Person:Joseph Stephens (3)

BIOGRAPHY: The following excerpt is taken from Chpt. XVII of the Histo ry of Cooper Co, Missouri, Levens & Drake, Joplin Public Library, Jopli n, Mo.

"Joseph Stephens, Sr., was born in Wythe county, VA in 1763 and was th ere married to Miss Rhoda Cole, the sister of Maj. Stephen Cole, and in 18 01 emigrated to Wayne county, KY where he remained until the year 181 5. In that year he moved to TN, and from thence, in November, 1817, to Coo per county, MO. The company of which he was a member came overland in wago ns and crossed the Mississippi River above Alton and the Missouri riv er at Boonville. He settled about fourteen miles southwest of Boonville, h is house being located in the botton, one-quarter mile north of the prese nt site of Bunceton, a few yards west of the railroad leading from Boonvil le to Tipton. He and his family lived the first winter in a half face cam p. All his children came with him except Mary Weatherford, who remain ed in Kentucky. He was married twice. The names of the children of his fir st wife were William, Peter, Lawrence C., Joseph and James Madison -- fi ve sons, and Nancy, Nelly, Mary, Johanna, Frances, Rhoda, and Zilpha -- se ven daughters; there were also three other children who died when infant s, whose names are not known. Nancy married Thomas B. Smiley; Nelly, Jam es D. Campbell; Mary, Archibald Weatherford; Johanna, John Kelly; Rhoda, B .W. Levens, and Zilpha, Pemberton Cason. "Joseph Stephen's first wife died in 1822, and in 1824 he married Mi ss Catherine Dickson. This union was blessed with four sons: John D., Geor ge D., Andrew J., and Thomas H.B., and five daughters: Margaret, Alpha, Ha rriet, Isabella and Lee Ann, making in all twenty-four children of whi ch he was the father. "Joseph Stephens was the first settler in that part of the count y. At the time of his settlement, his nearest neighbor being seven miles d istant. He was a very prosperous farmer and an excellent manager in busine ss affairs, never went in debt, and advised his children to follow his exa mple. He was economical and saving and just in all his dealings with other s. He was a generous, good neighbor, a man of good moral character, a nd of unquestioned veracity, and his word was considered as good as his bo nd or his oath. "He gave all his sons a tract of land, and his daughters a negro slav e, and to each of his children he also gave a horse, saddle and bridl e, a cow and calf, a sow and pigs, a flock of sheep, and a bed and beddin g. He then warned them to take care of and add to this property, as it w as all he ever intended to give them. His precepts and example are not lost, but live today in the hear ts of his descendants and neighbors to this day. He died in May, 183 6, at the age of 73 years. He was a strong Jackson man, and took considera ble interest in politics, but never would become a candidate for or acce pt any office."

Rootsweb.com Cooper County, MO Families Rowan Fairgrove rowanf@conjure.com

BIOGRAPHY: 24 children born of two unions who all lived to man and wom anhood, except three, who died in infancy. Joseph Stephens, a man of the m ost stirring enterprise, and of unconquerable resolution, the grandfath er of the subject of this sketch, left a home of comparative ease in Virgi nia and became, with his family, a pioneer settler in the new country of K entucky. But later on, learning of the material wealth of central Missour i, he determined to cast his fortunes with this, then little known, wilder ness. Accordingly, he arrived in Cooper county, with his family, in 181 6; and here he spent the remainder of his days. He bought a large bo dy of land at the land sales of 1818, and on a part of this, near where t he town of Bunceton now stands, improved a large farm. There were five so ns in his family: William, Peter, Lawrence C., Joseph and James M. Jose ph Stephens, Sen., was the next settler of what is now called Palestine to wnship. He emigrated from Kentucky, and stopped one and one-half year.

1.   Pedigree Resource File DVD 127. ((Salt Lake City, UT: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2006)).