JOHN L. COLEMAN

From the 1887 History of Vernon County, Missouri, p. 754:

John L. Coleman

(Section 30, Post-office, Enoch).

   This successful young agriculturist and stock man is an Illinoisan by nativity, born in Warren county August 28, 1854.  His father, John Coleman, came originally from North Carolina, while his mother, whose name before her marriage was Mary J. Bay, was born in Ohio.  John L., as the eldest child in a family of 11 children, became accustomed to manual labor at an early age, the complete details of farm life being taught him by hard experience.  This occupation he has continued to follow, obtaining those substantial results which come from earnest, effectual efforts in any direction, for at this time he is the owner of 300 acres of land in Missouri, and 115 acres across the line in Kansas, land rich and fertile, unexcelled for general farming.  He has been located in this county since 1876.  Mr. Coleman’s wife was formerly Miss Laura R. Baker, who was born in this county November 26, 1859.  She was a daughter of Augustus Baker, a native of Germany, born April 21, 1827, who came to the United States when 12 or 14 years old, subsequently locating in Osage county, Mo.  He was married there March 1, 1849, to Miss Rebecca Pryor, whose birth occurred February 10, 1830.  Mr. Baker finally became settled in this county where he fell a victim of a murderer’s hand, an in-human wretch killing him May 6, 1863.  An account of this brutal murder is given more in detail elsewhere in this volume.  Three of their four children are now living:  Emma, wife of Arch. White, of Nevada; Mary, widow of S. B. Ferguson, and Laura.  Adaline died soon after her father’s death.  Mr. and Mrs. Coleman have an interesting family of five children: Alonzo B., Morton E., Charles A., Walter and Alvin.

[Transcribed by Becky Siple]

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