The Russell Families of Ray County, Missouri

The subject of this sketch is a native of Washington county, Virginia. He was born on the ist day ol March, 1813. Left his native county in childhood, on the removal of his parents to Marion county, Tennessee, and lived there until he attained his majority. He was reared on a farm, and received fair educational advantages. In the autumn of 1838 he came to Ray county, Missouri, and located near Millville. Here he was occupied in farming until 1858, when he removed to Knoxville, and engaged for a number of years in mercantile business there. In the spring of 1868 he removed to Russellville, and has since resided in that place, where he has a residence, store building, and several other lots. Mr. Russell has held various offices of trust in Ray county. He was first elected, in 1846, to the office of constable, and served in that capacity, for six years. He was elected justice of the peace in 1852, and has held the office, almost uninterruptedly for nearly thirty years, and in all his administration has had but two appeals taken from his judgement, and they were affirmed by the higher courts. He has, also, held the office of notary public for the space of seven years, and still has a year or more of his present term to serve. He is a member of the Knoxville Lodge of A. F. & A. M., and has several times been elected by his brethren to offices in the lodge. Mr. Russell was married on the 20th day of October, 1832, to Miss Tansom Burgess, a native of Virginia. They are the parents of eight children: Cynthia A., Elijah B., Sarah E., George W., Matilda T., Missouri C, Mary E., and Emeline C. The last named is dead. Both Mr. and Mrs. Russell, and all the children, but one, are members of the M. E. Church South. Mr. Russell and his estimable lady have been members of that church for more than half a century. Our subject has been all his life very strictly temperate, and moral. The offices he has held for such great length of time bear testimony to the high esteem in which he is held by his fellow men.

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

J. B. RUSSELL.

John Boyd Russell was born in the state of Maryland on the 16th day of September 1811. In John's boyhood his father, Mr. R. Russell, removed his family to Mason county, Virginia, now Jackson county, West Virginia, where they continued to reside, except during four years spent in Ohio, until John was grown. Such educational advantages as he had were received in the schools of Virginia. Though his early education was to some extent neglected, he has by subsequent study, and almost constant perusal of standard works of literature, become possessed of a fund of useful knowledge. Mr. Russell immigrated from Virginia to Ray county, Missouri, in 1856, and settled upon the farm where he now resides, in sections five and eight, township fifty-three, range twenty-eight. This farm comprises four hundred and eighteen acres of productive and valuable land, well improved, with good comfortable dwellings, strong fences, etc., is situated on the vest fork of Crooked river. Mr. Russell has been twice married, first, before leaving Virginia, in the year 1834, to Miss Sarah McKnown. She died in 1863, and he was subsequently married to Mrs. Francis M. Thompson, widow of B. N. Thompson. Mr. Russell is the father of nine children, all the issue of his first marriage; only four of them are living and they are all married. In religious belief Mr. Russell inclines to Universalism. He has never been a member of the church or any secret society or organization. He was justice of the peace for four 3_ears in this county, and also served in that capacity in Virginia. Mr. Russell is a successful, prosperous farmer, and an esteemed and influential citizen of the community in which he lives.

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