John Jones

As printed in 1915

JOHN JONES.

As every one knows, methods of farming are changing and we are learning many things that the husbandmen of half century ago did not know or at least did not attach much importance to. Among other things the farmer of today has learned that the soil is a mixture of ground rock fragments ami mineral mixed with more or less organic material. Some one has rightly said, "The soil is Nature's dumping-ground." All animal and plant refuse not burned or carried away by streams, eventually reaches the soil. Were it not for the fact that this vast amount of material is constantly decaying and becoming soluable we would eventually become polluted in Nature's waste products.

One of the farmers of Wilson township, Greene county, who has not been slow in adopting advanced methods of tilling the soil is John Jones, owner of "Shady Grove Farm." Mr. Jones was born in Taney county, Missouri, September 4, 1847. He is a son of Jabis and Elizabeth Jones, natives of Missouri. The father owned eighty acres and rented the same amount of land in Greene county. He at one time lived near Lebanon, Laclede county. His death occurred when the subject of this sketch was seven years of age, and a year later the mother passed away.

John Jones received a very limited education. After his father's death the mother sold the home farm, and after her death our subject lived with his uncle, James Cook, and later with an aunt. When eighteen years of age he was married to Mary Graham, a daughter of James Graham and wife, both of Christian county, this state, where they lived on a farm. After four years of married life, the wife of our subject died. To this union two children were born, one dying at the age of three years and the other in infancy. Three years after the death of his first wife, Mrs. Jones married again, choosing as a helpmate Mary Childress, a daughter of William and Ellen Childress, formerly of Illinois, from which state they came to Greene county, Missouri, after the Civil war and settled in Wilson township on one hundred and sixty acres. Mr. Childress was born in Kentucky. Our l8o8 subject's second union has resulted in the birth of seven children, named as follows: Johnnie, Ira, Robert, Madeen, Bessie (deceased), Mrs. Myrtle Barber, and Vida, the last named being at home with her parents.

Mr. Jones owns sixty acres of good land in Wilson township, which he operates together with twenty-two acres which he rents from his brother-in-law, Mr. Childress. He is making a comfortable living as a general farmer and stock raiser, and, considering his early environment and the fact that he grew up without the protection, advice and guidance of parents and lias had to "hoe his own row" from the first, he is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished. On his farm is one of the most splendid wells in the township, which is a favorite among his neighbors. In connection with raising general crops. Mr. Jones is doing a very good business raising horses and mules, also handles other live stock.

Politically, he has voted the Democratic ticket since attaining his majority. His jovial nature makes him many friends wherever he goes.

A forward-looking, dynamic-energies citizen of Springfield, a man of vision and purpose, who has in many ways aided in Missouri's betterment, is A. J. Johnston.

Mr. Johnston was born in Washington county, this state, near Potosi, on June lath, in the year 1869, of English and German parentage. His father was a minister of the Christian church, later joining the Baptist communion. While still a mere child he was brought to Houston. Texas county, and was reared on a farm near the county-seat. His equipment for the affairs of life in the way of an education came from the common schools and the training of a model Christian home. Reaching manhood's estate, in [890, he and Miss Verta Cross were married and for twenty-five years now have faced sunshine and storm together. Mrs. Johnston is the daughter of T. A. Gross, of Marion, Ohio.

The four children who have blessed this union are. Ray Augustus. Floyd Albert. Glen Paul and Beulah, but the little girl crossed over the river many years ago.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in Past and present of Greene County Missouri; early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.