USA > Illinois > Grundy County > History of Grundy County, Illinois > Part 46
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Well has it been said that " the good die young," but our deceased brother was an exception to this rule. He possessed all the elements of a truly good
man. Benevolence, courtesy and kindness were his companions; justice, integrity and morality were his rules of action. Therefore be it
Resolved, That in the death of Brother Thomas, Cedar Lodge, No. 124, A., F. & A. M., has lost a just and upright Mason, society an exemplary cit- izen, his wife a kind and affectionate husband and Grundy County a faithful public servant.
That to his beloved wife we extend our heartfelt sympathy, and commend her to Him who doeth all things well, with the assurance that she will some day go to him in that haven of rest, where all is peace and perfect joy.
That a page in our record book be set apart as sacred to the memory of Past Master Samuel B. Thomas, on which shall be inscribed huis Masonie record.
That a copy of the preamble and resolutions be certified and presented to the wife of our deceased brother.
PERRY A. ARMSTRONG. L. P. LOTT. LEANDER IRONS,
Committee.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1882.
Board met pursuant to adjournment; called to or- der by the Chairman; present, a full Board, except Superintendent Ayers.
Minutes of yesterday's proceedings read and ap- proved.
A motion by Superintendent Germain that the matter of fixing compensation of county officers be set for hearing at 11 o'clock, was carried.
The committee appointed to draft resolutions of respect to the memory of the late lIon. S. B. Thomas, deceased. presented their report as follows, to wit :
Your committee to whom was referred the matter of the death of the Ilon. S. B. Thomas, County Judge, would beg leave to submit the following re- port on the matter before them:
WHEREAS, Death has removed from this com- munity the Ilon. Samuel B. Thomas; and, whereas, it is but fitting that we, members of the Grundy County Board of Supervisors, who have known him personally and officially for many years, should ex- press our respeet for him as an officer and a man.
Be it resolved, That, in the demise of Judge S. B. Thomas, the people of the county have lost the presence and counsel of a man whose daily life was pure, and whose kindly nature endeared him to all, of an officer who always did his duty fairly and justly, whose sense of justice and equity was strong and constant, and whose memory will long be held
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MORRIS CITY AND TOWNSHIP.
in respect and venerance as that noblest work of God, an honest man, and further
Be it resolved, That a page of the record of the Board be dedicated to his memory, and that a copy of these resolutions be certified by the clerk to the widow of the deceased. All of which is respect- fully submitted. OREN GIBSON, Chairman.
THOMAS TETLOW, mechanic, Morris. The subject of this sketch was born in England February 19, 1832, and was raised and edu- cated in his native country. Having married, July 18, 1852, Miss Sarah A. Haywood, they came to Illinois and settled in Morris in the fall of 1855. Mrs. (Haywood) Tetlow was born March 15, 1825, in Yorkshire, England. In Grundy County, Mr. Tetlow engaged in farm- ing from 1855 to August, 1862, when he en- listed in Company I, One Hundredth Illinois Volunteer Infantry (Capt. Gardner). He con- tinued in this regiment until the battle of Murfreesboro, when he was confined to the hospital for eleven months continuously; when able for duty, he was attached to an invalid corps, Seventeenth Regiment Veteran Re- serve, where he remained until discharged, July 1, 1865; his term of service was about three years. fle took part in the battles of Perryville. Murfreesboro and others. After the war, he learned the trade of blacksmithing under Oscar Tompkins, of Morris, and he has been running a shop of his own for the past nine years. Ilis shop is situated on the cor- ner of Liberty and Jefferson streets; residence on Jefferson street. Mr. and Mrs. Tetlow have a family of four children-Eliza H., born Au- gust 4, 1854, died on shipboard about the 15th of September, 1855; Frances L., born July 22. 1856; Charles S., born July 20, 1858, died Au- gust 31, 1861; Joseph E., born July 14, 1860, died September 7, 1861. Mrs. Tetlow is a member of the Congregational Church, of Morris. Frances L. (one of our subject's (laughters), was married, December 29, 1875, to Frank W. Edson, of New York, later of Wauponsee Township, and they have three
children-Gertie E., born November 21, 1876; Clara B., born July 13, 1878, died November 29, 1879; and Frank T., born June 13, 1881. Thomas Tetlow is a Republican.
