USA > Illinois > Christian County > Past and present of Christian County, Illinois > Part 26
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OTIS LITTLE.
Otis Little, deceased, was numbered among the honored pioneers of this section of the state, having come to the Mississippi valley when this region was wild and unim- proved. In the work of development lie took an active part in early days and aided in opening up the country to civilization. As the years passed he faithfully performed his duties of citizenship and his interest in the welfare and progress of the community never abated. Becoming widely and favor- ably known he made many friends and his death was a loss to the entire community.
Mr. Little was born in New Hampshire on the 22d of August, 1815, and was one of a family of eight children, all now deceased.
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One of his brothers was Robert Little, whose sketch appears on another page of this vol- ume. Between the two there was the deep- est love and sympathy and a companionship that was only broken by the hand of death. Our subject was reared in the east and edu- cated in the schools of Ohio. In 1838 he joined his brother Robert, who had settled at Audubon, Montgomery county, Illinois, in the fall of 1838, and there he developed a good farm, which continued to be his home until called to his final rest on the 2d of Feb- ruary. 1872. His remains were interred in the Rosemond cemetery.
On the 3d of April, 1850, Mr. Little was united in marriage to Miss Charity L. Smith, a daughter of Dr. Stephen and Sarah K. (Whitmore) Smith, who were natives of Vermont and New Hampshire, respectively. For some years the father was engaged in the practice of medicine at Wheelersburg, Ohio, at which place he died when Mrs. Lit- tle was only two years and a half old. Her brother Stephen was born three days after the father's death. In the family were three children, the eldest being Jane, who married Perkins Mills and died in Pana, leaving two children: Hiram M., now principal of a school at Delaware, Ohio; and Sarah J., wife of Clinton Howard, whose sketch ap- pears elsewhere in this work. Stephen M. Smith, the youngest of the family, was mar- ried in Ohio to Nancy Thompson and sub- sequently made his home in Pana, Illinois, where his death occurred. Of his six chil- dren two are still living: J. Will, who is also represented in this volume; and Mrs. Elizabeth J. Weaver, of Pana. On the 14th of April, 1848, Mrs. Little came to Illinois in company with her mother and brother, the journey being made by steamboat to St. Louis and thence across the country by road to Audubon, Montgomery county. Mrs.
Smith took up a farm on the prairie, and for the second time assisted in the development of a new state, as she had gone to Ohio about 1814 and settled on what was known as the first grant. While a resident of that state she saw the first steamboat that ever went down the Ohio river, it being built at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. From her early home in New Hampshire she made the trip to Ohio in a spring wagon. She was related to Nathaniel Whitmore, who went to sea at the age of nineteen and continued on the water for nineteen years. He steadily arose from the position of cabin boy to owner of a vessel. His father was a shipbuilder.
Mrs. Little was reared and educated at Wheelersburg, Ohio, and was a young lady on coming to this state. After the death of her husband she sold her farm and removed to Pana, where she has since made her home, occupying an elegant brick residence on South Locust street. She is well preserved for one of her years and possesses a remark- able memory. She has been an eye witness of the wonderful transformation that has been wrought in Montgomery and Christian counties in the last fifty-five years, having witnessed their development from a sparsely settled wilderness into a thickly populated district containing fine farms and thriving towns. She is widely known and is held in the highest regard by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
I. T. KRAMER.
I. T. Kramer, who is now successfully en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising on section 1, Bear Creek township. was born on the 4th of July, 1862, in Sangamon county, Illinois, where his parents, John E. and Eliza Jane (Beam) Kramer, still con- tinue to reside. The father is a native of
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Pennsylvania. In the county of his nativity our subject was reared and educated in much the usual manner of farmer boys, pursuing his studies in the district schools and early acquiring a good knowledge of every depart- ment of farm work.
At the age of fourteen years Mr. Kra- mer commenced working by the month as a farm hand and was thus employed until he was nineteen years old, when he rented a farm in Curran township, Sangamon county. and engaged in its operation from 1882 until 1886. He then removed to Prairieton town- ship, where he was engaged in cultivation of two hundred and forty acres of farm land. He next removed to his present place in Bear Creek township and is engaged in the cultivation of two hundred and forty acres. He also gives considerable attention to the raising of stock and the success that has attended his efforts is due entirely to his own industry, perseverance and good man- agement for he started out in life empty- handed and has made his own way in the world unaided from the age of seventeen, when he gave his father a horse and fifty dol- lars in cash for his time. He has worked hard and well deserves the success that has come to him.
