Biographical Sketch of J. G. Gillilan, Johnson County, Missouri, Columbus township. >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** J. G. Gillilan, a competent and industrious farmer and stockman of Columbus township, is a son of an honored pioneer of Johnson county, a member of one of the first families of Columbus township. Mr. Gillilan was born in Columbus township in 1871, son of John M. and Rachel Ruth (Kelly) Gillilan, the father, a native of West Virginia and the mother, a daughter of an early pioneer of Johnson county, John Kelly. John M. Gillilan was born in Greenbrier county, West Virginia and when a mere lad, sixteen years of age, came West and located temporarily in Lafay- ette county and then settled on a farm in Columbus township, where he has since resided continuously, with the exception of four years when he was in the Confederate service during the Civil War. Mr. Gillilan was born in 1837 and in October, 1853 purchased the farm which is now his home. To John M. and Rachel Ruth Gillilan have been born twelve children: Mrs. Martha Grinstead, Kingsville, Missouri; William Price, who died at the age of twenty-five years; Mrs. Anna Van Meter, Odessa, Missouri; Mrs. Lydia Violet, Hazel Hill township; J. G., Columbus town- ship, the subject of this review; R. R., Odessa, Missouri; Bertie, at home; Mrs. Gertrude Anderson, Odessa, Missouri; Charles, the well known cashier of the American Trust Company of Warrensburg; Ethel, at home with her parents; Clarence, at home; and one child, deceased. Both parents are still living. The father is now eighty years of age, but nearly as active as his sons, and as bright and alert mentally as most men of fifty years. A more comprehensive sketch of the Gillilans appears in connection with the biography of John M. Gillilan, which will be found elsewhere in this volume. J. G. Gillilan attended school at McCoy school house in Columbus township. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age and then rented land for three years and, in 1897, purchased his present home from J. W. Camp- bell, a place formerly known as the Grover farm, which is located three miles northwest of Columbus. Mr. Gillilan has added all the improvements on the place, including the buildings, fencing, and the residence. The residence was built in 1897 and a barn has been built in recent years, in 1906. The farm is well equipped for general farm- ing and stock raising and is abundantly watered. The J. G. Gillilan home is one of the pleasant and attractive homes of Johnson county. In 1895, J. G. Gillilan and Essie Boone, daughter of Manlius and Mattie Boone, pioneers of Lafayette county, Missouri, were united in marriage and to them have been born four children: Russell, Manlius, Ruth and Jay George, all at home with thier parents. Manlius Boone came from his native state of Kentucky in 1854 and settled in Lafayette county, Missouri. He was a distant relative of the famous Daniel Boone, the pioneer huntsman of Kentucky. Mrs. Boone died in 1883 and her remains were laid to rest in Mount Tabor cemetery. Mr. Boone died in July, 1909 in Columbus township, Johnson county and he, too, was buried in Mount Tabor cemetery. Manlius Boone was a son of Samuel Boone and both father and son served with "Fighting Joe" Shelby during the Civil War. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gillilan are descendants of brave Confederate vet- erans and honored pioneers and they are numbered among the best families of this part of Missouri. ==================================================================== 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: <> Penny (Eisenbarger) Harrell ====================================================================