Posted on: Bates County Biographies Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mo/BatesBios?read=7 Surname: SEARS, WALKER, REEDER, PREGMORE, BROWN, SALMON, WALTON, GILBREATH, WALLS, EVANS ------------------------- Mr George Sears is well known as one of the prominent and substantial citizens of Shawnee Township. He was brought to Bates County when a small child, and from him we obtained the following account: James B SEARS was a native of Kentucky. His wife's maiden name was Jane WALKER. Dates of births and marriages were lost during the [civil] war. They emigrated first to Indiana, thence to Saline County, Missouri, and in the fall of 1840 to Bates County, and took a claim in what is now section 33, of Grand River Township. They brought eleven children to this county with them, and all lived to adulthood. Mr Sears entered land at different times until he had a thousand acres, two or three hundred of which he put into cultivation. His second son, Frank, emigrated to California in 1844, and still lives there. The oldest son, John went there in 1848 and died in the mines in 1849. Mr Sears sold all his land, and fitted with teams, wagons, etc., proceeded to cross the plains to California, in 1849. After traveling about 400 miles he took the cholera and died. Mrs Sears, George, Sarah, and Minerva, returned to Bates County, and settled where George now lives, in section 11, of Shawnee Township. George SEARS and Mrs Joe REEDER are the only two of the eleven children that are now living in this county. George favored the south during the war, and proved his devotion by four years of service in the Confederate army. Old Mrs Sears died in 1877. One son, Elias, died in 1876. Mary was the wife of Daniel PREGMORE; she died in this county leaving eleven children. Nancy is Mrs William BROWN, of California; Sarah is Mrs SALMON, of Henry County; Minerva is Mrs WALTON, of Vernon County; and Jane is Mrs Joe REEDER, of Henry County. George Sears remembers that when a boy he attended the wedding of William GILBREATH and Widow WALLS [see biography of Elisha EVANS]. Bees gathered at the reception dinner table in such numbers that the guests were driven off and had to leave.