Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 70

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 70

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Conrad Quigg also had two brothers, William and Chauncey, who lived in Adams County. Both enlisted from here for service in the Union army. William died less than two years after his enlistment as a result of war sery- ice. Chauncey left the county a few years after the war and resided at Nor- ton, Kansas, until his death ten years ago.

Conrad Quigg and wife had six children, four of whom died in childhood. Michael Quigg was a farmer in Adams County until about two years ago, since which time he has lived in Oklahoma.

William B. Quigg lived at home with his parents until he was about twen- ty-four, when he bought his father's old farm and it was the scene of his busy career until he retired to Mendon in 1915. IIe still owns one of the finest farms in the county, consisting of 300 acres and developed in every facility for purposes of general farming and stock raising. For years he has been an extensive stock feeder.

Upon the organization of the Farmers State Bank at Mendon in May, 1914, Mr. Quigg became a director and was soon afterward elected president, and the success and the standing of the institution largely reflect his personal management and integrity. However, he still spends some time on his farm, and is in partnership with his tenant in the ownership of the stock. Mr. Quigg served as road commissioner fourteen years, as township supervisor twelve years, and has always been an active republican.

In 1872 he married Miss Izora Mann, a native of Kentucky. Five children were born to their marriage: Nettie, who married William Gibbs and lives with her father; William, who was connected with a transfer company at Se- attle, Washington, when he was killed at the age of thirty-two; Charles, who died at the age of twenty-six, the result of an injury sustained in a ball game; Arthur, a farmer in Honey Creek Township; and Harry, who has a farm near the old homestead.

Mr. Quigg is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, with membership in the consistory at Quincy, and is past master of the lodge and past high priest of the chapter at Mendon, and has been a representative in the grand lodge and chapter. Throughout his long and active career he has been known as a whole-sonled genial gentleman, fond of comradeship, esteemed both so- cially and as a business man, and he also possesses those interests which tend to keep a man out of doors in touch with nature. He has spent many pleas- ant hours in the woods and along the streams and has a thorough acquaint- ance with all forms of plant life as well as the specimens of the animal king- dom found in woods and in water.

RALPH H. AMEN is a native of Adams County, and is one of the younger men of the progressive type who have exerted all their energies, intelligence and purpose toward founding homes of their own. He is one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Columbus Township, his place being located in sec- tions 19 and 22 of that township, his home in the former section.

He has lived here since 1910, when he married. He raises all kinds of stock, including Jersey Red hogs and good cattle and horses. He has a large bank barn, with a shed for his stock. His house is six rooms and modern in every particular. Mr. Amen cultivates about sixty acres in corn, twenty acres in wheat, and thirty acres in oats. All his land is tillable and has perfect and natural drainage.

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Mr. Amen was born on a farm in Concord Township of this county December 12, 1882. He attended school in Columbus Township, where his parents moved when he was a child, and he graduated from the Gem City Business College in 1908. His father, Francis Amen, is a resident of Quincy, and more particular reference to his career and family will be found on other pages. Ralph H. Amen was eighth in a family of eleven children, nine of whom are still living and five are married.

In Melrose Township Mr. Amen married Julia G. Fessler. She was born in Gilmer Township, near Fowler, February 18, 1889, and was educated in that township and in the Madison School at Quincy. Her parents, Louis and Eliza- beth (Heeb) Fessler, are natives of Adams County and are now living retired at Quiney, her father at the age of seventy-four and her mother a few years younger.

Mr. and Mrs. Amen after their marriage combined their resources and have labored effectively to make their present property. They have three children : Kenneth F., born September 23, 1911; Rita E., born August 17, 1915; and Anna M., born August 16, 1918. The family are members of the Catholic Church, and Mr. Amen is a democrat.

JOHN C. MARSHALL. Though he died thirty years ago the name of John C. Marshall is still spoken with the respect and honor that is its due all over the eastern part of Adams County. He was one of the capable men of Columbus Township, developed a good home, and left an honored name to posterity. He died in the midst of his labors, and had the good fortune to have his plans and purposes effectively carried out by his capable wife, who is still living, with her home in Columbus Village, and has some of her prospering and intelli- gent children close around her.

