USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Philo > Philo area centennial, 1875-1975 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
Henry was interested in sports. He enjoyed hunting and was a good marksman. As a boy he trapped wild animals for their pelts. There was an abundance of mink, mustrat and game birds such as prairie chickens, pheasant, doves and wild ducks and geese. Elvira was a homemaker, a talented seamstress, and an excellent cook. Henry bought one of the first "Tin Lizzies" around Philo and "Vie" was one of the first woman drivers making the trip to Urbana to shop in half the time it took formery with horse and buggy.
They had five children, Gladys Licht Grove, Mabel Licht Trumbull. Ethel Licht Earl, Lois Licht Seider and Kenneth Licht. Ethel, after mar- riage, moved to California and finally Tucson, Arizona where she died in 1968. The other siblings are still in the Philo vicinity except Lois who lives in Broadlands.
Henry was also Road Commissioner of Philo Township for many years before his death in 1962. His widow Elvira is still living in farly good health at age 92.
The only son Kenneth Licht married Eileen Rosenberger in 1946. He farmed during his early years but later partially gave it up for work in Highway Construction. He and his wife are the parents of five daughters, Vicky Licht Budinger, Patty Licht Blair, Marjorie Licht Martinee, Nancy Licht Griffith and Kenna Licht Bowman. They have to date six grandchildren.
John Locke
John Locke came to Philo Township in March 1861 with his parents, William and Hannah Joice Locke, from Canada, and settled on a farm in Section 36. Born on September 9, 1848, in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, John was the youngest in a family of nine children. His parents had emi- grated there from Devonshire, England.
He was married March 14, 1874, to Miss Mary Catherine Arnold, daughter of Cyrus and Caro- line Arnold, at the bride's home in Philo. She was born January 5, 1858, in Kendall Co., Illinois.
John and Mary had seven children, Mabel, Julia, Edna, Claude A. and Clara Belle. Carrie and Rhoda died in infancy. They resided on a farm in Section 36 until 1890 when they bought land near Staley and moved there. Their Philo farm of 400 acres was well stocked with fine grades of Durham cattle, thoroughbred horses, and Poland China swine.
This Page sponsored by: MEADOW GOLD PRODUCTS, Champaign
Quoting from "Biography and Portrait Album of champaign Co." published by Chapman Bros. in 1885: "Mr. Locke is yet a young man and has made good progress thus far, giving promise of becoming one of the most successful farmers of Champaign County. He is Republican in politics, and with his wife, a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church."
John Locke died at his home near Staley on Feb. 14, 1906, at age 57, and his wife. Mary, died in January, 1942 age 84. Of this family, Claude A. Locke, born in Philo Township August 5, 1884, still survives, resides at R.R. #1, Champaign (Staley) and is 91 years of age this Centennial year.
Several great granddaughters of the John Locke's still reside in Philo Township. They are daughters of the late Frank J. Miller (son of Mabel), who was a prominent farmer in the town- ship from 1919 until his death in 1963.
The Love Family
One of the earlier families of the community was that of Samuel Love, who came overland from Coshocton, Ohio in early April of 1853 and acquired a section of land on the west edge of Sidney Township and two miles east of Philo. Records indicate that he acquired this tract by a grant from the U.S. Government dated April 15, 1853. He erected the family home in the north- west corner of the Section which is still occupied by a grandson, Clifford B. Love.
The original pioneer Samuel Love and two brothers came from Ireland in about 1833. They all located in Ohio and Samuel was the only one that came to Illinois.
Legend tells us that at the time of their coming there were only a few houses in Urbana, none in Champaign, no railroads and during the early years they drove directly across country to Ur- bana, avoiding swamps and mud holes; and that there was only one tree between home and Ur- bana. The pioneer Samuel Love died January 17, 1873.
