USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Philo > Philo area centennial, 1875-1975 > Part 10
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Ernest born in 1851 came with his parents to Illinois and later married Josephine Clift in 1882. He also graduated from Illinois Industrial Uni- versity in 1875. He farmed and was a partner with his brother in the newspaper and printing busi- ness. In 1889 he was one of the settlers to make the run into Oklahoma territory where he was prominent in affairs organizing its statehood.
Edith born in 1853, married Isaac Raymond in 1875 in Philo. They both attended Illinois Indus- trial University. Mr. Raymond graduating with the first class in 1872. They lived in Raymond Township where he was a prominent pioneer landowner and civic leader.
Ada born in Philo in 1856 married Ralph Allen, native of Tazewell Co. They also both attended University, he graduating in 1876. They pros- pered in farming there. He and their descendants are well known for their farm and civic affairs.
Lucy born in Philo 1871 married William Han- son in 1897 who was a businessman in Sidney.
Lucius Eaton lived a full and vigorous life and died in his home on Yankee Ridge March 10, 1880. The above resume being contributed by his great grandson Howard Herbert Eaton who also resides in Philo.
George Edwards
George Edwards, born April 6, 1833, in Shrop- shire, England, was a leading farmer and stock- raiser in Philo Township. He came to the United States in about 1842 with his parents who located in Van Buren County, lowa.
After the death of his mother in 1845, young Edwards made his home with a family by the name of Slaughter, with whom he remained until sixteen years of age, and then set out to seek his fortune. Coming to Illinois he engaged as a farm laborer and saved what he could of his earnings. He married Miss Susie Endres May 2, 1854. Of
this union were born ten children, of whom the record is as follows: Annie E .; John A. married Miss Cordelia Derrough; Ruth married Orville B. Lindley; Frank C. married Laura B. Wingfield; Nellie B. married John B. Elliott; James L., Minnie M., Albert H., Edward W., and George William.
Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, after their marriage, lived in Rosefield Township, Peoria County, Illi- nois, until 1865. He then sold his home there and purchased eighty acres on Section 18, in Philo Township. To this he added a like amount. This was original railroad land and had never been cul- tivated until Mr. Edwards took possession of it. He was highly respected by his fellow townsmen and occupied the various offices within their gift.
A great grandson, John A. Edwards II, and his sister, Mrs. Dorothy Quinlan, own the original home place, which has continued to be held in the Edwards name. A great-great grandson, John A. III, is presently farming the original land.
Richard Max Franks Family
Richard Max Franks was born in Mittweida, Saxony, Germany February 1, 1868, the son of Frederick George Franks and Julia Weideman Franks. He came to America in 1882 via Hamburg, Germany, landing in Baltimore, Mary- land and coming directly to Philo.
As a boy of 14, weighing 114 pounds, he was taken by his father to see Otto Grothe, a boot- maker. Since he had left Germany too young to learn a trade, his father thought he should learn the bootmaker's trade, but Mr. Grothe dis- couraged this, suggesting that, inasmuch as this was going to be a good farming area, Richard Max should be a farmer.
Following Mr. Grothe's advice, he first hired out to the Morey family. In that he hadn't had any schooling in this country, the Morey's saw that he went to school that first fall and winter. He at- tended school at the Campbell School, where he made new friends, among whom was Lyman Hazen. These two young men later formed the partnership of Hazen and Franks which was to last forty years.
The second job he had was clerking in a general store, operated by the same Morey family. The first year he worked on the farm, besides his board and room, he got a suit of clothes. The second year, he was given a trunk.
By the time he was seventeen years old he was working for Eli Trost in the summer and was clerking in a store in the spring and winter in Longview.
The Eli Trost farm was near Union school and, although he did not go to school there, he at- tended some of the activities and became ac- quainted with the John Trost family. A daughter, Alice, and he saw one another at box socials and picnics and went to the Lutheran Church on Sun- days.
In 1898 they were married. To this union seven boys were born: Lyman, Royal, John, Lyle, Richard, Frederick and Wayne.
He was now old enough and had enough ex- perience to farm for himself. He rented a piece of land owned by the Crawford family, bordering the Black Slough. This land was not drained (the Slough was not dredged until later) so for several years he "fought" slough grass and green-head flies. The slough grass was of little use except to cover a pole shed he built in which to keep his horses. The green-head fly was always a nuisance and it was never exterminated. It would set a good horse wild.
After a few years he was able to rent the Elijah Doss farm and he was to make more of a success of farming. He liked cattle and raised some very good stock, which he sold at the time he left the farm.
