Stephen A. Douglas Owen

As printed in 1915

STEPHEN A. D. OWEN.

Xo industry is so vital to the well-being of the nation as agriculture and nothing is so vital to agriculture as the soil. Prom its treasury it has been estimated that we draw annually about eight billion and three hundred million dollars, and its possibilities are as yet only partially realized There are still in this country millions of acres which have never felt the plow, while those which are now under cultivation can, by the application of sc.ent.hc principles, be made to produce many times the present value of their products. How to use and not abuse this great resource is the most important problem which faces the farmer of today— one worthy of the best efforts of our profound and learned scientists; for upon its solution depends the future prosperity of the nation. One of the alert and wideawake agriculturists of Greene county of a past generation was the late.Stephen A. 1). Owen, of Wilson township, a schon of the prominent old * >wen family of this locality.

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

Stephen A. I). Owen grew to manhood on the home farm, where he assisted with the general work and in the winter months he attended the old subscription schools, obtaining a meager education, which has since been properly supplemented by wide miscellaneous reading. When he was forty-six years of age his father died and our subject became possessed of a finely improved and valuable farm of two hundred acres from the old homestead, a part of which lies across the line in Christian county. Here he carried on general farming and stock raising in a manner that indicated he was fully abreast of the times of modern husbandry.

Mr. Owen was twice married, first, on April 28, [883, to Lula L. White, a daughter of Hardy and Tampey White, formerly of the state of Tennessee, from which they emigrated to Greene county, Missouri, in an early day. She was one of three children, being the youngest, and her death occurred March 18, 1888, leaving three children, namely: Alfred Wilson, Charles Baker, and Horace Preston, all living in Greene county. Our subject was married on February 17, [894, his last wife being Rachael Ann Payne, horn April 6, 1858. a daughter of Lewis and Margaret Payne, natives of Tennessee and Virginia, respectively. The father came to Greene county, Missouri, when live years of age. His father was the second white man to settle in Greene county. He found only Indians and a few Spaniards in these parts. Our subject's second marriage was without issue.

Politically. Mr. Owen adhered to the principles of the Democratic party since reaching maturity, but never sought public office, being content to devote his attention exclusively to his pleasant home and his extensive farming operations. However he served as constable four years. His death occurred at his home. January 28, 191 5-

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.