My Genealogy Hound

Ex-Judge D. J. Thompson, another successful farmer and stock-raiser of Box Township, Cedar County, Mo., was born in Lawrence County, Ky., January 23, 1834, and is the son of Martin and Annie (Large) Thompson, natives of Russell County, Va., born in 1802 and 1805, respectively. When quite small, each, with their parents, moved to Kentucky, where, after reaching mature years, they were married, and there made their future home. The mother died in February, 1869, and the father at the home of his son, Judge D. J. Thompson, September 13, 1887. Both were members of the Christian Church. Mr. Thompson was a successful farmer and stock-raiser. His father, James Thompson, was a native of Virginia, and his grandfather, Richard Thompson, was a native of Ireland, and came to America at an early day. He was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and died in Kentucky. James Thompson also died in Kentucky. William Large, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was an early settler of Kentucky, where he died. He, too, was a soldier in the early wars. He was of Welsh-Irish extraction. Ex-Judge D. J. Thompson, the sixth of ten sons and four daughters, nine of whom are now living, received a limited education in the country schools, and was married August 16, 1855, to Miss Fannie, a native of Kentucky, born June 9, 1839, and the daughter of William M. and Delila Pennington, also natives of Kentucky. Mr. Pennington died in his native State, February 20, 1862, and Mrs. Pennington is still living there. Mr. Pennington was a wealthy farmer, merchant and distiller, and was of Dutch descent. To Judge Thompson and wife were born nine children, two sons and five daughters living. America was born January 14, 1859, and was married to John A. Jackson, Jr., January 27, 1876; Granville, born February 12, 1861, and was married to Miss Alice Beauchamp, December 19, 1880; Delila A., born March 31, 1864, and was married to Mr. Joe Everman February 4, 1884; Richard, born November 13, 1866, died December 12, 1866; Josie, born December 13, 1868; Laura B., born May 15, 1871; Helen A., born December 12, 1872, died January 7, 1873; Cora E., born January 27, 1874; James S., born August 31, 1876. From November, 1861, to June, 1865, Judge Thompson was in the Confederate army, Company B, Tenth Kentucky Mounted Riflemen, and operated in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, held as partisan ranger in war in severe engagements, and had many hair-breadth escapes. He surrendered at Chattanooga, Tenn., in June, 1865, and the same year came to Platte County, Mo., where he remained until the next year, when he moved to Hopkins County, Texas, and from there to Cedar County, Mo., where they have since lived. He resides about three and a half miles northwest of El Dorado, where he has 320 acres, 160 acres under cultivation, and all the result of his own industry. He is one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Cedar County. In 1874 he was elected associate judge of the county court, and served two years. In politics he has been a Democrat all his life, and his first presidential vote was cast for James Buchanan, in 1856. He and his son, Granville, are members of El Dorado Lodge No. 433, I. O. O. F., and he is also a member of the Farmers’ Alliance. He and wife and five children are members of the Christian Church. He and family have improved nearly all the farm themselves, there being about thirty-five acres cleared when they located there.