A. G. WOODBURY, real estate, loan and in- surance agent and Police Magistrate, was born in Putnam County, this State, November 8, 1842; son of A. O. Woodbury, who was born in Franklin County, Mass., August 2, 1813, and came to Illinois first in 1834, and settled in 1836, in Putnam County. He is a farmer by occupation, and came to Grundy County in 1852, remained there till 1875, then moved to Nebraska, where he still lives. His wife, Lydia S. Winters, was born in Miami County, Ohio, November 28, 1812, and is still living. The parents had six children, born to them, but three of them living, two sons and one daugh- ter; one of the sons died at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., during the war. Subject was educated in Grundy County, and began life as a farmer, which he followed from 1866 to 1876, then .en- gaged in his present business, which he has continued since. While living in the country, our subject was Supervisor of his Township, Collector, Township School Treasurer, Asses- sor, and was elected Magistrate the past spring (1882). Mr. Woodbury enlisted in the Federal army, August 8, 1862, and served three years, lacking a few days; was Sergeant in Company D, Ninety-first THinois Infantry; participated in many warm engagements; was captured by Gen. Morgan in December. 1862. with the balance of his regiment, at Elizabethtown, Ky., and was exchanged in July, 1863. He was in the Department of the Southwest, operating against Dick Taylor; he was at the siege of Spanish Fort, and at Mobile, Ala. Mr. Wood- bury was married in this county, January 4, 1866, to Merinda Mecham, born September 6, 1813, daughter of Sylvester and Delilah (Bunch) Mecham; he died in 1848, she in 1874. Sub- ject has two children, viz., Susie D. and L. Adella. Mr. Woodbury and wife and okler
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danghter are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Woodbury owns a comfortable residence in town, and a good farm in the country. Mr. Woodbury is a Republican.
GEORGE WOELFEL, tanner, Morris, was born in Bavaria, Germany. March 25, 1831, and was educated in his native town. At the age of fifteen, he began an apprenticeship as tanner and currier, serving three years, Ac- cording to the laws of Germany, he traveled and worked at his trade for four years, when, in 1853, he came to the United States, landing in New York, December 1. He worked in Newark, N. J., Pittsburgh, Penn .. and Joliet, III., as a journeyman workman. Was in business for himself for a time in Lockport, Ill. From 1861 to 1863, he ran a leather store in Ottawa, Ill. In 1863, he settled in Morris and formed a partnership with Fred Caspari, in the Morris tannery ; in 1864, they bought a boot and shoe store which they ran in connection with the tannery until October 15, 1865. when the tan- nery burned. They rebuilt it in the winter of 1865-66. In the fall of 1866, Caspari soll his interest to Charles Sparr. when the new firm added a harness shop to the other business. In this relation, they remained until 1880, when they dissolved partnership. Sparr becoming sole owner of the boot and shoe and harness store, and Woeltel of the tannery. In 1881, our subject erected a large brick building on the site of the old one, at a cost of $5,000. The establishment has a working capacity of thirty Lands. Our subject was married November 29, 1861, to Miss Margaret Fleck, who was born in Germany February 12, 1838, and came to the United States in 1851. The family now consists of six children-Edgar H., born October 28. 1862 : George L., July 11, 1864 ; Annie L., August 12. 1867 ; Albert, October 19, 1871; Ernest, September 3, 1874 ; and an infant, born June 17, 1882.
