The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois, Part 74

Author: Clarke S. J. Publishing Company
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 788

USA > Illinois > Bureau County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 74
USA > Illinois > Marshall County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 74
USA > Illinois > Putnam County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 74
USA > Illinois > Stark County > The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois > Part 74

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).

In his life work, Mr. Mahler has been quite successful and every dollar that he now has was earned by himself, assisted by his good wife. For some years, in addition to her household duties, Mrs. Mahler helped in the fields after milking twelve cows. During the war she sold over $500 worth of butter. After

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residing upon the farm a period of thirty years, they removed to the village of Bradford, where they are now nicely situated in their new house and take life much easier than at first. In addition to his farm lands, Mr. Mahler owns ten acres in the corporate limits of Bradford. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church, and his sons and son-in-law are mern- bers of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is an ardent republican, as are his sons and sons-in-law, and the family cast five votes for Mckinley and Hobart at the last presidential election.

A RTHUR PARSONS, M. D .- The world has little use for the misanthrope. The universal truth of brotherhood is widely recog- nized, also that he serves God best who serves his fellowmen. There is no profession or line of business that calls for greater self-sacrifice or more devoted attention than the medical profession, and the successful physician is he who, through love of his fellowmen, gives his time and attention to the relief of human suf- fering. Dr. Parsons, although a young man, is one of the ablest representatives of this noble calling in Stark county, and is now suc- cessfully engaged in practice in Elmira.

The Doctor was born in Williamson county, Illinois, February 25, 1868, and the birth of his father, John S. Parsons, occurred on a farm in the same county, where he still resides. The grandfather, William Parsons, was born in North Carolina, in 1815, removed to Ten- nessee in early life, and, coming to Illinois, be- came a pioneer of Williamson county. There the Doctor spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon his father's farm, and received an excellent literary education in the common schools and the Carterville Academy. On completing his studies in that institution, he commenced reading medicine at Carterville

under the supervision of Dr. C. I. Pease, a prominent physician of Williamson county, who is a graduate of Rush Medical College, of Chicago. Our subject took his first course of lectures at the Keokuk Medical College in the winter of 1891, and there graduated with the class of 1892. He at once located at Elmira, where he now enjoys a large and lucrative practice, which his skill and ability justly merit.

In Williamson county, on the 5th of Sep- tember, 1891, Dr. Parsons was united in mar- riage with Miss Mattie Sizemore, a native of Kentucky, who, when a child of two years, was taken by her parents to Williamson county, Illinois, and, after completing a course in the common schools, attended the Southern Illi- nois Normal for a time. Subsequently she suc- cessfully engaged in teaching, and also held the responsible position of bookkeeper for one of the largest mercantile firms of Williamson county. The Doctor and his wife have two children: William J., a bright little lad of five years, and John. They have made many friends since coming to Elmira, holding a high position in social circles, and are active mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, while socially the Doctor affiliates with the Odd Fellows lodge of Toulon.

D ANIEL S. THURSTON, deceased, was for many years one of the representative and leading farmers of Stark county. He be- gan his earthly career in Tioga county, New York, June 6, 1838, and in 1840 he came to Wyoming, Stark county, with his parents, Hartwell and Polly (Dodd) Thurston, who were in limited circumstances. His father worked as a common laborer and was killed by a threshing-machine when our subject was quite young. He was the third in order of birth in the family of seven children, and as a boy had to work hard, therefore being unable

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to attend school much of the time. He made the most of his opportunities, however, and became quite well informed. With the help of the children his mother finally secured eighty acres of land in Penn township, on which they made their home.

On the IIth of October, 1861, Mr. Thurs- ton was united in marriage with Miss Clarinda McKinnis, of Toulon township, Stark county, who was born in Jackson county, Ohio, and is a daughter of Joseph and Ann (Wilkinson) McKinnis, natives of this country. When about two years of age she was brought to Illinois, first locating in Peoria county, whence the family removed to Toulon township, Stark county. Her educational advantages were also quite meager.

