History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 68

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096


USA > Illinois > Fulton County > History of Fulton county, Illinois > Part 68


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Alonzo McCalley, Table Grove, ventured out when a boy to this State in an early day, and persuaded his parents to come in Sept., 1838. His educational advantages were very limited; being the only son at home he was compelled to remain at home a greater portion of the time and attend to supporting his parents and sister. Yet, since he settled in life Mr. MeCalley has obtained a very good education by hard study and close application. His father died in 1844, and his mother in 1840. Alonzo married in 1840 Amanda M. Hargess, by whom he has had 6 children ; 5 are living. He came


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to this county in '42, learned the potter's business, then returned to Sangamon Co., where he pursued the potter's business for 5 years, when he moved his family to Fulton Co. ; here he followed his trade 6 years, when he engaged in farming, and continued in this business for 26 years, during which time he handled a great deal of stock. In this business he was very successful, giving each child $1,000 when of age. Mrs. MeCalley died of cancer Nov. 27, 1877. Mr. McC. sold his farm for $7,000 and moved to Table Grove to doctor her. He entered the livery business in the Grove soon after he located here, in which he has been very successful. In March, 1879, Mr. McCalley married Anna (Hunter) Hand, with whom he had been acquainted from her infancy.


Edward D. Mesick, Table Grove, was born April 18, 1850, in N. Y., and is the son of Martin Mesick, of Plymouth, Ill. His par- ents brought him to Illinois when but 9 years old, where he received a common-school education and learned the wagon-maker's trade. He is now running a wagon shop, in connection with a paint-shop, in Table Grove. He has been here four years and has built up an excellent trade. . He was married Oct. 2, 1878, to Anna Biggs, by whom he has 1 child. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and Mrs. M. is connected with the Christian Church of this place.


Reuben A. Miner, sec. 17, Farmers' tp .; P. O., Table Grove ; was born in this township Ang. 20, 1852, son of the next mentioned, and has resided on and near the old home place ever since. He received a common-school education in the Shinn school-house ; was mar- ried Dec. 25, 1873, to Mary J. Barker, daughter of John W. Barker, one of the first settlers in the township. They have one little boy, Walter R. Mr. Miner is a prominent farmer.


William Miner, see. 17, Farmers' township; P. O., Table Grove ; was born in Jessamine Co., Ky., Sept. 4, 1810, and is the son of John Miner, deceased, who was a native of Pa., and was born July 4, 1775. They have resided in Ky. and Tenn., and removed to Danville, Ill., in Jan., 1828, and to Canton in 1830, where they re- mained until 1834, when they removed to this township, settling on see. 16. There was not a house or rail between Spoon river and Macomb when old father Miner landed in this township, except that of Mr. Barker's. Mr. John Miner died January 20, 1838. Our subject had very limited educational advantages. The schools he attended in Kentucky were subscription schools, and his father would sometimes sign 3 scholars for 3 months, and send all his children for one month, which would exhaust the time for which he had subscribed. Mr. Miner has improved 1,050 acres of land in the West, including 260 acres in Iowa. As afarmer and stock-raiser he has been eminently successful. His fine stock took a goodly share of premiums at the county fairs; and in 1853 his farm took the premium as being under the best cultivation and management of any farm in the county. Mr. Miner was in the Black Hawk war, under Gen. Stillman, and participated in 9 different battles, or skirmishes.


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.