Of the children of the original pioneer, one son Filander, was a Civil War veteran and was taken prisoner by the Confederacy and died after the Civil War at an early age and a daughter Eliza- beth who died about 1903. Another son, Joseph. left the community early and moved to Decatur where he owned and operated a mattress factory for many years. He had four daughters, one of whom, Florence Bedell still lives in Minneapolis and retains an interest in a portion of the land.
Another son of Samuel Love, James, stayed with the land operation for several years, and
married a Myra Silver of the Silver family who were pioneers living about one-half mile south of Myra Station, in the large brick house still standing on the east side of the highway. He acquired land about two miles north of Philo in Sections 11 and 2 which he farmed for many years, later moving to Urbana where he lived on west Green Street. He had one daughter, Myra Gabbert, who still lives in Washington. Pennsyl- vania and who still retains the interest in the land title.
The fourth son of the original settler, Samuel Sharon Love (commonly known in the com- munity as "Judd" Love) never married and con- tinued to live in the home built in 1870 which re- placed the original home of the family, until his death on February 4, 1934. By this time, through family adjustments and transfers. Samuel S. Love had become the owner of the west half of the original section of land and his brother John M. Love the individual owner of the east half of the section.
The remaining son, John M. Love, married a Mary E. Adams of Tolono on November 15, 1882, and established his own home on the northeast corner of the section, a portion of which, remodeled and improved, still stands and is occupied by a son, Howard F. Love. John M. Love died June 2, 1910.
Of the children of John M. Love, one daughter died in infancy and another daughter Clara mar- ried William Jordan of Tolono and spent the re- maining years of her life in that area. Two sons, Howard F. Love and Clifford S. Love are cur- rently living.
Howard F. Love, after his father's death, con- tinued to live on and operate the east half of the original section and still lives in the family home where he was born. He married Agnes Hitt, who at the time was the Champaign Co. Home Exten- sion Advisor, in 1922. He was extremely active in local affairs, in the Champaign Co. Farm Bureau and its related facilities, in the Soil Conservation Association, the Federal Farm Loan Association and many other agricultural projects.
Clifford S. Love, after graduating from the College of Agriculture of the University of Illi- nois in 1916 served in the Navy in World War I, and for many years was a County Farm Advisor in several different Illinois communities and spent the late years of this service in Taylorville, Illinois. He retired twenty years ago to the home built in 1870 which he extensively modernized and improved and still makes his principle resi- dence. He has one daughter, Betty Mason, who resides in the Chicago area and whose husband
Ted is a civil engineer and assistant to the First Vice-President of the Sante Fe Railroad.
The original pioneer of the family was one of the early sponsors and organizers of the Philo Presbyterian Church and the entire family, even after leaving the community, have retained a lasting interest in the church. It is also of interest to note that, with the exception of one quarter section, the Love family still retains the ownership of the original tract and that the two. Howard and Clifford, still live on and direct the operation of the land.
Melohn Family
George C. Melohn, his wife Hannah Seifert Melohn and their five children. William, Mary, Carrie, George, and John left Germany in 1861 to come to America. They settled in Champaign County in the Philo area. George Melohn farmed land in Section 16 of Philo Township. Both George and his wife Hannah resided in Philo until their death, Hannah passing away in 1901 and George in 1908.
The children of George and Hannah Melohn did not all remain in the Philo area. Carrie and John remained in the Philo area while Mary was close by in Champaign.
John Frederick Melohn was born in Germany on June 16, 1860 and came to America in 1861. On February 17, 1885 he married Alvena Cornelia Fabert. He was a farmer in Philo Town- ship until his retirement in 1899. Moving into Philo. John Melohn and Dave Brazelton formed a partnership for drilling wells. In the 1920's and until his death in 1931 he ran a pool hall at 122 W. Washington St. in Philo. The pool hall was a joint venture with Mr. Edward Bahr of Tolono.
