USA > Illinois > Christian County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Christian County, Volume II > Part 43
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Charles Henry Brockelsby attended the schools of Sangamon County until he was sixteen years old. He was married when twenty-two years old, and then moved on forty acres on Section 2, Buckhart Township, Christian County. to which he has added until he now owns 232 acres of
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land, having added seventy-two acres in 1916. He owns a residence in Edinburg and expects to settle there permanently.
On March 1. 1881, Mr. Brockelsby was mar- ried to Katie Schnirring, born October 18, 1860, in Springfield, Ill., the capital of the state, a daughter of Christ and Catherine ( Weiscough) Schnirring. Her father was born in Germany which he left when sixteen years old, making the trip on a sailing vessel, which took six weeks to cross the Atlantic ocean, and upon landing he spent some time in Pennsylvania where he worked by the month. Later he came overland to Springfield, and was married in that city to Catherine Weiscough, who was born in Germany. The wedding took place in the home of Governor Bissell, for whom both he and his bride worked. Mrs. C. H. Brockelsby, the first child, was born in the Governor's Mansion. For the succeeding twenty-five years Christ Schnirring worked for the Lambs Foundry at Springfield, but is now retired, both he and his wife surviving. Mr. and Mrs. Brockelsby have six children, as follows: Annie, married Raymond Bahr, and has one daughter, Pearl M .; Lilly ; Harry, married Ella F. Kelly ; Florence, married Ralph Lord ; Clara ; Walter, at home; and an infant, deceased. In politics Mr. Brockelsby is a Republican. The Methodist Episcopal Church holds his member- ship. Through hard work and close economy he forged ahead, and his success is all the more creditable because it is self-gained. He is a member of the M. W. A.
BROEHL, Julius, one of the leading factors in the commercial and industrial life of Pana, and a man of broad outlook and masterful ideas, was born at Atlanta, Ill., April 12, 1858, a son of Gottleib and Anna (Meuschke) Broehl, natives of Saxony, Germany. The father came to the United States in 1851, locating near Lincoln, Ill., where he was engaged in farming for thirty-four years, or until 1890. In that year he moved to York County, Neb., and continued to farm there until about seventeen years ago when he retired to the city of York, and there he died May 18, 1913. At that time he owned a section of land near York. He was a Republican and a Lu- theran. During the conflict between Denmark and Prussia, he served in the army and was on many a battlefield. When he was seventy- nine years old he visited his native land and while there was presented with a medal and a certificate from the Grand Duke of Saxony, as a tribute to his military record, and he was also given the photograph of the grand duke as a further token of appreciation. During the years that Abraham Lincoln lived at Springfield, Gott- leib Broehl knew him intimately.
Julius Broehl attended the schools of his dis- trict until he was sixteen years old, and then spent two years at the State Normal school under John W. Cook. For the subsequent two years he taught in the country districts and then in June, 1879, went to St. Louis and took a commercial course. being graduated therefrom in March, 1880. Having prepared himself, he took
a position as bookkeeper with the Lincoln Coal Mining Company, under Capt. D. H. Harts, re- cently deceased, working there for eighteen months, when he was sent by his company to Decatur, Ill., to take charge of their affairs there. In 1884 Mr. Broehl sold the first load of coal sent out of the Decatur mine, and was also connected with the management of the com- pany's mine at Pana, conducting the latter con- tinuously until 1906, being in the employ of the same company for twenty-six years. In 1906 the old company sold to the Bell & Zoller Coal Company, of Chicago, and at the time of the sale Mr. Broehl was a heavy stockholder. The Pana mine gave employment to 600 men and Mr. Broehl was in sole charge. For sixteen years Mr. Broehl has been on the Pana city school board, of which he was president for ten years, and for the past two years he has been on the township school board. His business interests have been many and important, and he is a director of the Pana National Bank, the Chris- tian County Telephone Company, the Wilson Tire and Rubber Company of Springfield, the Perfection Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, serving the last two named companies as sec- retary as well, and is a stockholder in the Beall Bros. Manufacturing Company of Alton, Ill., and is a large land owner in York County, Neb.