For some years after his marriage Mr. Thurs- ton and his wife lived on the farm which was owned by him and his brother, but finally he sold out and bought an eighty-acre tract, on which the family still reside. To the cultiva- tion and improvement of the place he devoted his attention, and so successful was he in his operations that at the time of his death he was the owner of four hundred acres of valuable land. From his first farm he moved the house to the present homestead and converted it into a comfortable dwelling, which continued to be the home of the family until 1884, when was erected their present fine and substantial resi- dence.

Ten children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Thurston, as follows : William H., now of Odell, Nebraska, is married and has four children ; Ida M. is the wife of James Parker, of Wyoming, Illinois, by whom she has three children ; Cora E. married Edward Sims, and with their three children they reside at Alpena, South Dakota ; Mary A. is the wife of George Garden, of Penn township, Stark county, and has two children ; Annie F. is the

wife of Harry Leadley, of the same township, and also has two children ; Alice married William Slater and lives in Elmira township, Stark county ; and Harry B., Clyde G., Abbie M., and Leona A. are all at home.

In his political affiliations Mr. Thurston was a democrat, and he served his fellow-citizens in the capacity of highway commissioner, school director many years, and supervisor of his township. In 1867 he became a charter member of the Methodist Protestant church in Penn township, known as the Valley church, and served as trustee from its organization until his death. He not only aided in building the first house of worship, but also contributed liberally to the one erected in 1895. Active in Sunday-school as well as church work, he served as superintendent for a number of terins, and was always regular in his attendance on divine services. He was a man of undoubted integrity of character and sterling worth, and well deserved the high regard in which he was universally held. On the 17th of November, 1896, he passed from this life, and the com- munity mourned the loss of a valued and hon- ored citizen.

FRANK A. KERNS, a prominent and suc- cessful lawyer of Wyoming, was born near that place, in Stark county, on the 29th of May, 1860, and is a son of Abner and America (Speck) Kerns. The birth of the father oc- curred November 14, 1824, near Chillicothe, in Ross county, Ohio, where he grew to man- hood upon a farm, and obtained his primary education in the common schools, but later took a course in an academy in Lancaster, Ohio. He was married in Peru, Indiana, to Mrs. America Watts, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, and whose maiden name was Speck. She had one son by her first marriage, Ripley Watts, now deceased.

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In 1852, Abner Kerns came on a prospect- ing tour to Illinois, and here located the fol- lowing year. Soon after their marriage, he and his wife drove to their new home in Stark county, where all of their children were born. On a partially improved farm on section 10, Essex township, they took up their abode in a log cabin which was there standing, but five years later removed to section II, in the same township, where Mr. Kerns had purchased more land. In connection with general farm- ing he also handled stock quite extensively, and met with excellent success in both under- takings. His father, William Kerns, had been one of the largest land owners and stock-deal- ers of Ross county, Ohio, where he was born in 1800 and continued to live until 1855, when he also came to Stark county, Illinois, and lo- cated in Toulon township. He at one time owned the land on which our subject now re- sides. His death occurred in 1872, and the father passed away on the 30th of April, 1887. Both were originally whigs in politics, and, after supporting Fremont in 1856, always gave their allegiance to the republican party, but cared nothing for office. The father was a capable and energetic business man, and ac- cumulated quite a large fortune, owning at one time seven hundred acres of land in Stark county.

To the parents of our subject were born seven children, namely: Mary I., wife of Alonzo Moffitt, of Wyoming, by whom she has two children; Emma J., wife of Isaac An- derson, of Wyoming, by whom she has one child and two children by a former husband, a Mr. Rogers; Frank A., of this review; Fred J. and Alice, twins, the former of whom is a farmer of Essex township, and the latter died at the age of twenty-three months; and Harry W. and Harriett, twins, the former of whom is married and lives on a farm in Essex town-

ship, and the latter is the wife of George W. Ewing, of Wyoming, by whom she has two children.

Frank A. Kerns pursued his studies in the common schools of Wyoming until nineteen years of age, when he entered the University of Indiana, at Bloomington, that state, and nearly completed the freshman year, when he concluded to take up the study of law. He began reading with Cratty Brothers, then of Peoria, but now of Chicago, but subsequently turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, having purchased a farm of his father, which he continued to cultivate until 1887. He was then admitted to the bar, having passed the examination before the appellate court at Mt. Vernon, Illinois. He had built up quite a legal practice before his admission, often hav- ing tried cases before the justice of the peace.