Three children were born to John and Alvena Melohn. Frank, Henry, and Lillian. Frank Me- lohn left the Philo area, moving to California, where he resided until his death. Lillian Melohn married Phillip Lovingfoss and they resided in Philo until the late 1920's when they moved to Champaign. They had two children, Phyllis Lovingfoss Steward and Joseph Lovingfoss. At the present time Phyllis lives in Champaign and Joseph lives in Clinton, Illinois.
Henry married Martha Augusta Good on May 14, 1919. Henry spent his entire life in Philo with the exception of the time served in World War I. He was a lineman for the Champaign County Telephone Company, an electrician on the side, and at the time of his death in 1944 was care- taker of Locust Grove Cemetery. He served as a trustee on the Village Board of Philo.
Henry and Martha Melohn had two children, Donald F. and Thelma J. Both Donald and Thelma still live in Philo. Donald is an electrical engineer receiving his B.S. degree in 1942 from the University of Illinois. He served five and one- half years in the Army and Air Force during World War II, being discharged as a major in 1947. Thelma received her B.S. degree in 1947, Masters' Degree in 1950, and Advanced Certifi- cate in Education in 1958, all from the Univer- sity of Illinois. She is presently principal of the Philo Elementary School.
Donald and Thelma are at present both trus- tees on the Village Board of Philo. Thelma was the first woman to be elected to the Village Board of Philo. Donald has served on the Board for over 20 years. Both are involved in several civic organizations in the Village.
The George Mumm Family
William Mumm, born 1800, and Miss Ann Hinz, born 1797, were united in marriage in Ger- many. They were both born in Sleswick, Hol- stein, Germany, and lived there on a farm until 1866, when they came to the United States and settled in Sidney Township. He died in 1883 and she died in 1879 and both are buried in the Sid- ney Cemetery. They had seven children, three of whom made their home in this region. They were William Jr .; Jacob John Mumm, Sidney; and Mrs. Becky Schillhorn, Broadlands.
William, Jr., was born October 4, 1822, at Hemme, Sleswick, Holstein, Germany. In May 1855 he was united in marriage with Anna Mar- garetha Schillhorn, who was born September 8, 1829, at Schaafsteet, Sleswick, Holstein, Ger- many. On April 22, 1901, she passed away in this area. Rev. Allwardt had charge of her funeral services. William Mumm, Jr., died March 18, 1898, where Anna Mumm Etter lived (where Arthur Plotner now lives). Both are buried in Locust Grove Cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. William Mumm, Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. William Mumm, Jr., and their two old- est children. George John Jacob Mumm and John W. Mumm, came to Sidney Township in 1866. This John W. Mumm married Pauline Priefert and they made their home near Chester (or Hubbell), Nebraska, where their sons and families still live.
The William Mumms, Jr., lived near the place of Luther Mumm, of Sidney, when they first came to Sidney Township. In the William Mumm, Jr., obituary it is stated that he left his
widow, one brother, Jacob J. Mumm of Sidney, and a sister, Mrs. Becky Schillhorn, of Broad- lands; and his children, George J.J .; John; Mrs. Coonrod (Anna) Etter; Mrs. Frank (Elizabeth) Fabert; Mrs. Frank (Amelia) Mohr; and William D. Mumm, who married Sarah Licht.
George J.J. Mumm and Augusta Wilhemina Priefert were married on February 2, 1882. George Mumm was born on July 23, 1856 and passed away October 1, 1922. Mrs. Mumm was born October 20, 1859 and died March 7, 1939. Mrs. Mumm was the daughter of Christian and Caroline Henning Priefert.
Christian Priefert was born March 26, 1816, and died May 8, 1895. Mrs. Priefert was born March 9, 1825, and died December 19 (or 18), 1906. Her brothers and sisters were John Prie- fert, Gone City, Kansas; Gustave Priefert, Rey- nolds, Nebraska; August Priefert, Nebraska; Fred Priefert, Nebraska; Mrs. Elijah (Bertha) Doss, Urbana; and Mrs. John (Pauline) Mumm, Chester, Nebraska.
