Greene County, Missouri - Biographical sketches (5 of 6 so headed), 1883

James Alexander

Mr. Alexander is the son of Squire and Mary (Roney) Alexander and was born November 24, 1809, in Blount county, Tennessee. His father was a native of North Carolina, but moved to Tennessee, and then in 1840 came to Greene county, Missouri, and settled in Franklin township. He died in 1863 and his wife in 1862. They are buried at Mt. Comfort. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters. "When James was quite young his parents moved to Stewart county, Tennessee, and in the spring of 1841 he came to this county, but returned to Tennessee in the following winter. In 1843 he came back to Greene county where he has lived ever since. He improved the farm now owned by Col. Thrasher, where he lived about thirty years and in 1874 he moved to his present home upon section 21, township 30, range 21. During the war Mr. Alexander was in the Home Guards. He had one son in the regular U. S, service and one in the militia. Mr. Alexander was married in in 1832 to Nancy Sugg, of Stewart county, Tennessee. They had three daughters by this marriage, two are living. His first wife died June 14, 1840, and in 1842 he was married to Miss Mary P. Ford, of Stewart county, Tennessee. Their union has been blest with four sons and four daughters, all living. His wife was stricken blind by a spell of fever in 1844, and since then she knits about one hundred pairs of socks a year. She is an exemplary member of the Baptist church, and bears her aflliction with Christian fortitude and patience.

James N. Appleby

This gentleman is the son of David and Catherine (Bell) Appleby, and was born December 6th, 1819, in Bedford county, Tennessee. In October, 1832 his parents left Tennessee, and came to Wayne ^county, Missouri, where they lived about ten months. Then, in 1833, they moved to Greene county, and settled in the southern part of Franklin township. James moved to Platte county, Missouri, in 1841, and returned to his old home in Greene county in 1843, and has always followed farming. He was elected, upon the Republican ticket in 1880, justice of the peace, and re-elected in 1882. 'Squire Appleby was married in March, 1841, to Susan Thornburg, of Platte county, Missouri. That marriage was blest with three sons and one daughter. His first wife died in 1852, and in 1853 he was married again, to Mary ISIcCurdy, of this county. By this union they have four sons and three daughters. During the war Mr. Appleby was in the enrolled militia, and was at Springfield when it was attacked by Gen. Marmaduke January 8th, 1863. He was a strong Union man in 1860, voting ' for Bell and Everett, Bell being a cousin of his mother. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, who removed to Georgia, then to Tennessee and then to Missouri, where he died in 18G7. His mother was a native of North Carolina, and died in 1866. They were married in Tennessee. They had a family of three sons and four daughters.

Isaac M. Hall

Mr. Hall is the son of Pleasant and C\-nthia A. (McAden) Hall, and was born April 15, 1836, in Halifax, Virginia. His parents moved to North Carolinia, thence to Tennessee, and next to Greene county, Missouri. In the fall of 1849 they settled the place where Isaac M. now lives and has remained ever since. Mr. Hall was a lieutenant in the Home Guards and after the battle of Springfield January 8, 1868, he was elected 2d lieutenant of a company of enrolled militia. After the war he returned home and has since lived quietly upon his farm. He owns several tracts of good land in Franklin township. He was married in this county, December 8, 1864, to Miss Martha A., daughter of Thomas King. Their union has been blest with eight children, five sons and three daughters. One son died in infancy. Mr. Hall's father was a native of Virginia, and died August 18, 1854, aged seventy-two years. His mother was also a Virginian and died March 1, 1875. They are buried at Mt. Comfort church. They reared a family of thirteen children, four sons and nine dau'^hters.

Hon. Samuel W. Headlee

This distinguished citizen of Greene county is the son of Cabel and Mary (Steele) Headlee, and was born in Maury county, Tennessee, March 6, 1823. His parents were from North Carolina, but emigrated to Tennessee where they lived until 1836, when they came to Missouri and settled in Greene county, where his father died in August, 1847. Samuel W. was educated in the common schools of that early day, and for some time taught school in the county. In 1850, having caught the "gold fever " he went to California, and in four years returned, having been successful in raining, and purchased the old homestead farm upon which he has since resided. He was elected to the lower house of the Legislature by the Benton Democracy, re-elected in 1862 and in 1864. In 1866 he was elected by the Republicans to the State Senate, and in 1872, he to heal the breaches in his party, became a candidate for the lower house, and was elected by a handsome majority. He was again elected to the Legislature in 1876. In all that period of sixteen years' service he voted as his conscience and judgment dictated, and won for himself the applause and approval of all good men. During the war he took an active part in the support of the Union, and in 1862, to that end, was commissioned captain of militia. From 1863 to the close of the war, he was captain in the 16th Missouri cavalry, U. S. A. In 1874 he was complimented by a nomination by the people's committee as their candidate for lieutenant governor upon the ticket headed by Major Gentry. Since retiring from public life he has followed farming, and in the decline of a long, honorable and useful life enjoys the satisfaction of peace with himself and the full confidence of those who know him best. He was married May 2, 1855, to Emily L. Armor, and their union is blest .with eight children.

