Biographical Sketch of J. P. Ozias, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** J. P. Ozias, ex-mayor and ex-councilman of Warrensburg, Missouri, is of French descent. He was born September 6, 1838, in Preble county, Ohio, son of Jacob and Sarah (Potter) Ozias. Jacob Ozias was born in North Carolina. When he was a boy, his parents moved to Ohio in 1803 and in that state he was reared to maturity, educated, and married. He was engaged in farming practically all his life. Sarah (Potter) Ozias was a daughter of Casper Potter, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He was born December 19, 1754, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. In the winter of 1777, he enlisted as a private under Captain John Bannerd, serving three months. In January, 1781, he enlisted for three months under Captain James Buchanan and Colonel Boyer, of Virginia. In August 1781, he enlisted under Captain Charles Campbell and Colonel Lewis, of Virginia. Casper Potter took part in a skirmish near Edmunds Hill, Virginia. The date of his application to the United States Pension Department is March 23, 1833. The pension was granted. His daughter, Sarah, was born in Preble county, Ohio. Jacob and Sarah Ozias were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Elizabeth Roher, deceased; Mrs. Eliza Ann Moots, born in 1827 and is now living, at the age of 90 years in Preble county, Ohio; Mrs. Sarah Jane Greer, deceased; Washington, deceased; Jacob Anderson, who came to Johnson county, Missouri in 1866 and died in 1914 in Centerview township, where he owned 640 acres of land, upon which place his widow now resides; Wesley, a farmer, of Pre- ble county, Ohio; and J. P., the subject of this review. The father died in Ohio in 1868 and the mother in 1871. A sister of Sarah (Potter) Ozias, Mrs. Anna (Potter) Douglass, lived to be 102 years of age. She was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, March 8, 1801, and lived to be the mother of ten children, grandmother of forty-seven children, great grandmother of one hundred twenty-five children, and great-great grand- mother of thirty children. She retained her physical and mental vigor up to the last. She died March 8, 1903. In the public schools of Ohio J. P. Ozias was educated. He was engaged in farming in Ohio prior to coming to Missouri. He located in Centerview township at a time when a postoffice there was unknown. Previous to coming to Johnson county on January 2, 1868, he had purchased a farm of 160 acres in Centerview township and on this place resided many years, engaged in general farm- ing. Mr. Ozias so improved his farm that it is now one of the beauti- ful country places of Missouri. The place overlooks Warrensburg. It is a well watered farm, having a never failing spring, from which water has been piped into the residence. In 1892, J. P. Ozias moved to Warrensburg and in the same year built his present handsome, modern home, a structure of ten rooms and two stories at 120 Tyler avenue, in one of the most attractive and desirable parts of the city. February 12, 1861, J. P. Ozias and Sophronia Pretzinger were married in Preble county, Ohio. To them were born three sons: Dr. Charles O., Kansas City, Missouri; Dr. Newell J., who is in the employ of the Metropolitan Railway Company of Kansas City, Missouri; and Oscar E., deceased. The mother died in 1874 in Centerview township and is buried in the ceme- tery at Warrensburg. Mr. Ozias remarried, his second wife being Sarah Conrad, of Licking county, Ohio. She was born near Newark. Mrs. Ozias' parents were of French lineage and natives of North Carolina. To J. P. and Sarah (Conrad) Ozias have been born two daughters: Marie, the wife of Henry Dillard, of Kansas City, Missouri; and Ruby, the wife of William Berner, of Kansas City, Missouri. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ozias are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Ozias is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, being affiliated with the Blue Lodge, the Commandery, the Knights Templar, a member of the Scottish Rite, and of the Mystic Shrine at Kansas City, and of the Benevolent and Protec- tive Order of the Elks, of Warrensburg. In Ohio, prior to coming to Johnson county, J. P. Ozias was a member of the home guards and was in active service with the state militia during Morgan's raid in that state. Mr. Ozias has always taken a keen interest in public and civic affairs and he served four terms as city councilman of Warrensburg. On April 2, 1907, he was elected mayor of Warrensburg for two years. J. P. Ozias made a good clean, aggressive fight and he was an enthusiastic temperance man, during his incumbency the city of Warresnburg voted dry. His administration was an aggressive one in the enforcement of prohibition in accordance with the verdict of the people. And, regard- less of cutting off the revenue derived from the saloons, his adminis- tration was a success financially and he went out of office with a larger surplus fund in the treasury than when he went in. He is now interested in farming and stock raising, as well as in other local enterprises. ==================================================================== 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. 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