USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Philo > Philo area centennial, 1875-1975 > Part 9
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John Anders was instrumental in organizing and building the Philo Lutheran Church. The Anders Brothers were all farmers, tended well their crops and livestock. They built their own buildings and helped operate custom farm ma- chinery. They all had large families except Henry, and were noted for their large family ga- therings. A daughter of Elijah, Mrs. Pearle An- ders Eaton, still resides in Philo.
Cyrus Arnold
Cyrus Arnold and wife Caroline came to Philo Township in the fall of 1867 from Kendall Co., Ill., and purchased 200 acres of land in Section 35. Besides his farming the land, Mr. Arnold also engaged in raising fine stock, horses, cattle and swine.
He was born September 8, 1830, in Saratoga Co., New York, received his education there, then went to Jackson Co., Mich., where he mar- ried Caroline Francisco, February 2, 1853; she was born in Washtenaw Co., Mich., August 14, 1831. After their marriage, they lived one year in Grass Lake, Mich., then moved to McHenry Co., 111., then Kendall Co., and later Philo Township. They had six children, Mary Catherine (married John Locke), Emmett (who operated a stock ranch near Hot Springs, S. Dakota), Horace, Cora E. (married Henry Lovingfoss), and Clara and Henry, both of whom died in infancy.
Mr. Arnold died at the age of 88 on June 20, 1919, at the home of his daughter, Mary C. Locke. He was extremely active until his death, being ill only one day. Mrs. Arnold died Sept. 22. 1909, and both are buried in Locust Grove Cemetery at Philo.
Descendants of this family include Mary Ca- therine Keith, Frances Jean McCormick, Rena M. O'Neill, and Juanita M. Brewer, all living in the Philo area; Rev. A.M. Werts of near Urbana, and Wanda M. Whitton of Champaign. All are daughters of the late Frank J. Miller, who farmed in the Philo area for 45 years. He was a son of Mable Locke Miller and a great grandson of the Cyrus Arnolds.
Reuben Baker
Reuben Baker was born in Clark County, Ohio in 1819. He married Susan Kienborts who was born in 1931 in the same county in Ohio. About 1868 they moved to Section 9, Philo Township with their seven children. Mary E. married Hart- ley Spradling; Martha A. m. Calvin E. Parker; Irvin A. m. Emma Parkman; Henry E. m. Emma Lovingfoss; Sarah C. m. Al Bowen; Grace Eva m. Herbert Eaton.
Reuben Baker had the misfortune of being in- jured by a falling tree and eventually died from its effects February 1873. He is buried in Philo, Illinois.
Reuben Baker
Soloman and Amy Bocock
Soloman and Amy Bocock moved from Marian, Indiana to Crittenden Township in 1864. He served four years in the Civil War.
Originally the Bocock family had come from England and settled in Virginia.
Soloman and Amy Bocock settled at Bouse's Grove five miles south of Tolono. The region was overgrown with timber at that time, although very little remains now.
At that time there was only a freight house at what is now Urbana.
It was the custom then to bring corn in sacks to Urbana to have it ground into corn meal. Corn when marketed was worth only 6 and 8 cents per bushel.
Land in the vicinity of what is now Champaign sold for 50 cents per acre.
Children of Soloman and Amy Bocock were named James, Minnie (Mrs. William Ordel), Arthur, Alfred, and Ethel (Mrs. James Adair).
William Brelsford
Angeline Housher came to this country with her family by boat from England in 1875. She was married to William Brelsford and they lived on a farm two miles north of Philo, known now as the Wallace Silver farm. Mr. Brelsford had poor health and quit farming and moved into
Philo where he died in 1892. They had a family of eight children including twin girls. Beulah died at 20 years of age; Minnie and Sahara mar- ried and moved to Bethany, Illinois; Ella married William Service and lived in Philo; Edith became Mrs. Frank Ordel and lived on a farm three miles south of Philo; William moved to Mendota where he ran a welding shop; George married Bell Wimmer, sister of Newton Wimmer, who owned and ran a grocery store in Philo for 35 years. George owned and operated a barber shop on Main Street for many years. Edgar lived with his mother and ran a dray wagon, pulled with horses. He hauled coal for everyone in Philo and also delivered parcels that came in by train to the depot. He retired when trucks took over his job. He died in 1935. Mrs. Brelsford died in May 1929 at 88 years of age.
