History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 42

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 650

USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 42

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JOHN JONES, druggist, Effingham, was born in North Germany, near the city of

BIOGRAPHICAL:

Schleswig, October 19, 1846. He was edu- cated in the public schools of his native country. He came to the United States in 1864, and located in Tuscola. Douglas Co .. Ill., where he entered a drug store to learn the business, with Davis & Niles, and served three and one-half years as clerk. In the summer of 1868, he came to Effingham, and clerked in a drug store until June, 1869, when he bought a stock of drugs and medi- cines of Thomas D. Craddock, and has con- tinued in the drug business ever since with good success. He was married, in 1871, to Miss O. M. Loomis, 'step-daughter of A. S. Moore.

REV. HERMANN JUNGMANN, rector, Effingham, was born in Westphalia, Germany, in the town of Ochtrup, October 1, 1846. He was educated in the Gymnasium at Münster, which he left in his twenty-second year and entered the School of Philosophy at Roulers. remaining one year; then entered the Ameri- can College at Louvain, Belgium, where he studied theology for three years. In the same year he left school. September, 1872. and came to America. He had received the order of Prisethood in December, 1871. at Malines, Belgium. He was first appointed rector of St. Andrew's Church, at Murfrees- boro. Ill., in October, 1872, where he con- tinned until March. 1877, when he was ap- pointed rector of St. Anthony's Church, at Effingham, Ill., of which church he has since been pastor.

A. B. KAGAY, deceased, died February 15, 1877, aged seventy-four years and five months. He was of German parentage, born in the State of Virginia September 17, 1802, and did not learn to speak English until he was ten years old. His parents emigrated during his infancy to Fairfield County, Ohio, where he was raised on a farm. His educa- tion was limited, yet was sufficient for all

practical purposes. He was married. on the 17th day of August, 1826. In 1832, he emi- grated to Findlay, Hancock Co., Ohio, where he engaged in the tanning business. He subsequently engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, but with indifferent success, and also carried on a harness and saddlery shop. In 1841, he emigrated to Ewington, Ill., and engaged in the saddlery and harness busi- ness. In the fall of 1842, he was elected County Clerk, which office he filled for four years. being succeeded by Daniel Rinehart. In November, 1853, he was elected County Treasurer and Assessor, which offices he held until succeeded by G. W. Barcus, in 1860. As Assessor, he was required to traverse the entire county and visit every resident to take his assessment of taxable property; hence, no man at that time was so well acquainted with all the people in the county as he. In 1861, he was elected Justice of the Peace or Police Magistrate of the city of Effingham, and, in 1865, he was elected Township Justice of the Peace which office he held until 1873. He also held the offices of School Director and Town- ship Treasurer for a number of years. In 1830. he joined the Old School Predestinarian Baptist Church, and has ever since been an active member of that church. There was nothing he prized so much as attending his church meetings. In his opinion, when once formed, he was fixed and positive, and his at- tachment to his friends were ever constant and confiding. Being scrupulous and honest himself, he believed others to be the same, and was therefore often deceived and imposed upon. Kind to all, he was an affectionate husband and indulgent father, doing all in his power to rear his children to make goo l and useful members of society, by giving them as good an education as the educational facilities of the country then afforded. . His first wife died at Ewington in the fall of

EFFINGHAM CITY AND DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP.

1857. and he was married again, in Septem- ber, 1859, to Ursella Miller, a widow, who survives him. By his first wife he had five children-two sons and three daughters, of whom one son and two daughters survive.

BENJAMIN F. KAGAY, lawyer, Effing- ham, was born in Pleasant Township. Fair- field County, Ohio, February 27, 1831. His father, A. B. Kagay, died a few years ago at the age of seventy-four. His mother, Sarah (Hall) Kagay, was of Scotch-Irish parentage, and died while in her fifty-fourth year. Our subject was the recipient of a common-school education, perfected by his own after efforts. From his sixteenth to his twenty-second year, he was occupied in teaching, and in the meantime prosecuting the study of law, en- tering subsequently upon the active practice of his profession. He soon built up a large and remunerative business in this county, which has since engrossed his whole time and attention. He was President of the Board of Trustees of Effingham, and for three terms was the Supervisor of Douglas Town- ship, this county. For two terms he was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Effingham County, and was also Chairman of the Building Committee of the Effingham County Court House. He was the first Mayor of the city of Effingham, serving two terms- 1867-68. He was a member of the Legisla- ture of 1871 and 1872 filling the vacancy in the office occasioned by the death of David Leith. He was a member of the firm of Cooper & Kagay, and commenced practicing law in 1855. He was married, February 6, 1853, in Fayette County, Ill., to Martha J. Starnes, and has had five children, three of whom are living-the oldest child. a daugh- ter, is the wife of A. B. Judkins, of Spring- field, Ill .. an accomplished musician; Ben- jamin F. and Mattie. Our subject is now Police Magistrate of the city of Effingham. township, and Joseph.