The late John C. Marshall was born at Muehlhausen, Alsace Lorraine, April 6, 1840. The name was originally spelled Marschal. On the day that he was six years of age he and his parents took passage bound for America. His parents were Christian and Mary (Muschold) Marshall. They left Hamburg on a sail- ing vessel and after six weeks landed in New Orleans, thence coming up the Mississippi River to Quincy. Not long afterward the Marshall family moved to a farm in Liberty Township, and soon went into Columbus Township, where they were among the pioneers and cleared up a tract of land that eventually became a good farm. This farm was in section 21. A log cabin furnished the first habitation, and in the carly years all the land was plowed with oxen. Christian Marshall and his wife spent their final years on that farm, were well to do and prosperous, and never regretted their choice of the new world as their home. He died when past sixty years of age. Both were active members of the Lutheran Church. Their children were four in number. Rachel, who died in Columbus Township, married Fred Huffnagel, who spent his last years with a daughter in Missouri. They had three daughters and two sons. Amiel Marshall died unmarried at the age of twenty-one. His death was a local tragedy. He was cutting a tree and when it fell it rebounded in such a way as to strike him and kill him instantly. August Marshall died in Daviess County, Missouri, when about seventy years of age, leaving a large family of children.

John C. Marshall grew up on the old farm in Columbus Township, and had made such good use of his time and opportunities that he owned a farm before his marriage. Success came to him in large measure as a general farmer and stock man and he had nearly 300 acres of land when he died. After a brief illness he died at his home on Monday, October 28, 1888, when in his forty-ninth year.

In that township he married Miss Mary E. DeMoss. Mrs. Marshall was born in Columbus Township July 4, 1844, and is a member of the widely known DeMoss family of this county. She was educated in her native township and has always lived within a few miles of her birthplace. About nine years ago

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she left the farm and built a pleasant home in Columbus Village. As a young woman she labored hand in hand with her husband, and is justly eredited not only with a part of their prosperity but also with the even more important task of rearing her sons and daughters so as to be a eredit to themselves and to her. These nine living children are all self-supporting and substantial people of their respective communities. The youngest of them was three years old when John C. Marshall died.

Reference to J. Albert Marshall, the oldest of the children, is made on other pages. Elva is the wife of William Wheeler, of Columbus Township, and has five daughters, all of them but one married. Anna is the wife of J. C. Gibbs, also mentioned elsewhere. Emma married William Dickhut, a farmer in Han- eoek County, Illinois, and of their two daughters one is married. Dora is the wife of Elisha Hendrieks, a farmer in Pawnee County, Kansas, and their family consists of four daughters, one of them married. Amos is a farmer in Pawnee County, Kansas, and has one son by his marriage to Sadie Grimmer. Otis is a farmer in Hancoek County, married Ada Betterdean and has one son. Lorin is giving a good account of his energies and ability as the practical manager of his mother's old homestead. He married Effie Boling, and has a son and daughter. Garnett still lives with his mother in Columbus Village and is unmarried.

All the family are identified with the Christian Church. John C. Marshall was a republican, and his sons are of the same politieal faith. During his life he served as assessor of the township and as school director.

HARRY O. CHANNON, general manager of the Gas, Electric Light & Power Company of Quiney, is an electrical engineer of a quarter of a century's ex- perienee, and has been identified with publie utilities in Quiney since 1895. In that year he was one of the organizers of the Empire Light & Power Com- pany, and served as its seeretary and manager until in 1898 it was merged with the present corporation.

At the time of its reorganization Mr. Channon was made construction en- gineer, and had the aetive supervision and superintendence of the ereetion of the present eleetrie plant. When it was completed he superintended its opera- tion for eighteen months, and then removed to Alton, Illinois, to superintend the Electric Light and Power Company of that city. He was recalled to Quiney to become superintendent of the eleetrie plant under W. A. Bixby, the general manager. Two years later, when Mr. Bixby went to Springfield, Missouri, Mr. Channon succeeded him, and has been the general director of this publie utility for about fifteen years. His friends and associates regard him not only very highly as an expert in the various branches of electrical engineering but also as a splendid executive and manager, to whom much eredit is due for the fine showing made by this corporation in Quiney.