David Brewer
David Brewer and family moved to Philo in September, 1867, from Douglas Co., Ill., Mr. Brewer, recently licensed to preach as a Metho- dist minister, having been assigned to the Philo circuit, which consisted of charges in seven dif- ferent locations. While serving here, a new church building was erected in 1868. However, after serving this circuit for only one year, he was forced to discontinue preaching for a time, be- cause of voice failure.
Born October 19, 1826, in Pike Co., Ohio, Mr. Brewer was the seventh of nine children of Richard and Christina Roderick Brewer, who mi- grated to Vermilion Co., Ill., in 1830. He was married to Maria Caroline Lynch (born Oct. 9, 1826, in Harrison Co., Va.) on August 23, 1844.
They had ten children with six surviving, namely: Richard Milton (1846-1886); Sarah (b. 1848, m. Edward White, d. 1878); Meshech (b. 1852, m. Harriett Locke, d. 1929); Isaac (b. 1857, m. Anna F. Derrough, d. 1938); Robert (b. 1860, m. Sade Gordy, date of death unknown); and Frank (b. 1866, m. Catherine Wise, d. 1960).
The family moved from Vermilion Co., Ill. to Douglas Co., Ill., and thence to Philo. From 1869 to 1874, the Rev. Mr. Brewer had various char- ges, but finally his voice failed him completely, and he and his wife moved back to Philo Town- ship. and lived on a 120-acre farm in Section 25. In 1888, he became a United Brethren affiliate, and continued in active work in the ministry until his death, which occurred in Woodland, Illinois, February 20, 1896, at age 69. Burial was in Locust Grove Cemetery, Philo.
Isaac Brewer
Isaac Brewer, born in a log cabin east of Dan- ville, Illinois, on October 5, 1857, the seventh of ten children born to David and Maria Lynch Brewer, came to Philo in 1867 from Douglas Co., Ill., when his father received his first appoint- ment as a minister in the Methodist Church with charges at Philo and several outlying points.
Isaac was married to Anna Florence Derrough on December 1, 1880, with his father officiating at the ceremony. Anna was the daughter of Asher David Derrough, then in business at Philo, and Saloma J. (Hoover) Derrough.
From the time of his marriage until 1910, Isaac engaged in farming in the vicinity of Philo, first on rented land and later on his own. In 1897, Isaac and Anna purchased 120 acres of land just north of Philo in Section 14, from Alice M. Cowles, granddaughter of Philo Hale, and built a new home that still stands. They resided there until 1915. Isaac farmed this land and also operated steam-powered threshing and shelling equipment until 1910, when declining health forced him to retire and rent out the land.
About 1912, Isaac and a partner established an automobile sales and service business in Philo, the first in the area. This business was housed in a new building built for it on the main street of Philo. In 1918 he sold out his interest to his partner, and Isaac and Anna purchased a home on the south side of Philo where they re- sided the remainder of their lives.
Isaac and Anna had two sons, Orma Perl (b. 10-4-1881, m. Emma Mumm, d. 3-3-1955), and Leon David (b. 6-17-1903, m. Gladys Bocock). Anna died July 3, 1923, after a long illness and was buried at Philo. Isaac was married to Blanche Williams in the spring of 1927, and she died in 1935. Isaac died Jan. 24, 1938, at the age of 80 years and was buried in Locust Grove Cemetery.
Descendants of Isaac Brewer still living in the Philo area include Joseph Brewer, who still lives in the house built by Isaac and Anna and farms the Brewer land, Kenneth Brewer of Champaign, and Katherine (Mrs. John D. Clark) who resides on the Clark farm in Section 3 of Philo Town- ship. All are children of Perl and Emma Brewer. L. David Brewer resides in Villa Park, Ill., now retired from Illinois Bell Telephone Co. He has two children, Shirley Brewer Taylor of St. Anne, Ill., and Glen Brewer, of Dallas, Texas.