i
Hiram Warner, who is a native of New York State. born about 1813. He came to Chicago when a young man, and engaged in the grain business, which he followed some twenty years, and has since engaged in various other occu- pations, but mainly farming, which he has pur- sued for the past twenty years in this county. where he still resides. Sarah F. (Taylor) War- ner, the mother of our subject, was also born in New York, about the year 1824, and is still liv- ing in this county. The parents have six chil- dren, three sons, of whom our subject is the youngest. and three daughters. Our subject was educated in Chicago, and after roving around for a few years, sowing his wild oats, he finally settled in Morris, and served on the police force. In June, 1881, he was elected Deputy Sheriff of Grundy County, an office he holds at the present time. Mr. Warner was married in Morris, November 12, 1875. to Jeanie M .. daughter of H. O. Ward ; she was born in 1854. They have four children-one son and three daughters. Mr. Warner is a Re- publican.
JOHN WINTERBOTTOM. machinist Mor- ris. John Winterbottom was born in Lanca- shire. England, June 30, 1842. He came to the United States in 1859, landing at Morris April 12. He is a machinist by trade, at which trade. together with engineering, he worked for several years in Morris. In 1870, he es- tablished a gunsmith shop on Liberty street, where he is still engaged. Mr. Winterbottom was married December 20, 1876, to Miss Mary Williams of Grundy County, Ill. She was born December 20, 1850. They have two sons -William R., born October 3, 1877 ; and Rus- sell W. born August 30, 1SS0. Our subject enlisted in Company I. Sixty-ninth Illinois Vol- unteers, and when his term of service expired, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty- eighth Illinois Volunteers. Mrs. Winterbottom is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
II. T. WARNER, Deputy Sheriff. Morris, was born in Chicago, February 16. 1853; son of Mr. Winterbottom was raised by Quaker par-
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ents. William Winterbottom, father of John, was born in England in 1821, and died in Olathe, Kan., in 1874. Martha Winterbottom. his mother, was born in 1821 in England, and is now living in that country. Jacob Williams, father of Mrs. Winterbottom, was born in Wales August 23, 1820, and is now living in Grundy Connty. Anne Williams, mother of Mrs. W., was born in Wales August 20, 1819, and died in this county, April 21, 1873. Mr. Winter- bottom is a Republican.
FREDERICK A. WILLIAMS, house ear- penter, Morris, is a native of New York, born February 13. 1847. At the age of nine, his parents moved to Illinois, and settled in Mor- ris, Grundy County, where he was principally educated. His father, F. H. Williams, was a building-contractor, in which business he es- tablished himself, and followed it until his death, which occurred at Morris. In 1870, Mr. F. A. Williams went to Kansas, and engaged at building and contraeting for four years. Returning on a visit, in 1874, he found it to his interest to remain, and in 1875 he began his present business in Morris. ITe ran a planing-mill and a general earpentering busi- ness, employing a large force of workingmen. He is having a very fair success. Mr. Will- iams is unmarried, assuming the responsibility of the family, which now consists of the moth- er, one brother and one sister. The children are our subject; Sarah L., born December 10,
1848, who is married to Thomas Shaw, of Mor- ris; Charles II., born October 3, 1860; and Ida B., born November 6, 1863. Cynthia T. Williams, mother of the subject, was born Sep- tember 28. 1825, in Herkimer County, N. Y., and is a member of the M. E. Church of Mor- ris. The father, F. H. Williams, was a native of Oneida County, N. Y., born January 1, 1823, and died in Morris June 1, 1875. Mr. F. A. Williams is a conservative Republi- can.
