"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1901. p. 298. J. D. GREER Versatile in talents and of an intensely active disposition, the man whose name appears as the caption of this article has occupied a position of leadership in many lines of human activity; industrial, military and intellectual. Possessed always of the courage of his convictions, and being a man who has decided sentiments and opinions in politics, religion and all other matters, he naturally belongs to that class of men who are generally found in the front rank among their fellows boldly contending for what they conceive to be right, molders of thought and inspirers to action. How this peculiarity of temperament has influenced the life of our subject will in some measure appear in the sequel. Mr. Greer is a native of Indiana, born October 19, 1837. He grew to manhood there, receiving a very good public school education. When he became about twenty years of age he removed to Kansas, and before he had been there long his generous nature and adventurous disposition made him an ally of the famous John Brown of Osawatomie. When the war broke cut he was one of the very first to respond to Lincoln's call, and on March 3, 1861, he enlisted for three months in Company A, Second Kansas Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the battle of Springfield or Wilson creek, and in numerous small engagements, and when his term of service had expired he re-enlisted as sergeant of Company E, Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, retaining that rank until 1864, when he was commissioned first lieutenant. In that capacity he served until the close of the war. He was in the army frontier during the entire time of his enlistments, participating in the battles of Ferry Grove, Lexington, Little Blue and Westport, all in Missouri, and in numerous smaller engagements. On September 26, 1865, he was discharged, having fought bravely and well throughout all the years of active warfare, practically from the time the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter until the last disloyal gun was silenced. His military career is certainly one of which he and his family have reason to be proud. When his services as a soldier were no longer required he returned to Kansas and engaged in farming. He was numbered among the successful tillers of the soil there until 1882, which year is the date of his advent to Whitman county. He bought a claim about two miles west of Johnson and farmed for a time, but eventually he sold out his realty and moved into the town of Johnson, where his wife is postmistress. They own the building now being used as a postoffice and the lot on which it is located, also four acres of land where their home is. Mr. Greer has given considerable time and attention to the practice of law for many years. He entered the profession in Missouri in 1872, and practiced considerably in Kansas. When he came to this county it was his intention to give his whole time to other matters, but he became interested in the Knox murder trial, and secured admission to the bar here for the express purpose of working on that case. For the past three years he has been justice of the peace at Johnson. In political matters our subject has long been an active participant, his party affiliations being with the Republicans. He was nominated on their ticket in 1892 for the office of state representative but was defeated in the election. While in Kansas he once served as deputy United States marshal, being appointed to that post in 1870. In religion, Mr. Greer is an ardent member of the Christian church, in which he has preached considerably, many times participating in debates concerning the Bible. His father also was a preacher in that denomination during the early days of its existence, though his calling was the law, and for fourteen years he was associate justice in Indiana. Mr. Greer was married in Kansas on October 26, 1865, to Miss Lorette S., daughter of John H. and Matilda Hard, and to their union four children have been born, namely, Jessie, now Mrs. R. W. Taylor, living at Tacoma; James R. and Horace E., editors of the Oro Fino Courier; and Ethel, wife of W. A. Donaldson, and living in Johnson. Mrs. Greer's father was a minister in the Congregational church, but she, like her husband, is a member of the Christian denomination. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in June 2008 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.