VANSANT BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== VANSANT, Samuel - b: 1841 Madison Co, IL source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 744 residence: Davis Twp Samuel Vansant, was born in Madison County, Illinois, April 8, 1841, being the son of Abner B. and Susan Crist. The former died in 1856, and his mother has since married James Crabb, of Davis Township. Samuel was the eldest of a family of four brothers and two sisters, of whom Joel and George live in Cedar County, William is in Sedalia and the two sisters, Mary Olive and Elizabeth, still live in Madison County, Illinois. Samuel grew to manhood on his father's farm, receiving like a majority of the boys of that day, a limited education, such as was afforded in the common schools, and such as he acquired by unassisted efforts. On the 16th of October, 1862, he married Miss Elizabeth Voyles, who was born in the same county as himself, on July 11, 1842. In 1868 he emigrated to Missouri and bought a tract of eighty acres, where he now lives, camping upon it until he had erected a suitable living room. He now has 160 acres of land in cultivation, and well improved with a good house and barn. He has a twenty-six inch vein of coal near his residence, from which he has taken large quantities of the black diamonds. Mr. V. has been quite successful in raising wheat; one piece of twenty- five acres, making one hundred bushels per acre in four year. Mr. Vansant and wife are parents of an interesting family of eight children, all of whom are living and at home. They are George, Emma, Joel, James, Bertie, Thomas, Arthur and Mattie. Mr. VanS. is a good farmer, an estimable citizen and a staunch Democrat. His wife and daughter, Emma, are members of the Christian Church. ==================================================================== VANSANT, Samuel A. source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 372 residence: Davis Twp Samuel A. Vansant. For fifty years Samuel A. Vansant has resided upon his splendid form of 160 acres in Davis township and has prospered as the years have passed. He has reared a fine family of children and he and his faithful wife have lived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary surrounded by their children and grandchildren. No man is more universally respected and admired for his sterling qualities than this old settler whose first home, when he came to Henry County in September of 1868, was a tent in which he lived until his modest frame house, 16x24 feet in dimension, could be erected. In the year 1883 he erected a nice home of six rooms which is surrounded by cedar and deciduous trees, which have grown during the time of his residence on the place. Samuel A. Vansant was born in Madison County, Illinois, April 8, 1841. He is a son of Abner B. and Susan (Christ) Vansant, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. Abner B. Vansant was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, removed to Zanesville, or Muskingum County, Ohio, and was there married to Susan Christ, who was born in that county. During the early thirties he removed to Madison County, Illinois, and purchased a farm near Collinsville, which he developed into a fine property. He died in 1856. There were four sons and two daughters in the Vansant family, as follow: Mary Ellen and Elizabeth Ann, deceased; Samuel A, subject of this review; George, deceased; Joel, Cedar County, Missouri; William, Pittsburg, Kansas. Samuel A. Vansant was reared to young manhood in Madison County, Illinois, and was there married to Elizabeth Boyles on October 16, 1862. Mrs. Elizabeth (Boyles) Vansant was born on July 11, 1842, and is a daughter of Henry and Sarah (Funderburg) Boyles, who were early settlers of Madison County, Illinois. Mr. Vansant was engaged in farming in Illinois until 1868, and during that year he disposed of his Illinois farm with the intention of coming to Missouri, where land was much cheaper and just as productive as the high priced land of his native county. When he came to Henry County he was possessed of the snug sum of $3,000, quite a fortune in those days. This amount enabled him to pay half cash for his quarter section at a cost of $8.50 an acre, and erect a comfortable residence on his prairie land. One year later he succeeded in paying the balance of the money due on the land, and as the years have passed he has grown prosperous and well contented with his lot in Henry County. To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Vansant have been born nine children, all of whom have been reared to maturity and useful citizenship: George Franklin, a farmer on Bear Creek township; Mrs. Emma Isabel Barr, died in 1884, leaving two children, one of whom, Howard, is living; Joel Henry, a carpenter and contractor in La Due, Missouri; James A., born August 11, 1869, is operating the home farm and is a director of the Bank of La Due, and is fraternally affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Mrs. Bertie Gale Grider, living at Pontiac, Livingston County, Illinois; Thomas, a farmer in Davis township; Arthur, a farmer living in Bear Creek township; Mrs. Mattie Fellhauer, La Due, Missouri; Mrs. Ida Lawson, Clinton, Missouri. Politically Mr. Vansant is aligned with the Democratic party. He and his family are members of the Christian Church. Fifty-five years have passed since Samuel A. and Sarah Vansant were united in marriage and time has served to mold them into comfortable and respected old age, admired and valued as friends by all who know them. Hospitable to the core, they are ever ready to share with their friends and acquaintances that which they have. This splendid Henry County pioneer couple have twenty-six grandchildren and three great- grandchildren who were gathered at the old home on the occasion of the golden wedding anniversary. May the years to come deal kindly with them and bring them continued prosperity and well being. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by the Henry County MOGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~mohenry/henryco.html Contact the Henry County Coordinator for comments or corrections. ====================================================================