My Genealogy Hound

James Shaffer was born in Fountain County, Ind., in 1842, and is a son of John and Paulina (Trinkle) Shaffer, both natives of Virginia, who were married in 1832, and settled on a farm in Indiana, where they engaged in farming and stock raising until 1847, when they took their departure for Clark County, Mo., where they arrived the same year, and resumed their old occupation, which they continued until the death of John Shaffer, which occurred in Clark County, Mo., in 1850. Our subject accompanied his parents to Clark County in 1847. February 8, 1862, he was married to Lucy A. Christy, and he and his wife lived on the old place, which in the short space of two years he had purchased, and which at that time consisted of 299 acres of good land, which is now well improved. He has since improved and added to his first purchase, and now owns a comfortable residence and 500 acres of the best of land. The wife of the subject is a daughter of William and Mary Rice Christy, natives of Kentucky, who were married in their native State, where they remained until 1851, when they came to Clark County, and settled upon a farm, where the father died in 1878. The mother is still living in Clark County, and is in her seventy-ninth year. Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer have been blessed with eight children, seven of whom are living: Mary C., Lavenia E. (wife of James Stewart), Maranda M., Oscar, Lucy A., James and Robertia; Ora is deceased. Mr. Shaffer has been a farmer of this county for forty years, and, although he began life as a poor man, is now considered one of the substantial farmers of this part of the county. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Church. He has been a Democrat all his life, but has never aspired to any public office. He served in the Missouri State Militia during the war, and is still interested in the general prosperity and welfare of the country.