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 63
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Flemin T. Jared received his early education in the common schools, then attended the Normal school at Gainesville, Ozark county, Missouri, after which he taught for five years very successfully in the rural schools of Ozark. Howell and Saline counties, Missouri. After his marriage, June 1. 1902, he
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began farming, which he followed one year in Howell county on rented land, then taught another term of school in that county, after which he moved to Springfield, November 17, 1903, and bought out C. W. Smith, who was engaged in the second-hand furniture business at 212 West Commercial street, where our subject has remained to the present time, and today he does a good business and carries a large stock of furniture, carpets, stoves, bicycles, rugs, linoleum, matting, portieres, lace curtains, granite ware, pic- tures, lamps, watches, clocks, jewelry, bicycle repairs, etc. He first started in business under the firm name of Sumner & Jared, then for one year the name of the firm was Jared & Endecott. It was Jared Brothers from 1905 to 1905. During the latter year he bought out his brothers' interest, since which time he has been sole proprietor, but has retained the firm name, but two of his brothers work in the store with him.
Mr. Jared married on June 1, 1902, R. Isabell Endecott, a daughter of Gabriel C. and Lucinda (Grissom) Endecott, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Froebel T. died at the age of four years; Emerson S., Mabel V. and Brice Ernest.
Politically Mr. Jared is a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to the Gate of the Temple Lodge, Masonic Order; Springfield Lodge No. 218, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Lodge No. 768, Modern Brotherhood; also the Modern Woodmen of America and Royal Neighbors. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, Campbell Street church, of which he has been a member of the board of stewards for the past eight years and he is assistant Sunday school superintendent, in fact, is one of the pillars of this well-known church.
JAMES A. MOON.
It has been said that it is difficult for lawyers to be men of wholesome character in view of the fact that they have to deal so much with criminals, see so much of crimes and immoralities of every grade, have their atten- tion called to fraud and rascality in every form, perpetrated by all classes of society, and which familiarity is said to in a measure induce vice and crime, yet observation by a fair-minded person invariably leads to the conclusion that lawyers stand, as a class of men, as high for right living, honesty and fair dealing, as any other engaged in active business life. This is no doubt, in some measure accounted for by their general intelligence, for ignorance is said to be, and is, the mother of vice. James A. Moon and his son, Fred A. Moon, who are engaged together in the practice of law in Spring-
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field, Greene county, are two attorneys whose lives have been above idle cavil and who lend dignity to their profession.
James A. Moon was born in Iowa City, Iowa, December 22, 1859. He is a son of William E. and Sarah (McCollister ) Moon, the father a native of the state of New York, but when a young man he removed to Iowa, where he established the permanent home of the family and became a suc- cessful farmer and stock raiser and an influential man in his community, and there his death occurred August 23, 1909, at the advanced age of eighty- three years. These parents were married in 1854. The mother, a woman of old-time Christian attributes and hospitality, is living with her son, the subject of this sketch. This family is of Scotch-English ancestry.
James .\. Moon grew to manhood on the home farm in Iowa, and there assisted his father with the general work during the crop seasons and in the winter time attended the neighboring public schools, later entered the University of Iowa, and was graduated from the literary and law depart- ments. He commenced his professional practice at Miller, South Dakota, in 1882, and remained there enjoying a good practice until 1888, when he came to Springfield, Missouri, where he has been constantly engaged in the practice to the present time, and during his residence here of a quarter of a century his reputation as an able, conscientious and successful lawyer has gradually increased. He formed a partnership about six years ago with his son, Fred A. Moon, under the firm name of James A. Moon & Son, and they are doing a good business.
James A. Moon was married March 2, 1886, to Sarah E. Adderly, a daughter of William Adderly, a well-known dealer in general merchandise at Mt. Morris, Michigan, who died many years ago. Mrs. Moon's mother was Mary Hughes, whose father, Christopher Hughes, was one of the carly pioneers of Michigan. He lived to the unusual age of ninety-three years. He came to this country from Ireland when a boy, located on a farm and spent the rest of his life on the same place, dying there. His carly life record goes back to the Indian times, when his only neighbors were the red men and wild beasts. Mrs. Sarah E. Moon's great-great-grandfather was Lord Mayor of London, England. Her mother died in 1911, leaving two daughters, Mrs. Moon and Mary Adderly, who lives in Miller, South Dakota.
