Portrait and biographical record of Macoupin County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States, Part 47

Author: Biographical Publishing Company
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 920

USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > Portrait and biographical record of Macoupin County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States > Part 47

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Eli Blocher was married in March, 1880, to Sal- oma Frantz, who was born in Franklin County, Va., as were also her father and grandfather, both of whom bore the name of Samuel. The grand father

owned and occupied a farm in Franklin County and his son learned the trade of a miller and followed it while living in Virginia. In 1863 he removed thence to Greene County, Ohio, and there farmed until 1868, when he came to Maconpin County and purchased the farm upon which Mr. and Mrs. Blocher now reside. Here he prepared to engage in farming, but his death, which occurred here the following spring, cut short his life plans. His be- reaved widow is still living and resides with her children. Her name before marriage was Magda- lina Brubaker and she was born in Boretourt County, Va., October 31, 1817, her parents being Henry and Saloma (Eler) Brubaker. For further history of this family the reader will consult the sketch of Moses Brubaker. She married twice, Mr. Blocher, the father of our subject, being her second husband. By her first marriage she had two chil- dren, whom she reared to maturity, Mrs. Blocher's sister being Lizzie, now Mrs. John Huber. The children who have come to bless the home of our subject are Charles M., Eddie C., Dora A. and Net- tie M. The parents are devout and earnest mem- bers of the German Baptist Church, in which they find a broad field of influence and labor. They are one and all a family who richly deserve the friendly good will and respect which is accorded them by their neighbors.

D R. JACOB T. DICKERSON, who is sue- cessfully engaged in the drug business in Brighton and to some extent practices medi- cine, was born in Sussex County, Del., on the 26th of February, 1829, and is a son of Peter and Sarah (Laughlin) Dickerson. Dis father was a native of New Jersey, but grew to manhood in Delaware, where he met and married Sarah Laughlin. Both, however, had been previously married. The lady was a native of Sussex County, Del., of Scotch descent. They lived as farming people and after a long and useful life of three-score years passed away. Mrs. Dickerson was & member of the Meth- odist Church, which Mr. Dickerson also attended. He was a soldier of the War of 1812.

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Our subject has one sister who is yet living- Elizabeth, wife of Isaac Murphy, of Niles, III. Upon his father's farm the Doctor grew to man- hood and acquired a good literary education, though his school training was very limited. l'os- sessing a studious natare, in his leisure evenings by his own fire light he would peruse those volumes which served as the basis of a good, practical knowledge. Deciding to make the profession his life work, he entered upon its study under the direction of John S. Prettyman, of Milford, Del. Ile afterward entered the Philadelphia Eclectic College, from which he was graduated on the 18th of February. 1860. Ile then resolved to locate in the West, where he believed better openings were afforded ambitious young men, and on the 16th of July, 1860, drove to Brighton and hung out his shingle, soliciting the patronage of all those in need of medical services. From the beginning his practice constantly increased, and he successfully engaged in the prosecution of his profession until within a few years, when he aban- doned that work. In 1865 he established a drug store, which he has since carried on, being now the owner of one of the leading establishments of the kind in Brighton. Ile also carries a full line of hardware.

The Doctor was united in marriage, in 1861, with Mrs. Amanda Whitlock, whose maiden name was Loveland. By her first marriage was born one child, who died young. Unto our subject and his worthy wife have been born one son, Leonard M., an enterprising and wide-awake young busi- ness man, who is now associated with his father in business. He married Miss Jennetta Robert- | son, and one child graces their union, Donald. Sinee locating here the Doctor has been numbered among the prominent citizens of the community. and by his fellow-townsmen has frequently been called upon to serve in positions of public trust. lle has filled most of the offices of the township and village, and at present is Supervisor of the town of Brighton. In politics he is a Republican and his opinions are received with respect in the local councils of his party. Socially he is con- nected with the Knights of Honor and the Odd- Fellows society, of Brighton, of which he is a

charter member. An intelligent and broad-minded man, the Doctor possesses qualities of sterling worth, and is esteemed alike by those with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact. He won a position in the front rank of his profession, keeping always abreast of the times. and the same enterprise has characterized his career as a druggist.