On September 17, 1884, Mr. Broehl was mar- ried to Louise C. Meister, of Decatur, Ill., a daughter of John P. and Magdalena Meister, natives of Germany. Mr. Meister was a furni- ture dealer and cabinetmaker of Decatur, Ill. He was a member of Company B, Missouri Light Artillery during the Civil War, and was honor- ably discharged because of disability. Mr. and Mrs. Broehl have two sons, namely : Leland P., who is a lawyer in practice at Chicago; and Wayne, who is with the Packard Motor Com- pany of Chicago. The Presbyterian Church holds Mr. Broehl's membership. He is a Re- publican, and belongs to the Masons, Elks and Modern Woodmen of America. In 1911 Mr. and Mrs. Broehl took a very extensive European trip and also traveled in the Holy Land. Interested in intellectual matters, Mr. Broehl founded the Chautauqua Association at Pana nine years ago and gives its yearly gatherings the support of his influence and financial aid.
BROWNBACK, William, now deceased, was for a number of years a forceful figure in the busi- ness life of Edinburg where he carried on ex- tensive operations in grain and cattle. He was born in Pennsylvania, March 8, 1845. His fa- ther who was a German by birth, came in young manhood to the United States, and spent some time in Pickaway County, Ohio, from whence he came to Illinois, buying land near Tower Hill, Shelby County, and conducted the farm until he retired, his death occurring at Tower Hill, where the mother also passed away.
William Brownback spent his boyhood and youth in Ohio, and Shelby County, Ill., and attended school while assisting his father, and also working for other farmers. Later he
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bought a general store at Tower Hill and oper- ated it for a number of years, branching out in his operations to include the handling of grain, forming a partnership in this connection with S. P. Mooney. In time they acquired a string of elevators along the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road from Tower Hill to Beardstown, and they also operated a large elevator at Edinburg, to which place Mr. Brownback moved in order to direct his business which had by this time assumed very large proportions, severing at this time his relations with his partner, and continuing the grain buiness alone at Edinburg for thirty years. His other interests were im- portant as he was vice-president of the Citizens State Bank of Edinburg. Subsequently he re- tired from the grain business and began hand- ling cattle upon a very large scale, spending part of his time on his ranch in Butler County, Kas., which comprised 21,000 acres of land. His death occurred from heart failure June 3, 1910, After he acquired this ranch the family di- vided their time between it and the home in Edinburg.
On August 21, 1862, Mr. Brownback enlisted for service during the Civil War, in Company C, Third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was hon- orably discharged May 21, 1865. He connected himself with Edinburg Post No. 402, G. A. R., of Edinburg, July 2, 188S. The Republican party and the Methodist Church had his sup- port.
On November 18, 186S, Mr. Brownback was married to Miss Elizabeth DeCoursey, born at Newport, Ky., a daughter of Oliver M. and Elizabeth (Shaw) DeCoursey. The parents were born, reared and married at Newport, Ky., and the father was a very prominent man of his time, and served his county as sheriff. Both parents of Mrs. Brownback are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Brownback became the parents of four children, namely : Dellman, Margaret, Ger- trude and William, the last named dying at the age of twenty-one years. Few men left a more lasting impression on his time and locality than did Mr. Brownback, and he not only was suc- cessful in business, but was equally so in mak- ing warm, personal friends of all degrees. Generous and open-handed, he assisted those less fortunate than himself, and was beloved by all with whom he came into contact.
BRULEY, Joseph, a retired farmer of Assump- tion, has fairly earned the comforts he is now enjoying, by his earnest efforts along agricultural lines. He was born at Stanphold, Quebec, Can- ada, November 23, 1851, a son of Paul and Hazzett (Saincier) Bruley. Both the parents were born near Quebec. Canada, and were mar- ried in Stanphold, and there the father was engaged in farming. He built the first log house on the farm, and the first tree he cut down on his property, he used in laying the sill for his house. His original purchase comprised sixty acres, and he first cleared the land, and then con- dueted it for fifteen years, when he sold it, and came, in 1863, to Assumption, Ill. For the
succeeding eight years he operated land be- longing to E. A. Malhoit, and then rented land which was all wild, doing his plowing with ox teams. At that time there was plenty of wild game and unfortunately rattlesnakes were often found. IIis death occurred in 1879, when he was seventy-three years old, and the mother died in 1874, aged sixty-five years.
Joseph Bruley was twelve years old when the family came to Assumption Township, and all of his attendance at school was done prior to that, as his assistance was needed by his father in farm work. After his marriage, he rented land, and in their old age he supported his par- ents. In 1892 he bought a farm from George Pas- field, three miles southwest of Assumption, con- sisting of 120 acres, to which he added forty acres he bought from Frank Michael. This first farm was one he had rented for nine years prior to his purchase of it, and he lived on his 160 acres until 1912, when he retired, and bought nine lots at Assumption, on which he erected a handsome residence and this has since continued his home. In politics he is a Democrat.
