REV. JOHN M. FARIS, farmer, P. O. Anna, was born in Ohio County, Va., May 23, 1818, to William and Elizabeth (McDonald) Paris. The elder Paris was a native of the same county, born in 1793 and died in 1873. He was a farmer, a soldier of the war of 1812, and home guard of the late civil war. He was a son of John Paris, a native of Ireland, who, with his father, William Paris, came to America in 1850. John served in the Revolutionary war three years. Our subject's mother was a native of Washington County, Penn., born in 1797. She removed to Ohio County with her parents in 1812, and was married to William Faris (subject's father) in 1817, and died in 1876. She was a daughter of Archy McDonald, a native of Scotland, who came to America at the age of twelve He was seven years in the Revolutionary war as a fifer, and played at the battle of Yorktown. Subject's parents had twelve children, of whom four are now living, viz.: Margaret, wife of Richard Carter, residing in Virginia; Sarah J., wife of David Flock, residing in Atchison County, Mo.; Mary Ann, wife of Joseph E. Stewart, residing in Topeka, Kan., and John M., our subject, who was the oldest child. He was raised on the farm; taught school at fourteen years of age, and at sixteen entered the Washington (Penn.) College; graduated in 1837, and from the Western Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Allegheny City in 1840. He immediately commenced preaching at Barlow, Washington Co., Ohio. In 1844, he removed to Fredericktown, Knox Co., Ohio, and remained until 1855, when he became financial agent, raising funds for the Washington College. In January, 1858, he was called to first Church of Rockford, Ill., and held the same for five years, when he took the financial agency of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of Chicago, and resigned the same in November, 1866, when he came to Union County and engaged in farming on his present farm. He has spent fifteen or sixteen years in the church financial work with notable success. He resigned all of his positions in the spring of 1883. In 1840, at Allegheny City, he married Miss Anna E. Wallace, a native of Pennsylvania who has borne five children, two of whom are now living, viz.: William W., whose biography appears in this work, and Sarah Anna, wife of E. R. Jennette, of Anna, Ill. Mr. Faris is a man well worthy of the high esteem in which he is held by the community in which he lives; he has given up active life and is now residing on his farm, enjoying the fruits of his past labors.
Extracted 02 Apr 2017 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part V, pages 63-64.
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