Re: McCrary in Howard Co., MO

Information on Benjamin McCrary, his wives, and his children from Benjamin
McCrary's Family Bible owned by Kirk P. McCrary, 105 East Sixth Street,
Sedalia, Missouri 65301

Headstone reads:Benjamin b 10-21-1785 d 9-30-187892y 11m 9d
Benjamin McCrary's body was removed to the Washington Cemetery, Glasgow, Howard County, Misso uri

"A History of the Henry and Hackley Families"by Bessie Henry
Privately Published about 1935Page 242-243
Son Benjamin when a young boy went to Tennessee and there married Miss
Mary Coleman.He came to this county (Howard) in 1820.His wife died in 1837.He again mar ried Harriet Wilson, daughter of Adam Wilson of Randolph County, Missouri.
Captain Boyd M. McCrary, son of Benjamin, born in Sevier County, Tennessee in 1816.Married Miss Francis Yeager, daughter of Alfred M. Yeager, who came to this county from Virginia i n 1837.Member of the Baptist Church.During the Civil War he served in the Southern Army .In politics a Democrat.Children:Cornelia, who married John M. Elgin; Martha, who married John A. Woods; Eva, who married Foster; Annie, who married Martin; Nannie, who married Dr . Vernon.
Benjamin McCrary when a young man went to East Tennessee.In the Record
of Commissions of Officers in the Tennessee Militia, 1809, Cocke County.
"Benjamin McCrary.Ensign 8th.Regiment, October 2, 1809."(Tenn. Hist.
Quarterly, Vol. 3, 1944, page 284)And in the Record of Commissions of
Officers in the Tennessee Militia, 1810, Sevier County."Benjamin McCrary
Lieutenant 11th.Regiment, August 29, 1810."(Tenn. Hist. Quarterly, Vol. 4, 1945, page 356 )
The people from East Tennessee came principally from Virginia and North
Carolina.They were a resolute, fearless and strong minded people, impatient
of restraint, courageous in danger, uncomplaining in the endurance of hardships which they in curred in the expectation of bettering their fortunes. (Tenn. the Volunteer State.By John T rotwood Moore, Vol. 1, page 704)
Benjamin McCrary, after he left his home in Buncombe County went first to Cocke County T ennessee.It was here he met and married Polly (Mary) Coleman, daughter of Spencer and Luc y (White) Coleman.Spencer Coleman was a veteran of the Revolutionary War in Virginia, an d after the war, went to Cocke County Tennessee to live.
Benjamin McCrary was born November 12, 1785 in Rowan (now Davidson)
County, North Carolina.Polly Coleman was born March 8, 1788 in Cocke County, Tennessee.Th ey were married in Cocke County, May 13, 1808.It was here their first child, a son named Gi lead, was born on September 24, 1809.It was here also that he served as an Ensign in the Tennessee Militia.It was here his daughter Nancy, born October 3, 1811, his daughter, Lucy, born April 18, 1814, his son Boyd Merrill, born September 14, 1816, and his son John, born January 31, 1819, were all born.
Benjamin McCrary and his family left Tennessee for Missouri, arriving in
that state, June 10, 1820.He located on a farm about six miles southwest of
Glasgow, in Howard County, Missouri and the farm is still in the hands of some of his descend ants.His other children were all born in Howard County,
Missouri.
Polly Coleman McCrary died November 15, 1838 and Benjamin McCrary married
for his second wife, Harriet Emandy Wilson, October 16, 1843.She was the
daughter of Adam Wilson of Randolph County, Missouri, and was born March 26,
1814.Benjamin McCrary was the father of sixteen children, ten by his first
wife and six by his second wife.He died September 29, 1878 and he and the
members of his family are buried in the family burying ground on the McCrary
farm which he settled in 1820.
The Howard County paper had this to say about him when he passed on:"He was for more than half a century, a consistent and exemplary member of the old school Baptist Church, and he died in the assured faith of the Christian's reward in Heaven.Twice married, he was the father of sixteen children, five of whom preceded him on the last long journey.The others w ith one exception, now reside in Howard County.They are arranged with respect to their ages :Mrs. Nancy Blanton, Mrs. Lucy Hackley, Boyd M. McCrary, John McCrary, Absalom McCrary, Mrs . Mahala Yeager, Mrs. Martha Ann Estil, James P. McCrary, William G. McCrary, Mrs. Julina Ken drick and Mrs. Elizabth Witt. Mrs. Kendrick resides in Saline County.Had Mr. McCrary live d four weeks longer, he would have been ninety three years of age.At his death he had 68 gr and-children, 86 great grand-children, three great greatgrandchildren, and eleven children as stated above, making a total of 168 descendants now living.

