USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II > Part 85
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
and fifty acres on the Marine and Alhambra road, about three miles from the former town, tells, in its outward aspects, of its genial, char- itable and generous proprietor ; "whole- souled" is a truly representative expression for such a man, who is a German-American of means and large property amassed by hard and continuous work and sound business judg- ment-and one, at the same time, who has re- tained his warm tender heart despite all the hardening influences of the world and is ever ready to relieve worthy poverty and suffering from the abundance of his store, either by the bestowal of goods, sympathy or kindly advice. He is a man of deep practical wisdom and is quick to see in what form should come the true measure of relief.
Mr. Miller is a son of the German father- land, and was born at Bavaria in the year 1853, a son of Valentine and Gretchen (Nightzling) Miller, both also natives of the great Teutonic empire. In 1871, at the age of eighteen, Val- entine immigrated to the United States and located in Marine township-a well-educated youth in his mother tongue, but quite ignorant of the language and ways of the country in which he proposed to spend the remainder of his life. Of one thing, however, he was cer- tain ; that was, he must work in order to live and prosper. So he wasted no time weighing the comparative "softness" of the jobs offered him, but took the one which came first to hand. He arrived on the scene of action in the morning and in the afternoon was at work for a neighboring farmer at the rate of twenty dollars per month, with board; and the latter was the main consideration with this young husky German of the healthful appetite. He also brought with him the old-world ideas of economy, which in the western land of greater productiveness and greater earnings has done so much to make the so-called foreign element its most valuable economic asset.
So Valentine Miller worked hard, saved faithfully, learned English, thought out his plans carefully, acted wisely and cautiously, kept his heart warm, and prospered. in the gathering of worldly goods and the affection and gratitude of the fellows amid whom his daily life was spent. In the fall of 1880 he commenced the foundation of his home life by his marriage to Miss Christina Jaahns, who was born and reared in Marine township, daughter of Christian and Carolina Jaahns. The children of the Jaahns family were Amelia, Berta, Emma, Lena, Christian, Albert, Edward, Otto and Christina (Mrs. Miller).
Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Miller commenced their happy married life on a rented farm about three miles northwest of Marine, where they remained thirteen years-the period covering the birth of their five children-Valentine, Karl, Albertdenia, Lucy and Otto-and their education and fine development. The wife and mother was everything that heart or mind could wish, giving herself completely to the interests of her husband and her children, and being a large factor in the growing prosperity of the household. She died in 1893, at a com- paratively early age, a faithful member of the Evangelical church, and a Christian in spirit and practice.
As the years passed Mr. Miller added to his original one hundred and fifty acres, his small house and barn, and 'his altogether modest homestead, until he owned three hundred and thirteen acres of land and possessed one of the handsomest country places in the town- ship, with a commodious residence, large farm buildings and a fine orchard of four hundred trees. He has realized one of the healthiest of ambitions-reached a position of compet- ency, which, in his fatherland, is opulency-as he is able to gratify his desire to not only give his family every advantage but to assist those to whom Providence has not been so kind.
The children born into this model German- American household were chiefly educated in the Conn district school, and have naturally de- veloped into useful and moral men and women. Valentine married Dollie Geers and resides at Edwardsville, mother of Viola and Oneta ; Karl married Anna Reding, born in Madison county, and a daughter of Peter and Mary (Dade) Reding; Albertdenia became the wife of Stanley Smith, is the mother of Raymond, and their homestead is a farm adjoining that of her father ; Lucy is now Mrs. Louis Smith, whose husband is a farmer of the county, and their child is named Earl ; Otto M. Miller, aged seventeen, and his brother, Karl (with his wife), reside on the family homestead and as- sist their father in its management and devel- opment. Mr. Miller and most of his children, with their families, are stanch members of the German Evangelical church; and the name of Miller stands for what is good, substantial and true in Marine township and Madison county.