He was of the 10 who volunteered to search for the dispatch-carrier that had been killed by the Indians; and while making this search they were fired upon by some Indians in ambush, breaking the leg of one of his comrades. Gen. Pope ordered them to advance, which they did, not leaving one Indian to tell the tale; but this came near resulting fatally to Mr. Miner; an Indian threw his tomahawk at a man in front of Miner, cutting off the " thumb piece " of his gun, and passed by Mr. Miner's ear, severing two " tassels " from his cap. He received a slight wound in Stillman's defeat the scar of which he still bears. In that battle, as all perhaps have read before, they were surrounded, and were compelled to cut their way through the Indian lines, which they did manfully. There is one more fact that we will record concerning his connection with that war. It seems that Gen. Stillman allowed the Indians to come into camp, get drunk, and sing their songs and dance, which infuriated some of the boys ; and Mr. Miner leading the rest, broke guard, took their arms and routed the red-skins. Gen. Stillman ordered them to lay down their arms, but they would not do so until he gave them a promise that he would not court-martial them. Mr. Miner was married April 4, 1833, to Rachel Ward, by whom he had 9 children. Mrs. M. was born April 4, 1813. She died April 10, 1849. He was again married Feb. 5, 1850, this time to Naney Andrus, who was born July 30, 1819. They have 6 children,-making him the father of 15 children, viz: J. C., Aaron N. (died in army), Timothy G., John W. (fell at the battle of Stone River), Martha (wife of Dr. Bacon), Table Grove, Parkhurst R., David W., Phoebe F. and Susan H., twins, Oliver W. (dec.), Reuben A., Cyrenins (dec.), Carrie L. (dec.), Emma F. (dec.), and Olive W.


J. W. Morgan, is a prominent farmer living over in MeDonough county. P. O., Table Grove.


Chester Murphy, sec. 8, Farmers' tp .; P. O., Table Grove; was born in Lieking Co., O., Sept. 30, 1846, and is the son of Isaae and Rhoda Murphy ; the former is dead, and the latter lives near Cuba, this county. He received his education in an old-fashioned log school-house. His first work was teaming with a four-horse team from Cuba to Liverpool. He was so small at that time that he had to lead the horses up to the wagon tongue and climb upon the tongue in order to enable him to put the harness on them. He knows all about hard labor; indeed, but few men have ever done more hard work in the same number of years than has Mr. Murphy. He was married, Dee. 22, 1866, to Caroline Hoyle, daughter of John Hoyle, so well known in the early history of this county. They have 3 children,-Perry E., James E. and Ella L. Mr. M. is now engaged in general farming; he also has run a thresher for 7 years.


Peter P. Murray; P. O., Ipava; was born in Hancock Co., W. Va., March 24, 1838, the son of Hiram Murray, a fruit-grower of Louisville, Ky. Mr. Murray came to this county in 1856; has


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been a briek-maker, and now is the proprietor of the Shady Dell Brick and Tile Factory, Farmers' tp .. run by steam power. It will succeed as long as Mr. Murray has it under his control. Mr. M. was married Oct. 9, 1859, to Mary E. Holmes, by whom he had 2 children, both deceased. He has an adopted child, Hugh P. Murray.


S. E. Parsons, sec. 26, Farmers' tp. ; P. O., Ipava ; was born in Huntingdon Co., Pa., Sept. 22, 1820; son of Samuel Parsons, who was born, raised and died on the same farm in that county. He was a very prominent hatter in his early and middle life, and was known as " Hatter Sam." Our subjeet was known as "Little Sam," and his father's cousin was known as " Long Sam." Mr. Parsons was raised a farmer's boy. His early educational advantages were lim- ited, but by hard study he has made a well-informed scholar of himself. He came to Fulton county in 1847, and settled in Farm- ers' township. When he landed at Point Isabel he had but $29.75. The first night they slept in a warehouse on a pile of corn sacks. He is regarded as one of the pioneer Methodist ministers of this county. He has ridden 40 miles and preached 3 sermons in one day. His services were highly appreciated by the settlers, and he has been very successful in winning souls to Christ. He was class-leader and exhorter for about 8 years, when he was licensed to preach. He was married, Feb. 11, 1841, to Susanna Jeffries, by whom he had 10 children ; of these but 3 are living, viz: Rebecca M., Lewis E. and John Wesley.


Axaph Perry, deceased, was born in Franklin Co., N. Y., June 29, 1810, and came to this county in 1837, where he married Mrs. Caroline R. Gardner, next mentioned. He was Sheriff of Fulton Co. 2 years, and Deputy Sheriff 2 years. He was a truly great and good man. He died Feb. 7, 1879.


