USA > Illinois > Vermilion County > History of Vermilion County, Illinois, Volume Two > Part 39
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Harvey C. Adams attended the public schools of Hut- sonville, Valparaiso Normal School, and George Washing- ton University, being graduated from the latter institution with the L. L. B. degree in 1892. He was employed as stenographer and court reporter at Robinson, Illinois, for Crawford County. Later he was a government employe in Washington, District of Columbia, connected with the Treasury Department, and was subsequently attached to the civil service commission and postal department. At that time Theodore Roosevelt was one of the commission and Mr. Adams was his secretary for a short time, and knew him well. Mr. Adams later served as secretary to Judge Jacob W. Wilkin of the Illinois Supreme Court, re- maining in that capacity for eleven years. He then be- came interested in real estate in Danville and in 1905 was appointed secretary of the Vermilion County Building & Loan Association. At the time of the organization of the Danville Brick Company he became its president.
In 1892 Mr. Adams married Miss Blanche Meserve, of Crawford County, Illinois, the daughter of Dr. Stephen D. and Martha (Barlow) Meserve, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Illinois. Doctor Meserve was a well known physician of Hutsonville, where he engaged in practice for over sixty years. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have a son, Stephen M. He is a graduate of DePauw University. He is vice president of the Danville Brick Company and assistant cashier of the Vermilion County Building Asso- ciation. He married Alice Bishop.
Politically Mr. Adams is identified with the Republican party. During the World War he was chairman of the local board, serving without pay, and also chairman of the Red Cross for Vermilion County. He is a charter mem- ber of the Rotary Club and is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge, thirty-second degree, Elks Club, Chamber of Com- merce, Danville Country Club, and Yacht Club.
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Paul H. Fithian, M. D .- An experienced physician and public spirited citizen, Dr. Paul H. Fithian is numbered among the representative men of Vermilion County, and is a member of the first family of Fithian. He was born at Fithian, July 4, 1866, the son of E. C. B. and Anna M. (Hayes) Fithian.
E. C. B. Fithian was born at Danville, Illinois, in 1837. He was eighteen years old when he went to Georgetown, Illinois, from Danville. Later, he operated a farm for his father and lived south of Fithian during the greater part of his life. He retired in 1908 and lived at Fithian until the time of his death, November 17, 1908. The Fithian family was among the earliest families to settle in this section of Vermilion County and were highly esteemed citizens. They were identified with the Methodist Church. Mr. Fithian was a Republican. Anna M. (Hayes) Fithian, a native of Athens County, Ohio, born March 15, 1840, died June 26, 1916. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fithian are buried in Stearns Cemetery, Fithian. Their children were: Paul H., the subject of this sketch; Lila R., born June 30, 1868, lives at Fithian; E. C. B., born January 4, 1870, lives on the old homestead near Fithian; Charles, born January 23, 1871; and David W., born December 11, 1874, dentist, lives at Rossville.
Paul H. Fithian attended the district schools and the public schools of Danville. He was graduated from Keo- kuk College in 1890 and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine from Rush Medical College, Chicago. Doctor Fithian was then identified with the Wabash Railroad Hos- pital at Springfield, Illinois, until 1899, at which time he returned to Fithian and engaged in private practice. He has achieved marked success in his profession and has a well established practice.
On October 14, 1897, Doctor Fithian was united in mar- riage with Cora (Humphrey) Jewell, of Springfield, Illi- nois, the daughter of Cornelius and Margaret Humphrey,
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natives of Indiana, both now deceased. Doctor and Mrs. Fithian have no children.
Doctor Fithian is identified with the Republican party in politics, is a member of the Methodist Church, and belongs to the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Decatur Lodge, Danville Consistory, and Modern Woodmen of America. He has served continuously as a member of the local school board since 1901.
Doctor Fithian is the owner of a fine farm of one hun- dred and sixty-five acres south of Fithian.
John M. Hickman, M. D .- One of the leading physicians and surgeons of Vermilion County, is Doctor Hickman, who has engaged in the practice of his profession at West- ville since 1896. He was born at Nelsonville, Ohio, May 4, 1872, the son of W. C. and Catherine J. (Hunt) Hickman.
W. C. Hickman was born at Somerset, Ohio, December 30, 1832, and his wife was born at New Lexington, Ohio, in 1845. He was a printer by trade and served throughout the Civil War as a member of Company I, Fifth Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry. He later engaged in the drug business at Nelsonville, Ohio, and subsequently read law. He was admitted to the Ohio state bar and served as mayor, coro- ner, and justice of the peace at Nelsonville. Mr. Hickman died November 10, 1898, and his wife died May 10, 1912. Both are buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Nelsonville, Ohio. Mr. Hickman was a Republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Masonic Lodge. There were three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hickman: Paul, born in 1867, died in 1888; Kate, married George Tannehill, lives at Lancaster, Ohio; and John M., the subject of this sketch.
John M. Hickman received his early education in the public schools of Nelsonville, Ohio, and after his gradua- tion from high school in 1900 he became a clerk in a Nelson-
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ville drug store. He subsequently entered the Ohio College of Medicine, from which he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1896. Since that time Doctor Hickman has carried on an extensive practice at Westville. He is identi- fied with the Vermilion County Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, and American Medical Association.
In 1900 Doctor Hickman was united in marriage with Miss Mabel Brown, the daughter of Benjamin and Lydia (Dolan) Brown, natives of Lafayette, Indiana. Mr. Brown is deceased. His widow lives at Danville, Illinois. To Doctor and Mrs. Hickman were born three children: John Wesley, born in 1906, a graduate of the University of Illi- nois, associated with Paul H. Davis & Company, Chicago, Illinois; Helen Harriet, attends Stevens College, Columbia, Missouri; and Robert, born November 24, 1915.
