USA > Illinois > Jersey County > History of Jersey County, Illinois > Part 58
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tered land in Iowa, and in St. Louis County, Mo. The land entered in Jersey County, is still in the Powel family. There Oliver Perry and his wife spent a number of years, but later moved to Jerseyville. Their children were as follows: Joseph Samuel Powel; Robert, who lives at Jerseyville ; William, who lives at Appleton, Wis .; James, who lives in Jersey Township; Minnie, who is Mrs. William Eggleson, of Slater, Mo .; Fannie, who is Mrs. L. F. Wilson, of Folsom, N. M. ; John, who lives in Jersey County, and Cornelia A., who married Clarence Hamilton.
Joseph Samuel Powel attended the school of his neighborhood, and remained with his parents until 1874 when he was married and moved six miles southeast of Jerseyville on a farm of 160 acres which Mrs. Powel owned, and he conducted it until the fall of 1912, when he moved to Jerseyville where he resided, until his death, September 7, 1918.
On October 1, 1874, Mr. Powel was married to Antoinette Van Horne, of Jersey County, a daughter of James and Nancy (Wilson) Van Horne, born in New York. For eleven years Mrs. Powel took tender care of her mother who had become blind and helpless from paralysis. Mr. and Mrs. Powel became the parents of the following children : James, who lives at Jerseyville, is in an insurance business ; George, who conducts a livery establishment ; Cora, who is Mrs. Harry T. Darby, of Mississippi Township; Carric, who is Mrs. Herbert G. Neely, of Jerseyville: Sarah, who is Mrs. Truman Scribner, of Mississippi Township; Spencer, who is operating his father's farm; Andrew Wilson, who is in the employ of the Continental Motor Co., of Detroit, Mich .; and Minnie, Russell and Joseph, who are all deceased. In politics Mr. Powel was a Democrat, and he was elected on that ticket and served as school trustee of his township. Fraternally he belonged to the Odd Fellows and the Encampment, and the Modern Woodmen of America, and formerly was quite active in the Grange. A man of intelligence and excellent ideas, he always took the lead in his community and was held in high esteem by all who knew him.
POWERS, Walter, one of the successful grain farmers of Fidelity Township, has proven his right to be numbered among the leading young agriculturalists of Jersey County. He was born at Alton, Ill., October 12, 1882. a son of Walter and Ellen (McCarthy) Powers. Natives of Ireland, they came to the United States, where they sub- sequently married, and after coming to the vicinity of Alton, Ill .. bought a farm upon which they lived, and where six children were born to them. They then bought 160 acres of land in Fidelity Town- ship, where the father died in October, 1899, the mother surviving him until 1906. Their children were as follows: John J. and Naomi. who both live at St. Louis, Mo .; Nellie, who is now deceased, was Mrs. T. C. Maloney ; Kate, who lives at St. Louis, Mo .; William, who lives in Fidelity Township : Walter; Edward, who lives at St. Louis ; Lizzie,
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who is Mrs. Bartholomew Lahey, of Springfield, Ill .; and Mary and Irene who are both living at St. Louis, Mo.
Walter Powers attended school in his native district, and in Fidelity Township, and remained with his parents until April 12, 1904, when he was united in marriage with Mary Hart, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a daughter of James and Mary (Maley) Hart. Following his marriage Mr. Powers rented 205 acres of land in Fidelity Township, and in 1907 he rented the L. G. Wilkinson farm in the same township, compris- ing 400 acres, which he still operates, doing grain farming and rais- ing horses, cattle and hogs. Mr. and Mrs. Powers have the following children : James, Mary Ellen, John, William Francis. A Catholic, Mr. Powers belongs to the church of his faith at Shipman. In politics he is a Democrat, while his fraternal relations arc with the Modern Wood- men of America, at Fidelity, Ill.
REARDON, Francis Gerald Griffin, one of the leading attorneys of Jersey County, is a young man of sterling and upright character and is a very highly respected member of his profession. He was born August 10, 1883, at Boynton Center, Tazewell County, Ill., and aside from the time spent in attaining his education and in the practice of the law, has been occupied largely in farm work. His parents, Bryan and Anna (Flemming) Reardon, were natives of the counties of Tip- perary and Waterford, Ireland respectively. They came to the United States shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, and Capt. John Reardon and Edward Flemming, Jr., brothers, respectively of Bryan and Anna (Flemming) Reardon, were soldiers in the Union Army.