In 1882 Mr. Kramer was united in mar- riage to Miss Lydia Kelly, a daughter of John Kelly, who was a native of this state. She died in March, 1889, leaving four chil- dren, namely: Birdie E., Grover Leslie, Frank and Ruth F. Fraternally Mr. Kra- mer is an honored member of the Masonic lodge at Moweaqua, and also belongs to the Court of Honor and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a supporter of the Dem- ocratic party and takes quite an active and prominent part in local politics. While a resident of Prairieton township he served
as highway commissioner, and is now filling the offices of school director and county sut- pervisor from Bear Creek township.
JOSEPH MARION LITTLE, B.S., M.D.
Dr. Joseph M. Little, who is successfully engaged in the practice of medicine and sur- gery at Rosemond, was born near Ramsey, Fayette county, Illinois, on the 18th of Jan- uary, 1868, and is a son of Andrew Lawson and Mary E. (Gray) Little. The father, who was a native of Virginia, died in 1891, at the age of sixty-one years, but the mother is still living and now makes her home in East St. Louis. Of the eight children born to them seven reached years of maturity and six of the number are still living, five sons and one daughter. Four of the sons are physicians and are graduates of St. Louis colleges, while the other is now attending medical college.
In this family Dr. Joseph M. Little is the fourth in order of birth. His early educa- tion was acquired in the district schools of his native county, where he was graduated with honors in 1887, ranking the highest in his class. This class was the first to be grad - uated from any public school in the county. After receiving his certificate he was en- abled to carry out his chosen desire to teach school and successfully followed that pur- suit in Fayette county for three years. He then entered the normal school at Valpa- raiso, Indiana, where he was a student for four years and a half, and from which insti- tution he secured five diplomas in the differ- ent departments-the teacher's, commercial, penmanship, elocution and scientific. It also conferred upon him the degree of B. S. He has some highly prized souvenirs of his col- lege days at Valparaiso, one of which is a scroll of his own penmanship representing
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Diana of the Chase, and the other is the Lord's Prayer in a beautiful design. As an elocutionist he ranked high and was presi- dent of the literary society of the college, presiding at the final exercises. He was afterward principal of the schools of Vir- ginia City, Montana, one year. Having de- cided to enter the medical profession, he then matriculated at the Missouri Medical College in St. Louis, where he was gradu- ated in a class of eighty in 1899, and imme- diately afterward came to Rosemond, Illi- nois, where he purchased the office and prac- tice of Dr. G. S. Wilson, who moved to No- komis. Here our subject began practice on Decoration Day. 1899, and his skill and abil- ity is attested by the liberal patronage which he now enjoys and which ranks him as one of the leading physicians of the county. He is a member of the District Medical Society and is local examining physician for the Modern Woodmen of America, the Mutual Protective League, the Court of Honor, the Fraternal Army of Loyal Americans, the Yeoman of America, the New York Life Insurance Company and the Mutual Life Insurance Company.
On the 6th of November, 1902, Dr. Little was married in Rosemond to Miss Mand Richards, who is a graduate of the Rose- mond high school, after which she took a course in music and history at the Illinois Woman's College at Jacksonville. She has served as organist in the Congregational church for several years and is an active worker in the same. Her father. C. G. Rich- ards, is one of the substantial citizens of Rosamond township. He was born near Canton. Stark county, Ohio, March 21, 1839, a son of Abraham and Anna (Gar- ber) Richards, who were married near that city. On reaching manhood C. G. Richards was married October 3, 1867, to Lucy Yant,
a daughter of Daniel Yant, and to them were born four children, one of whom died in infancy and Arthur died at the age of six years. Mrs. Little is the next of the family. Blanch, the youngest, is at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Richards are active members of the First Congregational church of Rosemond and are held in high regard by all who know them.
In national affairs Dr. Little always sup- ports the Democratic party, but at local elec- tions is not bound by party ties, voting for the men whom he believes best qualified to fill the offices. Wherever he goes he wins friends and has the happy faculty of being able to retain them. His popularity has made him a great favorite in all circles.
