USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 48
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 48
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 48
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Always a strictly religious woman, she was a member of the Lutheran church since she was sixteen years of age, having been one of the first to enter the St. James Lutheran church in Claremont township. Her com- munion class which numbered twenty-two communed in the old log church many, many years ago. Her companions of the class are now all dead with the exception of two: Michael Eyer and Chris. B. Balmer.
For years Catherine Boatman's home life was happy; quiet and peaceful-a fitting close to a useful life. Her name is a household word in Richland county, with whose history it has been closely entwined from the earliest years.
H. S. McBRIDE.
In enlisting men of enterprise and integ- rity in furthering its general business ac- tivities, is mainly due the precedence and prosperity enjoyed by Marion county, and the firm of which the gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph is a member,
H. S. McBride was born in Decatur, Il- linois, September 5, 1869, the son of Dr. Alexander and Mary E. (Jones) McBride, the father of the subject having been born in Ross county, Ohio, June 21, 1821. His wife was born in Urbana, Ohio, April 18, 1835, and they were married in the Buckeye state and came to Illinois in 1866, locating in Decatur. They became the parents of three children, two of whom are living, H. S., our subject, and Frank A., who was born in 1875 in Decatur.
The subject of this sketch began his edu- cation at Decatur, where he attended school for two years. He was then sent to Car- thage, Missouri, remaining in school there until 1887, where he made an excellent rec- ord, and after completing his education, he returned to Decatur and worked as a drug clerk for one year in the employ of A. J. Stoner. He then went to St. Louis and worked for the P. G. Alexander Drug Com- pany for two years and while there took a course in pharmacy in the St. Louis School of Pharmacy. From there he went to Webb City, Missouri, to work for the McClelland Drug Company in whose employ he re- mained for about two years, when he moved to Mattoon, Illinois, remaining there until 1898, clerking for the Killner Drug Com- pany. He gave entire satisfaction in all these positions owing to the fact that he had
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an intimate knowledge of drugs and was courteous to customers.
Our subject was one of the patriotic cit- izens of the great Sucker state, who felt it his duty to assist the cause of humanity when Cuba was being oppressed by the tyr- rany of Spain, and when the Spanish-Amer- ican war broke out he enlisted in Company A, Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, un- der Capt. Joseph P. Barricklom and re- mained in service until the close of the war, having been mustered out of service at Au- gusta, Georgia. He served at Springfield, Illinois, as first sergeant and was promoted to second lieutenant at Camp Cuba Libre, Jacksonville, Florida, September, 1898.
In 1900 Mr. McBride moved to Centralia and clerked for Will J. Blythe for two years, then for L. H. Reed for four years. He then opened the Red Cross Pharmacy at 204 East Broadway, an incorporated in- stitution under the state laws of Illinois, the company consisting of C. D. Tufts, presi- dent; C. E. McMahon, vice-president ; H. S. McBride, secretary and manager; F. Pullen, treasurer. The room occupied is twenty- four by one hundred feet. It is large, airy and commodious. A general wholesale and retail drug business is carried on among physicians and surgeons, covering a radius of forty miles. The house carries a large, complete and carefully selected stock, and the fixtures and equipment are modern, well arranged and up-to-date in every particular, and a very liberal trade is enjoyed.
H. S. McBride was united in marriage with Ida A. Mattock on September 8, 1895.
She war reared at Mattoon, Illinois, and is the daughter of W. D. and Temperance (Hackett) Mattock. Four interesting chil- dren constituted the Mattock family, three girls and one boy, Ida A, being the oldest.
Mr. McBride is recognized as a first class pharmacist by all who have had occasion to investigate his work. He is registered in Illinois, Missouri and Florida, and he stands at the front of Centralia's business men. Fraternally he is a member of the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 493, of Centralia. In politics he is a Democrat and follows the teachings of his parents in religious matters, affiliating with the Epis- copal church.
SAMUEL H. GRAHAM.
One of the substantial citizens of Marion county is the gentleman to a review of whose life work we now call the attention of the reader. Mr. Graham is a man who, while advancing his own interests does not lose sight of the fact that it is his duty to lend his influence in furthering the interests of his community.