G ILBERT KEIRLE. The calling of agricul- ture promises a peaceful life and assured maintenance to the careful student of nat- ural economy. Such an one is Gilbert Keirle, re- siding on section 10, Bunker Hill Township, where he has lived for ten years and now owns one hun- dred and fifty acres of land, that is for the most part highly cultivated, well stocked and supplied with good buildings. Mr. Keirle came here from Ililyard Township, where he lived on a farm five years. Prior to that time he resided for three and a half years in Brighton Township, coming in Au- gust, 1871, to Bunker Hill Township where he has since resided.

Mr. Keirle was born in Somersetshire, June 3, 1853. He was reared and educated in London and Bristol while he was still young, being only eight- een years of age when he came to the United States. The lad took passage at Liverpool on the steamer "City of Washington" of the Inman line, landing in New York and coming thence to Brighton Township, Macoupin County, where he has since been engaged as a farmer. He worked for the first two and a half years as a laborer.

The parents of our subject, Job and Mary (Baker) Keirle, were natives of Somersetshire, En- giand, and they came of English parents who lived and died at that place. Job Keirle and his wife, after the birth of all their children, decided that the New World offered inducements not to be found in the Old, and there upon came to the States in 1881, bringing with them all their children ex- cepting two married daughters who yet live in England. One son and one daughter were buried in England. They settled in Hilyard Township

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and later came to Bunker Hill Township and are yet living here, having attained to a good old age. Mr. Keirle is sixty-five years of age and Mrs. Keirle sixty-one years of age. The latter is a member of the Episcopal Church.

The subject of this sketch is the eldest of the large family born to his parents. He was married in Brighton Township to Miss Emma Reader. The lady was born in Dorsetshire, England. October 3, 1848, and was the daughter of Robert and Sarah (Rawlings) Reader, natives of Dorsetshire. All of the family on the maternal side were born and reared in England, though all but one are now in the United States. The wife and mother is deceased, having died August 15, 1891; she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Keirle. She was eighty- two years old and with the exception of the loss of her sight was still smart and active.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Keirle, the subjects of this sketch, has been blessed with six children. The second. Harry L. is deceased; the remainder, all living at home, are Albert, Frank R., Otto H., Oscar F. and Eph. Mrs. Keirle is an efficient mem - ber of the Congregational Church and is a Repub- lican in politics. Mrs. Keirle is a devoted Baptist.

OSEPH LOTTER, a practical German farmer, residing on section 23, Staunton Township, has made his home in this com- munity for about a third of a century. He was born in the Province of Byron on the Rhine, August 16, 1829, and is a son of Charles and Anna (Coleman) Lotter, who were also natives of the same Province. His father was a cooper by trade and followed that business throughout his entire life. Both were members of the Catholic Church and lived to an advanced age. Our subject is one of the youngest of a large family. The only ones that came to America are himself and his sister, who married and had a large family. She is now living in Muscoutah, Ill., at the age of sixty-one years.

Our subject acquired his education in the schools of his native country, and remained under the pa-

rental roof until nineteen years of age, wben wish- ing to begin life for himself he left his home and also his native land. It was his desire to try his fortune in America, and in the spring of 1848, lie sailed from llavre. France, reaching New Orleans after a voyage of forty-six days. Making his way up the Father of Waters to St. Louis. he learned the cooper's trade in that city and followed it for some years, becoming a skilled workman. At length he came to this county, about 1860, and lo- cated upon the farm which is still his home. It comprises one hundred and eighteen and a half acres of land, on sections 23 and 24, and hy his un- tiring efforts it has been placed under a high state of cultivation and supplied with many improve- ments, including all the necessary buildings and machinery. Ile also raises a good grade of stock and is regarded as one of the practical and pro- gressive farmers in the community.

While living in St. Louis, Mr. Lotter led to the marriage altar Miss Julia Roughmann, who was born in the Kingdom of Ilanover, Germany, and came to this country with her parents, Charles and Anna (Friezel) Roughmann, who crossed the ocean landing at New Orleans, and came up the Mississ- ippi to Madison County, where they resided with a daughter until called to the home beyond. The death of the father was caused by falling down a fight of stairs when quite old, and his wife was well advanced in years when she passed s.way. Both were members of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Lotter was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife in 1887. She died in the early morning of the first day of the new year. when nearing her fifty-third birthday, having been born February 17, 1834. In religious belief she too was a Luth- eran. Five children were left to mourn her loss --- Mary, wife of William Winder, a blacksmith of Warden, Ill .; George, who aids in the operation of the home farm; Anne, married R. Vogt and lives in Mt. Olive, Ill .; Elvina, wife of Ernst Jacob, a butcher of Warden ; and Julia, who is also deceased. Three children of the family had died in childhood -Tena, Charles and Ilenry.

