My Genealogy Hound

Rev. John A. Russell, minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of Brush Creek Township, Wright Co., Mo., was born in Alabama in 1851, the son of Samuel C. and Sarah G. (Crawford) Russell, and the grandson on his mother’s side of Joseph Crawford, who was a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Coffee County, Middle Tennessee. He was man of much ability, had a good English education, and became preceptor to many young men who entered the ministry. He died at the advanced age of over ninety years. The maternal great-grandfather was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in the Emerald Isle. He came to America about the first of the present century, and was the father of ten children, seven sons and three daughters. Of the seven sons, four are ministers, and one a physician. Samuel C. Russell was also a native of Alabama, and was married in Tennessee to Sarah G. Crawford, who bore him five children, of whom Rev. John A. Russell is the eldest. The parents moved to Tennessee in about 1852, and from there to Missouri in 1857 or 1858, locating in Wright County, two miles south of Hartville. Here the father died May 17, 1864. He was all through the Mexican War. His wife followed him to the grave June 18, 1864. The Russells are of Irish descent. Rev. John A. Russell was reared on a farm, and educated in Wright County and in Arkansas. He commenced studying for the ministry in 1878, and joined the church October 12 of that year. He was licensed to preach March 30, 1879, on the first essay he wrote, and was ordained in October, 1880, at Mount Moriah Church, Wright County, Springfield Presbytery. He preached for seven years at Norwood, and from 1883 to 1888 at Phillipsburg Church. He is the owner of 250 acres of land, but expects to devote his whole time to the ministry. He was married in November, 1875, to Miss Tennessee McClannahan, who was born in Tennessee May 25, 1854, and who is the daughter of Philip McClannahan. Her father came to Missouri about 1872, and died about 1874, at the age of sixty years. He was a successful tiller of the soil. To Mr. and Mrs. Russell were born six children: Floyd, Elmer E., Holan, Cora I., Vance E. and DeWitt T. Mr. Russell followed the teacher’s profession for about ten years, and was school commissioner of Wright County for four years. He is a member of the Wheel, a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Democrat in his political views.