USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 54
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 54
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 54
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The subject of this sketch attended one
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term of three months of subscription school in Kentucky, and was a pupil in the free school at Dundas for a short time. Mr. Kermicle believes in the principles of the Democratic party, and has always been an active worker in that political organization. He has held the office of Township Clerk, Assessor, Supervisor and has been High- way Commissioner for fifteen years. He has held office in the township altogether about twenty-two years.
The subject is a member of the Baptist church, and is very faithful in his attend- ance upon services.
MRS. MARY A. SEYMOUR.
The subject of our sketch is one of those brave women who gave so much help to their husbands and brothers during the early days of the settling of our counties, and in the dread days of the Civil war when gloom and danger seemed for awhile to settle upon our land. She is still able to bear her seventy-five years comfortably and enjoy the little spell of peaceful retirement which is but a fitting accompaniment to her life of activity and good work.
Mrs. Mary A. (Tade) Seymour was born in Withe county, Virginia, on May 24, 1833, and was the daughter of James and Catherine (Hines) Tade. Her father was a native of Kentucky, and her mother, born November 28, 1812, was a Virginian. Her father, who had come to Virginia,
married there in 1832, and her parents re- turned to Kentucky when she was but five months old. In Kentucky her father bought a farm in Montgomery county, where they lived until about 1841. Her father's death occurred in 1839, being killed while on a steamboat near New Orleans. Two years later her mother married Joseph Tade, a brother of our subject's father, the marriage taking place in March, 1841. The family then migrated overland in wagons to Illinois, the trip requiring five weeks. In Illinois they located in Richland county (then known as Lawrence county) ; Richland county not yet being laid off. Here our subject's mother and stepfather purchased a farm of three hundred acres, partly under fence, paying three hundred dollars for same. On the land there was a small log house in which they continued to reside for many years. There was also a log stable originally on the property. The land was at once improved and cultivated, and after a residence upon it of forty years they left Claremont township, in which the farm was situated, and bought forty acres of land in German township with the pro- ceeds of the sale of their former farm. Here they remained for several years, when they removed to Liberty, Jasper county, Il- nois, where our subject's step-father died in December, 1880, at the age of ninety- two. He is buried in Stoltz cemetery, Ger- man township. Her mother survived for several years, finally dying at our subject's home in German township on December 29, 1906, at the ripe age of ninety-four
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years, one month and one day. She is also buried in Stoltz cemetery. Our subject's parents had four children, of whom she was the eldest. Her mother by her second mar- riage raised six children. There are only four members of both families now living.
Mary A. (Tade) Seymour remained at home with her mother and stepfather until her eighteenth year when she married James T. Seymour, the ceremony taking place on October 22, 1852, in Richland county. He was born October 1. 1826, in Lincoln county, Ohio, and was the son of Isaac and Sarah (Sproll) Seymour. Isaac Seymour was a native Ohioan, his father coming from England and his mother from Ireland. James T. Seymour came to Il- linois in the spring of 1852, from his native Ohio. He was followed by his parents, who came to the state in the following fall. They lived in Richland county for one year, then buying a farm in Lawrence county, where they remained until their deaths. His mother died first, at the age of sixty- three; his father surviving her about three years, his death occurring at the age of sixty-six. They are both buried in Wag- ner cemetery, Lawrence county. Eight children were born to them, one of whom died in childhood. James T. Seymour was the eldest member of his parents' family.
On their marriage Mary A. (Tade) Seymour and her husband in 1852, settled on the farm on which she now resides, and which contains forty acres, in German township. They paid the government price of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre
for the land, which was all raw and unim- proved. It comprised tall prairie-grass and hazel thickets and was the last forty acres remaining unentered in Richland county. They immediately set about clearing and improving the place and built a small log house in which they lived for four years. They then built a small frame house which burned down a few years later. After- wards they erected the house in which Mary A. Seymour now lives; it was built about the year 1872.