CHARLES F. WASHBURN, Morris, is a native of Otsego County, N. Y., born Novem- ber 25, 1827, was raised and edneated in his native State. In the spring of 1855, he settled in Saratoga Township, Grundy County, where he bought a farm. Here he lost his wife, Mrs. Mary (Austin) Washburn, and his three chil- dren. On the 7th of September, 1858, he was married to Miss Martha Lyon, of Jefferson County, N. Y. She was born Angust 22, 1830, and came to Kendall County in 1848. The family consists of three children-George, born December 16, 1859; Frank M., September 30, 1861; and Adelbert, May 22, 1863. Mr. Wash- burn was for several years engaged in the grocery business on Liberty and Canal streets. He is now owner of a boat and team on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, spending much of his time on the line from Chicago to La Salle. Residence, northwest part of city. He is a Republican.
AU SABLE TOWNSHIP.
CHARLES W. BARKER, hardware and implements, Minooka, senior member of the firm of Barker & Stauffor, hardwaro merchants and dealers in agricultural implements, the leading interest of the kind in the town. Ho was born in Lisbon, Kendall Co., Ill., in March, ISSI, eldest son of William M. Bar-
ker, who was born in Onoida County, N. Y., May, 1825, who was a son of Samuel and Susana (Rogers) Barker, he a native of Ver- mont, sho of Massachusetts, and of Scotch descent. Samuel Barker, the grandsiro of our subjeet, was one of the first settlers in Kendall County; his son William camo with
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BIOGRAPHICAL:
him when a young man, and succeeded his father on the homestead; afterward purchased a farm in the same county, where he made his permanent location, and remained on the same until his death, September, 1858. Two sons were born him-Charles William, who bears his name, and George H., who resides in Iowa. His widow is now the wife of Jo- seph Buckley, of this township. Charles W. came to this township in 1865; remained here three years, and, returning to Kendall County, lived there until the spring of 1876. In the fall of IS77, he associated in business with Adam Stauffer, under the firm name of Barker & Stauffer, which copartnership still exists. They keep a general hardware stock and handle farm implements, making a spe- cialty of Weir and John Deere plows, Union and Deere planters. McCormick's harvesting machines, Webber wagons and Abbott's car- riages. In 1872, he was married to Priscilla Coop, daughter of Samuel Coop, of this town- ship; no children. He is a member of Mi- nooka Lodge, No. 528, A., F. & A. M., Orient Chapter, R. A. M., and Blaney Commandery (Knights Templar).
JOSEPH BUCKLEY, farmer, P. O. Mi- nooka; emigrated from Lancashire, England, to this county in the spring of 1849; he was born February 3, 1831, son of John and Mary Buckley, both natives of Lancashire, En- gland. Mr. Buckley's early boyhood was spent in school and in the drug store of his father, who was an apothecary and who died in 1851. at which time Joseph returned to England to settle up his father's estate, remaining there four years and a half. Upon his return to the State, he located in Kendall County, in Lisbon Township, and engaged in farming. August 11, 1862, he responded to the Nation's call, and, although not a full- fledged citizen at that time, he promptly an- swered to the call to arms, and enlisted as a
private in Company H, Eighty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and continued in service and participated in all the engagements in which his regiment took part, beginning with Stone River and ending with that of Kenesaw Mountain, June 21, 1864, where he was shot through the shoulder, the ball passing down and out of the forearm. This ended his use- fulness as a soldier, and, after several months in hospitals, was discharged, January 20, 1865, on account of disability, and re- turned to Kendall County. In the spring of 1866, he located in this township, on the southwest quarter of Section 5, upon land that he had purchased in 1863, and has since remained here. He has a good farm of 100 acres, with excellent buildings .thereon. February 23, he married Mrs. Mary Barker, relict of William M. Barker; she was born in Derbyshire, England, daughter of Samuel and Martha (Milner) Naden, the latter a daughter of John and Mary Milner. The Naden family emigrated from England in 1846, locating in Lisbon, Kendall County. Mr. Buckley has one son. Both he and wife are members of the Au Sable M. E. Church.
