Clement J. Fenwick, one of the old and respected farmers of Perry County, Mo., is a native of the county, born in 1825. He is a son of George W. and Margaret (Hayden) Fenwick, natives of Maryland and Kentucky, respectively. The parents were married in Missouri, and reared ten children, of whom Clement J. was the fourth.

He grew to manhood at the home of his parents and when the Mexican War broke out and troops were called, enlisted in Company I, Third Regiment of Missouri Volunteers under Capt. John H. Haley, and served during the war, participating in the memorable battle of Santa Cruz. After his return home he married Cecelia Candace Moore, by whom he is the father of twelve children, all of whom are married with the exception of one daughter and one son, Eveline and George Louis, who at home with their parents.

During the Civil War, Mr. Fenwick served in the Union army. He first enlisted in the Fourth Missouri Cavalry, and was commissioned captain of Company B, and upon being discharged at the expiration of his first term of enlistment, he re-enlisted, joining Company B, Sixty-fourth Missouri State Militia, with which he served until the close of the war.

Mr. Fenwick is the owner of 300 acres of land and enjoys the comforts of a good home. His children have all been well reared and educated, and all are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Fenwick is a pensioner of the Mexican War, and as his gray hair testifies, has passed nearly his three score and ten years, doing his part bravely as a citizen and soldier.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.