When the Civil war broke out her hus- band enlisted in July, 1861. The Illinois regiments being of the required strength at the time, he was placed in Company E, of the Eleventh Missouri Regiment, under command of Capt. John Blue. He served the three-year term of enlistment returning home in 1864, having been mustered out of service in St. Louis, Missouri. During his term of service he was never wounded nor taken prisoner. At one period he was con- fined to the hospital at Jefferson barracks on account of sickness. On his becoming convalescent he was ordered to attend to the other sick patients which he did until he was able once more to rejoin his regi- ment. He served in the Western Division under General Sherman though he was not with him at the time of the march to the sea as he was not in service. During the campaign he served in the Red River ex- pedition, the siege of Vicksburg, battle of Missionary Ridge, and many others of the hard fought and principal battles of the war, and also endured many long and hard
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marches. Though he was never wounded he became badly broken in health on ac- count of the hardships of the years of 1860- 1865.
While her husband was in the army, the subject of our sketch remained on the farm with her children. Trying to run the farm, performing all the work entailed thereby. and caring for herself and her small chil- dren, she suffered much hardship. On his return home he resumed work with his wife and family on the farm. His death took place on March 12, 1907, at the age of about eighty years. He is interred in Wag- ner cemetery in Lawrence county, Illinois.
Mrs. Mary A. (Tade) Seymour is the mother of the following children: Mor- timer S., Isaac C. and John W. are liv- ing. Sarah Catherine and Joseph, both deceased, are buried in Wagner cemetery. Mortimer, married and is living in Craw- ford county, on a farm. Isaac is married and resides at West York, Crawford coun- ty. John is also married and lives on a farm near his mother in German township.
Mrs. Seymour obtained a good educa- tion, considering the educational facilities of the time of her youth, in the subscrip- tion schools in Richland county, Illinois, having attended school at intervals from her ninth until her sixteenth year. The common free schools did not come into ex- istence until she was eighteen years old. Notwithstanding this she was enabled to obtain much information in the subscrip- tion schools.
James T. Seymour was a member of the
Whig party up to the time of the Civil war; from that time onward he was a Re- publican. He was School Director for several years, but never held any other pub- lic office as he never cared for public recog- nition. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, the John Liddle Post, No. 745, at Chancy, Illinois. He and his wife and the members of their family all belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church in German township. Mrs. Sey- mour has been a class leader in the Metho- dist Episcopal church for several years, and was for three years superintendent of the Sunday school. Her husband was a good, religious man and a steward of the church for several years.
Mrs. Mary A. Seymour is now living a happy life of retirement on the farm which the labors of herself and her devoted hus- band made one of the best improved in German township.
JEROME N. EMBSER.
One of the most up-to-date and intelli- gently managed farms in the county is that belonging to the subject of this review, Jerome N. Embser, who was born on May 23, 1869, in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. His father, Francis Embser, was born on April 22, 1833, in Prussia, Germany. His experiences would form an interesting story if taken up in detail. Before coming to America all the family except Francis
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and one brother fell victims to the dreaded plague that swept over Europe at that time. Having survived this, the next problem that faced the boys was the service in the regular army. On account of its position and the hostility of the surrounding na- tions, Germany is compelled to maintain an extensive military system. This involves a great expense and causes a steady drain on the resources of the people. Not only that, but it makes it necessary for the govern- ment to require military service from all of its male population. Hence all able bodied men must enter the national service, most of them for a term of at least three years. No one is exempted except for physical in- capacity. As the time approached for Francis to enroll in the regular army he began to dread the prospects and tried to bethink himself of some plan by which he might avoid this protracted confinement to the life of the soldier. Fortunately for him, he had an uncle who was captain of a ves- sel that plied between Germany and Amer- ica. It was to him that Francis made known his desires, the result being that plans were made to smuggle the boy through. This was carefully arranged and successfully carried out, and after six weeks of sailing on the Atlantic, he arrived at New York.
