1. Personal Records of Bertha Stafford child #6
Mr. Stafford was born in Dallas County, Missouri, November 6, 1843, the son of a pioneer family. He grew to manhood in Dallas County, and when a boy assisted his father with the general work about the farm and blacksmith shop, attending the rural schools in the winter time. When a young man he began life for himself by trading and handling cattle and other live stock. He made several trips to California and back in the early days, taking cattle to the Western markets. When the Civil War came on he enlisted in the Federal army, serving very creditably for three years as a member of the Twenty-fourth Volunteeer Infantry. He paticipated in numerous battles and skirmishes, including Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, Lone Jack and Springfield. He was honorably discharged, and soon thereater began farming in Webster County, later working in a flouring mill, finally becoming owner of a good mill there; later he engaged in general merchandising at Hurley, Stone County, Missouri. Having accumulated a competency for his old age he retired from active life some time ago and is now making his home at Eureka Springs, ArkansasOn March 8, 1865, he married in Webster County to Anna Elizabeth Turner, the daughter of an old Webster County family. To our subject and wife the following children were born, namely: John C. is engeaged in farming near Green Rorest, Arkansas;.William D., deceased; Viola is the wife of L.A. Logan and they live in Hurley, Missouri; Bertha is teaching in the Pickwick school in Springfield; Adella is the wife of R.W. Swart and they live at Crane, Missouri; Bessie is the wife of E.M.Fite and they reside at Marionville, Missouri; Arch lives at Hurley, Missouri.
Bertha Stafford, mentioned above, and to whom we are indebted for this biographical data....
Jonathan Fairbanks and Clyde Edwin Tuck, PAST AND PRESENT OF GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI, (http://198.209.8.166/sheproom/history/Past&Present/stattors.html)
S.R. Stafford, the present proprietor of the Commercial took charge in 1887, succeeding J.L.Bartlett, who succeeded A.N.O'Dell. Johnson Neff, who built the house about 1868, carried it on as a hotel until 1888.Seventeen years ago, when Mr. Stafford came, he found Jones & Johnson, J. H. Dameron, and G.T. Ladd, general merchants; John M. McCullah was postmaster and druggist, while the old buhr mill was owned by J.S. Coleman, Mr. Stafford buying from him half interest in the concern that year.
Reprint of GOODSPEED'S 1888 HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, (1973), p. 150.