In politics, he is a Democrat, an independ- ent thinker and actor in political affairs.

JOSEPH KAUFMANN was born in the vicinity of Green Creek May 29, 1856. He was educated at St. Joseph's College, Teu- topolis, where he spent twelve months, and began teaching in Cumberland County, Ill., in 1876. and taught seven months in public schools at Lillyville, and, in 1878, he took charge of the Green Creek School which num- bers from thirty-six to forty pupils; both English and German languages are taught. Our subject's mother is the daughter of Her- mann H. Niman, who was born in Oldenburg, Germany, where he married Mary Selhorst, and had three sons and one daughter. Sub- ject's wife, Anna Elizabeth, was eighteen years old when she came to this county, in 1838. Her father settled where his son, Clemens Niman, now lives; they bought out a little improvement, came and settled there some time in the spring of 1839. She only remembers a Mr. Stewart and Cohee in all this township at that time. She went to Hutchins' water mill. on the Wabash. seven miles, and carried a bushel of meal on her shoulder home. She married Mr. John F. Osterhaus, in about 1842. and settled, after marriage, where her son Henry Osterhaus now lives. Two children were born of this marriage, only one son survives, above men- tioned. After about four years of married life, Mr. Osterhaus died, and subsequently she married Ferdinand Kaufmann. He was born in Prussia, and came to this county be- tween 1840 and 1850, and bought a farm, where Clemens Kaufmann now lives, where he died about 1860, leaving eight children, five of whom are yet living. as follows: Fer- dinand, in Shelby County, farmer; Sophia, wife of Henry Jansen, of this township; Catharine, married; Clemens, farmer, of this

BIOGRAPHICAL:

ALFRED H. KELLY, County Sheriff, Effingham City, was born in Fairfield Coun- ty, Ohio, May 17, 1837. He came to Illinois when four years old, his parents settling in what is now Summit Township in 1841. His father entered eighty acres in Blue Point, in the edge of the timber, which only had few settlements. He went twenty miles in those days to a raising, and broke prairie after night to avoid the flies. Our subject re- ceived his education in a log schoolhouse. His first teacher was Sarah Spaulding. The schoolhouse was situated on the Johnny Brown farm. The father of our subject went to the Mexican war, and subject went to Cumberland County and lived four years with an uncle. His father died when he (subject) was twenty years of age, and our subject started in life for himself. He worked by the month and day for about three years, when he ran a threshing machine for about one or two years. He was married, in 1859, to Miss Elizabeth Burrell, a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, and afterward bought eighty acres of land, which he still owns, in Banner Township, where he is still farming, raising grain and stock He has always been connected with the Democratic party, and served as Supervisor of his township for five terms. He was elected Sheriff of Effingham County in November, 1880, and was renomi- nated by the Democratic primary in April, 1882, for a term of four years to same office. He has two children living and two dead. His father, Hugh Dennis Kelly, was born in Ohio about 1804. He was a stone mason by trade, but farmed in later years. He served with Judge Gillenwaters in the Mexican war. His health was permanently impaired by his service. He kept a hotel at Ewington for two years, and was book-keeper for a time for the Illinois Central Railroad. He died on the farm about 1858. Our subject has

two sisters living -Electa and Sarah A., the latter the wife of L. J. Hankins, of this county.

HENRY B. KEPLEY, attorney at law, Effingham, was born on Limestone Creek, in Effingham County, Ill., June 20, 1836. He was raised on a farm, and, until the age of eighteen years, was principally engaged in farming pursuits. From childhood he was dependent upon his own efforts for support and education. He had great desire to at- tend school, but his circumstances were such that he could not do so, except occasionally. twenty or thirty days at a time, and conse- quently his early education was quite limit- ed, though at an early age he became able to read. He had great fondness for reading, and, by the time he was ten years old, had read probably every book in the neighbor- hood, the number of which, however, was by no means great; but among which were the Bible, the Columbian Orator, the English Reader, Peter Parley's Tales, Horry's Life of Marion, Weem's Life of Washington, the lat- ter of which had been bought for him, and which he had read and re-read, until he could repeat from memory page after page of it. One Friday afternoon at the close of school, the teacher, J. W. P. Davis, announced that he would give a reward to the pupil who, on the next Monday, at the opening of school, could recite the greatest number of sentences from some history or similar book. On Mon- day morning, when it came Henry's turn to recite, he handed to the teacher his "Weem's," and continued to recite page after page, till finally the teacher interrupted him by saying: " You have undoubtedly recited enough to en- title you to the reward, and we will defer your reciting the rest of the book till some other day." When about thirteen years of age, he for the first time attended Sunday school, at New Hope Church. Here, in con-