The friendship he had made with Lyman Hazen was to now take on the form of a partnership. In 1904 the Hazen & Franks lumber business was opened. It was to be a summer business, only of- fering lumber - no nails, no paint, no patented roofing. no heating plant - just lumber, glass, and millwork.
During the springs of the years following, the company was looking for extra business and it came in the sale of Model T Fords. This was an experience! Their friends wanted to buy automo- biles. Everybody had to learn to drive. So many a trip was made to the farm and to the customers' pastures.
The sale of Fords was given up in 1918 and the business grew into a complete building material business.
Mr. Franks was a very community-minded in- dividual, giving much of his time to the Village of Philo. The following excerpt is from a resolution passed by the Village Board of Philo on the se- cond day of February, 1939:
"For more than twenty-five years, Richard M. Franks was a member of this Board, and had served as its Clerk and served as President con- tinuously since 1927.
"Mr. Franks was always interested in the ad- vancement and improvement of his community. He worked tirelessly for the paving of certain of its streets; for the acquisition of an adequate Fire
Department; for the construction of the high chool gymnasium, which has served as a com- munity center; and for the beautification and per- betual care of the Village Cemetery. At the time of his death he was laboring for the completion of the water supply system of the Village, which he had hoped would provide a more healthful supply of drinking water and better protection from the ravages of fire.
"Perhaps none are better able to appraise and appreciate the sterling character and virtues of Mr. Franks then are the members of this Board. No member gave sounder or calmer counsel, nor labored more tirelessly for the advancement of his community. For this Board to fail, at this time, to recognize and reflect upon his valuable services to his community, would be a gross omission of duty on the part of the Board."
Samuel Grove
Samuel Grove was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Dec. 17, 1838. After serv- ing as a transportation master in the Army for about seventeen months he started for the west, locating in Naperville, Ill. He clerked in a store for a year, then began farming on shares. He did this for five years, then purchased land in DuPage Co., which he cultivated until 1883 when he sold and purchased 400 acres in Champaign Co.
He married Miss Amanda Erb in Chicago, De- cember 21, 1865. Mrs. Grove was born in Lan- caster Co., Pennsylvania August 10, 1847, daughter of Joshua and Sarah (Yount) Erb, now residents of Naperville. Her father was a farmer. Both the Grove and Erb families were of German descent and possessed in a marked degree the re- liable and substantial traits of their forefathers.
Samuel and Amanda Grove became the parents of five children - Hettie A., Harrison, Eli, Evan and Ervan S.
The father of Samuel Grove came from Hol- land and died in Naperville in 1861.
Samuel and Amanda Grove traveled by oxen and covered wagon from Naperville to Yankee Ridge area, north of Philo. An open shoe and the brown jug with the wooden stopper which they used for a water jug is a cherished possession of Lyle Grove.
Three sons - Harrison, Eli and Ervan - and only daughter Hattie lived in this area. Ervan set- tled near Walton, Indiana. The only survivor - daughter Hattie, who is now 105 years old, lives at Americana Health Care Center at Urbana. After she married Gus Townsend she lived in Sidney. Ill. Her only child, Mrs. Nellie Allen lives at Aller- ton, Illinois.
Ervan, Harry, and Eli Grove
Evan and Ervan had no children. Harrison had two daughters, both deceased. Two grandchildren live in the area.
Two children of Eli Grove live in the area daughter Vera Hinners and son Lyle Grove, who was the last member of the family to bear the Grove name until he had three sons. He married Gladys Licht (a former teacher of Yankee Ridge School). The sons are Robert, Lyle Bernard, and William E. Robert lives where Evan Grove lived. He married Betty Taylor and has four children - Kathy Dodd, Kenneth, Kristina and Kerrelton. A grandaughter, Kori Dodd (the fifth generation) lives in Sidney.
Lyle and son Robert still live on the land pur- chased by Samuel Grove when he came to this area.
Hartz Family
Peter Hartz, one of the old settlers of Philo was born in Holstein, Germany in 1846. He came here when he was 24 years old. He was married to Caroline Foote and they had three children: Mrs. Josephine Krug, William and Peter. Mrs. Krug lived in El Paso, Illinois and is now deceased. Peter passed away in 1896 at the age of eighty. William married Ida Peters and they lived at the south edge of Philo, with the exception of three years when they lived north and west of Philo on a farm, until William passed away in 1954.
They had three children: Dorothy, Mabel, and William. Mrs. Hartz and Dorothy moved to Champaign in 1962. Mrs. Hartz passed away in August 1974.
