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I thought this information might help some of you that are researching your family. I copied it from Kings History of Maries County, MO. Some of it might be misspelled as I copied it like it was wrote.
Kings History of Maries County, MO
Chapter Forty-Two
Helton Breeding Crismon Massey Families
The very early history of the Helton family is largely tradition, handed down by word of mouth from father to son, but it makes a fairly connected narrative and likely is, in the main, accurate. This tradition is that Isaac (Daddy Ike) Helton was the oldest son of James Helton who married Campbell Crismon’s daughter; that he was born in Tennessee or North Carolina, and that he was about seven years old when he came with his father to Osage County in 1818. The family evidently came by themselves, and stayed a year or two, possibly longer, but started back to Tennessee for a reason present day people can hardly understand--they were out of salt. Furthermore, they had been out of it for almost a year. James Helton had missed the salt canoes that bore the Boone’s Lick salt output to market down the Missouri in the fall, and such as was carried out by packhorse went down the north side of the river, remote from his home. It was almost a hundred miles, overland, to The Lick, and after a winter and part of a summer without that commodity he decided to go back where supplies were more plentiful. They had made part of the return journey and had crossed the Mississippi River at St. Louis, camping for the night east of Illinoistown (East St. Louis) in the fertile American Bottom, where the oxen had been turned loose to graze and young Isaac had been set to watch them. Other campers were around, and he thought nothing of it when one of the men spoke to him, asking him his name and destination, which he told him, and answered several questions about his father. The stranger asked him to point out his father, which he did, and James Helton was soon shaking hands with his brother-in-law, Gilbert Crismon, who with his family and parents were on this road to the new country. They talked by the campfire most of the night. When both parties resumed their journey a few days later, after the cattle were rested, they all came back to Osage County together, but were careful to lay in a plentiful supply of salt in St. Louis in case they missed the canoes again. This must have been about 1823. A Peter Helton appears in a few instances in the early Osage County records, and as James Helton’s father was likely named Peter it may be that the Peter Helton listed in the North Carolina census of 1790 came here with his son--or it may have been a son of James.
James Helton and his wife seem to have had nine children who lived to maturity: Isaac, William T. (Todd), Crismon, James, Peter, Polly (twin to Todd), Jane, Betsy, and Louisa. Isaac grew to manhood in Osage County after the family’s return there, and at the mature age of seventeen was married October 2, 1828, to Elizabeth Hughes, sister of Stephen Hughes and of Ben Eads’ first wife. They made their home on the lower Maries for a number of years before moving to this county to the Monroe Krone place, now owned by Mrs. Joseph Huhman, where they lived awhile. They returned to Osage County, living there until 1864 when they came back to Maries County and settled on the Little Maries a mile or two above their former home, where they spent the remainder of their lives.
The seven children born of this marriage were: Louisa J., Perry, James, Jesse, Stephen, Nancy, and Isaac C. Louisa J. Helton married William Breeden and Nancy Helton married Abraham Breeden. Their further account will be found under that name. An eighth child born of this marriage, John, lived to attain his majority, and was married to Amanda, daughter of James Tyree, but died less than a month after his marriage and was followed to the grave by his wife less than three weeks after his death. Some other children born of this marriage died in infancy.
Isaac Helton’s first wife died not long after they moved to this county the second time, and a few years there after he was married to Mary Ann, daughter of David Cowan, who survived him a number of years. Eight children living to maturity were born of the second marriage: Rachel, David, Robert, Judith, Mary, Amanda, and Martin, neither of the above sets of children is given in the order of their ages.
James Helton, the oldest son of Isaac, was born in Osage County in the early thirties. He first married Jeannette, sister of John Taff near Stony Point. After her death, childless, he we Amanda, daughter of John Belk. Four children were born of the second marriage, of whom Isaac died single; Henry the oldest son married Eliza Moss, and both are long since dead; their only child, Fred Helton, lives near Brinktown. John, the other son, married a Johnson and at last account lived in Garden City, Kansas; Mary married John Gardner and now or formerly lived at Iberia.
After the death of his second wife James Helton married her sister, Julia Ann Belk, and shortly there after moved to Miller County a mile or two from Tuscumbia. Returning to this county he bought part of the Copeland land, four miles northwest of Vienna, and lived here a few years before returning to Miller County. He spent his last years and he and his wife both died on or near the Elzey Prairie.
Of the eight children born of the last marriage Perry died while the family lived in this county, single. The other seven, all of whom are living, are: James in Jefferson City; Stephen who married a Belshe and lives near Tuscumbia; Richard, a veteran of the Spanish War and Philippine Insurrection, married a James, and lives in Miller County; Scott married a Wright in Miller County and now lives in Texas; Jennie married Bunyan Copeland and lives in Jefferson City; Anna married a Ponder and lives in Texas; and Edward, whose wife was a Newheart, lives near Iberia.
Stephen Helton, son of Isaac, married Sarah Corretta, daughter of Robert Rowden, February 13, 1867, and for many years lived on and owned the farm on Little Tavern later owned by G.P. Skaggs. Their six children were born here, and is believed that Mrs. Helton died at the Skaggs place. The family moved to Garfield County, Oklahoma, about 1893, and the survivors are now scattered over Oklahoma and Texas. The six children born to them were: Corretta J., born December 19, 1867, a graduate of the old Christian College at Weaubleau City. She taught several terms of school in this county before going to Oklahoma, where she taught and was otherwise active most of her life. She died single at the home of her brother in Canadian, Texas, March 9, 1937. The three living sons are: Judge W.L. Helton of Canadian, Texas; O.E. Helton of Woodward, Oklahoma. Two other children, Valeria A. and Robert J. Helton, are believed to have died single.
Isaac C. Helton, son of Isaac, was born April2, 1837, in Osage County. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War, and my not have married until the war ended. His first wife was a Breeding (a daughter of Elijah) by whom he was the father of one child, Harriett, later wife of Ben Dake; she died in Texas County some years ago, leaving two children, whose names are not at hand. His second wife was a widow Smith, nee Cynthia Lee, who by her first marriage was the mother of one son, Charles, now of Brays Mill. They lived on the present Fred Berry place in Miller Township a number of years, afterwards moving to the south end of Pulaski County, where Mrs. Helton died something like forty years ago, her widower surviving until March 18, 1930. Of the six children born to them and living to maturity, Jerry died single, the others are: Jack of Pryer Creek, Oklahoma; Isaac of Vinita, Oklahoma; Stephen of Evening Shade, Texas County; Isabelle, now Mrs. Adams and a widow, lives in southern Pulaski County.
