USA > Illinois > Livingston County > The biographical record of Livingston County, Illinois > Part 20
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OWEN FEEH.IN. -
Owen Fechan, one of the most popular and influential citizens of Nevada township, Livingston county, whose home is on sec- tion 20, was born in Grundy county, Illi- nois, June 15, 1861, and is a son of Owen and Maria ( Killian) Feehan, natives of Kings county, Ireland, where the father followed the occupation of farming. Soon after their marriage they emigrated to the United States and took up their residence in Grundy county, Illinois, where he pur- chased land, making their home there until 1869, when they removed to Nevada town-
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ship. Livingston county. Here he had pre- viously purchased the south half of section 20, which at that time was unimproved land, but was soon transformed by him into one of the most desirable farms in the locality. He continued to reside there until the spring of 1892, when he moved to Odell and has since lived in retirement from active labor, enjoying a well-earned rest. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church of that place, and are highly respected and es- teemed by all who know them. To this worthy couple were born ten children, eight of whom reached man and womanhood, namely : Patrick, a resident of Nevada town- ship; John, of Seward county, Nebraska; Lawrence, of Nevada township, this county; Ellen, wife of J. C. Lennan, a merchant of Odell; Charles, a molder by trade and a resident of Morris, Illinois; Lizzie, wife of John Carey, a farmer living near Kinsman, Grundy county; Owen, our subject, and Ed- ward, who was accidentally killed by the train at a crossing at Kinsman.
The subject of this review began his ed- ucation in the schools of Grundy county, and after coming to this county, at the age of eight years, continued his studies in the schools of Nevada township. When he first located here the nearest school was three miles from his home. He continued to at- tend school at intervals until he attained his majority, and acquired a good, practical ed- ucation.
On the Ist of June, 1887, Mr. Fechan married Miss Julia A. Feehan, who was born in Grundy county, June 18, 1861, and suc- cessfully engaged in teaching for seven years prior to her marriage, having charge of the school in district No. 4, where she now re- sides, besides six years in other counties. She was educated in Utica, La Salle county,
Illinois. Her father. John Feehan, was a native of Ireland and came to the new world in early youth. He resided in La Salle county for many years, but his last days were spent in Grundy county, where he died in 1891. He had a family of seven chil- dren, six of whom grew to maturity, and in order of birth these are as follows: Sarah, wife of M. J. Dempsey, who is engaged in the shoe business in Chicago; Kate, widow of J. M. Dempsey, who was engaged in the grocery and meat business in that city, where she still resides; John, a detective and ser- geant on the Chicago police force; Thomas P., who conducts a grocery and meat mar- ket in the same city; Julia A., wife of our subject, and Vincent, who is in the employ of the Cuhady Meat Company, ,of Chicago. To Mr. and Mrs. Feehan were born five chil- dren, namely: Edith Balbina, who died at the age of eleven months; Mary Alice, Grace Agnes and Julia K., all in school, and Eliza- beth Veronica, a bright baby of two and a half years.
After his marriage, Mr. Feehan moved to Chicago, where he was engaged in busi- ness for two years, but at the end of that time he returned to Livingston county. He operated rented land for a time, and then lo- cated on the old homestead, where he is op- erating one hundred and sixty acres of well improved and highly cultivated land, and is meeting with good success.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Feehan are members of the Catholic church of Odell, of which Father Griffey is pastor, and he also belongs to St. Paul's Court, No. 618, Catholic Order of Foresters, of the same place, of which he is one of the trustees, and is a member of Nevada Camp. No. 4070, Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is advisor. As a Democrat he has always taken an active part
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in politics; has been a delegate to county conventions a number of times, and is now a member of the township central committee of his party. On attaining his majority, he was elected school director, which office he held for six years, and for one year he served as collector. Ile was road commis- sioner the same length of time, and assessor six years. In the spring of 1900 he was elected supervisor of his township and re- signed the office of assessor.
His public service has been most exen- plary and his private life has been marked by the utmost fidelity to duty. He has given his support to all measures for the pub- lic good, and is justly numbered among the valued and useful citizens of his community.
WILLIAM F. C. LEHMANN.
Germany has furnished to the new world many of its most enterprising and progres- sive citizens-men who have taken an active part in the development of the locality in which they make their home, and have ex- erted a great influence for good in the com- munity. Mr. Lehmann is a worthy repre- sentative of this class. He has met with well deserved success in his adopted country, and is now the owner of a valuable farm of four hundred acres on section 29, Owego township, Livingston county, Illinois, four miles and a half east of Pontiac.
