Ripley Co
MoGenWeb
Ripley County Pioneers
BIOGRAPHIES
Pleasant John Ponder
P. J. PONDER - This successful and worthy citizen, residing ten miles west of
Doniphan, at the town of Ponder, is a native Tennesseean, born in Hickman County in 1838. His
parents, Amos and Nancy (Dudley) Ponder, were married in the State of Tennessee, but moved from
there to Ripley County, Mo., in 1843. Mr. Ponder bought land on Fourche, a mile and a half below
where the town of Ponder now stands, principally in the woods, and began immediately to clear and
improve the land. There he worked and delved and gathered around him many of the comforts of life,
but died soon after the war. His wife passed away about the same time. They reared a family of
eight children, four of whom are now living. Of these children our subject is one of the youngest.
He was about five years of age when his parents moved to Ripley County, Mo., and as a consequence
nearly all of his recollections are of this county. Here he reached manhood and here he was
married to Miss Martha Sandling, who died soon afterward. Later he married Miss Julia Murdock,
who died during the war. His third marriage was with Miss Matilda Murdock, a sister of his
second wife, and three children were the result of this union: Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Dalton,
of this county; Nellie, at home, and Mary L., deceased, was the wife of Michael Ryan. Our subject
served in the State Militia as wagon master during a part of the war. After cessation of hostilities
he began farming where William Murdock now resides, but in 1867 he moved to a part of his father's old
farm and in 1875 to where he now lives. He owns 228 acres of land. For a time he sold goods in Ponder,
and he has always been trading in stock in connection with farming. He is a member of the A.O.U.W.,
and in politics is a Democrat.
Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
A REMINISCENT HISTORY OF THE OZARK REGION
COMPRISING A CONDENSED GENERAL HISTORY, A BRIEF DESCRIPTIVE HISTORY OF EACH
COUNTY, AND NUMEROUS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS OF SUCH
COUNTIES. p 502
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. 1894.
File at: http://ftp.usgenweb.com/pub/usgenweb/mo/ripley/bios/ponder_pj
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb by:
Peggy Cannady pcannady6@gmail.com June 14, 2009
Author: Goodspeed Brothers (1894)
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