My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Morgan County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  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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John Goodman (deceased) was born in Ross County, Ohio, February 22, 1829, spent his youth in that State, and was there married to Miss Susan M. Immell, a native also of the same place. After their marriage, which occurred March 30, 1852, they remained in their native county until 1859, when they moved to Morgan County, Missouri, and bought a small farm of forty acres. By economy and great industry Mr. Goodman added to this until at the time of his death he was the owner of 650 acres, almost all fine prairie land. Mrs. Goodman was a member of the Methodist Church while living in Ohio but failed to join the church after coming to Missouri. He was a Spiritualist to some extent, and was a man who found his greatest pleasure in being at home with his family. During the troublous times of the war Mr. Goodman enlisted in the Enrolled Militia of Missouri, and as a consequence was subject to the indignities of the bushwhacker element. At one time, just at the close of the war, a party came to his house and robbed it of what had been left after several similar depredations. They took Mr. Goodman, who happened to be at home, out, and threatened to shoot him, and proceeded to the woods for that purpose. Mr. Goodman told them that if he had to die, he would prefer staying in his own door-yard. Finally, after a great deal of talking, they concluded to let him go, their object being to get what money he had, which was very little at that time. When Mr. Goodman first located in Missouri he was a Democrat in politics, but after the war he voted the Republican ticket, and continued to do so until his death, which occurred December 14, 1879, at his home in Morgan County. He was a much esteemed citizen, and his death was mourned by all who knew him. His wife survived him nine years, and died December 17, 1888, leaving a family of nine children to mourn her loss, one of whom, Miss Lillie, only survived her two months, dying March 2, 1889. The other children are named as follows: Elizabeth Jane, married Daniel Williams, of Morgan County, and is the mother of two children; George (deceased); Josiah and Josephine (twins); Josiah, married to Miss Etter, and has two children; Laura Bell, married William James, of Moniteau County, and has three children; Nancy E., widow of Charles E. Jones, who died in Miller County in 1886, leaving four children, the eldest now being deceased; Mr. Jones, at the time of his death, was prosecuting attorney of Miller County; John, married Miss Strong, and has two children; Harriet, wife of Sumpter Inglish, of Barnett, now a well-known stock-dealer of that place; Charles, at home, and Mary Susan, at home. Lillie married John Jackson, of Miller County, and became the mother of two children, both of whom died in infancy. At the time of the cyclone, April 18, 1880, Mrs. Goodman’s house lay directly in its path, and their house and barn, which were large and among the best in the county, were completely demolished, entailing a loss of about $7,000 in buildings and fences. When the family saw the storm approaching they all went to the cellar with the exception of Mrs. Jones, who was visiting her old home. In relating the circumstance she says: “When the crash came I remember crying aloud, and catching at the first object that presented, and this happened to be a large straw tick which had been on a bed in the room above. Then there came a sensation of flying in the air, with a confused mass of debris, and I can remember very distinctly of being whirled around and around underneath the tick of straw, and then with a sudden motion was brought back to the place where the house had stood, and was found there after the storm still clinging to the tick.”

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This family biography is one of 120 biographies included in The History of Morgan County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Morgan County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Morgan County, Missouri family biographies here: Morgan County, Missouri Biographies

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