Politically James A. Moon is a Democrat and has always been loyal in the support of the party. He belongs to the Episcopal church, and fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen and the Eagles.
Two children, a son and a daughter, have been born to our subject and wife, namely : Edith, who is the younger of the two, was born April 7. 1889. was educated in the Springfield ward and high schools. being graduated
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from the latter; she lives at home and is a stenographer in her father's law office. The son, Fred A. Moon, was born in South Dakota, January 4, 1887, and was about a year old when his parents removed to Springfield, where he grew to manhood and received his early education in the ward and high schools, being graduated from the latter, after which he entered the Missouri State University at Columbia, where he took both the literary and law courses, making a good record there. After his graduation he returned nome and began the practice of his profession at the age of twenty-one, in partnership with his father, and he has made a splendid record for one his age at the local bar, ranking among the most promising of the younger generation of lawyers in Greene county. He has held the office of assistant city attorney since 1912, the duties of which he has discharged in an able and satisfactory manner, and in 1914 he was a popular candidate for the office of city attorney. He married Clara Parker, November 19, 1908, and to this union four sons have been born, namely : Charles Arnold, born Feb- ruary 4. 1910; Robert James, born February 14, 1911; William Adderly, born April 8. 1912: and Parker Fred, born November 12, 1913.
JAMES D. HOOD.
Although many believe to the contrary, luck plays a very unimportant part in the average man's career. We generally like to excuse our own shortcomings and account for the success of other men on the grounds of luck. A fertilized soil, rotation of crops, well fenced land, intelligently tilled fields, well kept machinery, painted houses and convenient outbuildings and blooded live stock are not the result of luck, unless hard work persist- ently and intelligently directed can be characterized as luck. One of the farmers of western Greene county who evidently put greater stress on indus- try and vigilance than on the vicissitudes of luck is James D. Hood, who has been content to spend his life in his native locality which he has helped to develop into what it is to today-a prosperous and desirable farming country.
Mr. Hood was born in Greene county, Missouri, December 31, 1848. He is a son of Duncan and Nancy (Blades) Hood. The father was a native of Germany, where he spent his boyhood, finally emigrating to the United States, and after spending some time in the state of Tennessee came on to Missouri and located on a farm in Greene county, where he spent the rest of his life. dying when a young man, at the age of twenty-eight years. in 1849, when our subject was an infant.
James D. Hood grew to manhood on the farm in his native community and he worked hard when a boy helping support the family. His education
J. D. HOOD AND FAMILY.
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was limited to the rural schools, which he attended a few months each winter for a few years. He had always followed general farming and stock raising pursuits and he has met with very gratifying results all along the line. He was twenty-nine years of age when he purchased his first farm in Pond Creek township. He has bought, occupied and sold a number of farms since, and is now the owner of a valuable and well improved place consisting of three hundred and fifty-nine acres, known as "The Sunrise Stock Farm," on which he carries on general farming and stock raising on a large scale, and is deserving of ranking with our best farmers in every respect. He keeps an excellent grade of live stock, has a pleasant home and numerous
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RESIDENCE OF J. D. HOOD.
outbuildings for the proper housing of his stock, grains, grasses and machinery.
Mr. Hood was married, October 24, 1872, to Mary E. Clack. She received a common school education. She is a daughter of Robert Clack, a carpenter and builder, who, when the war between the states began, enlisted in the Confederate army and fought in the great battle of Wilson's Creek. He was a native of Tennessee and married Racheal Bonham, who was born in Blount county, East Tennesssee, September 10, 1835. She grew up and was married in her native state, and when twenty-one years of age, in 1857. came to Missouri to make her future home. To Mr. and Mrs. Clack two daughters were born, namely: Mary E .. wife of our subject : and Tennessee, now deceased.