Before leaving the Fatherland he had served his apprenticeship as a shoemaker, and upon coming to America he continued his work in that capacity. After going to Pennsylvania, he took up farming in con- nection with his trade, and continued thus
to combine his work even after he came to Marion county, Illinois. He soon became well known as a man of superior intelli- gence and an excellent workman, and ere long the neighbors made it a point to bring their repairing to Mr. Embser, at his shop on the farm, and to spend the evenings in such discussions and diversions as would spontaneously spring up in their midst. Every one for miles came to know and love "Old Frank Embser". He was not a be- liever in orthodox religion, and ended his days in this county, in 1905.
Jerome Embser's mother, Elizabeth (Driesbaugh) Embser, was born in Penn- sylvania and is still living. Her father, John D. Driesbaugh, was a prominent citi- zen in western Pennsylvania, was the owner of several flour mills, located on streams in order to utilize the running water for power purposes. Her mother's name was Katie Shoop.
Mr. Embser joined in marriage Jessie N. Spiese, daughter of Wilfred and Alice (Heaton) Spiese, to whom have been born five children, namely: Alice E., Francis W., John T., Anton J., and Leon.
Mr. Embser's education was limited to that of the. common schools of the neigh- borhood, but he learned early in life to be self-reliant and industrious, and as he ad- vanced in years he applied these traits to his daily life, with the result that he has a most excellent country homestead, a mag- nificent farm, and an intelligent family. He has the full confidence of neighbors and friends, having been asked to serve his
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community as Township Treasurer, High- way Commissioner and School Trustee. In all of these duties he has shown himself an able manager and a man of unimpeachable integrity.
HISTORY OF ST. JAMES LUTHER- AN CHURCH.
As far as known, Reverend Seacrist was the first Lutheran minister who preached the gospel to the scattered Lutherans in Rich- land county, Illinois. He was succeeded by Rev. Daniel Scherer, who labored faithful- ly among the people, preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. His field, however, being so large he called his son, Jacob, from Gettysburg to his assist- ance, who preached at Olney and various other places in the county.
Services in this neighborhood were first held in David Phillip's barn. In 1842 St. James congregation was organized, and in 1844 a hewn log church was erected in the northeast corner of Olney township, about one and one-fourth miles from the present house of worship. This log church is still in a fair state of preservation.
Rev. Gottlieb Lauener became minister in 1852, and Rev. Conrad Kuhl in 1856, Rev. William Hunderdose and Rev. G. Berwick supplied the congregation. In 1858 Reverend Abele became pastor and labored a few years for them, until 1859,
In 1860 Rev. D. D. Schwartz and in 1861 Rev. Killiam Barth preacher for
them. In 1862 Reverend Schnur took charge and continued as pastor until 1867, when a serious difficulty having arisen in the congregation in regard to the propriety of holding protracted meetings and some other things he, with thirty-five members, withdrew from the congregation and formed another church more in accord to their views. They built a church only a mile from the St. James. They continued to hold services for several years. But from some cause or other the congregation has become extinct and the church edifice has been sold and is in Claremont used as, a warehouse by a grain dealer.
It was during the time that Reverend Schnur was pastor that the St. James church and the one near Olney united by general agreement and consent, determined to build a new house of worship. as the log church was too small. After some delay on account of a disagreement about the site, a new frame structure was erected on the present site in 1863. This was made pos- sible through the zeal of the members who donated timber and labor. The timbers were hewn poles and the plastering laths were split out by hand. The finishing lum- ber was brought from Mt. Carmel, Illinois, a distance of thirty miles. It was also dur- ing Reverend Schnur's pastorate that the congregation secured an acre of ground near the church and erected a two-story house for a parsonage. After Reverend Schnur resigned. Reverend Harkey was called as pastor in 1867, and continued to serve them until his death in 1875. It was
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while he was pastor that the congregation made application to the Indiana Synod, now Chicago Synod, and were received as mem- bers of that body in 1874. Reverend Har- key was also received. He with the con- gregation had formerly belonged to the Lutheran Synod of Illinois. While Rever- end Harkey was pastor, Trinity church, near Lancaster, and St. James, formed one pastorate. But after his death, the Lancas- ter church withdrew and joined the central synod of Illinois. The congregation was vacant now until March, 1876, when Rev- erend Laner became pastor and served until December 29, 1878, when he resigned and they were without pastoral care until Rev- erend Hursh, Versailles, Ohio, was called and became pastor in 1880. He continued to serve them until 1894, when he became disabled on account of old age and disease. During his service the congregation con- tinued to prosper spiritually. The preach- ing was held in both German and English language, but the German was discontin- ued at the end of his pastorate. In 1882, on account of crop failure, the congregation was excused from the payment of their ap- portionment, and were also granted one hundred dollars this year as a supplement to their pastor's salary. This was petition- ed for by the congregation. Reverend Hursh continued to live in the parsonage until his death in 1897. In 1896, Rev. J. M. G. Sappenfield began to supply the St. James church in connection with Union, Gila, Illinois. He continued as supply until he was called and became regular pastor in
1901, being installed that same year by the president of the synod Rev. M. L. Wagner.