Perry Helton, son of Isaac, married Martha J., daughter of Thomas Ready, February 4, 1872. They went to Texas not long after their marriage and lived there until Mrs. Helton’s death. Perry then returned to this part of the state, re-married, and finally resided at the Soldier’s Home in St. James until his death, his body being taken back to Texas for burial. No children were born of the second marriage; the eight of the first and living to maturity are: Chan, Clemens, Frank, Lillie, Ben, and ‘Baby’, all in Texas; Docia, wife of George Jones, and Mary, wife of Isaac Cain, live in Pulaski County.
Jesse Helton, the last of Isaac Helton’s children by his first wife, married Matilda Sherrill September 22, 1870, and was the father of nine children, all living. He has been dead some ten years, and wife some five years. The children are: Moses, Oliver, Ben, George, Jesse, William, Bertie, wife of George Vaughan, Louisa, widow of Archie D. Woody and now wife of G.P. Barnhart; and Elmeda, wife of A.M. Briggs.
Isaac Helton was also the father of eight children by his second marriage: Rachel, David, Robert, Charles, Judith, Mary, Amanda, and Martin. Of the eight three are yet living: David in Cole County, Robert in Oklahoma, and Martin here. David, who married Roberta, daughter of John Copeland, in 1880 and Martin, who married Nancy, daughter of William (Black Head) Branson, February 26, 1885, are widowers. Robert’s widow survives; she was Mina Stokes, and they were married here September 9, 1894. Amanda married Asa Rowden, and her descendants will be found in the Rowden chapter.
Judith Helton married Bernard Fitzpatrick, and both she and her husband have been dead for several years. Their home during their married life was at the Anderson place at the mouth of long Branch. Their ten children, all living, are: Maggie, wife of Henry Brandel; Nora, wife of Joseph Brandel; Dennis, Edward, Alice, Hannah, John Garret, Michael, and Bernard, all of this county, and Bartholomew (Battie) of Meta.
Charles Helton, probably the youngest child of Isaac’s second marriage, was born June 15, 1870, and died February 10, 1925. He was married February 10, 1891, to Leona, daughter of William D. Finn, and they were the parents of one son, Charles Elmer Helton. This son married Neca Barnhart and is also dead, leaving three children, Marie, Clay, and Vergis Helton. Mrs. Charles Helton later married George Wilson.
Rachel Helton married Dr. George Curtman and both are long since dead. Their four children were: Otto, Elmer, Fred, and Edward, of whom Edward lives at Ketchum, Oklahoma, Fred in Miller County, and Elmer here. The other son, Otto, married Emma Parker and is also dead, leaving six children; Wendell of Meta, Clarence of Heady, Charlsie who marred a Burd, and Anna, single, all live in St. Louis.
Mary Helton, the remaining child of Isaac Helton, marred Monroe Krone, and her descendants are listed under that name.
William T. (Todd) Helton, son of James Senior, was born in present Osage County August 17, 1823, and died in Maries County August 9, 1881. His wife was Julia, daughter of Nancy Washam and niece of Thomas Anderson, later wife of W.H. Vaughan. She was born in Tennessee September 7, 1827, and died on the upper Little Maries in this county August 13, 1910. They were married at the present Verhoff place below Stony Pint, then owned by Hood Vaughan, her step-father, in 1842. Todd Helton and his wife probably lived in Maries County their entire married lives, during most of which time they lived on the Little Maries, near the present Cleveland Schoolhouse. They were the parents of seven children: James Reuben, John, Richard, Polly (Mary), Nancy, Margaret, and Bettie.
James R. (Rube) Helton was born in Maries County May 16, 1852, and died here November 25, 1935. He was married September 22, 1870, to Martha J., daughter of Stephen Crismon, who preceded him in death many years. Their seven children, all living in Maries County and around Dixon, are: Elbert, Stephen, Julia, Frances, Waldo, Allan, and Charles Helton. ‘Rube’ Helton was widely known for his wit and humor, and probably had a wider acquaintance than any other one member of the family.
We do not have the birth and death dates of John Helton, son of Todd, nor the date of his first marriage. His first wife was Lottie Pryor, and they were the parents of five children: Small, Todd, Effie, now widow of J.M. Murphy, Oliver, and Lottie, now Mrs. Charles Davis. All are living except Oliver, who was born June 2, 1883, and died single July 19, 1932, John Helton’s second wife was Kate Wittkop, a widow, to whom he was married June 2, 1886. Their one child, John, died in infancy. His third marriage on April 9, 1894, was to Rachel Thompson, nee Hughes, to which union four children were born: Hazel, wife of Oliver Shelton of St. Louis; Jacob of Granite City; and Julia Ann, now Mrs. Philby of Joplin. Both John and his last wife are long since dead.
Richard Helton, the third son of Todd, was born January 27, 1860, and died January 18, 1925. His wife was Jane, daughter of Thomas Wiles. She was born December 9, 1860, and died January 23, 1935. Their four living children are: Monroe, Robert, Ollie, wife of Ray Jones, and Anna, wife of Pete Jones. Maud, the fifth child born to them, died in infancy.
Mary (Polly) Helton, daughter of Todd, married William (Red Head) Branson, and her descendants are given under that name.
Elizabeth (Bettie) Helton, daughter of Todd, married James Wiles June 3, 1877. She has been dead many years, her widower dying within the last five years. Their three children, all living, are: Lee, wife of J.E. Jones, and William C. Wiles, both of this county, and Anna, wife of A.J. (Jack) Henson of Owensville.
Margaret J. (Aunt Babe) Helton, daughter of Todd, married Moses (Doc) Prewett. They lived all their lives in Pulaski County with the exception of the few years they owned and lived on a farm on the Upper Little Maries in this county. Both died in Pulaski County at an advanced age. Of the nine children born of this marriage two, M.G. (boy) and Charles are dead; both were married and left children, but their names have not been obtained. The seven living are: Nora, wife of Henry Shackleford, Minnie, wife of Andy Newberry, Iva, wife of George Newberry, Richard, Kay, and Polk, all in Pulaski County. Bugg Prewett is now, or lately was, on the West Coast.
Nancy, the remaining daughter of Todd Helton, married Stephen Hughes and both she and her husband are long since dead. She was the mother of four daughters, Tennie, Amanda, Mary, and Margaret, but little is known of their descendants. Amanda married James Harp and about five years ago lived at Maplewood; Margaret married Andy Combs and left six children, Guy, Lucy, Edith, Joseph, Ralph, and Jack; Tennie married James Huckins but the names of her descendents are not at hand; Mary married and left a family, but her married name is not known. The last three daughters have been dead for some years and their descendants are scattered, but at least some of them, particularly the Combs children, are thought to be in Oklahoma.
