Page 76-77

Oliver P. Jacobs, a worthy representative of a pioneer family of Livingston county and today one of the progressive and successful agriculturists of Cream Ridge township, was born near Georgetown, Ohio, October 26, 1849. He is a son of John W. and Hanna (Hawk) Jacobs, who came to Livingston county in pioneer times. The father settled on a farm in Cream Ridge township when this section was a prairie wilderness and developed and improved his property for many years. He was a member of the Home Guard during the Civil war and attained a high place in the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens by reason of the upright and honorable qualities of his character and his straightforward and worthy life. He died December 11, 1892, at the age of seventy years, and was survived by his wife until February 23, 1907. Both are buried in the Ward cemetery.

Oliver P. Jacobs acquired his education in the Ward school but attended only during the winter months, laying aside his books at the age of nineteen. From that time until he was twenty-one he assisted his father with the work of the homestead and then began his independent career, renting land until he was able to purchase a farm of seventy-eight acres. Upon this he remained for eighteen years, developing it along modern lines, but he finally sold the property and went to Oklahoma. There he carried on general farming upon a property of one hundred and sixty acres, which he held until 1903, in which year, after disposing of his Oklahoma interests, he returned to Missouri and bought one hundred and twenty acres on section I, Cream Ridge township, upon which he still resides, He raises grain but feeds the greater part of his crops to his fine herds of horses, cattle, swine and mules, being known as one of the most successful stockmen in this part of the state.

In Grundy county, Missouri, Mr. Jacobs was united in marriage on the 11th of December, 1873, to Miss Mary Rankin, a daughter of James and Margaret (Brown) Rankin, the former a pioneer in that section and a representative of an old Scotch family. He died May 3, 1892, at the age of seventy-three, and his wife survived him until June 2, 1894, she also having been seventy-three years of age at the time of her death. They are buried in the Stucker cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs became the parents of ten children, one of whom, Lena, died November 26, 1882, at the age of fourteen months. The others are: Margaret, who married William Swepston, a farmer residing in Trenton; Alice, the wife of Peter Howard, who is engaged in farming in Cream Ridge township; George, whose home is in Trenton; Frank, a farmer in Grundy county; Elmer, a machinist, who is assisting his father; Loren, also working on the home farm; and Myrtle, Ray and Vern, all of whom live at home.

Mr. Jacobs gives his allegiance to the progressive party and is active and public-spirited in matters of citizenship, having served as road overseer and director of the school board. In business life he is well known for his alert and enterprising spirit, his salient qualities and characteristics being such as always win an honorable success.

Table of Contents

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Home