Joseph Musson was born in New York on March 15, 1832, the son of Richard Musson and Rebecca Thornton, both originally from England.  By 1836 the Mussons had migrated west to Morgan County, Illinois, at which time Richard purchased land in McDonough County, Illinois.  The Mussons moved onto their land and in 1840 were counted in McDonough County in proximity to the household of Absalom Parker and his wife, Anna Barbara Woods, both from Ohio.

Absalom and Anna Barbara's daughter, Margaret, was born April 11, 1839, according to the inscription on her tombstone.  The 1840 census included one daughter born between 1836-1840, and Margaret's brother, Solomon Parker, but apparently missed one of her elder sisters, either Salina or Perilla Jane, and perhaps a fifth child.  In 1850 Margaret was shown at age 12, as was another daughter, Martha; other sources report a son named Milton, whose name appears in no census records.    Anna Barbara Parker passed away and Absalom subsequently married Mary Ann "Polly" Jenkins.

McDonough County marriage license #858 was issued on May 4, 1857, to Joseph Musson and Miss Margaret Parker.  They were married on the 7th by Samuel A. Knott, J. P. Marriage License

They started out farming in McDonough County but in the late 1860s moved to Missouri, and, like numerous Illinois transplants, ended up in Adair County where they spent the rest of their lives. Eventually there were so many Adair County residents who had previously lived in either McDonough or Hancock County, Illinois, that, if it weren't for those loved ones whom they might never have seen again, it might have seemed like they had hardly left Illinois behind.

Joseph died February 23, 1899.  Margaret died August 1, 1911, at Kirksville, Adair County.  They are both buried at Bethel Cemetery near Kirksville.

Joseph and Margaret had six children, one who did not survive childhood.  Those born in Illinois were probably all born in McDonough County.  Their children were:

i.	Anna Musson, born about 1858 in Illinois.  She died after April 15, 1910.
ii.	Amanda Jane Musson, born about 1860 in Illinois, died between April 15, 1910 and January 1, 1920, probably in Nebraska.
iii.	Ida Sarah Musson, born June 27, 1866, in McDonough County.  Her death certificate states she was born at Colchester, but near Colchester would probably be more accurate.  She died September 18, 1950, at Kirksville, burial at Bethel Cemetery.  Ida married William C. R. Winslow (1861-1928) on December 24, 1884.
iv.	Cora O. Musson, born September 19, 1867, in Adair County.  She died July 7, 1950, in rural Clay Township, Adair County, burial at Bethel Cemetery.
v.	Mary Laura Musson, born March 15, 1871, in Missouri.  In both 1920 and 1930 Mary was boarding in homes in Kirksville.  In 1920 she was an unemployed bookkeeper.  In 1930 she was working as a stenographer in a doctor's office.  She died November 6, 1949, in Los Angeles County, California.
vi.	Unknown child, born and died before June 1, 1900.

Household of Richard Musson
Males 0 thru 4 - 1
Males 5 thru 9 - 1
Males 30 thru 39 - 1
Females 20 thru 29 - 1
Total - 4
Persons employed in agriculture - 1

Household of Absolum Parker
Males 5 thru 9 - 1
Males 30 thru 39 - 1
Females 0 thru 4 - 1
Females 5 thru 9 - 1
Females 30 thru 39 - 1
Total - 5
Persons employed in ______ - [no entry]

Richard Mason, 40, male, farmer, value of real estate 800, born England
Rebeca, 39, female, born England
Joseph, 18, male, farmer, born NY
William, 14, male, born IL
Mary, 9, female, born IL
Ann T [or Ann S], 7, female, born IL
Anson M, 5, male, born IL
Henry A, 3, male, born IL

Abslom Parker, 39, male, farmer, value of real estate 600, born OH
Polly Ann, 23, female, born IL
Salina, 16, female, born OH
Polly, 14, female, born OH
Maragrett, 12, female, born IL
Martha, 12, female, born IL
Mariah, 7, female, born IL
Henry, 5, male, born IL
Davd, 1, male, born IL

Joseph Mussen, 28, male, farmer, value of personal estate 150, born NY
Margant, 21, female, born IL
Anna, 1, female, born IL

Musson, Joseph, 38, male, white, farmer, born NY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Margaret, 31, female, white, keeping house, born IL
Anna, 11, female, white, at school, born IL, attended school within the year, could read but not write
Amanda J, 9, female, white, at school, born IL, attended school within the year, could read but not write
Ida S, 4, female, white, born IL
Cora O, 2, female, white, born MO

Musson, Joseph, white, male, 49, married, farmer, born NY, both parents born Eng
Margret, white, female, 41, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents born OH
Ioda, white, female, 13, daughter, single, without occupation, attended school within the year, born IL, both parents born OH
Cora, white, female, 12, daughter, single, without occupation, attended school within the year, born MO, both parents born OH
Mary, white, female, 9, daughter, single, at school, attended school within the year, born MO, both parents born OH

Musson, Margaret, head, white, female, Apr 1839, 61, widow; mother of 6 children, 5 living; born IL, both parents born OH, could read, write and speak English, [no entry to indicate whether owned or rented her home]

Mary [initial obscured], daughter, white, female, Mar 1871, 29, single, born MO, father born NY, mother born IL, clerk, grocer, could read, write and speak English

Musson, Margaret, head, female, white, 71, widow; mother of 6 children, 5 living; born IL, both parents born OH, spoke English, could read and write, owned her home free of mortgage

Mary L, daughter, female, white, 39, single, born MO, father born NY, mother born IL, spoke English, bookkeeper, wholesale grocer, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Rice, Lura D, boarder, female, white, 23, single, born MO, both parents born MO, spoke English, teacher, rural school, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909