Frank H. Cain
Frank H. Cain, born Jan. 6, 1884 on a farm near Ivesdale, Illinois, son of James T. Cain and Mary Carroll Cain, and Sarah Ann Clennon, born March 8, 1885 on a farm in Crittenden Township, daughter of William F. Clennon and Delia Moran Clennon, were married Oct. 2, 1907 in St. Thomas Church, Philo, Illinois. They were the parents of one son and 3 daughters; Frank H. Cain, Jr. (deceased) was married to Naomi R. Gorman and their three daughters are Mrs. Douglas (Karen) McCormick, Mrs. John (Sue) Doolen and Mrs. Douglas. (Marcia) Statzer.
Miss Mary Agnes Cain.
Mrs. Ralph (Loretta) Widney who has one daughter Mrs. Philip (Sue) Dechow. Mrs. Joseph (Elizabeth Jane) Graham and they have three sons and three daughters, Frank, mary Jane, John, JoAnne, James and Amy.
Frank H. Cain was co-owner of Horgan and Cain Grocery from 1906 to 1913. Sole owner until 1917 when Vincent Cain became a partner in the business. Frank H. Cain sold his interest in the business in 1923 to Vincent Cain, and went in the Battery and Tire business in Cham- paign, Illinois.
Frank H. Cain passed away in 1957, and Mrs. Sarah A. Cain resided at the same address in Philo from 1907 to 1969.
John Caldwell Reed Family
John Caldwell Reed was born in 1822 in Ohio County, W. Va. and died in 1899 in Philo, Ill. He was married to Mary B. Bell of W. Va. They came to Philo in a covered wagon when their son Charles was very young. They had four other children, Henry List, Mary Bell, called Bell, John C. and James B.
John's parents John and Louisa Caldwell Reed had earlier settled in French Grove, Peoria Co., Ill. Three or four of John's sisters and brothers settled in and around French Grove. Another sis- ter Jane Ghaston lived in Ford County.
John and Mary B. acquired 400 acres of farm- land near Philo. 160 acres of it is still in the family belonging to Ralph J. Reed Estate.
Charles Reed married Abbie J. Huhn from Maryland and had one son Ralph J. He died at 76, Jan. 1, 1972. He married Mary Silver of Philo. They had four daughters, Marjorie. Mrs.
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List was married and had one daughter Mary- list, Mrs. Glenn Lewis of Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Bell married Herb Wells of Philo. They had four children, Reed Wells who had several child- ren; Edna, who had several children; Helen Ball who had one son Dick (they are in Iowa), and Frances Tucker-five children.
John C. was married to Grace Trost of Philo. They had four children, Mary Jones, John, Harold and Walter who had a son and daughter and four grandchildren.
James was married and divorced to an actress and had one stepson.
Charles and Abbie lived on the 160 acre farm in Philo all of their lives except for a year when he worked in Denver, Colo. and for a time when their house burned down. The farm is now rented to Mary's nephew Duane Silver. She now lives in an apartment next to her daughter Pat in Thomasboro where she and Ralph had once lived for twenty years.
Lafayette Churchill
Lafayette Churchill was born in 1846 in a family of eight brothers and five sisters in New York State, was married to Eliza Pratt (born in 1849 in Cortland) in 1870.
They moved to Raymond Township in 1880 and later to the edge of Philo in 1892.
Eight children were born to them: Charles, Leslie, Catharine (Williams), Aline (Cole), Ruth, Melvin, Clinton and Helen (Hunt) all deceased.
Lafayette Churchill died near Charlotte, Mich. in 1931 at the age of 85.
Eliza Churchill died in 1941 at the home of her son Clinton near Charlotte. Mich. at the age of 92.
Clark Family
John Henry Clark, was the fifth child of Joshua Hedges Clark. He was born in Philo Township near Urbana. Champaign Co., Ill. in 1869. John was raised on his father's farm and became a farmer.
In 1896, at the age of 26, John Clark married Mary Emily O'Neal. Mary was the daughter of William Fletcher and Sarah Redden O'Neal, and had been born in Douglas County, Ill. in 1871.
