USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 55
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lan is and always has been a Republican, and has served in various township offices. In the spring of 1871, he was elected Collector of the township and served two terms. He has served as School Trustee and Commissioner of Highways. In the spring of 1882, he was elected Town Clerk, which office he now holds. Sylvester and his brother Noah, and his two sisters belong to the M. E. Church. Our sub- jeet was married November 23, 1872, to Sarah Belle Dunn, a native of Kentucky, born Feb- ruary 7, 1853. They have had two children- John Oliver, living, and Sarah Olive, de- ceased.
WILLIAM J. JAYNE, physician, Winter- rowd. Although a young man, Dr. Jayne has had such advantages for advancement in his chosen profession as are afforded to few. He was born in Pendleton County, Ky., August 22, 1855. His father, Alexander Jayne, was a native of Kentucky. He was born there April 11, 1819 ; his parents were of English descent. Subject's mother, Sophrona (Highfill) Jayne, was also a native of Kentucky. She was born there January 21, 1825, of Irish and German parents. No man could have made more out of the advantages afforded him than has Dr. Jayne. He is a man of very great energy and " push," working with all his might on whatever matter he may have on hand. He began business by teaching school. Taught for three winters in succession and at nights studied medicine. He attended two terms of school at a seminary located at Sullivan, Moul- trie County, Ill., and two terms in a medical school. First term at the Vanderbilt Univer- sity, located at Nashville, Tenn., and graduated at Keokuk, Iowa, February 25, 1879, and en- tered into the practice of medicine; located in Jasper County, HI., and practiced there one year, at which time he removed to Winterrowd, his present place of business, and by energy and go-ahead stands high in the rank of physi- cians. He has quite an extensive practice all
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over the southern and eastern part of Etling- ham County.
JAMES H. KELLAR, farmer, P. O. Eberle, is a substantial farmer of Lucas Township. lle was born in Mason Township, Etlingham County, November 14, 1849. Ile lived 'in Mason Township with his brother until 1875, during this time he was helping him in summer and in winter would attend school about three months in the year. His father was a native of Indiana and his mother was a native of Kentneky. His father was killed in the battle of Cape Girardeau, Mo. They had three chil- dren, all living, namely : John H., Sarah J. and James Harvey, subject. Our subject was married in 1870, to Angeline Blunt, of Effingham County, Ill .; she was born August 7, 1852. They have one child, Harry Edward. Mrs. Kellar's father. John Blunt, was a native of Illinois, and her mother, Catharine, of Ken- tueky.
W. Mc. MERRY, farmer and merchant, Elli- ottstown, was born in Barren County, Ky., March 19, 1827. ITis father moved from there when subject was three years old, and settled in Madison County, Ill. There our subject was raised on a farm, and received his early education in the subscription schools. He came with his wife and two children to this county in 1851, and settled in Section 17, Lucas Township, where he lived till 1881. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the Ninety-eighth Ilinois Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war, being after the first eight months in the mounted infantry. He belonged to the Army of the Cumberland, and was engaged in the battles of Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Selma and several others, being with Wilson's Cavalry as far south as the latter place. IIe was mustered out at Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1865, and received his discharge at Springfield, IN., July 3, of the same year. He returned to the farm, and, as before stated, lived there until 1881, when he moved to Elliottstown, and be-
came a partner of F. B. Schooley, and under the firm name of Schooley & Merry kept a general store until March, 1882, when partner- ship was dissolved. and our subject continued the business with his son, O. T. Merry, and they carry a general stock. Our subject was married in Bond County, this State, in 1848. to Miss Savage, and by hier has thirteen children. seven of whom are living -Owen T., Noah, James, Sarah L., Richard, Eliza and Louan. The other children. with one exception, died when young. Mrs. Merry died in July, 187.1, and our subject was married the following year to Mrs. Sarah J. Austin. Mr. Merry has always been a Republican in political matters, has been Supervisor, and at one time made a race as the Independent candidate for County Treasurer. He still owns 320 acres of farm land.