PETER H. BRISCOE, farmer, P. O. Minooka. Among the representative young men and farmers of this township is Peter H. Briscoe. He was born May 23, 1853, at Dresden, this township, youngest son of Nicholas and Mary (Byrns) Briscoe. Nicho- las Briscoe was born in Kings County, Ire- land, in September, 1795, and came to Amer- ica in the spring of IS50. The family con- sisted of himself, wife and nine children- Richard, Patrick, Allen, Maria, Eliza, James, John, Nicholas and Bridget. Those since born that lived are Peter H. and William. Nicholas Briscoe came to Dresden first, and lived there about two years; then moved to Section 24, where he rented land, and, sev- eral years after, purchased 360 acres, 160
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AU SABLE TOWNSHIP.
acres on Section 13, balance on Section 24, and remained on the same until his death, which occurred August 1, 1882. He was a member of the Catholic Church and highly respected in the community in which he lived. His widow and five children now survive him. viz., Patrick, Ellen, Maria, Eliza and Peter H. Patrick resides in Will County, Ill .. in Channahon. Ellen is the wife of Thomas Daly, and resides in Lynn County, Mo. Maria resides in this township, wife of James Mead, and Eliza resides in Minnesota, wife of William Harrison. Peter H. Briscoe, the subject of these lines, came to this farm with his parents, and remained with them until the year 1879, when, on November 3, that year, he married Margaret Burke, who was born in this township, daughter of Thom- as Burke. After his marriage, he located on the farm he now owns, and has since remained there, engaged in farming, his farm consist- ing of 200 acres, on Section 24. He has al- ways beon identified with the Democratic party; he served the township as Collector in 1878 and 1879, and served two terms and was re-elected Supervisor of the township in the spring of 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Briscoe have two children-John and Eliza. He is a member of the Catholic Church at Minooka.
THOMAS BURKE, farmer, P. O. Minoo. ka. Of the highly respectable citizens of Au Sable Township, Thomas Burke ranks among the first. He was born December 22, 1824, in County Clare, Ireland, in the sauce house that his ancestors for three generations were born. His father, Garrett Burke, was born in 1804; his wife, who bore our subject, (Thomas, the only son). was Sarah Kleine. Garrett Burke, the youngest, was a son of Patrick, who was a son of Michael Burke, who settled in County Clare prior to the Revolution. In 1847, the subject of this sketch left the old country and came to
America, landing in New York in the spring of that year. He lived in New York about one year, then came to Pike County, Ind., where he lived until the fall of 1851, when he came to this township, and, for about six years, rented land, after which he made a purchase of eighty acres of unimproved land, paying for it $9 per acre, and has since added to the same, and now has 160 acres and some timber. In 1851, he married Elizabeth Welch, a native of Kings County, Ireland, daughter of William Welch; they have two children -- Margaret and Elizabeth; the for- mer is the wife of Peter Briscoe, of this township.
MICHAEL BRANNICK, Channahon, was born October 17, 1825, in County Mayo, Ire- land, fourth son of Patrick and Mary (Carey) Brannick. Patrick Brannick was the son of William Brannick. Subject was raised on a farm, and, in April, 1846, he landed at New York; came to this county and to Morris in May, same year; worked awhile on the canal, then went out to Lisbon, Kendall Co., Ill., and stayed there four years, altogether, and, in the spring of 1850, he went the overland route to California; engaged in mining one year, then returned here, in 1851, and made a purchase of 100 acres, where he now ro- sides, which cost $0 an acre cash, there being some little improvement on the land, fifteen acres broken and small log house on the place. He has now 514 acres in this county, including eighty acres given his son, and he has made all he has by hard labor. He was married, November 10, 1851, to Mary Ann Sterling, who was born in York State, daugh- ter of John Sterling, who came West prior to 1848. Mr. Brannick has ten children-John, Ambrose, William, Mary E., Michael, Thomas, Kate, Patrick H. and Margaret, all living. Ho carries on general farming and stock raising. He is a member of the Catholic Church.