Caroline R. Perry, widow of Asaph Perry, above mentioned, was a daughter of the late James P. Montgomery, of Ipava. The family emigrated to Fulton Co. in 1838, when Caroline was very young. She first married Allen M. Gardner, May 3, 1842, and they had one child, which died young ; Mr. Gardner died Aug. 21. 1847. and Feb. 11, 1850, she married Asaph Perry, above men- tioned, in the P. E. church at Alton, Ill., Rev. S. Y. MeMasters officiating ; of this marriage were 5 children, 4 surviving, namely, Harry M .. Katie, W'm. D. and Mattie C.


Albert G. Pickering, farmer; P. O., Table Grove; was born in Freeport, Harrison Co., ()., Dec. 28, 1829. He was but 12 years old when his father died, and he received but three months' school- ing. He was knocked around, as it were, from pillar to post until 17 years of age, when he located with his mother, and began busi- ness for himself, buying stock and farming. He apprenticed him- self in 1851 to John McMatts, a plasterer, of Cadiz, Ohio; with whom he remained about 18 months. He then began the business for himself, which he pursued until 1857. He came to Fulton Co.


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.


in the fall of 1856, where he now resides, a prosperous farmer of Table Grove. He was married in May, 1859, to Sarah J. Strode, and they have had 6 children, of whom 5 are living. Mrs. Pieker- ing died Feb. 12, 1872, leaving the care of the household to Misses Helen E. and Sarah I.


I. P. Pickering, blacksmith, Table Grove, was born in Harrison Co., O., May 14, 1832; was raised on a farm until 17 years old, when he was apprenticed to Henry Lott, a blacksmith, in George- town, Ohio; when in 1851 he finished his apprenticeship he came to Fulton county, where he worked at his vocation, and is now pro- prietor of the Table Grove Blacksmith Shop, and has a large run of custom. He was married; Dec. 28, 1854, to Hannah Green, by whom he has had 10 children : 7 are living. Mr. P. enlisted in the late war, but being a cripple he was not admitted into the regular service ; he paid about $500, however, to fill other quotas. This was a truly patriotic act in Mr. Pickering, which should be remen- bered by Uncle Sam and the compliment returned.


A. K. & E. F. Porter, proprietors of the Grove City Mills, Table Grove, are natives of Fulton Co. The former was born Oct. 5, 1838, the latter June 9, 1842. They were educated in the com- mon schools of this Co. and reared on a farm. Mr. A. K. Porter is an engineer, having had charge of engines on the Lower Mississippi river in 1864-5. He has since been engaged in the milling busi- ness, 3 years of which time he has had charge (in company with his brother E. F.) of the Grove City Mills. He was married, Nov. 14, 1865, to Charlotte Diver, of Cleveland, Ohio. This union has been blessed with 3 children,-Harry S., Lizzie and Emma. Mr. E. F. Porter was married, Dec. 21, 1865, to Susan Lacy, daughter of John Lacy, of Pleasant tp. They have 3 children,-Hettie M., Florence and Lottie. He pursued the occupation of farming until within the past three years, when he engaged, as above stated, with his brother in the milling business. The mill was erected in 1870 by Ormsby & Hipsley, and has a capacity of 40 barrels a day. Messrs. Porter Bros. do a fine business and have earned an enviable reputation.


Dr. J. S. Portlock was born in Virginia, Feb. 23, 1801. At the age of six years he emigrated with his parents to Kentucky, near Louisville, where he remained until his 16th year. From that time until he was 25 he pursued various vocations, but finally concluded to become a physician, and about 1827 began reading in Cincinnati. In due time he located in Shelby county, Ind., where he practiced with great success for 15 years. After this he removed to Farmers' tp., this county, and here was in active practice until within 2 years of his death, which occurred March 15, 1878. During the earlier settlement of this part of the county the Doctor was continually among the sick and dying, day and night, amid sunshine and storm, enduring hardships known only to pioncer physicians. He was plain in speech and dress, and his last words were, " I want a plain


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.


coffin to contain my body, and a plain marble slab to mark my last resting place. Do not weep for me, for I am going to a world where sorrow is no more ; where all is peace and happiness; where I expect to meet you to part no more forever."


