Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 22

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952

USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 22

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Mr. White and his son are specialists and experts in the livestock business. Calvin H. White is a native of Adams County, and is a member of the well known White family of Honey Creek Township, in which locality he was born July 16, 1851, son of John A. and Elizabeth (White) White. His father was a native of Alabama and his mother of Tennessee. John A. White came to Adams County in 1833, and grew up and married here.

Calvin H. White remained at home to the age of twenty-one and then started his independent career as a farmer by renting an adjoining farm for eighteen years. He then bought ninety acres a mile and a half northwest of Mendon, paying $6,500, and after holding it twelve years sold for $11,000. Ten years ago he bonght his present place, the former owner having been Samuel Chitten- den. This land cost him $100 an aere, and Mr. White has invested about $4,000 in buildings, including a new home, his son occupying the old house on the place.

Glendale is especially well known for its Shorthorn eattle and its Poland China hogs. The head of his eattle is one of the prize bulls from the MeDermott herd of Cahoka, Missouri. A half-brother of the bull on the Glendale Farm brought $2,000, while another of the same stock sold for $3,000. Mr. White's bull, a fine roan, weighed 1,300 pounds when one year old. He has twenty head in his herd. Mr. White is a director of the Farmers State Bank at Mendon.

At the age of twenty-one he married Martha J. Hunter, a neighbor girl, daughter of Hugh and Jane (Edmonds) Hunter, both of whom are now de- eeased. Her father was born in Scotland and her mother in Wales, and they were married in Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. White have two children : Isadore and Richard H. Isadore is the wife of Charles Evans, who lives on an adjoining farın, and they have a ehild, Alta. Richard H., who is his father's partner, lives on the Glendale Farm and though a young man is quoted as an authority on many branches of the livestock business. He married Ada Chittenden, daughter of Harry Chittenden of this county. They have one daughter, IIazel. . Mr. C. H. White has never sought any office, though he has served as a school board member and road commissioner. He is a republican voter and a member of the Congregational Chureh.

FRANK H. BREDEWEG. In the history of the German element in Adams County as written by Mr. Bornmann on other pages, one of the families eredited to the year 1842 is the Bredeweg. Thus for more than three quarters of a eentury the people of this name have been identified in many worthy and useful ways with the locality, and their interests and associations have been concerned with the most substantial affairs of the community.

A representative of the family who is a native son of Adams County is Frank H. Bredeweg, probably one of the most snecessful and prosperous farmers in the immediate vieinity of Quiney. Mr. Bredeweg was born here February 25, 1853. He is the oldest of the seven children, two sons and five daughters, born to Garrett H. and Hannah Wilhelmina (Stiekhorst) Bredeweg. Garrett Brede- weg, though born in Germany, was reared in Ilolland, and as a young man eame to the United States in 1842. He arrived in Adams County with only $7 in cash. Though his name afterwards became synonymous with large landed possessions and business influenee, he started his career here as a wage earner at $7 a month. Ile worked in Melrose Township and the first land he bought was sixty acres in Riverside Township. That land was in section 26. IIe had

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to go in debt to make the purchase and rigid economy and thrift were necessary to relieve himself of his financial obligations. Gradually he added other posses- sions until he owned about 750 acres in Adams County. He was one of the prominent and successful men of his time. Honor and business affairs was a cardinal point of his character. He had his home in section 26 from 1848 to 1878 and was successfully engaged in general farming and dairying. A repub- lican voter. he never sought official honors and gave his undivided time to his business affairs. However, he was very liberal in support of church and its various causes, and was one of the large contributors to the erection of Salem Church at Quiney. The death of this honored Adams County pioneer occurred in March, 1893.

His wife, Hannah Wilhelmina Stickhorst, was born in Germany, and was a small girl when her parents came to the United States. The voyage was made in a sailing vessel lasting a number of weeks. She distinguished herself as a splendid housewife and mother, and was equally liberal and ardent with her husband in upbuilding the forces of religion in her community. One form in which her liberality took expression was in generous support of the Young Men's Christian Association at Quiney. In the building of that institution her portrait hangs as the tribute to her liberal benefactions. Her death oeeurred in Los Angeles, California, January 1, 1900, but her remains were returned to Illinois and now rests beside those of her husband in Woodland Cemetery. Of their family of children six are living, and all reside in Adams County except Anna, wife of Fred Schulte, formerly a merchant but now retired.

