ALEXANDER CEMETERY

Located behind Parkland Hospital, formerly known as Farmington Community Hospital, 1101 Liberty Street, Farmington, Missouri

(Last Visited Oct. 25, 2003)

     One of the men chosen to select the seat of permanent government for the county of St. Francois was William Alexander.   Alexander was born in Lincoln county, N.C.  His parents were English and had come to America previous to William's birth.

     William Alexander was a farmer and believing that the new Missouri country offered opportunity to a young man, came to Jefferson county in 1817 with his sons.  After four years of struggle in Jefferson county he removed himself to what was to be St. Francois county and in 1821 took up a large tract of land consisting of seven hundred acres of fine land just north of what was later to be the town of Farmington.  Before coming to Missouri, William Alexander had been married to Miss Elizabeth Fish.  There were five daughters and three sons.   Two of the sons we will speak of later.

     William Alexander's only venture into the affairs of the county was his part in selecting the place for the county government and he lived his life on the farm, developing it into a very fine one.  He died during the period 1835-40.

CORBIN ALEXANDER

     Corbin Alexander,  the oldest son of William, was born in Lincoln county, N.C., and with his brother, Lawson, came with his father to the Missouri country.  Corbin was born in 1798.  Farm life was alright with Corbin Alexander but in 1826 he ran for Sheriff of the county and was elected.   He served during his terms of 1827-28.  In 1829 he ran for a place in the State Legislature and was elected to this office and was re-elected, serving continuously from 1830 until 1836.  He served after this for a while as deputy clerk in the circuit court but again in 1853 he felt the urge to go back to Jefferson City and was again elected to the Legislature and served from 1854 to 1856.

     About 1835 Corbin Alexander was married to Lucy, daughter of Henry and Nancy (Smith) Hunt.  This young lady had been born in Kentucky and came to Missouri with her father in 1824.  Corbin Alexander died in 1865 leaving four children.

JOHN C. ALEXANDER      

     John Corbin Alexander was born on January 31, 1850 at the Alexander home near Farmington and was educated in the schools of the town.  He attended St. Louis University for three terms and later took a course in the old Jones Business College.  Like his father, Corbin, he was interested in politics.  In 1878 he ran for Circuit Clerk and Recorder and was elected several times, serving from 1879 to 1899.  On March 9th, 1871 he was married to Miss G. L. Vance and to them were born five children, four of whom are alive today [1937].  Two of them live in Farmington.

     John Corbin Alexander lived to the ripe age of nearly eighty-six years and passed away in Farmington on Dec. 3, 1935. [Note: John C. Alexander is listed in the St. Francois County Cemeteries book, Vol 2,  as being buried at the Knights of Pythias Cemetery of Farmington.  His tombstone gives date of death as December 5, 1935. Click HERE to view obit of his wife, Garrie (Vance) Alexander.    Click HERE to view biographical sketch on John Corbin Alexander which was published in Goodspeed's in 1888.

LAWSON ALEXANDER    

     Lawson Alexander, second son of William Alexander was born during the year 1800, also in Lincoln County, N.C., and came to Missouri with his father.  The Alexander family are a long-lived race for Lawson lived until January 11, 1889.

     In 1825 he married Polly McCormack, daughter of Peter McCormack who had come to America during the Revolutionary War and had settled early in Jefferson Co.  Polly was born in that county.  Lawson Alexander didn't run true to form for we have no record of his taking any part in politics but made farming his life work and finally retired to his substantial home in the outskirts of Farmington where he died as stated above.  He left five children, some of whom are still citizens of the county.  How pleasant it would be if all families grew up to give such a good account of themselves both in public and private life as have the members of the Alexander family.  [Note:  The gravestone next to Lawson's is inscribed Mary Alexander.  In early days, "Polly" was a common nickname for Mary.   Their graves were located on what later became the Wal-Mart parking lot in Farmington.  Recently, to make way for a new restaurant, these two graves were moved to Parkview Cemetery.  Click HERE to view photos of their tombstones.]