Mary A. Portlock, widow of the late Dr. Portloek, was born in Franklin Co., Ind., Feb. 28, 1815 ; was educated in a select or old- fashioned subscription school in Indiana ; married to Dr. J. S. Port- loek March 4, 1830; had 12 children, of whom 6 are living, viz : James L., Samuel V., Wm. P., Emeline, Caroline and Minerva. Mrs. Portloek still lives on the old home place on which they set- tled Nov. 15, 1840.


William P. Portloek was born in Shelby Co., Ind., April 6, 1840, and is the son of the late Dr. Portlock, a pioneer of Fulton Co., of whom we speak further elsewhere. His parents brought him to this county when but an infant. He here received a common-school ed- ucation, where he was reared on a farm. He was married May 1, 1861, to Adelaide Hickey, and they have had 10 children, of whom 5 are living, viz : Ida, Martha, Lucy, Mary and Squire. Mr. Port- loek is a farmer in good circumstances, on section 20, Farmers' tp., and owns 200 acres of very good land.


Joel S. Reese, see. 11, Farmers' tp .; P. O., Bernadotte. Before railroads were known in Illinois, and when Black Hawk's toma- hawk had scarcely been lowered from the zenith of its brutal butch- ery, Joel Reese, sr., in 1831, loaded his family and effects in a two- horse wagon, and leaving civilization in Muskingum Co., Ohio, through great difficulty and sickness, and wintering on the White river in Indiana, landed in Fulton county in September, 1832. He died April 6, 1836, honored and esteemed by all who knew him. Our subject, Joel S. Reese, was born Dee. 23, 1812, in Muskingum Co., Ohio, and came with his parents to this county in 1832. Being a young man, full of vigor of life, he went to work with a will, and in 1835 he in partnership with Jonathan Jennings, creeted a saw- mill on Spoon river, on the opposite bank directly across from where Fuller's mill now stands, in Harris township. They were a year in completing the work ; and when they raised the frame work they had to go 14 miles to secure help. Mr. Reese's father having died soon after this, he was called home to attend to domestic affairs, leaving the mill in the care of Mr. Jennings. After realizing some profits from the mill he sold his interest in it for $2,000. He mar- ried Feb. 5, 1840, Mary A. Cline, by whom he had 11 children ; of these 9 are living, viz: Harriet A., Henry B., John W., Mary J., S. Melissa, Frank, Lney, Samuel E. and Reuben A. Reuben A. is a stenographer, writing at the rate of 100 words per minute, which is good for a beginner. Mr. Reese is engaged in general farming.


David Rencau, see. 10, Farmers' tp. ; P. O., Bernadotte ; was born May 11, 1823, in Eastern Tennessee, and is the son of Fleming Reneau, of Harris tp .; he came to Fulton Co. with his parents in 1844. By hard study and close application to his books sinec


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grown, he has obtained a good education ; would have become a scholar in his younger days had there been opportunity. He was raised a farmer boy, and knows all about chopping and rolling logs, pulling dogwood, etc. He was married in Nov., 1848, to Mary Rutledge, sister of Silas Rutledge, of Harris tp., and daughter of Wm. Rutledge, so well known in the pioneer history of Fulton Co. and who assisted in crushing the Black Hawk war. Mr. and Mrs. Reneau have had 12 children, of whom 9 are living, viz: Wm. D., Melissa J., John F., Robt. R., Geo. Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Gen. Grant, Chas. Sumner and Nellie R. He is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, and owns 240 acres of well improved land.


N. A. Renshaw; P. O., Table Grove; is the son of Johnson Renshaw, who settled in Greene Co. in 1837, where he engaged in in the ministry for 8 years in the Christian Church. Mr. N. A. Renshaw was born in Greene Co. Feb. 4, 1841, reared on a farm, and at the age of 26 began general merchandising in Bluff City, Schuyler Co., in which he remained for 11 years, when he located in Table Grove, entering into the drug and hardware business. He also makes grain-buying a specialty. He carries a stock of $2,500 in the store. Ships 100 cars of grain annually. Shipped from July 25, 1879, to Oct. 10 of the same year, 70 cars of small grain. He was married, Oct. 11, 1869, to Isabelle Gasaway, by whom he has 3 children,-Lollie, Charlie and Jennie.