Frank II. Bredeweg grew up in the home of his parents and was early trained to agricultural and dairy operations. His has been a most busy and successful career and for forty years he has assumed his share of responsibilities both in the business and eivie life of his community.

On January 15, 1878, at the age of twenty-five, he married Miss Emelia KIusemeyer. Mrs. Bredeweg was born in Quiney March 12, 1857, daughter of August and Anna ( Ausmeyer) Klusemeyer. A page is devoted to the KInsemeyers in other parts of this work, but it is appropriate here to introduce a brief obituary which appeared in the local papers regarding the death of Mr. Klusemeyer.

"August Klusemeyer of 724 S. 13th Street passed away at 7:15 o'clock at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Minnie Viehmeyer. He had been ailing for some time with diseases incidental to okdl age to which he finally succumbed at the age of eighty-three years, three months and thirteen days.

"Mr. Khusemeyer was born in Herfurt, Westphalia, Germany, March 12, 1825, and died in 1908. He learned the trade of shoemaker in his native prov- ince. At the age of thirty-one years he came to this country, in a strange land among strange people and language and a man honest in character, industrious, but poor in capital. He came direct to Quiney November 8, 1856, since which time he made his home, a period of fifty-two years, more than a half century. He was known as a good citizen, honest and law abiding, and he commanded the respect of all who knew him. He was for many years in the shoe business at 813 Payson avenue, Quincy, retiring from business in the year 1893. In 1888 his good wife died and since that time he made his home with his daugh- ter Mrs. Viehmeyer. Mr. Klusemeyer was a member of the Salem church ever since he came to Quiney. He is survived by one son, three daughters, twenty- three grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren, and one brother, Fred- eriek, of Melrose township. The children are Henry Klusemeyer, Mrs. Bert Wessell and Mrs. Minnie Viehmeyer, all of Quiney, and Mrs. Frank Bredeweg of North 5th Street in Riverside township. The funeral occurred at the resi- denee of Mrs. Viehmeyer, with services at Salem church and interment at Woodland cemetery."

Mrs. Bredeweg was reared and educated in her home county. She is a woman of splendid ability, demonstrated both in the management of her home affairs and the rearing of her children as also in the assistance she has given

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Mr. Bredeweg in the larger interests of their life. They have every reason to be happy and proud of their family, consisting of a son and a daughter. The daughter, Dollie M., was educated in the Quincy High School and also had musical training, and is now the wife of John B. Keith, of Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Keith is in the service of the Government, one of the trusted employes at the Rock Island Arsenal. The son, Harry A., is a graduate of the Quincy High School and the Gem City Business College and is a young man of great ambition and has made good in all his work. For five years he was located at Pittsburg with the Pittsburg Supply Company and is now a resident of Detroit with the Wagner Baking Company. He is a republican in politics.

Mrs. Bredeweg is a member of the Salem Lutheran Church and has been aetive in its various organizations. Mr. and Mrs. Bredeweg have one of the most beautiful estates around Quincy. It is located on North Fifth Street, only three blocks from the city limits. The home is the equal of many of the best in the city, having furnace heat, electric light, rural mail delivery and every other modern convenience.

The Bredeweg farm consists of 200 acres in Riverside Township. All the buildings are modern and thoroughly well arranged for stock raising and farm- ing. Mr. Bredeweg in addition to farming is a general building contraetor and for a number of years has been one of the busiest men in his township. He has given mueh time to publie affairs, having served as township supervisor eight years and also as road commissioner. In politics he is a republiean, casting his first presidential ballot for Hayes. He has done some reclamation work. and a dam or levce thirty-eight feet high in one place has been constructed and reclaims 100 acres of bottom land on his farm. Mr. and Mrs. Bredeweg have used their ample means to benefit themselves and others. One of their inter- esting excursions from home was made in 1906, when they toured the Far West. Among the points of interest they visited were Mount Shasta, San Francisco, San Jose, Monterey, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Barbara, including a visit to the Mexican border. They went west by way of the Union Pacific and returned by the Southern Pacific route.

FRED C. TURNER. The carcer of the agriculturist has brought Fred C. Turner many pleasant and profitable experienees, and it is principally through that vocation that he has made his mark as a citizen of Mendon Township. Mr. Turner owns one of the excellent farms of that locality, in section 21, two miles cast of Ursa.