In September, 1893, Mr. Kerns purchased his present elegant and commodious home in Wyoming, which was presided over by his mother until the 14th of November, 1895, when, on his father's birthday, he led to the marriage altar Miss Leona A. Carroll, of Den- ver, Colorado, with whom he had become acquainted in Missouri. She was born in the city of St. Louis, and is a daughter of Cassius M. and Elizabeth (Bartles) Carroll. The fa- ther is a direct descendant of Governor Car- roll, of Maryland, and therefore is a cousin of Senator Gorman. Mr. Kerns has one child, Miss Imogen, born November 1, 1896.

Mr. Kerns is the owner of four hundred acres of valuable land in one body in Essex town- ship, and for a few years devoted considerable attention to stock-raising in connection with his law practice, but now gives his time exclu- sively to the latter and to literature. His powers as an advocate have been demonstrated by his success on many occasions. He is an able lawyer of a large and varied experience

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in all the courts of the state. Thoroughness characterizes all his efforts, and he conducts all his business with a strict regard to a high standard of professional ethics. He has fig- ured prominently in local politics, and has been an influential member of the republican party since voting for James G. Blaine in 1884. For three years he acceptably served as assessor of his township, was collector in 1886, and has been favorably mentioned for the legislature.

D AVID HODGES. - This gentleman is ac- credited with the ownership of one of the best farms of Valley township, Stark county, located on the southeast quarter of section 33. From an early age he has made his own way in the world unaided, and has steadily over- come the difficulties and obstacies in his path until to-day he is numbered among the well-to- do and substantial citizens of his community.

Mr. Hodges began his earthly career Feb- ruary 25, 1822, in Kent county, England, but when thirteen years of age his parents, Thomas and Mary (Hanford) Hodges, brought the fam- ily to America, settling in Saratoga county, New York, a few miles from Saratoga Springs. The farm was very rocky and the father had hard work in raising enough to support the family, consisting of eight children, of whom our subject was the second in order of birth.

In the schools of his native land, David · Hodges learned to "read, write and figure to the single rule of three," but on reaching this country was unable to continue his studies, as he had to provide for his own maintenance. With the family he left London on the 16th of September, 1835, and arrived in Saratoga county, New York, the following November. Here he and his brother worked at any em- ployment which they could find, and finally purchased a timbered tract on which they

rented a sawmill and engaged in the manufac- ture of lumber for a time, in this way securing some money. Coming to Stark county, Illi- nois, in 1851, our subject purchased one hundred and sixty acres, and was to have paid six hundred dollars for the tract; but in order to secure a good title the amount was consid- erably increased. He returned to New York to settle up his business there, but in Septem- ber, 1852, again came to this state, where, during the winter, he got out fence posts. His land was all wild, but by persistent labor he soon had it placed under the plow, and to-day it is one of the most highly cultivated tracts in the locality. He added to the original pur- chase from time to time until he had eight hundred and eighty acres, some of which he has sold and other portions given to his chil- dren, whom he has greatly aided on starting out in life for themselves.

In 1853, Mr. Hodges returned to New York, where he married Miss Jane Standish, a native of Saratoga county, and they became the par- ents of two sons-Harvey, who is with his father on the home farm; and Joseph, a resi- dent of Irwin, Kingsburg county, South Da- kota, who married Jennie Donaldson and has several children. The wife and mother died in 1859, and on the Ist of February, 1860, Mr. Hodges was again married, the lady of his choice being Miss Nancy Hutchison, of Chillicothe, Illinois, who was born in Ross county, Ohio, and in 1851, when eleven years of age, was brought to this state by her par- ents, Absalom and Nancy (Hambrick) Hutchi- son, driving through with a wagon and three horses, and camping out on the way. Mrs. Hodges obtained a fair common-school educa- tion. By her marriage with our subject she has become the mother of six children. Otis married Lizzie Graham and has four children, Sherman, Agnes, Raymond and Robert Clyde;

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Clarke married Ella Graves and has four chil- dren, Bessie, Glenn, Irene and Leslie; Sher- man died in 1881, at the age of sixteen years, and was buried in the Fox cemetery; and Frank and Fred, twins, born June II, 1878, complete the family.