Mr. Channon was born at Quincy August 25, 1869, and as a youth he at- tended the publie sehools, graduating from high school in 1888. Following his high school eourse he had a year of valuable experience working in the loeal offiees of the Burlington Railway. He then entered the University of Michigan and pursued the electrical engineering course until graduating in 1893.

Three generations of the Channon family have been well known citizens of Quincy. His grandfather, William V. Channon, was born in Devonshire, Eng- land, in 1812. In 1835 he married Elizabeth Haywood, a native of the same locality. They were the parents of two children, William H. and Ellen Eliza- beth. William V. Channon while living in England operated a gas plant at Honiton. In 1841 he brought his family to the United States, loeating at Philadelphia and in 1848 eame to Quiney, where he spent the rest of his life and died when past eighty years of age. For about twenty-five years he was connected as a traveling salesman with Comstoek, Castle & Company of Quiney, stove and hollow-ware manufacturers. In the '80s he was one of the organizers

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of the Channon & Emery Stove Manufacturing Company, being president until his death. He was a republican in politics and he and his wife were members of the Congregational Church.

William H. Channon, father of Harry O., was born in Philadelphia in 1844. He was well educated, and during a portion of the Civil war he served in the quarter master's department. For a number of years he was connected with Pope and Baldwin, agricultural implements, and later was a member of the firm, Park & Channon, agricultural implements. He then entered the employ- ment of the Comstock-Castle Stove Company, withdrawing when the firm of Channon-Emery & Company began operations. When the firm incorporated as the Channon Emery Stove Company, he became secretary and a member of the board of directors. He has been active in the Baptist denomination, serving as a member of the state Sunday school committee; general secretary of the Young Peoples Union: member and treasurer of the board conducting the mis- sionary operations of the state; also a member of the committee of 100 serving the denomination in the matter of the University of Chicago; also for a time trustee of Sehurtliff College. IIe is now retired, but a very vigorous and enter- prising man at the age of seventy-five. William H. Channon married in Quiney Sarah A. Taylor, who was born at Melrose, Massachusetts, daughter of Shubel L. and Harriet (Newhall) Taylor, he coming from New Hampshire and she from Massachusetts, representatives of New England families. Shubel L. Taylor at one time was sheriff of Essex County, Massachusetts, and afterward located at Quiney, where he was in the tanning business. Mrs. William H. Channon died in Quiney about twelve years ago, and both parents were active in the Baptist Church.

Ilarry O. Channon married at Quiney Lyda M. Collins, of Payson, Adams County. They have had the following children : William H. graduated from the Quiney High School in 1916, later attended the Missouri State University and is now a farmer. F. Elizabeth is a graduate of the high school with the class of 1916, attended Millikan University at Deeatur, Illinois, and in June, 1918, became the wife of Charles M. Eaton. The daughter Dorothy died at the age of two and a half years, and the younger children are Harry O., Jr., and James Allen, both in high school, and Chester Newhall and John Thomas, in the grade school. The family are all members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Channon is a member of the Quiney Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.

GEORGE T. HARTMAN instituted and built up a successful business at Quiney as a mattress manufacturer, and prosecuted his affairs so diligently and with such good judgment that he has been able to retire with a competenee and is now permitted to manage his affairs with something of the leisure which every man deserves for his later years.

Mr. Hartman was born in Quiney June 11, 1868. He is now fifty-one years old and attended the Catholic parochial schools and also the publie schools, and as a young boy began learning the cabinet maker's trade. Later he established a shop for the repair of furniture and about twenty years ago made the beginning of his business as a mattress manufacturer. He was successful from the start and soon found his abilties taxed to the utmost. His factory was located on Oak Street and he had another place on Broadway and Ninth Street which he used as office and salesrooms. In 1910 he sold this prosperous enterprise to his brothers Frank and William, who still continue it on a large scale. The output of the factory for a number of years has been distributed all over the middle section of the United States. Mr. Hartman resides in an attractive home at the corner of Spruce and Twenty-second streets.

