My Genealogy Hound

John Trewhitt was born in Putnam County, Mo., January 27, 1854, and is a son of James M. and Mary A. (Guffey) Trewhitt, natives of Tennessee. The father immigrated to Missouri in 1820, when there were more Indians there than white men. He afterward moved to Tennessee, making the journey in a one-horse cart, and settled on Blackbird Creek upon 160 acres. About 1860 he moved to Jasper Township, Crawford Co., Ark., entered 160 acres and cultivated twenty acres. He joined the State militia during the war, but was never called into active service. He lived in Kansas from 1863 until the close of the war. He then returned to Arkansas, and farmed upon the old place until his death, February 11, 1888, aged seventy-two. He had been a minister in the Presbyterian Church for fifty-five years. She was married in her native State, and had twelve children, seven now living: Elizabeth, wife of William Ails, of Kansas; Polly A., wife of Luke Stinnell, of Missouri; Ephebia, wife of Stephen B., John and William. Sarah A., James M., Jesse, Melinda and Henry are deceased. Subject’s grandfather, Jesse Trewhitt, was a physician, born in North Carolina, and in an early day went to Tennessee. In 1820 he came to Missouri, with subject’s father, and afterward went to Arkansas, where he died at the age of seventy-eight. His wife Elizabeth, was born and married in North Carolina, and was seventy-five years of age when she lost her husband. Henry Guffey, the maternal grandfather, was born in Maryland, afterward moved to North Carolina, from there to Tennessee, and died in Putnam County, Mo., aged one hundred and six. E served in the War of 1812, under Jackson. His wife, Lila, was born, reared and married in Tennessee, and died in Putnam County, Mo., aged seventy-six. Our subject lived with his parents until eighteen, and, being obliged to help support the family by working on the farm, had little schooling. He then started in life for himself, first renting land. When twenty years old he married Marilla A. Capps, daughter of Callaway and Hovia Capps, and a native of Missouri. She is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and the mother of four children: Biddie M., Rosa M., Minnie A. and Naomi A. After his marriage Mr. Trewhitt farmed for a year, and then learned the stone-mason’s trade, at which he worked ten years. He worked on the San Francisco Railway two years, and then opened a blacksmith shop near Cedarville. Two years later he removed his business into Cedarville, where he is now employed. He is a stanch Republican, never having voted any other ticket, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Farmer’s Alliance.