HAYDEN and ALLEN ETTINGER.
Hayden and Allen Ettinger, brothers, are well known and prominent residents of Christian county. They spend much of their time in Taylorville, but are closely con- nected with the agricultural interests of the county and have extensive and valuable realty possessions. The former was born in Taylorville and the latter in May township, this county.
Their . maternal grandfather, Stephen Willey, now deceased, was a leading and in- fluential citizen of Christian county, coming here when the district was a frontier region in which the work of progress and upbuild- ing had scarcely begun. For nearly a quar- ter of a century he was active in everything pertaining to the good of the community and his co-operation proved a beneficial fac- tor in many measures for the public good. He was a native of Hamilton county, Ohio. born June 7, 1827, and was of French and English lineage. His boyhood and youth were passed in the place of his nativity and
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in 1843 he came with his parents to Illinois, at which time he took up his abode in Chris- tian county, where he spent his remaining days. He laid out and founded the town of Willey and he was particularly active in the agricultural development of the county. On the 26th of December, 1849, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Blunt, who was born in Tennessee, March 10, 1831, and in her girlhood days came to Christian county with her parents. She was of English and Irish descent. In his business affairs Mr. Willey prospered, capably conducting his interests so that they brought to him a splen- did financial return, making him one of the prosperous residents of the community.
In the Willey family were two children. The daughter, Mary, became the wife of William Ettinger, who was a native of Dau- phin county, Pennsylvania, his birth occur- ring October 17, 1841. For a number of years Mr. Ettinger conducted a harness store in Taylorville and was an enterprising busi- ness man of the city. At the time of the Civil war he joined the Eighteenth Penn- sylvania Cavalry for service in the Union Army and for nearly four years was with that command, participating in forty-two engagements, never faltering in the per- formance of any duty whereby the Union cause was advanced. He died in 1882.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ettinger were born three children. Hayden, the eldest, was born July 1, 1873, and secured a good edu- cation, after which he remained with his mother until her death and is still living on the farm. Jessie, born July 10, 1877, died in 1897. Allen, born May 6, 1881, was edu- cated in Christian Brothers College at St. Louis and is now associated with his brother in business, his home being in Taylorville. They own four hundred and forty acres of valuable land in May township, constituting
one of the best farms in the county, and also have eighty acres of land in Taylorville township. They spend most of their time superintending their property interests.
Mrs. Ettinger was born on a farm near Taylorville, this county, March 15, 1851. and pursued her education in the public schools here and a private institution at Springfield, Illinois. On the 28th of Feb- ruary, 1871, she was married to William Et- tinger and was to him a faithful companion until his death in 1882. After that sad event she took charge of the farm and suc- cessfully continued its management. Through her own well directed efforts she became a person of influence, both in the ag- ricultural world and the financial standing in Christian county. She was a woman of excellent business ability and by her own industry amassed a large fortune and estate, being the wealthiest woman in the county at the time of her death. She possessed many admirable qualities and her loving disposi- tion and kindly ways won for her a host of friends. Few women would have been able to achieve the wonderful success that Mrs. Ettinger did under the same circumstances. She resided on the farm until 1897, when she took up her residence in Taylorville and there maintained her home until her deatlı. She passed away September 20, 1899, at Springfield, Illinois, where she had gone to seek expert medical and surgical treatment. Her remains were interred in Oak Hill cem- etery and her demise was mourned by all who knew her.
SMITH OYLER.
