Among the citizens of Jasper county, Missouri, who own productive farms
underlaid with coal and who combine the occupations of farmer and miner,
none is held higher in public esteem than John W. Bell, who lives on section
16 in Jasper township.
Mr. Bell was born October 1, 1867, on Red
river, in the Cherokee Nation, a son of J. W. and Mary A. (Morrow) Bell,
natives of Macoupin county, Illinois. His father died on the way from
Illinois to Missouri. His mother, who is living at Medoc, brought him to
Jasper county when he was about one month old. John W. and Mary A. (Morrow)
Bell had a son and a daughter and the latter died at the age of two years.
The son, who is the immediate subject of this sketch, was educated in public
schools at or near Carthage. He began business as a general merchant and for
about three years had a store at Medoc, where he filled the office of
postmaster. In 1896 he located on his farm, which he had bought some time
before, and engaged in general farming. It consists of one hundred and sixty
acres, and he is the owner also of two hundred and forty acres in Barton
county, which he rents out. On his home farm is a good coal mine, consisting
of a coal vein of three and a half feet in thickness, which he is working
profitably.
Mr. Bell is a Republican and is active in local political
affairs, and he is a popular member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
He was married July 4, 1888, to Dora Wampler, a native of Nodaway county,
Missouri, and they have two daughters and three sons, named as follows:
Jennie M., Galen M., Howard W., Clara M. and John M.
Contributed 2022 Oct 24 by Aimee Edgeworth, extracted from The Biographical Record of Jasper County, Missouri, by Malcolm G. McGregor, published in 1901, pages 130-131.
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