JAMES R. MERRY, farming. P. O. Elliotts- town, was born in Madison County, IN., June 29, 1833. He was brought by his father to Effingham County when one year okl. He worked on his father's farm in summer, and in winter, when there was school, he attended it. All the education he received was in Lucas Township. He helped to build several school- houses before he could go to school. lJe first located on a farm of forty acres in Union Town- ship, which Ura Stroud now lives on; lived there awhile, then moved to Lucas Township, on the farm that Samuel Stroud now lives on. In 1862, August 9, he enlisted in the Ninety- eighth Illinois Infantry. Was mustered out at Springfield, Ill., about the Ist of July, 1565. He was in the battles of Frankfort, Ky., Ver- sailles, Ky., Stone River, Tenn., Hoover's Gap, Tenn., Dalton, Ga., Chattanooga, Tenn., Kene- saw Mountain, Tenn., Chickamauga, Tenn., At- lanta, Ga. After the battle at Atlanta, they came back to Louisville and re-mounted; the next raid was to Selma, Ala .; went from there to Macon, Ga .. and many other skirmishes. After the war, he came back and settled on the
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farm where he now lives. He bought forty acres in 1863, forty acres in 1868 and twenty acres in the year 1870. The piece he first settled on was nnimproved land ; the only close neighbor he had was Andrew Dunn. Now he has about ninety acres under cultivation, and raises grain principally. When he first came back, he thought he would raise grain in large quantities. He put in about thirty-five aeres of corn and raised a good crop, but could not find any market for it. So he kept it over winter, and in the spring sold it for 10 cents per bushel. He had to go to mill down below Mason; it was owned by Uncle Elijah Henry. A yoke of oxen and sled, and a sack of corn would constitute the outfit, and right there and then, he said were the happiest days he ever saw. He was married in the year 1855, to Miss Blunt, of Effingham County. She died in 1856. Hle married again, in 1857, a Miss Dunn. She died a short time after marriage. He was married again, January 1, 1880, to Miss Bar- cus. He has five children-John, Henrietta, Ida Ann, Angeline and Charley. His father, G. R. Merry, was born in Bourbon County, Ky., in the year 1802, and died in Effingham Coun- ty, IS66; he followed farming all his life. His wife, Jane Hubbard, was born 1807, in Virginia, and died in 1859. They had eight children- Henry (deceased), died at Watson, Effingham Co., Ill .; Sarah, wife of William Green, lives in Effingliam; Thomas (deceased); J. R. Merry, subject; Daniel, living in Kansas; Naney, de- ceased wife of Anderson Elliott; Elizabeth (deceased); Louisa, deceased wife of William Trapp; George, living in Arkansas. Our sub- ject has served in various township offices. He has served as School Director for abont eighteen years, and as Commissioner of Highways for about six years. He belongs to the A., F. & A. M., and has held some office in the lodge ever since he became a member.
JOHN E. MERRY, farmer, P. O. Eberle, was born in Effingham County, Lucas Town-
ship, January 18, 1849. His father, Daniel Merry, was a native of Kentucky, born in the year 1818. He was taken by his parents to Madison County when eleven years old, and from there he came to Effingham County, Lu- cas Township, and settled on the farm now occupied by his children, George and John. His death occurred in the year 1874. Subject's mother, Eliza Davis, was born in Kentucky, and came to Bond County, Ill., when eighteen years old, and died January 2, 1872. The par- ents had six children, of whom two are living -George and John ; Owen, deceased ; Will- iam, deceased ; Waymack died in the army, and James, deceased. Our subjeet lived with his father until twenty-one years of age, and during this time assisted him in the summer season, and in the winter would attend school about four months. When twenty-one years of age his father gave him his present farm, of 230 acres, of which 160 was in cultivation and fifty acres in timber land. He raises grain principally, but to some extent deals in stock. Mr. Merry has always been a Republican, and has served as Town Clerk one term, in the year 1881. His father was the first one who settled in the neighborhood where his boys now reside. The nearest market place was at St. Louis. In those days they used to make a great deal of maple sugar, and would take as much as three or four hundred pounds at one time to market, and would bring back groceries and such things that he needed. He would make a trip about once a year. Our subject was married February 20, 1870, to Minerva Woody, of Union Township. She was born May 9, 1851. They have two children living-Oley A. and Rufus, and Weby, deceased. Mrs. Merry's father and mother, John Woody and Charlotte, are natives of Indiana.
GEORGE M. MERRY, farmer, P. O. Eberle, is one of Lucas Township's enterprising and substantial farmers. He was born in Effing- ham County, Lucas Township, September 29,
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1850. His father was a native of Kentucky, born in the year 1818, was a farmer, and died in Lucas Township in 1874. Our subject's mother, Eliza Davis, was a native of Kentucky, and died January 2, 1872. The parents had six children, of whom the two youngest are living -- George and John ; Owen, William, Waymack and James are dead. Subject lived with his father until twenty years of age, dur- ing which time he was working for his father in summer, and in the winter attended school about four months. When twenty years of age his father gave him 140 acres of land, since that by inheritance he has obtained 110 acres, and in all has 250 acres. IIe has it all in cul- tivation but forty acres. His main productions are grain and hay. Mr. Merry has always been a Republican, and is serving his second term as Commissioner of Highways. He was mar- ried in April, 1870, to Jane Simmerman, of Lucas Township, Effingham County. They have three children, namely, Druie Zilla, Fan- nie E. and Crooker E.