Crismon Helton, son of James Helton Senior, married Louisa Jane, daughter of Stephen Pryor. He was probably the youngest one of the James Helton children. They spent most of their married life in this county on a farm near the Little Maries now owned by George Vineyard, which he sold in his old days. It is not certain whether he and his wife died in this or Miller County. Of the eight children born to them three are yet living: Elbin in Miller County; Chan on Spring Creek in this county; and Gib for many years a resident of this county, but now living near New Haven in Franklin County. The five who have passed away are: Louisa, Mahala, Mary, Isaac, and William Helton.
Louisa married John Pryor; their one child, Nora, now wife of Edward Jones, lives at Bakersfield, Missouri, Mahala married James Pryor; she died leaving a family, but their names and present addresses have not been received; it may be that they live in the Bakersfield community also. Mary married Elijah Martin, and her children are noted under that name. William Helton married Loora, daughter of Wilson Crawford, and has been dead a number of years. He is survived by his widow, who lives at Dixon, and three children: Earl of Madison, and Mrs. William Medley of Christopher, both in Illinois; and Mary J. wife of T.F. Donahue of Brookfield, Missouri. A fourth child, William H. Helton, a World War I Veteran, was accidentally killed in Granite city May 27, 1931; he was married but had no children. Isaac, the remaining child of Crismon Helton, lived in Miller County nearly all his married life, and died there in the summer of 1937. His first wife was Mary Pankey, by whom he was the father of three children: Arch and Fred in Miller County, and Charles in St. Louis. His second wife was Mrs. Jeannette Jones, of this county, who survives.
Regretfully, very few details of the married life of Elizabeth, daughter of James Helton Senior, are at hand. She was married to David Miller in present Osage (then Gasconade) County February 11, 1827, by William Bumpass, Justice of the Peace, which would indicate that they likely lived on the lower Gasconade River. David Miller was a Pennsylvania German, evidently not more than one generation away from Europe, as he spoke with a decided German accent. When a little excited--which was fairly often--he was hard to understand at all.
Not more than ten years after their marriage they were living on the upper Big Maries in this county on land now owned by Dr. A.J. Crider of Dixon, which they owned and occupied for many years. In fact, Mrs. Miller may have been the first member of the Helton family to live in that part of the country. The place was soon well known and seems to have been a crossroads for the travel of that day, since at least three early day state roads are described as ‘passing by David Miller’s’ to different places. Most of their children were born there, and it was not until their advancing years made it a burden that they disposed of the land and made their home among their children in their declining years. Mrs. Miller did not long survive the move from the old home; her widower lived a number of years longer, passing away in his sleep at the home of his daughter Malinda, then wife of Davis Copeland. The best available information is that ten children were born to them, but with the exception of one or two their descendants are only known in part.
Their five sons were: Samuel, Isaac, David, George, and William Miller, and with the possible exception of William all of them were in the Confederate Army; George died single from the effects of measles contracted in an army camp. David married in north Missouri, was captured in battle and died in Alton Prison; the family has no knowledge of any descendants he may have left. Samuel, Isaac, and William (the last then single) went to Texas soon after the Civil War where they spent the remainder of their lives and where any descendants now live. Samuel married Sohpia, daughter of William R. Spoon; Isaac was also married when they left here, but his wife’s maiden name is not known.
The five daughters of David and Elizabeth Miller are: Polly, Julia, Rebecca, Malinda, and Lucinda. Of these, no further record of Julia has been found, and it may be that she died single; Rebecca married ‘Little Jim’ Helton, and her descendants will be found elsewhere in this chapter. Polly married Willis Robertson, who also served in the Confederate Army. They also moved away right after the war, and may have gone to Texas with her brothers. Malinda first married a man named Wilson and was the mother of two daughters, Lucinda and Sarah Ann, both of whom died single. Her second husband was Davis Copeland and their son, Samuel, moved away with them. His offspring are cited in the Copeland chapter. Lucinda Miller, the remaining daughter, married James ‘White River’ Breeding.
So many records of the Breeding family have been destroyed by fire and other wise that very few details remain. The records show that John Breeding entered land in the northwestern part of present Franklin County, close to but not on the Missouri River, in 1818. Not many years afterwards Elijah Breeding, relationship to John unknown, appeared in present Osage County, and thereafter made it his home. He owned land in this county along the Maries--Osage County line, but never lived here.
Tradition has it that Elijah Breeding was married three times and was the father of seven children, of whom James and Elizabeth, who married a Richardson, were the children of the first marriage. The maiden names of his first two wives are unknown; third wife was Patsy Roark, who survived his death in 1874 for many years. The children were Calvin and Lucinda, who married John Martin. The children of the second wife were: William, Martha, who married Elijah Groves, and Harriet, married name unknown, whose daughter married a Helton.
Calvin Breeding’s offspring are listed in the Barnett section of the chapter on Early Physicians, and that of Lucinda in the Martin and Cowan chapter. William Breeding died more than sixty years ago, leaving six children: America, Margaret, Louisa, Isaac, Calvin, and James, but nothing is now known here of their residence, marital status, or issue. Katherine Breeding, who married Elijah Groves, moved to Miller County more than seventy-five years ago, where they spent the remainder of their lives and both died in the Iberia vicinity. Their three living children are: William R. of Woodward, Oklahoma; Isaac of Hancock; and Mrs. W.M. Scoter of Iberia; a fourth child, James H., born in Osage County November 30, 1854, died single in Miller County October 4, 1936.
As stated above no dates have been preserved as to the James Breeding family. He was born not less than one hundred twenty-five years ago, probably in this state, but if not here, then in Tennessee. His first wife was Lucinda, daughter of David Miller, and they spent their entire married lives in this county. His second wife was a widow Null, nee Scott, and after this marriage they lived awhile in Shannon County and other sections of south Missouri, finally returning to this county where both died.
James Breeeding was the father of eleven children living to maturity by his first marriage, and three by the last. The first children, not in their age order, were: Mary Ann, Julia Ann, Malinda Ann, Elizabeth, Lucy Ann, Josephine, Frank, David, Calvin, Elijah, and Christine. Of these Malinda, widow of Martin Copeland, lives at Eldon, and Lucy, wife of Lewis Lambeth, in Laclede County; the others have passed away.
