USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 25
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 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124
STEPHEN DOUGLAS SHIPE. The Shipes are one of the oldest and best known families in Lima Township, where they have lived sinec pioneer times. Forty years ago there were some four or five different families of Shipes located on farms around Lima, and the name is still prominently represented in that eom- munity by Stephen Douglas Shipe, whose home is 11% miles north of Lima on the Hancock County line.
In 1858 Illinois and the nation was aroused over the unique series of debates carried on by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, debates which made these two figures the foremost personalities in the nation. Daniel Shipe was an ardent admirer of the "little giant"' and consequently when a son was born into his household on the 23d of September he gave him the name Stephen Douglas. Stephen Douglas Shipe was born in the house that he still occupies as a home. It is one of the oldest homes in that part of the county and has been standing for fully sixty years.
His father, Daniel Shipe, was born in Pennsylvania in 1819. The grand- father when about eighty years of age eame to Adams County and settled in Ursa Township. A member of the second generation of the family was William Shipe, known as Unele Billie, who lived in Haneoek County until his death in October, 1918, at eighty-seven years of age. Daniel Shipe bought a home- stead north of Lima from Lafayette Frazer, and it was in 1857 that he built the house in which Stephen Douglas Shipe was born and now lives. Daniel Shipe went to California in the gold excitement and gained his start by his operations as a miner in the West. He lived to be more than sixty years of age, and his widow died when past eighty. One of their sons died in child- hood, and there were two children who reached maturity, Amelia, who lives in Lima, widow of John O. Perry, and Stephen Douglas.
Stephen D. Shipe as the only surviving son remained with his mother on the home farm, and as his growing strength permitted aided her in the heavy task
884
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
of handling the farm as well as managing the household. Mr. Shipe married in 1880 Miss Clara Barton, of Lima, and after his marriage took over the farm and has since conducted it independently for over thirty years. Forty acres of the old homestead went to his sister, but he now has eighty-two acres of that tract and also fifty-five acres of timber land. Mr. Shipe has erected all the buildings and placed the other permanent improvements on the farm except the house. He is engaged in general farming, and for eight or ten years has been a cattle feeder and buys a number of cattle and hogs every year. He has never sought notice in public affairs and is a member of no society or church. He and his wife had five children. William Alfred is a farmer near the old home and married Edith Crow; Bertha Viola is the wife of James Marsh, a Lima Township farmer; Lenora Ellen lives with her father and is the widow of George Woodworth. Mrs. Woodworth has two children, Elmer Douglas and Mary Ellen, who was born after the death of her father, who died from blood poisoning when not yet thirty years of age. The other two children of Mr. and Mrs. Shipe are Amelia Frances, who died at the age of sixteen, and Mary May, who married Paul Brickman, who died September 20, 1918, leaving one daughter, Wilma Eugene. Mrs. Brickman makes her home with her parents.
PATRICK W. REARDON is one of the best known public officials of Quincy and has been active in politics and affairs for a number of years. He is now serving his second term as police magistrate of Quincy, having been first elected in 1911 and again in 1915.
Mr. Reardon was born in Quincy January 29, 1871. His boyhood education was acquired in the parochial schools. He has always manifested a commendable degree of public spirit and has been associated with men who earned their livings by definite and positive service. As a young man he worked for some time as a freight car checker with the Burlington Railroad. At the same time, realizing some deficiencies in his education, he attended night school and thus prepared himself for larger responsibilities. For about five years he also worked as a freight checker in the local offices of the O. K. Railway. Mr. Reardon in 1895 became a patrolman on the Quincy police force and ten years later was taken from the police department and made clerk of the Police Court, where he served six years, until his first election as police magistrate. Judge Reardon has been one of the local leaders in the democratic party of Quiney for a number of years.
He is of Irish parentage, a son of Michael and Amelia (Burns) Reardon, both natives of County Limerick. His father came when a young man to New York City. The girl he had grown up with and pledged his troth to in Ireland followed him somewhat later and they married in New York City and imme- diately after their wedding came west to Quincy, where they spent the rest of their days. They now rest side by side in St. Peter's cemetery. The father died at the age of sixty-six and the mother at seventy-four. Both were active members of St. Rose Catholic Church. Of their children, Thomas J. was a rail- way conductor for many years and died in 1905, leaving a widow, who is also deceased. James A., who died May 7, 1918, at St. Louis, was a prominent manufacturer and business man of that city, and had extensive interests in Old Mexico. He left a widow and three sons and one daughter. One son is Lieut. Ambrose Reardon in the Aviation Corps. John E. lives at St. Louis and is superintendent of the Reardon Manufacturing Company, of which his brother was the founder. John has seven children, and two of them are repre- senting the family in the American army. Walter is in a branch of the service concerned with high explosives, while Lawrence is an enlisted man. Michael J. Lives in Kansas City and is assistant yardmaster of the Missouri Pacific Rail- way, is married and has a son and four daughters.