The children of George and Augusta Mumm are Mrs. Perl (Emma) Brewer, born January 31, 1883 and died December 2, 1930; Mrs. Edwin (Minnie) Plotner, born March 3, 1884 and died June 25, 1967; Bertha Mumm, born December 7, 1885 and died March 9, 1967; Adah Mumm, born September 10, 1887 and died September 20, 1907; Mrs. William (Augusta) Klockenbrink born August 7, 1889 and died July, 1966; Mrs. Harry (Martha) Ickes, born April 21, 1891; George William, born Jan. 16, 1894 and died in May, 1895; Earl Mumm, born October 4, 1897, first married to Faye Miller, and now to Hazel Keller Cotter; Mrs. Edward (Alice) Anders, born May 18, 1900; and R. Luther Mumm, born March 7, 1903 and married to Opal Krumm Mumm.
Noble Family
The Noble family, Richard, John and Rachel, emigrated from England about 1855. They first settled in Ohio.
Rachel married and remained in the Cleveland area where many of her descendants still live.
John (1839-1909) who is pictured, came to Champaign County, Crittenden Township, early in the 1860's. He married Mary Duffin (1843- 1888) in Tolono, Ill. They were farmers.
The original 80 acre farm was purchased in 1870-1871 from the Illinois Central Railroad.
Their descendants were John, Frank, Joseph, Anne and Margaret. Excepting Anne, who died at 16, all lived in this area until their deaths.
Richard (1829-1907) followed his brother to Illinois. He had married while living in Ohio. During the 1860's he brought his wife Mary (1824-1899) and four children, Joseph, Jane, James and Charles to the Philo area. They were also engaged in farming. However, as the child- ren got older the boys operated threshing ma- chines and shellers for their neighbors.
This farm, southwest of Philo, is still owned and farmed by descendants of Margaret Noble Thinnes.
Odebrecht Family
John Carl Frederick Odebrecht was born in Friederichshoff, Mecklinburg Strelitz, Germany November 4, 1849, one of twins. In early infancy he was brought to the Lord in holy baptism and later confirmed at the customary age. On Octo- ber 21, 1873, he married Sophia Carolina Roe- wer, who was born in Gentzkow, Mechlinburg- Strelitz, Germany February 23, 1848, who in in- fancy was baptized and confirmed at the age of 14 years. Soon after their marriage they left their native land and came to this country landing at Baltimore, Maryland December 1, 1873, making their home in Fairfield County, Ohio.
In 1876 they came to Philo, residing one year in Raymond Township, six years on the Hazen place and 20 years on their own farm. They re- tired in 1904. In June 12, 1907 they left Philo, sailed June 15th and landed June 26th to visit
their native land and relatives. They left Ger- many September 11. 1907 and arrived home September 28, 1907. Mrs. Sophia Odebrecht died October 20, 1911. She died before the large home on their farm was completed, now occu- pied by their granddaughter Opal Krumm Mumm. Mr. died December 21, 1927. Three children were born, Effie Sophia Krumm, Feb. 20. 1876 who died May 16th, 1953. Herbert Krumm, her husband, born June 8, 1878 and died May 29th, 1950. Carl Frederick died Febru- ary 2, 1927, married Edith Porterfield, deceased. Albert John Peter married Nancy Jane Bowles, he died December 10, 1951 and his wife is also deceased; they had no children.
They had seven grandchildren. Mary Effie Krumm, July 3, 1904, to May 5, 1915; Mrs. Opal Helena Krumm Mumm, July 6, 1906; Mrs. Helen Catherine Odebrecht Plotner; Mrs. Melba Frances Buddie; Mrs. Mary Agnes Stotler; Wal- ter Odebrecht died age 2 years; and Lyman Charles, who died an infant. All the deceased members of Zion Lutheran Church, and buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Philo.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ordel
Abraham Ordel Family
Abraham Ordel was born in Maryland, Janu- ary 8, 1831. He was married to Mary Jane Hoshor at Loekville, Ohio, March 30, 1854.