NOAH MERRY, farmer, P. O. Elliottstown, a substantial farmer of Lucas Township, was born in Bond County, Ill., October 4, 1851. He was brought by his parents, Waymack and Matilda Merry, to Effingham County, Lucas Township, in 1851, when four weeks old. They settled on a piece of land, Section 17. Ile was reared on his father's farm and would at- tend school about five months in the year. In 1876, when twenty-four years old, he pur- chased a farm from his father in Section 9, Lucas Township. In the spring of 1880, he removed to his father's farm, and is residing there at the present time. ITis father removed to Elli- ottstown and engaged in the mercantile trade. Subject was married in the spring of 1875, to Lucy J. Dye, a native of Indiana ; born 1855. Three children are the result of their marriage, namely : John Waymack, William Orville, Joyce Ethel ; all are living. Mr. Merry has always been a Republican ; was elected School
Trustee of township in the spring of 1881, which office he now holds. Mr. Merry is one of a family of eleven children. namely : Owen, Susan, Noah (subject), Richard, Mary, Sarah Lucinda, Eliza Ann, Louan, Druscilla, John, Narcissa. Mr. Merry's wife's father, John Dye, and her mother, Elizabeth, are natives of In- diana, and are living in Bishop Township, Ef- fingham County.
JAMES A. MCCORKLE, is a merchant in Winterrowd and keeps on hand a selected stock of dry goods and groceries, etc., and has quite an extensive trade throughout that neighborhood. He was born in Washington Co., Penn., April 3, 1855. His father, A. B. MeCorkle, was a na- tive of Pennsylvania, Washington County ; born in February, 1820, was a farmer, and died December 26, 1881. Our subject's mother, Sarah MI. Scott, is a native of Ohio, and is liv- ing in Lucas Township. Nine children were the result of their marriage, namely : Robert, deceased : Albert, deceased ; Nellie, deceased ; James A., subject ; William, Scott, Curtis, An- drew, Letitia, are dead. Our subject lived with his parents in Washington County until 1866, at which time they removed to Effing- ham County, Lucas Township, and settled on a farm in Section 26. The farm consisted of 160 acres. with a small frame house on it, and about twelve acres were in cultivation. Our subject received his education in the common schools in the neighborhood of Winterrowd. He would attend school about eight months in the year, and the remainder of the time would help his father on the farm. At the age of twenty-one he went to California and went to working on a farm, being thus engaged for about one year, afterward working for a com- pany in a gold mine the same length of time. In the latter part of 1876, he came back to Lu- cas Township, and engaged in farming for about two years. In 1878, he bought an inter- est in the dry goods and grocery store owned by J. W. Scott, at Winterrowd, and continued
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in that business until 1880, at which time he sold out to his partner, and went to farming until 1881, when he purchased the entire stock of dry goods and groceries owned by J. W. Scott, and his present stock is invoiced at $3,000. lle is a member of the A., F. & A. M., Mayo Lodge, No. 664. Ile was was married December 25, 1878, to Malvina Robertson, a native of Kentucky. She was born September 7, 1861. They have one child not named.
SAMUEL L. PARKS, farmer and stock- dealer, P. O. Elliottstown, was born in Lincoln County, Tenn., July 15, 1837. He was three years old when his father moved to Shelby County, Ill., where he pur- chased land and engaged in farming. Sam- uel worked on the farm and attended school until he was twenty-seven years old, when he purchased one-third interest in a saw mill in Richmond Township, Shelby County, where he was engaged in business abont two years. In the fall of 1866, he came to Effingham County, and engaged in buying, driving and shipping live stock for the Chicago, Indianapolis and Cincinnati markets. For two years he lived on a farm in Summit Township, where he farmed and dealt in stock. Afterward moved to Jackson Township, thence back to Summit, and again to Effingham. In 1878, he moved to his present farm in Lucas Township, where he is engaged in farming and buying stock. He also buys grain at Dieterich, on the S. E. & S. E. R. R. He was married in Shelby County, Ill., in 1859, to Miss Emeline Ellis. Of this marriage he has four daughters and three sons living. The daughters are Henrietta B., Viola, Margaret J. and Mary E. His wife died in 1876. He married second time, in 1878, to Mrs. Mary E. Merry, of Lucas Township.
