William Burrell Connelly of Texas County, Missouri

William Burrell Connelly, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Southern Alabama, February 1, 1834, being the son of William and Elvira (McClendon) Connelly. The father was a native of Limerick, Ireland, and came to America when a lad. He had left his home for that of a sea-faring life, which he abandoned as a soldier in the War of 1812. He then located in Alabama, and for several years taught school and followed farming. In 1835 or 1836 he went to Tennessee, and spent six years in that State, engaged in agricultural pursuits, in Henry and Madison Counties. He came to Missouri in 1842, locating in New Madrid County, of that State, but afterward moved to St. Francois County, where he died in 1871, after a residence there of about eleven years. He died in full communion with the faith of the Methodist Church. His worthy wife followed him in 1885, and is buried beside him; she was also a member of the Methodist Church. Of their family of four sons and four daughters, one son and two daughters survive. The daughters are Sarah and Lavinia, respectively, and Mrs. John Merritt and Mrs. William Pratt. William Burrell Connelly grew to manhood in Missouri, and spent four months in Missouri State Service and six months in the United States Federal service during the late war, the latter part of which he was second lieutenant of Company F, Forty-seventh Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He then followed merchandising and farming in St. Francois County until 1870, when he came to Wright County, and in 1873 came here and located upon his present farm. He married, in Ste. Genevieve County, Miss Sarah Ann Barnes, daughter of Jehu and Elizabeth Dodson (Parks) Barnes, natives of North Carolina, who made an early settlement in Ste. Genevieve County. Mr. and Mrs. Connelly have eight children, three sons and five daughters: Elvira, Mrs. Bell; Sarah Ann, James Franklin, William Lincoln, Cora Blanche, Jehu Barnes, Lillie Jane, Estella Mable, and have buried their eldest child, Mary Elizabeth, the wife of G. M. Roberts. Mr. Connelly has served with credit for several terms on the school board of his district, and is a stanch Republican in his political views.