Mr. Lotter was a second time married in Staun- ton Township, to Mrs. Mary Burghardt, who was born in Indiana, and with her parents removed to

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Belleville, Ill., where she was the first time mar- ried. By that union she had one child, John, who now holds the responsible position of manager of the mines owned by the Consolidated Coal Com- pany at Mt. Olive. Mr. Lotter and his wife attend the German Catholic Church at Staunton and in polities he and his son are Democrats. They are people of sterling worth, who are widely and fa- vorably known throughout this community and have many friends within the township.

P W. HARTKE. The members of a success- ful farming community are always de- pended upon to furnish the bone and sin- ews of our social, commercial and national life. A country, no matter how rich, which is under the control of unreliable and shiftless farmers can never help in building up villages, towns and cities which will prove of value to the world. The financial and social progress of Macoupin County has been largely increased by the influx into it in its early days, of such men as Mr. Ilartke. This successful German farmer residing on section 13, Cahokia Township, has a well-improved farm of more than five hundred acres, upon which he bas been residing for over eight years. His previous residence for the same length of time had been Mt. Olive, where he was engaged in general merchan- dising.

It was in 1866 that our subject first came to Macoupin County and after farming here for some time near Mt. Olive, he did business in St. Louis, Mo., in the wholesale and retail grocery trade. Later he returned to Mt. Olive, where he made his home until he came to Cahokia.

Mr. Hartke was born in Prussia, Germany, in Ilanover Province, April 15, 1843. He came of good German stock and his parents, William and Minnie (Fromeman) Hartke, being natives of Prussia, where they lived and died, passing away when they had completed their three-score years. They were engaged in agriculture throughout life and were sincere believers in the Christian faith, being members of the Lutheran Church. Our sub-

ject is one of a large family of children and he grew up in his native province. In 1863, when he was about twenty years old, he set out to the United States, embarking at Bremen in a sailing vessel, and landed in New York City after a five weeks' voyage. They still set their faces Westward, making St. Louis their objective point. Later he came to this county and made it his home.

It was on September 21, 1875, when young Hartke was married at Mt. Olive to Miss Minnie Kruse, who was born on her father's farm in Macoupin County, near Mt. Olive, November 15, 1856. She is the daughter of an old settler, Henry Kruse, now deceased, and of Mrs. Minnie Kruse, who is yet living on the old homestead. She is one of the large land owners in this county and in her declining years is able to surround herself with every comfort. The daughter was reared and edu- cated in this county, and after the marriage with our subject became the mother of seven children, all of whom are still residing at home with their parents. They are namely : William H., Henry W., Louis J., Anna W., Sophia F., Emma L. and Au- gust F. Mr. and Mrs. Hartke and their children are all devont Lutherans. Mr. Hartke's political views have led him to affiliate with the Republican party, in the progress and prosperity of which he feels a keen interest.

RS. MARY A. EASLEY, a resident of Bird Township, is a daughter of James and Rhoda (Regan) Huskey, natives of Tennessee, who came to Macoupin County. Ill., at a very early day and lived in Bird Town- ship, until death ended their labors and they were buried here. They bad thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Easley was the fifth in order of birth. She first saw the light in Alabama, May 20, 1821, and was about thirteen years old when her parents removed to this county. She grew to womanhood in Bird Township, which has been her home ever since she came to this State with the exception of two years which she spent in Western Mound Township.

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

John Stonan

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

The marriage of this lady with Isaac N. Edwards took place October 4, 1838, in Bird Township. Mr. Edwards died in December, 1860. By that marriage sbe had ten children, namely: Mary .I., James HI. and John N., deceased; Rhoda E .; Grif- fith A., Rachael E. and Daniel F., deceased; Oliver N., Rilda E. and Amanda M., deceased.

