In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1828, Garrard county
From History of Boone County, Missouri (1882)
ALEXANDER F. STEPHENS.
The subject of this sketch is the son of John L. and Mary (Sams) Stephens, and was born August 5th, 1828, in Garrard county, Kentucky. His father and mother were married in Virginia, in 1806, and emigrated to Kentucky some years after. In 1838 they again turned their faces to the Groat West, and settled in Boone county, Missouri, and in 1839 they removed to the place upon which Alexander F. now lives, just one mile south of the place they first settled. John L. died February 3d, 1863, at the age of 83, and his wife died August 2d, 1877. They are buried at Cedar Church, Callaway county, Missouri. They had eleven children,* seven boys and four girls. Rice, Elizabeth, James, Nancy, Sarah W., Eliza G., John L., Wni. P., Lucy A., Alexander F. and James H., only three of whom are living; Eliza G., is living in Jasper County, Missouri, James H., at Centralia, this county, and our subject, Alexander. Mr. Stephens was educated at Boouesboro, and at Cedar Hill Academy. In 1849 he went to California, and returned to Boone county in 1851. He has a fine farm of four hundred and eleven acres. Cedar Creek forms his eastern boundary line, being also the county line between Boone and Callaway counties. In 1862 Mr. Stephens had twenty-five acres of corn which made twenty-four barrels per acre. Mr. Stephens relates that when he was thirteen or fourteen years of age he saw his father have twenty-six half dollars in silver. He asked his father to let him have them, saying, after his father had placed the money in his hands, * If this was mine I would never need any more money along as I live." To him it seemed a fortune. His ideas of wealth ave changed very materially since then, forty years ago, for he now ays taxes to the amount of one hundred and ninety dollars each year. dr. Stephens lives just nine miles due east of Columbia.
As printed in History of Boone County, Missouri (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
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