USA > Illinois > Henry County > The biographical record of Henry County, Illinois > Part 18
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After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Nel- son located on the farm on section 31, An- dover township, which is still occupied by them. In partnership with another gentle- man our subject purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land which was still in its primitive condition and at once began its im- provement and cultivation. At first he car- ried on general farming on a small scale, but as time advanced he steadily prospered and was able to add to his landed possessions until he now owns two hundred and ten acres, all acquired through industry, dili- gence and good management. When a boy Mr. Nelson received only a common-school education, but was early inured to hard work, and is a self-educated as well as a self- made man. Throughout his active business career he always followed general farming and stock raising, feeding both hogs and cat- tle for market, and in both branches of his business he was quite successful.
Of the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Nelson four died between the ages of four and fifteen years. Those living are as fol- lows: John A., who works at the carpen- ter's trade and makes his home with his par-
Mr. Nelson is one of the very early set- tlers of Henry county remaining to tell to the present generation the story of pioneer life in this region. His political support is always given the men and measures of the Republican party, and he most efficiently served his fellow citizens as county commis- sioner for twelve years and as school direc- tor for fifteen years. He has always been in favor of maintaining good schools, and has given a liberal support to all worthy enter- prises that would reflect credit on the people and the county in which he makes his home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are members of the Swedish Lutheran Church of Andover, of which he is now one of the trustees, and they take an active part in promoting good work. He had no special advantage in his youth, and without the assistance of influen- tial friends in his early business career, has steadily advanced step by step until he now occupies a creditable position as one of the prominent and well-to-do men of his town- ship.
REV. WILLIAM M. PURCE.
As the rector of Grace Episcopal Church at Osco, Rev. William M. Purce has become widely and favorably known throughout
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Henry county, where he has now made his in 1873, and now has forty-five communi- home for over four years. He was born in cants. Under the pastorate of our subject it is in a flourishing condition. Davis county, Iowa, on the Ist of Novem- ber, 1865, and is a son of John A. and De- lilah Jane ( Collins ) Purce, natives of New York and Ohio, respectively. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, died at Chariton, Iowa, May 24, 1886, but the mother is still living and continues to make hier home at that place.
In the county of his nativity William MI. Purce spent his boyhood removing with his parents to Chariton, Iowa, when but thirteen years of age. He there attended the public and high school, from which he was gradut- ated in 1885. In September of that year he became a student at Griswold College, Dav- enport, Iowa, where he pursued the classical course for two years and received the degree of B. S. in 1891. He was then engaged in editorial work as city editor of the Daven- port Tribune for four years, and for two years took an active part in political affairs as political editor of that paper. While en- gaged in newspaper work he was reading preparatory to entering the ministry of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Purce took the ex- amination for the deaconship, and was or- dained a deacon by Bishop Perry at Daven- port, September 23, 1892. He began pas- toral work at Christ Church Mission, West Davenport, in November, 1893, where he remained one year, and from November, 1894, until accepting his present charge at Osco, Henry county, Illinois, in Septem- ber, 1896, was rector of St. George's Church at Farley, Iowa. He was ordained a priest on the 30th of December, 1895, by Bishop Perry. As rector of Grace Episcopal Church at Osco, he succeeded Rev. Mr. Brown, who was only there for ten months, however. The church at this place was built
AIr. Purce has always been an active missionary worker. While at Farley, he had charge of the mission work at Dyers- ville and Bellevue, and also started a mission at Monticello, Iowa, which he continued as long as he remained at Farley. On coming to Osco, he took charge of the work at Cam- bridge, Geneseo and Galva, at which places he holds regular services. He is particularly interested in the Galva mission, from the fact that when he first commenced holding services there the attendance was but from five to ten. The services were first held in a hall, but they now meet in their own church building, have a good congregation, a lay reader, Sunday school, and are well equipped for effective work. He has charge of all the work of his church in Henry county, with the exception of the churches in Ke- wanee and Woodhull.
