My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Adair County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1888.  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.

* * * *

Francis X. Clark is the junior member of the firm of Clark Bros., merchants at Adair, and is a native of Highland County, Ohio, where he was born in 1850. In 1859 he accompanied his parents to Knox County, Mo., where he was principally reared, being educated at Edina and the North Missouri State Normal at Kirksville. In 1880 he married Miss Ann Fennesee. They have had two children: Ignatius and Mary. Mr. Clark is a Democrat, and cast his first presidential vote for Tilden. He and his wife are members of the Roman Catholic Church. In the fall of 1877 Mr. Clark went into partnership with his brother, Daniel W. Clark, who was established in the mercantile business in Adair. The firm is still continuing and doing a flourishing business, carrying a stock of general merchandise worth about $5,000. Mrs. Clark’s parents were Felix and Mariah (Burgoone) Clark. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born about 1812, and of Irish and French origin, a son of John Clark, who was a native of France, and among the very early Catholic families of Maryland. Felix was married about 1836, and in 1859 moved to Knox County, Mo., but in 1860 returned to Ohio to transact some business, and from there accompanied the Ninetieth Ohio Regiment into the South, and while at Nashville, Tenn., was taken ill, and died in 1862, he and fifty-five others of the same regiment being buried in the same grave at Nashville. The mother was born in Ohio, and is still living in Adair at the age of sixty-eight.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 150 biographies included in the Adair County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Adair, Sullivan, Putnam, and Schuyler Counties, Missouri published in 1888 by Goodspeed Publishing Co.  For the complete description, click here: Adair County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.