Mabel Silver (Mrs. Frank) lives north of Philo on Route 130 and William lives at Meadow Lake near Mahomet.
Hazen and Rice Family
The first of these families to settle in the area was Nathan L. Hazen who came to the community in 1857. He was born in Worthington, Massachu- setts, in the heart of the Berkshire Hills and spent a year in the Princeton, Illinois, area before coming to Champaign County. Tradition tells that he was traveling south on the Illinois Central Railroad in search of suitable farm land on which to settle and the train conductor advised him that the best Illinois land was in Champaign Co. So he left the train at Champaign.
He purchased 80 acres in Section 30 of Sidney Township from the Illinois Central, constructed a house and other buildings and first plowed the virgin soil with oxen. Until his house was com- pleted he lived at what was long known as the Lynn Grove farm in Crittenden Township, which at that time was sort of a stop-over on some of the stage coach routes from Champaign to the east.
In November of 1960 he married a Sarah Moore whose family had also migrated from Goshen, Massachusetts by covered wagon and settled on a farm just north of Champaign on the Market Street Road. It is of interest that the two families lived only a few miles apart in western Massachusetts but never new each other until they came to Illinois.
Six children were born to the Hazen family, only three of whom remained in the community. Lyman E. Hazen became interested in the lumber business in Philo with Richard M. Franks and later in the early part of the century joined the Philo Exchange Bank and continued his activity there until his death in 1952. Grace E. Hazen still lives in Philo (at the age of 103) with her niece Katharine G. Rice. Carrie B. Hazen married Clar- ence A. Rice and continued to live in the com- munity. The Hazen family moved to Philo in 1904 and constructed the house now located at 201 E. Jefferson where they lived until their death. The reported cost of the house was $4,000.00.
In 1882 Samuel D. Rice, who also had previous- ly lived and farmed in the Princeton, Illinois area, came to Champaign County and purchased 160 acres in Section 24 of Philo Township at a reported price of $7,000.00. Shortly after purchas- ing the land he constructed the present house on
the farm and later added additional land and buildings.
He had one son, Clarence A. Rice, who married Carrie B. Hazen a few years later. They lived for a time in Crittenden Township and then on the north side of Section 24 where two children, Katharine G. Rice and Nathan L. Rice were born. In 1901 Samuel D. Rice retired from the farm, moved to Philo, and the Clarence Rice family moved to his house and continued to operate the land. It is recalled that the move was made in win- ter by horse drawn bobsled, simply traveling straight across the section.
It is interesting to note that Richard T. Rice now lives on the original Hazen homestead and i Donald H. Rice lives on the original Rice land and are the fourth generation of the two families to occupy and operate the land.
In addition a second member of the Hazen family, Elisha B. Hazen and a brother of Nathan L. Hazen came to the community in July of 1871 and started purchasing land in the Southwest Quarter of Section 24, eventually acquiring the entire quarter section which is now held by the Presbyterian Church. Records indicate the first 80 acres were purchased for $12.00 per acre and that he gave relatives in Massachusetts a mortgage for $500.00 at 10% interest to make the first pay- ment. Elisha Hazen lived on the farm for some 20 or 25 years, later moving to Philo where he was in- terested in the grain elevator and Philo Exchange Bank, and later moved to Champaign. As oppo- site to the present custom, he lived in Champaign and commuted to Philo every day either by horse and buggy or by train.
Isaac E. Hess
Isaac E. Hess was born at Parkville, in Sadorus Township, on September 3, 1871, the youngest son of George W. Erzilla Jane (Dodson) Hess. His father located there in 1858 and farmed until 1975, when he moved to Philo and established a mercantile business. The father died in 1876 and the older sons carried on the business. Isaac graduated from Champaign High School in 1887, became a clerk in the store, and in 1898 bought out his brothers' interests.
Mr. Isaac Hess, however, was better known for his work as an ornithologist, being known as "Philo's Bird Lover." He was a recognized authority on birds of central Illinois, often going through swamps and wooded areas, sometimes keeping silent for great lengths of time, watching his feathered friends' habits. He gathered data on 104 different species of birds found in a ten mile
radius near his home and published his work in 1910. His articles appeared in many newspapers. The Decatur Herald said editorially: "No natural- ist, that we know anything about, makes his sub- jects of more gripping interest to the reader or clothes it in a finer philosophy than Isaac Hess of Philo. The Herald considers itself fortunate in being able to present to its readers Mr. Hess' series of bird articles."
He collected eggs of 94 different species and kept his collection at the rear of his dry goods store.
Mr. Hess married Florence Adams on May 23. 1894. Their daughter. Edith Constance, was born March 8, 1912.