Mr. Purce was married at Davenport, June 28, 1892, to Miss Jessie J. Cook, a daughter of William L. and Amanda M. (Fletcher ) Cook. The father died in that city in 1886, but the mother is still a resi- dent of Davenport. Mr. and Mrs. Purce have one child, Jessie Grace B.
Mr. Purce is quite an enthusiastic chick- en raiser, and is also starting a rabbitry, owning only pedigreed Belgian hares, but the greater part of his time is devoted to church work. He is a member of the board of missions, and publishes at the rectory a twelve-page paper called the Church News, which is issued each month in the interest of diocesan and parochial work. There is a parochial school conducted in connection with his church at Osco. Mr. Purce is thor- oughly familiar with conditions of both
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church and state in Iowa and Illinois, and still takes an interest in politics, supporting and advocating the principles of the Re- publican party. He is a man of thoughtful, earnest purpose, of strong intellectual en- dowments, of broad charity and kindly na- ture, and by all denominations, as well as his own people, is held in high regard.
THEODORE BOLTENSTERN.
Among the representative business men of Cambridge is the subject of this review, who is now at the head of the ice trade in that city. He is a native of Henry county, born in Lynn township, April 15, 1858, and is a son of William and Mary ( Anderson) Boltenstern, natives of Germany and Sweden, respectively. At an early day the mother came to this country with her par- ents and the father arrived here in 1852, their marriage being celebrated in Lynn township, where he purchased land and fol- lowed farming for many years. He was a recognized leader in the Republican party itt his locality, served as recruiting officer during the war of the Rebellion, and filled the office of highway commissioner for the long period of thirty-six years. In 1893 he moved to Cambridge, where his death oc- curred the same year, but his widow is still a resident of that place. They were among the pioneers of the county, and were highly respected and esteemed by all who knew them. Their children were Theodore, of this sketch; Morris A., who resides on the old homestead in Lynn township; Edward A., who died in that township in 1867; Henry E. and Victor F., who are at home with their mother.
Theodore Boltenstern was reared on the home farm and received his education in the district schools of Lynn township. On starting out in life for himself he com- menced farming in Andover township, where, in 1887, he purchased a partially improved farm of one hundred and seventy acres, which he placed under a high state of cultivation, and on disposing of that he bought the well-known Davenport farm ad- joining the city of Cambridge, on which he lived for eight years, and which he still owns. While carrying on farming he was also largely engaged in the stock business. In 1892 he became interested in the ice business, and now has the exclusive trade of Cambridge, to which city he moved in 1899. He is a wide-awake, energetic busi- ness man of known reliability, and in his undertakings has met with well-deserved success.
In Andover township, Mr. Boltenstern was married, in 1891, to Miss Ernestine Longshore, a native of that township, and a daughter of S. J. Longshore, one of the pioneers of Cambridge, where he now re- sides. By this union have been born two children, namely: Nellie M., aged seven years; and William S., aged four.
Mr. Boltenstern's father was one of the founders of the Fair Association, and our subject has been connected with it through- out life. He has also served as secretary of the Henry county agricultural board for nine years, and is still filling that office. He is one of the most enterprising and pro- gressive citizens of Cambridge, and takes an active and commendable interest in pub- lic affairs. By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and for years has been secretary of the county central committee. While a resi-
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dent of Andover township he served as jus- tice of the peace for some time with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents.
LARS BENSON.
This well-known retired farmer of Cam- bridge, Illinois, is one of the worthy citizens that Sweden has furnished to the new world. He was born on the 13th of August, 1826, in Brearede Socken, near Halinstead, Swe- den, in which country his parents, B. Mun- son and Engarg Swanson, spent their entire lives. The mother died at the age of forty years when our subject was only seven years old. She was twice married and by the first union had one daughter, Charste. Lars is the oldest of the four children born of the second marriage, the others being Botelle, a widow, who resides with her youngest daughter in Chicago; and Andrew, a resi- dent of Cambridge. The father died in 1890 at the extreme old age of ninety-six years. He was quite an extensive and suc- cessful farmer, was a devout and worthy Christian, a member of the Lutheran Church, and was well and favorably known through- out his community.