Joseph Rinker, deceased, was born July 1, 1826, in Hampshire Co., Va. He moved with his parents to Belmont Co., O., and in the year 1850 removed to Fulton Co. He married Sarah J. Smith, April 1, 1849, and they have had 3 boys and 1 girl, viz: Mary E. (deceased), James A., Romeo S. and Isaac A. Mrs. Rinker was born in Belmont Co., O., Jan. 8, 1832, and is the daughter of Hiram and Caroline Smith. The former died Feb. 10, 1853, and the lat- ter is now with her daughter. Mr. Rinker died Feb. 24, 1879. He was a worthy member of the United Brethren Church of Astoria.


Jacob Ritter, sec. 19; P. O., Table Grove. Mr. Ritter's early educational advantages were very limited, his father having settled in Wayne Co., O., among the heavy timber and where there were no schools. He obtained a good business education by hard study and close attention to his books, at such odd spells as he would find between the hours of labor and at night. He was born in Union Co., Pa., Aug. 14, 1815, and was reared in the woods, learning all about rolling logs, picking brush, etc. His father, JJacob Ritter, was a native of Pennsylvania, and died Sept. 8, 1847. His mother, Magdalene (Stump) Ritter, was also a native of Pennsylvania, and died Feb. 15, 1833. Our subject came to this county in 1837, and located in Canton, where he worked at his trade, which is that of house-joiner and cabinet-maker. He pursued this business until 1842, when he came to this township. He has since that time been engaged in farming, and growing and feeding stock, in which he has been eminently successful. When he began business for him-


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self he had five franes and a Mexican dollar. He now ean estimate his property by the thousands, besides giving a farm to each child. There still remains standing in Lewistown a house that Mr. Ritter erected for Joel Solomon in the year 1840 or '41. Mr. R. was mar- ried, Sept. 16, 1839, to Matilda R. Opp, by whom he had 3 chil- dren : Mary J. and Hiram are living. Mrs. Ritter died Jan. 10, 1850. He again married Aug. 25, 1850, this time to Margaret Harris ; they have had 5 children, of whom but one is living,- Martha A.


John C. Ross, sec. 19; P. O., Table Grove; was born in Alex- andria Co., Va. (then part of D. C.), Jan. 20, 1819. He there re- ceived an education under the instruction of Prof. Benjamin Hal- lowell. His life has been varied. His parents, David and Mary Ross, removed with their son to Buckland Mills, Va., near the spot where the battle of Bull Run was fought. This was in 1820. They remained here until 1823, when they went to a farm in Fauquier Co., Va. ; thence to Occoquan, Va., in 1825 ; thenee back to Alexan- dria in 1828. In 1835 he engaged as a clerk with Hopkins & Hull, dry-goods merchants, of Baltimore, in which business he remained 18 months, when he went to Cooper Co., Mo., where he engaged in farming and school-teaching for 3 years; in 1840 he came to Farm- ers' township, this county, where he still resides. He is known as one of Fulton county's prominent corn and wheat producers. He was married April 3, 1850, to Sarah A. Bartholomew, by whom he had 8 children ; 5 of these are living, viz: Katie P., David, Jack, Hattie N. and Charles. Mrs. Ross died Dec. 24, 1870. He again married March 12, 1874, this time to Mary (Miller) Bartholomew. She, being a widow when he married her, had 4 children, viz : Hattie, Frank, Horace and Aaron Bartholomew.


J. R. Rothman, son of John and Frances Rothman, was born in in the city of New York, July 11, 1847. He came into this State with his parents when only 2 years old, and has resided here almost ever since. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the late war as a private in Co. S, 83d Ill. Inf .; was afterward transferred to Co. I of the . 61st Ill. Inf., from which he was mustered out at Nashville, Tenn. ; was educated at Abingdon College, where he attained a high record ; graduated in Bryant & Stratton's course of bookkeeping ; elerked for Dr. S. D. Pollock, of Abingdon, two years, in drugs and books; afterwards elerked 3 years for Terry & Son in their clothing depart- ment. After the dissolution of this firm Mr. R. opened out trade at his own expense at Table Grove, March 17, 1873; three years after- ward he commenced the study of law; in JJune, 1874, he was com- missioned Notary Public by Gov. Beveridge, and in '78 re-com- missioned by Gov. Cullom. In the spring of '77 was elected Justice of the Peace, in which capacity he has given the utmost satisfaction to all having business with him. He was married Oct. 7, 1875, to Miss Fannie Winans, daughter of the well-known Lewis Winans, deceased, of Vermont, Ill. Stella, three years old, is their daughter.


