USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 74
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MANSFIELD WHITE, farmer, P. O. Eberle, was born in Union Township, Eflingham Co., III., December 7, 1849. Hle is now thirty-two years old and has lived there all his life. He was reared on his father's farm in Union Township. He received his education in the common
schools of the neighborhood. The first school he attended was at a place called the Evans Schoolhouse. It was one among the first school- houses that were erected in the Union Town- ship. He would attend school about two months in the year. At the age of eighteen, quit attending school and gave his whole atten- tion to farming with his father. His father, Brice White, was a native of Kentucky, and died in Union Township in the year 1876. His mother, Susan Evans, is a native of Indiana, and is living on the old farm in Union Town- ship, settled by her husband about the year 1840. Mr. White is one of a family of twelve children, namely : Mary Ann, wife of John Shumard, living in Kansas; Elizabeth, wife of William Cox, living in Union Township; Will- iam Younger, is living in Clay County; Mans- field, subject; Isaac, living in Union Township, Effingham Co .; John, living in Union Township, Effingham Co .; Amanda, living with her moth- er; Ruhama, wife of John Westfall, living in Union Township; James, deceased; lda, deceased; Joshua, deceased. Mr. White was married, in the spring of 1881, to Lydia Ship- man, a native of Clay County. She was born in 1860. They have one child, Mertie Edith. Our subject has always been successfully engaged in farming.
WILLIAM M. WILSON, farmer, P. O. Mason. Among the old pioneers in this town- ship is Mr. Wilson, who was born 1808, March 25, in Frederick County, Va., eldest son of William A. Wilson, of Frederick County, Va., only son of his father, William, of Seoteli ances- try. Our subject's mother's maiden name was Catharine Hotsenpillar, daughter of John Hotsenpillar, who, and wife also, were from Ger- many. William Marshall was raised on a farm and remained with his father until he was twenty- five years of age. January 30, 1833, he married Mary E., daughter of John Snapp; she was born January 21, 1813, in Frederick County, Va .; after he was married, he located near the home-
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stead, where he engaged in farming, and remained here until the spring of 1835, when he moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, but remained here a short time, as the country did not please him, and made no purchase. In October, 1846, he came to Effingham County, and bought eighty acres in Mason Township, paid $3 per acre, stayed here eighteen months and sold his place back to same man he purchased of, and entered where he now lives, 200 acres, and located on the same, and since been a resident; has the same amount of land that he began on. He has had six children born him, four sons and two daughters, five living, viz .: Charles C., Sarah K., Jane, James D., John W. Sarah, wife of Nathaniel Turner, of Jackson Township; Jane resides in Mason, wife of David Leith; Charles C. resides in Mason; John W., in this township; James D. resides at home. Demo- cratic, and cast his first vote for Jackson. Has been for many years a member of the I. O. O. F., No. 85, Ewington. Served as Justice of the Peace in this township from 1849 until 1872, and has been one of the substantial men of Union Township.
VOLNEY WILLETT, farmer, P. O. Hill, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, March 8, 1837, to George and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Willett. He was born in Loudoun County, Va., May 10, 1807, and died in Wayne County, III., in June, 1880. He was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1841. His wife and the mother of our subject was born in Loudoun Connty, Va., in 1812, and she is now residing in Wayne County, Ill. She is the mother of nine chil- dren, of whom our subject is the youngest child. His early life was spent in receiving such an education as the common schools of his day afforded, and assisting in tilling the soil of his father's farm. He was brought to Wayne County, Ill., by his parents, in 1841, and remained with them there until 1856, when he was nineteen years of age. He then appren- ticed himself to the blacksmith's trade at
Fairfield, Wayne County, where he worked one year, and in 1857 he moved to Flora, and worked there fifteen months. In 1859, he re- moved to California, where he engaged in min- ing and farming for about five years. In November, 1863, he returned to Wayne County, Ill., and in the spring of 1864 went to work at his trade again, in Flora, for one year. In the spring. of 1865, he returned to Wayne County and engaged in the mercantile business for nearly two years. In the fall of 1866, he came to Effingham County and located at Mason, and engaged in the hardware business, and after a few months traded his stock for a farm in West Township, and removed to it in September, 1867, where he has remained ac- tively engaged in farming. His farm consists of ninety-six acres, and in Union Township he has a farm of 160 acres, upon which he intends to remove in December, 1882. In Mattoon, Ill., April 13, 1864, he married Miss Louisa Wilborn, a daughter of Willis and Frances (Rees) Wilborn, natives of Kentucky. Mrs. Willett was born in Fayette County, Ill., Decem- ber 26, 1841. She is the mother of nine chil- dren, five of whom are now living-Volney H., Charles Edgar, Frank, Presley. Oscar. In 1879, our subject was elected Supervisor of West Township, and served one year. West Township is strongly Democratic, but he was elected to the office, though a Republican. While in California, he was a Lieutenant in the State Militia for about three years. He worked up from a private. He is an active member of the order of A., F. & A. M., at Altamont. Politically, he is a Republican.