Her father was a farmer and had settled earlier near Philo Township.
John and Mary settled on a farm in Philo Township, near Urbana, Champaign Co., where all four of their children were born.
John Clark was 66 years old when he died in 1936 in Burnham Hospital following a week's ill- ness.
Emma Clark died in 1960 at the age of 89 in Burnham Hospital.
John Henry and Emma O'Neal Clark are buried at Locust Grove Cemetery, Philo Township, Champaign Co., Ill.
John and Emma had four children: Don Flet- cher Clark, was the first child of John Henry Clark. He was born on his father's farm near Ur- bana, in 1903. He married Bessie May Tucker who had been born in Hood, Ill. in 1907. Don was a Warehouseman for Texaco, and they set- tled in Champaign. Don died in 1975 at the Carle Hospital following six years of lingering ill- ness. He is buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Philo. They had no children.
Luella Fern Clark, was John Henry's second child. She was born on the farm near Urbana in 1905. Fern married Thomas Troy Brelsford, who had been born in the same county in 1904. Tom was a Division Manager for the Illinois Bell Tele- phone Company in Champaign where they set- tled. They had no children. Fern Clark Brelsford died in 1926, at the age of 21. She is buried at Locust Grove Cemetery, Philo.
Howard Bentley Clark was the third child of John Henry Clark. He was born on his father's farm near Urbana in 1909. He married Anita Ruth Myler, who had been born in Vermilion Co. in 1909. Like his father, Howard became a farmer, and worked on his father's farm. After his father's death, he continued to live on the farm where he was born, and where his two children, Terry and Stanley, were born.
Terry Howard Clark was born in 1936. He married Beverly Jean Harris and they make their home in Champaign, Ill. Terry is employed by Humko Corp. as Area Supervisor of the Hydro- gen Plant. Champaign. They have four children: Terry Lynn born in 1956; Rickie Gene born in 1957; Gregory Scott born in 1960, and Kathryn Ann born in 1966.
Stanley Edwin Clark was born in 1942. He lives in Champaign, Ill. and is a men's hair sty- list employed by The Barbers Hair Styling for Men, Inc., in Champaign.
Harold Lester Clark was the fourth and last child of John Henry Clark. He was born on his father's farm near Urbana in 1910. Harold mar- ried Ruth Ellen Hocker, who had been born in
Macon County in 1915. Harold is employed as Assistant Manager of Cousin Fred's, Decatur, 11. He and Ruth settled in Decatur, Macon Co., where their three children Larry, Donald and Alan were born.
Larry Dean Clark was born in 1937. He mar- ried Faye Gee Wright and in 1975 were living in Champaign. Larry is working as a Supervisor for the Crane Potato Chip Co. They have two children: Debra Lynne born in 1960, and Dena Marie born in 1963.
Donald Gene Clark was born in 1940. He mar- ried Virginia Adelle Schniep and they make their home in Elwin, Ill. Donald is employed by the Caterpillar Tractor Co. in Decatur. Ill. They have one child, Rhonda Michele born in 1974.
Alan Lynn Clark was born in 1946. He mar- ried Linda Gay Donaldson and they make their home in Macon, Ill. Alan is an Accountant for Firestone Rubber Co., Decatur. They have one child, Gwen Elizabeth, born in 1973.
George W. Clark and Mary Z. Clark
George Clark was the tenth child of Joshua Hedges Clark. He was born on his father's farm in Philo Township, near Urbana, Champaign County, Ill. in 1878. George married Mary Zilz in January 1903. According to the family, Mary had been born in Osterda, near Berlin, Germany in 1884, the daughter of Christopher and Louise Tromberk Zilz. Her parents died in Germany be- fore Mary came to America. Mary came to this country along with her sister, Minnie, and two brothers, Fred and Willie, when she was 13 years old. She arrived in Philo and lived with another sister who had been living in Philo for some time. Mary often told the story how the train went through Philo, but did not stop. They finally made the conductor understand they should have gotten off at the last town, so the train stopped at Tolono and they walked back to Philo.
