MONROE SHOFNER was born in Tennessee September 16, 1833. son of Austin and Rebecca (Cook) Shofner, natives of North Carolina, born August 16, 1801, and April 21, 1798, respectively. The father was brought to Tennessee in 1807, and in 1818 married our subject’s mother and became the father of eight children: Plummer W., Mitchell D., (killed in the battle of Chickamauga), Henderson, Catherine (deceased), John (deceased), Martin (deceased), Monroe, Purline and Isom (deceased). Our subject’s father was reared on a farm and followed farming and stock trading, accumulating considerable wealth. He operated a distillery for about six years, and was well known throughout the county as a dealer in fine horses. He died October 18, 1852, and his wife October 10, 1875.
Monroe spent the life of a farmer’s boy and is now residing on the farm settled by his grandfather, Martin Shofner, which consists of 200 acres. In 1863 he entered the Confederate service, and remained one year. He followed pedagoging sixteen years, but discontinued that in 1878. Mr. Shofner takes much interest in laudable public enterprises, and gives them his support and patronage. He believes in Republican principles and he is a devout supporter of temperance, and has on divers occasions delivered temperance lectures.
Transcribed by Kathryn Hopkins
Goodspeed Publishing Co. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Reminescences [Sic], Observations, Etc., Etc. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1988.