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Family Gathering Celebrating 75th 
Birthday of  John S. Davis

~~ADDITIONAL INFORMATION~~
(provided by Robert Davis)

     John Samuel Davis was born in Bismarck, St. Francois County, Missouri on May 27, 1846.  He was united in marriage to Artemissia Menessa Cunningham in January of 1870.  John S. Davis died March 31, 1931, in Sedalia, Missouri, of bronchial pneumonia, at 84 years of age.  He is buried in Bonne Terre City Cemetery.  His occupation was farmer.  The 1880 Productions of Agriculture Census, the first and only one in which he appears, showed that he owned 85 acres of land.  Artemissia (also called "Arte") was born November 11, 1847, and died September 29, 1907, in St. Francois County, at 59 years of age. Cause of death listed as epilepsy.   She is buried in Mitchell Cemetery near Leadwood, Missouri.   It should be noted that the John S. Davis Family Bible contains the date of birth used above and her tombstone reflects the date October 27, 1847.  Artemissia was daughter of James and Ann (Robinson) Cunningham.  After the death of Artemissia, John S. Davis (aged 64) married Mary Orpha Shelley (aged 24) on May 14, 1911, in St. Francois County, Missouri, daughter of Edmond Shelley and Ida (Jones) Shelley.  Mary was born September 19, 1886, in St. Francois County, Missouri, and died June 25, 1938, in Desloge, Missouri, at 51 years of age.  She is buried at Parkview Cemetery near Farmington, Missouri.    John and Mary lived with her parents as John, then 64 years old, was too old to work.  Later court records show that Mary divorced John.  She would never remarry. After divorce, John went to live at the home of his daughter, Cora, where he remained until the day he died.   John and Artemissia had nine children, namely:  Cora Alice, Laura Belle, Ava Florence, James Albert, Mary Emiline, Edward Calvin, John Paul, Carrie May, and Charles Furman.  John and Mary had two children, namely:  Clyde Shelley Davis (died at birth and buried in Richardson Cemetery) and Mae Catherine Davis, who remained with her mother after the divorce.  It should be noted that the Bonne Terre City Cemetery records show John's date of birth as May 21, 1841; the World Family Tree records indicate that his date of birth was April 27, 1846, and his family Bible and obituary indicate that this date of birth was May 27, 1846.  The family Bible records are most likely correct and that date will be used herein.