The grandparents were Daniel and Margaret (Keefe) Reardon and Edward and Honora (Cooney) Flemming. Daniel Reardon, with his family, emigrated to America and settled on the Delavan Prairie, in Tazewell County of this state. Edward Flemming, having died in the old country, the mother, Honora, wishing her children to have better opportunities than were offered in Ireland, decided to try their for- tunes in America, and came to the United States with all of them, except her eldest daughter. Anna, who was then eleven years old, and located at Pekin. Ill. Anna, two years later, after a long and perilous journey alone from Ireland, joined her mother at the new home of the family in Illinois.
After his marriage, Bryan Reardon settled on a farm in Hopedale Township, Tazewell County, and later moved to his farm at Boynton Center in the same county. Here he died July 10, 1906, but his widow survives and still makes her home on the farm. Their children were as follows: Edward E., who lives in Oklahoma City, Okla. : Michael. who lives at Delavan, Ill .; Neal Daniel, who lives at Omaha, Neb .; Bryan, who died March 22, 1904, aged twenty-eight years; William J., who lives at Pekin, Ill .; Clarence H., who lives west of Fieldon, in Jer- sey County ; Charles Carroll, who lives on the homestead ; and Francis Gerald Griffin, of Jerseyville, who was the youngest.
After attending the public school at Boynton Center, Gerald, as he 39
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is more intimately known among his personal acquaintances, entered the high school at Delavan, which school on different occasions he suc- cessfully represented both in athletics and debating. He was gradu- ated therefrom as valedictorian of his class. Following this he matric- ulated at the University of Illinois, and took his degree of A. B. in the College of Science in 1910. After finishing the course in general science, he studied law there for one year, and then entered the John Marshall Law School at Chicago, where he took a year's course. The following year was spent in the College of Law in the Wesleyan Uni- versity at Bloomington, Ill., from which he was graduated with the degree of LL. B. in 1912. Immediately thereafter he was admitted to the practice of law in this state, and entered actively into this pro- fession at Pekin, Ill., where for a short period he was associated with his elder brother, William, then state's attorney of Tazewell County.
In the spring of 1913, Gerald Reardon came to Jersey County, went on a tract of land in the Nutwood Drainage and Levee District, in Richwoods Township, and helped to improve and clear the same for agricultural purposes. Shortly after locating on the farm he was chosen drainage and levee commissioner of the district, and while there, in the latter part of 1913 and 1914, combined the duties of this office with his work of reclaiming land for farm purposes.
Mr. Reardon, while attending the universities, took a very active part in the social, literary and scientific functions of those institutions. When at the University of Illinois he became a member of Phi Kappa fraternity. He also belonged to Philomathean Literary Society of that institution and took a very active part in a number of debates and other oratorical contests during his collegiate career. He was a mem- her of the Chemistry Club, a scientific organization of the university, the members of which applied themselves to the study and investiga- tion of scientific matters pertaining to chemistry and other studies closely allied thereto. He was also a member of the Athletic Asso- ciation.
On April 1, 1915, he became associated with Will T. Sumner in the practice of law at Jerseyville. He took the place of Thomas F. Ferns, who retired from the legal firm of Ferns & Sumner, and since then Mr. Reardon has devoted himself to the practice of his profession with remarkable distinction. The people of the city of Jerseyville, in the spring of 1917, adopted the commission form of government. Mr. Reardon was chosen corporation counsel by the new administration and serves the city in that capacity and as legal advisor under the new regime.
REED, Edwin E., a prosperous farmer of Jersey County, owns 160 acres of land, one-half mile outside of Dow, Ill. He was born in Jersey County, June 3, 1860, a son of Joseph O. and Nancy L. (McDow) Reed. Joseph O. Reed was born in Virginia, and came to Jersey County with his parents, here following farming. His wife was a sister of J. H. McDow, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. About
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eighteen years before his death, Joseph O. Reed moved to Cowley County, Kas., where he passed away. During the Civil War, he served his country as a soldier. In polities he was a Republican, and in fra- ternal matters he affiliated with the Odd Fellows. For many years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Edwin E. Reed attended the district sehools until he was seventeen years old, and then went to Shurtleff College for a short period. He was married on October 4, 1882, to Mary Buekles, born in Jersey County, November 8, 1863. Her parents eame here from England. After his marriage Mr. Reed went to Kansas and lived there for twenty- two years, then went to Missouri, and spent two years. Ile was in the employ of the Adams Express Company at Kansas City, and worked for them prior to going to Missouri. Returning to Illinois, Mr. Reed bought his present farm, which he operated until recently when he re- tired and moved to Dow.