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BIOGRAPHICAL:
GEORGE COMERFORD, farmer and general business, P. O. Minooka. Among the representative men of Au Sable Town- ship. George Comerford stands among the first. He was born August 3, 1826, in Coun- ty Wexford, Ireland, eldest son of William and Honora (Nolan) Comerford, both natives of same county. His paternal grandsire was Pierce Comerford, whose wife was Mary Roche. Our subject was reared at home to agricultural pursuits, and received a collegi- ate education in the land of his birth, and, in the spring of 1850, emigrated to America, in company with his parents and family of six children, George being the first; then in or- der came Pierce, Mary, Charles, Nicholas and William. The family arrived in April, 1850; the father purchased land soon after his arrival, in the northeast part of the town- ship, his purchase amounting to 560 acres of land, which he subsequently divided up among his children. His death occurred Oc- tober 11, 1866; his wife preceded him, No- vember 1, 1854. Of the Comerford family, George is the only one residing in the coun- ty; in fact, only one of the family is yet living aside from George, and that is his brother Charles, who resides in Brule. Cham- berlain Co., Dak. When our subject came to this county, he engaged in railroading and helped locate and survey the Rockford & Rock Island Railroad, which runs through this county, and helped lay the first rail that was laid in the State. After the survey of the road, he assisted in building the same, and remained in the employ of the railroad com- pany until 1856. He was the first railroad agent and the first Postmaster in the town of Minooka. He served consecutively as Post- master nine years, and was station agent sev- eral years, He built some of the first busi- ness houses in the place, and has, perhaps, contributed more toward advancing and build-
ing up the town than any other one man. Soon after the establishment of the place, he engaged in commercial business, keeping station, post office and store in one small building. Afterward, he built what is now known as the Comerford Block and engaged in running a general store, and subsequently to this and other buildings, and did what he could to encourage the prosperity and the success of the town. During this time, he has been carrying on his farm, consisting of 160 acres, which is situated adjacent to the town on the west; the farm is well improved, its owner being a thorough. practical farmer. In justice to Mr. Comerford it can be said that he has been more prominently identified with the interests of this portion of the county than any other man living in the township. He has filled every office of trust in the town- ship within the gift of the people, and served repeatedly in several official stations. In church matters he has borne a conspicuous part, assisting in the formation of the Catho- lic Church, and giving liberally to the estab- lishment of the M. E. society at this place, also. In school matters, he has been promi- nently identified, being aware of the advan- tages of education; he has done all in his power toward the advancement of the interests of the same in this township, and is now President of the Board of Education here. September 16, 1855, he was united in wedlock to Catharine Smith, who was also a native of the same county as himself, daughter of Thomas and Mary Smith, all of Wexford, Ire- land. Four children have been born to them, three of whom are living-Thomas S., Nicho- las J. and Mary C., all of whom are receiving the advantages of a liberal education at the University at Notre Dame. In politics, Mr. Comerford is Democratic, and has proven true to its principles. He has recently re- turned from a visit to the home of his birth,
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AU SABLE TOWNSHIP.
and was rocoived by his friends and acquaint- ances with ovations of a flattering character.
WILLIAM COMERFORD, Minooka, was boru in this township September 15, 1859. eldest son of Pierce and nephew of George Comerford, of this township. Pierce Com- erford was born January, 1828. in County Wexford, Ireland, and camo to this country with his father. William, at the time of his settlement here. Ho settled on land given him by his father, and engaged in farming on Section 2, in this township, and remained on the farm until his death, which occurred in January, 1968. His widow yet survives him and resides on the homestead. She was born in County Kildare, Ireland, in 1832. daughter of Dennis Dempsey: she came to this county in 1855. To Pierce Comerford was born William, Honora. Nicholas, Mary E. and Anna, all residents of this township, living on the homestead of which William has had charge since ISS1. February 11, 1SS1, he married Katie Kinney, who was born in Morris July 26, 1860, daughter of Patrick Kinney. They have one child --- Mary E.
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