My Genealogy Hound

THOMAS STEPP. This gentleman, who has almost out-lived three generations, was born Oct. 6, 1809, in North Carolina. When he was but three months old, his father removed to Giles county, Tenn., and soon after, to Lodderville, Ala., where he was raised. Mr. Stepp has been twice married; the first marriage was with Sarah McNinch, Feb. 20, 1831. The subject of this sketch is truly a modern patriarch, being the father of sixteen children, whose names are Newton L., Solomon J., who died in his country’s cause; also Thomas C. The daughters are Sarah F., Laura, Mary, and Martha. His first wife died in August, 1848, in Giles county, Tenn. With so many orphan children left motherless, it was very desirable that he should seek for them a foster mother, therefore, April 5, 1851, he was married to Matilda Garnet. Her children are Charles, Golson, Mary, Elvina, Joseph, John, Thomas 2d, and Toby. All but four of this large family are living, and although he was too old to serve his country, he furnished two strong, sturdy sons, willing and brave, who offered up their lives in its defense. When Mr. Stepp came to Jasper county, Mo., about sixteen years ago, deer fed free and unmolested, and a variety of wild game abounded. There were no settlements away from the timber, nor towns except miner’s camps. He relates that in the early history of Oronogo, an Indian by the name of Peter Ivey, at Miner’s Point, now Oronogo, ran a meat market. The home farm comprises 125 acres, about 100 of which is in cultivation. Fifty-three acres in 1882 harvested twenty bushels to the acre of wheat. Mr. Stepp is in his seventy-fourth year, and although his head is hoary with the snows of many winters, he is able today to shoulder his ax and do more grubbing and hard work in half a day, than any of his grown sons, or many men much younger. He impresses one with that charm of geniality and good-will and merry candor so little met with in modern men of schemes for self and rush of gain. One feels like calling down a benediction upon one so venerable, and yet so full of vigor, who has raised such a household and reared them to years of manhood and usefulness.