Missouri Genealogy, Author at Missouri Genealogy

Biography of Rev. Thomas Toney of Greenfield

History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, Missouri

Rev. Thomas Toney, A.M., M.D., born November 3, 1836, in Warren County, Kentucky, is a notable figure in Greenfield, Missouri, known for his roles in education, real estate, and insurance. An orphan, he worked through Mount Mary Seminary and Glenville College, eventually earning medical degrees from the University of Nashville and Vanderbilt University. Toney served as a captain in the Confederate Army and was involved in numerous battles. He founded several educational institutions and served as president of Ozark College from 1883 to 1887. A committed Cumberland Presbyterian pastor, he was also active in Masonic, Odd Fellow, and other fraternal organizations. He married Mintie Truitt and was a staunch temperance advocate.

Biography of J. W. Toliver of Dadeville

J. W. Toliver, a prominent merchant, farmer, and stock-raiser in Dadeville, Missouri, was born in Lawrence County, Missouri, in 1855. He is the son of John H. Toliver, a Tennessee-born Confederate Army captain and mule trader, and Ann Laster. In 1877, J. W. married Amanda A. Watkins, with whom he had two children before her death in 1883. He remarried in 1885 to Marrillena Clopton White, with whom he had three stepchildren. Toliver has served as Dadeville’s postmaster since 1886 and owns a general store. An active Democrat, he also owns significant land in Missouri and Kansas.

Biography of William M. Tarrant of Dade County

William M. Tarrant, a distinguished farmer and stock-raiser in Dade County, Missouri, was born in Warren County, Kentucky, on August 20, 1842. He moved to Missouri as an infant and enlisted in the Sixth Regiment Missouri Cavalry during the Civil War, serving as an orderly sergeant. He married Josie King in 1866, and they had four children. Settling on a 160-acre farm in 1867, Tarrant expanded his holdings to 320 acres. Formerly a Republican, he became a Union Labor party supporter. He and his wife were active members of the Baptist Church. His lineage traces back to English and Scotch ancestry, with roots in early American military history.

Biography of Mason Talbutt of Greenfield

Mason Talbutt, born in Greenfield, Missouri, in 1846, was a prominent ex-probate judge and attorney. Son of Columbus Talbutt, a French-descendant tailor and early settler of Dade County, and Amanda Allison, Mason’s career began at a young age in a printing office. He served in the Civil War and later engaged in various professions, including grocery and agriculture. Admitted to the bar in 1879, Talbutt was elected probate judge in 1882. He was married to Clara Kimber in 1879, with whom he had five children. Active in local politics and fraternal organizations, Talbutt was a dedicated community member.

Biography of Fergus C. Snoddy of Rock Prairie Township

Fergus C. Snoddy, a stock-raiser and farmer in Rock Prairie Township, was born in Clay County, Indiana, in 1847. He was the son of Josiah and Margaret (Clough) Snoddy, originally from Kentucky and Virginia, respectively. After his father’s death around 1848, the family moved to Greene County, Missouri. Fergus, the youngest of seven children, served in the Army of the Cumberland during the Civil War and later joined the Eighteenth United States Infantry, participating in expeditions against the Sioux. In 1869, he settled in Dade County, Missouri, and married Martha Landers in 1872. They have six children. Snoddy, a Republican, is a member of the A.F. & A.M. and the G.A.R., and he focuses on farming and stock-raising on his 312-acre farm.

Biography of John D. Smith of Lockwood

John D. Smith, a produce dealer and express agent in Lockwood since 1881, was born in Henry County, Tennessee, in 1851. He was the son of John W. Smith, born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 1811, and Elizabeth (Haynes) Smith, born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1809. The couple spent most of their lives in Henry County, where John W. served as justice of the peace for eighteen years. After his parents’ deaths in 1868, John D. began farming. He married Nicie E. Walters in 1872, and they had six children. Moving to Lockwood in 1881, Smith became a successful businessman and a prominent citizen, active in the Democratic Party and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Biography of J. C. Shouse of Morgan Township

J.C. Shouse, a dedicated farmer and stock-raiser in Morgan Township, Dade County, Missouri, was born in Shelby County, Kentucky, on November 3, 1834. His parents, William O. and Harriet (Bryan) Shouse, both natives of Kentucky, moved to Jackson County, Missouri, in 1837. William Shouse, of German descent, later settled in Kansas City. J.C. Shouse married Mary Ann Campbell in 1857, with whom he had twelve children. After her death in 1874, he married Mrs. Niece in 1875, having five more children. By 1882, he had settled on a 347-acre farm, with 200 acres under cultivation. Shouse was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Dadeville.

Biography of James R. Scott of Center Township

James R. Scott, a prominent agriculturist in Center Township, Dade County, Missouri, was born in 1847. He is the son of Emerson C. and Amanda (Tucker) Scott. His grandfather, Richard Scott, originally from Kentucky, died in Dade County in 1858. Emerson C. Scott, who settled in Missouri at twenty-two, pre-empted 300 acres and was tragically killed in 1863. Amanda Scott, born in Tennessee in 1822, raised eight children. James married Sarah C. Studdard in 1873, and they have one child, William E. Scott. James owns ninety-three acres of the family homestead, is a Democrat, a Mason, and a Cumberland Presbyterian.

Biography of Judge Frederick Schnelle of Dade County

Judge Frederick Schnelle, born in Prussia in 1836, is an associate judge of the Dade County Court from the Western District, elected in 1888. Son of Henry and Mary (Linback) Schnelle, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1852, settling in Illinois. In 1861, he married Elizabeth Behrens, also a Prussian immigrant. The couple had twelve children. In 1884, Schnelle moved to Dade County, Missouri, where he became a successful farmer and stock-raiser. He served as township collector in Illinois and, despite Dade County’s Republican majority, was elected judge as a Democrat. He and his family are members of the Lutheran Church.

Biography of Cyrenus Z. Russell of Greenfield

Cyrenus Z. Russell, born in 1840 in Peoria County, Illinois, served as county clerk of Dade County, Missouri. He was the eldest son of Abner and Samantha (Seward) Russell. Raised on a farm, he received a liberal education in Illinois and Missouri. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army, rising to second lieutenant. Post-war, he engaged in business in Illinois and Kansas before settling in Dade County in 1874. Elected county clerk in 1886, he moved to Greenfield. In 1867, he married Ala Ann Teagarden, with whom he had five children. Russell was a Republican, an I.O.O.F. member, and a G.A.R. Post No. 75 member.