Mary was working at the hotel in Philo when she met George Clark, married him and became a farmer's wife. They settled on a farm on what is known as the "Ridge Road" in Philo Township near Urbana where all twelve of their children were born. Six boys and six girls.
George Clark was one of the first farmers in his area to own a car. It has been said that one day a car went by the farm, the first one he had ever seen, and he and a neighbor climbed to the top of their windmill to watch it as far as they could see. His first car was an Overland which he took pride and joy in keeping spotless and shiny.
Another new item was the Wallace Cub Trac- tor. Farmers came from miles around to see the tractor run and to make wagers that it probably wouldn't work in raising a good crop . . . just no- thing could take the place of a team of horses.
Mary was quite surprised early one Christmas morning to see a team of horses and wagon drive in with her Christmas present, a "Player Piano". Many enjoyable evenings were spent with the neighbors coming in for popcorn, apples and lots of singing. The piano is still in the family.
George Clark was a month short of his 49th birthday when he died in 1927. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana. After his death, Mary Zilz Clark continued to live on the farm with her children. She lived on the farm until Oc- tober 1971 when she became ill and has since been living in a nursing home. Mary will be 91 years young on July 24, 1975.
Mary has ten living children: Violet Gaschler, Urbana; Oliver Clark, Homer; George E. Clark, Urbana; Kermit Clark, Urbana; Arita Lovett, Ohio; John Clark, Urbana; Jean Brown, Toulon; Robert Clark, Philo; Georgia Sensenbrenner, Ur- bana; and Florence Drews, Urbana. The two de- ceased were: Kenneth Clark, Urbana and Edith Bakkemo, Urbana.
William F. Clennon
William F. Clennon, a native of Grundy Co., Illinois, was born on July 4, 1851 and settled on a farm in Crittenden Township, Champaign Co. in 1878, after his marriage to Miss Adelia Moran.
His parents, Martin and Mary Flynn Clennon, natives of Ireland, emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they became acquainted and were married. Their first home was in Indiana until 1849, then they came to Illi- nois and settled on a farm near Peru, LaSalle Co. Later they moved to a farm in Grundy Co. Besides William, they were the parents of Lawrence, Mar- tin Andrew, Patrick, Katie, Mary (Mrs. William Moran) and Susan (Mrs. Charles Daly).
William, after finishing his education in the Christian Brothers School of Peru, returned to the farm and worked with his father until his mar- riage on March 5, 1878, to Miss Moran.
Mrs. Clennon was born in Michigan, the daughter of William and Sarah Moran, natives of Ireland and Canada respectively. The young couple were the parents of Mary, Martin. Francis, Sarah, Agatha, Kathryn, Loretta, Lawrence and Raymond. After the death of Mr. Clennon on May 16, 1906, Mrs. Clennon remained on the
farm with her children. Mrs. Clennon died on February 6, 1936.
Two sons, Martin and Lawrence, and two daughters, Agatha Giblin and Loretta Clennon, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and great- greatgrandchildren still live in the community.
Cottrell Family at Philo
Bradbury Cottrell, who was born in Windham County, Conn. on June 19, 1795, was the first of the Cottrell family to go west. He got no further than Franklin Co. in southern Indiana. There he married Molly Douglas in 1820 and they raised a family of six daughters and three sons. One of the sons was James Douglas Cottrell I, born in 1829. He did not like the hilly Indiana country. As he often said, you could look up the fireplace chim- ney and watch the cows coming down to be milked. So he asked his father, Bradbury Cot- trell, to go with him to the flat, prairie country of Illinois to look for a new home. (The diary of Bradburry Cottrell tells of this trip.) They se- lected land near Philo and James D. Cottrell and his wife Clara Peterson, and 4 children moved in 1869 to a home one mile south of Philo to wait until they could get possession of a farm they had purchased northwest of Philo. On this farm they raised their family.
Arthur, who as a young man went to Washing- ton, D.C. to cook in the Treasury Department, died in the first epidemic of Spanish influenza to strike the United States.
Franklin, who sold his interest in the home farm to his brother and went to live near Wingate, Indiana.
