Johnson County KS Archives Biographies.....Steed, John S. 1867 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 March 19, 2009, 5:59 pm

Author: Ed Blair (1915)

  John S. Steed, a former sheriff of Johnson county, is now a prominent farmer
in McCamish township. The Steed family is of old English stock and formerly the
name was spelled Stead. That form of spelling is quite common in England at the
present time. Mr. Stead, the editor of the London "Times", the prominent
journalist, who was lost on the "Titanic", was a member of the same family and a
relative of the subject of this ketch. John S. Steed was born in Ashboro.
Randolph county, North Carolina. December 10, 1867, and is a son of John S. and
Rachel (Swaim) Steed, both natives of that State. The Steed and Swaim families
were founded in America during Colonial times, and are Southern stock of English
descent. Charles Steed, grandfather of John S., of this sketch, was prominent in
North Carolina politics for a number of years, and served as State senator
there. The Swaim family was also prominent in that section of the country and
Rachel Swaim was a second cousin of President James K. Polk. John S. Steed was
one of a family of eleven children, five girls and six boys. He remained in his
native State until September. 1883, and when less than sixteen years of age came
to Kansas. He continued to attend the public schools after coming to this State,
and later entered Baker University at Baldwin where he took a four-years'
course. He then taught school in Johnson county for several years and in 1896
became manager of the Johnson County Cooperative Association Store at Prairie
Center. He held that position for ten years and in 1906 was elected sheriff of
Johnson county and at the expiration of his first term he was reelected, serving
until January, 1911. He was a capable officer and won the reputation of doing
his duty without fear or favor. A peculiar thing in connection with the Steed
family history is that they are a family of sheriffs, and for the last 300 years
they have been represented in that office from time to time, both in England and
in this country.

  Mr. Steed was united in marriage November 22, 1902, to Miss Adelia Williams,
of Johnson county. She is a daughter of Thomas W. and Lucretia (Jarman)
Williams, natives of Tennessee. Her mother is deceased and the father now
resides at Gardner. To Mr. and Mrs. Steed have been born three children as
follows: Kenneth Stanley. aged eleven; Thomas Kyle, aged eight, and John Doyle,
aged four. Mr. Steed is a Republican and has always taken a prominent part in
the party organization and served as a delegate at a number of conventions. He
served as postmaster of Prairie Center six years, or until that office was
discontinued on account of the rural delivery. He is a member of the Grange and
is a stockholder and a director in the Johnson County Cooperative Association
Store at Olathe. Mr. and Mrs. Steed are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, and are among the well known and highly respected people of Johnson
county.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF Johnson County Kansas
BY
ED BLAIR

AUTHOR OF
Kansas Zephyrs, Sunflower Sittings and Other Poems and Sketches

IN ONE VOLUME

ILLUSTRATED
STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
1915


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