Mr. Lehmann was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, May 1, 1853, and attended the schools of his native land, but is wholly self-educated in English. In 1871, at the age of eighteen years he emigrated to the United States and first located in Peoria county, Illinois, where some friends from
the fatherland were living. He obtained work on the farm of William Spicer, a sub- stantial farmer of that county, who proved a good friend to the German lad, and he re- mained in his employ four years. In 1876 he came to near Chenoa, in Livingston coun- ty, where he commenced life for himself upon a rented farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he successfully operated for seven years. At length, in 1882, he was able to purchase one hundred and twenty acres of land in Owego township, where he now resides. At that time it was only par- tially improved, and the house standing thereon was quite small, but it has since been replaced by a more commodious and sub- stantial residence, the land has been tiled, fences built, also a good barn, and water works and stock scales added, making it one of the best equipped farms in the locality. He has also extended the boundaries of his farm until they now incluide four hundred acres of rich and fertile land. This prop- erty has all been acquired through his own well-directed efforts, and he is to-day one of the substantial men of Owego township. . In this county, Mr. Lehmann was mar- ried, January 22, 1877, to Miss Augusta, Louise Leduc, who was born in New York City. Her father, General Louis Leduc, was a native of France and a highly edu- cated gentleman, speaking eight different languages. He was an officer in the French army and took part in several wars. Later he came to America and was married in New York city, where he made his home for some time, but subsequently came to Livingston county, Illinois. Here Mrs. Lehmann was reared and educated by her father. Of the ten children born to our subject and his wife, two died in infancy. Those living are : Lena, now the wife of George Rights, a farmer of
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Owego township, by whom she had a son, William; Albert, who assists his father in the operation of the farm: Emma, William, Mattie, Julius, Rudolph and Willis Ellis, all at home.
By his ballot Mr. Lehmann supports the men and measures of the Republican party, but has never cared for official honors. He is now serving as Canada thistle commis- sioner and as school director, having been president of the district board for fourteen years. He and his wife are prominent and influential members of the German Baptist church,and he takes a very active part in Sun- day school work, serving as president of the township Sunday school society seven years. For some years he was superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday school, and now holds the same position in the Swigart Sunday school. For a few years he was su- perintendent of both Sunday schools at the same time. In all the relations of life he has been found true to every trust reposed in him, whether public or private, and justly deserves in the high regard in which he is uniformly held.
JOHN KLEIN.
John Klein, one of Pike township's most progressive and public-spirited citizens, owns and operates a well-improved and val- uable farm of two hundred and forty acres on section 22. He is a native of Germany, born in Rheinpfalz. Bavaria, August 24. 1833, and is a son of Jacob and Margaret ( Weiser) Klein, also natives of that coun- try, where the father followed the weaver's trade. In 1855, accompanied by his family, he emigrated to America and located in
Tazewell county, where some of his friends from Germany had previously settled and where he rented a little house. At that time he had four sons and one daughter, all of whom worked and it took their wages for one year to pay their passage across the At- lantic and the expenses of their trip to this state. The second year the father rented a farm in Deer Creek township, Tazewell county, for one-half the crop raised, and in 1864 purchased a farm in Pike township, Livingston county, upon which he spent the remainder of his life, dying there in Decem- ber, 1878, his wife in 1874. In their family were seven children, of whom four sons and one daughter are still living.
Our subject acquired a good practical education in the common schools of his na- tive land, which he attended for eight years, but his knowledge of the English language has been self-acquired. At the age of four- teen he commenced earning his own liveli- hood. working out while in Germany, and for four years after coming to this country he worked for and assisted his father in get- ting a start. He then began life for hin- self as a farmer upon rented land.
In Tazewell county Mr. Klein was mar- ried, January 25, 1864, to Miss Margaret Moschel, also a native of Bavaria and a daughter of Christian and Margaret Moschel. Her father, who was a cabinet - maker by trade, died in Germany, and sub- sequently she and her mother and seven children came to the new world in 1862. lo- cating in Tazewell county, Illinois, where she lived for several years and then came to Pike township, Livingston county, where she purchased a farm and there died Octo- ber 4, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Klein are the parents of seven children, namely: Katie, wife of Theodore Lommatsch, of Pike town-
F. J.
JOHN KLEIN.
MRS. JOHN KLEIN.
- JA_ _ 49Y
AsIc . . x and Tilden Foundat ons.
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ship, has two children, Clara and Ralph : Lena, wife of Louis Lommatsch, of the same township, has one son, Elmer ; Anna, at home; John married Miss Katic Schoenbeck, and they have one daughter, Mabel, and he operates a part of his father's tarm: Matilda, AAugust and Emelia, at lome ; one, the oldest of the family, died in infancy.
For four years after his marriage Mr. Klein continued to rent land in Tazewell county, and in 1869 came to Livingston county, locating upon a partially improved tarm of forty acres in Pike township, which he had purchased a year or two before. . 1.s his financial resources have increased he has added to his landed possessions from time to time until he now has two hundred and forty acres of rich and arable land, which he has placed under excellent cultivation and unproved with a good set of farm buildings. His success in life is due to his industry, enterprise and good management. He is a man of good business ability and sound judgment, and carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes.