He is a son of the late Bernard Hartman. Bernard was born in West- phalia, Germany, December 21, 1844. He was seven years of age when his parents came to the United States by sailing vessel and from New Orleans

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arrived by way of the river at Quincy. The parents spent the rest of their days here, were devout Catholics and members of St. Francis Church. Bernard Hartman grew up in Quincy and after getting his education entered a furniture factory and became an expert finisher. Afterward he traveled on the road for a furniture company many years. He was a member of H. A. Vandenboom & Company, furniture manufacturers at the corner of Tenth and Vermont streets, manufacturing chairs and bedsteads and other furniture. This firm was established in 1868, and became one of the important industries of Quincy. For the last six years of his life Bernard Hartman was a paralytie. He died at his home 1123 Oak Street November 25, 1900. He was a devout and faithful member of St. Francis Catholic Church.

In 1867, in St. Boniface Church, he and Mary Otten were married, Father Schaffermeyer performing the ceremony. Mrs. Hartman, who is still living and has shown remarkable capacity in handling the business affairs and property left her by her late husband, was born on State Street in Quincy October 8, 1848. She was educated in the parochial schools and also in the Notre Dame College at Milwaukee. Her parents were Lucas and Mary (Jansen) Otten, both natives of Germany and of old Catholic ancestry. They were married in St. Louis after coming to this country and established a home in Quincy, where Mr. Otten was a wagon maker. He died in this city at the age of sixty-seven and his wife at the age of eighty-two. They were members of St. Boniface Catholie Church. Bernard Hartman and wife had three sons, George, Frank and William. Frank and William are now carrying on the mattress business established by their brother. Frank married Elizabeth Donemichael. William married Eva (Bidel) Winkleman. All the family are members of the Catholic Church and the sons are democrats in polities.

George T. Hartman now gives much of his time to the management of some fine property he has acquired and improved on Broadway, having three brick houses recently built there. He married in Quincy Anna Martin. She was born near Macon, Missouri, forty-six years ago, daughter of Jonathan and Martha (MeWilliams) Martin. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her mother of Indiana, in which state they were married. After marriage they moved to Schuyler County, Illinois, where Mrs. Hartman's mother died. Her father died some years later near Maeomb, Illinois, at the age of eighty-eight. The Martins were Baptists.

VERY REV. HENRY B. DEGENHARDT has been pastor of St. Boniface Catholic Church at Quincy sinee July 1, 1910. As an institution that bears a sustaining part in the daily life of the people of Adams County St. Boniface has been the religious home and center of worship for as many families as any other church in Quincy. The history of St. Boniface as a church and parish is told in full detail on other pages. Father Degenhardt succceded as pastor Very Rev. Michael Weis, who for over twenty years was the beloved priest of the parish, entering upon his duties there in 1887. Besides his work as pastor of St. Boniface Father Degenhardt is also dean with supervision over the various parishes in Adams, Brown and Pike counties.

A native of Alton, Illinois, where he was born in 1855, Father Degenhardt is a son of Henry Degenhardt, who was born in Westphalia, Germany, in 1823, and came to the United States in 1849. Two years later he married at Alton Miss Wilhemlnia Bickel. Her father was a native of Lorraine and as a boy served as a soldier under the great Napoleon. Wilhelmina Bickel was ten years old when her mother died, and she was the first of her family to come to America. She lived at Chicago when that great city was a small town, and subsequently moved to Alton, where she married Mr. Degenhardt. The latter was a cabinet maker by trade, and lived in Alton until his death in 1870. His widow survived him until 1906 and passed away at the age of seventy-nine. Her father had followed her to Ameriea late in life and died at the home of a

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daughter in Iowa in 1878. He was born in 1798. Henry Degenhardt and wife were among the founders of the first German Catholic Church at Alton, known as St. Mary's Church. One of the brothers of Father Degenhardt was desig- nated by the family for the profession of the church and died at the age of fifteen after beginning his studies to that end.

Father Degenhardt was educated in the parochial schools of Alton, also attended the college established by Bishop Baltes, taking the four years' classical course, and his philosophical and theological studies were pursued at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee. He was ordained by Bishop Baltes in the cathedral at Alton, Illinois, August 15, 1879. A week after his ordination he was made pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church at Collinsville, Illinois, and remained as the beloved minister of that parish for thirty-one years, until he was called to his present incumbency on July 1, 1910. He now holds the irre- movable rectorship of St. Boniface.