EFFINGHAM CITY AND DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP.

testing for the prize offered for committing to memory and reciting the greatest number of chapters of the New Testament during the term, he committed to memory all of the Book of Matthew, except the first three chap- ters, all of the Book of Mark, and nearly all of the Book of Luke, gaining the prize-a small Testament, which. though of small val- ue in money, was by him highly prized as the token of his success. His success in such matters was attributable more to industry or persevering effort than to any special faculty From fifteen to eighteen years. of age, he was constantly employed as a hired hand, mostly at farm labors, but part of the time onthe Illinois Central Railroad, which was then being con- structed through Effingham County. The proceeds of these three years of labor. above necessary expenses, were invested in a hun- dred acres of land, which, in the fall of 185-4, he sold for $500. He now decided to direct his attention to obtaining education, and to use the money he had got for liis land in de- fraying his expenses while attending school. During the winter of 1854-55, he attended the district school taught by Dr. Whorton at New Hope Church. During the spring and summer of 1855, he attended a private school at Mason, kept by A. W. Avery. In the win- ter following, he attended a school kept by Uriah McCoy, near Watson. . In March 4. 1856, at Georgetown, Ill., he began teach- ing his first school, which lasted six months. In September, 1856, he went to Franklin College, at Franklin, Ind., which he attend- ed one year. His money being now exhaust- ed, he could no longer attend college, much to his regret, as he had a great desire to con- tinne his collegiate course till he graduated. But, as he was not able to do this because of the lack of means, he continued his studies privately while teaching school, which voca- tion he resumed after leaving college. In 1

February, 1859, he began the study of law, with the view of becoming a lawyer. Here again he encountered the difficulties arising from lack of money, as he had no means with which to defray the expenses of a regular course of law studies. In March, 1860, he passed a successful examination, and was ad- mitted to the bar, and in May following he began the practice of law. in the meantime continuing to teach school and read law the same as before his admission to the bar, un- til November, 1862, at which time he came to Effingham and opened a law office, where he has since been in the active practice of his chosen profession. Whatever success Mr. Kepley has achieved has been the result of his great industry and untiring persever ance, and it gives to all young men an exam- ple well worthy of their strictest emulation. Having no influential friends to assist him in his advancement, he has at all times had to rely on his own efforts. As a lawyer, he stands deservedly high among his fellow-mem- bers, and is known as a faithful, earnest and hard-working advocate. Since arriving at the age of manhood, he has at all times taken an active part in public affairs in his county. As a citizen, he is publie-spirited, broad in his views and progressive. and is an active worker in the temperance reform. Ou No- vember 7, 1867, he was married to Ada H. Miser, of Effingham, and she is associated with him in his practice.

ADA H. KEPLEY, attorney, Effingham (with H. B. Kepley), is the daughter of Hen- ry Miser, and was born in Somerset, Perry Co., Ohio, February 11, 1847. In her thir- teenth year, her parents removed to St. Louis, where she attended the Clay Grammar School, then taught by Dr. William T. Har- ris, and afterward attended the St. Louis High School for two years. In September, 1866, she came with her parents to Effing.

BIOGRAPHICAL:

ham, Ill., and was married, November 7, 1867 to Mr. Henry B. Kepley, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere. In 1868, she be- gan the study of law with her husband, and. in September, 1869, she entered the Law De- partment of the University of Chicago, and graduated from it in 1870, and applied for a certificate to Mr. Charles Reed, who said he was willing personally to give certificates to the ladies to practice, but the law prevented them from entering the learned profession. Mr. and Mrs. Kepley prepared a bill in 1871 to allow women the right of admittance, which was presented by Capt. Ed Harlan, of Marshall, who was representing this Senato- rial District in 1871-72. The bill was ably defended by such men in the Lower Honse as Judge J. B. Bradwell, of Chicago, and Mr. Reddick, of Ottawa, and others, and it passed and became a law during that session. Mrs. Kepley applied for admission to the bar at Springfield, and was admitted January 27, 1881. She was also commissioned Notary Public August 20, 1881, and is now in regu- lar practice of the profession. She is serv- ing her 'third year as member of the Effing- ham School Board, being the first lady elect- ed to that body.

