"A HISTORY OF THE DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN KENTUCKY, 1844-1943" by Wendell H. Rone. Probably published in 1944 by Messenger Job Printing Co., Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky, pp. 298-299. Used by permission. [McLean] JAMES JEFFERSON CLOAR, A.M., Th.M., D.D.: This very useful minister of the Gospel was the son of Thomas Calvin and Lousindy Glover Cloar and was born in Clayton, Tennessee, about the year 1870. He was the youngest child in a family of five. His mother died when he was two years old but a bereaved father gave every afforded opportunity to him. As a result he was able to secure a good common school education. Brother Cloar was converted at an early age and was baptized into the fellowship of the Reelfoot Baptist Church in his native state. This same church licensed him to preach in 1896, at the age of 16. We next note him in Kentucky where he was ordained to the ministry by the Green River Church in McLean County, Kentucky, in November, 1897. The following year he received the B.A. Degree from Bethel College in Russellville, Kentucky. In the year 1900 he received the Th.M. Degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. At still a later date in his ministry the Degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by some institution the name of which we have been unable to learn. His determination to secure an education is seen in the fact that during the summer vacations he came home from school and sold books, cut wheat, and farmed, to help pay his way through school. His ability was pronounced from the very first and it was not long until he was recognized as one of the leading preachers in this section of the State. He was immediately called to the care of the Green River Church after his ordination and continued to serve this Church until the latter part of the year 1898. He served the Zion Baptist Church, Daviess County, from April, 1898, to December, 1900. Both of the above Churches have since become extinct. He also served the following Churches in this Association - Macedonia, 1899-1901; Bethabara, 1905-1907, Glenville, 1900-1905; Buck Creek, 1902-1903; and Sorgho, 1904-1909. For some time he served as associate pastor of the Third Baptist Church in charge of the Seven Hills Mission, which later became a Church. In about the year 1910 he left the Daviess County Association for a pastorate elsewhere. From then on until his untimely death he served the First Church of Gainesville, Florida; The Baptist Tabernacle at 26th and Market Streets in Louisville, Kentucky; and the First Church in Texarkana, Texas. While serving as pastor of the last mentioned Church he attended the Baptist World Alliance in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1923. While there he was taken suddenly ill and died in a short time. His body was returned to Owensboro, Kentucky, where he was buried, on August 8, 1923. His death took place some time previous to this. Sometime near the year 1900 he was married to Miss Martha Ellen Barnett of Owensboro, Kentucky. To this union one son was born, Leo Cloar, whose home at present is in Middlesboro, Kentucky (1942). His widow is still living in Florida. Jack Cloar, as he was familiarly known, was recognized as a strong and useful man in his day. His success in revival meetings was indeed pronounced. He preached the Annual Sermon before the Association in 1904. Cloar Glover Barnett = TN Russelville-Logan Louisville-Jefferson Daviess FL TX Sweden Middlesboro-Bell http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/mclean/cloar.jj.txt