JOIIN WOODY, farmer, P. O. Eberle, whose portrait appears in this work, is among the prominent farmers and self-made men of Effing- ham County. He was born in Lawrence County, Ind., August 27, 1829, the second child of his father, whose name was William, a North Carolinian, from Wilkes County, and removed to Indiana, and there settled, about
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the year 1825, and remained there until his removal to Wayne County, this State. John's mother's maiden name was Sarah Edwards, native of Ashe County, N. C. The parents had seven children, two of whom are living- Amanda, and our subject, who was raised at home, and had but three months of schooling, all told. His early boyhood was spent work- ing out by the month. ITis father received the benefit of his wages up to the time he was nineteen years of age. Then he started for himself; began farming for himself, renting. During the winter season, his time was spent working in a mill for other parties. He rented for four years, then purchased 120 acres of canal land; cost, $2 per acre ; this he never moved on, but sold the same after, and pur- chased 240 acres in the same county ; cost, $5 per acre ; some improvements. This he sold in 1855, and purchased another tract of 240 acres at $10 per acre ; after, sold this and rented four years, when he came to this State, locat- ing in this township October 5, 1862, and located on eighty acres that he had previously purchased, costing $10 per acre, and located where he now resides, and remained here two years, when he removed to Trapp Prairie, where he stayed one winter, and returned to his former place of living, where he has since remained. Ile has been one of the most successful farmers
in the county. He has accumulated nearly 1,000 acres of land, all of which are the fruits of his own labor. He has been twice married ; first, at the age of nineteen, November 29, 1848, to Charlotte Cox, born in Martin County, Ind., May 15, 1831, daughter of Isaac and Sarah (Boone) Cox, the former a native of North Car- olina, she of Kentucky, and a descendant of Daniel Boone. His wife died March 29, 1875. By her he had ten children, nine of whom are living, viz .: Minerva J., Granville G., Tillman C., HI. II., Tabitha E., Sylvanus G. (dead), Davie G., Schuyler C., Samuel N. and Edith E. Syl- vanus died in infancy. Minerva resides in Lucas township, the wife of John Merry. Tabi- tha, wife of Richard Merry, of Lucas Township. Three sons, Granville G., Tillman C., and H. H., are married and doing business for themselves. Our subject's last marriage occurred in March, 1876, to Mrs. Martha E. Jacobs, born in this State, daughter of Mr. Cooper, by which mar- riage he had three children, two living, Stella G. and Leslie ; James and Melissa deceased. Our subject was formerly a Democrat until Lin- coln's election, since which he has been a Repub- liean. He is not a member of any church or society, but lives in harmony with the prin- ciples of morality, and enjoys the esteem and respect of the community in which he resides.
BANNER TOWNSHIP.
HENRY BERNHARD, miller, Shumway, ! whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Ittlingen, Baden, Germany, April 9, 1835, a son of Henry and Margaret (Ziegler)' Bernhard, both natives of Baden, Germany; he, born September 4, 1802, is a retired farmer, living now with our subject; she died in her native country in 1837. The father was twice mar- ried, his second wife being Anna Eve Ziegler. He is the father of four children, two of whom
are living-Louis and Henry. He (the father) came to America in 1879. Our subject received his early schooling in the schools of his native village, and his first occupation in life was that of milling, which trade he commenced learning in Ittlingen, Germany, at an early age. He came to the United States in 1853, and for nine months was engaged in milling in New Jersey. He came to St. Clair County, this State, where he remained until 1864, when he
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came to Banner Township, where he has since resided. He was married in St. Clair County, this State, October 27, 1858, to Catharine Sinn, who was born in the same place as he, Decem- ber 2, 1838, the daughter of Michael and Rosetta (Lilli) Sinn. Mr. and Mrs. Bernhard have had four children, two of whom are living -Lizzie and Louisa. In 1872, our subject took an active part in securing the establish- ment of a post office then called Tolerance, of which he was appointed Postmaster, serving in that capacity until 1879, when the office was changed to Shumway. In 1878, he erected the " Tolerance Flouring Mills" in the town of Shumway, Banner Township, of which he is proprietor, at a cost of $11,000. The mill car- ries three run of stone, and handles about 30,000 bushels of wheat per annum. Prior to entering into the milling business, our subject was engaged in merchandising for a period of eight years, in which business he was very suc- cessful. In his present business, he ships largely, but is doing principally custom work. He is truly a self-made man of excellent charac- teristics, the artificer of his own fortune, having become wealthy by his own enterprising efforts. He has served his township as Clerk, School Treasurer, and is the present Supervisor. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, and in polities is a Democrat.