Patrick W. Reardon, the youngest of the family, married Catherine E. Daniels, who represents one of the oldest families of Adams County. She was reared and educated in the country districts. They have two children,
885
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
Catherine A., born August 27, 1907, and John, born Mareh 2, 1910. The family are members of St. Rose Catholic Church and Judge Reardon is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Western Catholic Union, the Woodmen of the World, and for two years, 1916-17, served as president of the local branch of the Eagles.
GROVER C. MILLER. For over eighty years the Miller family stood second to none among the business, social and civie leaders of Ursa Township. Repre- senting the third generation of the family, Grover C. Miller has applied him- self successfully to railroading and telegraphy, but is now well established as a general merchant at Mareelline and does a flourishing trade over the sur- rounding territory.
He was born at Mareelline December 18, 1884. He is a grandson of Uriah K. Miller, one of the honored pioneers of Ursa Township. Uriah K. Miller was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, December 16, 1825, and died Novem- ber 27, 1899. He was brought to Adams County in 1833 when eight years of age, grew up on the frontier, and was a successful farmer and a highly ener- getie eitizen. He acquired 320 aeres of land in seetion 36 of Ursa Township and did mueh to improve that during his active career. In the time of the Civil war he enlisted in Company B of the Seventy-eighth Illinois Infantry, and saw active service for 21% years. He was a demoerat in polities and a member of the Christian Church. In 1846 he married Miss Elizabeth Jane Groves, who was born in Wabash County, Illinois, May 17, 1830, and died May 11, 1916, when nearly eighty-six years of age. They had three children: John W., Daniel B. and Martha A. The old homestead of Uriah K. Miller, a half mile south and 11% miles west of Marcelline, is now oeeupied by his son Daniel B. Another well known member of the family was William E. Miller, brother of Uriah K., whose home farm was also in section 36 of Ursa Township.
John W. Miller, father of Grover C., was born November 13, 1850, and died October 20, 1914. He spent his aetive career as a farmer near the old home- stead, but was chiefly known through his extensive activities as a eattle bnyer and cattle drover. He was one of the largest buyers operating at the Quiney markets. He also served as highway commissioner and levee commissioner and was an active democrat. He married Martha Virginia Rockwell, who was born December 23, 1858, and is still living at Lima. They were the parents of the following children : Arthur, who lives on the home farm; Lillie, who was born January 24, 1880, married Bert Miller and died February 24, 1906, at the age of twenty-six; Lottie, twin sister of Lillie, became the wife of Arthur Adair, who is now serving in the United States army; Minnie, who died after her marriage to William Ament; Grover C .; and Elizabeth, wife of William Har- ness, of Lima.
Grover C. Miller was born at Marcelline December 18, 1884, and was named in honor of Grover Cleveland, who had been elected president only a few weeks before his birth. He lived at home until twenty, and secured his education partly in the grammar school and the high school at Qniney, and was also two years in the National Business College. He perfected himself in telegraphy and did his first practieal work as an operator at West Quiney. He also spent six months in California as a warehouseman with the Southern Paeifie Com- pany, and for six months was an operator with the Butte County Railroad, for 11% years was operator and eashier in the offiees at Chico and Marysville, California, with the Northern Electrie Company, and then resumed employ- ment with the Butte County Railroad for three years as agent at Paradise, California.
Returning East, he became a relief operator with the Burlington Railway for six months, and at one time was towerman in the Interlocking plant near Keokuk. On giving up railroading Mr. Miller returned to Adams County and for two years was identified with the restaurant and general store business at Lima. He then came to Marcelline and succeeded J. B. Taylor as general mer-
886
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
chant. This business is one of the oldest in that village, having been estab- lished about 1885 by George H. Walker, who built the store building now used. Several years later he sold out to Jasper and James McAdams, who in turn sold to U. K. Miller, a grandson of Uriah K. Miller, Sr. Other successive owners were William Worley, Bert Miller, John Gerard, Ed Ensminger, James Ingham, Elmer Andrews, and Ed Osgood, who were succeeded by Mr. J. B. Taylor and from him Mr. Miller bought the establishment in 1915. He now gives all his time to his store and enjoys the confidence and patronage of one of the most prosperous farming communities in the county.