Samuel H. Graham was born in Marion county, Indiana, in 1855, the son of John and Sarah Elizabeth (Oldham) Graham. Grandfather Graham was born in Penn- sylvania. He came to Butler county, Ohio, and then to Rush county, Indiana, where he died, after a busy and useful life as a farmer. He had a large family. Grand-
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father Oldham was an early settler in a well educated man and commenced teach- Marion county, Indiana, where he had a ing on June 7, 1876, which he continued farm of one hundred and twenty acres. He for twenty-five years and in all these years he never taught in more than eight different districts. However, his services were much sought after, his reputation as an able in- structor having been widely known. After his career as a teacher, Mr. Graham for a short time engaged in agricultural business in Fayette county, Indiana, but moved to Clay county, Illinois, when yet a single man and resided with his father up to the time of his death in 1888, then moved to Marion county, Illinois, in 1890. He had been living in Clay county, this state, since 1881, and then came onto the farm which he had pre- viously bought and where he has since re- sided, his present highly improved farm consisting of ninety-nine acres. He was administrator on his father's estate in Clay county. Our subject carries on farming of a general nature and handles some good stock. also raised a large family, some of his sons becoming soldiers in various Indiana regi- ments. The father of the subject was born in Butler county, Ohio, and moved to Rush county, Indiana, when ten years of age, having been reared to manhood in that county. He then went to Fayette county, rented a farm and later moved to Marion county, Indiana, where he bought eighty acres on which he lived for three years, and it was while living there that our subject was born. He then sold this farm and moved to Franklin county, Indiana, where he lived for twenty years and then came to Clay county, Illinois, where he bought a farm on which he spent the balance of his life, dying April 1, 1888, at the age of sixty- four years, his wife having preceded him to the narrow house on August 9, 1881, while on a visit in Indiana. She was fifty- two years old. Fourteen children were born to this family, six boys and eight girls, eleven of them reaching maturity. The subject's father affiliated with the Baptist church and his mother was a Methodist. John Graham was a Democrat, and was School Director, and always supported the schools.
Samuel H. Graham, our subject, attended the public schools in Indiana, remaining in the common schools until he was twenty years old, attending high school at Harts- ville, and later the University at Valparaiso. He applied himself diligently and became
Our subject was united in marriage on May 11, 1890, with Eunice K. Wilkinson, a native of Iowa, and the daughter of Ste- phen and Lois (Maak) Wilkinson, natives of Ohio, who moved to Iowa, and then back to Ohio, later to Indiana and then to Van Wert, Ohio. Mrs. Wilkinson died in Ham- ilton county, Ohio, and Mr. Wilkinson at Van Wert. There were fifteen children in this family, seven of them living to maturity.
Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Graham as follows: Elsie Floy, born in 1891, and died the following July ; Wal-
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ter T., who was born in 1892, is living at home with his parents; Earl, who was born in 1894, is also a member of the family circle; Harold was born in 1897; Roy Syl- vester was born in 1901.
Mr. Graham in his farternal relations is a member of the Woodmen and the Royal Neighbors. He has been Auditor, serving with much credit to himself and to the sat- isfaction of all concerned. In politics he is a Democrat and has been County Chair- man of the Board since April, 1908; also has been Supervisor of his township and has been Town Clerk for eight or nine years; also Town Collector, School Direc- tor for fifteen years. He still holds the po- sitions of the Chairman of the Board and School Director and Supervisor. He was a Justice of the Peace for four years, and a delegate to the state, judicial and county conventions. He is also a member of the Board of Review of the county. In religion our subject subscribes to the Baptist faith, while his wife affiliates with the Methodists.
JOSEPH KOCHER.
