Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/790

 686 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI was born aud reared in Wayne county, where until 1865 he undertook farming on a small tract of laud ou the Black river, but in that year he removed to Reynolds county. There he purchased another tract of laud aud spent the remainder of his life in its improvement, so that in 1901, when he died at the veuer- able old age of seventy-three years, he hav- ing been born in 1832, it was an important agricultural and stock raising estate. His wife, before her marriage, was Amanda Mann, a native of Reynolds county. Her birth occurred in 1832, and she passed to Iwv eternal reward in 1880. Her husband was ever a loyal member of the Democratic party, and both were devout members of the J3ap- tist church. Besides Thomas J., their chil- dren were as follows: William A., now of Wayne county; Sophronia, wife of Robert Benson and makes her home in Alabama; and ]Iargaret, wife of M. L. Sanders, of Leeper, this state. Thomas J. Sweazea was bom on his fa- ther's farm on October 14, 1870. He remained on the home farm until he was within one year of his majority, and took advantage of the educational opportunities afforded by the district schools of those early days. When he was twenty he entered Carleton College, at Farmington, Missouri, where he remained until 1893. He then made practical use of his education and taught a school with such success that in 1895 he was elected county commissioner for a term of two years. His first experience as candidate for the office of county clerk of Reynolds coixnty not result- ing in the possession of the honor, he ran again in 1903 and this time easily won the office. In 1907 his political service to his county was continued as a member of the Forty-fourth General Assembl}^, as repre- sentative from the Reynolds county district, and he is still remembered for his able par- ticipation in the making of wise legislation for his native state. Following his term of oifice, he removed to Salem, where he prepared himself for his profession by reading law, with such success that in 1909 he was admitted to the bar. He again changed his residence, coming to Pied- mont, where he opened his office and made the beginnings of his present fine patronage. He has continued his public service as a mem- ber and secretary of the school board of Pied- mont, where he has rendered needed service as an advocate of better aud more effieient schools. Besides his profitable law clientage, Mr. Sweazea owns a farm not far from Piedmont. On June 6, 1895, he insured for himself a gracious companionship and happy home by his marriage with iliss Ella ^lalloy, who was born May 30, 1871, near Piedmont, a daugh- ter of John and Mary (Warren) iVIalloy, of Wayne county. Four children have since come to their pleasant home, namely : Doyle J., Pearl, Ava and Opal T. Mr. Sweazea adheres firmly to the princi- ples and policies of the party of Jefferson and Jackson. Both he and his wife support the tenets of the Baptist church. Thomas IMartin Jackson, member of the bar of Southeast Missouri and a successful attorney of Desloge, has had a varied and useful career both in the law and in the min- istry. Born in Monroe county, Kentucky, January 14, 1860, and spending his early years on a farm, he received an education in the country schools, in the Glasgow Normal School and Business College at Glasgow, Kentucky, and the Southern Normal School and Business College at Bowling Green, Ken- tucky, and after his graduation from the lat- ter entered educational work. For thirteen years he was a successful teacher in Ken- tucky, Missoxu-i and Ai'kansas. During six years of this period he carried on his studies for the bar in a law office, aud was admitted to practice April 28, 1892, at Russellville, Arkansas, and later enrolled in the supreme court of Missouri. For six years he was engaged in active practice. He then devoted his service to the ministry of the Methodist church, South, and for sixteen years was a traveling min- ister for that denomination. Finally, on ac- count of his wife's health, he returned to the practice of law in 1908, and has since en- joyed a liberal business at Desloge. During his ministry he occupied some of the leading j)ulpits of the state and was also a presiding elder in that church. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Jackson 's father was George W. Jack- son, who was born in Washington county, Tennessee, March 29, 1836. His early life was spent on a fai'm in his native state until the war, when he joined the Union army, Company B, Fifth Kentucky Cavalry, and was a member of Sherman's army during its march to the sea. After the war he settled on a farm in Kentucky. Before entering the