My Genealogy Hound

NAPOLEON G. TEVIS, one of the solid agriculturists of Pettis County, now owns a quarter-section of land on section 18, township 44, range 23, which he conducts in a progressive manner. He gives his undivided attention to farm work, and as he has been a resident of his present homestead since 1874, is consequently well known in this locality and highly esteemed as one of its best residents.

Our subject is a native of this state, having been born in Cooper County, March 27, 1840. His parents, Snowden and Susan (Morris) Tevis, reared a large family of children, of whom he was the eleventh-born. Snowden Tevis was a native of Madison County, Ky., and remained in that state until twenty years of age, when he crossed the line into Missouri and engaged in agricultural pursuits in Cooper County. He made that portion of the state his home for the remainder of his life, dying in 1853. His good wife, the mother of Napoleon G., was born in North Carolina, and departed this life in 1852. Our subject was thus doubly orphaned when a lad of thirteen years. He had previous to this time fair advantages in the subscription school of his neighborhood, and when old enough to begin the battle of life on his own account chose the vocation of a farmer, to which occupation he had been trained. He moved to his present fine estate in 1874, and has since that time ably conducted the same. It is one hundred and sixty acres in extent and gives evidence of the care and labor bestowed upon it. The stock on this farm is of the best, and the most approved farming implements and machinery of all kinds are used to carry on the work.

Our subject was married, in 1862, to Miss Cordelia J. Martin, the daughter of William H. and Rhoda (Moore) Martin. Her father was born in Tennessee, while Mrs. Martin was a native of this state. The birth of Mrs. Tevis occurred in Cooper County, September 28, 1844, and by her union with our subject she became the mother of six children, of whom the eldest, Mattie, is deceased. Alice is the wife of William Calvert, a farmer of Johnson County; they became the parents of two children, Roxy and one deceased. Rhoda, the twin of Alice, is living at home George W. and Thomas H. reside in Johnson County, and Lester N. is at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Tevis are members of the Baptist Church. In politics the former is an ardent Democrat, but has never aspired to office-holding, preferring to give his attention to his private interests and let those hold office who wish to do so. He is a good citizen, always interested in obtaining the best schools for the rising generation, in making good roads, and, in short, in advancing the community’s welfare in every possible way.