(96)
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Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hood, named as follows : Maggie, born July 31, 1873, married Henry O'Bryant, who is in postoffice service, and they haxe six children; Edward, born May 29, 1876, died in February, 1878; Eva, died in infancy ; Clyde, born March 16, 1883, is farm- ing near the home place, married May Hughes and they have two children; Nora, born September 25, 1885, died in infancy; Knox, born September 15, 1888, travels for the International Harvester Company. Mr. and Mrs. Hood also reared Mary Elizabeth Hicklin, who is living with them now. She was born in Lawrence county, May 7, 1882.
Politically, Mr. Hood is a Republican. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and he attends the Methodist Episcopal church.
REV. JOHN T. BACON.
Examples that impress force of character on all who study them are worthy of record, and the mission of a great soul in this world is one that is calculated to inspire a multitude of others to better and grander things; so its subsequent influence cannot be measured in metes and bounds, for it affects the lives of those with whom it comes in contact, broadening and enriching them for all time to come. By a few general observations may be conveyed some idea of the useful, unselfish and unpretentious career of Rev. John T. Bacon, for the past sixteen years pastor of the First Cum- berland Presbyterian church of Springfield, united in whose composition are so many elements of a solid, practical and altruistic nature as to bring him into prominent notice, who, not content to hide his talents amid life's sequestered ways, by the force of will and a laudable ambition forged to the front, rising by his individual efforts, from an early environment none too auspicious, and is therefore one of Greene county's best examples of a successful self-made man.
Reverend Bacon was born in Crawford county, Missouri, June 2, 1868. He is a scion of a sterling old Southern family of the Blue Grass state, and is a son of Thomas J. and Mary Ellen (Chapman) Bacon. The father was born near Louisville, Kentucky, April 10, 1832, and when nine years of age moved with the family to St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent his early youth. He was compelled to work hard when a boy and his education was limited to thirty-two days in a common school. When twenty-five years of age he moved to Crawford county, this state, where he spent the rest of his life engaged in general farming, in which he was fairly suc- cessful. At the age of twenty-nine years he married and soon thereafter
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moved on a farm adjoining that of his father, who had also located in that county. His death occurred in 1888. He was an honest, hard-working and well-liked man, who was influential in the general welfare of his com- munity. The mother of our subject, a woman of strong Christian char- acter, was born April 20, 1839, in Crawford county, Missouri, and there grew to womanhood and received a common schood education. Her death occurred April 17, 1885.
Five children were born to Thomas J. Bacon and wife, namely: Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Caldwell, who died December 5, 1895; Emma died when five years of age; John T., of this review; Charles Benjamin, a resident of Marshall, Missouri, is at this writing postmaster at that place; and Reuben M., who lives in San Antonio, Texas.
John T. Bacon grew to manhood on the home farm in his native county and there he worked hard when he became of proper age during the crop seasons, and in the winter time he attended the rural schools of his home district ; later was a student in the Salem Academy, Salem, Missouri. for one term. When twenty-one years old he entered Missouri Valley Col- lege, Marshall, this state, from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1896. His alma mater honored him with the degree of Doctor of Divinity .: In the autumn of 1896, having fostered for some time the laud- able ambition to become a minister of the gospel, he entered Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennesee, where he made an excellent record and was graduated with the class of 1899. He came direct from there to Spring- field, Missouri, accepting a call as pastor of the First Cumberland Presby- terian church, which is located at Jefferson and Olive streets, and here he has remained to the present time, his long retention in this important church being sufficient criterion of his popularity with the congregation and of his ability, fidelity to duty and growth in power. He has remained a close student all the while and has developed with his church. During his pastorate here the membership has increased several hundred, until it is today one of the largest, most earnest and wealthiest congregations in Springfield. Mr. Bacon is a forceful, logical, learned and not infrequently and eloquent pulpit orator, instructing and entertaining his audience at the same time, and he is also a man of no mean business ability, and has looked well to the material affairs of the church, as well as to its spiritual welfare. Although a man of plain address, avoiding the lime-light of publicity, he is nevertheless one of the most widely known and popular ministers Spring- field has ever had, and he has been active for years in movements having for their aim the general moral upbuilding of the city.
