr. O'Bryant was married, November 7, 1904, to Maude Kirby, a daughter of James H .and Mary .(Woods) Kirby, who are residents of Mt. Vernon, Lawrence county, this state. Mrs. O'Bryant was born in 1873 in the village of Chesapeake, that county, and in that vicinity she grew to womanhood and received a common school education. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirby the following children were born: Mattie is the wife of George Hill- house, of Verona, Missouri; M. Filmore lives in California; Sallie is the wife of William Howard, of Lawrence county; Dora is the wife of J. N. McCacken, of Springfield; Ella is the wife of G. W. Moore and they live in New Mexico; Isora, deceased, was the wife of Henderson Maberry, deceased; Ollie lives in Chicago; Maude, who was the first wife of the subject of this sketch. died in 1909: Myrtle, youngest of the Kirby children, is now the wife of our subject, they having married in 1911 ; one died at age of eighteen years.
To Mr. O'Bryant's first marriage three children were born, all of whom died in infancy. His second marriage has been without issue.
Politically Mr. O'Bryant is a Democrat. Fraternally he is a member of the Court of Honor. He was formerly a member of the Presbyterian church but now belongs to the Methodist church at Republic, as does his wife.
ABNER D. THOMPSON.
One of the most enterprising farmers of Clay township, Greene county, is Abner D. Thompson, who has considered himself fortunate, and indeed he might well do so, that he has been permitted to spend his life on the homestead, for, in the first place, as one of our great writers said long ago, "There is no place like home," and also because his home happened to be in a country greatly favored by nature. It is true that it took a great deal of hard work to get Greene county in proper shape for agricultural purposes, but once in condition there is no better.
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Mr. Thompson was born in Greene county, Missouri, July 28, 1855. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Dabbs) Thompson. The father was born in Henry county, Tennessee, December 13, 1822, and in 1829, when seven years old, he came to Missouri with his parents, the family having made the trip in wagons, experiencing a number of hardships en route. They settled in Greene county among the earliest pioneers, when this lo- cality was indeed a wilderness, the vast forests having as yet heard the ring of the axe but little and the wide rolling prairies were still unscarred by the plowshare. It was amid such environment that the father of the subject of this sketch grew to manhood. He found plenty of hard work to do in assisting to develop a farm, and he received a meager education in the old-time subscription schools. He remained under his parental roof- tree until he was twenty years of age, then began life on the farm for himself, entering land from the government and purchasing other tracts until he became owner of valuable holdings aggregating eight hundred acres. He had some of the finest farms in the county. He kept his land in good shape and was a prosperous farmer and extensive raiser of live stock and also a large dealer in stock, was very successful as a trader. He was one of the prominent men of the county in the early days. In the fall of 1864, during the Civil war days, he drove a large herd of cattle to the northern part of the state, where he sold them and upon his homeward trip was waylaid and killed, October 5, 1864, about a mile from his home. It was supposed that he had a large sum of money on his person at the time, and bushwhackers murdered him; however, the mystery has never been cleared up. Politically, he was a Democrat. On May 21, 1854, he married Elizabeth Dabbs, who was born in North Carolina, March 27, 1831, who came at an early age to Missouri with her parents, the family locating in Greene county. After her husband's death she reared her four children. She, too, met a tragic end, having been killed by a cyclone April 18, 1880. In all, five children were born to James Thompson and wife, namely: Abner D., of this sketch being the eldest: William Edward, born February 3. 1858. died August 13, 1861; James P., born May 16, 1860, is living in California : Mrs. Mary L. Fulbright, born May 15. 1863; Mrs. Elizabeth C. McCracken. born January 25, 1865. is living in California.
Abner D. Thompson was born and reared where he is now living, and was educated in the district schools. Being the oldest child he took the lead in making a livelihood for the family after his father's death, being only nine years old at that time. He finally became owner of the homestead, and at this time has one of the best farms in the township, consisting of three hundred and ten acres. He has kept the place well improved and has a good home. The land is all in cultivation with the exception of about thirty-five acres which is in timber. He has been very successful as a general
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farmer. Mr. Thompson deals extensively in live stock, shipping on an aver- age of twenty cars of hogs and cattle each year.
Mr. Thompson was married, December 4, 1879, to Janie S. Galloway, who was born in Barry county, Missouri, and is a daughter of Major Charles and Susan (Carney) Galloway. She came to Greene county when a young girl and was reared on a farm. She received a common school education. She had a narrow escape from death in the cyclone of April 18, 1880, in which her mother was killed.
Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, namely : Mrs. Jessie Anderson lives in California; Susie E., born November 15, 1883, lives at home; Charles E., born March 15, 1885, is farming in Greene county ; Catherine Rena, born February 14, 1887, is working in Springfield at the McDaniel National Bank; Mrs. Janie Dee Gibson, born June 1, 1889. lives in Greene county; Mrs. Ruth Gibson, born June 18, 1893. Janie and Ruth married brothers. Bettie, born July 20, 1895, lives at home; Anna Lee, born July 27, 1897, lives at home; Mary Eunice, born February 8. 1903, is at home.
