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 1843
From History of Ray County, Mo. (1881)
SAMUEL J. CROWLEY.
Samuel J. Crowley was born near Kearney, Clay county, Missouri, March 24, 1843. His father, Samuel Crowley, is a native of Campbell county, Tennessee, came to Clav county and settled there in 1820. Our subject lived in Clay county until seventeen years of age, and then came to Ray county and was engaged in farming and stock-raising during ten years here, and then removed just across the line into his native county, where he now lives. He has a fine prairie farm of two hundred and forty acres, in a high state of cultivation, and handsomely improved. Mr. Crowley was married in Ray county, Missouri, February 11, 1869, to Miss Louisa A. Misener. Mrs. Crowley was born in this county, February 3, 1849. They are the parents of three children: Nancy B., born May 21, 1872; Frank P., born March 24,1876; Misener L., born December 17, 1880. Samuel Crowley, Sr., father of our subject, was born November 14, 1786, in east Tennessee, died July 1, 1849. Our subject's mother, Nancy, was born May 13, 1805, died January 28, 1875. Mr. Crowley is a leading, prosperous and highly respected farmer.
As printed in History of Ray County, Mo. (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.