Politically, Doctor Hickman is a Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is affiliated with Georgetown Lodge No. 154, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons; and Danville Consistory, thirty-second degree.
Dr. Taylor W. Funkhouser, physician and surgeon, is among the able professional men of Danville, and is a veteran of the World War. He was born at Mattoon, Illi- nois, January 26, 1890, the son of Charles B. and Elizabeth (Chaney) Funkhouser.
Charles B. Funkhouser, who lives retired on a farm near Mattoon, Illinois, is a native of that section of Illinois. His wife was born near London, England. Mr. Funk- houser followed farming and stock raising throughout his active career and has lived retired since 1914. To Mr. and Mrs. Funkhouser the following children were born: Flora S., unmarried, lives at home; Dr. James Lee, physi- cian, lives at Danville; Charles, died in infancy; Dr. Oscar B., physician, lives in Chicago, Illinois; Fern lives in Chi-
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cago; Taylor W., the subject of this sketch; Tracy, farmer, lives at Mattoon, Illinois; Paul, who was killed in an auto- mobile accident in 1917; Syble Jane, married Roscoe Hampton, director of athletics, Evanston (Illinois) High School; and Orville, superintendent of schools, Xenia, Illinois.
Taylor W. Funkhouser received his early education in the schools of Mattoon, Illinois, and attended Eastern Illi- nois State Normal School, now the Eastern Illinois Teach- ers College. He was graduated from that institution in 1909 and in that year entered the University of Chicago, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1912. He then taught school at Jamesville, Minnesota, for one year, after which he matriculated at Rush Medical College, Chicago. After a year in the School of Medicine he again taught in the high school at Paxton, Illinois, for one year, and returned to Rush Medical College the follow- ing year. He received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1916 and spent the following two years at the Cook County Infirmary, Oak Forest, Illinois. He was then commis- sioned as first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps and attached to the Base Hospital at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, where he remained on duty during the remainder of the war period. After his discharge from the service in Jan- uary, 1919, Doctor Funkhouser entered Lutheran Dea- coness Hospital, Chicago, as resident physician and sur- geon and served in that capacity from April 20, 1919, until August 20, 1919. He then established his present practice at Danville with offices at 126 Warrington Avenue. In 1925 Doctor Funkhouser assumed the practice of Dr. Theo- dore Reagan, who removed to California. He has offices in the Temple Building. Doctor Funkhouser is a member of the staffs of Saint Elizabeth's and Lakeview Hospitals, Danville.
On August 19, 1924, Doctor Funkhouser was united in marriage with Miss Hilda Funk, of Danville, the daughter
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of Emory and Dimmis (Webb) Funk, natives of Effingham, Illinois, now residents of Danville. Doctor and Mrs. Funk- houser have a daughter, Marion Louise, born in 1926.
Doctor Funkhouser is a Republican, attends the Metho- dist Church, and is affiliated with Olive Branch Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Danville Consistory, Gao Grotto, Loyal Order of Moose, American Legion, and Roselawn Country Club. He also holds membership in the Vermilion County Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, and American Medical Association.
John Thomas Prather, deceased, was numbered among the substantial and well known men of Rossville. He was born near Danville, the son of William and Mary (Bow- man) Prather.
William Prather, a native of Kentucky, died in 1881. His wife was born in Danville and is also deceased.
John Thomas Prather was a farmer and spent his ac- tive life on a farm east of Rossville. At the time of his death in 1902 he was living retired at Rossville. He was married on December 30, 1879, to Miss Rebecca E. Norton, who was born at State Line, Indiana, June 14, 1856, the daughter of Ichabod and Elizabeth (French) Norton.
Ichabod Norton was born at Augusta, Me., and his wife was a native of Virginia. He was a cooper in early life and later engaged in general farming. He lived at Rossville for many years and died there in 1878. His wife died in 1905. Both are buried at Lebanon, Indiana. Their chil- dren were: Zermiah, the widow of John Ross, who died in 1928, and she lives at Portland, Oregon .; Rebecca E. Pra- ther; and Elizabeth, the widow of Hiram Johnson, who died in February, 1929, and she lives at Portland, Oregon.
To John Thomas and Rebecca E. (Norton) Prather were born four children: 1. Bert Ray, a graduate of Ross-
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ville High School, class of 1902, at present associated with the Wilson Packing Company, Chicago. He married Flor- ence Conrough, of Chicago, and they have two daughters, Virginia and Marion. 2. Charles R., a graduate of Ross- ville High School, engaged in business in Rossville. He married Bernice Hagen, of Chrisman, Illinois, a graduate nurse. They live at Rossville with Mrs. Prather. 3. J. Ross, who is engaged in business with his brother at Rossville. He married Alta Cooper, of Hoopeston, Illinois, and they have two children; Brownie, a graduate of Rossville High School in 1929; and John Douglass, attends school at Ross- ville. 4. Beulah, a graduate of Rossville High School and Illinois State Normal School, Bloomington, Illinois. She is engaged in secretarial work in Chicago.
Mr. Prather was a Democrat, a member of the Church of Christ and belonged to the Masonic Lodge. He was a prominent citizen of the community and was widely known throughout Vermilion County.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 977.365W67H C002 V002 HISTORY OF VERMILION COUNTY, ILLINOIS. T
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