JOSIAH W. CONNELY

From the 1887 History of Vernon County, Missouri, p. 549-550

Josiah W. Connely

(Farmer and Proprietor of Connely Springs)

   Among the newest towns in Vernon county, if, indeed, not the newest one, is Connely Springs, located in the western portion of Bacon township, and, as its name indicates, the site of mineral springs which are rapidly becoming famed for the medicinal properties which their waters possess.  These springs are owned by the subject of this sketch, to whom is due great credit for the interest he has taken in developing them and for the progressive spirit manifested in laying out the beautiful tract of 109 acres which comprises the town above mentioned.  In another portion of this work reference is made more at length concerning this place and repetition is unnecessary here; suffice it to say that indications point to a most prosperous future for the village of Connely Springs.  Josiah W. Connely was born in Lawrence county, Ind., December 27, 1825, the son of Joel and Effie (Pennington) Connely, the former of Irish descent and a native of Virginia, and the latter of German birth, born in North Carolina.  In an early day the family moved by means of pack horses across the country to Lawrence county, Ind., where as a pioneer the father made a clearing and provided himself a rude home until able to secure more commodious accommodations.  After a twenty year’s residence there he became a resident of Coles county, Ill., where he died June 8, 1853; his wife died October 14, 1875.  Of their children the following beside Josiah are living:  Rebecca, in Coles county, Ill.; William H., near Catholic Mission, Cal., and Edmund R. and Effie, twins.  Those deceased were named Polly, John C., Joel J., Elijah P., Sarah and Cynthia.  Josiah W., the eighth child, was reared on a farm to hard toil, his education being limited to the pioneer schools of the day, inferior in merit and numbers.  August 30, 1846, he married Miss Emily Stewart, who was born in Lawrence county, Ind., September 27, 1829, daughter of William Stewart, of Coles county, Ill.  They have had 11 children:  Rebecca, born November 9, 1848, wife of Joseph Goble, of Coles county, Ill.; Lucinda, born October 4, 1850, died when three years old; Emeline, born March 16, 1852, wife of George W. Smith, of Connely Springs; Isabella, born March 12, 1854, now Mrs. Irvin Goble, of Coles county, Ill.; William R., born January 8, 1857, a grocer at Connely Springs; George W., born October 18, 1858, minister in the U. B. Church; Joseph F., born May 13, 1861; Caroline, born December 25, 1863, died June 29, 1875; Joel J., born May 16, 1866; John L., born February 18, 1870, and James R., born November 3, 1874.  In 1881 Mr. Connely came to his present location, where he has a splendid farm of 160 acres, besides the property before mentioned.  He and his wife have been consistent Christians for 30 years and have done much towards building up the moral and religious element which strongly prevails in and about Connely Springs.

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