F. W. GIESEKING, merchant, Shumway, was born at Nashville, Washington Co., Ill. His father, William Gieseking, married Miss Caroline Heseman in 1855; the result of this union was ten children, of whom eight survive, of whom the subject is the eldest son. Mr. Gieseking obtained the rudiments of his educa- tion at Freemanton, in Effingham County, and theu entered the Central Wesleyan College, at Warrenton, Mo., at the age of eighteen years, taking a course of study for the period of three years. He then returned to Effingham County, and engaged as elerk in the store of George Hilleman, at Altamont, Ill., being there
engaged for ten months. He then began busi- ness as a merchant, under the firm name of Gieseking & Son, at the town of Shumway, where he still continues. On the 26th of Janu- ary, 1882, he married Miss Mary Schroth, of Banner Township. He was reared under the religious instruction of the German Methodist Church. William Gieseking, the father of our subject is one of the extensive farmers of Effingham County, residing in Moccasin Town- ship. The mother is also living.
IGNATZ HELMBACHER, Postmaster of Shumway, was born May 28, 1851, in the State of Louisiana. His father, Louis Helmbacher, and mother, Margaret Helmbacher, were born in Paris, France. His mother died in St. Clair County, Ill., in 1860. His parents left France for America, settling iu New Orleans in 1847, from whence they came to Belleville, Ill., in 1859. In 1873, they went to Teutopolis, Ill., where his father died in 1880. Our subject began his education at the common schools of the county, coming to Shumway in 1862, where he has made his home, with the exception of three years' travel in the West. Our subject has three brothers and one sister, as follows : Frederick, John, Alois, surviving, and Hellena. Of the half brothers and sisters, there are living, Joseph and Ruben, Christina, Mary and Dora. Christina married Peter Hutemacher, residing at Teutopolis. The second wife of our subject's father, whose maiden name was Metcker, sur- vives him, and is residing at Teutopolis. Our subject was appointed Postmaster in Shumway September 26, 1882, which position he still holds. The family are Catholic in their re- ligion.
MATTHEW M. HEMPHILL, grain dealer, Shumway, was born May 10, 1842, in County Antrim Ireland, son of Matthew and Matilda (White) Hemphill. He came to America with his parents in 1850, and settled in Randolph County, Ill., where he remained until 1866. He enlisted in the army in 1862, being assigned
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to the Eightieth Illinois Infantry, Col. Thomas G. Allen. After a short service, he was hon- orably discharged on account of physical disa- bility, February, 1863. He began life as a farmer ; his education commenced in the dis- triet school, which he entered at the age of eight years. In 1864, he took a course at the Commercial College, Rochester, N. Y., gradu- ating April 14, 1865, the day President Lincoln was assassinated. Returning home, he took charge of a school as teacher, which he has fol- lowed alternately with farming and grain deal- ing. On the 30th day of March, 1869, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Stirrett, of Effingham County. There were born unto them four children, of whom Andrew Otis, Anna Ella, and Katie Etta are surviving. Mr. Hemphill was reared in the Presbyterian Church. He was elected Assessor of Banner Township on the Republican ticket in 1882, and was appointed Notary Public in 1879. In 1880, he was appointed census taker for his township. lle is a member of MePherson Post, No. 88, Grand Army of the Republic, at Ellingham.