The congregation at its annual meeting on New Year's day. 1904, decided to erect a new church. A building committee was chosen, consisting of G. Hanes, W. Hanes, J. P. Xanders, Frederick Scherer and Ca- leb Buss. The pastor was made chairman of the committee. A soliciting committee, consisting of the trustees, J. Mosser, Levi Phillips and Charles Stangel, were chosen to secure the necessary funds and H. Burgener and Edward Buss, a committee to get donations. The plan was drawn up by the pastor for a building, the audience- room thirty by fifty and Sunday school room sixteen by thirty feet. the windows to be Gothic, and ceiling to be arched in the audi- ence room ; a pulpit recess in the north end, the main entrance to be in the tower. But before the building was begun the pastor was taken away by death and also G. Hanes, one of the building committee. The congregation now set about to secure an- other pastor. A call was extended to Rev. J. V. Sappenfield, residing at Corydon, In- diana, a son of their late lamented pastor. in March, 1904. He accepted the call and entered upon the work in May, 1904.
The congregation now determined to be- gin the erection of the church. Specifications were made according to the plans of the former pastor, and the contract for the erec- tion of the building was let to John Beck, a member of the church. On September 12. 1904. the old church was torn down and the erection of the new church began on
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the same site. The corner stone was laid by the president of synod, Rev. H. Peters, of Decatur, Illinois, assisted by Rev. J. Knauer and the pastor, on October 23, 1904. On Christmas morning, 1904, the first services were held and it has been used ever since. The church was finished in May, 1905, and dedicated October 22, 1905. The furniture consists of lecturn, pulpit, pews, organ and chairs for Sunday school.
The pastor, Rev. J. V. Sappenfield, re- signed and left the field in December, 1906, leaving the congregation vacant until March, 1908, when Rev. John Knauer was called, who is now in charge of the field, and also serves Gila and Wheeler, Illinois.
REV. JOHN KNAUER.
Enjoying marked prestige among the clergy of Southern Illinois, the subject of this sketch stands out a clear and distinct figure among the useful men of Richland county, characterized by breadth of wisdom and strong individuality, Rev. Knauer's achievements but represent the utilization of innate talent, in directing effort along lines in which mature judgment, rare dis- crimination and resourcefulness that hesi- tates at no opposition, has caused him to succeed in the accomplishment of much good in his line of work. Having always led a life along such planes of sobriety, indus- try and integrity he has become one of the most influential men in his community
whose interests he has at heart and whose moral, educational and material develop- ment he ever seeks to promulgate, thereby winning and retaining the undivided esteem of all who know him.
Rev. John Knauer, pastor of St. James Lutheran church in Claremont township, Richland county, Illinois, was born April 25, 1873. in Wuerttenberg, Germany. the son of Gottlieb and Jacobin (Stipe) Knauer; the father died in Germany Octo- ber 21, 1874, and is buried in Hohenhaslach place, in the district Yaihingen, having died when forty-eight years old.