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Mr. R. has a nice little office on the south side of the Square, and does a successful business.


George Rutledge ; P. O., Table Grove; res. sec. 4, Farmers' tp. His father, William R. Rutledge, was born in Greenbrier Co., Va., and came to this county in 1837, and rented a log school-house in which he resided one year. He afterward settled on sec. 7, where he resided over 20 years. Our subject was also born in Greenbrier Co., Va., in 1830. He was "raised" to hard labor, such as chop- ping, mauling rails, grubbing, picking brush, etc. He has stood in the door-yard and counted 25 deer at one time. The wolves, chickens, wild hogs, etc., were very numerous. He was in every particular a robust, pioneer boy, but had little opportunity for book- learning. He is now a prominent farmer of Farmers' township. He was married, March 19, 1857, to Sarah A. Ray, by whom he has had 5 children : 4 are living, viz : Robert M., Wm. L., Hannah E. and John A. He was again married, Nov. 16, 1871, this time to Mary S. Monroe.


John Smith ; P. O., Table Grove. Our subject is a veteran of Ill. ; we do not say an early settler, for he was born in St. Clair Co., Ill., Mar. 3, 1814. At the time of the war of 1812 his parents, Philip and Susan (Penn) Smith, were in the fort. Mr. Smith when a boy had the Indian boys for playmates. His parents removed to Sanga- mon Co. when he was quite small, where he received a limited edu- cation in a log school-house, with a fire-place in each end, and a crack in the wall with a pane of glass in it for a window ; a portion of this window, however, consisted of greased paper pasted over the crack in the wall. Mr. Smith was intimately acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, and saw him work on a flat-bottom boat on San- gamon river. He also heard Mr. Lincoln make one of his first political speeches, when he was a candidate for the Legislature against the late Peter Cartwright. Mr. S. was an intimate friend of Mr. Cartwright, and heard him preach many a sermon. He settled in MeDonough Co. in Aug., 1837; was a leading farmer for nearly 40 years in that county, when in March, 1877, he located in Table Grove, III., where he lives in comfortable circumstances. He was married, March 1, 1835, to Jane Hargis, by whom he had 11 chil- dren, and all are living. He was a soldier in the Mormon war. Has been a member of the M. E. Church for over 40 years.


J. W. Stephens was born in Montgomery Co., Ky., Mar. 11, 1841 ; educated in Ky., in a log school-house ; also attended school 2 years in Ill. ; came to McDonough Co. in 1861, and to this Co. in 1876, locating in Table Grove, where he engaged in the fresh-meat and grocery business. He was married, Sept. 6, 1872, to Clara Yocum, by whom he had 3 children ; she died in Dec., 1874, leaving many friends to mourn her loss. Mr. Stephens again married in Aug., 1876, this time to Jennie Johnson, daughter of Geo. Johnson of Hancock Co. Mr. Stephens' father, Jacob Stephens, was murdered in Ky. during the late war.


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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.


Curtis Strode, sec. 23, Farmers' tp .; P. O., Bernadotte ; was born April 6, 1850, in this county, son of Thomas Strode, of Farmers' tp., whom we mention further on. Mr. Strode was educated in the common schools, and reared on a farm. He is now a farmer and stock-raiser in good circumstances in this township, and owns 100 acres of land. He was married, Sept. 28, 1870, to Alice A. Over- ton, daughter of Francis L. Overton, of Bernadotte tp., who came to Fulton county about the year 1835. They had one little girl, Emma, who died Feb. 2, 1878. Mrs. Strode's mother (then Mrs. Wilcox) came to this county with her husband in 1834.




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