They moved to Illinois in the fall of 1870 with their family of seven children in a covered wa- gon. They settled and built a home on a farm three miles south of Philo where they farmed. Two more boys were born to this union in Illi- nois: Charles, May 21, 1872 and Franklin, July 31, 1875. They lost four of their children when they were young: Catherine 1855-1875; Charles 1972-1881; Ida 1856-1888; Emma, 1863-1894.
The other five boys all lived to a ripe old age and were all farmers, John, William, Samuel and Frank in the Philo community and George in In- diana. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Ordel celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary March 30, 1904.
Mrs. Ordel died January 19, 1907, after a long illness. Mr. Ordel died as he drove home from getting the mail in Philo in his horse and buggy on a hot afternoon July 2, 1909.
Frank Ordel the youngest of the family of nine children, married Edith Brelsford June 2, 1906. They bought the home place and farmed there the rest of their lives. To this union were born eight children, a daughter died in infancy and a son Benjamin died of appendicitis April 10. 1931. All the rest of the family have continued to live in Philo area until Fred moved to Colorado in 1970.
Mrs. Ordel died January 13, 1947 after a sud- den illness. Mr. Ordel lived to a ripe old age of 94 years. He died April 6, 1969. He played the mandolin in the Philo Clodhopper Band; they played for dances and on the radio.
In addition to farming when Mr. Ordel was a young man he had a bicycle shop on Main St. in Philo. He would ride his bicycle with large front wheel home three miles south of Philo each day. He also showed seed corn at county and state fairs for years. Mrs. Ordel was a schoolteacher in rural schools. Mr. Ordel was a 70-year Mason, the first to receive that honor in the Philo Lodge.
Ebeneezer W. Parker
E.W. Parker was born at Princeton, Massa- chusetts, October 28, 1813, and came to this county April 14, 1856. He settled on a farm in Section 10, now known as Yankee Ridge. He married Chloe Parmenter. She was highly edu- cated and had a well-stored mind. She had a literary turn of mind and was familiar with prin- cipal authors as well as the old world.
Their children were: Dr. Calvin Ebeneezer Par- ker, born in Massachusetts; he organized the Philo Exchange Bank and was physician in Philo.
MELVILLE CIL
EBENEEZER WARREN PARKER
He married Martha (Mattie) Baker, in Philo, and built and lived in the house just south of the Philo Legion Hall. Around the turn of the cen- tury, he sold his interests to E.B. Hazen and re- tired to California. His sister, Mary Adeline, married Paschal P. Parkman.
Mr. Parker was a Presbyterian, old line Whig and slavery agitator, and joined the Republican party of Abraham Lincoln. He led a quiet life on his farm, and gave his children education that fitted them. When he settled on the wild prairie northwest of Philo there was only one house be- tween him and Urbana.
Parry Family
Mr. and Mrs. John C. Parry, with their two children (Mary Louise, 5) and (John, 2) came in a covered wagon to this area from North Carolina in 1861. They settled on the present Parry farm 33/4 miles west of Philo in Philo Township.
Mr. Parry was a native of New York State where he attended the Manlius Military Aca- demy. After graduation, he became interested in surveying and went to North Carolina where he followed his vocation for at least six years. While there he met and married Miss Elizabeth Jane Craven of Raleigh.
Rumors of war became numerous by 1860 so Grandfather took his family and another man named John Lofters and they started west to avoid the Civil War. This was in the spring of 1861.
They encountered many obstacles enroute to this area. They had to ford rivers since bridges were scarce and so were ferries. Grandfather had the wagon built with a water-tight bed so it would float while the horses swam and pulled it
across rivers. Crossing the mountains was not easy, as there were few passes to be found. They saw quite a few Indians but were not bothered by them.