In the year 1887, the subject of this sketch, then fourteen years old, with his mother and three sisters emigrated to the United States and settled on a farm in Washington county, Pennsylvania, where our subject remained with his mother, working on the farm until the fall of 1895. when he went to Carthage, Missouri, where he took a high school course under tutorship of an older brother, who had previously come to the United States, having been accom- panied by two other brothers and one sister. In the fall of 1896 John Knauer entered the Washington-Jefferson College at Wash- ington, Pennsylvania, taking a four years' course, and in the fall of 1901 he entered the Theological Seminary in Chicago. He made a splendid record in school and he en- tered upon his pastorate at Gila charge. Jas- per county, Illinois, after his graduation in the last named school in the spring of 1904. having begun his pastorate work on May I, 1904, and on June 30th following he was
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married in Wheeling, West Virginia, to congregation and all who know them. He Hope Kenamond, who was born near and his wife are highly educated and they are both diligent workers in the cause of the lowly Nazarene, and they are apparently justly fitted for so responsible work, for they are broad-minded and ever have the good of their congregation at heart. Washington, Pennsylvania, October 6, 1878. She is the daughter of Frederick and Elzena (Shipe) Kenamond, both na- tives of Pennsylvania, in which state they were married, but later moved to West Vir- ginia, when Mrs. Knauer was nine years of age. Her parents remained in that state about four years when the family returned to Pennsylvania, settling this time near THOMAS M. HARGRAVE. Claysville, where they bought a farm upon which they lived for three years when they again removed to West Virginia, where Mr. and Mrs. Kenamond still reside on a farm. They are the parents of five children, all of whom are still living, the wife of our subject being the oldest in order of birth.
John Knauer is a member of a family of eight children, he and a twin sister being the youngest. They are all living at this writing. The mother of these children is still living on the old homestead in Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, near Bur- gettstown, having reached the age of sev- enty-four years.
Rev. and Mrs. Knauer reside in the par- sonage of the Lutheran church in Clare- mont township, Richland county, where the subject performs the duties of pastor, also preaches at Gila and Wheeler, in Jasper county, Illinois.
No children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Knauer.
Our subject is making a great success of his work in this place and he and his es- timable wife are held in high favor by the
The subject of this review is one of the sturdy spirits who has contributed largely to the material welfare of the township in which he resides, being a farmer and stock raiser, and as a citizen, public-spirited and progressive in all the terms imply. For a number of years he has been actively iden- tified with the agricultural interests of the county. He represents that class of earn- est, foreign born citizens, who have done so much for the development of the United States, while at the same time they have benefited themselves in a very material man- ner.
Thomas M.Hargrave was born in Eng- land October 20, 1851, and was ten years old when he came to America with his father and only brother, George, who now lives in Fayette county, Illinois, is married and the father of five children.
Our subject received his early education in the common schools of this country, but leaving school when sixteen years of age he did not have the opportunity to take a high course, but is, notwithstanding this fact, a
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well educated man, having always' been a ship on a good farm, and is the father of close observer and an extensive reader, keeping well posted on current events at all times.
Mr. Hargrave has won his way to a po- sition of prominence and comparative affluence in his community by reason of his own individual efforts. Starting life witlı but little means, he has succeeded admir- ably well and is today the owner of a fine farm consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, all under an excellent system of fencing and a high state of cultivation, for he understands well the proper rotation of crops so as to preserve the natural quality of the soil and the many other methods known to up-to-date farmers. His farm is located in Kinmundy township, and it ranks well with the other excellent farms of this community. He has a number of good horses and herds of other stock, besides much good poultry, in fact he carries on a general farming and stock raising industry with that discretion and industry which al- ways insures ultimate success. Mr. Har- grave has a comfortable, well furnished and substantial residence, which is neatly kept, and it is surrounded by a sufficient number of convenient out buildings.
When twenty-five years old Mr. Har- grave was united in mariage with Anna McHatton, the representative of an excel- lent family, and she passed to her rest when forty-four years old. Our subject has four children, all boys, namely: John, Emmett. Harry and Roy. The first two named are both married. Emmett lives in Alma town-
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