Elizabeth and Mary Ann Breeding were the first and second wives of Frank Benton, the marriage of the latter occurring November 23, 1872. Frona, the only child born to Elizabeth, died single, as did Alice, one of the six children born to Mary Ann. Gertrude, who married a Renswald, is also dead leaving two children, Bernice and Dorothy, both of Jefferson City, both single. Margaret Benton, the oldest child of the second marriage, has been out of touch with relatives for many years, and may also be dead. Her married name was Stringer, and at last account she lived in Denver and was the mother of two children, a son and daughter. The three living children are Isom at Jefferson City, Mrs. Rosella Schotte at Pekin, Illinois, and Mrs. Emma Surface in St. Louis, Frank Benton, the father, died a number of years ago.
Julia Ann Breeding was the second wife of Samuel Groves. This couple spent their entire married lives in this county, mostly in the southwestern part, and both died there, as did three of the eight children born to them. The living children are: Bertie, wife of William Dodds of Dixon; James O., Claude, and Sallie, wife of Thomas Kimrey, all of Texas County; and Cora, wife of W.T. Rollins of this county. David and Jeff Groves are dead; the former left no children, the latter left three boys and two girls, all in Texas County. Laura Groves, the remaining child, has been dead several years. She married Lytle Roberson, under which name her family is described.
Josephine Breeding married John Crum, which see.
Frank Breeding married Anna, daughter of Harris Wakefield and has been dead a number of years, his wife surviving until about three years ago. Their four children are: Elmer, Mabel, wife of Harry Stratman, and Lena, single, all of Jefferson City, and Opal, also single, of St. Louis. The Frank Breeding place was just over the line in Osage County.
David Breeding spent most of his adult life along the Little Tavern, where he married and died. His wife was Margaret Dodds, now wife of Ray Brumble, and he is also survived by their one child, now the wife of Arthur Wilson.
Calvin Breeding, who was born in 1858, died in April, 1932, aged sixty-four years, having been preceded in death May 30, 1918, by his wife, the former Sally Johnson. One son, Raymond, died in infancy; the other eight, all yet living, are: Esther, wife of Henry Radmacher, Stella, wife of Louis Radmacher, and Philbert Breeding, all in California; Reginald, Hattie, wife of Joe DeWall, and Margie, wife of Joe McKinney, in St. Louis; Frank at Belle; Newton in East St. Louis; and Pansy, wife of Fred Wicks, in Chicago.
Christine Breeding married Rudolph Bruder, and both he and his wife are dead after spending their entire married lives just over in Osage county from Maries. The three children born to them who lived to maturity are: Mamie, wife of Mack Owens, and Polly, wife of Gordon Davis, of East St. Louis, and Frances, wife of Sam Jones of Granite City; another daughter, Orleana, died an infant.
Elijah Breeding, the remaining child of the first marriage, died a number of years ago near Summersville, where he had lived most o his married life. His wife was Eliza Elkins, who survives in Texas County. They had five children: Martin of Summersville, and James, Calvin, Wright, and Della, now Mrs. Stringer, all of San Dinas, California.
James Breeding’s second wife was a widow Null (widow of Felix) whom he also survived. The three children born of the second marriage, all yet living so far as known, are George in St. Louis, Charles in New York, and Sallie, wife of Louis Martin, in this county.
We have little data as to James Helton, son of James Senior. He reached manhood, married, and was a widower, at the time of the California gold rush, in which he joined and in which he was successful above the average, returning home with something like two thousand dollars in gold dust and nuggets. He spent the remainder of his life in Maries and Osage counties.
His first wife was Bursetta, daughter of Cat Vaughan, to whom he was married October 10, 1833, and by whom he was the father of one child, Lydia, later wife of W.S. Eads (which see). His second wife was a Breeden, first name not now recalled, but a sister of John and Abe, by whom he was the father of seven children, Priscilla, William, Peter, James, Martha, Judith, and Susan. Their age order is not known, but Susan is believed to have the oldest. She was born in 1834, married David C. Smith, and died September 12, 1869; there is no record of any children having been born to them.
William Helton, son of James Junior, married Diana Ramsey, daughter of Robert. She was born April 12, 1853, and died January 19, 1889. The two children born of this marriage, Robert and James, are still living, the former in this county and the latter in Kennett, Missouri. William Helton evidently died early in life, for after his death his widow married ‘Snurl’ Simpson, by whom she was the mother of one daughter, Etta, who married about Joplin, and so far as is known still lives there.
Peter Helton died in the Confederate Army in Little Rock during the Civil War, single; James married David Miller’s daughter; Martha married Wash Gibson; and Judith married, first, George Scott, and second Rufus Adams; their descendants are elsewhere noted.
Priscilla Helton, who was born in 1857 and died in 1932, married Henry Belk, who was born in 1844 and died in 1928. They spent almost their entire married life in Miller County, where four of their children, Mary, wife of W.T. Hensley, Josie, Peter, and Edward, all single, yet live. Miller Belk lives in Maplewood, Dessie, wife of Elmer Prater, in St. Louis, James in Pulaski County, and Richard in St. Clair County. Charles and Bertie are dead, the former dying single; the latter, wife of William Kellison, is survived by five children, Edith, wife of David Belk, and William Junior of St. Louis, Fernand of DeSoto, Josie, wife of William Geromini of Chariton County, and Lillie, wife of Lester Armer of Vienna.
Polly Helton, twin to Todd, married John Hughes, and her sister, Jane, married Stephen Hughes; such facts as have been gathered concerning their issue will be found in the Hughes chapter.
We have nothing in the way of details as the life of Peter Helton, except that he married Emeline Anderson in Osage County September 30, 1834. All his present day descendants live in the west and southwest, mostly in Texas, and it may be that Peter Helton and his family went there with the Millers.
Louisa Helton married William Anderson, half brother to Thomas, and was the mother of two children, James and ‘Bunch’. The latter married here and her account will be found elsewhere. James married a Hedrick and was the father of two children, Julia (married name not at hand) a teacher in the Muskogee, Oklahoma, schools, and William Anderson, who died single.
The foregoing completes the list of nine children certainly known to have been born to James Helton. One other woman of that name, Judah, was married in Osage County July 9, 1837, to Daniel Boone, but absolutely nothing more is known about her. She was more than likely a sister of the nine listed above, and if she did not die in early life probably went with the other Boones to western Missouri a great many years ago. Many years after our branch of the Helton family came to Missouri still another branch, leader unknown, broke away from the parent hive in the North Carolina mountains and came west, settling on the Tennessee River near the Kentucky line and not far from the later Shiloh Battlefield. Descendants of this branch settled in Arkansas and southwest Missouri, around Neosho. They are distantly related to our family, but in an unknown manner.