Originally, Mr. Hodges was a democrat in politics, casting his first presidential vote for Polk in 1844, but since the organization of the republican party has been one of its ardent supporters, voting for Fremont in 1856. For twenty years he efficiently served as school director in his township, and was highway commissioner five years. He is classed by his fellow citizens as one of the public-spirited and representative men of his community, and merits and receives the warmest confidence and esteem of all who know him.

JOHN CATTON, residing on section 19, West Jersey township, Stark county, is one of the public-spirited citizens to whose energy and foresight that locality is indebted for many improvements. While Mr. Catton, as a prosperous business man, has given close attention to his private affairs, he has never forgotten or ignored that bond of common in- terest which should unite the people of every community, and he has always been ready to promote progress in any line. He is the owner of five hundred and seventy-one acres of valu- able land, all in one body, and not only en- gages in general farming, but is also interested in coal-mining.

Mr. Catton was born in Lincolnshire, Eng- land, October 27, 1832, a son of Thomas and Mary (Clark) Catton, and was reared to the occupation of a farmer under his father's direc- tion. At the early age of seven years he began life for himself, at first receiving only eight cents per day and had to board himself. At the age of twelve his wages had increased to

sixteen cents per day, and later he received seven dollars and a half and board for six months' work. He then began working by the year for twenty dollars, later received twenty-five and twenty-seven dollars and a half, and for his last year's work in his native land obtained seventy dollars.

Saving enough money to pay his passage, Mr. Catton and a brother-in-law crossed the Atlantic in 1855, during the year of the Crimean war, and first stopped at White Pigeon, Mich- igan, having then only twenty-five cents with which to pay for their breakfast on reaching that place. Our subject found employment at Sturgis, Michigan, at fourteen dollars per month, and considered himself rich at once. During his ten months' stay at that place he saved one hundred and fifty dollars in gold. He then came to Brimfield, Peoria county, Illi- nois, where he took a contract to grub forty acres of land, which he accomplished with the aid of another man, receiving one dollar and a half per day and boarding himself. Later he engaged in digging wells for six months, dur- ing which time he cleared four hundred dollars, and for the following six months rented a coal mine at Brimfield, which he operated by ineans of hired help; but this venture did not prove successful. Subsequently he rented a mine of Mr. Riggs, which he operated for seven years, during which time he erected a stone house in Brimfield, in company with another person, which he later traded for one hundred and twenty acres of land near Algona, Kossuth county, Iowa, but never resided thereon, al- though he owned the place for twenty years.

While a resident of Brimfield Mr. Catton was married, at Peoria, to Miss Alice J. Bent- ley, of the former place, who was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Henry H. and Grace W. ( Whatmough ) Bent- ley, natives of England, born near Roachdale,

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where their marriage was celebrated. Her father worked in the factories of his native land, and there two children were born to them. On coming to America he was em- ployed at weaving in Philadelphia for a time, and when Mrs. Catton was about twelve years of age took up his residence in Peoria, Illinois. She obtained a fair common-school education for her day.

Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Catton, namely : Arthur H., of Toulon, who is married and has four children ; Walter C., who was accidentally shot and killed at the age of fourteen ; Alfred E., living at home, who is married and has one child ; Henry T., who died at the age of twenty-two ; Alice I., wife of Wiley Plankael, a resident of West Jersey township, Stark county ; Charles F., who is married and has four children ; and George S., Grace M., John Francis, and Carl C., who are all at home.

Mr. Catton continued to reside in Brimfield until 1863, when he removed to his present farm in West Jersey township, Stark county, at first purchasing eighty acres, and in connec- tion with farming also engaged in mining coal. A few years later he bought out his brother, later added another eighty acres to his place, and still later traded his Iowa land for another eighty-acre tract. In this way he has added to his original purchase until he now has five hundred and seventy-one acres of good farm- ing and mining land. During the gold excite- ment he made a trip to Pike's Peak to dig for the precious metal, but as he did not meet with wonderful success and got homesick, he soon afterward returned home, satisfied to make his money in a slower, but surer, way upon the farm and in the coal mines. He is an ardent supporter of republican principles, having voted with that party since 1860, when he supported Lincoln. He and his estimable

wife are active and prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal church at West Jersey, are leading and influential citizens of the com- munity, and have the respect and esteem of. all who know them.