ANTHONY KREKE, contractor and build- er, Effingham, was born in Effingham, this county, February 16, 1849, son of Arnold and Gertrude (Dreismann) Kreke, natives of Oldenburg, Germany; he, a farmer, died in Effingham, this county, in 1852, where the mother died also. They had five children. Our subject received his schooling in Effing- ham, and began life as a farmer, and in 1861 learned the carpenter's trade, which he has since followed, mostly in this county, and in which occupation he is a skilled workman. He was married, in Effingham, November 26, 1875, to Mary Goldstein, born March 31, 1855, in Missouri, daughter of Henry Gold

stein, a native of Germany, and a soldier. Mr. and Mrs. Kreke have three children- Lizzie, born April 4, 1875; Joseph, July 26, 1878; and Anna, July 29, 1882. In relig- ion, our subject is a Catholic, and is a Dem- ocrat in politics.

JOHN H. I. LACY, American Express Agent, Effingham, is the son of Isaiah and Mary A. (Wright) Lacy, and was born in Clay County, Ill., September 16, 1833. His father died when he (subject) was ten months old, at which age he came to this county with his mother and grandfather, Jonathan Wright, who settled at Ewington, where sub- ject lived with his mother until of age. There were no public schools when he was a boy, and his first teacher was Joe Wheeler, who taught about the first school in Ewing- ton. Our subject became a clerk for Dr. Hamilton L. Smith in his store at the age of nineteen, and was afterward a clerk in the store of Presley Funkhouser. At the age of twenty-one, he began the study of dentistry with Dr. Floyd, of Greenville, and traveled with him to different places for two years, remaining a few weeks in a place. Mr. Lacy begau the practice of dentistry at Ewington about 1856, where he remained until he re- moved to Effingham, in about 1858, and trav- eled in the surrounding country until the war broke out. He enlisted in the spring of 1861, at the first call for three-months men, and was First Lieutenant of the Effingham Guards, which was Company G of the Elev- enth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and he served until the term expired, when he re-en- listed, in 1862, in the Ninety-eighth Illinois Infantry, and was Adjutant of the regiment, and joined the Army of the Cumberland, re- maining with the regiment until after the battle of Stone River, when he resigned and came home in 1863 on account of sickness in his family. In the spring of 1865, he re-

EFFINGHAM CITY AND DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP.

joined the service as Major of the One Hun- dred and Fifty-fifth Illinois, and was mus- tered ont at the close of the war at Spring- field, Ill. After the war, Mr. Lacy practiced dentistry for about two years. In 1867, he became agent of the American Express Com- pany, and has conducted their agency ever since.

JOHN W. LACOCK, Depaty Postmaster, Effingham, was born in Gallatin County, Ky., near the village of Patriot, Ind .. in 1843. This town is situated just across the river. He is the eighth child of the family. His father's name was Joseph. and his mother's maiden name was Maria Wetherbee, of In- diana. His father was of French origin, and is supposed to have been born in Pennsylva- nia or Ohio, at a date not known to subject. He was a school-teacher, which he followed from early life to the time of his death. His children were Mary, wife of Peter Lankins; she resides near the old homestead at Patriot,. Ind .; Phobe W., wife of James K. Reed, of Mason, Ill .; James W., a resident of Ken- tucky: Susan, wife of William Keneday, a resident of the old homestead in Patriot, Ind. ; Anna, wife of S. E. Herrick, of same place; Jane, wife of William G. DeHart, of same place. His mother was of English descent, and was born in America. Both parents died while subject was young, soon after which he went to Oldham County, Ky., where he en- gaged as errand boy in a store kept by Dr. E. W. Beckwith. While thus employed, he received such advantages of an education as the situation afforded. He remained there until 1859, when he returned to Patriot, Ind., and entered a drug store as clerk for the same Dr. Beckwith, who had removed to that place in the meanwhile. He remained here until the breaking-out of the war. wlien. after two nnsnecessful attempts, he finally succeeded in joining the Ninety-third In-

diana Infantry, in which he served three years, during which time he participated in all the battles in which his regiment was en- gaged-first at Jackson approach to Vicks- burg. At this fight. the regiment had been marching through a drenching rain, in con- sequence of which they were unable to dis- charge their guns, on which account they charged and took one of the enemy's batter- ies. He was appointed Deputy Postmaster in 1SS2. After his army service, he returned to Patriot, Ind., where, in 1866, he was mar- ried to Miss Mary Wright, of Quercus Grove, Ind. They have had five children, two of whom are deceased. Those living are Effie and Pearl, and one not named. He is an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. In politics, a Republican. A member of Grand Army and Red Men, and was the first to establish the latter order in Illinois, being at that time Sachem of the Seminole Tribe. He also rep- resented the State at the Grand Council held in Philadelphia in 1870. During his army service, he was a constant contributor to his home papers.

