"In 1863 (the exact date unknown) John Randall, his brother Terry and a neighbor Reuben Hargrave were forcibly taken from their homes by a band of marauders and carried several miles south of Blackwater Township where they were living and all three were murdered. They were known to be Republicans. One can speculate that they held anti-slavery views in a state divided by both Union and Confederate sympathizers. The identity of the assailants or further circumstances surrounding the deaths of John and his brother Terry is not known nor is the whereabouts of their final resting place known although, it is highly probable that both may be buried in an unmarked gravesite near the scene of the tragic incident." (Ila Watts, dated 1984)
I found what I thought was John's grave in Dunksburg, but now I wonder if that little monument (which was modern) was erected for him without his grave being there. Could it be that he is not really buried there? But if a historical society was going to put up a monument for John, why not one for Terry as well? This makes me think that Terry and Rueben Hargrove might have gravestones somewhere.
Mrs. Watts went on to say:
"John's widow Nancy and his children all received shares of his estate and Peter Randall, his younger brother, was appointed legal male guardian of the five minor children by the court."
I've done some research on Peter Randal, and I've learned that he moved to Bates County in 1869, and that he lived until 1909. I sent a research request to the Missouri Historical Society to see if they could find an obituary for him. Sometimes those old obituaries have some great information. It could mention his brothers John and Terry.
Even though Peter was appointed guardian of John's children, I know that he did not raise them. I believe that they were split up among other relatives. Permelia, Mary and Sarah all lived with different Bobbitts (Nancy's siblings) and Johnnie lived with Capt. Clifton Bondurant from the time he was 4 until he died at 17. I don't know who raised John's son George.
Ila Watts told me I could write her back with any questions, though she also warned me that she is old that she does not remember things very well anymore.