John Vincent Blackard, Jr. One of the most popular
officials of Sequoyah County, John Vincent Blackard, Jr., has won the
favorable opinion and regard of his fellow citizens by six years of
faithful service in the office of county clerk, a position which he
has held for two terms. His entire life has been passed in the
county, where the family to which he belongs has always been known
for its integrity and the good citizenship of its members, a
reputation that is being fully maintained by the incumbent of the
county clerk’s office.
John Vincent
Blackard, Jr.,* was born on his father’s farm in the vicinity of
Muldrow, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, September 28, 1885, and is a son
of John Vincent and Nellie (Babb) Blackard. His grandfather,
paternally descended from sturdy Scotch ancestry, was born in North
Carolina, and as a young man turned his face to the West, finally
locating in the vicinity of Clarksville, Johnson County, Arkansas.
There he was engaged in farming until the Civil war, when he enlisted
for service in the army of the Confederacy, and subsequently met a
soldier’s death on the field of battle. His son, John Vincent
Blackard, Sr.,* was born on the home farm in Johnson County, and grew
up in the vicinity of Clarksville, adopted his father’s vocation of
farmer and stock raiser, and established a home of his own when he
was united in marriage with Miss Nellie Babb, who had been born in
Tennessee and brought as a child to Arkansas. Not long after their
marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Blackard removed to what is now Sequoyah
County, Oklahoma, settling on a farm near Muldrow, where the father
engaged in farming until 1898. In that year he moved to Muldrow and
has since been engaged in the successful conduct of a general store.
He is a democrat in his political views, a substantial and
influential member of his community and a citizen who takes an active
part in civic matters. He and the mother, who also survives, are
members of the Methodist Church, and are
the parents of eleven living children.
John Vincent
Blackard, Jr., was reared on the home farm until he reached the age
of fifteen years, receiving his early training in the district
schools. In 1898 he accompanied the family to Muldrow, where he was
duly graduated from the Muldrow High School, and at that time adopted
the vocation of educator, teaching for one year in the public schools
and for a like period in the high school at Muldrow. On June 7, 1909
he became deputy county clerk of Sequoyah County, a position which he
held until January 4, 1913, when he entered upon the discharge of his
duties as county clerk, having been elected to the office in the
previous fall election. In the fall of 1914 Mr. Blackard was
reelected to succeed himself and is now serving his second term,
which expires in January, 1917. As a public official he has rendered
an acceptable service as well as a commendable one, meeting the most
sanguine hopes of his numerous friends. Six years has he stood behind
the desk in the county clerk’s office and his long experience has
made him thoroughly familiar with all the details of its duties.
Courteous in manner and accommodating in disposition, Mr. Blackard Is
deservingly a popular public official. In politics he is
a democrat, following the family
allegiance and fortunes; his fraternal connection is with the local
lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while his religious
faith is that of the Methodist Church.
Clerk Blackard was
married in 1910 to Miss Beatrice Boaz, who was born in Oklahoma, and
they have three living children, namely: Nellie Belle, and
’Willoughby and Wilson, twins.
*Transcriber Note: This is how it is in the book, however I wonder if the printer didn't reverse the “Sr.” and “Jr.”