Mr. Miller is an independent democrat in politics. At the age of twenty- one he married Miss Leah Laughlin, daughter of D. C. and Melissa (Shep- herd) Laughlin, of Mendon Township. They have a family of two children. Gerald Edwin and Bruce Russell. The family are members of the Christian Church of Marcelline, and Mr. Miller is also affiliated with the local lodge of Masons.
NIKLAUS KOHL. Possessing rare business ability and judgment, with a capacity for affairs of magnitude, Niklaus Kohl holds a place of importance among the merchants of Adams County and has also the distinction of being the pioneer wholesale grocer of Quincy. He was born March 19, 1836, in the southern part of Germany, where he grew to man's estate. He is a son of the late John and Margaret (Schaeffer) Kohl, natives of Germany, who were the parents of nine children, as follows: Lawrence; Leonard; John; Phillip and Lawrence, all deceased; Niklaus, the subject of this sketch; Margaret; Adam; and Peter.
Having acquired a practical education Niklaus Kohl was variously employed for a few years. Not content with his limited opportunities for there obtaining a livelihood, he immigrated to the United States in 1857, coming directly to Quiney, where he hoped to find work. He was poor in pocket but rich in energy and ambition, and for a few years toiled industriously at whatever he could find to do. In 1860, or thercabout, he secured a position with James T. Baker, a prominent grocer, with whom he remained seven years, when his employer sold out. Mr. Kohl then entered the wholesale grocery house of Austin & Company, which subsequently became Austin & Manson. Industrious and intelligently interested in his work, he soon became familiar with the details of the business, and when the junior member of the firm was ready to retire Mr. Kohl purchased his share, and the firm name was changed to Anstin & Kohl. Mr. Austin retiring in July, 1896, Mr. Kohl organized the N. Kohl Grocer Company, of which he has since been president, while his son Adam, who is now dead, was vice presi- dent and his son George cashier: Edward is also a member of the firm and a grandson. Mathew J., is secretary of the wholesale grocery company.
Soon after its organization, this enterprising firm bought on Fourth Street, between Hampshire and Vermont streets, the large building it now occupies, and having entirely remodeled it has now one of the most conveniently and neatly arranged and best stocked wholesale grocery establishments in the Cen- tral West.
Mr. Kohl has been three times married. He married first Katherine Eva Kunkle, a native of Germany. She died at a comparatively early age, her death occurring in May, 1881. Children were born of their union as follows: George, of Quincy ; Adam, deceased ; Maria K., deceased ; Eva E., deceased : Edward, of Quiney ; and Maria, Nicholas A., Anna, Nicholas, Theresa, and Mary, all deceased, and Emma who is living. The maiden name of his second wife was Aggie Webber. Mr. Kohl married for his third wife Mrs. Mary ( Wielager) Fischer, who was born in Hanover, Germany. She was the widow of John C. Fischer, who died November 1, 1887. By her first marriage Mrs. Kohl was the mother of eight children, namely : Otelia, wife of Theodore Ehaart, of Quincy ; Martha, wife of Otto Duker; John J. Fischer; Rose Henrietta, wife of Fred Romony, of Saint Paul, Minnesota ; Joseph W .; William D., deceased ; Frank H.,
Nikolaus Kohl Mers. Mary A, Kohl
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
887
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
of Quincy; and Elizabeth A., deceased. Politically Mr. Kohl is a steadfast democrat. He is a member of the Western Catholic Union, and of Saint Boni- face Church, as is also his wife.
MAURICE E. VASEN. The name Vasen has been an honored one in the busi- ness and financial history of Quiney for half a century. The special genius of the family seems to have exemplified itself in the organization and adminis- tration of co-operative financial affairs. More than anything else the name is associated with building and loan associations, and in that field of finance doubtless there was not a more accomplished student and authority in the Middle West than the late Benjamin G. Vasen, many of whose interests and activities are carried on today in Quincy by his son Maurice E. Vasen.
Benjamin G. Vasen was born in Philadelphia July 2, 1857, and became a resident of Quiney when his parents located there ten years later. His public schooling was supplemented by a thorough course in bookkeeping and mathe- matics at a commercial college. His business experience began very early when at the age of thirteen he went to work for the firm of Hirsch & Vasen. For a time he was bookkeeper and cashier in the branch house of J. Jonas & Company at St. Joseph, Missouri.