Mr. Kocher, of German township, Rich- land county, is an industrious farmer who owes his birth and kindred to the romantic county in Europe through which the river Rhine flows. He is German by birth and descent. By adoption he is an American cit- izen, sturdy and industrious, whose life of forty-three years in Richland county has won
him the respect and friendship of his neigh- bors. He was born on the 17th of April, 1836, near Strasburg, Germany, and was the son of Martin and Catherine (Orrick) Kocher. Martin Kocher worked in Germany as a blacksmith and married Catherine Orrick sometime about the year 1831. They, with their family, left their native Germany on the 2d of November, 1852, and sailed for the United States, landing at New Orleans on the 3d of March, 1853, after a voyage across the ocean of seventy-five days' duration, dur- ing which they encountered all the privatins whichi ocean traveling at that time engen- dered. From New Orleans they took a steamer up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati. From there they went through Akron and settled in Summit county, Ohio, where our subject's father and brothers worked in the coal mines.
On May 31, 1859, in Stark county, Ohio, Joseph Kocher married Elizabeth Weiler, the daughter of Matthew and Teresa ( Getz) Weiler. Mrs. Kocher was born in the county in which she was married on the 28th of July, 1840. Her parents, natives of Germany, died when she was but fourteen years old. They were buried in Canton, Ohio. Our subject's wife lived with an elder sister until her marriage.
Joseph Kocher had bought twenty acres previous to his marriage and afterwards bought eleven acres more upon which was a log house and into which he and his wife moved and lived for six years. During this time he farmed this place in Ohio and also worked in the coal mines. In March, 1865.
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they moved to Illinois, coming by railroad, This was just three weeks before the fatal tragedy which ended the life of Abraham Lincoln. Our subject having sold his place in Ohio, he purchased eighty acres of timber land in German township, Richland county, and paid seventeen dollars an acre for the same. A rude, small log shanty stood upon the land which he changed without outside help into the substantial structure in which he and his wife now live. He built barns and cleared and cultivated the land. In after years he added to the property, and today he owns one hundred and twenty acres in one of the best districts of German township, all of which, with the exception of about fifteen acres, is under cultivation. Five or six years after Joseph Kocher's arrival in Illinois his father and mother also moved to Richland county, and bought ninety acres of good land in the same township, and upon which they after- wards died. His mother died in 1883, hav- ing passed her eighty-third year; his father died in May, 1892, aged eighty-two years and ten months. Both were buried in old St. Joseph's cemetery in German township, situated on Ginder farm. Our subject was the second child born to his parents, who had six children in all, one of whom died in Germany.
Joseph Kocher and his wife experienced many hardships and privations in their early days in Richland county. Game and wild animals were very much in evidence, par- ticularly wolves and bears. In early times the prairie-grass grew to the height of ten
or fifteen feet. To get started in Richland county he worked hard on the farm and at times during the first winter worked in the coal mines at Washington, Indiana. He and his wife are the parents of eleven children. One died at two years of age and two more have died. In regular order the children were named: Andy, who married Catherine Hahn, is deceased; William married Anna Rennier; Mary is ,the wife of Leo Hahn, and Catherine of Joseph Hahn; Simon married Helen Kramer, of Indiana, (deceased) is now married to Friedrika Shuttie. Rosa Elizabeth is single and makes her home with her parents. Martin married Mary Doll and lives in the vicinity of Vincennes ; Frances is deceased ; Aloyese married Anna Shuttle- bauer, and Leo, who married Ida Rennier.
In politics our subject is a Democrat of the Douglas pattern. He served six years as a school director and was elected for another term, but would not serve. He has never sought office as he preferred to devote the greater part of his time to his agricultural interests. In his young days Joseph Kocher attended school in Germany until his four- teenth year and was well equipped for life's batttle. Later he attended English school, but his education in the English language was mostly gained through his own efforts. He and his wife, as well as their family, are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church in German township and have always been ac- tive in church work and duties. He held one term as trustee of the church.
Joseph Kocher's land has the reputation of containing oil springs of value, and this
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feature is sure to greatly enhance the value of the property and bring forth great re- turns in the future.
WILLAM H. GRAY.
An enumeration of the enterprising men of Marion county, Illinois, who have won recognition and success for themselves and at the same time have conferred honor upon the community would be incomplete were there failure to make mention of the popu- lar gentleman whose name initiates this re- view. He holds worthy prestige in business circles, and has always been distinctively a man of affairs and wields a wide influence among those with whom his lot has been cast, having won definite success and shown what a man with lofty principles, honesty of purpose and determination can win while yet young in years. In both banking and agricultural circles Mr. Gray stands in the front rank of the men who honor these callings in this county and because of his industry, integrity and courtesy he is a man to whom the future holds much of promise and reward.
