THOMAS C. WADE. This wide-awake, energetic and capable county official is a native of Lawrence County, Missouri, where he was born September 26, 1853, his parents, Joseph and Nancy (Sivley) Wade, having been born in Kentucky March 4, 1814, and Lawrence County, Ala., April 11, 1816, respectively. The paternal grandfather, William Wade, was also a Kentuckian. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and was also with Gen. Jackson at New Orleans. He was an early emigrant to Texas, where he died soon after the close of the Civil War. The early days of Joseph Wade were spent in his native State, but he was married and lived in Alabama for a few years. In 1852 he removed to Missouri and settled in Lawrence County; thence to Carroll County, Arkansas, and a few years later took up his residence in Webster County, Missouri, finally settling in Greene County, fourteen miles west of Springfield, on Grand Prairie. His last move was to Christian County, where he died January 19, 1888. He made farming his life occupation, at which he secured a competency, for he was industrious and thrifty in all his ways, and he became well known and highly respected throughout southwest Missouri. Politically he was a Republican, socially a member of the A. F. & A. M., and in religion was a Methodist, of which church he was long a member. Mrs. Wade was a daughter of one of the early pioneers of Alabama, and was called from life on the 26th of March, 1883, at which time she was an earnest and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She bore her husband nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity: William L., who died at Rolla, Missouri, in 1861, was a soldier of the Union Army and left a family; James, who is farming in the vicinity of Berryville, Arkansas, was also a soldier; John P. is a resident of Christian County, a man of family, and was a soldier in the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry; Joseph R. also resides on a farm in Christian County, has a family, and was a soldier in the Eighth Missouri Cavalry; Elsie J. is the wife of John Choate, of Christian County; Margaret became the wife of M. Choate, and died leaving a family; Thomas C.; Washington M. is living at Forsyth, Taney County, Missouri, is cashier of the Taney County Bank, is married and has a family.
The boyhood days of Thomas C. Wade were spent in Christian and Greene Counties, but he unfortunately received limited educational advantages. He obtained a thorough and practical knowledge of farming, but upon starting out in life for himself he began selling goods at Ponce de Leon, Missouri, where he remained for three years. He then began farming in Stone County, on Crane Creek, an occupation he followed three years, being then elected, in 1892, to the office of county sheriff. He was elected to this position on the Republican ticket, of which he has always been an enthusiastic supporter, and also filled the position of justice of the peace of Union Township for two years. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. Lodge No. 515, of Galena, is well informed on all the general topics of the day, and as a business man he has been successful, being the owner of valuable property in Galena. In 1882 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Henry, who was born in Webster County, Missouri, May 5, 1863, and to their union the following children have been given: Washington M., born May 9, 1883; Frederick O., born June 19, 1885; Cassie, born October 19, 1888; and Nancy A., born June 30, 1891. Mrs. Wade is the daughter of Joseph and Martha Henry, who are living in the northwest part of Stone County, engaged in farming. Sixteen children were given to this worthy couple, eleven of whom are living: Sarah J., wife of George Blades; Susan L., wife of Stephen Carr; Elizabeth (Mrs. Wade); Joseph; Elvina (Williams); Frances, wife of E. Lee; Isaac, Alexander, William, Charlott and Rachel.
