John Willis Pendleton was born near Hopkinsville, Kentucky to William Monroe Pendleton and Nancy Anney Dunning-Pendleton. He was only about four years old when his parents left Kentucky and moved to Lawrence County, Missouri.

John was in the Civil War, Company B, 7 Prov. Regiment "Home Guard" Enrolled Missouri Militia, Enlisted May 18, 1861 at the Elm Branch, Missouri - Captain Burrow. Served with the 76th Regiment,Company A, under Captain Roper and was serving Aug 12, 1862 under General Brown's Troops. John was relieved from duty Mar 31, 1863 by General Holland.

He served 203 days of actual service. John was ordered back into service on Apr 30, 1864 and relieved from duty on Nov 15, 1864, with a total of 250 days of service and received a pension for his services.

John was five feet, eight inches tall, had dark complexion, dark hair and blue eyes. He was a farmer.

Matilda Cisire Burrow daughter of Joshua Burrow and Martha Neusum was born Jan 22, 1844 in Tennessee and married John on Nov 1, 1863, Lawrence County, Missouri.

Matilda, John's first wife, was struck by lighting when she was in her sixth month of pregnancy with their ninth child on July 29, 1883. The baby boy was stillborn and Matilda died seventeen days later.

John had a total of 15 children - 14 reached adulthood.

John and Matilda's children:
1. Mary Corelia Pendleton-Mosher B Sept 25, 1864 - D 1932
2. Wiley Green Pendleton B Aug 29, 1866 - D 1944
3. Doctin Hewey Pendleton B Sept 22, 1868 - D July 16, 1957
4. John William Pendleton B Jun 7, 1871 - D Dec 15, 1959
5. Alex C Pendleton B Mar 26, 1874 - D Aug 13, 1885
6. Fannie Cisire Pendleton-Cavener-Cantrell B Feb 25, 1876 - D Nov 20, 1957
7. Nathan Jackson Pendleton B Oct 3, 1878 - D Dec 1955
8. James Gailey Pendleton B June 25, 1881 - D 1929
9. Infant Pendleton B/D 1883 - buried at Dover Baptist Church Cemetery.

John and Mary's Children:
1. George Thurstone Pendleton B Jan 7, 1885 - D May 24, 1950
2. Charles Alfred Pendleton B July 24, 1885 - D Oct 16, 1966
3. Nancy Anna Pendleton B Aug 27, 1891 - D Jun 25, 1962
4. Jerry Hiram Vivian Pendleton B Jan 19, 1895 - D Sept 16, 1935
5. Sarah Lydia Isabel Pendleton-Green B Oct 3, 1897 - D May 1, 1963
6. Henry Able Pendleton B Mar 26, 1902 - D June 8, 1945

John married second on Feb 28, 1884, Lawrence County, Missouri to Mary Conant, daughter of John Calvin Conant and Aurelia Comstock-Conant.

Mary Contant was born Nov 14, 1861 at Geneva, Kansas and died Dec 4, 1912 in Missouri. She is buried at the Dover Baptist Church Cemetery in Lawrence County, Missouri, West of McKinley.

John Willis Pendleton was the father of fourteen living children. He and Matilda had eight living and he and his second wife, Mary, had six. All of them were born and raised in Lawrence County, Missouri.

John Willis surived Mary, also, and when he died he was laid to rest between his two wives.

John owned eighty acres of land in Lawrence County (Township 27, Range 25, Section 11).