WENDLINE REIS, farmer, P. O. Shum- way, was born December 26, 1836, in Ger- many. His father, Lawrence Reis, was mar- ried to Eva Weichel (date not known). Unto them were born five sons and three daughters, of whom our subject is the third youngest. His parents came to America in 1837, coming to Bayliss Landing, Mo., where they settled, at which place the parents died; after which subject left that locality, settling in Shumway, Effingham County, in 1875. On the 18th day of January, 1857, he was married to Elizabeth Underriner. Unto them were born ten children, seven sons and three daughters, all living-Theodore, Martin, Wilhelm, Joseph, John, Wendline, Louis, and Theresa, Mary and Josephine. Theresa married Frank Andrews, and Theodore married Mary Anna Crupy. The family were brought up under the instruction of the Catholic Church. Our subject attended
the Abby Creek Church School for three years; then engaged in farming, in which he has been very successful.
THOMAS J. RENTFROW, farmer, P. O. Ef- fingham, was born in Maury County, Middle Tenn., in July, 1812. In the fall of 1829, he came to Illinois with his mother, who settled in Wayne County, near what is known as Fairfield, until the spring of 1830, when they came to Effing- ham County. Richard Cohee and Hickman Langford, brothers-in-law, came at the same time, and four brothers of our subject-Jesse, John, Joseph and Eli-joined the party in this county in 1860. They settled on the Little Wabash, just above Ewington, this county. At this time there were more Indians in the county than white people. Our subject states that there were only two white families within ten miles of their home ; these were John P. Far- ley and Samuel Bratton. The Rentfrows brought four horses and one ox team. On their arrival, they went into a deserted Indian camp on the Wabash bottom, near what is now known as the old Reynolds place, in the month of March, while snow was yet on the ground; making their surroundings as comfortable as possible, they began to tap the maple trees and make sugar. The old camp was made of linn puncheons pinned to trees with wooden pegs ; they contented themselves as best they could in this temporary shelter, until they had time to build a house on the hill, near a spring, as the Tennesseans in those early days did not know what a well was. Joseph was the bread finder, and went as far as Paris, in Edgar County, to get corn, on horseback. In those days the green- head flies were so thick and ravenous that it was impossible to travel in mid-day with the additional pest of mosquitoes and gnats. They cleared off a patch in the bottom and planted corn, and also a patch of cotton, but the latter was a failure. The corn for bread was pounded in a wooden mortar, dug out of a log or stump, with a pole attached like a well sweep, with an
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iron wedge as a pounder. Rising early in the morning, preparing the frugal breakfast, the pounding for meal was answered by the gob- bling of the wild turkeys, which were very abundant in those days. In a few years, the convenience of the colony was improved by the erection of a horse mill on the Okaw, thirty- five miles distant, whither the subject would go with his grist, and had to wait four or five days for his turn at the grist, living on parched corn and sleeping in the mill. The journey on these occasions was made with ox teams across the prairie at night, driving into the bushes, cutting them down, and building " bush harbors" for protection, the oxen feeding on the high grass so common in those days. When the grist haulers arrived and squatted around the mill, it had the appearance of a modern camp-meet- ing. Deer, wild turkeys and bee trees were plenty, and it took but a short time to secure either to supply their need. A few black bears could be encountered, and wolves, big and little, were plenty, and at times dangerous. The tables of the settlers were furnished with wild meat, wild honey and corn-bread. Our subject went to school a few months in Tennes- see, but never had an arithmatic or a quire of paper, and never attended a school after settling in this county. He remained a member of his mother's family until he was married, May 18, 1843, to Miss Eleanor Trapp, daughter of John Trapp, of this county, who was at one time Sheriff of Effingham County. Ile had made improvements on the first settlement of the family, and bought the interest of his mother and others, which he sold to Reynolds for $160, and entered 120 acres in Section 35, in 1842, afterward entering 280 acres more ; he now owns 300 acres, all under cultivation, rais- ing principally grain, with good success. Mr. Rentfrow is the father of ten children, six of whom are living-John C., of this county ;; Mary E., wife of Dennis O. Keating ; William Elijah, of this county ; Saralı, wife of Lee Bur-
rell, of Effingham ; Stephen A. and Michael, at home. Once upon a time, Mr. Rentfrow, while hunting with Alexander McWhorter, they would lay out all night, Rentfrow placing a coon skin under his head for a pillow; the natural warmth of his head united with the heat from the log-heap, melted the snow and frozen ground while he was sleeping ; on awak- ening, he found his hair frozen to the ground, requiring skill, patience and solid pulling to get him loose. Mr. Rentford was elected Sheriff of this county in 1843, which he held for eight years ; he was nominated by the Democrats, of which party he has been a life-long member. The first revenne he collected in the county was $300, on which bis commission was three per cent ; it was in this line of his duty to take it to Springfield, paying his own expenses.