Lars Benson was educated in his native land, and when his school days were over lie left home at the age of fifteen years. In 1854 he took passage on a sailing vessel, and after a stormy voyage of seven weeks and four days landed at Boston. The ship en- countered a tornado, during which the iron stored in the bottom of the vessel broke loose, buit no lives were lost, though one person died luring the storm and two others during the Voyage. Mr. Benson spent about twenty- four hours in Boston, and then proceeded to
Moline, Illinois, by way of Chicago. He worked in a sawmill, blacksmith shop and foundry at Moline, and one year in a hotel at Aledo, after which he came to Henry county, arriving here March 14, 1861. For eleven years he was in the employ of Mrs. Jennings, of Cambridge township, as mana- ger of her large farm, having from four to seven hands working under him. His first purchase of land consisted of one hundred and sixty acres on section 15, Cambridge township, to which he later added eighty acres, and now has a fine farm of two hun- dred and forty-six acres, besides five lots in the city, where he makes his home. On coming to America he had but twenty dol- lars, and the property he has acquired has been gained by hard work, good manage- ment and strict economy. Because of these sterling qualities he has succeeded where many others would have failed. After be- ing here for three years and a half, Mr. Benson had saved five hundred dollars with which to return to Sweden, but was taken ill, and being unable to work for a year, it required that amount and fifty dollars more to pay his expenses during that time. He has never returned to his native land.
Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Benson has al- ways affiliated with the Republican party, and is a stanch advocate of its principles. He remembers how in the '50s the money in circulation, especially that issued by state banks, was very uncertain, and he was well schooled in the disadvantages of carrying money "which is good now as far as we know, but whether it will be good and pas- sable in an hour from now no man know- eth." Mr. Benson lost much by being com- pelled to take money for which he had no use at the time, taking it because his cred-
LARS BENSON.
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itors did not wish to carry it. Having passed through that crisis he has a keen ap- preciation of what it is to have a sound mon- ey basis.
Mr. Benson is unmarried and his fam- ily consisted of an adopted son, Edward Le- ander Benson, who was born in St. Louis, November 27, 1884, and has lived with our subject for thirteen years. His parents, Martin and Hannah ( Olson) Johnston, were both natives of Sweden, and the latter died March 6, 1899. Edward is a steady, reliable boy, who finds a pleasant home with Mr. Benson, and gives a wonderful amount of happiness to his benefactor.
Mr. Benson has been a life-long member of the Lutheran Church, holding member- ship first in Moline, and later in Geneseo. He is a consistent Christian man and carries his religion into all the affairs of life.
JOHN M. HUNT.
This thrifty and progressive farmer, re- siding on section 20, Colona township, where he has an excellent farm of one hun- dred and twenty acres, was born upon that place February 12, 1842, and is a worthy representative of the oldest and most highly respected pioneer families of Henry county. His father, Anthony Hunt, whose birth oc- curred in Germany in 1802, crossed the ocean in 1829 and first located in Louisiana, where he spent six years on a plantation. He then came to Illinois with the Glenn brothers in 1835, and pre-empted eighty acres of land in what is now Colona town- ship, Henry county, where our subject now resides. Later he entered the tract and built thereon a little cabin, in which he and 9
Thomas and John Glenn lived alone for some time, doing their own house work. In the first election held in Henry county, he was one of the first voters. Mr. Hunt was subsequently married in St. Louis to Miss Catherine Rider, also a native of Ger- many, where she was reared. They began their domestic life in the log house which he had erected upon his farm, and which in 1856 was replaced by a good frame resi- dence. Besides his home farm consisting of one hundred and forty-four acres Mr. Hunt owned another place of eighty acres and a good home in Geneseo, where he re- sided for a number of years prior to his death, which occurred October 6, 1875, when he was seventy-three years of age. His wife survived him, passing away ten years later.