On returning to Quincy in January, 1875, though then only cighteen years of age, he was put in charge of the Building Association and Loan Department of the firm of Morton & Nichols. He soon became an expert in this branch of the business and became independently established in the insurance, real estate and loan business in 1881.
In November, 1883, he organized and became the first secretary of the People's Savings Loan & Building Association, and in December, 1885, was elected secretary of the Quiney Building & Homestead Association. Those executive offices he continued to hold up to the time of his death on December 2, 1916. In January, 1875, he had become assistant secretary of the Quincy Building & Homestead Association. Of this business he made a close study and his interest and enthusiasm, combined with rare natural gift, served to make him widely accepted as an authority. Shortly before his death it was stated that he had handled over $5,000,000 for the two associations of which he was secretary, without a single loss. Among his other qualifications he was an expert accountant. Outside of Quincy Benjamin G. Vasen was probably best known because of his long term, beginning in June, 1890, as secretary of the Building Association League of Illinois. Through that office he became in- strumental in shaping much of the legislation governing building associations in the state. In 1893 he also helped organize the United States League of Local Building and Loan Associations and was its secretary for two years, declining re-election for a third term.
In 1881 Benjamin G. Vasen married Julia Eschner, of Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, who died October 2, 1900, the mother of four children : Freda J., wife of Joseph M. Allen, of Chicago; Maurice E. and George B. of Quincy; and Beulah C., wife of H. Archer Wild, of Chicago.
Maurice E. Vasen was born at Quincy September 21, 1885, graduated from the local high school in 1903, then entered the University of Illinois, where he graduated in the Liberal Arts Department in 1907, and in 1909 was awarded the Master's degree. In the meantime he had entered the Northwestern Uni- versity Law School at Chicago and finished his course in 1909. For four years he remained in Chicago practicing law with the firm Howe, Fordham & Vasen. He then returned to Quincy and practiced law, but since his election as secre- tary of the Quincy Building & Homestead Association and the People's Savings Loan & Building Association he has found his time fully occupied with han- dling the many responsibilities of the association whose combined assets now aggregate almost $1,000,000. He is also secretary of the Building Association League of Illinois, where again he was successor to his father.
Maurice E. Vasen is a former member of the Hamilton Club of Chicago,
888
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
belongs to the Illini Club of Chieago, is affiliated with the Masonie orders, including the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite and the Shrine, with the Elks, with the local Country Club, the' Rotary Club and in polities is a re- publiean.
On November 6, 1913, he was married to Miss Ione Ode Ellis, a resident of Quincy, who has achieved considerable local fame as a vocalist.
EDWARD F. WITTLER, a young, ambitious, progressive farmer of Ellington Township, whose home is in section 4, has already surrounded himself with many of those possessions and comforts which every ambitious man desires. His farm comprises 126 acres. It is well situated and naturally drained, and with excellent improvements. There are good farm buildings. ineluding a barn 36 by 50 feet, and a good ten room house. The land grows splendid erops, corn, wheat and oats, besides a three aere apple orchard and seven aeres in mixed fruits. Most of the revenue from his farm aside from the fruit comes from livestock, and he has good grades of horses, hogs and cattle.
Mr. Wittler has lived on and owned his farm for two years. Prior to that he farmed on the Hulse and other farms in the township.
Mr. Wittler was born in Gilmer Township of this county December 8, 1876. A year after his birth his parents moved to Ellington Township and he grew up there, attending the Washington sehoolhouse. He is a son of William and Flora (Disselhorst) Wittler. His father was born in St. Louis. His mother was born in Hanover and came to America with her father, Henry Dissel- horst, her mother having died in Germany. Her family settled in Adams County, where her father, Henry, lived to a good old age and died at the home of his daughter. William Wittler after his marriage began on a small farm in Ellington Township and by hard work and careful saving made a good home in seetion 9. He became owner of eighty acres, erected some good build- ings and was a man of eonsequence in that community. He died on the old farm December 6, 1912, at the age of sixty-two. His widow is still living there. Both were members of the Evangelical Church and William Wittler filled several minor offiees. In the family were seven children, four sons and three daughters, all of whom are married and all but one live in Adams County.