Mr. Hess died in 1923 at the age of 52. His widow donated his collection of bird nests and bird eggs to the University of Illinois. In 1965 | these nests and eggs were still in the Natural His- tory Building. They are considered invaluable, for this painstaking work is not done anymore.
Roy Jones Family
Roy A. Jones was born to John and Rose Yount Jones at Salem, Indiana on February 6, 1888. He was the youngest of four children. He had a half- sister, Laura, still living at Scottsburg, Indiana. Roy attended school through sixth grade. His father had died, and Roy had to go to work. Roy first came to Philo to husk corn and went to work for Carl Odebrecht. This is the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Luther Mumm now live. He went back to Indiana and returned to Philo the next fall, and husked corn for Charles Buddie. It is now the farm of Mr. and Mrs. George Stahl. He then re- turned to Indiana and came back in the fall of 1911 to stay. He worked for several farmers in this area. He went to work for Mr. Ed O'Neill on a farm just at the east edge of Philo. He bought himself a high stepping black horse and a new black buggy. Roy was quite a dashing gay blade at that time. He met and courted Minnie Rosetta Harper. She was an Indiana girl who with her parents had moved into the house now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Walters. It is the first house north of Robert Roberts' garage, in the southwest part of town.
He married Miss Harper on December 4. 1913. Rev. O.M. Buek, the Methodist minister, offi- ciated. Miss Elsie Ford and Miss Mae Rush were the attendants. The wedding took place at Miss Ford's home. It stood where the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Shirley is. A rather unique and won- derful occasion took place after the ceremony. A large crowd was on hand to walk the couple down to the Wabash Railroad Station to wish them a
happy bon voyage. When the crowd reached Main Street, one block west of the Philo Exchange Bank, every business in town closed its doors and went to the depot to wait for the arrival and de- parture of the train. This had never happened before or since. When they returned from their honeymoon, they moved into a farm home and worked for Mr. Ed O'Neill, the local banker. To the couple in the next 17 years. five children were born - Kenneth, now living in Philo; Irene, re- siding at the Americana Nursing Home; Melvin, of Houston, Texas; Jamies. of Tolono; and Richard, living in Philo. In 1916, Roy moved into town and went to work at the grain elevator. Joe Gilles was the owner and manager. Roy worked at the Grain Co. for 40 years. In 1923, Roy was elected mayor of Philo. He served for one term and was then elected to the village board. He served on the village board for forty years. In 1938, Philo organized a volunteer fire department and bought a Ford truck with pumper, which Ma- homet, Illinois now has on display. Roy was the first fire chief. In 1955 he was named water com- missioner. He held that post until he retired. Mr. and Mrs. Jones celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on December 4, 1963. Mrs. Jones died in March 1966. Mr. Jones is now at the Cham- paign Co. Nursing Home. He is 87 years old and in good health. He has five living children, 14 grandehildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Roy re- cently said, "Philo has been good to me - I have a host of friends and I wish the Philo Centennial to be a huge success."
John Fredrick Krumm
John Fredrick Krumm was born August 29. 1856, at Grossen Helle Mecklenburg Schwerin, Germany. He was baptized in infancy and con- firmed in the Lutheran Church at the customary age. He had a brother, Christian Krumm.
John married Miss Friederike Hernriette Wol- lenzion (Ricky) she was born Nov. 27, 1850, in Gentzkow Micklenburg Strelitz, Germany. She was baptized in infancy and confirmed at the cus- tomary age.
She came to the U.S. at fifteen years of age. Her mother became ill on the ship, died and was buried at sea. They wrapped her body in a flag. sang a hymn and prayed a prayer and placed her overboard, this being a very sad experience.
A brother Charles and a sister Sophia also were on the ship coming to the U.S.
John and Ricky were married in 1874 and set- tled around Jefferson, Ohio, they later came to Philo and were farmers living just north of town. In 1914 they built a home in Philo and retired.
To this union were born six children, all Lutherans, Emma, who was a school teacher died at the age of 22; Herbert Albert Krumm, who married Effie Sophia Odebrecht; they had two daughters, Mary Effie, who died at 10 years of age, and Opal Helena, who married R. Luther Mumm. William Krumm married Myrtle Porterfield; Eli, who died an infant; Minnie, who died an infant; John L. Krumm, who married Grace Roeff of Little Rock, Ark. He was states attorney at the time of his death.
To R. Luther and Opal H. were born three children: Irene, Howard and Ronald.