One hundred fifty years ago George Crisman was the only man of that name listed in the North Carolina Census; there were several Christmans but no Crismon. George Crisman lived in what was then Orange County, which is in the north central part of the state, an elevated section from which the waters drain north, south, and east. Peter Helton, who is also the lone representative of that name, lived in the same county.
Thirty years or so afterward both families appeared in Missouri, and from the fact that there was only one family of each name in North Carolina, it is a reasonably safe guess that George Crisman was the father of Campbell Crismon, and that Peter Helton was the father of James Helton, who were the ancestors of our families, James Helton as well as Isaac, Stephen, and Campbell Crismon (then spelled Christman) appear on the Gasconade County tax list of 1828. It is not known how much before that time they came to this state, and the spelling of the name may have been the Assessor’s notion of it, instead of the way they spelled it themselves. James Helton’s wife was a daughter of Campbell Crismon.
Campbell Crismon’s wife was a half-blood Cherokee, her father living with the tribe after his marriage to her mother, and taking part in tribal life. It is a tradition in the family that when Campbell Crismon’s wife was a young girl she witnessed the torture of a young Creek Indian captured by her people in one of their tribal wars. Though burned to death at the stake, the victim, true to Indian ethics, did his best to conceal his suffering, and succeeded in so far as his features were concerned, but in spite of his best efforts his hands twisted as the fire licked into his flesh. The incident made a deep impression on the young girl, and is said to be the forerunner of the twisted hands of some members of the family in every generation since. Her name is not known, but it has been given to the writer as--in sound--very closely resembling ‘Wannah’. Both she and her husband are buried at the Henry Volmert place on the Big Maries some two miles from Vienna, having come there in their old days to live with their son, Gilbert.
(It is nothing more than fair to say that in the course of a casual conversation with a physician I mentioned the legend of the twisted hands and how they came about. In reply to his questions told him as much as I had heard about it. He said it was a scientific impossibility for such a cause to have such an effect. I later repeated the story to other members of the medical profession, and received the same reply. I also made inquiry of a number of ladies who have helped usher many babies into the world, possibly as many as the doctors, and they were equally unanimous that such a thing could--and frequently did--occur. Take you choice.)
Campbell Crismon may have had other children besides his son Gilbert and the wife of James Helton, but if he did, their names have not been ascertained, and none except these two had any connection with Maries county affairs. Gilbert Crismon was married long before he ever came to this state, and the maiden name of his wife is not know. He settled on the Big Maries on the place now owned by Herman Volmert about 1831, and spent the rest of his life there, dying sometime in the late forties. Both his parents died there also and are buried on the place, also.
Gilbert Crismon was the father of thirteen children living to maturity: John, Isaac, Arch, Pleasant, Moses, Stephen, James, Betsey, Sallie, Sarah, William Senior, Mahala, and Polly. Of these, Arch, Pleasant, Moses, Stephen, and Polly, who first married George Capehart and later a man named Joyce, moved to Oregon about 1852. The whole wagon train was poisoned with alkali water at or near present Scott’s Bluff, Nebraska, and Moses and Stephen died from the effects of it and were buried on the trail, along with the wife of Isaac and other members of the party. Arch, Pleasant, and Polly survived the misfortune and finished the journey. They made their homes in the west for the remainder of their lives and have descendants there now, but we have no details concerning them. It is not known whether or not Moses or Stephen were married. Sarah married Reuben Branson, and the part of her descendents affecting Maries County will be found under that name.
Campbell Crismon must have been an old man and his son, Gilbert, at least approaching middle age when they came to this country, for Gilbert’s son John, possibly his oldest child, was married in present Osage County December 5, 1833, to Flavilla Melcena, daughter of Reverend Joseph Brashears, by William Brown, Justice of the Peace. They lived and died in present Maries County, near the mouth of Fly Creek, where their nine children were born. Of these nine, Amanda married William Hood Vaughan, and Mary married Hood Vaughan’s son, John; their descendants will be found under that name. The others were: Gilbert Junior, Hugh, Joseph, Mark, William W. Junior, Myra, and Nancy Crismon.
Gilbert Crismon Junior married Nancy Jones and moved to California; no record of his family has been found.
Hugh Crismon married Ann, daughter of John Hardin Rowden. Their five children were: John Lewis, who died in Denver, Colorado; James, who married Cora Daniels and died in southern California; Addie, Mrs. Andrews of Los Angeles; Dedrick of Ceres, California; and Mellie, whose married name is unknown.
Joseph Crismon, the best known of this family, was born April 24, 1843, and died October 15, 1936. He served the duration of the Civil War in Company M, Third Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, and on November 30, 1866, married Caroline, daughter of Andrew Lawson. They spent most of their married lives in Maries and Miller Counties, moving to Meta late in life, where both died. Their four living children are: Sadie, wife of George Wilson, Keystone, Oklahoma; Millie and Nan, both single, of Meta, and Fred P. whose wife is Sarah, daughter of Taylor Shelton in Cole County.
Mark Crismon married Nancy, daughter of Major Samuel Woods, and has been dead for some years, his widow surviving until November 1937. Of the two children born to them Stanley married Ora Dake and died in Miller County some years ago; and Clergy who married Daisy, daughter of George Wilson, lives on the Little Maries in this County.
William W. Crismon Junior was the father of one son, Jasper, by his first wife. This son was last heard of in Jasper County many years ago, and relatives here are no longer in touch with him. William W.’s second wife was Nancy Basham, and six additional children were born of this marriage: Alonzo, who was married, was killed in the railroad yards at Denison, Texas; Basheba, Geneva, and Belle all are married and live in St. Louis, but their married names are not known; Frank died single; John went west and relatives have lost track of him.
Myra Crismon married George Wiles and died leaving two children, John and Lou. John lives in Cole County. Lou married to Stephen Crismon December 9, 1894 and died leaving one son, Fred, now living in this county. Stephen Crismon was born October 4, 1864, and died August 9, 1897.
Nancy Crismon, the remaining child of John Crismon, was twice married, first to Archelaus A. Whitaker and second to James Arendall. Her ten children were all born of the first marriage. Of these ten, two are dead; Joseph died single, and Mildred, wife of William Leasman, died leaving three children: Frank and Robert, of Vienna, and Ray of Monroe City. The eight living are: Josie, wife of Dave Woody of Iberia; Monroe of St. Louis; Benton of Iberia; Anna, single, of Chicago; Emma, wife of Gordon Lawson, of Miller County; Forest, single, of Iberia; Hardin of Rolla; and Walter of Dixon.