On Nov. 14, 1871, Mr. Bruley was married to Miss Mary Prince, born in Stanphold, Canada, a daughter of Frank and Lucy (LeBlann) Prince, born near Quebec, Canada, September 9, 1849, who came to the United States in 1858, locating at Assumption, where the father began farmning for E. E. Malhoit, and so continued for fifteen years. Both the parents of Mrs. Bruley are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Bruley became the parents of the following children: Josephine, who was married to E. A. Walker, of Decatur, Ill. ; Julia, who was married to Charles Schmidt ; Charles, who was married to Miss Ora Edward ; Ella, who was married to Robert McCormick, died November 12, 1910; Anna, who was mar- ried to Edward Keiting, died on January 26. 1911; Sidney, who is living in South Dakota ; Frank, who is married, is living in South Da- kota ; and Ada and George, who are both living at home.
BUCKLES, Jacob G., owns and operates sixty acres of very valuable farm land on Section 27, Mt. Auburn Township, where he has spent prac- tically all of his life. He was born in this township, June 23, 1868, a son of Ephraim and Susanna (Gruber) Buckles, both of whom are now deceased. The family history is as fol- lows : Robert Buckles, great-great-grandfather of Jacob G. Buckles, was born in Yorkshire, Eng- land, May 15, 1702, and founded the family in America in 1719 when he came to this country. He was married to Ann Brown who was born in Bucks County, Pa., in August, 1705, and their children were as follows: Abram, Jane, Robert, Mary, James and William, all of whom were born in Jefferson County, Va.
Of the above children, Robert Buckles be- came the great-grandfather of Jacob G. Buckles, and he was born October 10, 1740. He was mar- ried to Rachel Vanmetre, who was born in Berkley County, Va., July 27, 1743. Their chil- dren were as follows: Ann, born September 19,
.
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1763; William, born November 29, 1765; Robert, born April 16, 1768; Mary, born March 25, 1770; Henry, born June 21, 1772; John, born January 17, 1775; Isaac, born April 16, 1777 ; Abraham, born December 9, 1779; and Rachel, born February 7, 1782, all of whom were born near Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, Va.
Abraham Buckles, the grandfather, was mar- ried to Elizabeth Wallingsford, who was born March 7, 1779, and their children were as fol- lows : Maria, born July 28, 1803; Aaron, born December 16, 1805; Phebe, born December 5, 1807 ; Ephraim, born March 25, 1810; Eliza Ann, born May 22, 1812; Mary, born September 22, 1814; Lewis M., born June 23, 1817; Robert, born November 2, 1820; Sara, born April 19, 1822.
Ephraim Buckles was married to Susanna Gruber, who was born August 12, 1823, and their children were as follows: Mann P., horn August 19, 1858; Ann E., born August 5, 1860; William B., born June 26, 1862: and Jacob G. The mother of these children was the widow of Robert Buckles, when she was married to Eph- raim Buckles, her first marriage having taken place in Virginia, February 18, 1845. On April 9, 1855, the Buckles family left Virginia for Illinois and arrived in this state on May 9. After the arrival of the family, Robert Buckles died, and on March 21, 1858. his widow and his brother were married, in Christian County, Ill.
Growing up in his native township, Jacob G. Buckles attended the local schools and from his boyhood devoted himself to tilling the soil. On October 8. 1891, he was married at Blue Mound, Ill., to Omo Barnes, who was born February 16, 1873, at Mechanicsburg, Ill. Their children are as follows: William W., who was born May 14, 1893, was married to Jessie New, born June 24, 1894; Flora E., who was born December 1, 1897 ; Glenn E., who was born Sep- tember 1, 1905. The eldest lives at Kincaid, and the two younger are at home. For the past twenty-five years Mr. Buckles has been a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows at Custer, Ill., his mem- bership being held by Berry Lodge No. 26. The Methodist Church of Buckhart holds his mem- bership. A Democrat, he has been a school di- rector for many years. In addition to his farm, he owns stock in the Farmers Elevator Com- pany of Breckenridge. Ill .. and is a man of sub- stance who stands well with his fellow citizens.
BUELL, Herbert Edgar, now deceased, was born at Waukegan, Ill., May 22. 1856, and died at Eureka Springs, Ark., March 18, 1907. He was buried at Pana his home town. He was the second son of Wallis S. and Emily E. Buell. After attending the public schools, at the age of seventeen years, he with his two brothers, Henry A. and Frank E. Buell, embarked in a hardware and furniture business in Pana, under the caption of Buell Brothers' Hardware and Furniture Company, and after twenty years of successful business operations he retired in March, 1882. He was a prosperous and reliable business man of Pana, and is remembered for
his numerous deeds of kindness as well as for his upright dealings and honorable methods. At the time of his death, he was one of Pana's wealthiest citizens.