HENRY J. LAMPING, deceased, was born in Germany February 20, 1846, son of Joseph and Friedericka (Vorwerk) Lamping, natives also of Germany, he born September 27, 1818, she November 22, 1817. They are farmers in the old country, and are parents of four children- three sons and one dangh- ter. Our subject received his schooling in his native country, where he also learned the shoe-maker's trade, which he followed up to the time of his marriage, which occurred in Teutopolis, this county, June 27, 1871, when he married Catharina Uptmore, born Febrn- ary 11, 1850, in Tentopolis, daughter of Clemens and Elizabeth (Niehans) Uptmore, natives of Germany. Our subject came to this county in 1866, and resided in Teutopo- lis until 1879, when he came to Effingham

BIOGRAPHICAL:

City and opened a general store, with a stock consisting of groceries, queensware and dry goods, which business his widow now man- ages. Mr. Lamping was a member of the Town Board of Teutopolis. He was a mem- ber of the Catholic Church, and a Democrat in politics. He died September 11, 1882.

WILLIAM A. LAYTON, dealer in agri- cultural implements, Effingham, was born in Knox County, Ill., February 29, 1848, and moved to Bishop Township, this county, in 1852, where he lived about one year. His father. William Layton, became a foreman on the Illinois Central Railroad, and moved to Mason with his family and worked on the railroad construction during four years, su- perintending the grading, etc. Subject lived at Mason but a year, when he moved to what is known as the old patch on north side of Wabash, between Mason and Watson, for three years, and kept boarders When the road was completed, his father moved back to a farm in Bishop Township, and bought the 160 acres where Wm. Endebrook now lives. Our subject received his education at Bishop Point, in a log schoolhouse with pa- per window lights, with fire-place across the end of the house. At the age of sixteen, he began buying stock for Zion Frost and S. D. Dole, and bought in this and Jasper Coun- ties for six years. He was married, in 1869, to Miss Annie Downs, of Paris, Edgar Coun- ty, and settled in Nelson Township, Moultrie Co., Ill., where he remained until 1872, en- gaged in farming, and. in the latter part of 1872 and 1873. he carried mail from Sulli- van to Decatur, before the railroad was built. His wife died in the fall of 1872. He took a trip West in 1875, as far as Fort Benton, D. T., in search of health and adventure, spend- ing the summer there. He farmed in 1876, and in 1877 he began selling goods for Mr. Tedrick, at Teutopolis, for eighteen months,

when he moved stock to Effingham, and con- tinued until 1880. In 1881, he formed a partnership with Mr. J. E. Tedrick, under the firm name of Tedrick & Layton, and they have conducted a prosperous business in ag- ricultural implements, with warerooms on Washington street. Our subject was mar- ried a second time. in 1879, to Miss Mary E. Funk, daughter of J. R. Funk. of this coun- ty. They have one daughter living. The father is still living. at Wheeler, Jasper Co., Ill., engaged as section foreman on the nar- row-gauge railroad.

DR. JOHN LE CRONE. Few of the pio- neers of Effingham County have a history of more general merit than Dr. John Le Crone; coming here in an early day, and during his long residence no one has identified himself more with the county's general progress and advancement than has Dr. Le Crone. To the genial and healthful influences of such char- acters does the county owe its present ad- vanced condition. Dr. Le Crone was born in Fayette County, Penn., December 12, 1816, where he spent his boyhood with his parents on a farm, enjoying only the common school advantages of that day. He had a natural inclination for study, however, and what lit- tle opportunities he had were employed to good advantage. In 1832, he, with his par- ents, removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, where he resided with his parents for twelve years. The bent of his mind was for a more thorough and finished education than was afforded by the common schools, and, at the age of seventeen, he entered Marietta Col- lege, enduring a great many privations to en- joy the collegiate instructions. He remained in college for two years, recuperating his de· plenished purse by teaching school at all available intervals. At the end of two years, financial embarrassments compelled him to entirely relinquish college life, and, as a

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History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 42

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co. Number of Pages: 650

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 650