The land which he owns and eultivates today has been in the family for many years. He was born there December 2, 1874, a son of Fred C., Sr., and Mary E. (Fletcher) Turner. The Turner family came into Adams County in 1834. One of those who came at that time was Joseph Turner, who was born at Dedham, Massachusetts, June 12, 1799. Aceompanying him to Adams County were his father, Ebenezer, and three brothers, Edward, Ebenezer and Jolm. Joseph Turner located near Wesley Chapel. and late in life retired to Mendon in order to be near the Methodist Church of that town, of which he was a very active member. He died March 16, 1876. at the age of seventy-seven.

Fred C. Turner, Sr., was born in Ursa Township May 17, 1839, and was well educated, completing his carly training in a school at Denmark, Fowa. HIe taught sehool, studied civil engineering, and for a number of years practiced surveying. On December 23, 1869, he married Mary E. Fletcher, who was born on the farm in section 21 of Mendon Township where her son Fred now lives. Her parents were Ephraim and Mary Jane ( MeMurray) Fletcher. Ephraim Fletcher secured his land in Mendon Township from his father and lived there until his death when his daughter Mary was only sixteen years old. Mary E. Fletcher was one of four children. Her brothers died young, and her sister Louisa never married. Mary E. Fletcher was only eighteen when she married Mr. Turner. After their marriage at Galesburg they returned to the Fletcher farm of eighty-five acres, and Fred C. Turner handled that property with great

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skill and thrift, and subsequently bought 122 aeres, combining it with the Fletcher land. Ephraim Fletcher had built a barn on this land about seventy years ago, hewing out the timbers by hand. In 1855 he had remodeled his home to an eight room dwelling, which was considered one of the best houses of the kind in the township. Mrs. Mary E. Turner's mother died at the age of seventy- five. Mary E. Turner spent the last thirteen years of her life at Galesburg and Quincy, and died in March, 1917, at the age of sixty-nine. Of her eight children seven came to maturity : John F., who is an engineer with the Atlantic Coast Line at Lakeland, Florida; Joseph, an engineer with the Wabash Railway, with headquarters at Brunswick, Missouri; Fred C., Jr .; Herbert, who has spent his life as a farmer; Mary F., wife of Charles Higgins, a chemist living in Chi- cago ; Everett, a business man of Galesburg; Enoch, who died in infancy ; Louise, wife of Theodore F. Awerkamp, a paying teller with the Rieker National Bank of Quiney.

Fred C. Turner lived at home with his parents to the age of twenty-one, when he married Miss Alice McVay, who was then eighteen years old. After their marriage they farmed the old Fletcher place, renting it for a time, and finally bought the entire property, comprising 205 acres. This is the farm where Mr. Turner has done so well and prospered as an agriculturist and stock man. It has been his custom for several years to sell about two carloads of hogs annually. He is a republican, is a member of the Congregational Church at Mendon, and his father was an active Mason. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have three children, all at home : Vera E., who graduated from high school with the class of 1916, spent two years in Knox College at Galesburg and is now a teacher in Adams County; Ferol Carrol, who graduated from high school in 1918 is now attending Knox College; and Fred Paul.

JOHN H. TENK was one of the good and solid citizens of Quiney, was known as honest and truthful John Tenk, was connected with the mechanical trades for a number of years, and at his death on October 14, 1911, left not only a legacy of material good but the reputation and honor of a worthy life and character.

He was born in Westphalia, Germany, January 12, 1855, and came of an old German family. His parents were Herman and Catherine E. (Buck) Tenk, who spent all their lives in .Westphalia as farmers. They were Catholics in religion. They had a number of children, and most of them lived and died in the old country. John H. Tenk had two sisters, Elizabeth and Christina, who came to the United States. Christina was the first to come. She located at Quincy. Elizabeth married Henry Brasing, and they lived in Quiney, where he died at the age of seventy and she about fifty-five. Henry Brasing was a brick mason. They left sons and daughters. Christina Tenk married Herman Terstrip, and she died in 1909, when past fifty years of age, while her husband is still living.

John H. Tenk grew up in his native province, was educated there, and in 1875 came to the United States to join his sister in Quincy. Here he learned the trade of plasterer and mason and eventually became a master mason. He was employed to do the plastering work on some of the best homes and public buildings, including churches and schools, at Quiney. His partner in the plas- tering contract work was Josiah J. Perry. Later he had as partner Frank Hilbing, his brother-in-law. Mr. Tenk about six years before his death retired and spent his last years in comfort at his home at 1328 North Ninth Street, where the family have lived for forty years. He had accumulated much property and at the time of his death owned ten houses and also a small farm of ten acres in Riverside Township. This property has been carefully conserved by his widow and children since his death. Mr. Tenk was a democratic voter.

