My Genealogy Hound

L. Farnsworth, a progressive farmer and stock raiser of Webster County, Mo., was born in Monroe County, Ohio, February 11, 1840, and since the fall of 1887 has been a resident of his present farm, which consists of 120 acres of land, with about 100 acres under cultivation. His farm is supplied with very good buildings, an excellent young orchard, and since his residence here Mr. Farnsworth has fenced the place and greatly improved it in other respects. His parents, John and Polly (Lamon) Farnsworth, were born in Tennessee and Ohio, and were married in the latter State, where the mother died in 1844. Our subject remained in his native State until seventeen years of age, then went to Iowa and worked as a farm hand until the spring of 1861, when he went to Illinois, and was engaged in tilling the soil in Pike County till August of the following year, when he enlisted in Company C, Ninety-ninth Illinois Infantry, and served until he received his discharge at the close of the war. He was at Baton Rouge, Magnolia Hill, Champion’s Hill, Black River, the siege and surrender of Vicksburg, and Jackson, Miss. During all this time he was never off duty, never received a wound, and was never in the hospital or taken prisoner. After peace was declared he returned to Pike County, Ill., and was there married, on the 13th of September, 1866, to Amanda J. Benson, of that county, a daughter of Thomas Benson, now deceased, but her death occurred in Carroll County, Mo., January 2, 1887, having borne a family of seven children: Anna Laura, born November 16, 1868; Arthur Roscoe, born February 18, 1870; Lottie May, born April 2, 1872; Oscar, born August 17, 1874; William, born Septembers, 1876; Edgar, born July 31, 1878; Elmer, born March 5, 1881. Mr. Farnsworth is a member of the G. A. R., Ben Grigsby Lodge, No. 305, of Carroll County, Mo., and is a member of the Union Labor party.