Edward F. Wittler, the second ehild in the family, married in Gilmer Township November 12, 1902, Miss Emma Haxel. She was born in Adams County May 18, 1886, and received her education in the Mount Pleasant School. Her parents were Henry and Anna (Korves) Haxel, both born in this country but of German parentage. Henry Haxel died in 1887, in the prime of life, leav- ing his widow and two daughters, Mrs. Wittler and Carrie, the latter the wife of Barney Brinkman. Mrs. Haxel subsequently married Joseph Herzog, and she still lives in Adams County. Her two daughters by her second marriage are now married.
Mr. and Mrs. Wittler are the parents of four children: Elmer William J., born November 25, 1904, is in the sixth grade of the common schools; Edward C., born October 4, 1910, is in the third grade ; Virgil H., born March 22, 1914, and Florenee A., born October 19, 1917. The family are members of the Lutheran Church at Fowler, and Mr. Wittler is a democrat.
ALDO SOMMER. Long before his life eame to its peaceful elose in death on Angust 7, 1916, Aldo Sommer had impressed his eharaeter and ability upon the permanent commercial fortunes of Quincy. He was founder of the Aldo Sommer Drug Company, one of the largest wholesale drug houses in the Middle West. The fortunes of this organization are now carried on largely by his family.
It is a business eomprising a large office and store at 213-15 North Third Street. The firm occupies a three-story building and basement 60 by 100 feet, and the firm employs twenty or more persons in the office and store and also have six commercial salesmen covering the states of Illinois and Missouri.
889
QUINCY AND ADAMS COUNTY
More than forty years ago Aldo Sommer engaged in business at Quincy, and with Daniel E. Lynds established a copartnership in 1875. They handled exclusively a wholesale drug business, and they were located on the south half of the present location of the store until a fire destroyed the building in 1894. About that time Mr. Lynds retired and the business was continued as the Aldo Sommer Drug Company and has since been an incorporation. Aldo Sommer was president and treasurer of the company until his death.
He was born December 13, 1830, in Germany, and left his native land and came to America at the age of seventeen. He traveled by sailing vessel and from New York went to Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a few years later to St. Louis, Missouri. He had a training as a druggist and followed his profes- sion throughout his active career. In 1855 he married Matilda Braun. She was of Huguenot French and English parentage. She was born at St. Louis June 10, 1838, and was reared and educated in that city. She is still living in Quincy, and has all her faculties except for her hearing. She reads, knits and does a great deal of Red Cross work. Both she and her lmsband were Protestants in religion. Aldo Sommer was an enthusiastic republican, and at one time was affiliated with the Masonic Order.
In 1870 he and his family went to Europe and lived four years abroad. While in the old country two children were born, Walter and Ella.
In addition to his drug business Aldo Sommer established and operated for a number of years a large nursery at Twenty-fourth and State streets. He was a man of great enterprise and could successfully conduct more than one activity at a time.
He and his wife had five sons and five daughters. One daughter, Alice E., died December 2, 1917. Three sons also died carly: Edwin died in 1861, at the age of three years; Gilbert, in 1883, at the age of eight years; and Aldo, on April 11, 1879, at the age of twenty-two. A brief record of the living children is as follows: Minna is the wife of W. H. Arthur, who was formerly a druggist and is now in the insurance business at St. Louis. They have a son and two daughters. Matilda is the wife of James L. Martin. Mr. Martin was for twenty years representative of the International Harvester Company at Quincy and for the past ten years has been connected with that organization at Chicago. Jennie is the widow of Edwin P. Jaquith, and has two children, Kenneth and Sommer, the former an instructor in the Aviation Corps of the United States Army. Harry B. Sommer was born in Quincy at the home where he now resides with his mother on February 15, 1868, was well educated in this city and in the Christian Brothers School at St. Louis, and for a number of years has been actively identified with the Sommer Drug Company. Ella is the wife of H. L. Beard, who since 1913 has been vice president and treasurer of the Aldo Sommer Drug Company. Mr. Beard was born in St. Louis, and is a public accountant by profession. Mr. Beard's first wife was Mamie Mc- Sweeney, who died sixteen years ago, leaving two daughters, Mrs. J. Arthur Twig and Margaret Mae. Mrs. Twig lives in St. Albans, Vermont, and has a daughter, Margaret. Walter B. Sommer, president of the Wholesale Drug Com- pany was educated at Alton, Illinois, in the Wyman Institute and in a military school at Champaign. He married Pearl Kathan, of Bucklin, Missouri, and they make their home in Quincy.
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.