FRED MEIER. The owner of a fine rural es- tate of some two hundred acres in Jarvis township, Madison county, Illinois, Fred Meier is actively and successfully engaged in the great basic industry of agriculture and in the raising of high-grade stock. Starting out
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in life with practically nothing to back him except his determination to succeed, he has himself built the ladder by which he has risen to affluence. Mr. Meier was born in Collins- ville township, half a mile south of Peters, Illinois, the date of his nativity being the 25th of September, 1859. He is a son of Hans and Elizabeth ( Peters) Meier, the former of whom was born in Hanover, Germany, and the latter of whom also claimed Germany as the place of her birth. At the age of twenty- two years Hans Meier immigrated from his native place to the United States, landing in New Orleans, whence he later came to St. Louis. In the latter city he was engaged in the work of his trade, that of carpenter, for a number of years, residing there during the great cholera epidemic. Later he established his home at Pleasant Ridge, in Madison county, Illinois, where he was also engaged in carpenter work. At Pleasant Ridge was sol- emnized his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Peters and after the consummation of that important event he engaged in farming opera- tions in Collinsville township, where he passed the residue of his life and where his death occurred on the 12th of July, 1905. Mr. Meier's first wife died when the subject of this review was a child of but five years of age and later he married the widow of Her- man Schuermann. To the first union were born six children, of whom three are living at the present time : Charles, engaged in farm- ing in Oklahoma; Fred, the immediate sub- ject of this sketch; and Katherine, the wife of Herman Roffmann, of Worden, Illinois. Mr. Meier became the father of six children also by his second marriage, and of the three living Edward resides at Peters, Illinois ; Louis maintains his home at Maryville; and Anna is the wife of T. W. Lange, of Collins- ville township.
As a boy Fred Meier attended the German parochial school at Pleasant Ridge, until he had attained to the age of fourteen years, at which time he was confirmed. Thereafter he attended the public school at Peters for two winters. For the eight ensuing years he was associated with his father in the work and management of the old home farm and when twenty-four years of age he was married. He then began farming in the vicinity of Dorsey, Illinois, where he remained for a period of two years, at the expiration of which he re- moved to Collinsville township, managing the estate of his father for the ensuing four years. In 1889 he purchased a farm on the
Bluff, a mile and a half from Pleasant Ridge, where he remained for some ten years. In 1900 he came to Jarvis township, where he purchased a tract of eighty acres of most ara- ble land and where he has since maintained the family home. With the passage of time he has accumulated a great deal of valuable land in this section and he is now the owner of two hundred acres, which he and his sons farm. In addition to farming property he is the possessor of valuable real estate in Ed- wardsville. In his political convictions he is a stanch Democrat and in a fraternal way he is affiliated with a number of social organiza- tions of representative character. In his re- ligious faith he is a member of the Lutheran Evangelical church at Troy. He has always manifested a deep and sincere interest in re- ligious affairs and has reared his children in the faith of the Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs. Meier are prominent and popular in con- nection with the best social activities of their home community and they are everywhere es- teemed on account of their exemplary lives and sterling integrity.
On the 13th of December, 1883, was re- corded the marriage of Mr. Meier to Miss Mary Bertels, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Diedrich and Anna Bertels, the former of whom is a prominent and influen- tial farmer at Dorsey, Illinois. The five chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Meier are Anna, Elizabeth, Mary, Fred, Jr., and John. All of the children were educated in the parochial school at Troy and Anna is the wife of Carl Langreder, of Jarvis township.
WILLIAM L. GEERS. Among the successful agriculturists and stock-raisers of Jarvis township, Madison county, Illinois, William L. Geers holds distinctive prestige as a citi- zen who has ever given freely of his aid and influence in support of all measures projected for the general good and as one whose loyalty and public spirit have ever been of the most insistent order. A fine old veteran of the Civil war, Mr. Geers served with all of valor and faithfulness as a member of the Union army during a three years' enlistment. The Geers family is notable for its generous rep- resentation in the war to preserve the Union, the father and four sons having given gallant service as willing soldiers in that sanguinary conflict.