M RS. ELIZA DEXTER, who, with her youngest son, now occupies a pleasant home in Wyoming, Illinois, is a native of Can- ton Berne, Switzerland, and a daughter of Jacob and Marie (Von Bohner) Reinman. When she was about twelve years of age her father died, and when eighteen, her mother with her six children crossed the Atlantic to the United States. She had been provided with excellent school privileges, and besides be- ing familiar with her mother tongue, could both read and speak French.

With the family, Miss Reinman located in Peoria, Illinois, where she became acquainted with Jacob Ditewig, to whom she gave her hand in marriage July 2, 1857, when about twenty-three years of age. He was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and when a young man had accompanied his parents on their removal to the new world, first locating in Buffalo, New York, whence he came to Pe- oria. He had received a fair common-school education and had learned the shoemaker's trade in boyhood. Later he engaged in the boot and shoe business.

To Mr. and Mrs. Ditewig were born five chil- dren, of whom one died in infancy. The others are still living, and three make their home in Stark county. Fred, the oldest, is represented elsewhere in this work. Jacob died at the age of three years. George is a government meat inspector, living in East St. Louis, Illinois. Anna is the wife of William H. Davidson, who now operates the Dexter farm in Penn town- ship, and they have one daughter, Anna. Rosa- lie Lydia is the wife of Sherman Bocock, a res-

JOHN DEXTER.

MRS. JOHN DEXTER.

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ident of Wyoming, Illinois, and they have one son, John R. .

In Peoria, on the 3d of March, 1876, our subject was again married, becoming the wife of John Dexter, a native of Grantham, Eng- land, born in 1819, and a son of John and Eliz- abeth Dexter. In his native land he grew to manhood and received a good practical educa- tion, taking a course in civil engineering, and following that occupation for some years. In 1848 he determined to come to the United States, with that desire which has moved many thousands to leave home and kindred, the de- sire to better themselves in a financial and so- cial way.

On arriving at New York Mr. Dexter con- cluded not to remain there, but come further west, and so he soon located at Peoria, where he secured employment as an engineer in sur- veying the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad, now a part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road system. The wages secured were hardly what he obtained in the old country, and he determined to return home. Before setting sail, and while in New York, he dreamed that he was the possessor of several hundred acres of the finest land he had ever seen, lying in the military tract of Illinois. He was so im- pressed with this dream, and believing it a revelation from God, he retraced his steps and was soon again in Peoria county.

At Oak Hill, Peoria county, he first located and for some years engaged in buying grain for a Peoria firm. He then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of wild prairie land near that station, which he enclosed with a wire fence, the first fence of that kind in the county. The farm soon became known as the " wire-fence quarter," a name by which it is yet known. This tract he improved and held for some years. In 1855 he made his first purchase of land in Stark county, the north- 30

west quarter of section 10, in Valley township, which he likewise improved, and which yet remains in the family, being now owned by Fred and George Ditewig.

Soon after purchasing the Valley township farm, Mr. Dexter purchased the southwest quarter of section 24, Penn township. This was raw prairie land, and to its improvement he at once turned his attention. A hedge fence was set out, the first in the neighborhood, and as the years went by other improvements were made, including the large and costly residence: which still stands upon the place. To this farm he brought his bride some two weeks after the marriage ceremony took place, and here he remained until called to the upper and better world. From' time to time he added to his possessions until he was the owner of some eight hundred acres of as fine land as could be found in Stark county. The home farm was doubtless one of the best if not the best im- proved farm in the county.

John Dexter was one of nature's noblemen. He proved an excellent father to his wife's chil- dren, rearing them as if they were his own, and each of them have for him the utmost rev- erence, and cherish his memory as though they were of his flesh and blood. Reared in the church of England, after coming to this country his religious views underwent a change, and he espoused the doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg, and ever after was a follower of that godly man, believing that he had a clearer insight into the glories of the future life than any other human being. His library was well stocked with the literature of Swedenborg, of which he was a voracious reader.

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The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties, Illinois, Part 74

Author: Clarke S. J. Publishing Company Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 788

Author: Clarke S. J. Publishing Company
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 788