The reason for my grandfather settling here was, he had given a man five hundred dollars in gold and the man promised faithfully that he would repay his debt after finding work in this area.
He settled in Tolono. When the man heard that my grandparents were on their way to this vi- cinity, he left and was never heard from. That was a terrible setback for my grandparents be- cause they planned to use the money to buy land and get a small home built.
However, Grandfather bought 40 acres from the Illinois Central Railroad and paid $1.25 an acre with the stipulation that the railroad could cross the land with a spur track should they so desire. This never happened, however.
The next year, Grandfather purchased another 40 acres, also from the I.C. Railroad. This land joined the first 40. On it was a 1-room house with an attic and a lean-to. The family made this their home for a few years. The big room was for cooking and eating, the lean-to was a bedroom and the children slept in the attic on straw mat- tresses.
Aunt Mary, then 6, walked west across the prairie grass, which was two to three feet high over to the Brennan School which still stands on Route 45. There were wolves, coyotes, deer and snakes that often crossed her path. Many quail, prairie chickens and rabbits were plentiful, also. In fact, Grandfather paid for the first 40 acres with money received from the sale of rabbits and fowl which he hunted, packing them in wooden barrels and shipping them to St. Louis in winter.
A few years later, a 4-room house was built, 2 rooms down and two up. The family still used the old house, known as a summer kitchen, for cooking and eating in.
In the space of 5 years, three more boys were born. Uncle George in 1870; my father, Joseph in 1871; and Uncle Frank in 1874.
By this time, Grandfather purchased another 40 acres making 120 in all. All the land was bought from the Illinois Central Railroad.
Soon, Grandfather had six more rooms built on to the present four making a ten-room struc- ture, six rooms down and four up. The house burned down in 1930.
Grandfather and Grandmother worked dili- gently to establish a home and get tools with which to farm. He was fond of the Black Hawk Morgan stock of horses because they were
spirited. He was reared on a farm in New York State, so farming was not new to him.
He and his wife planted nearly 3 miles of hedge by hand around the farm for fences with several cross hedges, too. They also set out two large orchards and 41 black walnut trees down the lane. Those trees in a few years made won- derful shade for the horses and cows in the pas- ture as well as bushels of nuts.
Other buildings had to be built so a large barn and a corn crib were constructed. The barn was struck by lightning in 1925 and burned. The crib was built in 1895.
By the time the boys were old enough to go to school, Maple Grove School was built and they attended it. Aunt Mary was in high school at To- lono. She became a teacher and taught the home school for several years. I remember her telling me that the present hard road west of Philo was a buffalo trail when the family first came here.
Every fall, Grandfather would take two teams of horses and two box wagons and drive to near Danville to the coal mine. He would leave early in the morning and drive the distance of about 35 miles and get there in time to get his wagons loaded before dark. Then he stayed overnight and started home early the next morning with the coal.
The family later purchased a base burner which used anthracite or hard coal. It came by rail through Tolon o from Pennsylvania. It was more expensive but provided constant heat.
When Uncle John finished the grade school, he went to Champaign to learn the plumbers trade. He married a local girl after a few years. Then he and his family moved to Chicago where he continued his work. He and his wife had five children, three born in Chicago. He died in 1917.
Uncle George, the second son of my grand- parents became a violinist and played in a Champaign band. He worked in a jewelry store for many years. At one time he was supervisor of Champaign. He married a girl from Mounds, Ill. They had no children. He died in 1954.
My father, Joseph was the third son. He at- tended Maple Grove School as did his brothers and sister. He then went to Tolono High School and graduated in 1889. After helping his father on the farm the next year, he entered the U. of I. where he graduated in 1894 with a B.A. degree. He gave the "Hatchet Oration" on Commence- ment Day. His subject was the "Great Glad- stone." In his early days after graduation from
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.