This lady's second marriage was solemnized March 4, 1866. Iler husband, George W. Easley, lived but about six years after his marriage, when he passed away in September, 1872. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in which his widow is also active and where she has been a member since she was sixteen years old. She owns one hundred and twenty acres of rich, productive land. Mrs. Easley's surviving children have all established homes of their own. Mary .I. is the wife of Z. Loveless; Rhoda E. is Mes. John Stokes; Oliver N. married Miss Etta Cook, and Rilda E. is Mrs. J. W. Parrott. Their mother is a lady who is sincere in the discharge of her reli- gious duties and is respected by all who know her.

OHN SLOMAN, who has for more than thirty years been prosperonsly engaged in agri- cultural pursuits in this county, is one of the substantial and well-to-do farmers of lloney Point Township, where he has a fine farm. lle was born near the village of High Bighington, Devonshire, England, April 30, 1831. His father was James Sloman, a native of the same shire, and his paternal grandfather was Zachariah Sloman, who so far as known, spent his entire life there.

James Sloman was reared to the vocation of a farmer, and carried on his calling on English soil until 1841, when he came to this country, bring- ing with him his wife and four children. The family set sail from Appledore in April, but when the ship was nearly a thousand miles out at sea it sprang a leak, and had to retrace its course to Ire- land for repairs. Starting on its voyage again it finally arrived in safety at New York in thirteen weeks' time from the date when it first sailed. Mr.

Sloan at first settled in Genesee County, N. Y., where he resided one year prior to coming to Illi- nois. The removal hither was made by the way of Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence by lake to C'leve- land, from there by canal to Portsmouth, Ohio, and then on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to Alton, that being the most expeditious and con- venient route at the time.

After his arrival in this State, Mr. Sloman pur- chased a traet of timber land in Jersey County, nine miles south of Jerseyville, in the locality known as Gilham's Mound. He built a log house on the place and proceeded to clear a farm from the wilderness, where deer and other wild ani- mals still abounded, and special care had to be taken of the pigs and lambs to protect them from the wolves. The father passed the rest of his life on his homestead in Jersey County, improving it into a fine piece of property. The maiden name of his wife was Amy Gean, and she was also a na- tive of Devonshire, and a daughter of Richard Gean. She survived him a few years, and died at the home of a daughter in Jersey County. She was the mother of four children-John, Emma, Mary A. and James. The latter married Mary Bushby and resides on the old homestead ; Emma married Nelson Lurton, of Jersey County ; Mary became the wife of Hiram McClosky, of Jersey County.

.John Sloman was a child of ten years when the family emigrated to America. He attended school quite steadily in the old country, but after he came to this State he had to assist his father in his pioneer work of clearing his land and tilling the soil. He remained an inmate of the parental home until his marriage, though a part of the time he was engaged in working out by the month. Ile commenced his independent career as a farmer after he had taken unto himself a wife by carrying on agriculture on rented land, continuing to farm as a renter in Jersey County the ensuing six years. He then came to Honey Point Township in 1859 and bought eighty acres of his present homestead. A small frame house and stable and a small orchard constituted the improvements upon the place and Mr. Słoman has constantly been at work in its fur- ther improvement, he has now a valuable estate,

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

amply provided with neat frame buildings, good farming machinery, and all the appointments that go to make up a well-ordered farm. He has added to his original purchase, and now has two hundred acres of land all in a body.

March 6, 1853 was the date of an important event in the life of our subject, as he was then hap- pily married to Miss Sarah C. Lamb. Mrs. Sloman was born in Adams County, Miss., November 2, 1831. Her father, John J. Lamb, was a native of the State of New York and a son of Israel and Amanda (Beach) Lamb. The grandfather was also born in that State, of English ancestry, and so far as known spent his entire life in New York. John Lamb passed his youth in his native State, and received a good education, commencing teach - ing when quite young. At the age of twenty- one he went to Mississippi, and engaged in his profession there nearly twenty years. In 1835 he came with his wife and six children to Illinois, making the journey overland, and cooking and camping on the way at nightfall. lle settled seven miles south of Jerseyville, where he bought land that was partly timber and partly prairie, and a comfortable log house on the place was used as a residence by the family.