At St. Francis Church in Quincy February 26, 1878, he married Miss Elizabeth Hilhing. Mrs. Tenk still occupies the old home on North Ninth Street. She was born in Quincy December 11, 1854, and was educated here in the St. Francis parochial schools. Her parents were Anthony and Catherine

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(Hestling) Hilbing, both natives of Westphalia. They crossed the ocean to the United States on the same sailing vessel, making the voyage in nine weeks, landed at Baltimore, and eame west to Quincy, where they were married in St. Boniface Church. Mr. Hilbing was a cooper by trade and followed that voeation until he retired. He was retired about ten years and died at his home 524 North Eleventh Street, July 31, 1897, at the age of seventy-one. Ilis widow passed away June 16, 1917, at the age of eighty-five. They were members of St. Boniface Catholic Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Tenk had the following children : John H., Jr., died January 8, 1900, at the age of twenty-one; Henry died at the age of three months; Frank, born April 9, 1881, lives on the Riverside Township farm of his father. He married Gertrude Yeargensmeyer, and their children are Henry, John, Raymond and Dorothy, the two older now in school. Catherine Tenk was educated in St. John's parochial schools, and is now the wife of William Stein- kamp. Mr. Steinkamp was born in Quincy, was educated in the St. Boniface parochial schools, and is a harness maker by trade. They have two children, E. Deloris, and Olivia M. The next two children, Edith and Edward Tenk, both died at the age of three months. Addie J. is the wife of Frank Pfieffer, a gardener in Riverside Township. They had two children, Frank, who died in infancy, and Virgil F., born in 1916. Edward, the youngest child of the family, is the soldier representative. He is a boilermaker by trade, and is now serving in Company B of the Nineteenth Engineer Corps in France. All the family are members of St. John's Parish.

JOHN A. DICKHUT. At different points in these pages references have been made to the sterling activities and character of various members of the Diekhut family. One of them was the late John A. Diekhut, whose life requires some particular attention at this point.

He was born at Quincy January 20, 1850, and died July 12, 1912. His father was John Andrew Adolph Diekhut, who was born in Germany in 1823 and died in this county February 22, 1899, having spent more than half a cen- tury as a farmer in Adams County. He was twice married and John A. Dickhut was the oldest child of his first wife.

John A. Dickhut grew to manhood in Gilmer Township, and on February 8, 1877, married Eleanor S. Booth. She is a daughter of Stephen and Lavinia (Gray) Booth. Her mother was a sister of Richard Gray and an aunt of Will Gray of Coatsburg. Stephen Booth was born in England December 7, 1815, and in 1828 came with his parents to America and in 1833 settled in Adams County. He was one of the pioneer farmers in the vicinity of Coatsburg, and some of the land he had there is still owned by members of the Gray family. Mrs. Diekhut's parents were married January 13, 1837. Their four daugliters were: Mary Ann, widow of Chapman Wilson, of Minnesota; Charlotte, who married Richard Colburn and died at the age of seventy-seven : Louise, who died at the age of thirty-three, wife of Thomas Powell; and Eleanor S.

In 1842 Stephen Booth became identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church and was one of its stanchest supporters the rest of his life. He died at the age of sixty-eight. His widow survived and died at the home of Mrs. Diek- hut aged eighty-five.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. John A. Dickhut farmed on rented land, at the end of which time they bought the old Booth place of her father, and they lived there, giving Mrs. Diekhut's mother a home in old age and bringing up their own children. John A. Diekhut greatly prospered in all his under- takings, owned a fine farm of 300 acres, and also land elsewhere. While his energies were devoted to farming, he served as tax collector and school director, and was always a man of public spirit and willing to support all local enter- prises.

Mr. and Mrs. Dickhut had a family of six children. Mrs. Diekhut remained on the old homestead until 1918, when she occupied a tastefully built and eon-

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venient bungalow at Paloma. Her oldest child, Nettie May, is the wife of Charles C. Lawless, at Paloma. Her daughter Blanche is Mrs. Henry Ogle, of Gilmer Township. Florence, the third child, lives with her mother and is the widow of Leon Sivertson. Leon Sivertson was born October 23, 1882, and died December 31, 1910, at the age of twenty-eight. His parents were William F. and Laura H. (White) Sivertson, and this is a well known old family in the vicinity of Paloma. Leon Sivertson and Florence Dickhut were married Novem- ber 24, 1909, and their only son, Donald Frederick, was born September 28, 1910.

