The McDonald Families of Ray County, Missouri

Randolph McDonald was born in Adair county, Kentucky, October 7, 1806, and received his education and attained to his majority there, working on his father's farm. He was poor, and opportunities and advantages for young men were meager in the locality where he grew up, and at the age of twenty-eight years, he determined to leave Kentucky, and seek a home across the " Father of Waters," in the rich, productive lands of Missouri. Pie settled in Ray county, in the year 1835, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. By his untiring energy, unflagging industry, strict economy, and good management he has secured for himself a competency. He has a fine, large farm of five hundred and sixty acres of prairie and woodland, handsomely improved, well irrigated, and stocked with good herds of horses, cattle, hogs, and sheep. Mr. McDonald was married, in the state of Kentucky, in 1828, to Miss Locky Oxford, by John Gilbert, a minister of the Baptist Church. Mrs. McDonald was born in the year 1808, in North Carolina. The issue of this union was nine children, viz: Rosannah, born March 11,1832; Mary Ann, born November 23, 1833; Jeremiah, born October 16, 1835; Elizabeth, born August 28, 1837; William G., born August 29, 1838; Eliza Jane, born April 26, 1841; Sarah E., born February 28, 1844; Jacob Randolph, born July 6, 1845; Locky Emeline, born December 26, 1846. Rosannah, Mary A., and Louisa are dead. Mrs. McDonald died in the month of December, 1871, and her death was deeply mourned by her family and large circle of friends and relatives. Mr. McDonald is a leading member of the Baptist Church. He has never aspired to any public office, preferring the quiet walks of private life, and devoting his attention to his farm, and to the support, careful training, and proper education of his family. Mr. McDonald is a practical, successful farmer and business man, a good citizen, a consistent Christian, an agreeable gentleman, and he enjoys the universal esteem and respect of the people of his community.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

W. G. McDONALD.

The subject of this sketch is a native of Ray county, Missouri, born August 29, 1838, and has lived in the same neighborhood in which he was born all his life, engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. McDonald owns a fine farm of four hundred acres, three hundred and forty acres of which are fertile, rolling prairie lands. This farm is well improved, and inclosed with strong fences. It is in an excellent state of cultivation, and is very productive. Mr. McDonald is also extensively engaged in raising fine breeds of live stock. He was married in Caldwell county, Missouri, in 1859, to Miss Caroline Kelmel, by Reverend John Turnadge, a Baptist minister. They are the parents of four children: L.S., born March 21, 1860; T. R., born August 21, 1862; W.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

MURRAY F. McDONALD.

Murray F. McDonald was born January 3, 1836, in Culpepper county, Virginia. His parents were Eben McDonald, and Elizabeth (Settle) McDonald, both of whom were natives of Culpepper county, Virginia; Eben McDonald, born about 1806, and his wife, Elizabeth, in 1808. They were highly respected and honored citizens of the Old Dominion, and were noted for that genuine hospitality which ever characterizes the true Virginian. Eben McDonald died in 1852, and Elizabeth McDonald in 1863. Murray's grandfather, Latt McDonald, was also a Virginian. He served creditably in the war of 1812. He had five brothers who emigrated westward from Virginia at an early day. Murray F. McDonald, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm, receiving his education at a high school in Jefferson, Virginia. When he came to be a man, he entered the mercantile business as clerk and salesman. In 1854, he moved to Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, where he was again employed for some years as salesman in a dry goods store. In 1859, he embarked in his favorite pursuit, that of merchandizing, on his own account. He retired, however, in 1861, on account of the civil war, then commencing. In 1869, he again resumed the mercantile business, in Richmond, Missouri, at the store room he now owns and occupies, on the north side of the court house square. He has a very large, costly and elegant stock of goods, and is liberally patronized. Murray F. McDonald is one of the leading business men of Richmond; he is of a modest, retiring disposition, attends closely to his calling, but he is deeply interested in the welfare of his town and county, and is a man of warm impulses, morally upright, honest and reliable. He has been a member of the city council several terms, and has held other positions of trust since becoming a resident of the city of Richmond. He was married December 28, 1858, to Miss Maggie Davis, a daughter of Dr. Nathaniel Davis, of Richmond, Missouri. They have four children living, viz: James A., born December 3, 1859; Murray, born January 7, 1861; Beverly, born November 13, 1862, and Daisy, born August 8, 1866. Mr. McDonald is a member of Richmond Lodge A. F. and A. M.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.