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Below is a family biography included in The Portrait and Biographical Record of Randolph, Jackson, Perry and Monroe Counties, Illinois published by Biographical Publishing Co. in 1894.  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.

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REV. JORDAN CARROLL HARRISS, of Du Quoin, has the honor of being a native of Perry County, his birth having occurred near Pinckneyville, September 8, 1840. The family is of Welsh origin, and was founded in America by Edward Harriss, a native of Wales, who, when a young man, came to this country, settling in Virginia, where he engaged in farming. The family removed from that state to South Carolina, thence to Tennessee, and in 1829 was established in Perry County, Ill. The above named Edward Harris, great-grandfather of our subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was taken prisoner by the British. The grandfather, Johnson Harriss, was a native of Virginia, born December 18, 1769. His death occurred at Paradise Prairie, Perry County, Ill., about December, 1868, he having attained the advanced age of ninety-nine years, lacking a few days. He was one of the honored men of his day.

The father of our subject, Jordan Harriss, was born in Laurens District, S. C., May 7, 1800, and was married in November, 1823, in Bedford County, Tenn., to Lucinda Casey, who was born in Georgia, February 19, 1805. Her father, James Casey, who was of Irish extraction, wedded Susan Turner. He was a cousin of ex-Governor Zadoc Casey, and one of his sons, Hiram, was in the Black Hawk War. Jordan Harriss came to this state in very limited circumstances, but ere his death he had worked his way upward and acquired a fair competence. He was highly respected by all who knew him, and died April 25, 1874. His wife passed away November 22, 1883, at the age of seventy-eight.

In their family were five sons and four daughters. Sarah Jane, now the wife of William A. King, of Ewing, Ill., was born October 3, 1824. She was first married to John R. Teague, now deceased. The Rev. Marion Teague, of Du Quoin, is their son. Johnson C., who was born April 6, 1826, was a farmer and merchant, and a man of more than average intelligence; he taught school for some years, and served two terms as County Assessor and Treasurer of Perry County. He died March 5, 1881. Nancy Eleanor, who was born November 7, 1828, married Edmond Dry, a soldier in the Mexican War, and now lives on Holt’s Prairie, near Pinckneyville. John H., whose birth occurred July 29, 1830, followed school teaching in early life, and is now a prosperous farmer residing at Denny Station (Holt’s P. O.), near Pinckneyville. Susan was born on the 29th of April, 1832, and died at the age of two years. Hiram M., who was born March 16, 1834, is now a hardware merchant of Du Quoin. Julia Ann, born on the 11th of June, 1836, married Thomas J. Hansford and died in April, 1855. Edward M., born on the 24th of July, 1838, entered the army in August, 1862, as a member of Company A, Eighty-first Illinois Infantry. He was taken prisoner June 12, 1864, and spent eleven months in Andersonville. After the war he served as Sheriff of Perry County, and in 1889 was appointed Postmaster at Du Quoin by President Harrison, but was removed by Cleveland in the fall of 1893. He has always been active and prominent in county affairs. In fact, all of this family are public spirited, influential people.

Our subject was the youngest in the family. He acquired a fair education, spending the winter of 1858-59 in Shurtleff College, and afterward pursuing his studies at Old Du Quoin Seminary. He then followed teaching and farming until joining the boys in blue, on the 7th of August, 1862. He was Sergeant of Company A, Eighty-first Illinois Infantry, and participated in the engagements of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hills, and also in several battles on the Red River expedition and the siege of Vicksburg, in which he was wounded in the left arm and in the right shoulder. He was taken prisoner June 12, 1864, at Guntown, Miss., and was put into Andersonville Prison, where for eleven long months he suffered the tortures of starvation and neglect. After receiving an honorable discharge he returned to Perry County, and again engaged in farming and school teaching.

In politics, Mr. Harriss is a Republican. In the fall of 1866 he was elected County Sheriff, and in the fall of 1869 was chosen County Clerk. From the expiration of that term of office he engaged in farming and other business until 1876, when he entered upon the work of the Gospel ministry, in which he has found his efforts crowned with abundant success. While attending school at Old Du Quoin Seminary in 1859, then a young man of nineteen, he experienced the change of heart which made of him a devoted follower of Christ. In October of that year he was baptized by Elder Peter Hagler and became a member of the Nine Mile Baptist Church. He was early impressed with the duty of telling to others the glad story of salvation through faith in Christ. After becoming settled in life he was ordained to the office of Deacon in the Nine Mile Church.

On the 8th of July, 1876, at Paradise Baptist Church (of which he was then a member) Mr. Harriss was ordained a minister of the Gospel, and his first appointment for preaching was at Holt’s Prairie Baptist Church. In the years 1879-80 he took a course of study in theology at Shurtleff College. In the interval from that date to the present, he has served acceptably as Pastor of the following churches of the Nine Mile Baptist Association: Nine Mile (as immediate successor of the venerable Elder Peter Hagler); Paradise, Pinckneyville, Holt’s Prairie, Galum, Red Bud, Nashville (about seven years), Fairview (where he increased the membership from about fifty to two hundred and thirty-nine), Horse Prairie and Makanda churches.

However, it would seem that the most important work accomplished by Mr. Harriss has been performed by him as missionary of the Nine Mile Baptist Association, in which capacity he is now employed, and has been much of the time for many years. Someone has summarized the visible results of his work for the years 1883 to 1886, and six months of 1887, as follows: sermons preached, ten hundred and thirty-eight; exhortations, one hundred and ninety-seven; religious visits, eighteen hundred and nine; persons baptized, six hundred and sixty-one (the latter being eighty-one and four-tenths per cent, of the entire number of baptisms within the bounds of the association during the time specified). He has been honored by the association by being chosen its Moderator from the year 1884 to 1889 inclusive.

On the 5th of June, 1861, Mr. Harriss was united in marriage with Miss M. V. A. Thornton, a native of Allen County, Ky., whose father, Elder William Thornton, was a Baptist preacher. Two children were born to them. Viola, who was born on the 22d of May, 1862, was educated at Shurtleff and Ewing Colleges, and is now the wife of Aaron King, a farmer of Ewing, Ill., by whom she has four children, Herbert, Arthur, Clarence and Frank. Clarence W., the second child of the subject of this sketch, was born December 7, 1866, was graduated from Ewing College, and then engaged in teaching at that place. He was afterward Principal of the high school in Du Quoin for three years, but is now a law student in the Northwestern University, of Chicago. The mother of this family died September 5, 1869.

On the 20th of January, 1870, Mr. Harriss married Eliza A. Strait, a native of Perry County, and the daughter of Judge Hosea H. Strait. To them were born seven children, five of whom are yet living. Walter H., born on the 25th of November, 1871, was educated in Ewing and Shurtleff Colleges, and is now a Baptist preacher of some note, possessing oratorical powers far in advance of his years. Herschel S., born July 11, 1874, died March 13, 1881. Alvah E. died in infancy, November 4, 1877. Grace T., born November 4, 1878, is now in school. Wilfred C. was born July 22, 1882; Judson, November 5, 1884, and Earl, August 24, 1887. Mr. Harriss is one of the honored citizens of this community, who by his well spent life has won the confidence and high regard of all with whom he has been brought in contact.

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This family biography is one of 679 biographies included in The Portrait and Biographical Record of Randolph, Jackson, Perry and Monroe Counties, Illinois published in 1894.  View the complete description here: The Portrait and Biographical Record of Randolph, Jackson, Perry and Monroe Counties, Illinois

View additional Perry County, Illinois family biographies here: Perry County, Illinois Biographies

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