Smith Oyler, a well known agriculturist of Taylorville township, now living on sec- tion 9, was born in Alabama on the 12th of October, 1840. His father, Daniel Oyler,
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Carolina, in 1780, and was a son of Andrew McCormick, Sr., who emigrated to this country from Ireland some time between 1746 and 1750. It was thought that he was born in Scotland and was undoubtedly of Scotch descent. In Pennsylvania he met and married Catharine Adams, a daughter of John Adams, who was born either in Hol- land or one of the German provinces, and while still a youth he and a sister came with a colony of Calvinist Protestants to Amer- ica, locating in New Jersey. After his mar- riage Mr. Adams made his home on or near the Delaware river, not far from Philadel- phia, until the fall of 1776, when that part of the country was overrun by Cornwallis' army, and then removed to Pennsylvania and still later to Virginia. About the close of the year 1777 he located permanently in Rowan county, North Carolina. He had six children : John, Peter, Jacob, Mrs. Mary Groves, Mrs. Hannah Lowrance and Mrs. Catharine McCormick. The last named was the mother of seven children, of whom An- drew McCormick, Jr., the maternal grand- father of our subject, was one. His older brother, Joseph McCormick, removed from North Carolina to Washington county, Mis- souri. One of his sons, James Robinson Mc- Cormick, now living in St. Francois county, Missouri, is a physician by profession and has served as state senator, congressman and a general in the Union army during the Civil war. Andrew McCormick, Jr., had two other brothers and three sisters, namely : Da- vid and John, who both died without heirs; Elizabeth, wife of Enos Sherrill; Cath- arine, wife of John Alexander; and Mary, wife of A. T. Alexander, who was a brother of Catharine's husband. The McCormicks have been mostly farmers, stock-raisers, merchants, bankers and lawyers, with an occasional physician and Presbyterian
preacher, but few office holders either civil or military. A large number have been ruling elders in the Presbyterian church. In early manhood the grandfather of our sub- ject married Sarah Steele, who was born in Lincoln county, North Carolina, in 1775, and belonged to a wealthy family of that day and one noted for great force of char- acter. For some cause they opposed her marriage to Mr. McCormick and therefore little is known of her ancestry. She had three brothers, one of whom was named Henry. Mr. McCormick died in Christian county, Kentucky, in 1822, and she subse- quently married a Mr. Howard, who died four years later. She then made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Rebecca S. Long, until called to her final rest at the age of eighty years. Her other children by her first husband were as follows: Joseph Man- son McCormick was married in Christian county, Kentucky, and immediately after- ward removed to Texas, which had not yet entered the Union. The opportunities being favorable he became a wealthy man. His only son, Andrew Phelps McCormick, served as United States circuit judge for the fifth circuit in Texas and also sat in the circuit court of appeals at New Orleans from the middle of November until the following June for some years. The other children born to Andrew and Sarah (Steele) Mc- Cormick were Eliza, wife of Joseph Causey ; Juliet, wife of James Boyd; Zillah A., wife of Alfred Boyd, who was a brother of Juliet's husband; Rebecca S., the mother of our subject ; and her twin brother John, who died in infancy. Both the Boyd families removed from Christian county, Kentucky, to Christian county, Illinois, and became prominent and influential citizens of this locality.
John Culbertson Long, the father of our
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subject, was a temperate man and an earnest Christian, being an elder in the Presby- terian church for many years. His wife joined the same church when quite young and throughout life took an active interest in its work. She was a very large woman, weighing nearly three hundred pounds at one time; possessed considerable force of character and was a great reader. She died on the 16th of March, 1881, having survived her husband about twenty years as his death occurred July 11, 1861. This worthy couple were the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters, as follows :. Andrew McCormick died in infancy. John Turner, who died December 28. 1902, in Danville, Tennessee, was married in 1862 to Mrs. El- vira R. (McCraw) Luck and to them was born a son, Lucian Clyde. Sarah Ann was married in 1859 to Benjamin Scott Pick- ard, who died in 1866, leaving four children, ITerschel W., Idla May, Minnie Lee and Benjamin Scott, and ten years later she wedded John A. Myers, of Danville, Ten- nessee, by whom she had two children, Hat- tie Belle and Dora Pearl. She and Omer died in 1888 and Mr. Myers is now deceased. James Marion was married in 1867 to Car- rie McCraw, a niece of Mrs. John Turner Long, and they have four children, Drucilla Ann, Jimmie Lou, Oscar Woodson and Birch. He died November 17, 1902. Eliza died when about three years of age. Isa- bella Washington was married in 1867 to James B. Radford and died in 1874, leaving two children, Edgar Clarence and Viola Mat- tie. Mr. Radford subsequently married Amelia Park and now lives in Christian county, Kentucky, and they have two chil- (Iren, George and Mattie May. Eudora Clementine was married in September, 1877, to William G. Williams and died the fol- lowing year, while her husband died about
a year later. Winston Leander, of this re- view, was the next of the family. Fidelia M. died when about one year of age.
