John Watson Pemberton was born Sept 9, 1817 in Adair County, Kentucky and he died September 26, 1888 in St. Joseph, Missouri at the age of 71. On October 5, 1847 when he was 30 he married 18 year old Sarah Jane Elmore in Andrew County, Missouri where her family had also settled. Her Father David died there in November 1847 a month after her wedding. Sarah Jane was born in Vermillion County, Illinois June 16, 1829. Vermillion County is on the eastern boarder of Illinois. The picture to the right is of John Watson Pemberton and Sarah Jane Elmore. The picture was probably taken about 1880 when he was in his late fifties and she was around forty. John Watson and Sarah Jane had ten children: Sarah J., Nancy E., Martha A., Luizel M., James Monroe (my great grandfather), Mary Emiline “Emma”, Malinda, John Sherman “Sherman” and Thomas.

John was also in the Civil War. He was in the 44th Regiment Provisional Enrolled Militia Infantry where he saw duty in North Missouri, 7th Military District, Dept. of Missouri and he was in the 88th Regiment Enrolled Militia Infantry where he also saw duty in 7th Military District, Northern Missouri. After his death Sarah Jane applied for a Widow’s pension and was denied because John was in a State of Missouri, not a federal unit.

John died September 26, 1888. From his obituary ” John Watson Pemberton died at his residence at 1915 Faron Street, St. Joseph at 6:30 yesterday evening. Deceased was aged 68 years and 17 days. Is an old resident of St. Joseph and leaves a wife and six children to mourn his loss. Funeral on Friday morning at 8:30 o’clock. the remains will be buried at the home cemetery. Rev. Lawless will preach the funeral sermon. Friends of the family are invited to attend. The High Prairie Cemetery is associated with the High Prairie Baptist Church which has been gone for many years. It is west of Crosby, Missouri and south of Highway 169 – a short distance and east of County road D. It is a beautiful little cemetery that is well kept. Source Douglas Showalter and Cal Sale.

I also know from records that James Watson and Sarah Jane Elmore lived in Avenue City, Andrew County, Missouri in 1859.

Sarah Jane Elmore

Sarah Jane was the daughter of David Elmore and Elizabeth Hammon. She was the youngest of nine children. The Elmore’s also lived in Vermillion County, Illinois, however, it is not know if James and Sarah Jane knew each other in Illinois. Sarah Jane died July 26, 1905 and is also buried in the High Prairie Cemetery. We know from her Obituary “Mrs. Sarah J. Pemberton, aged seventy-six years, widow of J. W. Pemberton, died at 1:30 o’clock this morning at the family home 315 Middleton street. Mrs. Pemberton was a resident of St. Joseph for the last thirty-five years, and is survived by six children as follows: Mrs. Nancy E. Williams, Union Star, Missouri.; Mrs. J. R. Trook, Chandler, Okla.; Miss Emma Pemberton, St. Joseph; James M., Union Star, Missouri.; Thomas, Newkirk, Okla. and Sherman Pemberton, St. Joseph.”

Sarah J. was born September 7, 1848. She was probably named after her Mother and she died as an infant. She is not listed in the 1850 Census.

Nancy E. was born October 6, 1849 in Missouri. She married James Frank “Frank” Williams on December 6, 1868 in Andrew County, Missouri. He was a farmer who was born in November 1848 in Illinois. At the time of her Mother’s death in 1905 they lived in Union Star, Missouri. After Nancy died sometime between the 1900 census and the 1920 Census Frank is listed as a widower living with his daughter Minnie in Union Star three houses from Thomas and Caroline Wilkerson (my grandmother’s parents).

Nancy and Frank had two children John W. Williams born October 1878 and Minnie Williams. Minnie’s married name was Teaford and they had a son Wayne.

Martha A. was born May 8, 1852 in Missouri and died before 1938. She married Benjamin Franklin Trook and lived in Chandler, Oklahoma at the time of her Mother’s death in 1905. He was a farmer. She later moved to Lincoln County, Oklahoma where she is listed as a widow in the 1920 Census. Martha and Benjamin had seven children: Della – 1873, Emily – 1876, John F. – 1878, Rosa – 1881, Benjamin R. – 1884, and Mary – 1885. The picture to the left is of Benjamin and Martha courtesy of Joan Ortega and Linda Hammer.

Luizel M. was born on July 28, 1854 and died six years later on October 24, 1860.

Polinah J. was born November 25, 1856. In the 1870 Census her age is listed as 16 and she is living with parents and going to school. All that is know about he is that she died before her Mother in 1905 since she is not listed in the obituary.

James Monroe the oldest son was born on January 10, 1859 in Avenue City, Andrew County, Missouri and died December 31, 1936 in Billings, Montana. For more information about the James Monroe family please go to the next page.

Mary Emiline “Emma” was born March 12, 1861 and died sometime after 1936. All I know about Emma is from a newspaper article that must be from 1936. “Miss Emma Pemberton has returned from Billings, Mont., where she attended the funeral of her brother, James M. Pemberton, who died Dec. 31. Other survivors include his wife, three sons and four daughters, Charles F. of Seattle, Wash.; James G., Thomas E., Alice Pemberton and Mrs. Emma Noonan all of Billings; Mrs. Bessie Head of Cosby, Mo., and Mrs. Clara Davidson of Phoenix, Ariz. and a brother J. S. Pemberton of St. Joseph.”

Malinda Pemberton was born November 9, 1863 and died August 1, 1880 in Andrew County, Missouri. Fortunately, I have her Obituary – “At Rest – Yesterday Miss Malinda, daughter of J. W. and Sarah Pemberton, departed this life. The deceased was born on the 12th day of November, 1863, and was seventeen years of age. She was a lovely girl, just budding into sweet and beautiful womanhood; she was the pride of her parents, and was loved and admired by all for her pure and sweet temper and noble character. She leaves a father and mother, three brothers and four sisters, with many warm and dear friends to deplore her departure. the funeral will occur tomorrow (Wednesday morning at 9’oclock, from the family residence on Howard street, between Sixteen and Seventeenth.”

John Sherman was born May 16, 1866. I know nothing about John other than he was a carpenter and a tinsmith living with his Mother in St. Joseph in 1900. Since he was 36 in 1900 I doubt he ever got married. I know he died after 1938.

Thomas Pemberton, the youngest child, was born in 1869. I know nothing about Thomas other than he resided in Newkirk, Oklahoma in 1905 at the time of his Mother’s death and died before 1938