Caldwell Family of Sullivan County

Robert A. Caldwell was born in Ireland in 1828, and is a son of Robert and Mary (Wisely) Caldwell, also natives of Ireland. His grandfather, Robert Caldwell, was a Scotchman, but reared his family in the northern part of Ireland.

In 1848 Robert A. immigrated to the United States with his parents, landing in Philadelphia, May 11 of that year. He located in and was raised in Carbon County, Penn., until 1853, and in the fall of that year purchased a slightly improved farm in Sullivan Co, Mo., where he has since resided, and which by hard manual labor he has improved, and of which he has made a nice farm.

He has since purchased more land, and now owns 380 acres, 240 being in the home place. One hundred acres are prairie land, and forth good timber land. He is a hospitable gentleman, and lives in a comfortable house, surrounded with good outbuildings.

During the war he was a member of the State Militia, and helped defend the homes of his county against the invasions and attacks of the bushwhackers who thronged the vicinity.

He has raised a family of seven children, and lost five in infancy. Those living are: Robert (married and at home), William (married and at home), Mary J. (wife of Mathew McCracken), Martha (wife of Joseph Kimble), Ellen, Josephine and Margaret Ann.

Mrs. Caldwell is a native of Ireland, and was married to our subject while he lived in Carbon County, Penn., on September 14, 1854. Her maiden name was Margaret Ann Moody.

Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell and four of the family are members of the Presbyterian Church.

The parents of Mr. Caldwell died in Sullivan County.

John Caldwell was born in Ireland in May, 1843, and is a son of Robert and Mary Caldwell (see preceding sketch). He accompanied his parents to the United States, living for a time in Carbon County, Penn., and then removed to Sullivan County, Mo., in the fall of 1853.

Here he grew to manhood, and in December, 1869, was married to Miss Josephine Dearing, a native of Sullivan County, who died in 1877. This union was blessed with three children: Margaret, James A., and John W.

In the fall of 1877, Mr. Caldwell was united in marriage to Miss Catherine McClaskey, daughter of James McClaskey, of Sullivan County, by whom he has had two children, Mary E. and Arthur.

Mr. Caldwell is a stanch Republican, but has never sought nor held office.

He has been a resident of Sullivan County since first coming here, and now lives upon the old home place, to which he has added 400 acres of fenced land and 160 acres of meadow land.

He is one of the respected and prosperous farmers of the township.

Contributed by Tilly Lay.

The above articles were broken into paragraphs by site coordinator for easier on-line reading. Date submission was originally written is unknown.