My Genealogy Hound

REV. JOHN W. STONE (retired), post-office Carthage, is a native of the Old Dominion, born in Frederick county, Nov. 10, 1813. He spent the first nineteen years of his life in the Shenandoah Valley. He was educated at Middletown, in the same county. At the age of nineteen he emigrated with his parents to Ohio and settled at Hillsborough, the county seat of Highland county, where he entered in the ministry of the M. E. Church. He was admitted on trial in the fall of 1836, and preached the gospel for many subsequent years. After fourteen years of arduous and unremitting labor, devoted to the cause of Christianity, his health failed, since which time he has held superannuated relations with the ministry proper. He was married at Zanesville, Ohio, August 3, 1841, to Miss Jane Hazlett, born and educated in Zanesville, daughter of Hugh Hazlett, one among the oldest merchants of that now populous city. Mr. Stone preached in several places in the state with much success and satisfaction. In 1861 he preached in Decorah, Iowa, whither he went to recover his failing health; he preached there one year, then moved to Waverly, Iowa, where by his efforts and under his supervision the finest church edifice west of the Mississippi River was erected at a cost of $22,000, a monument to his zeal and energy, and a fitting testimonial of the regard of his people. He also owned a farm in the vicinity, which he disposed of, together with some other interests, and became a citizen of Jasper county, Mo., in Aug., 1867. Though not actively engaged in the ministry, he shortly after coming to the county introduced “Northern Methodism,” rather a bold undertaking at that unsettled time, but the genial, pleasant manner, social and friendly disposition, and withal the earnest eloquence of Mr. Stone caused the scowls on the faces of his first audience to relax into unmistakable smiles of satisfaction. He has during his useful life accomplished much good work. He has caused to be erected several houses of worship, some of them very pretentious. He was also known as a very successful revivalist, and has ever been modest and unassuming, considering himself an instrument in the hands of the Lord. In his good work, both spiritual and temporal, he has enjoyed the co-operation and assistance of “God’s greatest and best gift to man,” a noble woman. They have reared a family of one son and three daughters, known to many of the people of the county where they have lived some years: Mary A., wife of J. H. Cummins, of Waverly, Iowa; Charles F., for some years in business at Carthage, now of Waverly, Iowa; Lidie F., wife of S. H. Morse; and Maggie E., wife of Frank W. Dubois, both of Waverly, Iowa. Mr. Stone is now following the humble avocation of a husbandman.