My Genealogy Hound

David C. Hawkins, one of the highly respected citizens of Knox County, is the deceased husband of Mrs. Elizabeth M. Hawkins. His life was an active and earnest, but changeful, one, and as a citizen and neighbor he had no superior. He was born December 13, 1813, in Woodford County, Ky., where he was partly reared and educated. He early exhibited a fine business talent, and while yet a young man he immigrated with his mother’s family to Missouri, when they settled in Marion County. Here he engaged in the hay and commission business, and was married September 9, 1845, to Miss Caroline Nance, also a native of Kentucky. By her he had three children; the eldest a daughter, Mrs. Susan (Hawkins) Thompson, who resides in Knox City, Mo., with her husband; the other two being twin boys, William W. and Thomas L. The former is a lumber merchant in Arcola, Ill., and the latter is a practicing physician in Mullinville, Kas. Their mother died in 1851, after which Mr. Hawkins removed to Lewis County, when he embarked in the river commission business at La Grange. After a time he returned to Marion County, and engaged with a Mr. Holtzclaw, in buying and pressing hemp for the market, While thus employed he was united in marriage, in 1856, to Mrs. Elizabeth M., widow of the late Henry S. Johnson, of Knox County. The latter was a native of New Jersey but, owning a body of land in Knox County, had emigrated thither. Here he died in 1851. After Mr. Hawkins was married to Mrs. Johnson he returned to La Grange in 1858, when he was elected clerk, and opened the books of a branch of a St. Louis bank in the following year. In 1863, on account of excitement growing out of the war, he removed with his family to Illinois. Here he remained until after the close of the war, when he came to their farm in Knox County, Mo., in 1866, where he died in 1868. By his second wife he had three children, only one of whom is still living— John H. After the death of Mr. Hawkins his widow remained on her farm, which she conducted in a business manner until March, 1882, when she removed to Knox City, where she still resides.