To Irene Marie was born a daughter, Mia Mae MuRee, who married Donald Eugene Hasler and has two children, Christine MuRee and Spencer Eugene; John Luther Holecz, who married Vicki Murray and has 2 children, Jennifer Lyn and Lance Thomas.
Howard Eugene Mumm married Aldora Siddens and they have 3 children, Howard Ebert, Jeffrey Lynn a nd Jill Marie. Ronald Luther Mumm is married to Stephanie Dee Brown and they have one child, Julie Ann Mumm.
The Lewis Lafenhagen Family - 1895
Ludwig (Lewis) Lafenhagen
Ludwig (Lewis) Lafenhagen born March 17, 1845 and Theresa Williamine Mohr born April 29, 1842 were married in the fall of 1868 in Mack- lenburg Stralitz Germany. Two years later they emigrated to Canal Winchester, Fairfield Co., Ohio. Two daughters Ida and Fene were born in Germany. Ida passed away soon after arriving here and was buried in Canal Winchester. Other children born in Canal Winchester were John Lewis born 1873, Lydia born 1876, William born 1881. They moved to Illinois about 1887 and lived
on a farm owned by Isaac Raymond, a prominent farmer and worked for him, south of Sidney. Later he bought 160 acres of land from Mr. Raymond and moved there in Raymond Township near Block Station. After several years he built a new 8-room house on the farm. After the last son, William, was married and would live on the farm they bought a lovely home from Mr. and Mrs. Wirt Hazen in Philo and moved there in 1905. He passed away in 1923 and she in 1930. They were staunch members of the Zion Lutheran Church in Philo.
Now about the families of the four children.
Fena Lafenhagen (1870-1962) married 1983 William Anders (1870-1945) were parents of 3 children. Martha Minnie (1896-1924) married 1920 to Dwight Stevens. 1 daughter, Esther born 1922, married Walter Sinclair, had 2 daughters and two granddaughters. Theresa Mary born 1900 married Kenneth Edwards, no children. Edward William born 1901 married Alice Mumm in 1967, no children. Edward and Alice now own and live in the home in Philo where grandfather and grandmother Lafenhagen moved when they retired from the farm.
John Lewis Lafenhagen (1873-1933) married in 1895 to Anna Belle Porterfield (1873-1962) and were parents of six children. Mary Theresa born May 8, 1896; Charles Lloyd born May 23, 1897; Louis Lemuel born March 1, 1900; Nellie Grace born April 4, 1902; Vareta Velma born April 14, 1906; and Juanita Eva born Dec. 7, 1907. It's a large family and for further information see the Porterfield family history.
Lydia Lafenhagen (1876-1971) married in 1896 to William DeLong were parents of two children Edna born 1896 (is deceased) married Howard Brown. Parents of two sons (twins) Donald and Ronald Brown, both married and dates unknown.
Kenneth DeLong born 1901 married 1929 to Mildred Christy parents of a son and daughter, Keith and Carol.
William Lafenhagen (1881-1918) married in 1904 to Millie Wollenzien (1879-1962) parents of two sons Paul born 1913 married (name un- known) and lives in California, no children. Wil- liam Wayne (1915-1960) married 1936 to Eva Cooke, parents of three children, Jerry Paul born 1937 not married; William Wayne Jr. born 1942 married Mary Jo Glennon, three children; and Mary Ann born 1944 married to J. Dan Stirwalt and have three children.
P
Henry and Vie Licht on 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Licht Family
William and Wilhelmina Krumm emigrated from Mecklenburg, Schwerin Ludderhoff, Germany around 1838. They met and married in the United States and made their way to Fairfield County, Canal Winchester, Ohio. From there they joined other settlers to Champaign Co., Ill., and arrived in the Philo area where they engaged in farming. They bought their own land on the Yankee Ridge Road in 1894. They were promi- nent in the Lutheran Church, which in the early years was combined with that in Broadlands, Ill. Later when a church was built in Philo, they were among the first members. It was the custom for ministers and school teachers to be "boarded" among the farm families since hotels were scarce then. A story handed down was that the pastor was in residence at the Licht homestead at one time. Minnie, as she was called, had given up her bed to the honored guest. However, it became time for the fourth child, Henry, to be born and the pastor was asked to vacate his bed for an interval as Mrs. Licht was about to give birth. Minnie acted as a midwife and was instrumental in aiding in the births of many of the children in that vicinity. William was the Road Commis- sioner for some 25 years. They produced five children, William, Sarah, Ella, Henry and Carl. Henry stayed in the Philo area farming the home place. At age 25 he married Elvira Hunt at Covington, Indiana.
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