Gentry-Harrison-Worth County MO Archives Biographies.....Gross, James May 17, 1858 - January 15, 1943
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen DaPra ddapra@comcast.net February 8, 2013, 11:44 am

Source: The Lewis Publishing Company Chicago-New York; 1915
Author: edited by Walter Williams

James Gross was born in Gentry County, Missouri, May 17, 1858. His father, 
Jacob Gross, who was born in Owen County, Kentucky, in 1813, was one of the 
thirteen children, whose father was born in Germany, and settled in Kentucky, 
where he was a farmer and miller. Jacob Gross acquired an ordinary education 
at the country schools, learned farming and stock raising, and followed that 
business steadily all his life. When a young man he left Kentucky, came to 
Clay County in Northwest Missouri, and there married Mrs. Sarah Brown. Her 
maiden name was Hunter and her three brothers, James, Young and William, all 
spent their lives in either Gentry or Harrison counties. In 1842 Jacob Gross 
moved to Gentry County, bought 160 acres of school land near Lone Star and 
paid $1.25 an acre for it. It was in its virgin state, and his labors finally 
improved it and gave it greatly increased value and made it a source of 
livelihood to himself and family. He lived until 1867, and is buried at the 
McGee Cemetery east of Albany. At one time he was honored with the office of 
justice of the peace in his township; was a democrat, and a member of the 
Missionary Baptist Church. Jacob Gross was married in 1851. His children were: 
Martha, who married Jerome Evans and died in Worth County; Stephen, who also 
died in Worth County; James; Susan, whose first husband was Charles Robertson 
and her second Al Hern and died near Denver, Missouri; Christopher, who died 
unmarried; Mary Jane, widow of William Roper and lives in Kansas City.

Until the age of fourteen James Gross lived in Gentry County, went with his 
mother to Worth County, in the vicinity of Grant City, and after his common 
schooling began work for himself as a farmer at the age of twenty-one. His 
ability to handle farm implements and work with his hands was all the capital 
he possessed. When he married he had only $150. For a time he was located in 
Gentry County as a tenant of S. F. Dallas, moved near Worth on John Costin's 
farm for two years, and then returned to the Allie Asher farm in Gentry 
County. Two years later the Kent farm became his home, and about that time he 
was able to buy a place of his own on payments, agreeing to pay $750 in cash 
and trade, and at the end of five years he had completed the purchase. The 
death of his wife in 1887 was a serious handicap to his progress, and he had a 
daughter two years old dependent upon him. His own mother then came to his 
aid, and he lived on his own farm until 1890, when he married Miss Cora 
Findley, daughter of John N. B. and Elizabeth Findley, a prominent family 
sketched in following paragraphs. Mr. Gross added to his original land 
purchase fifty-nine acres at one time and twenty-four acres at another, giving 
him an estate of 169 acres. The improvements include an almost new home, a 
good barn, granaries, smoke house, hog shed and other necessary buildings. In 
March, 1910, Mr. Gross left his own farm to lease the C. G. Comstock farm near 
Denver. He is now cultivating 232 acres of that place, and makes a specialty 
as a grain and stock raiser. He has been progressive in his business, has kept 
pedigreed hogs and a pedigreed stallion, introducing the Belgian stock. His 
specialty is corn raising, and Mr. Gross has the distinction of having 
frequently produced from eighty-five to ninety bushels of corn to the acre.

His first wife was Miss Alice Asher. a daughter of Lewis and Alice Asher, who 
came to Missouri from Indiana. The only daughter of this marriage is Maggie, 
wife of Charles Jonigan, a successful teacher of Worth County, and they have 
two children. Paul and Marjory. By his marriage to Miss Findley, Mr. Gross has 
children: Grace, wife of Henry Murray of Worth County; Jesse, who died at the 
age of two years; Retha, Bessie, Jacob and Ralph. In polities Mr. Gross is a 
democrat, cast his first presidential vote for Hancock and has never missed a 
presidential ballot since. He voted three times for William J. Bryan, has 
served as delegate to local conventions, and is now central committeeman from 
Allen Township. His influence in the community is indicated by the fact that 
political office seekers always visit him and strive to get his support. Mr. 
Gross is a member of the Christian Church, and affiliates with Jonathan Lodge 
No. 321, A. F. & A. M., at Denver.

John N. B. Findley, father of Mrs. James Gross, was born in Gentry County in 
May, 1846, a son of one of the earliest pioneers. John Findley, his father, 
came to Gentry County previous to 1840, settling about eight miles north of 
Albany, where he bought a claim on Big Muddy Creek, and lived many years. He 
was engaged in trading farms and lived on a number of places until his death 
in 1874. This pioneer was born in Hart County, Tennessee, in 1799, a son of 
John, who spent his life in Knox County, Tennessee. John Findley, grandfather 
of Mrs. Gross, was married in Knox County Tennessee, to Sarah Ann Waitress, 
daughter of John Waitress. She died in Gentry County at the age of 
seventyfive. Their children were: William, who lived in Atchison County, 
Kansas; James, a farmer of Gentry County; Sarah J., who died in 1866; Emeline, 
who was the wife of Jerrie Johnson and died in September, 1813, in Worth 
County; Pernica, who married A. J. Simpson and died in Gentry County; Ganum, 
who died in Gentry County in 1880; John N. B.; Savanna, who married F. M. 
Hall; Rebecca, who was Mrs. L. W. Martin and died in Gentry County; and 
Benjamin F., who died in 1886.

John N. B. Findley grew up in Gentry County, and married Elizabeth Miller, 
daughter of Henry Miller and a sister of Senator Elijah Miller of Denver. Mr. 
and Mrs. Findley had the following children: Cora, wife of James Gross of 
Denver; Rebecca, wife of Judge H. C. Dunfee, a Worth County farmer; Alice, 
wife of Lewis McComas, of Worth County; Ella, wife of Frank Stevens of Worth 
County; Benjamin F. of Worth County; and Ethel, wife of Roy Gibson.

SOURCE: pp985-987 of "A History of Northwest Missouri" Volume 2 edited by 
Walter Williams; The Lewis Publishing Company Chicago-New York; 1915.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/gentry/bios/gross173gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/

File size: 6.7 Kb