WILLIAM H. POYNTER, Postmaster, Eberle, was born in Kentucky, September 6. 1835 ; was taken by his parents to Madison Connty, Ill., where they lived before moving to
Effingham County, Lucas Township. He worked for his father on the farm until twenty-one years of age. After that he went to working ont on the farm by the month ; worked in different places until twenty-five years of age. In the fall of 1859, he was married to Narcissa Jett, of Bond County, Ill. They have five children living, and two dead. The names of the living are Francis E., James S., Mary Alice, Noah and Nora. Those deceased are John W. and Al- mira. Our subject purchased forty acres of land in Lucas Township, and went to farming and has since bought seventy-four acres, all in cultivation but twenty-nine acres. His main productions are grain. He received his educa- tion principally in the common schools of Lucas Township. He has always been a Republican, and has served in various township offices. He served first as School Director, and next as School Trustee. In 1871, he was appointed Township School Treasurer, which office he now holds. During this time, he was elected Assessor of the township. which he held for five years, and since that has served as Col- lector of Lucas Township. Now he is serving as Postmaster of Eberle. IIe and his wife be- long to the New Light Church. Ile also be- longs to the Delia Lodge, No. 525, A., F. & A. M. His father, Elijah Poynter, was born in Barren County, Ky. He followed shoe-making in Kentucky principally, but when he came to this State devoted most of his time to farming. Subject's mother, Elizabeth Davis, was born in Kentucky, and died about the year 1842. They had nine children-Catharine, deceased wife of James Watt, Jonathan Blunt and W. Hill ; John, deceased ; Eliza, deceased wife of Will- iam Blunt ; Judia, wife of Hiram Witchman ; Sarah, wife of John Carter ; William, subject ; Frances, deceased wife of Henry Shumard ; James, living; Permelia, wife of Newman Laws. Subjects wife's father, Francis Jett, was born in Virginia, in the year 1791. Her mother, Elizabeth Wood, was born in Virginia,
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1796. They had nine children-Gabriel Jett, deceased ; John Jett, living in Bond County, Ill. ; Martha Ann Teasley, living in Kansas ; Eliza Jett, wife of Washington Jett, living in Wisconsin ; Mary Elizabeth, wife of John Scoggin, living in Iowa; James, deceased ; William, deceased ; Permelia, deceased ; Al- mira, deceased.
JAMES T. POYNTER, farmer, P. O. Eberle, is a native of Barren County, Ky., born Febru- ary 11, 1839, and now is one of Lueas Town- ship's enterprising and reliable farmers. He was taken by his parents to Madison County, 111 .; remained there about four years. He and his father came to Lueas Township, and settled on a piece of land, now owned by Waymac Merry; there the mother died. His father was a native of Kentucky; born in 1805. The par- ents removed to different places in the town- ship and to Flensburg, and rented a mill there for one year. In 1853, they came back to Lucas Township, and settled on the farm now owned by Daniel Blunt; it was wild land; they improved it, and his father remained there until his death, which occurred in 1870. Our sub- jeet's mother, Elizabeth Davis, was native of Kentucky, and died in 1845 in Lucas Town- ship. His father married again in 1849, to Martha L. Adamson. of Jasper County. The children by his first marriage are, namely : Catharine, Eliza, John, Judia, Sarah, William, Francis Jane, James T., Permelia D .; by second marriage, Martha E., Adelia, Henri- etta, deceased, Matilda. Edward, Narcissa, de- ceased. James was fourteen years old when his father came back to Lueas Township, and our subject remained with his father helping him on the farm in summer, and in winter went to school about four months in the year. In November, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fifty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry; was in several engagements, namely: Siege of Vicks- burg, capture of Little Rock, Ark .; battle of Clarendon; was taken prisoner at Jones
Station. In eight or ten days were paroled about 400 of them, and went to the parole barracks at St Louis. and were exchanged, from there went to Hickory Station in Ar- kansas, after leaving there went to Fort Smith into the Indian nation and remained there dur- ing the treaty with the Indians, and then were ordered back to Little Rock, Ark., and was mustered out October 16, 1865. He enlisted as a private, was elected Fourth Corporal, re- ceived promotion to duty Sergeant, from that to Orderly Sergeant. He served as Orderly about three months, when received a promo- tion to First Lieutenant and held that promo- tion until discharged. He came to his father's in Lueas Township, rented a farm and went to farming. In 1867, July 26, he was married to Naney Merry, of Lucas Township. Her death occurring November 6, 1868. He lived a widower until 1871, married again to Nancy MeCollough. of Union Township. Our subject was a renter until May, 1881, at which time he purchased eighty aeres of wild land, now he has it mostly in cultivation. He has one child by first marriage-Waymack E .; four by second marriage, namely : William Albert, Mary Etta, Thomas Z. and Leota. Mr. Poynter has always been a Republican, and has served as School Trustee, Constable and Town Clerk. He first filled a vacancy as clerk for Erwin Lown, and then served for three successive terms. He belongs to the Masonic order, A., F. & A. M., to the Grange and to the G. A. R., organized at Elliottstown.
