Limestone County AlArchives Biographies.....Mason, John R. 1803 - 1862
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 September 5, 2011, 9:54 pm

Source: See below
Author: Smith & De Land, publishers

    JOHN R. MASON, the second son of William and Rebecca Mason, was born in
Greenville County, Va., 1803, and died at Iuka, Miss., in April, 1862. He was
educated in his native State, came with his parents to Limestone County; and at
Athens was many years engaged in the mercantile business, in addition to which
he was an extensive farmer and stock grower. He took a prominent part here in
the agitation of the question of aid, by taxation, in the construction of the
North and South Railroad, bitterly opposing the proposition to subsidize.
However, after the road was put under way, we find that he was equally as
earnest in having it pushed forward to completion, and that he was for years a
member of its Board of Directors.

    He was first married in Limestone County in 1833, to a daughter of Gabriel
Smith, who died in 1844, leaving one son, William Mason, who died in Waco,
Texas, in 1878. John R. Mason was again married at Athens, March 27, 1845, to
Miss Glorvinia Beaty, a daughter of Robert Beaty, one of the early settlers of
this place. Robert Beaty came from Ireland when he was but a child, grew to
manhood in the State of Virginia, and there married Sailie Parrott. He was one
of the pioneers of Limestone County, and took an active part in having the
county site established at Athens, as against the claims of the then pretentious
village of Cambridge. He was an influential and public-spirited citizen. He
donated to the town the famous "Athens Springs," with several acres of land,
with the understanding that it should be devoted to the public use forever. Mr.
Beaty was familiarly known as Captain Beaty. He died in Missouri, where he had
gone on a business trip.

    John R. Mason, by his second marriage, had two sons, Robert Beaty and John
Ormond: the latter died at Athens in 1884, at the age of thirty-six years.
Robert B. Mason, the elder son, was born June 27, 1840; educated at Athens,
Ala., and Pittsburgh, Pa.: entered the Confederate Army as a member of Gen. V.
D. Roddy's escort, served to the close of the Civil War, and surrendered at Pond
Springs. After the war he devoted some time to the mercantile business, but
afterward turned his attention entirely to farming and stock raising.

    He married at Fayette, Tenn., in 1870, Miss Mollie P. Garrett, who died in
1882, leaving four children. Clyde Ormond, Robert Beaty, John Greer and Mary Elice.

    John R. Mason was a self-made man. starting out in life with little of this
world's goods, but by dint of persistent effort, close application to business.
and the exercise of sound discretion, he accumulated and left to his family a
handsome competency, lie was universally popular and was beloved.by all classes.
Everybody knew, and enjoyed the society of "Captain Jack Mason."

    It was while visiting his son William (in Mississippi, after the battle of
Shiloh), who was a Confederate soldier under General Bragg, that he was taken
sick, and died at Iuka, without again reaching, his home, which was occupied
just at this time by the Federal forces. The Federal officers made his residence
their headquarters, and prohibited the Mason family from leaving town, even for
the purpose of bringing him home before he died.

    He was a strong Douglas Democrat and a Union man until his State seceded,
then he went with his people.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical
Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land
1888

PART III.
HISTORICAL RESUME OF THE VARIOUS COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
CEREAL BELT.


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