Isaac (Oregon Ike), also known as ‘Blind Ike’ Crismon, son of Gilbert, married a Miller. He went to Oregon with the Crismon wagon train, and his wife died in Nebraska from drinking alkali water. This happened somewhere near Scott’s Bluff, on the Platte River. Her body, together with those of several others who died at the same time, was buried in a wagon box ahead of the train and the wheels passed over the grave several times to destroy all trace of it, after which they resumed their journey to Oregon. Their two children, Mary and Zilphia, survived the trip and later married in Oregon and raised families there, but no particulars of their families are known.
Isaac Crismon later returned to Missouri, and was married to Louisiana K., widow of Richard Woods, nee Murphy, and was the father of two more daughters, Martha and another Mary. Martha, single, survives and lives near Dixon; Mary married Richard W. Vaughan, and her descendants will be found listed under that name. Isaac Crismon went entirely blind in his old days, dying January 25, 1875. His widow was later the third wife of Hood Vaughan, and survived him.
James Crismon, among the youngest of Gilbert Crismon’s children, was born in Osage County August 10, 1825, and moved with his father to present Maries County when about six years old. He spent the balance of his life here, where he died December 16, 1895. Most of his adult life was spent on the twelve hundred acre farm on the Big Maries near Brinktown, still called the Jim Crismon place but now divided into seven or eight farms. His wife was Frances, daughter of Benjamin Eads, who was born May 28, 1825, also in Osage County. She died here April 2, 1894. His second marriage, which was to a widow Shelton, occurred only shortly before his death. The eleven children, all born of the first marriage and all long since dead, were: Jesse H., James Munro, Benjamin F., Gilbert O., Robert E., Louisa J., Nancy, Margaret, Malinda, Matilda, and Mary.
Jesse H. Crismon, the oldest child, was born December 23, 1843, and died February 9, 1917. Almost all his adult life was spent in and near Vienna, the latter part of it as a merchant. Prior to this time he had been in the mercantile business at Dixon and had served as County Judge in this county. His wife was Margaret L., daughter of John Elsey, who was born June 4, 1844, and died May 26, 1917. Their three children yet living are: Ernest E., of Allentown; Launa, widow of James Franklin, of Marshall; and Orleane, wife of T.S. McGee of Vienna. The two children who have passed away were Dora A. Crismon Hutchison and Mary A. Crismon Snodgrass.
Dora A., born December 8, 1864, married M.L. Hutchison and survived her husband some years, passing away on July 13, 1923. Their two children are E.C. Hutchison, present Collector of this county, and Leslie B. Junior of Poland, Ohio. Mary A. Crismon, the remaining child, of this marriage, was born February 4, 1867, married G. W. Snodgrass October 3, 1884, and died January 21, 1920. She was the mother of three children, of whom two, Jesse L., a merchant, and Winton, present Probate Judge, live in Vienna. The daughter, Elsie, born July 8, 1885, died in May, 1937, in Oklahoma; Mary Louise, the only child of her marriage to Joseph Thomas, lives in Vienna.
James Munro Crismon, born August 20, 1855, was married October 2, 1873, to Bathsheba P. Elkins. They owned and lived on the place now owned by Casper Kaiser until his death October 17, 1878, his wife having died two days before. They were childless.
Benjamin F. Crismon, born July 29, 1860, was married August 13, 1879, to Amanda, daughter of John Taff. They lived most of their married life on the farm now owned by Mrs. George Butcher, where he died in December, 1916, his widow surviving until July 31, 1917. The one child of this marriage, Clorah, married Charles N. Cooper and has been dead a number of years, survived by her widower, a son who died single after his mother, and a daughter, Clorah Pearl, wife of Ewell Dake, now living at Belle.
Gilbert O. Crismon was born October 10, 1862. He married Launa Juergens and lived for many years along the upper Big Maries. He afterwards moved to Dixon where he died January 26, 1938, and where his widow yet lives. The eight children born of this marriage, all yet living so far as known, are: Pauline, wife of Jesse Creech and Lottie, wife of Sam Logan, of Springfield; Launa, wife of Henry Bauer of Rolla; Malinda, who married a Walls in St. Louis; and Millie, James, Leonard, and Gilbert, whose addresses are not at hand. They live in Granite City.
Robert E. Crismon was married three times. His first wife was Josie, daughter of William Shelton, by whom he was the father of one son, Robert, now in Texas. His second marriage to Josie, daughter of James Meltabarger, was childless. His third was to Clorah, daughter of M.S. Graham. The three living children of the last marriage are: James Gordon Crismon of Vista, California; Gertie whose married name is Strickland, and who lives some place in Texas; and Edna of Granite City whose married name is not known to relatives here. In addition, two children, Monroe and Minnie, are dead. The former left no children. Minnie married a Prewett and left children who live in Pulaski County.
Louisa J. Crismon, who was born January 10, 1845, died single April 23, 1863.
Nancy J. Crismon, born November 22, 1857, married W.C. Cole and died August 18, 1878, survived by one daughter, Ida, now the widow of Jerry Hancock. She lives in Pulaski County.
Mary Crismon’s birth and death dates have not been received. She was married March 15, 1879, to Joseph Richmond who died early in their married life, she surviving him by many years. They were the parents of three children, Isaac and James of Pulaski County, and Emma, wife of Dorsey Means of this county.
Margaret Crismon was first married to Duncan M. Lowder of December 7, 1869, and the one child born of this marriage, Josie, later married Milford Duncan. Her second husband was William G. Branson, under which name her descendants are listed.
Margaret ( this should be Malinda, just a typo on Mr. Kings part, I think) Crismon married James K.P. Ramsey, and Matilda Crismon was the second wife of James Meltabarger; their issue is given under their married names.
Sallie (Cumile) Crismon, daughter of Gilbert, married Flem Thompson, and very little record of their family has been preserved. They lived in the St. Elizabeth neighborhood in Miller County, and she seems to have survived her husband many years, as all the old residents recall her as a widow. The three children born of their marriage were: James, Young, and Martha Thompson, the latter marrying Shelby Martin. Both the boys went to Texas, married, and died there, and no connection with them remains. The girl and her husband may have gone there also, as there is no record of any of their descendants here. (This Flem Thompson was the uncle of Flem J. Thompson who was known to many of the older residents of Boone Township, and who afterwards moved to south Missouri).
Gilbert Crismon, son of William W. Senior, was born January 14, 1840, and died March 31, 1917. He married Myra, daughter of Benjamin Eads. who was born February 11, 1925. The family moved to the upper Roubidoux many years ago and made that section their home thereafter, as do three of their eight children, Ben and Jeff at Plato, and Dow at Cookville. The other five, all yet living so far as known, Augusta, wife of Charles Roberds of this county; Elise, wife of Joseph Williams of near Devil’s Elbow in Pulaski County; Mary, wife of Henry Patrick, near Webb City; and Monroe of Tacoma, Washington.
