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MILTON C. McCONNELL. The life of Milton C. McConnell, for many years a prominent farmer and grain dealer in Campbell township, Greene county, who is now a deputy sheriff of this county and living in Springfield, has been such as to bear aloft the high standard which has been maintained by his father, who was one of the early residents of this section of the Ozarks, and whose life was singly noble and upright, one over which falls no shadow of wrong in word, thought or deed. Such was the type of men who laid the foundation and aided in the development of this locality, and to their memories will ever be paid a tribute of reverence and gratitude by those who have profited by their well-directed endeavors and appreciated the lesson of their lives.
Mr. McConnell was born in Giles county, Tennessee, November 24, 1856. He is a son of James A. and Nancy C. (Knox) McConnell, both natives of Tennessee, the date of the father's birth being October 10, 1825. These parents grew to maturity in their native state and were married there and spent their earlier years. The mother of our subject died when he was quite young and he has little recollection of her. James A. McConnell received a good education of his day and he devoted his life to teaching and farming. He came to Greene county, Missouri, with his family in 1857 and located in the western part of the county on a farm and there spent the rest of his life, dying in 1899. His family consisted of seven children, all sons, namely: John K. lives in Greene county; George H. makes his home in Prairie county, Arkansas; James C. of Springfield; Milton C., of this sketch; Henry D., of St. Louis; Albert A. lives in Oklahoma, and Josephus is a resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Milton C. McConnell grew up on the farm and he received a common school education, which was limited for lack of opportunities, as the war between the states was in progress during his boyhood days. He remained with his father until he was about twenty-four years of age And then went to farming for himself. In 1880 he purchased one hundred and forty-five acres in Brookline township, which he improved until it ranked with the best farms of the township, and here he carried on a general farming business successfully, and also did a large and lucrative grain business for years, maintaining an elevator at Brookline. He also devoted considerable attention to handling live stock. He removed to Springfield a few years ago and now lives in a good home on West Walnut street. In January, 1913, he was appointed deputy sheriff of Greene county and is discharging the duties of that office at this writing. Politically, he is a Democrat, and has long been more or less active in the ranks of his party. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.
Mr. McConnell was married in 1884 to Mattie E. Firestone, a daughter of James H. and Mary J. Firestone, natives of Tennessee, where they grew up and from which state they came to Greene county, Missouri, in an early day. They were the parents of twelve children, Mrs. McConnell being next to the oldest.
To Mr. and Mrs. McConnell five children have been born, named as follows: Mrs. Gertrude Crowe lives in Lebanon, this state; Thomas T. is a graduate of Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, and is now director of athletics and teaches agriculture in the University of Arkansas, at Fayetteville; Milton Lee lives in San Francisco, California; Lucile died in infancy, and Ethel, who is at home. Mrs. Mary J. Firestone is still living and is making her home with our subject and wife. Mr. Firestone has been deceased a number of years.
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