Obituary from the Howard County newspaper:Another Old Citizen Gone.Last Sunday morning, at his home in Chariton township, this county, Benjamin McCrary finished a long useful life." It is appointed unto all men once to die", but few a granted the length of years and continued usefulness that characterized the life of this, the oldest male citizen of Howard County.Benjamin McCrary was born some time in November, 1785, of pios and respectable parentage, in Buchanan County, North Carolina, where he spent the earlier years of his young manhood.
       When about 25 years of age, he emigrated to East Tennessee where he married.Living there about ten years, he concluded to remove again further West, selecting Missouri for his further home.Accordingly, he arrived in this state with his family, on the 10th of June, 1820, and located in Chariton township, about 6 miles southwest of where Glasgow now stands, where he has lived continuously ever since, now nearly sixty years, and where, last Sunday morning, he passed away, illustrating in his peaceful death the even tenor of his mild and gentle life.
       He was for more than half a century a consistent and exemplary member of the Old School Baptist Church, and he died in the assured faith of the Christian's reward in Heaven.Twice married, he was the father of sixteen children, twelve by his first wife, and four by the second, who survives him.Of these children, five preceded him on the last long journey, and eleven yet survive, all of whom whit one exception, now reside in Howard county. They arranged with respect to their ages:Mrs. Nancy Swearingen, Mrs. Lucy Hackley, Boyd M. McCrary, John McCrary, Absalom McCrary, Mrs. Mahala Yager, Mrs. Martha Ann Estill, James P. McCrary, Wm. G. McCrary, Mrs. Juliana Kendrick and Mrs. Elizabeth Witt;Mrs. Kendrick resides in Saline county.
       Had Mr. McCray lived four more weeks longer, he would have been nine-three years of age, nearly as old as the Republic in which he was born.What changes has he witness since old enough to observe and understand passing events!To say nothing of party strife, of foreign or fratricidal war, of the wonderful and almost incredible growth and development of the country in wealth and population and resources that have marked each of the years of his lone life an epoch in American history: the astonishingly rapid development of the country in which he spent the last half century of his life, is of itself enough to afford exhaustless material for volumes of instuctive and entertaining reading.
       When he cut down his first tree, preparatory to the erection of his cabin, Fayette and Glasgow were impenetrable thickets of underbrush.Old Franklin was then in the first blush of it's vigor and promise as a commercial mart.At Franklin and Old Chariton, the sparsely settled inhabitants of that day went once or twice a year to supply their few and simple wants.Game of all sorts was plentiful, the wild honey-bee was found domiciled in most ebery hollow tree, and even Indians roamed the forest of that section of country north of and embracing Chariton and Randolf counties.One by one he saw these distinctive features of his surrounding give place to others.Old Franklin and Old Chariton disappeared in the engulfing waters of the river; the game was killed or driven off: the Indians became only as the indistinct and unreal fancies of a dream: the country filled up with a population of new and younger men, towns sprang into existence almost within sight of his door, and highly cultivated farms smiled and bloomed as a garden all about him.One by one the neighbors and friends of his pioneer days passed away, till at last he alone remained.
       perhaps the old man grew adder as the grew older: perhaps the dread specter came to him as an angel of light, for he must have recognized that broader and stronger shoulders were ready to relieve him of the heat and burden Of the day.Be that, however, as it may, he lived from first to last an earnest, faithful life.Born and reared upon a farm, he lived and died a farmer. True to the maxim of his life, he made haste, slowly, and never hazard his hard earnings in speculation.The truest and highest encomium that can be paid his memory is, that he died as he lived, a good and honest man.

Page 244-245
The following is a copy of the Family Record in the old Bible belonging to Benjamin McCrary and was in the possession of Mrs. William G. McCrary of
Glasgow, Howard County, Missouri when this copy was made, September 17, 1934.
The Bible is still in possession of her family.It also contained a record of the slaves:
Marriages
Benjamin McCrary was married to Polly Coleman, the 13th day of December, 1808.
Nancy McCrary was married to Thomas Blanton the 26th day of December, 1827.
Benjamin McCrary was married to Harriet Emandy Wilson, the 16th day of October,1843.( 2nd wife).
Boyd McCrary was married to Frances Evaline Yeager, August 25, 1842.
James J. Kendrick was married to Julia McCrary, October 27th, 1864.
William G. McCrary was married to E.B. Earickson, October 25, 1876.
Births
Benjamin McCrary was born the 12th day of November, 1785.
Polly McCrary was born the 8th day of March, 1788.
Gilead McCrary was born the 24th day of September, 1809.
Nancy McCrary was born the 3rd day of October, 1811.
Lucy McCrary was born the 18th April, 1814.
Boyd McCrary was born the 14th day of September, 1816.
John McCrary was born the 31st day of January, 1819.
Absalom McCrary was born the 8th day of October, 1821.
Benjamin McCrary was born the 21st day of April, 1825.
Mary McCrary was born the 22nd day of June, 1827.
Mahala Jane McCrary was born the 11th day of day 1830.
Martha Ann McCrary was born the 17th day of May, 1833.
By Second Wife
Harriet Emandy Wilson born the 15th day of March 1841.(2nd wife)
James K.P. McCrary was born the 5th day of September, 1844.
Julina McCrary was born the 29th day of May 1846.
William G. McCrary was born the 16th day of October, 1848.
Elizabeth F. McCrary was born the 20th of May 1852.
Deaths
Polly McCrary, wife of Benjamin McCrary deceased 15th of November 1838.
Benjamin McCrary deceased, January 7, 1841.
Mary McCrary deceased, September 6, 1845.
Benjamin McCrary, Sr. Died September 29, 1878.
Julina Kendrick died January 29, 1882.
Harriet A. McCrary died May 26, 1889 at Osage Mission, Kansas.