Individual Details
James G. Grear
(January 14, 1814 - 1852)
"James Greear moved to Hannabel, Missouri." (handwritten addition to Torrence's book from LDS microfilm.)
"Here is what I know about the man from my own family's records, the Missouri 1850 Census, Milan County, Missouri probate court records and his widow's obituary.
"He was born in Virginia on January 14, 1814 and came to Missouri, where he married Susannah (Susan) Stone in 1841. The 1850 census of Missouri (microfilm roll 420, page 672/337) shows him to be 36 years old on November 20, 1850. (Incidentally, he was mis-indexed in Missouri's 1850 Census index as "James G. Green", a mistake that led me astray for over a year!) The Census shows him farming there with his wife Susan and their 4 children, Anna, Mary Jane, Perneta and Hiram (my then 2 year old great grandfather).
"In the Spring of 1851, James and two friends got the "gold bug", decided to become prospecting partners and departed to California to seek their fortune, leaving James's children and wife (now pregnant with his fifth child) to fend for themselves with the aid of her family and neighbors.
"Unfortunately, about two years later, one of James's mining partners returned to James' wife with news from California that James and his partners had "hit it big" but that James had died in California in 1852. This first prospecting partner to return consoled James' widow with what he said was James's share of their joint claim--$200 dollars in gold dust. This first returning partner then departed Missouri after his brief visit with James's widow, moved back East and was never heard from again. (This $200 is shown as being held in trust for James Greear's minor children heirs in the 1856 records of the Sullivan County MO Probate court). In a surprise twist, however, James' SECOND prospecting partner also returned a short time later, confirming James' death to his widow, as well as the fact that they had done well in California, except that the second partner insisted that the first partner had been given James's full share of $2000.00(!!) in gold dust to return to his widow and children. Apparently, the first partner had given her only a little conscience money before he skipped town with the rest of her fortune and went back East." (Maurice Smith, email: zmaurice@sound.net>.)
Additional information about the descendants of James G. and Susan Grear is from Terri Whitaker, littleolebrat@yahoo.com, November 2004.
"Here is what I know about the man from my own family's records, the Missouri 1850 Census, Milan County, Missouri probate court records and his widow's obituary.
"He was born in Virginia on January 14, 1814 and came to Missouri, where he married Susannah (Susan) Stone in 1841. The 1850 census of Missouri (microfilm roll 420, page 672/337) shows him to be 36 years old on November 20, 1850. (Incidentally, he was mis-indexed in Missouri's 1850 Census index as "James G. Green", a mistake that led me astray for over a year!) The Census shows him farming there with his wife Susan and their 4 children, Anna, Mary Jane, Perneta and Hiram (my then 2 year old great grandfather).
"In the Spring of 1851, James and two friends got the "gold bug", decided to become prospecting partners and departed to California to seek their fortune, leaving James's children and wife (now pregnant with his fifth child) to fend for themselves with the aid of her family and neighbors.
"Unfortunately, about two years later, one of James's mining partners returned to James' wife with news from California that James and his partners had "hit it big" but that James had died in California in 1852. This first prospecting partner to return consoled James' widow with what he said was James's share of their joint claim--$200 dollars in gold dust. This first returning partner then departed Missouri after his brief visit with James's widow, moved back East and was never heard from again. (This $200 is shown as being held in trust for James Greear's minor children heirs in the 1856 records of the Sullivan County MO Probate court). In a surprise twist, however, James' SECOND prospecting partner also returned a short time later, confirming James' death to his widow, as well as the fact that they had done well in California, except that the second partner insisted that the first partner had been given James's full share of $2000.00(!!) in gold dust to return to his widow and children. Apparently, the first partner had given her only a little conscience money before he skipped town with the rest of her fortune and went back East." (Maurice Smith, email: zmaurice@sound.net>.)
Additional information about the descendants of James G. and Susan Grear is from Terri Whitaker, littleolebrat@yahoo.com, November 2004.
Events
| Birth | January 14, 1814 | Virginia | |||
| Marriage | 1841 | Susannah "Susan" Stone | |||
| Death | 1852 | California |
Families
| Spouse | Susannah "Susan" Stone (1817 - 1902) |
| Child | Mary Jane Grear (1844 - 1882) |
| Child | Perneta Grear (1846 - ) |
| Child | Hiram W. Grear (1848 - 1920) |
| Child | Therisa Grear (1852 - ) |
| Child | Ann E. "Anna" Grear ( - ) |
| Father | James Noah Greear (1790 - 1872) |
| Mother | Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Bonham (1792 - 1850) |
| Sibling | Almarine Greear (1816 - ) |
| Sibling | Susannah Nelson Greear (1817 - 1858) |
| Sibling | Francis "Franse" Bonham Greear (1819 - 1909) |
| Sibling | Shadrack Freeland Greear (1821 - 1902) |
| Sibling | Hiram Greear (1822 - 1911) |
| Sibling | Joseph Parker Greear (1824 - 1904) |
| Sibling | Arah "Arey" Eveline Greear (1826 - 1908) |
| Sibling | Madison Greear (1830 - 1892) |
| Sibling | Darthula Greear (1833 - 1877) |
| Sibling | William Melvin "Buck" Greear (1835 - 1890) |
| Sibling | Mary Anna Eliza Greear (1838 - 1862) |