Springfield-Greene
County LibraryEarly and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens
JOHN JONES. As every one knows, methods of farming are changing and we are learning many things that the husbandman 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 and 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 soluble 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 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 has 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.
[1806-1808]
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y
Table of Contents | Keyword Search | Greene County History Home | Local History Home