William W., son of William W. Crismon Senior, married Eliza, daughter of James and Lydia Marrow, nee Powers. They lived in this county a number of years, and still later near Dixon in Pulaski County. After some years residence there they moved to northeastern Arkansas where both parents died, the wife not many years ago. Their children included Austin, Wayne, Rufus, William, Edward, ‘Doc’, Louisa, and May, and possibly others. All moved to Arkansas with their parents and are thought to still live in that state not far from Current River.
William W. Crismon Senior, son of Gilbert, died in this county at an advanced age on December 18, 1876, so he must have been born around 1800, or even earlier. He was married in present Osage County January 8, 1824, to Margaret Whrattles, by Joseph M. Morrow, Justice of the Peace in what was then Gasconade County. His wife was one-fourth Indian, so the Indian strain is slightly greater in his descendants than in the rest of the Crismon family. All the family seem to have come to this county together in the early eighteen thirties and thereafter made it their home, that of William W. being up the branch east of the former Tavern post office. The nine children born of this marriage and living to maturity were: Isaac, Stephen, Gilbert, William W. Junior, Gabriel, Eliza, Rachel, Judith, and Mary.
In common with all the other sons of William W. Crismon, his son Isaac A. enlisted in the Confederate Army at the beginning of the Civil War, and served most of it. He was unfortunate enough to have an arm shoot off while in Alton Prison after his capture, in the course of a prison break in which he was taking no part. Hence his name of ‘One-Armed Ike’. His first wife was Susan, daughter of Asa Rowden. They lived their entire married lives in Maries county and both died here. They were the parents of eight children living to maturity:
Carroll W. Crismon, born in 1845, died single August 3, 1925.
W.A. (Asa) Crismon, married Eliza J. Wilson February 15, 1875, and died childless May 19, 1936.
Rufus O. Crismon, married Margaret Emeline Gibson June 6, 1875. His three children, all living, are: Hosea and Stella, wife of W.W. Humphrey of this county, and Elsie, wife of Ted Morrow of Kirkwood.
Mary Crismon, the oldest daughter, born April 6, 1848, was married October 15, 1866, to Louis Kellison, and died early in life. She left two children, one of whom, John, lives in New Mexico; the daughter, Lillie, married a man named Lane and died near Jenks, Oklahoma, leaving a family, but their present names and addresses are not known.
Margaret Ann Crismon was born July 12, 1849, and died January 20, 1877. She was the second wife of William Clayton, and left three children, of whom the daughter, Charlsie, was the first wife of Judge George Martin, and died childless; Ray, a son, married Eva Hensley and died in Laclede County November 4, 1934; his widow and children all live in that county. George Clayton, the third child, lives in this county.
Matilda C. Crismon, born April 20, 1851, married William Laughlin Sherrill, and died June 10, 1874. Of her three children her oldest child, Mildred, married, first, Emmett Bumpass, and, second, George C. Lawson, and is now dead. Her two children living to maturity are: Maud, wife of Leonard Veasman of Pulaski County, and Eunice, wife of Emmett Drake of St. Louis. Juna, the other daughter, married Dave Lair and died in Colorado, and her only son was killed their by a horse before reaching his majority. George Sherrill, the surviving son, lives west of Arlington on Highway 66 in Phelps County.
Eliza E. Crismon, born June 27, 1855, married William Massey November 5, 1872, and died February 24, 1882. Her family is described in this chapter under her married name.
Jennie A. Crismon, youngest of the eight children of Isaac and Susan Crismon, was born January 27, 1859. She was married to O.F. Pounder March 20, 1881, and died April 28, 1888, the mother of three daughters: Mary, wife of James Groves, lives in either Pulaski or Wright County near Saint Anne, and Sadie, wife of William Connor, in Miller County near Iberia. Alma, the third daughter, married a Thompson in Miller County, and is dead. She left children, but their names have not been received.
Some years after the death of his first wife Isaac Crismon married Margaret Emeline Crismon, nee Gibson, widow of his son, Rufus O. Crismon. She was born April 26, 1867, and died November 26, 1892, the mother of one daughter by the last marriage, Maud, now wife of Gordon Jones. Isaac A. Crismon died June 24, 1892.
Stephen Crismon, son of William W. Senior, so far as in known, left no record of his birth and death dates. In common with all his brothers, he served in the Confederate Army, although long past the usual age for such service. He seems to have move around more than most of the members of his family, mostly in this county until the Civil War. Soon after its close he moved to Ozark County, and later to Franklin County, where he died sometime in the seventies.
He was three times married, the given name of his first wife not having been received. She was a sister of Elijah Breeding, and was the mother of three children, Polly, Judith, and Susan. The first married James, son of David Miller, and moved to Texas with the rest of that family about the time of the war. Judith married James Capehart and moved to Ozark County a great many years ago. Both she and her husband are long since dead leaving at least three children, Robert, James, and John. The first named died in 1901 and the other two are thought to live in Oklahoma, but their post office addresses are not known. Susan married John Gibson; her family is included in the Gibson and Powers section of the chapter on Early Churches.
Stephen Crismon’s second marriage was to Jane, daughter of John Miller (not related to David) by whom he was also the father of three children: Martha, wife of J.R. Helton, whose issue is noted in the Helton section of this chapter; Ella who married Moses Stratton and whose only child, now Mrs. Paralee Muskrat, lives at Strange, Oklahoma; and Lottie who married Spot Bacon and is also dead; the five children born of this marriage and still living are: Moore, James, Dudley, Washington, and L.N. living around Oklahoma City. Three other children born of this marriage died in infancy.
His third marriage was to Sallie Ezell, and three children were born of this marriage also: Jeff who died in infancy, Frances who married Wash Taylor, and Amanda whose married name is not at hand. Both the girls lived at Holdenville, Oklahoma, some years ago, and may now be dead.
We have next to nothing about Gabriel (Gabe) Crismon, the remaining son of William W. Senior. The best tradition is that his wife was a Mears, and that he died in early middle age, survived by three children and his widow, whose further history is not at hand. The children, all now dead, were Rachel, Emeline, and Alex. Rachel Crismon married John H. Cox May 30, 1872, in this county. No further facts are at hand concerning her and it may be that they moved west. Emeline married Marion Wilson. One of her sons, Everett, now lives at Iberia; she had another son, Gabe, and a daughter whose present whereabouts are not known to relatives here. Gabriel Crismon’s son, Alex, first married Frances, daughter of Thomas Wiles, by whom he was the father of two children, Effie who married her cousin, Everett Wilson, and lives at Iberia, and Alfred now in Oklahoma. His second marriage was to Ann, daughter of Frank Dodds, who lives at Jenks, Oklahoma. They were the parents of at least four children: Gabriel, Kate, now Mrs. Wasson, all yet living presumably near Jenks, and Richard who married and died leaving descendants.
