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The subject of this sketch was a native of Scott county; the son of George W. and Jane (Shelton) Clark, and was born March 22, 1835. the history of his early life will be found in the biography of his father, and it is needless to again repeat it. In 1854, November 19, he was married to Miss Malinda Jane Williams and to them eight children were born. Two died in infancy and the six remaining are: Ella D. Clark, Mrs. Emma J. Cowper, Francis A. Clark, Jr., Edward S. Clark, W. Bert Clark and Mrs. Margaret M. Martin. Mrs. Clark died January 21, 1883.

April 8, 1885, Mr. Clark was untied in marriage with Mrs. Nancy Jane Robinson of Merritt, Illinois. Of this union no children were born.

Francis A. Clark was a member of Company D, 129th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, during the civil war. He joined the regiment at Pontiac and served three years. After he was mustered out of the service he returned to Winchester and formed a partnership with his brother, Wm. H. Clark, and engaged in the manufacture of farm implements, buggies and wagons. This business continued until 1886. He lived two years in Missouri and two years in Nebraska, and with the exception of his service for his country the balance of his life was spent in Scott county.

He died at his home, one and a half miles west of Merritt, March 17, 1900, aged sixty-four years, eleven months and twenty-three days. He was a member of the Methodist church and the least that can be said of him is that he was a good man.