Politically, Mr. Thompson is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Modern Woodmen.
JAMES HOWARD EARNEST.
This is an age of specialization. Nearly everybody has a hobby and is doing or trying to do some one thing well-better than all the rest of the things that he is engaged in. It is found among the farmers of Greene county that many of them are specializing in corn. Some farm animal, as a particular breed of cows, will make as good a specialty as corn. It does not make much difference what it is so it is the one kind of stock in which the owner has the greatest interest. The more one gives his attention to his specialty the more it will take possession of him and while he gets a great deal of pleasure and makes a financial success of his chosen line the danger is that he will neglect his other stock or crops in his desire to excel in his specialty. James Howard Earnest, well-known farmer of Murray township. is one of the citizens of Greene county who is making a specialty of fine full- blooded Jersey cattle and at the same time is successful as a general farmer, being careful to not neglect any department of his well-regulated farm.
Mr. Earnest was born in the above named township and county, Sep- tember 2. 1850, and is a representative of an old and influential family of this locality. He is a son of John Ramsey Earnest and Sarah H. (McClure) Earnest. The father was born in eastern Tennessee in 1822, and was a son
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of Wesley and Elizabeth ( Blackburn-Ramsey ) Earnest, both natives of Tennessee, in which state they grew up, were married and made their home there until 1851, when they immigrated to Greene county, Missouri, and lived the rest of their lives on a farm, his death occurrring in 1860 and his wife died in Cave Spring. John R. Earnest, father of our subject, grew to manhood in Tennessee and received his education there in the early-day subscription schools. He had passed his twenty-first birthday when he came to Greene county, Missouri, and he worked a year on the old Appleby farm in the northern part of the county, and here he married and settled on forty acres south of Willard. He sold out later and bought another farm in the neighborhood consisting of one hundred and sixty acres. Selling this he bought the o'd Willey farm of about two hundred and forty acres and operated it until 1866, when he sold out to Henry Willey and moved to the John Murray farm, buying out the Murray heirs, and farmed there for about ten years, then sold out and went to one of the western states and tcok up a claim, and was killed by a falling tree in 1879. He was a very successful farmer and was a man of influence in Murray township. He was justice of the peace for some time and was administrator in many estates. in which capacity he discharged his duties in a manner satisfactory to all concerned. He was elected county judge and filled this position one term with honor and credit to himself and to the township and county. Fra- ternally, he was an enthusiastic Mason, belonging to the lodge at Ebenezer, Missouri. He was an active Democrat and a local leader in the party. He was a worthy member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in which he was an elder for years. He was highly esteemed by all who knew him. His wife, Sarah H. McClure, was born in Tennessee about 1832 and her death occurred in Greene county, Missouri, in 1864. He married his second wife in 1865, Bonde Arnn, a native of Tennessee, who died in Texas in 1904.
John R. Earnest was the father of seven children by his first marriage, and three by his second; those by his first wife were named as follows: James H .. of this sketch : the second died in infancy: Mary Virginia. Eliza- beth and Nathan are all three deceased: John Charles lives in California : Mrs. Sarah H. Halloway lives in Jefferson City, Missouri. The following children were by his last wife: Mrs. Anna Love Saddler lives in Texas : Luther and Walter, both make their homes in the Lone Star state also.
James H. Earnest spent his boyhood days on the farm in Murray town- ship and assisted his father with the general work during the crop seasons. He received his education in the district schools at Cave Spring and in the old Murray school. Early in life he began farming for himself and operated land in different parts of Murray township, moving to his present farm in 1884. He had eighty acres at first, but prospering through close applica- tion and good management he added to his holdings and now has a finely
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improved and productive farm of one hundred acres, on which he carries on general farming and stock raising, making a specialty of full-blooded Jersey cattle, which are greatly admired by all who see them, who know how to appreciate live stock of a superior grade. In connection with his general farming he operates a dairy under modern and sanitary methods, and finds a very ready market for his products. He has a pleasant home and a number of convenient, substantial outbuildings, and everything about his place denotes good management and industry.
Mr. Earnest has been twice married, first, in 1872, to Mary Ann Par- rish, a native of Greene county, Missouri. She died in 1875 without issue. In 1877 Mr. Earnest married Sarah Frances Stakley, a native of Lawrence county, Missouri, and to this union three children have been born, namely : Ethel, who married William H. Grafton, of Willard, has five children, Joseph, Newman, Homer, Rolla and Kermit; Orville, second child of our subject, married Bessie Lee; they live in Sarcoxie, Missouri, and have one child, Ellen; Bertha, third child of our subject, lives in Powersite, Missouri.
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