History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, MO
Cedar County Biography Section

     Alexander Simrell, another representative farmer and 
stock-raiser of Washington Township, and the son of Capt. 
Samuel and Matilda (Wood) Simrell, was born in the township 
mentioned in December, 1840.  Samuel Simrell was a native of 
North Carolina, and when a boy went to Tennessee, where he 
remained until a man, and then went to Cooper County, Mo., 
where he was married.  In 1838 or 1839 he came to what is now 
Cedar County, being one of the first white settlers.  Indians 
were numerous at that time, and the forests were full of wild 
animals.  He entered land in what is now Washington Township, 
improved a farm, and there died in May, 1877.   He was foreman 
of the first grand jury in Cedar County, which held its session
under a tree near where Stockton is located.  At that time 
there were no mills, and cracked corn was used for meal.  
Mr. Simrell was justice of the peace for many years, and was 
captain of general muster.  He was a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, at Stockton, was assessor of Cedar County in 1861,
and he and wife were members in good standing in the 
Cumberland Presbyterian Church for many years, and were well 
known and esteemed throughout the county.  Mrs. Simrell was 
born in Tennessee, and was brought by her parents to Cooper 
County when small.  She died in 1881. Her father, Alexander 
Wood, was one of the first settlers of Cooper County, Mo., 
where he and wife passed their last days.  Alexander Simrell,
the third of seven sons and five daughters, seven now living, 
and all in Washington Township, received a limited subscription
school education, and in 1862 joined the Missouri State 
Militia, serving little over a year in Southwest Missouri, 
after which he was transferred to Company A, Fifteenth Missouri
Cavalry, and was in Southwest Missouri for over twenty months.
He held the rank of sergeant.  While near home he received a 
gunshot wound from a guerrilla and this disabled him from 
further service of some three months.  He was married in 
December, 1866, to Miss Martha A. Burford, a native of 
St. Charles County, Mo., and the daughter of James and Mary L.
Burford, who were born in Virginia.  They moved from that 
State to St. Charles County, Mo., and from there to St. Clair 
County, when Mrs. Simrell was but three years of age.  Mr. 
Burford died in 1863, but his wife is still living at the age 
of eighty-one years.  Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Simrell, one son now living, William A.  Since the war Mr. 
Simrell has lived on his present farm, which consists of 240 
acres, and aside from this he is the owner of one-sixth 
interest of the old farm on which he was born, there being 
240 acres in that.  He has been a stanch Republican in his 
political views all his life, and his first presidential vote 
was cast for Abraham Lincoln, in 1864.  He is a member of 
Austin Hubbard Post of the G. A. R., at Stockton, and is also 
a member of the Good Templars' Lodge.  He and Mrs. Simrell 
have been members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for 
many years.

History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties,
Missouri, published by Goodspeed, 1889--Pages 777, 778 
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