Biography of S. W. Avery (1824- )
History of Lincoln County, Missouri (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1888) page 502.

S. W. AVERY  Among the citizens who have assisted in building up Lincoln County should be mentioned the names of Samuel W. and Martha A. AVERY. The former was born February 24, 1824 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the son of Samuel and Abigail (FAIRCHILDS) AVERY.   Both parents came from the East, and located in Cincinnati, where the father followed carpentering.  He died when Samuel W. was but three months old.  Some years later the mother married again, and spent her last days in Yazoo City, Miss.   Samuel W. AVERY, the only survivor of a family of four sons born to the first marriage, went to live with an uncle, by marriage, at the age of four years.  He was put to work in a paper mill when very young, and there he continued until seventeen years of age, never having attended school a day in his life.  Seeing that prospects for a rise in the world were not very flattering while he remained with his uncle, he determined to run away.  This he did, and after roaming about for some time found himself in St. Louis.  This was in 1843.  With a keen appetite and nothing to satisfy it, he went in quest of a boarding place.  A kind widow agreed to board him and wait until he could earn some money.  He soon accumulated a few dollars, and with a little assistance purchased a horse and a wagon.  He then commenced peddling tinware.   In 1844 he moved with his outfit to Lincoln County, Mo., and has made it his home ever since.  In 1851 he married Miss Martha A. SHEETS, who was born on June 29, 1833, in Callaway County, Missouri, and was the daughter of Charles SHEETS, a native of Kentucky, born in 1796, though his parents were from Maryland.  After reaching manhood Mr. SHEETS married Sarah EDRINGTON, a Kentucky lady, born in 1798.  They moved to Callaway County, Mo., in 1830 and three years later to Lincoln County.  He was a well-to-do farmer, a Whig and an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as was also his wife.  He died in 1868, and she July 3, 1888.  Of their eleven children, nine lived to be grown.  After marriage Mr. and Mrs. AVERY settled on a farm.  They became the parents of six children, only four now living, three sons and a daughter.  One son, deceased, was a physician; Omer H. is an attorney; Charles D., a physician; Samuel, a druggist, and Sallie is the wife of John E. WORSHAM, a grocer; all are located in Troy.  Mr. AVERY has always been a very liberal supporter of schools and churches.  During the war he built, on his farm and at his own expense, a schoolhouse at which were educated some of the able men of this part of the State.   Before the war, Mr. AVERY was a Whig in politics, but since then, he has been a Democrat.  In 1881 he and family moved to Troy.  He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

File submitted to HERITAGE PAGES of LINCOLN COUNTY, MISSOURI by Betty Lavy Krieg, 30 Oct. 2000.  Link change or update: 19 November 2000

NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or their legal representative, and contact the listed county coordinator with proof of this consent.

Return to Lincoln County, Missouri
Biography Index  |  Heritage Page  |  Home Page