Mr. Buell was married to Henrietta Huffman Hague, February 6, 1900. No children were born of this union, and his wife alone survives him. He was a devoted husband, a lover of home and an ideal homemaker and but a few months before his death, had erected one of the most beautiful homes in Pana, situated on the corner of Fourth and Maple streets, where it now remains as a monument of love and respect to his widow. In politics he was a stanch Re- publican. In religion, he was a Protestant. He came with his parents to Christian County at an early day, and located at Pana, where his father, Wallis S. Buell, engaged in a real estate business and at the time of his death owned large tracts of lands in Illinois and Kansas, and also a large amount of property in Chi- cago. He was one of Pana's capitalists and a careful business man. He was kind hearted and through his generous and careful advice and other assistance aided many men in this county in buying and paying for their farms. Fraternally he was a Thirty-second Degree Mason. In politics he was a Republican. In religion he was a Protestant. He was one of Pana's oldest and most substantial citizens. Wallis S. and Emily E. Buell were the parents of three sons, namely : IIenry A., Herbert F. and Frank E. Buell. Both parents and the three sons are now deceased. Emsley Sunderlin, father of Emily E. Buell and grand- father of Henry A., Herbert E. and Frank E. Buell, was. a pioneer resident of Waukegan, Lake County, Ill., having at one time owned the present site of the town of Waukegan. He also owned large tracts of land adjoining this town at the time of his death. He was one of Waukegan's wealthiest and most influential citizens. One son, William Sunderlin, now a resident of Waukegan, still survives, having reached the ripe old age of eighty-five years, and is still in comfortable health. Charles A. Buell, son of Henry A. and Ella Katz Buell and grandson of Wallis S. and Emily E. Buell, with his two sons, Charles A .. Jr .. and Herbert H., all of Chicago, was the only surviving relative of Wallis S. and Emily E. Buell, deceased.
BULPITT, Edward Andrew, a successful farmer and the founder of the town of Bulpitt, Ill., owns some very valuable coal lands in South Fork Township. He was born on his present farm, March 1, 1870, a son of James C. and Ann ( Snow) Bulpitt. The father was born on Prince Edward's Island, and the mother in Vermont. In young manhood, the father came to Vermont where he was married, and with his wife came to Springfield, Sangamon County, Ill., where he found employment as a carpenter. Later he moved to the farm now owned by his son, buy- ing the land and operating it, and also con- ducted a general store, it being the first in this locality. His farming operations were impor-
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tant as were also his dealings in stock. In 1902 he retired and moved to Springfield, Ill., where lie died January 5, 1913. The mother died July 19, 1914. In politics he was a Republican and lie had served as road commissioner. The Bap- tist Church held his membership.
Edward Andrew Bulpitt grew up on this farni, and attended the schools in the neighborhood and in Edinburg, and then engaged in farming, and later came into possession of 146 acres of the homestead. With the discovery of coal oll his property came added prosperity, and he founded the town of Bulpitt, centered about the Peabody mine. His residence is a comfortable modern one, which was built by his father.
On February 22, 1894, Mr. Bulpitt was mar- ried to Miss Mary L. George, born in this township. February 22, 1872, a daughter of James and Jane (Hedrick) George, natives of Sangamon County, Ill., who moved to Southi Fork Township and bought land. The mother of Mrs. Bulpitt died in 1915, but the father sur- vives and makes his home at Taylorville, to which place he moved in 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Bulpitt have four children, namely : Hazel, born March 28, 1895, was married September 17, 1916, to Harry O. Prater; George, born October 31, 1896; James C., born January 23, 1901; and Gwendolyn, born February 9, 1916. In politics Mr. Bulpitt is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Church.
BULPITT, Ferdinand S .- This is the age of rapid transition ; and, as time passes, the various changes wrought in every community are very evident. The changes man designs such as the founding of our institutions, the development of local resources, the building of public utilities and all like things established to make life better and comfort easier of attainment, are no longer startling for we, in our age, have come to expect things of the kind; but the changes wrought by nature and by destiny are never-ending sources of wonder. Sometimes we are appalled. When death takes a hand and we find a neighbor gone, one who has been a very real part of our com- munity life, the change is hard to accept and to understand. In the death of Ferdinand S. Bul- pitt, on June 28, 1911, the very general feeling of sorrow throughout Christian County was coupled with a sense of individual loss, for Mr. Bulpitt was held in the highest regard.