The early life of our subject was passed on a farm in his native county, and after his father's death, which occurred when he was only ten years of age, he assisted his mother in the operation of the farm, attending the country schools as the opportunity afforded. Being his mother's main dependence, he was obliged to leave school at the age of sixteen and assume the responsibilities of the farm and family. In this way he developed those traits of industry, integrity and thoughtful- ness for the good of others which char- acterized his entire life. The Civil war com- ing on the year of his father's death, the freeing of the slaves and the depreciation of values generally, consequent upon the war, left his mother in very straightened circun- stances, which financial embarrassment made it trying for so young a farmer. His ad- vantages were very limited until the age of eighteen, when he entered the male academy at Garrettsburg, Kentucky, his teacher being no less a personage than that most profound scholar and instructor, Q. M. Tyler, whose name is dear to so many men who were boys in southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee. After two years spent at that school Mr. Long returned to the home farm. For several years it was his ambition to en- ter the medical profession, but his educa- tion not being entirely satisfactory and his mother and two sisters being dependent up- on him, he remained at home. However, he began making arrangements to enter mer- cantile business and in 1874 bought an in- terest in his brother James' store at Roaring Springs, Kentucky, his brother retaining al- most entire control. A year or so later it became necessary, according to the terms of his father's will, to sell all real estate belong-
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ing to the deceased and our subject bought the homestead but soon afterward sold it to his brother James.
In the spring of 1877, Mr. Long came to Christian county, Illinois, and forming a partnership with his cousin A. E. Boyd em- barked in the dry-goods business at Palmer. This connection was dissolved in the fall of 1878 on Mr. Boyd's retirement from business and Mr. Long conducted the store alone un- til 1883, when he sold out and went to Sully county, South Dakota, where he had landed interests. Two years later he returned to this county and settled in Morrisonville, where he owned a general store in partner- ship with his brother-in-law, A. M. Hewitt, under the firm name of Hewitt & Long. He continued to carry on business at this place until 1894, when he sold out but again re- sumed business in 1896, and continued it un- til May 16, 1902, when he retired.
On the 19th of June, 1878, Mr. Long was united in marriage to Miss Hannah L. Hewitt, of Taylorville, the ceremony being performed by Rev. E. P. Rankin, a Pres- byterian minister of Morrisonville. Her parents were William T. and Anna (Gib- son) Hewitt, her father being a pioneer set- tler and one of the most widely known men of this county. He was born in Stafford county, Virginia, January 15, 1816, and when sixteen years of age removed to Chris- tian county, Kentucky, where he married Anna Gibson, who was born there in 1821 and died June 8, 1857. She was a woman of piety and was noted for her benevolent and amiable disposition and for her charity to the poor. In 1842 Mr. Hewitt came to Christian county, Illinois, where he became a wealthy farmer and stock-raiser. He was a well educated man, of sterling integrity, and in his death, which occurred November 24, 1890, the community realized that it
had lost a valued citizen. About three years after the death of his first wife he married Mary R. Wilcockson, a daughter of Colonel John H. H. Wilcockson, of Christian coun- ty, Illinois. Three children were born of this union: William T., who died in 1872; Lee D., who married Ella Russell; and Omer B. The children of the first marriage were Francis M., who died in 1872; Olive C., wife of Joseph S. Wallace ; Aurelius M., who married Florence Anderson; James Byron, who died in 1869: Laura J., wife of J. L. Boyd; and Hannah L., now Mrs. Long. The last named was born in this county September 23, 1856, and was only eight months old when her mother died. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Long were born two children but the elder died in infancy. The other, Troy Lovell, was born December 27, 1881.
In politics Mr. Long was a Democrat and he was honored with numerous local offices, including that of supervisor of Ricks township. He was a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity in high rank and at his death, which occurred May 28, 1903. he was laid to rest in the Taylorville cemetery with Ma- sonic honors. He was a fine looking man, of strong personality and firm determina- tion, was broad minded and liberal in his views, and had a high sense of honor. Added to these qualities, he was a loving husband, a kind and indulgent father, generous and hospitable, a liberal supporter of charitable and church work, and a successful business man. His death occasioned the deepest re- gret throughout the community and Chris- tian county thereby lost one of its most valued citizens. Mrs. Long is an earnest worker and active member in the Presby- terian church and occupies a position of so- cial prominence in the city where she makes her home.
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