Mr. Lamb farmed and lived on his homestead until his career was closed by death. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Noble. She was born in Mississippi, and was a daughter of Henry and Mary (Swaysee) Noble, and died on the old home- stead near Jerseyville. Mrs. Sloman resided with her mother until her marriage, and was carefully taught all household duties, and being adept in spinning and weaving, as while the family lived in Mississippi the mother carded, spun and wove all the cloth with which she made the clothes for her children. Mr. and Mrs. Sloman have two children. Addie and Emma. The former married Frederick Jeary, and they live on the home farm. They have six children, whose names are Myrtle, John, Emma, Abbie, Bessie, and Virgil. Our subject's daughter, Emma, married Samuel Ball, of Honey Point Township, and they have two children, Ethel and Ollie.

Mr. Sloman is a self-made man, and by years of activity and well directed labor has placed himself

in possession of a goodly property, and is well for- tified against want. He is of a sturdy, self-respect- ing character that commands respect from others in turn, and both he and his good wife are held in high estimation by all who know them. A man of strong opinions, on no question are his views more pronounced than on polities and we find him giv- ing hearty support to the Republican party. Mrs. Mrs. Stoman, who is a sincere Christian, is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In connection with this biographical sketch the reader will find a portrait of Mr. Sloman.

B ERNHARD LORENZ is a prosperous merchant of Carlinville, where he is en- gaged in the sale of harness, having a hand- somely fitted up store, in which he carries a complete stock. He was born in the city of Holstein, Germany, April 1, 1825. His father who bore the same name as himself, was also a na- tive of that eity and spent his entire life in the German Fatherland. When he was young he learned the trades of a tanner and a shoemaker and operated a tannery and manufactured shoes as long as he continued in active business. He was tlie father of nine children, six of whom came to Amer- ica, and these are the names of his offspring: An- nie, Margaret, Bernhard, John, Peter W., Lucy, Jacob, Catarina, Erich.

Our subject's education commenced at the age of six years and he attended school regularly un- til he was fourteen years old. Ile was reared in the faith of the Lutheran Church and at that age he was confirmed. For two years after leaving school he assisted his father and then began to learn the trade of a harness-maker. During his ap- prenticeship of four years he received only his board, while his father clothed him. At the expir- ation of that time he did journey work in different cities, as was the custom for apprentices in Ger- many.

In 1851 he determined to emigrate to the United States of America, where he shrewdly thought that life held for him better prospects than in the old

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country, and on the 19th of March he set out on a steamer from Hamburg for Liverpool, England, where he boarded a sailing vessel bound for New York. He arrived at that great metropolis April 19, a stranger in a strange land, encumbered with an indebtedness of $68. Not a whit discouraged by those unfavorable circumstances, he made his way to New Jersey and found work at his trade at Millstone and Newark. Later in the same year he went to St. Louis, but when he arrived there he was out of money, and as he could find no employment in that city he drifted to Upper Alton and the en- suing three months worked for Dr. Humbert, now deceased. After that he went back to St. Lonis and obtained work at his trade, and as soon as he had made a sufficient sum of money he honorably dis- charged his indebtedness that he had contracted in the old country.

Our subject remained in St. Louis five years, and then with the earnings that he had carefully saved and which amounted to a goodty sum, he came to Carlinville, in 1857, and opened a shop in a small frame building and put in about $450 worth of har- ness. He was a hard worker, attended faithfully to his business and in time he built up a good trade. He added to his stock from time to time and at length had to seek more commodious quarters, with the result that in 1885 he erected the brick build- ing that lie now occupies. It is 80x28 feet in di- mensions and is two stories in height, the upper part being neatly fitted up for a tenement. His store is well arranged and finely appointed and he carries a full line of harness valued at upward of *2,000.

Mr. Lorenz was first married to Mary Zapf, in 1854. She was born in Bavaria and came to this country when a young lady. She died in 1882, after a marriage of twenty-eight years, in which she had been a true wife to her husband and a ten- der mother to their children, of whom they had four, as follows: Annie, wife of William Groda- fent; Ida, Henry and Amanda. Mr. Lorenz was married to his present estimable wife in 1883. Her name prior to marriage was Theresa Wittl and she was a Bavarian by birth.

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Portrait and biographical record of Macoupin County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States, Part 47

Author: Biographical Publishing Company Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 920

Author: Biographical Publishing Company
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 920