William Harvey Gray was born in Marion county, Illinois, in 1876, the son of James Robert and Nancy Illinois Gray (nee Boothe). James Harvey Gray, grand- father of our subject, was born in Maury county, Tennessee, and was brought to this county by his parents when four years of age. His father, James Gray, was the son
of William Gray, the great-great-grand- father of our subject. William Gray was born in North Carolina and moved to Maury county, Tennessee. He married a young lady by the name of McNabb in the year of 1776. Five sons were born to them, James, Joseph, William, John and Samuel. William Gray was a soldier in the American Revolution and was also in the Indian wars of Kentucky and Tennessee. He was a farmer by occupation. He had one brother by the name of James Gray. William Gray died when about the age of eighty-three.
James Gray, great-grandfather of our subject, was born in Maury county, Ten- nessee, June 20, 1789. He married Martha Denton in the year 1808 and moved to Marion county, Illinois, in 1828, and settled the old homestead on section 10, being one of the first settlers of the county. They had four sons, Joseph, William Harrison, James Harvey and Isaac Denton. James Gray was called into the United States' ser- vice by the Governor's proclamation dated April 19, 1832. He enlisted as second lieu- tenant of Spy Battalion, First Brigade of the Illinois Mounted Volunteers. He had one horse shot from under him and was on furlough August II, 1832, and honorably discharged August 16th, having served un- der Capt. William N. Dobbins. He also served in the Creek and Indian war and the Black Hawk war. He was a powerful man physically, having measured six feet two inches and weighing two hundred ten pounds. He was the first Justice of the Peace in Kinmundy township, which office
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he held until his death. He also sowed the first timothy seed in this township in 1843. He and his brother Joseph furnished to the settlers the first sawed lumber, which they sawed with a whipsaw. He also taught school in a cabin in the neighborhood. The early preachers of the Baptist and Cum- berland Presbyterian denominations held meeting in his home. He died suddenly by an accident on October 3, 1835, leaving a widow and family of eight children.
His widow, Martha Gray, entered eighty acres of land February 13, 1837, where they started their improvements. It was the west half of the southeast quarter of section 10, Kinmundy township. The following fall she entered forty acres more in the same section. She was born in April, 1786, and departed this life May 27, 1844.
James Harvey Gray, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Maury county, Tennessee, April 25, 1825, and as stated above came to this county when four years old. He began life's struggle at the age of ten by first making a crop for his mother. Full of ambition, grit and energy he was successful from the start, though so young. At the age of eighteen, it may be said, he commenced life for himself, purchasing a yoke of cattle and a horse on credit. He remained, however, on the old place putting in crops until ready to invest in a piece of land, which he did at the age of twenty-six by making a purchase of one hundred and sixty acres, partly paying therefor with money borrowed. From that time his ca- reer was onward. He rapidly accumulated
property by his just and upright dealings, adding acre to acre until he could look over twelve hundred acres of land, all of which was in one body, and call it his own. He also had other valuable property. He was a man of powerful mental ability and men would go to him for advice and he was always glad to aid his fellowman. Mr. Gray at the age of nineteen years and seven months was married November 28, 1844, to Susanna Jane Hanna, who was born October 18, 1824, and departed this life December 24, 1862. To this union five children were born. A second marriage was contracted with Margaret Lucinda Hanna in 1863. This lady, to whom three children were born, died in 1871. In the year of 1872 Mr. Gray united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth Boothe, widow of Col. James W. Boothe, who commanded the Fortieth Illinois Infantry during the Civil war. Before this he was first lieutenant in the Mexican war and was at the battle of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. Mr. Gray did not enjoy the advantages of an education, being too early deprived of a father and compelled, being the eldest son at home, to care for the family. He was a natural mathematician and could calculate mentally the amount of anything almost instantly. He was six feet tall, stood erect and was well formed. His temperament was bilious, nervous and sanguine. He was fitted for the execution and power to endure both mental and physical labor. Mr. Gray was one of the original stockholders of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Kinmundy, which