Belle, who married James Edward Mckeown. They moved to the Harding farm just west of the Race Street Road. (Mrs. Harding who was the former Molly Cottrell, sister of J.D. Cottrell I, sold the farm to her niece, Belle, and husband when Mr. Harding died.)
Clement V., who purchased the shares of his father's estate from his sister and brother, owned and operated the land east of the Race Street Road until his death in 1945.
The Daly Family
John and Mary Daly migrated from Ireland to Sombra, Canada, where their 10 children were born. While working on the canal out of Chicago, John Daly bought 80 acres of land south of Philo in 1868 from the governor. After building a one room house, he brought his wife and 5 of his
children to Illinois. The others remained in Ma- rine City, Michigan, and came later. When John and Mary Daly came to Philo, the closest Catholic : church was in Tolono, and the Daly family walked !
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John Daly
across the prairie many times to attend Mass. The first John Daly died April 8, 1885, and his wife Mary died January 10, 1893. The farm is now owned by John Daly and Mrs. Leo Daly.
The children who came with the Dalys were Eli- zabeth, who married Joseph Donaldson and had 9 children; Anna, who was called "Nance"; Ellen, who died at 16 from "inflammation of the bowels" which was probably appendicitis; John, who had 4 children, Mary, Agnes, Mark (all de- ceased), and Edith, who is Sister Agnes Regina; and Charles, who married Susan Clennon from Minooka. They had seven children, of whom the oldest died in infancy. The others were Margaret, 307 E. Eashington, Philo; John J., who married Stella Cain; Ellen; Albert who married Kitty Dil- lon; Marie (Sister Leo Marie), Springfield, and Leo.
John J. and Stella Cain Daly have three children; J. Joseph Daly, 103 Jefferson St., Philo; Charles, who lives east of Mira Station; and Grace Marie Shissler of Elmwood. J. Joseph Daly and Maxine Wacker Daly have four children: Cha- therine Anne, Donna McHenry, Robert and Philip, all of Philo.
The six children of Ellen Daly and Vincent Cain are Eileen Kennedy, Anne Yocius, Agnes Redmond, Eleanor and James.
The children of Leo Daly and Ellen Joyce Daly are Leo Daly, Jr. and Mary Agnes Rubenacker of Philo and Father Johnny Daly, Seoul, Korea. Going on to the next generation of the Leo Dalys, Leo Daly, Jr. (Bunt) and Joanne Finnegan Daly have 6 children: Debra White of Sidney, Timothy, Leo F. III, Pat, Hugh, and Sean of Philo. Joe and Mary Agnes Daly Rubenacker have 5 children: Joyce Cheatum, Danny, Colleen O'Neill, Peggy, and Mary Jo, all of Philo.
The sixth generation of Philo area Dalys is rep- resented by Harold McHenry, Holly McHenry, Shane Cheatum, and Kimberly Cheatum.
Lucius Eaton
Lucius Eaton was born in Hancock, Vermont August 7, 1814. Years later in 1854 he was the first New England "Yankee" to settle on a ridge northwest of Philo. He was followed by his brother David and several other families of New England origin. This neighborhood became known as Yankee Ridge. Most histories credit him as the second permanent settler in Philo Township.
He was very interested in social groups and education. He helped build the first school by his home and he was one of the first directors. This school was rightly named Yankee Ridge School. His interest in education has been carried on as evidenced by the many college graduates of his descendants. His occupation besides farming was as a blacksmith and Mechanical Engineer. He built and forged his own tools and that of his
neighbors. He went from farm to farm making the necessities needed by pioneer life on the prairie.
He married twice: first to Lucy Cleveland in New York City in 1848; secondly, to Catherine Plympton of Massachusetts in 1866. He had the following children who lived and grew up on the pioneer prairie near Philo.
Herbert born in 1849 who came with his parents to Illinois in 1854. He married Grace Baker in Philo in 1882. In 1868 he enrolled with the first class of the Illinois Industrial University (University of Illinois) graduating in 1874. He farmed, had a printing and newspaper "The Sig- nal" in Champaign. He died in May 1930 in Ur- bana.
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