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Missouri
Genealogy Express
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MACON COUNTY,
Missouri
BIOGRAPHIES |
JOHN TOOLEY.
In the case of John Tooley, one of the
prominent, enterprising and successful farmers of Middlefork
Township, Macon county, desire and duty, the positive and
negative poles of our being, have worked harmoniously and
enabled him to pursue, in the main, the vocation he wished
and win the results he sought. He has tried his hand
at various occupations, but never had to be driven to any,
and found enjoyment and profit in all. The experience
has given him breadth of view and self knowledge, and each
pursuit has helped to make him ore capable for the next.
Mr. Tooley is a native of this county and was
born on July 7, 1860. He is a son of Stephen and
Louisa E. (Walker) Tooley, the former born in Shelby
county, Kentucky, and the latter in Macon county, Missouri.
The father's life began in 1829, and he came to Missouri in
the fifties, locating in Macon county. Here he was
busily occupied in general farming until 1868, when he moved
to Clarence in Shelby county and became a dealer in tobacco,
buying and selling extensively, making large shipments to
the eastern markets and supplying a considerable local
trade. He built the first tobacco barn in Clarence and
continued his operations in handling the staple article of
merchandise of almost universal use which claimed his
attention until 1872. He then saw better opportunities
for profit and advancement in handling live stock, and he
turned his attention to this commodity, in which he dealt
actively until 1893. He then moved to this county,
and, retiring from business, has made his home with his son
John ever since. For a quarter of a century he
was interested in general merchandising at Clarence being
for a time a member of the firm of Chinn, Tooley
and Company and afterward of that of Tooley and
Bishop.
Mr. Tooley's parents were married in 1856.
His mother's maiden name was Louisa E. Walker, and
she was a daughter of Isham M. Walker, one of the
revered pioneers of Macon county, a brief account of whose
useful life will be found elsewhere in this work. Of
the seven children born of the union only two are living,
John and his sister Nannie, who is the wife of
Thomas Boulware of Louisville, Kentucky, interested in
the triumph of his party and on all occasions doing what he
could to make it victorious. His business career is
greatly to his credit and gave him high rank in mercantile
circles, and his elevated citizenship touching all the
relations of life has won him the respect and regard of all
classes of the people.
John Tooley's education was limited to what he
could get in the curriculum of the district schools in
Shelby and Macon counties, except what he learned in the
stern but thorough school of experience. When he
finished his scholastic studies he went to California, where
he remained until 1885, doing whatever he found to do, and
doing everything as well as he could. He mined some,
helped to build bridges, and found profitable employment in
other lines of endeavor, being always willing to perform any
labor that was at hand and making the most he could of it.
In 1885 he returned to Macon county and bought eighty acres
of land, the nucleus of his present farm of 330 acres, and
here he has been vigorously, diligently and successfully
engaged in farming and raising live-stock eer since.
He is enterprising and prosperous, and occupies a position
of prominence and influence in the civil and social life of
the township and county. He has given close and
intelligent attention to the needs of the section of the
state in which he lives, and his service in promoting its
advancement are highly appreciated by all its people.
Mr. Tooley was married on Nov. 27, 1888, to
Miss Catherine Graves, a native of Macon county and a
daughter of William R. and Permelia (Reynolds) Graves,
an account of whose lives appear on another page of this
volume. The union has resulted in five children all of
whom are living and still at home with their parents.
They are Lulu, Riley, Marie, Eva and Isham.
The father takes an active part in local politics as a
Democrat firm in the faith and of unwavering loyalty to his
party. In its behalf he exerts himself with energy and
effectiveness, and is known throughout the county as one of
the men of influence in his township whose counsel is warmly
welcomed and whose services are highly esteemed in the
county organization and all the undertakings of the party.
He and his wife are zealous and devoted members of the
Christian church and earnest and energetic workers in its
behalf.
Source: General History of Macon County, Missouri -
Vol. 2 - Publ. Chicago: Henry Taylor & Company - 1910 - Page
836 |
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