ALEXANDER SIMRELL

 

     Alexander Simrell, another representative farmer and stock-raiser of Washington Township, and the son of Capt. Samuel and Matilda (Wood) Simrell, was born in the township mentioned in December, 1840.  Samuel Simrell was a native of North Carolina, and when a boy went to Tennessee, where he remained until a man, and then went to Cooper County, Mo., where he was married.  In 1838 or 1839 he came to what is now Cedar County, being one of the first white settlers.  Indians were numerous at that time, and the forests were full of wild animals.  He entered land in what is now Washington Township, improved a farm, and there died in May, 1877.   He was foreman of the first grand jury in Cedar County, which held its session under a tree near where Stockton is located.  At that time there were no mills, and cracked corn was used for meal.  Mr. Simrell was justice of the peace for many years, and was captain of general muster.  He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, at Stockton, was assessor of Cedar County in 1861, and he and wife were members in good standing in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for many years, and were well known and esteemed throughout the county.  Mrs. Simrell was born in Tennessee, and was brought by her parents to Cooper County when small.  She died in 1881. Her father, Alexander Wood, was one of the first settlers of Cooper County, Mo., where he and wife passed their last days.  Alexander Simrell, the third of seven sons and five daughters, seven now living, and all in Washington Township, received a limited subscription school education, and in 1862 joined the Missouri State Militia, serving little over a year in Southwest Missouri, after which he was transferred to Company A, Fifteenth Missouri Cavalry, and was in Southwest Missouri for over twenty months.  He held the rank of sergeant.  While near home he received a gunshot wound from a guerrilla and this disabled him from further service of some three months.  He was married in December, 1866, to Miss Martha A. Burford, a native of St. Charles County, Mo., and the daughter of James and Mary L. Burford, who were born in Virginia.  They moved from that State to St. Charles County, Mo., and from there to St. Clair County, when Mrs. Simrell was but three years of age.  Mr. Burford died in 1863, but his wife is still living at the age of eighty-one years.  Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Simrell, one son now living, William A.  Since the war Mr. Simrell has lived on his present farm, which consists of 240 acres, and aside from this he is the owner of one-sixth interest of the old farm on which he was born, there being 240 acres in that.  He has been a stanch Republican in his political views all his life, and his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, in 1864.  He is a member of Austin Hubbard Post of the G. A. R., at Stockton, and is also a member of the Good Templars’ Lodge.  He and Mrs. Simrell have been members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for many years.

From the History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, Missouri, 1889, p. 777-778

 

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