Mr. and Mrs. Reed have had the following children: IIallie E., who was born July 21, 1884, is married to Bernice Frank, and their children are, Mary F. and Edwin E .; Walter I., who was born May 1, 1887, lives at Granite City, Ill., and married Mabel Smith, and they have had one son, Walter, who is deceased; Helen, who was born July 19, 1890, is Mrs. Walter Knight, and she has one son, Joseph E .; and Clarenee B., who was born October 5, 1894, married Maurine Smith. Mr. Reed belongs to the Masons and Elks. He is widely and favorably known, standing very high in publie esteem beeause of his sterling character.
RETTERATH, William J., one of the substantial business men of Jerseyville, and a man widely and favorably known throughout Jersey County, was born at Evansville, Ind., August 6, 1853, a son of W. J. Retterath who was born in Germany. In young manhood the father came to the United States where he worked as a baker and confectioner. After the death of his first wife in 1854, he changed his location several times, and finally eame to Jerseyville, where he died in 1864.
After the death of his father, William J. Retterath lived with his stepmother. He learned the tinner's trade, and worked at it for twenty-nine years for the Daniels' hardware store, doing all kinds of work in his line. In 1914 he entered into the hardware business him- self. specializing on tin work of all kinds, and has been very successful.
On September 16, 1876, Mr. Retterath was married to Mary Senger, born in Jersey County, Ill., a daughter of Louis Senger, a native of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Retterath became the parents of the fol- lowing children: William L. and Edward, who are deceased; Mabel and Elizabeth, who live at St. Louis, Mo .; Minnie, who is at home, and Augusta, who is in St. Louis. Mr. Retterath had but few educational advantages, and they were confined to those afforded in the common schools. He is a member of the German Lutheran Church, but his daughters are Baptists. In polities he is a Demoerat, and fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America.
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RHINE, Rollie Vale, now living in comfortable retirement at Jer- seyville, owns a very valuable farm of 120 aeres of land in Fidelity Township. He was born near Bunker Hill, Ill., January 7, 1860, a son of Martin and Ann E. (Jones) Rhine, he born in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and she in England. He eame to Macoupin County, Ill., at an early date, while she was brought to Alton, Ill., by her parents, who settled there when there was but one warehouse in the village. After marriage, Martin Rhine and wife located at Carlinville, where he worked at his trade of cabinetmaking. While there he had an unusual and unpleasant experience, for during the cholera epidemic he was forced to work night and day to make a sufficient number of eoffins for the burial of the victims of that dread disease. Later on in life he bought a farm near Bunker Hill, Ill., and there he was engaged in farming for many years. When he sold his farm he retired to Shipman, where he died in 1900. Ilis wife had died in 1881.
Rollic Vale Rhine spent his boyhood at home, and attended the dis- trict schools. When his mother died he left home and until 1889 was engaged in working for farmers by the month. He was then married and rented a farm at Rockbridge, Ill., for three years. In 1902 he bought 120 acres on section 12, Fidelity Township. Although this was an improved farm, he made many changes and greatly inereased its value, conducting it as a stock and grain farm until 1910 when he moved to Jerseyville, renting his property. Since 1910 he has spent a year at Denver, Col., and in Colorado Springs in the same state.
On January 1, 1889, Mr. Rhine was married to Catharine Chism, born in Macoupin County, Ill., one and one-half miles north of Medora, a daughter of John and Rachel (Skeen) Chism, natives of Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Rhine have no children. In politics he is a Democrat, while fraternally he belongs to Medora Camp, M. W. A.
RICH, James Hooper, owner of 160 aeres of valuable land in Fidelity Township, belongs to an old and honored family. He was born in Fidelity Township, in August, 1872, a son of Samuel and Hannah (Grandy) Rich, he born in England, and she in Greene County, Ill. Ile came to America in 1851, making the trip on a sailing vessel which took thirteen weeks to cross the ocean. Landing at New Orleans, he spent Christmas day of 1851 in that city, and then came up the Mississippi River to Alton. It is interesting to note that the passage from England to New Orleans eost only $3.10, while from New Orleans to Alton, the fare was $11.00. Alton was only a day's trip by boat from St. Louis. Two sisters of his had already made the trip, and one was married to John Hooper of Fidelity Township, and Samuel Rich joined his sisters in Jersey County, Ill.
After his marriage, Samnel Rich bought land, having saved up and added to the $100 he had with him when he arrived in Jersey County, and in time he aequired 860 acres, and lived on his farm until his death. A friend of education, he held the offices of school director and trustee.
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He and his wife had the following children : Clara, who is Mrs. Beeby of Urbana, Ill .; Elizabeth Birkenmayer, who lives in Fidelity Town- ship; William, who lives at Enid, Okla .; James H .; Cora, who is Mrs. J. D. Wilson of Christian County, Ill .; and Arthur, who is the twin brother of Cora, lives in Fidelity Township, on the original homestead of his father. Samuel Rich died in 1904, and his widow died in 1913.
