My Genealogy Hound

John B. Bruner was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1844, and is the fourth of nine children, born to Daniel and Eunice (Bond) Bruner, the father a native of Ohio, and the mother the first female child born in Dunkirk, N. Y. John B. Bruner was reared and attended school in Springfield, Ohio, Jamestown, N. Y. and Meadville, Penn., in all of which places his father was engaged in merchant tailoring. He acquired a good education, and at the age of sixteen years began clerking in a drug store in Dunkirk, and later served in the same capacity in Jamestown, N. Y. and Franklin, Penn. In 1860 he went to the “Hoosier State,” and embarked in the lumber business, but after a year or two returned to Jamestown and resumed clerking; after a short time he became dissatisfied with his location and went to Michigan, and served in the same capacity for a grocery firm. In 1871 he went to Memphis, and became a traveling salesman for a liquor house, but discontinued this about four years later and engaged in business for himself. After remaining there about two years he began traveling for a St. Louis firm, remaining with them seven years, purchasing in the meantime, in 1881, a farm of 200 acres, one mile north of Vanndale; 160 acres are under cultivation, and is excellently adapted to raising cotton, corn, grass, etc. He has some thoroughbred Durham cattle, a high grade of Jerseys, and his hogs are a cross between the Berkshire and Poland China. On this farm, in 1887, he erected a fine residence, it being a two-story frame, 60x42 feet, containing nine rooms, ornamented by a number of handsome double porches, and presenting a handsome view from the road. He made other improvements in the way of buildings, and has a fine new barn and other substantial outbuildings. His farm is nearly all under fence, and he has recently set out over a mile of hedge. He is a thoroughgoing and thrifty farmer, who sees the advantage of raising the best of everything for his family’s use, including fruit and berries. With his introduction of blooded stock, new seed grains, different and improved methods of farming, the community will at least have an opportunity of seeing what taste and enterprise, combined with skill and industry, can accomplish. In manner he is agreeable and courteous, and his wife, whose maiden name was Bettie Mansford, and whom he married on February 1, 1875, is an educated and accomplished lady. She was born in Madison County, Tenn., and her father has for a long time been a well-known farmer of Gibson County, and is still residing there.