Elijah Greenlee was the son of John Oliver and Olivia Angeline Greenlee. He was born in St.Clair County, Ill. before his family migrated to Texas County. At the age of fourteen he watched while bushwhackers murdered his father and stole the $5. gold piece that was the last of the family's money in the war-torn area of southern Missouri. He grew up quickly, caring for his mother and siblings, and marrying Nancy Coble, a neighbor girl nine years older than him. They became the parent's of eight children; Mary Angeline "Mollie" Smart Dugan; Nancy Elizabeth "Bettie" Plunk; John Franklin Greenlee; James Monroe Greenlee; Lillie Condecia "Dece" Williams Boatman; Nora Ann Greenlee; Noah Albert Greenlee and Haden Walter Greenlee. Elijah and Nancy spent their lives farming in the Texas County community of Huggins,and traveling back and forth to the Hoxie, Arkansas area to pick cotton. When son John bought a farm in the Graff area of Wright County, Elijah and Nancy moved too,selling their homestead near Huggins to purchase a farm near the current Union Chapel Church (the old Brown farm). The need for a church in the community became a concern to the Greenlee family and Elijah joined with Samuel Rankin Hutsell and John Henry Maxvill as trustees of the newly formed Union Chapel Church, whose job was to get the building built. In 1910 the church was erected on land donated by William Edward Paul and Annie Jane Hutsell Crewse. Nancy died in 1918 and Elijah hand-carved the tombstone for her grave in Union Chapel Cemetery, the land for which was donated by Nancy's brother, Levi Franklin Coble.Elijah sold his farm and lived for a time with son John and family. When his sons James, Albert and Haden migrated west to work in the oil fields and lead mines, Elijah went along. He died there, in the home of son Albert, of complications from a stroke. His body was sent back to Wright County by train and his funeral was held in the same church he helped build over twenty years before. He was buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery, between Nancy and son Haden. An arrow shaped stone and peony bush mark his grave. Elijah Greenlee was my great-great grandfather.Written and researched by Traci Crewse Bohannon
Elijah Greenlee was the son of John Oliver and Olivia Angeline Greenlee. He was born in St.Clair County, Ill. before his family migrated to Texas County. At the age of fourteen he watched while bushwhackers murdered his father and stole the $5. gold piece that was the last of the family's money in the war-torn area of southern Missouri. He grew up quickly, caring for his mother and siblings, and marrying Nancy Coble, a neighbor girl nine years older than him. They became the parent's of eight children; Mary Angeline "Mollie" Smart Dugan; Nancy Elizabeth "Bettie" Plunk; John Franklin Greenlee; James Monroe Greenlee; Lillie Condecia "Dece" Williams Boatman; Nora Ann Greenlee; Noah Albert Greenlee and Haden Walter Greenlee. Elijah and Nancy spent their lives farming in the Texas County community of Huggins,and traveling back and forth to the Hoxie, Arkansas area to pick cotton. When son John bought a farm in the Graff area of Wright County, Elijah and Nancy moved too,selling their homestead near Huggins to purchase a farm near the current Union Chapel Church (the old Brown farm). The need for a church in the community became a concern to the Greenlee family and Elijah joined with Samuel Rankin Hutsell and John Henry Maxvill as trustees of the newly formed Union Chapel Church, whose job was to get the building built. In 1910 the church was erected on land donated by William Edward Paul and Annie Jane Hutsell Crewse. Nancy died in 1918 and Elijah hand-carved the tombstone for her grave in Union Chapel Cemetery, the land for which was donated by Nancy's brother, Levi Franklin Coble.Elijah sold his farm and lived for a time with son John and family. When his sons James, Albert and Haden migrated west to work in the oil fields and lead mines, Elijah went along. He died there, in the home of son Albert, of complications from a stroke. His body was sent back to Wright County by train and his funeral was held in the same church he helped build over twenty years before. He was buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery, between Nancy and son Haden. An arrow shaped stone and peony bush mark his grave. Elijah Greenlee was my great-great grandfather.Written and researched by Traci Crewse Bohannon
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