M. SCHROTH, farmer, P. O. Shumway, was born December 13, 1831, at Wurtemberg, Ger- many. He came alone to America in 1854, landing in New York City. From thence he soon moved to Pennsylvania, remaining there a short time. He then went down the Ohio River, to the city of St. Louis, Mo., where he and a companion engaged in the manufacture of a summer beverage, a substitute for stronger liquors. In 1855, he came to St. Clair County, Ill., where he married Catharina Beckman, June 2, 1859. They then settled in Washing- ton County, Ill. In 1861, they came to Effing- ham County, and purchased 120 acres of land from the Illinois Central R. R., on which he began to farm on the raw prairie, where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Schroth have had born unto them eleven children, of whom nine are surviving. His mother, Dora Schroth, is living with them, at the age of eighty-two. The family were Lutherans, to which religion they still adhere. His children -- Mary E., Christiana, Margaret, Michael, Henry, Dora, Frederick, Lidda, Lewis-are living; on the 4th of May, 1877, their son Phillip was killed by falling from a tree.
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JOIIN H. WALDECKER, cooper, Shumway, was born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, on the 8th of March, 1851. His parents, John H. Waldecker and A. M. Henrietta Gruetze- macher, were married in 1836. Unto them were born five children, three of whom are living. The subject was the youngest, who came with his parents to America in 1854, settling in St. Louis, Mo., where he remained until 1872. From there he moved to St. Clair County, Ill. ; thence to Shumway, in Banner Township, Ill., 1878, engaging in his trade. Mr. Waldecker availed himself of the advantages of the com- mon schools until he was fourteen years old ; then he entered Roher's Commercial School, at St. Louis, Mo., where he took a course at book-
keeping. He kept books in various lines of business for some time; then concluded to learn the trade of coopering, which he is now following successfully. In the year 1874, October 1, Mr. Waldecker and Miss Diana Miller were married, at Belleville, St. Clair Co., Ill. They have one son, Frederick. The Waldeckers were Protestants from the begin- ning, and the descendants adhere to that faith without denominational preference. Mr. Wal- decker has held several oflices of honor and profit, conferred upon him by his fellow-citizens. He was first elected Constable in 1879, which he held for two years ; then he was elected Justice of the Peace, in the spring of 1881, which office he still holds, giving satisfaction to the people.
SUMMIT TOWNSHIP.
LORENZO D. GLOYD, farmer, was born in Prince George County, Md., near Wash- ington City, D. C., in 1814. William, his father, a farmer by occupation, was born in the same State, at a date unknown to the subject. He died in 1825. Our subject's mother's maiden name was Sarah Skeggs. It is supposed that she was born in Virginia, the clate of which is unknown. She died in 1827. In this family there were five children ; four boys and one girl, all of whom are deceased but two. Our subject was educated in the common schools iu Ohio, in which State he was also raised to farming, which has always been his occupation. He was married in Liek- ing County, Ohio, in 1836, to Miss Elizabeth Hilderbrand, the date and place of whose birth is unknown. Her father was James IIilder- brand, who was born in Pennsylvania. Our subject's marriage was blessed with the follow- ing children, named in the order of their births -William, Jane, Elbridge, Ellen, George, Perey, Jerome, Magdaline. Mr. Gloyd is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and a Republican in politics. In 1825, our subject removed. with his parents, from Mary- land, to Licking County, Ohio, where they engaged in farming, until 1839, when they removed to Indiana, and to Effingham County, Ill., in 1866. On his arrival here, he bought a farm, containing 240 acres, where he now re- sides, and which he has improved. He has built upon his farm a large dwelling, 40x20. His grandmother was German, and his grand- father Gloyd was English. lle was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, going into that war as a substitute for his father.
SAMUEL F. HANKINS, farmer, P. O. Shumway, was born in Tennessee, in 1824; came with his parents to Vandalia, in 1827, remaining there until 1831 ; then he settled in Fayette County, Ill., a portion of which now comprises Effingham County. William J. llankins, his father, was a man of enterprising spirit, in those early days, and when the Na- tional road was projected, he took the contract on a division, of clearing and grading, and built the bridge across the Little Wabash, in
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