In the family of this worthy couple were eight children who reached years of maturity, but John M. is the only son. Nothing occurred to vary the routine of farm life during his youth. He attended the district schools and worked with his father on the farm until grown, when he purchased the place and has since successfully carried it on. At Geneseo he was married February 9, 1867, the lady of his choice being Miss Caroline Garland, who was born in Penn- sylvania, October 25, 1844, and in childhood came to Illinois with her father, Daniel Gar- land, locating in Marshall county, where she was reared. To Mr. and Mrs. Hunt was born one son, James C., who grew to manhood upon the home farm and received a good practical education in the district schools of Colona. He died March 29, 1900. He was one of the prominent young men of the neighborhood, and had served on the school board and as clerk of the dis- trict for about seven years.
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Mr. Hunt's political support has always been given the Republican party since he cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. His fellow citizens, recog- nizing his worth and ability, have called him to office, and he has most capably served as road commissioner and path master and as school director for about twenty years. As a native son of the county he has been prominently identified with its agricultural interests throughout life, and has done much to promote the general welfare. He is widely and favorably known, and his commendable life has won for him the con- fidence of all with whom he has been brought in contact.
ERIC HEDBLOOM.
Prominent among the successful and en- terprising agriculturists of Andover town- ship is Eric Hedbloom, who owns and op- erates a valuable and well-improved farm on section 25, where he has made his home since 1877. He was born in northern Sweden, on the 12th of December, 1849, and is a son of Peter and Breta Peterson, also natives of Sweden, where the father In his political views Mr. Hedbloom is independent, and he has efficiently served as a member of the school board in his district. He is one of the honored and representative citizens of Andover township, and is highly respected and esteemed by all who know him. followed the occupation of farming until his death about 1860. The mother came to America in 1876, and died at the home of our subject in 1881. To this worthy couple were born eight children, namely: Peter, who came to Andover, Illinois, in 1857 and located upon the farm where our subject now resides, was burned to death ; Jonas was drowned in Sweden; Catherine resided for HENRY JOHNSON. a time in Kewanee, Illinois, but now makes her home in Nebraska; Lars is living with This well-known merchant and leading business man of Orion, Illinois, has shown our subject ; Lena died in infancy ; Betsy is now Mrs. Nordstrum, of Bishop Hill, in his successful career that he has the
this county : Lena died in Sweden ; and Eric, our subject, completes the family.
Reared in his native land, Eric Hedbloom is indebted to its public schools for his edu- cational advantages. In 1868 he crossed the broad Atlantic and took up his residence in Kewanee, Henry county, Illinois, where he began work as a laborer on a construc- tion train. In 1876 he visited Sweden, but returned to this country the same fall, bring- ing his mother with him. He then located at Bloomington, Illinois, where he worked in the coal mines for a short time, but in 1877 removed to his present farm, having purchased it from his brother's heirs. It is a well improved place, having a good house and barn, and is under a high state of culti- vation.
In 1876, at Bloomington, Mr. Hedbloom was united in marriage with Miss Betsy Peterson Berg, also a native of Sweden, where her parents, Eric and Catherine (Larson) Berg, still reside. Nine children were born of this union and with one ex- ception all are still living, namely: Peter Emil; Ida; Hulda, who died in 1880; George; Inez; Hulda; Oscar; Victor; and Alice.
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ability to plan wisely and execute with en- ergy, a combination which, when possessed by men in any walk of life, never fails to effect notable results.
Mr. Johnson was born on the 22nd of July, 1832, in Linkoping, Kisa Socken, Sweden, of which country his parents, Sam- uel and Christina (Lawson) Johnson, were also natives. In 1846 the family crossed the ocean to America, and first located in Buf- falo, New York, where they spent about two years, coming to Henry county, Illinois, in 1848. The father purchased a Mexican war land warrant which he located on sec- tion 36, Western township, and for some years successfully engaged in the operation of his land, but finally sold the land and re- moved to Orion, where he spent his last days, dying there in 1888, at the advanced age of over eighty years. The mother of our subject passed away many years previous, dying of cholera in 1853. In her loving nature, she took into her home several emi- grants suffering with that dread disease, and after caring for them she, too, was taken sick and died. After her death he again married. By his first union he had three sons: John M., who married and located in Orion, where his death occurred ; Henry, of this review; and Andrew, who followed the river for many years as clerk and steward on different steamers and died in St. Louis.
