Biographical Sketch of Robert W. Greenwell, Johnson County, Missouri, Columbus Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Robert W. Greenwell, proprietor of "Greenwell's Westlawn Stock Farm," formerly the "Hazelwood Stock Farm," in Columbus township, is one of the county's successful and enterprising farmers and stockmen and a member of a well known and prominent pioneer family. He was born in Columbus, Missouri in 1861, a son of Ralph and Nancy (Williams) Green- well, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. The father is now deceased and the widowed mother is still living on the farm in Columbus township. Mrs. Greenwell is now eighty-two years of age. She is still very active for one of her years and her memory of names and dates is remarkable. A more comprehensive sketch of the Greenwell's appears elsewhere in this volume in connection with the biography of Mrs. Nancy (Williams) Greenwell. After receiving a good common school education in the public schools of Columbus, Robert W. Greenwell engaged in farm- ing and stock raising on the home place. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age, when he began life for himself. Mr. Greenwell purchased the William Herndon farm near Colum- bus, which place he sold four years later and purchased his present country home in 1889, to which he moved three years later. This place was formerly known as the "Hazelwood Stock Farm," but the name has since been changed to "Greenwell's Westlawn Stock Farm," It comprises two hundred acres of land, the original "Hazelwood Farm," and sixty acres, recently purchased, located two and a half miles north of Colum- bus and fifteen and a half miles northwest of Warrensburg. The place is well watered, equipped, and kept, an ideal stock farm. For the past eight years, Mr. Greenwell has devoted much attention to raising regis- tered jacks and jennets, of the Mammoth Kentucky breed. At the present time, in 1917, he has four jacks and four jennets, an imported Perch- eron horse, "Impoli," weighing one thousand nine hundred forty pounds at the time imported, a large number of spotted Poland China hogs, and Oxford sheep. One hundred acres of the place are in grass and the remainder in small grain. Mr. Greenwell is a highly intelligent agri- culturist and has been exceptionally successful both as a farmer and stockman. November 28, 1889, Robert W. Greenwell was united in marr- iage with Mattie M. Dyer, daughter of James D. and Mary Dyer, of Hazel Hill township. James D. Dyer was born in Johnson county, a son of Noah Dyer, an honored pioneer of Lafayette county. Mr. Dyer died in 1909 and his remains lie interred in Oak Grove cemetery. The widowed mother resides in Warrensburg, now at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. To Robert W. and Mattie M. Greenwell have been born four children: Mary Myrtle, the wife of Otto R. Jacoby, of Warrensburg, Missouri; James Ralph, who died in 1909 at the age of fifteen years; Sallie Alice the wife of Dr. William A. Maddox, of Gainesville, Texas; and Rice Alexander, at home with his parents. The Greenwells have long been considered one of the best and most substantial families in this sec- tion of the state. Ralph Greenwell, father of Robert W. Greenwell, and "Uncle Billy" Fickas purchased the land which they dedicated for the use of Columbus as a cemetery and this burial ground is known as Colum- bus Christian cemetery. The deed to the land was made out to Mr. Greenwell and Mr. Fickas, but it was never recorded. In the pillars of the pulpit of the Columbus Christian church are papers containing the history of the church and cemetery. One of the newspapers, nailed up in a strong box placed in the church pillars was the Warrensburg "Journal Democrat." ==================================================================== 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 ====================================================================