William L. Geers was born in Pin Oak township, Madison county, Illinois, on the 5th of August, 1845, and he is a son of Oswald and Cecelia (Gonterman) Geers, the former
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of whom was a son of Jesse Geers. Jesse Geers was born in Kentucky, where he was a scion of an old Blue Grass family of long standing and whence he removed to St. Louis, Missouri, as a young man. From the latter city he came to Madison county, Illinois, lo- cating on a farm in St. Jacob township, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits dur- ing the greater portion of his active business career. Of the eight children-four boys and four girls --- born to Jesse Geers, Oswald was the second in order of birth. Oswald Geers remained at home until he had reached his legal majority and after his marriage to Miss Cecelia Gonterman he removed to Pin Oak township, this county, where he continued to reside for a period of sixteen years. Thence he removed to Edwardsville, where he main- tained his home for a number of years, and later going to Oregon with a daughter, and died in that state. His cherished and devoted wife was called to eternal rest in Pin Oak township. Mr. and Mrs. Oswald Geers be- came the parents of nine children, of whom four are living at the present time and con- cerning whom the following brief data are here incorporated,-William L. is the imme- diate subject of this review; Thomas is en- gaged in the coal business at Edwardsville; Caleb is identified with the farming line of enterprise and he maintains his home at Okla- homa; and Jane is the wife of Henry Luttrell, of Oregon.
William L. Geers received his preliminary educational training in the public schools of Pin Oak township, where he continued to at- tend school until he had reached his sixteenth year. At the time of the inception of the Civil war he manifested his intrinsic loyalty to the cause of his country by enlisting as a sol- dier in Company F, One Hundred and Seven-' teenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. During the ensuing three years he was under the command of Generals Smith, Banks and Sherman and he participated in a number of important engagements marking the progress of the war. He and two of his brothers served in the same company and his father and another brother were members of an- other company. All five were enlisted for a term of three years and all came out un- scathed. Mr. Geers, of this notice, received his honorable discharge and was mustered out of the army at the close of the war. When peace had again been established throughout the country he returned to Pin Oak township, where, in partnership with a friend, he
farmed a tract of eighty acres of most arable land. In 1867 he removed to St. Jacob town- ship, where he resided for the following four years and whence he returned to Pin Oak township. For thirteen years he was a prom- inent and influential farmer in the latter town- ship and from there he came to Jarvis town- ship, where he has resided for the past twenty-eight years and where he is the owner of a fine estate of eighty-six acres of splen- didly improved land.
On the 9th of October, 1878, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Geers to Miss Susan Morris, who was born and reared in Jarvis township and who was a daughter of Usibius Morris, long a representative farmer in this vicinity. Mr. and Mrs. Geers became the par- ents of one child, Grace Belle, whose birth oc- curred on the 6th of August, 1880. The fond wife and mother was summoned to the life eternal on the 20th of November, 1895, and at the time of her demise her loss was uni- formly mourned throughout Jarvis township, where she was deeply beloved by a wide circle of admiring and affectionate friends. The daughter remains at home with her widowed father and she is a prominent and popular factor in the best social activities of this community.
Mr. Geers retains a deep and abiding inter- est in his old comrades in arms. He is affili- ated with the grand old Masonic order, being a valued and appreciative member of the Order of the Eastern Star at Troy, Illinois, and he and his daughter are connected with the White Shrine, of East St. Louis. In their religious faith Mr. Geers and daughter are devout members of the Methodist church. In politics he has ever been aligned as a stalwart supporter of the cause of the Democratic party and while he has never been incumbent of any public office he does all in his power to forward the best interests of the township and of the county at large. Mr. Geers has lived a life of usefulness such as few men know. God-fearing, law-abiding, progressive, his life is as truly that of a Christian gentle- man as any man's can well be. Unwaveringly he has done the right as he has interpreted it and by reason of his virtuous life his career serves as lesson and incentive to the younger generation.
