My Genealogy Hound

Capt. John Sims was born in Cooper County, Mo., on the 1st of July, 1822, and is a son of James and Rachel (McGarity) Sims, both of whom were born in the “ Palmetto State” and came to Missouri in 1820, locating in Cooper County, where the father was engaged in farming and house-carpentering. He entered 200 acres of land, on which he lived until 1836, then came to Morgan County, and entered and bought a tract of 600 acres near Versailles, on which he resided until his death, in August, 1860, at the age of seventy years. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and had been a soldier in the War of 1812. His wife died in 1862, aged sixty-five years, having borne a family of nine children: William (residing on the old homestead), Malinda (the deceased wife of Constantino Estes), John, Matilda (wife of John Robison), Mary Jane (wife of C. H. Huff, both of whom are deceased), Charles W., Jalia (the deceased wife of John Ball), Elizabeth (the deceased wife of John Muir), and J. E. John Sims received a good education in his youth, and remained with his father, assisting on the farm, until twenty-five years of age, when he married, and began farming for himself. His wife was a Mrs. Elizabeth Long, widow of Andrew Long, by whom she became the mother of one child. By John Sims she became the mother of seven children: Amanda F., wife of J. R. Kelsay, now deceased; James L., residing in Cedar County, Mo.; Lucy, wife of W. H. Murray, of Morgan County; Jennie T., the deceased wife of P. A. Allee; Mary A., Jalia A. and Stephen A. died when young. Their mother died in March, 1863. In December, 1863, he wedded Miss Agnes Kelsay, by whom he had one child, Martha, wife of S. N. Hull, of Morgan County. This wife died in November, 1864, and in July, 1865, he wedded Miss Sallie A. French, a native of Cooper County, by whom he had three children: Eva L., wife of J. B. Guthrey, of Morgan County; Annie L., unmarried, and John H., deceased. The family are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Sims settled on the farm where he now lives in 1855, and is the owner of 485 acres of well-improved land. He has always taken an active interest in public enterprises, and is a liberal contributor to schools and churches. He is in every respect a self-made man. He served two years as justice of the county court, to which he was elected in 1854, also serving as county justice in 1862 by appointment from Gov. Gamble, and twelve years as public administrator. He served as captain of Company L of the Enrolled State Militia of Missouri, and was lieutenant-colonel under the old militia law.