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 1839, McDonough county
From The history of Jasper county, Missouri : including a condensed history of the state, a complete history of Carthage and Joplin, other towns and townships : together with numerous portraits of prominen (1883)
J. H. RALSTON was born in McDonough county. 111., Feb. 20, 1839, and there for the most part raised. Enlisting from his native county he joined the Sixteenth Illinois Infantry, the first to enlist from that county. Married March 1, 1865, to Malisa Garrott, who was born in Greencastle, Ind., Oct. 14, 1840, coming to Illinois when ten years of age. Mr. Ralston came to
Jasper county, Mo,, in 1872, and lived on his farm until he accepted the superintendency of the poor-farm of Jasper county, located two and one half miles south of Carthage. As a testimonial of the acceptability of his services as superintendent of the county poor farm, the county court increased his salary $100 per year, and this is the fourth term of his administration, filled with such acceptability to the county and credit to himself
As printed in The history of Jasper county, Missouri : including a condensed history of the state, a complete history of Carthage and Joplin, other towns and townships : together with numerous portraits of prominent (1883). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1883. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.