Mr. Bacon was married October 6. 1898, to Mary E. Dysart, who was born near Fayette, Howard county, Missouri, October 3, 1874. There she
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grew to womanhood and received a common school education, later was a student in Howard Payne College at Fayette, from which she graduated in 1894. She has proven to be a most faithful helpmeet and the success of our subject as a minister has been due in no small measure to her sympathy, encouragement and counsel. She is a very active church worker and a leader in the societies of the church of which Mr. Bacon is pastor. She is a daughter of William P. and Dora A. (Brown) Dysart, a highly esteemed and well-known family of Howard county. Mr. Dysart was born in Ran- dolph county. Missouri, received a good education, graduating from old McGee College in the fifties, and later in his early life taught school for awhile, later took up farming, which he followed successfully until his retirement from active life several years ago. He is now making his home with the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Dysart was born in Howard county, there grew to womanhood and received a common school education. She, too, is still living, completing the happy circle of Mr. Bacon's household.
One child has blessed the union of our subject and wife, William Dysart Bacon, whose birth occurred June 20, 1902 : he is at present a student of the State Normal here and is making a fine record for scholarship.
Politically, Reverend Bacon is a Democrat. Personally, he is a man of fine physique with a striking resemblance to William J. Bryan, of whom he is a great admirer. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic Order and the Knights of Pythias. He is a broad-minded, genial, obliging gentleman of genteel and courteous address and the number of his friends is limited to his acquaintance.
WALTER L. PURSSELLEY. M. D.
It is a pleasure to write the biography of a man who has forced his way from the common ranks up the ladder of professional success, having overcome obstacles that would have downed, and does down, myriads of men of less sterling fiber. But this is just the thing that Dr. Walter L. Pursselley, physician and surgeon of Springfield, has done, and he is there- fore entitled to his success and to the respect that is accorded him by a wide acquaintance in Greene county. He infuses his personality, courage and conscience into his work, is active at his books during every spare moment, is determined and has the strength of will for achievement. Habits of systematized thought, study and reflection have invigorated his mind, and he has clear discernments of his profession, comprehensive of its principles, and, to points obscure to many of his professional brethren, the genius of their application. He is a good doctor, a safe and competent adviser in
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consultation and with a constantly growing practice, to which he applies himself with faithful and conscientious zeal, no oracle, such as the ancient Greeks applied to when in doubt of the future, is required to forecast his professional success in years to come.
Doctor Pursselley was born in Greene county, Missouri, AAugust 30, 1866. He is a son of William and Sarah ( Beasley ) Pursselley. The father (levoted his life to general farming, retiring from active work a few years prior to his death which occurred at the age of seventy-three years. During the Civil war he was a soldier in the Union Army, having enlisted in the Eighth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Lisenby, and was in active service three and one-half years, serving his country faithfully. Among the many engagements in which he participated was the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. The mother of our subject died at the age of sixty- three years. The paternal grandfather, John AAddison Pursselley, belonged to the band of brave, sterling frontiersmen who pushed the borders of civili- zation westward. He emigrated from Tennessee to Missouri in a very early day, transporting his family and household effects by wagon over rough roads and unbridged streams. Inheriting the same elements of the pioneer adventurer, his son. William Pursselley, father of the Doctor, joined the famous band of "forty-niners" and crossed the great western plains to the gold fields of California. He had many thrilling escapes from the hostile Indians of the West while en route, and he assisted in recovering a herd of cattle which the red men had stolen from white emigrants. The Pursselleys are of Scotch-Irish and German-American ancestry.
Dr. Pursselley grew to manhood on the home farm and he received his early education in the district schools and the Henderson Academy, at Hen- derson, Missouri, lacking two months of graduating when he quit to take up teaching. Ambitious to enter the medical profession when a young man. he taught school six years in order to obtain funds to defray the expense of a medical course. He entered the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis in 1894, and was graduated from that institution in 1897. Soon thereafter he came to Springfield and began the practice of his profession, remaining here ever since, and enjoying a constantly growing practice as a general practi- tioner, however, he has of late years devoted special attention to surgery in which he seems to be especially gifted. He is generally known to his friends as "the busy doctor," which may be interpreted to mean that he does a large business.