OTTO THURNAN. At this point attention is directed to a brief history of the career of Otto Thurnan, a representative agriculturist in St. Jacob township, Madison county, Illi-
,
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nois, where he is the owner of a fine estate of one hundred and sixty acres of most arable land. Mr. Thurnan was born in Marine township, this county, on the 7th of Septem- ber, 1859, and he is a son of John C. and Ag- nes (Miller) Thurnan, the former of whom was born in Hanover, Germany, and the latter of whom also claimed Germany as the place of her birth. When thirteen years of age John C. Thurnan accompanied his parents on their removal to the United States. After landing in the harbor of New Orleans the family proceeded to St. Louis, Missouri, whence removal was later made to Liberty Prairie, in the vicinity of which place the father of John C. entered a tract of two hun- dred acres of government land, on which he continued to reside until his death, in 1909. John C. Thurnan stayed at home with his parents until he had reached his eighteenth year, when he went to Edwardsville, Illinois, where he entered upon an apprenticeship to learn the blacksmith's trade. In 1854 he opened a shop for himself at Marine, Illinois, where he remained until 1869, in which year he established his home on a farm in Marine township. In 1884 he removed to Marine, where he owned a tract of seventeen acres of land, on which he erected a fine modern home. He died in August, 1909, at the venerable age of seventy-seven years. His wife, who still survives him, is now living at Highland with a daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Thurnan became the parents of eight children, of whom five are living at the present time, namely,-Ed- ward, Otto, Emma, Henry and Fred.
During his youth Otto Thurnan attended school until he had reached the age of seven- teen years and at that time he returned to his father's farm, where he remained until he had reached his twenty-sixth year. After his marriage, in 1896, he established the family home on a tract of one hundred and thirty acres in St. Jacob township, the same repre- senting the nucleus of his present fine estate of one hundred and sixty acres. He is en- gaged in general farming and the raising of thoroughbred stock and in both lines of enter- prise has been eminently successful. He is a stanch advocate of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands spon- sor in his political proclivities and, while he has never been incumbent of any political of- fice, strictly speaking, he was at one time school director for a period of six years. In religious matters he is a devout member of the Lutheran Evangelical church, in whose
faith he is rearing his children. He is a man whose business dealings have ever been char- acterized by square and straightforward methods and in every walk of life he is hon- ored and esteemed as a gentleman of sterling integrity and extensive influence.
On the 8th of March, 1896, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Thurnan to Miss Emma Vondoersten, a daughter of Herman Von- doersten, a prominent citizen in Marine town- ship. To this union have been born four chil- dren, whose names are here entered in re- spective order of birth,-Oliver, Edgar, Lelia and Clarence, all of whom are pupils in the neighboring district schools. The Thurnan home is widely renowned for liberal hospi- tality and it has been the scene of many at- tractive social gatherings.
EDWARD C. WILLI, who far the past eight years has been supervisor of St. Jacob town- ship, Madison county, Illinois, is a prominent and influential farmer and stock-raiser in this county, his splendid estate of one hundred and sixty acres being eligibly located a half mile distant from St. Jacob, in the vicinity of which place he has resided during practically his entire life time thus far. A native of St. Jacob township, Mr. Willi was born on the 6th of November, 1870, and he is a son of Jacob and Magdalena (Hilby) Willi, both of whom were born and reared in Switzerland, where was solemnized their marriage about the year 1849 and whence they immigrated to the United States in the following year. Coming to this country by way of New Orleans, they proceeded thence to Highland, Illinois, where he immediately engaged in the work of his trade, that of black- smith. In the spring of 1850 Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Willi removed to what is now St. Jacob, of which place he was one of the prin- cipal founders. The town was named in honor of the numerous Jacobs families in this section of the state. Mr. Willi followed blacksmithing in this village until the year 1865, when he established the family home on the farm now occupied by the subject of this review. Entering a tract of government land, Mr. Willi continued to be identified with agri- cultural pursuits during the remainder of his active career. He was summoned to the life eternal on the 4th of March, 1909, and his cherished and devoted wife, who preceded him to the great beyond, passed away in 1884. This union was prolific of four children, of whom but two are living at the present time, in 1911, namely,-Claudine, who resides in
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
the village of St. Jacob, and Edward, whose . Mr. Schoeck was born on the 5th of Novem- name forms the caption for this review. Mr. and Mrs. Willi were honored and esteemed throughout Madison county by reason of their sterling integrity and splendid citizenship.
