The James W. Counts Family

    James W. Counts was born February 9, 1828, at Bean's Station, Grainger County, Tennessee; the seventh child of Nicholas and Martha Hammers Counts.  He spent his early childhood in Grainger County but the family moved to Randolph County, Illinois about 1834. 
   
     In 1841, James' father died, and Martha moved her family across the river to Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri; presumably to be nearer her sister Ruth and her husband Aaron Counts.  Aaron was also Nicholas' older brother.   On May 27, 1847, James married Lydia Jane Daniel, daughter of James Daniel and his first wife Martha.  James and Lydia made their home on a farm near Avon, in southwestern Ste. Genevieve County.  They were the parents of seven children:  Jesse B., Nicholas Lyde, James Ellis, Harriet Jane, John Houston, Louisa and Charles. 
   
    Lydia died sometime before 1870, her final resting place is unknown.  James remarried some time later to Harriet Miller, who outlived James and moved to California in her later years.
            

Elder James W. Counts

Lydia Jane Daniel Counts

    James farmed throughout his entire life, but made occasional attempts at other occupations.  At some point he opened a store in the St. Francois County community of Doe Run.  He closed it in the spring of 1872.  In a letter dated April 26, 1872, to Lydia's sister, Margaret; James tells of closing out the store and starting to learn the photography business.  At some point James was ordained as a minister in the Baptist Church.  He served congregations at Pleasant Hill, New Tennessee, Rock Creek, Knob Lick, and Colony, all in the Bethal Association of United Baptist Churches located in Ste Genevieve or St. Francois County.  James W. Counts died on May 22, 1883 at his home near Avon.  He was buried in the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. 

      The record of the following meeting of the Bethal Association was taken the "Saturday before the fourth Lords Day in March AD 1884."  The meeting was called to order and then led in prayer by Elder Benjamin Bradford Womack.  Visiting brothers and sisters were invited to a seat and Peace of the Church was called for. All in Peace,  The motion was raised to raise money for the erection of a headstone at the grave of our "deceased brother Rev. James W. Counts and for the inscription to be engraved there on we offer this as a tribute of respect to the deceased and a testimony of our high appreciation of his services as a minister of the gospel and his unspotted character as a man members of" Pleasant Hill Church, New Tennesse Church, Rock Creek Church, Knob Lick Church and Colony Church.