Doctor Pursselley is one of seven children, five boys and two girls, both girls being deceased, and subject being the eldest of family ; William T. W., John W., Clay W. and James W., all living in Polk county, farming, except one, John W., who is in the milling business at Brighton, Missouri.
Doctor Pursselley is a member of the Greene County Medical Society.
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the Southwest Missouri Medical Society, the Missouri State Medical Asso- ciation and the American Medical Association. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic Order, the Woodmen, Order of the Maccabees, Royal Neigh- bors and many others. Politically, he is a Republican, and religiously, is a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal church.
Doctor Pursselley was married, December 26, 1898, to Nora M. Potter, of Palmetto, Greene county, Missouri. She was born there in November, 1876, was educated in the public schools and the Henderson Academy. She is a daughter of Judge W. H. F. and Amanda (Pickle) Potter. The father is a prominent citizen of Greene county, where he has long been active and influential in political affairs, and is an earnest worker in the Masonic Order, of which he is now chancellor. He held one term as county judge of Greene county. He has devoted his life successfully to general farming, but is now living in retirement. Mrs. Pursselley has the following brothers and sisters : Mrs. Monnie Burris, of Bolivar, Polk county, Missouri; Jefferson Potter, of Pleasant Hope, Polk county; George Potter, who lives seven miles east of Springfield; Ople Potter, unmarried, of Palmetto, Missouri, and Willie Dennis Potter, also living at Palmetto.
To Doctor Pursselley and wife one child has been born, Mary Pursselley, whose birth occurred in Springfield, April 6, 1900. She is making an ex- cellent record in school, being in the eighth grade, and has nearly finished the third grade in music in which she has decided talent.
DR. THOMAS MONTGOMERY KING.
The science of osteopathy is now well established throughout the civilized world, and it has had a rapid growth during the past decade. Its merits were recognized from the first by many people, who had become skeptical in the use of drugs, but, like all sciences, whether good or bad, it had to be thoroughly demonstrated in all communities and prove the test of time. This it seems to have done, for we find today advocates of osteopathy everywhere, who claim beneficial results from it, and considering the short time it has been known, comparatively short at least to that of medical science, it has gained a wonderful foothold, one that is now assured and that no doubt will never be eradicated no matter how much opposition is met with. Any new science, creed, doctrine or philosophy meets with various kinds of antagonism, and it is only the worthy that survive.
One of the leading, capable and best known exponents of osteopathy in Springfield and Greene county is Dr. Thomas Montgomery King, who was born at College Springs, Iowa. He is a son of George Adam King.
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a native of Pennsylvania, in which state the latter grew to manhood and received his education. He devoted his active life to general farming and stock raising, and finally removed to College Springs, Iowa, where he spent the rest of his life, dying there on July 24, 1887, having dropped dead while at work in his fields. He married Caroline Simpson, a daughter of James McBride Simpson, a native of Pennsylvania. Her death occurred in 1897. The paternal grandfather, Solomon King, was a native of Pennsylvania, and devoted his life to farming. His wife was Esther Schotz prior to her marriage.
Dr. King grew to manhood on the home farm in Iowa and there worked when a boy. He received his early education in the public schools and at Amity College, College Springs, Iowa. He subsequently entered the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, where he made an excellent record and from which he graduated in 1899. He also took a post-graduate course in the Los Angeles College of Osteopathy, which he completed in 1910. He located in Springfield, Missouri, in February, 1899. opened an office for the practice of his profession and has been here to the present time, his practice during the sixteen years having steadily grown until it has now reached very large proportions and he is kept very busy. He was one of the first osteopaths to establish himself in the practice of this profession in Springfield. He is one of the best known osteopaths in southern Missouri. He is a member of the Ozark Osteopathic Association, of which he was the first president, and is very active in the work of the same. He is also a member of the Missouri State Osteopathic Associa- tion, and was president of the same for one year. He is also a member of the American Osteopathic Association, of which he was assistant secretary for two years. He has filled these responsible positions in a most faithful, able and highly acceptable manner. Politically he votes independently, and religiously he is a member of the Presbyterian church. His offices are in the Landers building.
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