Reared to maturity on the old homestead farm, Edward C. Willi attended the neighbor- ing district schools until he had reached the age of sixteen years. In 1887 he went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he entered the Bryant & Stratton Business College, in which he pur- sued a commercial course. Eventually re- turning to St. Jacob township, he secured a country school and taught for three terms, at the expiration of which he returned to the old home farm, where he has since resided. After his father's retirement from business he assumed the active management of the home- stead, which is a finely improved estate of one hundred and sixty acres. The farm is in a high state of cultivation and the buildings and various utilities are all of the most mod- ern type. In politics Mr. Willi accords an un- swerving allegiance to the principles and poli- cies for which the Democratic party stands sponsor. He has figured prominently in local affairs and in 1903 was honored by his fellow citizens with election to the office of township supervisor, a position of which he has con- tinued incumbent during the intervening years to the present time, in 1911. In their religious faitlı the Willi family are devout communi- cants of the Catholic church, to whose various good works they are most liberal contributors.
On the 17th of April, 1894, Mr. Willi was united in marriage to Miss Emma M. Ham- mer, both of Saline township, this county, where Mrs. Willi was born and reared. Mr. and Mrs. Willi became the parents of two children, of whom one is living, namely,- Clara E., whose birth occurred on the 19th of June, 1895.
WILLIAM D. SCHOECK. One of the finest rural estates in Madison county is the Wal- nut Grove Stock Farm, eligibly located one and one-half miles distant from St. Jacob. This farm is owned and conducted by Wil- liam D. Schoeck, and it comprises a tract of two hundred and eighteen acres of highly cul- tivated land. Engaged in agricultural pur- suits, stock-raising and the wholesaling and retailing of milk, William D. Schoeck has himself built the ladder by which he has risen to affluence, and in view of that fact his pres- ent high position in business circles in this section of the state is the more gratifying to contemplate. A native of St. Jacob township,
ber, 1877, and he is a son of Christian and Mary (Kaam) Schoeck, the former of whom was called to eternal rest on the 22nd of Feb- ruary, 1909, and the latter of whom is now living at St. Jacob, she being in her sixtieth year and in a fine state of health. The pa- ternal grandfather of him to whom this sketch is dedicated was Christopher Schoeck, whose birth occurred in the great Empire of Germany, whence he immigrated to the United States. Locating at Black Jack in Madison county, Illinois, he reared to matur- ity a family of children, including Christian. Christian Schoeck remained at home with his father until he had attained to the age of thirty years, at which time he was married. After that important event he came to St. Ja- cob township, where he engaged in farming operations and where he passed the residue of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Christian Schoeck be- came the parents of twelve children, of whom four are living, in 19II, namely,-Edward, Robert, Leo and William D.
William D. Schoeck was reared to maturity on the old homestead farm, in the work and management of which he early became asso- ciated with his father. He received a good common-school education and he remained at home until 1903, in which year he was mar- ried. After that event he and his wife went to Galesburg, Illinois, where he turned his attention to the retailing and wholesaling of milk, a line of enterprise with which he con- tinued to be identified for a period of one year, at the expiration of which he removed to Highland, Illinois, there entering the em- ploy of the Helvetia Milk Condensing Com- pany. Sixteen months later, however, he re- turned to St. Jacob township and settled on his present farm, known as the Walnut Grove Stock Farm. Here he devoted his en- tire time and attention to diversified agricul- ture, the raising of high-grade stock and the milk business. His dairy is one of the finest in the entire county and he makes a specialty of shipping milk, having been interested in this line of enterprise for the past sixteen years. Mr. Schoeck is one of the prominent and influential citizens of the younger genera- tion in St. Jacob township, where he com- mands the unalloyed confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact. He is possessed of remarkable executive ability and tremendous vitality and has made a suc- cess of everything to which he has devoted his attention. In politics he is aligned as a
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stalwart in the ranks of the Democratic party and while he has never had time to participate actively in local politics he is ever on the alert and enthusiastically in sympathy with all measures and enterprises advanced for the good of the general welfare. He carries in- surance in the Prudential Life Insurance Company and is affiliated with a number of representative fraternal and social organiza- tions of a local nature. He is a man of broad information and experience, is well read, and in all the relations of life is generous and sym- pathetic.
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