His assistant is Rev. A. G. Kunsch, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, was educated in the parochial schools of that city, for six years attended St. Francis College at Quincy, Illinois, and completed his theological training at the Grand Seminary in Montreal. He was ordained December 17, 1904, and then returned to St. Louis where he celebrated his first mass in St. Anthony's Church December 26th. Three days later he became assistant in St. Boniface under Father Michael Weis. He is a man of great energy and ripe scholarship and literary ability and was author of the recently published Souvenir of the Diamond Jubilee of St. Boniface Congregation, 1837-1912.

CARL EDWARD GILLHOUSE is one of the prosperous farm owners in that splendid agricultural district southeast of Quincy in Payson Township. He is a member of the well known Gillhouse family, a son of Ernest Gillhouse, one of the oldest men in Adams County and concerning whom more particular mention is made on other pages.

Carl Edward Gillhouse, whose home is sixteen miles southeast of Quincy, was born on his father's old farm in the same vicinity August 9, 1867. He grew up in that district, attended the local schools, and worked with and lived on his father's place until his marriage.

October 19, 1890, Clara Olive Journey became his bride. She was a young lady of nineteen at the time. She was born in Pike County, Illinois, a daughter of Peter A. and Rose A. (Donelson) Journey. Her parents are both now de- ceased. After his marriage Mr. and Mrs. Gillhouse spent four years on his father's farm in Pike County. In 1896 they moved to their present place, the original Polk Whitcomb farm of eighty-five acres. Altogether Mr. Gill- house has more than 200 acres devoted to general farming, including eighty acres of bottom land. He grows from ninety to 100 acres of wheat every season.

Mr. Gillhouse is also a director of the local telephone company, has been a director of the local schools four years, and is a democrat in politics. Mrs. Gillhouse is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They have two children, Gertrude and Gladys, the latter still at home. Gertrude is the wife of H. T. Groh, and has one child, Rosa Gertrude.

SIMON PIEPER. Probably no one family did more to develop into cultivated fields and homes the timber and hill section of southeastern Columbus Town- ship than the Pieper family, one of the pioneers of which was the late Simon Pieper.

He was born in Lippe Detmold, Germany, June 8, 1826, of an old German Lutheran family. He married in Germany Caroline Linnemeyer. She was born in the same locality February 26, 1827. Not long after their marriage they set out by sailing vessel for the United States and after seven weeks landed at New Orleans, coming thence up the river to Quincy. Simon Pieper Vol. II-28

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and his brother Fred had married sisters in Germany, and both came to this country at the same time for the purpose of joining their brother Henry, who had preceded them to Adams County several years. Simon and Fred from Quincy went to Columbus Township, bought each a forty acre tract of wild timbered land in section 26, and their good homes were subsequently made from that land as a basis. Simon afterward built up a large farm of 300 acres and Fred was almost equally prosperous. Fred and his wife and children are all now deceased.

Simon Pieper and wife lived on their old farm, gradually improved it and made it the home of good livestock and a source of production for all kinds of crops. Simon Pieper died there honored and respected as an early settler and good citizen May 1, 1915, and his wife passed away April 17, 1912. They were among the organizers of the First Zion Lutheran Church in their part of the county, located in Concord Township, and later they were among the or- ganizers of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Columbus Township. Simon Pieper served as a church officer from the time of its organization until he died. In politics he was a republican.

The children of Simon Pieper and wife were all born on the homestead ex- cept the oldest, and the children are all members of St. Peter's Lutheran Church. Simon H. Pieper, born in Quincy in 1859, is a practical engineer and is now employed in that capacity at the County Poor Farm. He married Car- rie Naylor, and their children are Frank, Martha, Dora, William, Daniel and Harriet. Anna M. is unmarried and lives with her two brothers on the old homestead farm. Lonis died unmarried at the age of twenty-four. The two following children died in early childhood. The youngest are Charles and Herman, who own and operate the old homestead, having bought out the inter- ests of the other heirs. They were born on this farm and have had its inde- pendent management since the death of their father. The brothers built the substantial nine room house on the land, and they cultivate the farm to a max- imum of production. They are highly esteemed and valuable citizens of the community.

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 70

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