JEREMIAH J. WOOD. Our subject is an intelligent farmer and stockraiser who keeps abreast of the times in the improvements and progress made in his calling. He is a successful farmer, using the best methods of fertilizing the soil and improving the land, and his enterprise has made him a man of note in his section. He owes his nativity to the Hoosier State, born in Martin County in 1837, and is seventh in order of birth of nine children born to James and Sarah (Pifer) Wood.
The father was born in Kentucky, but when a young man went to Martin County, Indiana, where he married Miss Pifer. There he died when our subject was but three years of age. He followed agricultural pursuits all his life. Mrs. Wood afterward removed to Coles County, Illinois, and married one Ransom Haddock, and there she died in 1867 or 1868. She was a Free-Will Baptist in religious belief. Her children were named as follows: Irene, deceased, was the wife of George Lytle; Cynthia, deceased, was the wife of Thomas Peak; Dorcas, deceased, was the wife of Randall Haddock; John, deceased, was a soldier in the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Infantry; Mary, who was the wife of Alex. Black, died in Illinois; Solomon, also a soldier in the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Infantry, died at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 1862; Jeremiah J. is the subject of this sketch; Barton, a farmer of Kansas, and Lillas, deceased, was the wife of Caswell Haddock.
Our subject grew up on the farm with a common-school education, and when about twenty-three years of age branched out for himself as an agriculturist. This occupation he has followed ever since. In the month of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Infantry, and fought at Perryville, Kentucky, Hoover’s Gap, Tennessee, and in many other minor engagements. He was wounded at Hoover’s Gap by a shell, but not severely, and was discharged in the summer of 1864, on account of disability. He was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, discharged, and returned to Illinois.
Previous to the war, in 1859, he was married to Miss Almeda Giffin, a native of Ohio, and the daughter of George Giffin who was a native Virginian. Mr. Giffin removed from his native State to Ohio, thence to Illinois, and died in Coles County of that State. The fruits of our subject’s union were eleven children, as follows: Nelson, died young; Nettie, became the wife of Elisha Miles; Ellen, married Crawford Grant; Barton; Emma, wife of William Wood; Dorcas, wife of Alex. Matthews; Charles; Louisa; James; John; and Tilly May.
In 1869 Mr. Wood removed to Appanoose County, Iowa, but only remained there until 1870, when he came to Taney County, Missouri, and has since improved several good farms. For about six years he has resided on his present farm, near Swan post office, on the Ridge, and has 200 acres with about forty acres cleared. Politically he is a Republican and his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He and Mrs. Wood are members, in good standing, of the Christian Church.