Henry Johnson was brought by his par- ents to the new world and since 1848 has been a resident of Illinois. At the age of fifteen he began his business career as an employe in a hotel at Rock Island, where he remained for about two years, and for four years worked in a brick yard there. Returning to Henry county, he was next employed in a brick yard in Andover for two years, and then accepted a position as
clerk in the general store of Peterson & Anderson, at Andover, remaining with them until their failure during the commercial crash of 1857-57. After assisting in set- tling up the business, Mr. Johnson was em- ployed as clerk by V. M. Ayers for about two years, and then was for one year farm- ing in Western township. He next took charge as manager for V. M. Ayers in the milling business, taking charge of the grist and custom mill belonging to him, and oper- ating it successfully for five years. Itwas then sold to Morrison Francis, and Mr. Johnson managed for him two years. Purchasing a tract of wild prairie land in Osco township, Henry county, he was next engaged in its improvement and cultivation for about a year, and at the end of that time rented the place and removed to Orion, in 1870, where he built a good residence. Later he erected a flouring mill in partnership with Lloyd & Peterson, and under the firm name of Johnson, Lloyd & Company carried on the milling business most successfully for sev- enteen and a half years, when the plant was destroyed by fire. In 1882 he had purchased a half interest in the established mercantile business of John Owen, and while he contin- ved to engage in milling he employed John S. Smith as clerk to take his place in the store. After the death of Mr. Owen he purchased his interest from the administrators of the se- tate, and then sold a fourth interest in the business to his old and faithful clerk, John S. Smith. This partnership was continued un- til 1894. when Mr. Smith was elected county treasurer and Mr. Johnson bought his in- terest, and has since been alone in business. He has been actively connected with the store since 1890, and by fair and honorable dealing and courteous treatment of his patrons has succeeded in building up an
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excellent trade. In years of continuous service he is now the oldest business man in Orion, and his success has been most worthily achieved, being due to his own dili- gence, enterprise and straightforward busi- ness course, for he started out in life for himself with no capital and from the age of fifteen years has been dependent upon his own resources for a livelihood.
On the Ist of May, 1858, in Andover, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Olson, who is also a native of Sweden, and was a miss of about ten sum- mers when she came to the United States. Her father died during the voyage. On landing she and her mother proceeded at once to Henry county, Illinois, and she grew to womanhood in Andover township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were born two chil- dren. Lineas was accidentally killed in an elevator in 1886, at the age of sixteen years; and Oliver B., a young man of good business ability and sterling character, now assists his father in the store.
Mr. Johnson cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856, but is now independent in politics, voting for the men whom he believes best qualified to fill the offices, regardless of party lines. Fra- ternally he is an honored member of the Odd Fellows Lodge of Orion, in which he has filled all the chairs and is now past grand, and is also one of the leading mem- bers of the Ancient Order of United Work- men, which he has represented in the grand lodge of tlie state. His life has been an active and useful one, in which he has not only won success but has also gained for him the confidence and high regard of those with whom he has come in contact either in business or social life.
WILLIAM N. GLENN.
If one desires to gain a vivid realization of the rapid advance in civilization which the last few decades have brought about, he can listen to the stories of men who are still jiving among us and by no means overbur- dened with years, and who can tell of their boyhood. As a native of Henry county the subject of this sketch can relate many inter- esting incidents of pioneer- days when this region was all wild and unimproved, when deer, turkeys and other wild game was plentiful, before the days of railroads, tele- egraphs and telephones.
Mr. Glenn was born on the old homestead in Colona township, on the 18th of May, 1838, a son of James Glenn, who was born and reared in Kentucky, and in 1835 came to Henry county, Illinois, being one of the hrst to locate here. He pre-empted a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, and later entered the land, which he made his home throughout the remainder of his life. Pros- pering in his farming operations, he became the owner of four good farms, and was numbered among the well-to-do and sub- stantial men of his community, as well as one of its highly respected and honored citi- zens. In this county he was united in mar- riage with Miss Nancy Kincaid, a sister of G. W. Kincaid, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. She died May 10, 1896, and his death occurred August 26, 1896.
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