Oliver P. Dickhut, the oldest son of Mrs. Dickhut, has special mention on other pages. Roscoe Lee Diekhut is the other son and occupies the homestead. Hazel is living with her mother.

Roscoe Lee Dickhut was born on the old farm where he now resides October 31, 1887, and has spent his life so far in that one locality. He was well educated, and on December 12, 1917, at the age of thirty, married Miss Ruby Sivertson of Paloma daughter of Ed Sivertson. Roscoe L. Dickhut has had the practical management of the homestead for a number of years, practically ever since his father's death and even prior to that time. This gives him a large amount of land and responsibilities in proportion, but he has shown an ability to make the most out of his opportunities and is one of the productive and resourceful farmers of the county.

WILLIAM WEWERS. A man of pronounced business ability, judgment and foresight, the late William Wewers was a conspicuous factor in the upbuilding of the industrial interests of Quincy, for upwards of a quarter of a century having been officially connected with the Gem City Stove Works, and the moving spirit in making it one of the important and prosperous manufacturing concerns of the city. Born in Quincy July 15, 1851, he was not only a fine representative of the native-born citizens of Adams County, but of the self-made men of his generation, his success in life having been the result of his own un- aided efforts.

His father, Bernard Wewers, was born and bred in Germany. Coming as a young man to America, he made his way to Illinois, locating in Quincy. Learn- ing the trade of mason and bricklayer, he became an expert concrete worker, and in that capacity laid much of the good concrete pavement in the city. He married Adelaide Moeller, who was also of German birth, and they reared three children, as follows: William, the subject of this sketch; Anna, wife of Henry Lechtenberg, of Quincy; and Bernard, also of Quincy.

Acquiring his preliminary education in the Saint Boniface parochial school, William Wewers subsequently continued his studies at the night schools of the city. Beginning life for himself when quite young, he learned the sadler's trade, but never followed it to any extent. When twenty-one years of age he established a chair factory on Eleventh Street, between Jersey and York streets, and ran it about four years, when he sold out. Then, in company with August Vanden Boom and Joseph Wewers, Mr. Wewers was for six years engaged in the milling business, having a plant at the corner of Second and Spring streets. Mr. Wewers, disposing of his interest in the mill, then accepted the position of manager of the Gem City Stove Works, of which he was afterwards the president, having been officially connected with the concern for twenty-eight years prior to his death, which occurred May 9, 1912.

Mr. Wewers married May 8, 1879, Mary Lechtenberg, and of their union four children were born, namely : Adelaide, deceased ; Stevens, deceased ; Bertha. wife of Henry J. Rupp; and Albert, deceased. Mrs. Wewers, a most estimable and highly esteemed woman, built in September, 1914, a beautiful home at 1270 Park Place, and there entertains her friends with a generous hospitality.

Politically Mr. Wewers was independent, voting with the courage of his con- victions, regardless of party restrictions. Religiously he was a member of Saint

Win WEwere

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Francis Catholic Church, and fraternally he belonged to the Knights of Colum- bus and to the Western Catholic Union.

MCMULLEN BROTHERS. One of the biggest farms and stock enterprises in Adams County is carried on under the business name of MeMullen Brothers, George E. and Arthur R. MeMullen, their extensive barns, fields, feed lots and business headquarters being located in Keene Township, six miles east of Mendon.

Their father, the late Andrew P. MeMullen, was one of the stalwart and beloved citizens of Adams County, a man who was a producer and made much of life from limited opportunities. IIe was born in Ireland, son of an Irish blacksmith. He learned to handle the implements in his father's shop when most boys are not yet going to school, and he sometimes was set to work making nails by his blacksmith father. At the age of seven years an uncle paid his passage to America, and on reaching Philadelphia he was turned loose and had to depend entirely on his own resources. He helped sort coal, and then served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade. For twenty-two years he was em- ployed chiefly in shoeing omnibus horses in Philadelphia. At Philadelphia he married Elizabeth Jane Dougherty, a sister of Theodore Dougherty, elsewhere referred to in these pages. While they lived in Philadelphia three children were born : William, who died at the age of twenty-one; Mathew, who for twenty- five years was a street railway employe in Chicago and died in 1911, while on his way home from his father's funeral ; and Mamie, wife of William O. Gorby, near Bowen in Hancock County.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 22

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 952

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952