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Biographical sketch of JOHN MOODY from the book entitled, "Biographical Memoirs of Saint Clair County, Michigan," published in 1903 by B. F. Bowen Publishers in Indiana.
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JOHN MOODY
If farming in various parts of the habitable globe, in divers (sic) climates and under different conditions for a period covering the greater part of a century, can make a man a thorough farmer, certainly Thomas Moody, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a thorough farmer. He began his career as an agriculturist in Ireland, where every foot of soil is so valuable that it must be utilized and made to produce to its utmost capacity in order to meet the exactions of a rapacious landlord and afford the tenant a scant subsistence. From there he went to Canada with his three Irish-born children, Henry, William and Mary, and there conducted farming at different times in three or four different counties, eventually locating in Manitoba on a farm, where he and his wife both died, he at the age of ninety-six years. Such an experience, embraced in the span of a single existence, is certainly sufficiently varied to make such a person a thorough authority on farming. To Mr. and Mrs. Moody, while they were in Canada and Manitoba, nine other children were born, George, Elizabeth, Edward, Thomas, Joseph, Sarah Jane, Catherine E., Emily M. and Mary. All grew to maturity, married, prospered and became parents of interesting families. The parents were members of the Wesleyan Methodist church.
John Moody, now a resident of Emmett township, St. Clair county, Michigan, resided with his parents and worked on the farm until 1867, when he was twenty-six years of age. Equipped with a good education, a robust constitution and vigorous health, he started out to make his own way in the world. He worked for people who had work to do and money to pay for it, operated a threshing machine a season or two, rented land a farmed it for some time, and then made up his mind it was about time for him to prepare a home of his own. He was united in marriage to Miss Maria J. Harris, daughter of Henry W. and Mary Harris, of Bedford township, Ontario. Mr. Harris was a prosperous farmer and a man of means and influence. In 1872 Mr. and Mrs. Moody moved to St. Clair county, rented a farm in Brockaway township, which they cultivated for three years, when they purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in Emmett township, the land being then a dense forest, wholly unimproved. A comfortable home was erected and within a few years eighty acres were cleared, all being now under a high state of cultivation, and forty acres in pasture and timber.
Having no children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Moody adopted a daughter, Frances A. Ranker, who was reared and educated by them as if she were their own child. She grew to womanhood, married Marshall E. Cope, an industrious farmer of Emmett township, and died in April 1902, leaving three children. A boy named Porter H. Harris was also taken by Mr. and Mrs. Moody when he was nine years old and reared and educated until he was seventeen.
Mr. Moody is an educated, progressive farmer, conducting the work on scientific principles and profiting by all the latest discoveries and inventions. He believes in marketing as little of the crops raised as possible in the condition they are taken from the soil, turning corn or other grain into hogs or cattle. His harvests are nearly always abundant and the returns from his stock marketed almost invariably show a gratifying profit. He keeps a good grade of Durham cattle, farm horses, sheep and Berkshire hogs. He has also a number of fine Ohio Imported Chester hogs, some of them pedigreed. In all things in which he believes or is interested Mr. Moody is active. In politics he is a Prohibitionist and active in the faith. He is also a firm believer and deeply interested in all church and charitable work, he and his wife being liberal contributors to every worthy object.
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PLEASE NOTE: I do not have any personal interest in researching the MOODY surname or the St. Clair county, Michigan location. I am merely posting a select number of the biographical sketches found in the above-referenced book *upon specific written request* as a service to the genealogical community. Therefore, please do not contact me with regard to research interests in the above. Thank you.
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