Of the daughters of William W. Crismon Senior, Mary married John T. Hughes and Rachel married Samuel Strickland. The records of these two will be found under their married names.
Judith Crismon, daughter of William W. Senior, married W.A. (Lannie) Murphy some time around Civil War days, and died at Vienna between 1880 and 1885. Her widower survived her some years and is also long since dead, as are all of their seven children. One of the children, George, died in infancy. The others, all of whom left descendants are:
Lou Ellen, probably the oldest, married William Cox and lived most of her married life in Oklahoma; her two children are Oliver and a daughter, married name unknown, both of whom live in or near Anadarko. William C. Murphy, the oldest son, was married March 30, 1873, to Martha, daughter of Edward Moss. He died during his term as Sheriff of the County, or shortly thereafter, survived by his widow who later married Ben Coffey, and his one daughter, Ella. His granddaughter, Rea, is now the wife of R.E. Crismon and lives in Jefferson City. Jack Murphy, the second oldest son, married Ella Burchard. He died early in life, too, leaving one son, William, who left Missouri more than thirty years ago and has been out of touch with relatives here ever since. The widow afterwards married Perry Ready and died some few years ago southwest of Springfield. Hallie Murphy, the second daughter, married Oliver Bumpass, and her descendants are noted in the chapter on Early Physicians. A.H. (Ham) Murphy married Maude M., granddaughter of Isaac C. Backues, who survives as the wife of W.A. Martin of Franklin County. The three children born of this union, all yet living, are: Isaac, with the Shell Pipe Line at Oetters Station; Mabel, wife of Rainey Goodman of St. Louis; and Ester of Chicago.
James Monroe, twice Sheriff and twice Collector of the county, was born June 4, 1872, and died May 19, 1934. He was married to Effie Helton November 10, 1898, and after a few years on the upper Little Maries lived in and near Vienna the rest of his life. His widow still lives here. The five children living to maturity are: Myrtle, wife of John James of St. James; Lillian, wife of Earl Allen of Vichy; Kathleen, wife of Leo Sandbothe of Argyle; Boone of Vienna; and Wayne of Jefferson City.
Members of the Massey family have always been in agreement about one thing, and that thing is to disagree about the spelling of their name. One hundred and fifty years ago many families of that name lived in North Carolina and Virginia. The Virginians were about fifty-fifty as to spelling it Massey or Massie, but in North Carolina only one member of the clan spelled it Massie. The same names in Missouri are almost interchangeable, even members of the same family using different forms, but, as in North Carolina, those who spell it ‘Massey’ seem to be slightly in the majority.
Three families of this name have figured in Maries County affairs, but only one of them to any considerable extent. Samuel Massey entered land in this county in 1831, but is was in connection with the operation of the Meramec Iron Works, in which he was interested. He never lived here, and his interests were later acquired by members of the James family. Henry A. Massie acquired land on the Dry Fork of the Bourbeuse in 1832, but soon sold out to one of the Johnsons and probably moved away since nothing more has been found concerning him. William Massey was the head of the third family of that name, and the only one connected with Maries County affairs to any considerable extent.
William Massey was the son of David and Jane Massie, and was born April 5, 1805, in either North Carolina or Tennessee. His first recorded appearance in Missouri affairs was on January 10, 1828, on which day he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of George Hill, who was born July 29, 1812. Her birthplace is not known. The ceremony was performed by David Waldo, Justice of the Peace in (then) Gasconade County, and while he wrote his name Massey in transacting his business, it is interesting to note that the marriage certificate is Massie. There were several other Masseys in Gasconade County, but William Massey likely spent most of his married life in present Maries County. He entered part of the present Frank Prewett and John Dill farms in 1831, and since his father-in-law lived in that vicinity Massey probably settled near him. He died November 15, 1845. His widow, Aunt Bette Massey, later owned and as late as the middle seventies lived on land on the Little Maries now owned by the Fitzpatricks. Later she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Ferguson, on the Little Tavern, until her death about 1890. She is buried at the Red or Rowden Cemetery.
They were the parents of eight children: Mary, Ivy, Elizabeth, Belinda (also written Malinda), George W., Charles W., Catherine, and William. Of these, Charles was born July 18, 1841, and died single December 27, 1861. Mary Massey, born March 23, 1831, married Rufus Rowden, and her descendents are to be found under that name. Ivy Massey, born February 24, 1833, married James Ferguson, one of the old-time schoolmasters of this and Miller County. She was the mother of one son, Owen, who died single. Elizabeth Massey, born January 6, 1836, married John Shelton; her issue is recorded under her married name.
Belinda, or Malinda Massey, born January 1, 1838, married a Cowan, and after his death, childless, she married Thomas Ross and moved to Colorado, where she spent the remainder of her life and where any of her descendants now likely live.
George W. Massey, born March 17, 1839, died in infancy.
Catherine Massey, born August 27, 1843, married James H., son of Satterthwaite Tyree, and died September 30, 1917. Her family will be found under her husband’s name.
William Massey, the youngest child, born October 25, 1845, died in Bates County, Missouri, December 24, 1884. He was married October 3, 1872, by Reverend Edward Moss, to Eliza, daughter of Isaac A. (One-Armed Ike) Crismon. She was born here January 27, 1845, and the young couple made their home in this county until about 1881, when they removed to Bates County, where Mrs. Massey died February 24, 1882. Of the four children born of this marriage and living to maturity, only one, Arthur B. (Brance) lives in this county which he served as Probate Judge and Sheriff. Ray and Waldo both live in Yale, Oklahoma. Sylvia, the only daughter, married Hugh Slone and died in New Mexico in 1921, leaving her husband and six children: Clyde, Lillie, Bertie, Opal, Willard, and Fay, all in Oklahoma. Their married names have not been received.
Very little is known concerning David Massey, the ancestor of the Massey family above set out. He entered land in the extreme northwest corner of present Franklin County July 16, 1818, but must have moved a short distance west very shortly, because he was a member of one of the first juries in Gasconade County in 1822. Gasconade County was organized in 1820, but did not begin to function as a county until 1821, and this was likely the second term of court held there. Among other things they passed on was a murder case, the defendant being found guilty and fined fifty dollars, as well as sentenced to a year and a day in jail. It is not likely that David Massey ever lived within the present limits of Maries County.
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