James H. Rich attended the distriet schools and one winter at Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, Ill. In October, 1897, he was married to Alice Thateher, born in Jersey County, a daughter of Paul C. and Hannah (Van Pelt) Thateher. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Rich lived on the 160-aere farm they now own, and ereeted their present residence in a wheat field. They put up all of the other necessary farm buildings, and made many improvements, including the building of suitable fences and the installation of modern farm machinery, so that now they have a very fine property. On it they raise horses, cattle and hogs and carry on general farming. They have one son, Russel T., who was born in November, 1902. Mr. Rich is a Baptist, and served the church for eight years as its treasurer. In polities, he is a Republi- can, and fraternally he belongs to Fidelity Camp, M. W. A.
RICHARDS, William P., one of the substantial business men of Jerseyville, is engaged in conducting a poultry, egg and country prod- uee establishment and has held a number of positions of responsi- bility and trust. He was born at Jerseyville, June 11, 1865, a son of John L. C. and Mary A. (Corbett) Richards, he born at Springfield, N. J., and she at Bristol, R. I. The grandparents, William and Eliza- beth (Clark) Richards, were born at Springfield, N. J., and Penuel and Charlotte (Bourne) Corbett, he born at Milford, Mass., in 1789, died at Jerseyville, in May, 1888, and she August 31, 1795, died at Jersey- ville, September 1, 1880. In 1855 John L. C. Richards came to Jersey- ville, where he carried on contracting and building, and later embarked in a lumber business at Alton, Ill. Enlisting in Company C, One Hun- dred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, he served during the Civil War, and was mustered out with the rank of captain. In 1836 the Corbetts came to Jerseyville by boat on the Ohio and Missis- sippi rivers to Alton, Ill., and thenee by team to Jerseyville. Penuel Corbett was a schoolteacher and he taught the first school in Jersey- ville. Later on in life he engaged in farming. The parents of William P. Richards were married at Jerseyville in 1859. Following the elose of the Civil War, John L. C. Richards continued his contracting busi- ness and was postmaster of Jerseyville from 1877 to 1882. He was the organizer of the G. A. R. Post at Jerseyville, and also served as captain of a militia company organized at Jerseyville. In 1883 he moved to Missouri and later to Colorado Springs, Colo., where he died October 12, 1908. His wife died in Missouri October 12, 1894.
William P. Richards attended the grammar and the high school of Jerseyville, and after he was graduated from the latter, he was a clerk and assistant postmaster from 1883 to 1895. He then conducted
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a hardware and furniture business under the firm name of Richards, Beaty & Company from 1898 to 1902. During this period he was state agent for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of Kentucky. In 1898 he established his present business with W. M. Manning as a partner, and has continued it ever since. In 1906 he was appointed post- master of Jerseyville and served until 1914. In 1902 he bought a controlling interest in the Jerseyville Republican, with J. W. Becker. In the winter of 1913, Mr. Richards sold the Republican to Krug & Son and since 1914 has devoted his time to his poultry, egg and country produce business, which had assumed large proportions.
On November 6, 1889, Mr. Richards was married to Lora A. Cowen, born in Jersey County, Ill., a daughter of Franeis M. and Mary (Lan- don) Cowen, born in Jersey County. The grandparents, William and Maria (Cory) Cowen, were born in Vermont, and in 1832 came to Jersey County, entering land in Jersey Township, which is still owned and occupied by members of the Cowen family. Mr. Cowen died in 1869, and Mrs. Cowen in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Richards became the parents of two children, namely: Theodore Clark, who is an attorney of New York City; and Bernice, who is Mrs. Joseph H. McCready of Okmulgee. Okla. Mr. Richards belongs to the First Presbyterian Church of Jerseyville, of which he is an elder, and he is superintendent of the Sunday school. A Republican, he has served two terms as a member of the city council. A thirty-second degree Mason in good standing, he has also attained to the Knight Templar degree, and is also a Shriner, and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. As both of his great-grandfathers were Revolutionary soldiers, he is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
ROADY, John, for many years a successful general farmer of Fidel- ity Township, now living retired on his farm, was born in Knox County, Tenn., May 4, 1846, a son of Nathaniel L. and Rebecea (Long) Roady, natives of eastern Tennessee who came to Jersey County in the fall of 1851, driving overland and settling on a farm he bought from the original owner who had secured it from the government. There the parents both died. Their children were as follows: Christian, who lives in New Mexico; 'Sarah E., who is Mrs. William Moore, a widow, who lives at Fidelity, Ill .; Thomas, who lives at Sunnyside, Wash .; Peter, who also lives at Sunnyside; Henry, who lives at Denver, Colo. : Fannie, who is Mrs. George Clower, of Piasa, Ill .; Alfred, who lives at St. Louis, Mo. ; and John.