Ferdinand S. Bulpitt was a native of Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he was born December 22, 1836, in Charlottetown. His father was a Church of England minister. The son at- tended the grade and higher schools of Charlotte- town, where his home was until he had nearly reached his majority. He was trained as a cabinet maker : and when he came to South Fork Township, Christian County, Ill., to establish a new home, his experience enabled him to become a successful building contractor. In 1878 he moved to Edinburg and there went into the furniture and undertaking business. He was thus engaged in Edinburg until the year 1883. when he removed to Taylorville. Some two
years later he commenced the erection of the building which now bears his name and which is at present occupied by F. S. Bulpitt Sons' Furniture Store. The building was finished in 1886 and Mr. Bulpitt moved his furniture and undertaking business from the Mitt-Cheney building into the new rooms. Here he was en- gaged until 1902 when he sold out to his sons Earl and Ross. Earl later disposed of his in- terest to his brother Lorne; and, to the present time, the extensive furniture business is owned by Ross and Lorne Bulpitt. The undertaking business has been perpetuated through Earl Bul- pitt, and the services he is able to render through his up-to-the-minute equipment are appreciated. In speaking of the elder Bulpitt, the foregoing is all that need be said of the influence of his work toward the right sort of development in Christian County.
Ferdinand S. Bulpitt was married on Decem- ber 2, 1872, to Miss Mary Richardson, of South- Fork Township, a daughter of Isaac and Eliza (Hargis) Richardson. To Mr. and Mrs. Bulpitt were born these children : Bessie Louise, died in infancy. Lutie G., who married G. C. Bar- bare and lives in Taylorville. Lorne, who mar- ried Clella Torrent, of Taylorville, has four chil- dren, Darline, Lorne, Jr., Virginia and Betty ; Ross, who married Glenna Osborn, of Taylor- ville, who has one daughter, Mary; Chester ; Adele, who married C. R. Pugh, at present lives in Elizabeth City, N. C.
F. S. Bulpitt, as his fellow citizens knew him, was a man of rare sympathy, for, during the many years of his activity here he was constantly viewing human nature shorn by grief of super- ficialities. His tenderness and the comfort it brought with it to sorrowing ones was one of his chief attributes, for everyone knew it to be. not a part of his trade, but sincerely a part of his character. Mr. Bulpitt was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
BURNIER, August, a retired farmer of As- sumption was formerly one of the progressive and successful farmers of Christian County. He was born in St. Livres Canton, DeVand, Switzer- land. February 22, 1840, a son of Jean and Mary (Keller) Burnier. Jean Burnier and his wife were both born in the same place as their soul, and were there reared, educated and married. The father served the stipulated period in the Swiss army, and then engaged in farming. so continuing until his death in 1884, the mother surviving him until 1896, neither having left their native land.
August Burnier spent his boyhood in Switzer- land, and attended a military school, but in 1862 he went to Paris, France, where he became a clerk in a merchant tailoring establishment, re- maining there for sixteen years. Later he re- turned to his native place, but in 1873, after spending two years with his father, he went back to Paris, France, resuming his former em- ployment. Four years afterwards he left it and came to the United States, arriving at Philadel- phia in 1877. From that city he came to Blue
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Mound, Macon County, III., and worked as a farm hand until he accumulated sufficient money to send for his wife and family. After their ar- rival, hie rented land from his uncle, August Michoh, the farm comprising 120 acres, and he conducted it for three years, when he rented another Macon County farm from William Moss, living on it for twelve years. He then bought 120 acres of land five miles west of Assumption, in the township of that name, and after making a number of improvements, left it in 1908 to retire to Assumption where he is now residing. owning his comfortable residence. Beginning with small means he has now his residence and fine farm, and stands very high with his asso- ciates. In politics he is a Democrat, and belongs to the Presbyterian Church.
On August 16, 1870, Mr. Burnier was married to Mary Edel, a daughter of Michael and Mary ( Umaker) Edel, natives of Obermodern, Bas, Rhine, Germany, the parents never leaving their native land, where the father died in 1877, and the mother in 1906, having been farming people. Mr. and Mrs. Burnier have one child, Emile Henry, who is now living on his father's farm in Assumption Township. On November 23, 1904. Emile Henry Burnier was married to Leona Milot, a native of Assumption Township. and they have four children, namely : Mary Lonise, August, Eugene and Virginia. Mr. Bur- nier is a man of broad ideas, and having traveled extensively is able to make comparisons and give others the result of his experience.
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