My Genealogy Hound

Laban Wilkinson was born in Cape Girardeau County, Mo., in 1816 and is the fourth in a family of twelve children born to James and Hannah (Sheppard) Wilkinson, natives, respectively, of North Carolina and Georgia, who were among the early settlers of Cape Girardeau County, Mo. The parents were members of the Baptist Church, and after the death of the father the mother married a Mr. Ferguson. The early education of Laban Wilkinson was that afforded by the subscription schools, and when about twenty years of age he began doing for himself in the pursuit of agriculture. In 1835 he married Martha H. Stone, who was born in Madison County, Mo., in 1819. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom seven survive, viz.: Margaret, Mary A., Newton, Sarah, William, De Kalb and Pleasant. Having lived in his native county until 1841, Mr. Wilkinson removed to Crawford County, and located on his present farm, which consists of 682 acres. Commencing with comparatively little, industry and economy have resulted in his prosperity, and he is now an enterprising farmer.