My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Jasper County, Missouri published by Mills & Company in 1883.  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.

* * * *

JOHN MESSICK was born in Jessamine county, Ky., Jan. 9, 1846, and was reared and educated in the town of Nicholasville until May, 1802, and then he moved with his parents to Putnam county, Ind., and there attended school until 1865. He then went to Crawford county, Ill., in the latter part of the winter of 1865, and engaged in farming until the spring of 1869; then returned to Indiana and lived there until the spring of 1870. Then he came to southwest Missouri and visited northwest Arkansas, Cherokee Nation, and southern Kansas, and made his way to Jasper county, Mo,, in the following July. In the spring of 1871 he went to Dade county, and bought a piece of raw prairie-land and improved it, but did not remain long on account of poor health. He then went to Hickory county, where he engaged in the drug business until the spring of 1875; he then came back to Dade county and farmed one season; then came back to Jasper county, where he rented and cultivated J. M. Richardson’s farm for two seasons. He then bought the northwest quarter of section 26, in the spring of 1879, and began to improve it. On June 26th, 1879, he married Florello Anna Sheldon, daughter of Abel and Sofronia Sheldon, of Ohio. Mr. Messick’s father was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, and at the age of twelve years went to Kentucky. In the fall of 1882 John Messick bought the south half of the northwest quarter of section 26. The farm has an excellent spring, and Mr. Messick has a very nice and pleasant home. He is a good neighbor, and is held in high esteem by all who know him.

* * * *

This family biography is one of more than 1,000 biographies included in The History of Jasper County, Missouri published in 1883.  For the complete description, click here: Jasper County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Jasper County, Missouri family biographies here: Jasper County, Missouri Biographies

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.