John Roady in boyhood had to assist his father in elearing their land of timber, after arrival in the new home, and had but little time to attend school. In 1867 he began renting land and continued to farm on rented land until he bought forty aeres. From time to time he added more land until he owned 100 aeres in Fidelity Township, and 100 aeres of the old homestead which adjoined it, and lived on this
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property until he sold it and bought eighty acres of finely improved land in Fidelity Township. Here he carried on general farming until 1917, when he rented his farm, but continues to live on it.
On October 21, 1867, Mr. Roady was married to Rebecca Jones, born in Madison County, Ill., a daughter of Thomas and Adeline Jones. Mr. and Mrs. Roady have the following children: Charles, who lives at Alton, Ill .; Rosa E., who is Mrs. Charles Petty, of southwestern Oklahoma; John, who lives at Alton, Ill .; Dora, who is at home ; Grace, who is Mrs. Oliver Strunk, of Medora, Ill .; and Alice, who is Mrs. Grant Goodman, of Macoupin County, Ill.
Mr. Roady belongs to the Baptist Church at Fidelity, Ill. In pol- ities 'he is a Democrat and he has served as road commissioner, school trustee and school director. He is a man well and favorably known throughout the county and deserves the respect and esteem which is his, for he has been honest, industrious and neighborly and has done his part in advancing the interests of Fidelity Township.
ROBB, Alexander C., who is a representative citizen of Jersey County, has been prominent in business and political circles for many years but is now living retired at Jerseyville. He was born in Greene County, Ill., May 27, 1868, a son of John L. and Elizabeth (Crone) Robb, born near Belfast, Ireland, who were married there, and from there came to Chicago, Ill., early in 1860. Soon thereafter, they located on a farm near Kane, in Greene County. In 1876 they retired from the farm to Kane, Ill., where the mother of Alexander C. died in 1876, the father surviving her until 1907, when he passed away being a resident of Jersey County.
After he had completed the school course at Jerseyville, Alexander C. Robb was a clerk in the postoffice of Jerseyville for two years, and then was connected with coal and lumber interests at the county seat, and in 1914, bought a coal and lumber business at Kane. On Sep- tember 1, 1916, he sold his Jerseyville business to F. R. Miller. When the State Bank of Jerseyville was re-organized, he was made its vice president, and held that office until he resigned in the spring of 1917. In 1911 Mr. Robb-ran for the office of mayor of Jerseyville, and was defeated, but when he ran again for the same office in 1913, he was elected by the largest majority ever given in this city, and was re- elected in 1915, meeting with no opposition. In politics he is a Dem- ocrat.
On June 20, 1894, Mr. Robb was married to Capitola Davis, born in Pike County, Ill., a daughter of Levi M. and Sarah (Walk) Davis, he born in Kentucky, and she in Pike County, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Robb have no children. Mr. and Mrs. Robb are members of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Boston, Mass. Fraternally he belongs to the Jerseyville Chapter, R. A. M., and the Carrollton Commandery, K. T. He is also a member of the Jerseyville Lodge No. 954, B. P. O. E., of which he was exalted ruler during 1915 and 1916.
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ROERIG, Frank W., now living retired at Jerseyville, is still inter- ested in looking after his finc 160-acre farm. He was born at Jersey- ville, January 29, 1860, a son of Anthony W. and Teressa (Zeiser) Roerig, he born in Prussia and she in Germany. During the rebellion of 1848, Anthony W. Roerig was against the oppressive government, and became one of the leaders for freedom, and was imprisoned but fortunately escaped, and he came to the United States in a sailing vessel. He was four months on the ocean, but finally landed at New Orleans, and from that city he came up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Ill., and thence overland to Jerseyville. Later he became the regular stage driver between Jerseyville and Alton, so continuing until the building of the Chicago and Alton Railroad. His last trip from Alton was on the day and at the hour that the first train left Alton, and he arrived at Jerseyville only an hour behind the train. During his long residence at Jerseyville, he was interested in much of its earlier building activity, and was a very prominent and sub- stantial man. His death occurred in 1873, but his wife lived until 1888. Their children were as follows: Fannie, who is Mrs. W. C. Pfeffer of St. Louis, Mo .; Frank W .; Mary L., who is matron of the State institution at Polk, Pa .; Teressa J., who is the widow of W. M. Hanley, of Jerseyville; William, who lives at San Antonio, Tex., and Anthony, who lives at Jerseyville.
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