Biographical Sketch of Judge Joseph Rea - Andrew County, Missouri

>From "History of Missouri, Andrew & DeKalb County" Published 1888

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Transcribed by: Penny Harrell (Incog3678@aol.com)

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Judge Joseph Rea is of Irish and Scotch descent, and was born in Ripley
County, IN., November 13, 1837.  He is the second child of Jonathan and
Lurana Rea, and has one brother and six of eight sisters now living. He
immigrated with his parents to Andrew County, the family then consisting
of David, Joseph, Frances, Jane and Elizabeth.  He made his home with his
parents, working upon the farm in the summer and attending the district 
school in the winter.  After the death of the father in February, 1854, 
he remained with his mother and sisters until the death of the former in
February, 1861, whereupon the family became scattered.  Joseph then lived
with William Pettyjohn, who had rented the old homestead, and continued
farming and stock raising, devoting his leisure hours to the study of law,
for which he had a natural inclination, and which he had studied previously
in the law office of Judge William Heren at Savannah, MO., while making his
home with that gentleman during his attendance at a term of school taught
by Prof. George W. Turner.  During the war he took a decided stand for 
the Union.  In October, 1862, he was married to Miss Sarah A. Muse,
daughter of Henry and Mahala Muse, who had emigrated from Kentucky to
Missouri in an early day.  He afterward, during the war, enlisted in the
Fifty-first United States Missouri Infantry Volunteers, sereved as 
private and first lieutenant of Company B, and assistant quartermaster,
and for about two months kept the Gratiot Street military prison in
St. Louis.  Since his honorable discharge upon the cessation of 
hostilities, he has been successfully farming and practicing law in
Andrew County, MO.  He is a Democrat in politics, and in 1886 was 
nominated for the office of probate judge by his party, and after a 
close race with John B. Majons, the Republican nominee and a prominent
and popular man, was elected by 87 majority, the county being about 
200 Republican majority at the time.  Mr. Rea is now the probate judge,
and is filling the office to the satisfaction of his friends and the
community.