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Below is a family biography included in The History of Dallas County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Hon. Nathaniel J. Wollard. Prominent among the leading and enterprising citizens of Dallas County, Mo., stands the name of the above mentioned gentleman, who was born in Dallas County, Mo., October 16, 1844, and is the son of Nathaniel and Margaret (Abel) Wollard, natives of North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. The father was born August 6, 1792, and died in Dallas County, Mo., September 1, 1863. He was a Primitive Baptist minister, and in connection with his ministerial duties carried on farming, at which he was very successful. At the time of his death he was the second largest tax payer of Dallas County. He was a soldier in the War of 1812; was in the battles of Horseshoe, New Orleans, Tippecanoe and others. He was in active ministerial duty for over forty years, and preached in the greater part of Southwestern Missouri. When twenty-one years of age, poor and almost penniless, he walked 800 miles to Tennessee, and located in Maury County, where he resided until 1837, when he came to Missouri and located near where his son, Nathaniel J., is now living. He was married first to Margaret Hardison, in Tennessee, about 1816. She died in Dallas County, Mo., and Mr. Wollard married the mother of our subject in 1841. She was born January 12, 1808, and is now living with her son, Nathaniel J. Wollard. She was the daughter of John David Abel and the widow of Calvin Newport. She came with Mr. Newport from Roane County, Tenn., in 1836, and located in Wright County, where she married Mr. Wollard. To this union were born four children: Louisa P., Nathaniel J., Silas B. and James M. (deceased). Nathaniel J. remained at home until 1863, when he enlisted in Company B of Woods’ Battalion, Confederate States Army, and served two years, or until the close of the war. He was in many battles—Dardanelle, Pine Bluff, Pilot Knob, Jefferson City, Big and Little Blue, Neosho and others. October 22, 1865, he married Miss Alice Randles, a native of Dallas County, Mo., born December 6, 1846, and the daughter of James Franklin Randles. The fruits of this union were these children: Mary L. M., died in infancy; James F., John S., Moses W., Sarah E. M., Robert P., Estella D., Quincy Lee, died at the age of six years; Martha, died in infancy; Permelia E., and Omega F., who died in infancy. After the war Mr. Wollard engaged in farming and stock- raising, at which he has been unusually successful. In 1881 he engaged in mercantile business at Buffalo, the firm title being Randels & Wollard, and at the end of one year the title was changed to Wollard & Co. He was in business about five years, when he sold out. In 1872 he was elected justice of the peace, and served six years, when he was elected county judge from the Southern District. In 1882 he was elected by the Greenback party to represent the county in the Legislature, and in 1884 he was re-elected by the Greenback and Democratic parties. In 1886 he was nominated for State senator by the Union Labor party, but declined. In 1881 he was instrumental in establishing the Dallas County Fair Association, being elected vice-president of the same the following year, and afterward president. Mrs. Wollard has been a member of the Missionary Baptist Church from early girlhood, and recently Mr. Wollard has joined the same church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, is a member of the I. O. O. F., the Agricultural Wheel, in which lodge he takes a great interest, is president of the County Wheel, and a delegate to the State Wheel. He was elected in 1888 to represent the State of Missouri at the National Wheel at Meridian, Miss. Mr. Wollard is one of the representative citizens of Dallas County, and at all times takes an active interest in Sunday-schools, he being vice-president of the Washington Township Sunday-school Union. When first elected to that position there were but two Sunday-schools; now there are eleven, and over 900 scholars. At the present time Mr. Wollard is engaged in building a fine church house on his premises, which will be a credit to any locality, and as he leaves out fail in his enterprises it doubtless will be completed.

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This family biography is one of 74 biographies included in The History of Dallas County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Dallas County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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