Jason R. James

Mr. James is the son of Thomas and Nancy (Gately) James, and was born Feb. 25, 1827, in Madison county, Tennessee. His father was born in South Carolina, Dec. 21, 1791. He was a son of David and Nancy (Atchison) James. His parents moved close to the Tennessee line, where he was educated. His marriage with Nancy Gately was blest with nine children, five sons and four daughters, Jason R. being the seventh child. Only three are now living, Jason, Winfrey, of Oregon, and Mrs. Minerva Putnam. Their father died Nov. 9, 1837, and their mother died April 11, 1863, aged about seventy. Thomas James was justice of the peace in Tennessee years before he came to Missouri. Jason R. came with his parents to Greene county, Missouri, in December, 1835, and settled the farm where our subject is now living. He was educated in the common schools of the neighborhood, and has always followed farming. During tbe war Mr. James was in Capt. Jenkins company of militia, and was at the battle of Springfield, Jan. 8, 1863. Since the war he has farmed upon the old homestead.

Capt. Irwin W. Jenkins

This gentleman is the son of William and Susan (Gateley) Jenkins, and was born July 17, 1831, in Caldwell county, Kentucky. His parents moved to Greene county in 1836, where he grew to manhood, and received his education in the country schools. He remained at home upon his father's farm until the war broke out, and in October, 1862, he enlisted in company G, 72d regiment infantry militia. He was elected first lieutenant at the organization, and in about a year was elected captain of company G. He was at the battle of Springfield, January 8, 18(53. He remained in the service until the close of the war, and since then has been actively engaged in farming. He has a farm of three hundred and fifty acres, two hundred of which is in cultivation. He has one of the finest barns in the county. His father was born in Virginia, but removed to South Carolina, then to Tennessee, and then to Missouri. He died January 15, 1863. His mother was born September 11, 1791, and died April 14, 1881. They had eleven children, Irwin W. and his twin brother, James W., being the youngest.

Mr. Mason was born in Maury county, Tennessee, April 4, 1837. In 1847 he came to Greene county, Missouri, with his mother, Mrs. liuth Mason, and settled on Roger's prairie in the northern part of Jackson township. Here he lived until after the war and then moved to section 9, township 30, range 20, where he lived eleven years. He then moved to section 13, township 30, ranga 21, in Franklin township, where he died March 10, 1880. Mr. Mason was married in 1860, to Aliss Martha McGehee. She died April 10, 1882, leaving eight children, James A., born July 10, 1861, a well known teacher of this county, Harvey N., Wm. R., deceased, Josie L., Clementina, Mollie, George Lee, and Stella. Dujng the war Mr. Mason was a Union man, and served in Capt. Herd's company of Federal militia. Both he and his wife were members of the M. E. church South. Mr. Mason was an extensive dealer in stock, and a man of sterling integrity.

James D. Sfencer

This gentleman is the son of Andrew J. and Christiana (James) Spencer, and was born Sept. 20, 1838, in Cape Girardeau county, Missouri. His father is a native of North Carolina, and is now living in Bai'ton county, Mo. His mother died Oct. 12, 1864. They had six children, three boys and three girls, James D. being the oldest. When he was quite young his parents moved to Platte county. Mo., and in June, 1852, came to Greene county, and settled en section 32, township 31, range 21, Franklin township. Mr. Spencer was educated in the common schools of Platte and Greene counties. During the war he served for a time under captain Gately. He was elected justice of the peace for Franklin township upon the Republican ticket in 1874, and re-elected in 1878 and 1882. Squire Spencer was married Dec. 5, 1869, to Miss Mary E., daughter of Jeptha Wallace. She is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. During the time the squire has been justice of the peace he has discharged the duties of his ofice impartiall}^ and no one stands higher in the regard of the good people of Greene.

Rev. Calvin Coleman Wright

Mr. Wright is a son of John and Peninah (Dale) Wright, and was born May 17, 1830 in Fentress county, Tennessee. He was educated in his native county, and in 1852 he emigrated to Benton county, Arkansas, and in 1853 came to Newton county, Missouri, where he lived until 1855 and then went to McDonald county. In 1853 he was licensed to preach by the M. E. church South, and from 1855 to 1858 was a Ifical preacher in McDonald county. In 1858 he entered the itinerant service of the church and was preaching until 1862, when he joined the Confederate army, and served until the war closed as chaplin of Gen. John B. Clark's division. He lived in Louisiana until 18()7 when he returned to Missouri and entered the traveling ministry. In 1869 he was appointed to the Springfield circuit, and was upon that work until 1871. He was next appointed to Bolivar station until 1874. During this time he had his residence at Morrisville, and was largely instrumental in organizing and starting the college at that place. He then went to California where he preached four or five years. He then came back to Missouri and in 1880 took charge of the Marshfield station, and in September, 1881, located by consent of the Pacific Conference. Mr. Wright was married in August, 1852, to Miss Nancy Adkinson. They had four children. He married the second time in March, 1881, to Mrs. Mary A. Montgomery, nee Headlee. Mr. Wrio-ht's father was a native of North Carolina, and died in Tennessee m 1845. His mother died in Tennessee inl867. They had fourteen children, seven boys and seven girls. Calvin C. was the seventh son.