Springfield-Greene
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JAMES D. HOOD. Although many believe to the contrary, luck plays a very unimportant part in the average man's career. We generally like to excuse our own shortcomings and account for the success of other men on the grounds of luck. A fertilized soil, rotation of crops, well fenced land, intelligently tilled fields, well kept machinery, painted houses and convenient outbuildings and blooded live stock are not the result of luck, unless hard work persistently and intelligently directed can be characterized as luck. One of the farmers of western Greene county who evidently put greater stress on industry and vigilance than on the vicissitudes of luck is James D. Hood, who has been content to spend his life in his native locality which he has helped to develop into what it is to today--a prosperous and desirable farming country.
Mr. Hood, was born in Greene county, Missouri, December 31, 1848. He is a son of Duncan and Nancy (Blades) Hood. The father was a native of Germany, where he spent his boyhood, finally emigrating to the United States, and after spending some time in the state of Tennessee came on to Missouri and located on a farm in Greene county, where he spent the rest of his life, dying when a young man, at the age of twenty-eight years, in 1849, when our subject was an infant.
James D. Hood grew to manhood on the farm in his native community and he worked hard when a boy helping support the family. His education was limited to the rural schools, which he attended a few months each winter for a few years. He had always followed general farming and stock raising pursuits and he has met with very gratifying results all along the line. He was twenty-nine years of age when he purchased his first farm in Pond Creek township. He has bought, occupied and sold a number of farms since, and is now the owner of a valuable and well improved place consisting of three hundred and fifty-nine acres, known as "The Sunrise Stock Farm," on which he carries on general farming and stock raising on a large scale, and is deserving of ranking with our best farmers in every respect. He keeps an excellent grade of live stock, has a pleasant home and numerous outbuildings for the proper housing of his stock, grains, grasses and machinery.
Mr. Hood was married, October 24, 1872, to Mary E. Clack. She received a common school education. She is a daughter of Robert Clack, a carpenter and builder, who, When the war between the states began, enlisted in the Confederate army and fought in the great battle of Wilson's Creek. He was a native of Tennessee and married Racheal Bonham, who was born in Blount county, East Tennessee, September 10, 1835. She grew up and was married in her native state, and when twenty-one years of age, in 1857, came to Missouri to make her future home. To Mr. and Mrs. Clack two daughters were born, namely: Mary E., wife of our subject; and Tennessee, now deceased.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hood, named as follows: Maggie, born July 31, 1873, married Henry O'Bryant, who is in post office service, and they have six children; Edward, born May 29, 1876, died in February, 1878; Eva, died in infancy; Clyde, born March 16, 1883, is farming near the home place, married May Hughes and they have two children; Nora, born September 25, 1885, died in infancy; Knox, born September 15, 1888, travels for the International Harvester Company. Mr. and Mrs. Hood also reared Mary Elizabeth Hicklin, who is living with them now. She was born in Lawrence county, May 7, 1882.
Politically, Mr. Hood is a Republican. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and he attends the Methodist Episcopal church.
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