Springfield-Greene
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of Many of the Representative Citizens
SAMUEL A. FARMER. Reform movements travel slowly. The wearing-out process of the virgin fields of the United States has extended over a long period of years of agitation on the part of experiment stations, county experts and farm weeklies, but each year the farmers of the Middle West are showing improvement in their method of handling the soil. judicious crop rotation, in which one of the legumes is often included, is having much to do in bringing about an increased yield per acre. There has not been, and will not be, a spontaneous movement to restore the soil's fertility. Farmers are no exception to the average of mankind. Some will take the initiative, others will doubt, still others will learn by example, and yet another class will wait until forced by a depleted soil and a decreased yield to take up the great work of rebuilding the soil. One of the farmers of Murray township, Greene county who has been a careful student of modern farming conditions and has kept his farm in a high productive state through judicious and timely management is Samuel A. Farmer, one of the most progressive farmers and one of the most widely known stockmen in the northern part of the county.
Mr. Farmer was born in the above named township and county on May 5, 1875. He is a son of Oscar and Anna (Appleby) Farmer, both prominent old families of this locality. The father was born in eastern Tennessee in 1835, and his death occurred in I887.
A sketch of the father will be found on another page of this volume.
Samuel A. Farmer was reared on the home farm near Willard which village was built near his father's farm of one hundred and twenty acres of excellent level land. He received his education in the local public schools. On October 7, 1897, he married Stella Alsup, a native of Greene county where she grew to womanhood and was educated. She is the only daughter of Andrew Jackson Alsup and Pernecia (East) Alsup. The father was born on February 15, 1852, in Greene county, Missouri, and was a son of James and Mary (Slaughter) Alsup. James Alsup was a native of Tennessee from which state he came to Greene county, Missouri, with his parents when a young man and settled in Franklin township, having made the long overland trip in wagons. Later the father took up a claim from the government, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres or more, and this he cleared and improved and lived here until his death.
After his marriage, Mr. Farmer left the home farm and rented what was known as the Polly Watson farm for one year, then moved to his present farm of one hundred and seventy acres where he has been actively engaged in general farming and raising cattle and hogs. His place is called "Farmer's Stock Farm" and is an ideal location and a most excellent place for the breeding and raising of live stock. He has raised and shipped from year to year cattle and hogs, and is now making a specialty of breeding Hereford cattle. During the past few years he has been quite an extensive shipper of cattle and hogs, but recently he has been disposing of his stock in his own community. He has a well-improved farm in every respect, a good home and up-to-date barn, large silo and is a man of decided advanced ideas both as to farming methods and implements and success has been the result of his industry and good judgment.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Farmer has resulted in the birth of one child, Clifford Farmer, born on December 21, 1898, who is at home with his parents.
Politically, Mr. Farmer is a Democrat, but often votes independently in local elections. Fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America at Cave Spring, this county. And he is a member of the Presbyterian church at that place, and he has been superintendent o the Sunday school there for the past ten years, and has helped build up a large and interesting Sunday school. His wife has been a teacher of a class in the Sunday school there for the past ten years, and both are active in the general work of the church, giving liberally of their time and means to the support of the church.
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