JOHN W. RICHARDS, farmer, P. O. Win- terrowd, is an enterprising farmer of Lucas Township. He was born in Brown County, Ind., June 13. 1845. His father, David Rich- ards, was also a native of Brown County, Ind., and the mother was a native of the same coun- ty. They had ten children-John W. (subject), Mary Jane (living), Anna (deceased), Charity (living), Sarah C. (living), Sarah Margaret (liv- ing). Martha (deceased), Julia (living), Bethania
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(deceased), Andrew Jackson (living). John W. (was bronght by his parents to Jasper County, Ill., in March, 1849. He was reared on his father's farm, and for some time no school ex- isted in the neighborhood, and the first school he attended was a subscription school at the age of ten years. His parents first settled on a farm in Smallwood Township, and there our subject went to school one winter. His father next removed to South Muddy Township, and remained there two years until 1857, at which time they removed to North Muddy Township, where subject and there attended school in win- ter until he went into the army. He enlisted on the 14th day of August, 1862, in Company I, Ninty-eighth Illinois Mounted Infantry. He was in several skirmishes in Kentucky, and the northwestern part of Tennessee, at Murfrees- boro, Lebanon and McMinnville, Hoover's Gap, February, 1863; Chickamauga, September 12, 1863; Farmington, 1863, where they capt- ured Wheeler's cavalry. They followed Wheeler twenty-one days and nights without draw- ing a bite from the Government, and were nearly exhausted when they captured him. From Farmington, they were ordered back to Chattanooga by the way of Bridgeport, from there they were sent to Cleveland, East Tenn., and beyond there captured quite a num- ber of mules, cattle and hogs, and started back to Cleveland, but were overtaken by the rebels and completely routed, their plunder being taken away from them. They then re- treated to Chattanooga, and came right back to Cleveland, and with more foree recaptured their stores with abont 400 prisoners. The next battle of any importance was at Buzzard Roost, Ga .; from there they returned to Cleve- land, Tenn. And the next movement was the forward move of the whole command on Atlanta. He was in the battle of Jonesboro; was taken prisoner there in company with 300 on the 6th of September, 1864. They were taken to the first prison at Macon, Ga .; were
kept there thirty-two days; then were removed to Millen, Ga. They were put in prison there with about 9,000 other prisoners, and were kept there thirty days, then were removed to Savannah, Ga., and were kept there three days; then were sent to Blackshire; put in prison there and kept there seven days; then were taken ont and started for Savannah, Ga., and eseaped by jumping off the train, but was captured and sent to Thomasville, and there made his final escape and returned to Sherman's army at Savannah, Ga. He got transportation from there by the way of New York, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Louisville and on to Nashville; from there got transportation on a boat down to the mouth of Tennessee River, and from there up to Eastport, Miss., and went on foot from there to Gravel Springs, Ala. Found his regiment there, and remained there until Wilson made his raid through Georgia; then moved with the command on through to Macon, Ga. And in that time was in the battles near Columbus, Ga., and Selma, Ala. After the battle at Selma, he and eleven scouts went to Cohobby's Prison, and by their good management and fast shooting succeeded in releasing about 400 Union men; then returned to Selma, Ala., and from there went to Maeon, Ga., and was in the battle of Macon, Ga., in 1865. They remained there several days, and then were ordered back to to Chattanooga, then on to Nashville. They re- mained there a few days, and on the 27th of June, 1865, was mustered out and returned to Springfield to be discharged and paid July 5, 1865. He then returned home to his father. During the war, he sent home money and pur- chased eighty acres of raw prairie land, and in the winter of 1865 went to school; after that he engaged in farming in North Muddy Township until the fall of 1869, at which time he sold out and came to Elliottstown; that winter he pur- chased the farm where Samuel Stroud now lives; sold that farm and purchased the farm
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