My Genealogy Hound

OLIVER PERRY GUFFEY was born in Caldwell county, Mo., October 29, 1842. His father, William Guffey, was a native of Tennessee and died in Caldwell county, Mo., whither he had moved in 1836, his death taking place twenty years later. All his life he spent in farming. The mother of Mr. Guffey bore the maiden name of Margaret Pile. She, also, was a native of Tennessee — dying in Caldwell county, Mo , in 1886, at an advanced age.

The subject of this sketch is one of a family of fourteen children (seven sons and seven daughters), seven only of whom are living. Of this number William F. resides in Caldwell county, Mo., as also does Stokely S.; Ashley R. is in Indian Territory; Andrew J. resides in Stone county, Ark.; the subject of this sketch in Shelton; and Abner J. on the old homestead in Caldwell county, Mo.; Delilah, now Mrs. Pemberton, lives in Caldwell county, Mo. Mr. Guffey has seen in his time a good deal of Western life and has also experienced many of its common and some of its uncommon phases. Reared on a farm, at an early age he engaged in freighting goods overland from Atchison, Kans., to Denver, Colo. This was before the day of railroads. He drove across the plains with an ox team, making the trip in forty-five days. Spending a few months in the vicinity of Denver he then went to New Mexico, hauling supplies with mule teams to the military post at Ft. Union. Subsequent to this he engaged, with indifferent success, in mining, but abandoned it for the saw-mill business, and finally returned to Caldwell county, Mo., making the return trip this time with mules. For a time he settled down to farming, operating the old homestead; then, buying forty, acres and renting some adjoining land, he continued to farm till 1882, when he removed to Hamilton, Mo., and engaged in live stock speculation. This business he followed for four years, buying, feeding and shipping, at the end of which time he removed to Shelton and engaged in the same business This was in 1886. In the following year he bought out the general store of F. H. Moore, which he has since operated in connection with his stock interests. The style of the firm is Guffey, Fine & Co.

Mr. Guffey was married in 1871 to Miss Mahala Hale, daughter of Richard Hale of Missouri. From this marriage came two children — Richard A. and Lulu M. Mrs. Guffey died in the spring of 1880, being at the time at her father’s home in Daviess county, Mo. In 1883 Mr. Guffey contracted a marriage with Miss Ella Brooks, born in Ohio, daughter of James Brooks of Missouri. One child has come to bless this union — James P. by name.

Mr. Guffey is a democrat in politics and is a member of the order of A. O. U. W. In all his wanderings Mr. Guffey has found no section of the great West which pleases him more than central Nebraska, and he has wisely concluded that this is a good enough country in which to spend his remaining days.