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was organized in January, 1870, soon after- and hearty and her mind is clear, quick and wards became president, which position he active. Since 1901 she has made two trips to the Pacific coast and is now past the eighty-first mile-stone in her journey through life. As time passes swiftly she pieces quilts and makes fancy pillows so as not to have any idle moments in her life. In her religious views she is a Cumberland Presbyterian and is a member of that church. held during his life. It was known as a co-partnership or private bank. The stock was held by himself, his widow and T. W. Haymond, cashier, at the time of his death. Mr. Haymond died shortly after Mr. Gray. The bank was closed by Mrs. Gray, the only surviving stockholder, through the subject of our sketch. Mr. Gray was a man that enjoyed his home life and visitors were sure James Robert Gray, father of our sub- ject, was born July 2, 1854, on the old homestead. He married Nancy Illinois Boothe August 19, 1875. Two sons were born to them, William Harvey, our subject, and James Lemon, who died when about six months old. James R. Gray departed this life September 8, 1880, after a use- ful and active career filled with good deeds. of receiving a warm welcome at his fire- side. He belonged to Kinmundy Lodge No. 398, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sons, also a member of Rosedale Lodge No. 354, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In his religious views he was a Cumberland Presbyterian. In politics, he was a Demo- crat of the old Jeffersonian school. He lived on the old homestead seventy-two years, outliving all of his children. He died at the age of seventy-six years and six months on October 25, 1901.
Mrs. Elizabeth Gray, widow of James H. Gray and grandmother of our subject, was born May 13, 1827, in Indiana, later com- to Illinois in February, 1858, locating in Kinmundy. Daniel Clark, the father of Mrs. Gray and a blacksmith by trade, lived to be over seventy years old. Her mother lived to be about ninety-six years of age. Mrs. Gray was first married to James W. Boothe May 1, 1851. To this union five children were born. Mr. Boothe was born October 9, 1820, and died February 17, 1863. Mrs. Gray married James H. Gray in 1872. At this writing Mrs. Gray is hale
William Harvey Gray was born April 12, 1876, as indicated in a preceding paragraph. He attended the district school near the old homestead, later attending the public school in Kinmundy, and from there to St. Louis, where he completed a thorough course in banking and general business in the Bryant and Stratton Business College. After graduating from this institution he went to Raymond, Illinois, and engaged in the general mercantile business for two years, when he sold out on account of his grandfather's death and the death of Mr. Haymond, returning to Kinmundy to set- tle up the business of the Farmers' and Mer- chants' Bank, of which, at that time as stated before, Mrs. Elizabeth Gray was the sole surviving partner. He settled up the
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affairs of that institution, paying the de- in general merchandise business. Mr. Shultz was married in Olney to Sarah Eliza- beth Gaddy and ten children were born to this union, Mrs. Gray, our subject's wife, being the seventh in order of birth. The commodious and well furnished home of Mr. and Mrs. Gray has been blessed with
positors in full in less than sixty days from the time the bank was closed on December 4, 1901. He then was a main factor in or- ganizing The Haymond State Bank, becom- ing cashier of the same and holding that position until its consolidation with the First National Bank on August 15, 1906. During this time he assisted in the settling up of his grandfather's large estate. After the consolidation of the banks our subject resigned, taking the active management of his real estate properties which were ex- tensive. He now owns two hundred and eighty acres of the old homestead property which has never left the control of the Gray family from the time the grandfather bought it. In all he owns one thousand acres of improved land, mostly prairie. He rents this out, reserving the control of the method of cultivation so that the soil may be kept in good productive condition. The fences are mostly of wire, the fields drain naturally and general farming is successfully carried on. Mr. Gray is one of the directors of the Kinmundy Building and Loan As- sociation, having been first elected in 1902, being elected treasurer in 1907 and presi- dent in 1908. He was married on March 20, 1900, to Mrs. Winifred Grady (nee Shultz), of Olney, Illinois. She is the rep- resentative of a well known and influential family of that place. Mrs. Grady's father, Charles Shultz, came to America from Ger- many when fourteen years of age, settling first in New York City, later coming to Olney, Illinois, where he now lives engaged
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