Originally Mr. Klein was identified with the Democratic party and cast his first pres- idential vote for Samuel J. Tilden in 1876. but of recent years has been independent in politics, supporting the best men, regardless of party affiliations. He has taken a very active and influential part in public affairs, has been a delegate to many county, sena- torial, congressional and state conventions. and has been honored with a number of im- portant official positions, having served as township clerk fourteen years, supervisor two years, assessor two years, justice of the peace eight years, a member of the school board, and president and clerk of the dis- trict many years. His official duties have 1
always been most faithfully and satisfac- torily performed, winning the commenda- tion of all concerned. In 1885 Mr. Klein and N. J. Myer and others established the Eppards Point Fire Insurance Company, and the former was made president. the latter secretary of the same. Our subject is one of the most public spirited and enter- prising men of his community and has done much to aid in the development and further the interests of Pike township. Religiously he and his wife are members of the Lu- theran church.
CHARLES EDWARD WATSON.
Charles Edward Watson, now deceased, was born in Indiana, in which state he was reared and educated. In his youth he learned the trade of wagonmaker and when a young man he came to Pontiac, first, in 1857, and for a time engaged in his chosen occupation. He later returned to his native state, but in 1862 again came to Pontiac, which continued his home until his death.
On the 19th of April, 1864, Mr. Watson was united in marriage with Miss Cordelia Buck, by whom he had three children. Clara W. is now the wife of Alexander .Algeo, a farmer of Rooks Creek township, and they have two children, Ana Louise and Walter Sammel. Jesse N., born January 13, 1870, married April 14, 1897, Miss Mary Lorena Cross, of Peoria, and they reside in Chicago, where he is engaged as a draughtsman. Willim .1., born September 4. 1872, is a contractor and builder in Larkin, Kansas. While still residing in Pontiac, he did a good deal of architectural work.
Mr. Watson was called to his reward May 4, 1887. Fraternally he was a member
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of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. in Norway, and came to this country at the Politically he was a Republican, and for a time held the office of street commissioner of Pontiac.
Mrs. Watson still makes her home in Pontiac, where she is well known and great- ly esteemed. She inherited the musical talent of her father and has sung in the choirs of the Methodist Episcopal, Baptist and Presbyterian churches of Pontiac, thus aiding by her voice the worship in song in the various churches.
JOHN H. OLESON.
Among the prosperous and successful farmers of Esmen township, Livingston county, who have made their own way in the world unaided and have succeeded in ac- cumulating a handsome competence, is John H. Oleson, whose home is on section 30. He was born in Norway, in 1850, and when seven years of age was brought to the United States by his father, Ole H. Oleson, who first settled in La Salle county, Illinois, and came to Livingston county five years later, locating in Esmen township, where he is now living a retired life with his youngest son, at the age of seventy-eight years. Ile, too, was an agriculturist and met with ex- cellent success in his labors.
Since the age of twelve years John 11. Oleson has been a resident of Livingston county and is indebted to her public schools for his educational advantages. The old homestead adjoins the farm where he now lives, and he aided in its operation until twenty-four years of age. He was then married, in this county, June 10, 1874. to Miss Isabel Highland, who was also born
age of six years with her father, Ole High- land. They settled in Livingston county, where she grew to womanhood. The chil- dren born to our subject and his wife are: Elsie, wife of Benjamin Peterson, of Liv- ingston county; Cordelia, wife of Oscar Hetland: Ida, wife of George Thompson; Clara and Obed, both at home.
For two years after his marriage Mr. Oleson engaged in farming upon rented land and then purchased eighty acres of raw prairie land, on which he now resides, and to the improvement and cultivation of which he has since devoted his energies with most gratifying results. As he has prospered he has added to his farm two eighty-acre tracts, and now has a fine place of two hundred and forty acres, which he has tiled, fenced and placed under a high state of cultivation. In addition to this he has an eighty-acre tract, given him by his father, making a total of three hundred and twenty acres. He possesses many of the admirable character- istics of the Norwegian people, being in- dustrious, economical and persevering, and to these may be attributed his wonderful suc- cess. By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and has served as school director in his district. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran charch and are widely and favorably known throughout their section of the county.
CHRISTIAN VERCLER.
For over a quarter of a century this gen- tleman has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Livingston coun- ty, and now owns and successfully operates a valuable farm of three hundred and twenty
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acres on sections 27, 31 and 33, Pike town- ship, He was born July 14. 1852, in the province of Lorraine, France, now a part of Germany, and is a son of Christian Vercler, Sr., one of the most prosperous and pro- gressive farmers in that part of the county. lle was educated in both the French and German languages, but has acquired his knowledge of English since coming to Amer- ica. He sailed from Havre and landed in New York, September 27, 1872, and came direct to Livingston county, Illinois. Two years later he was joined by his father, who bought two hundred and forty acres of land in Pike township, but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, as he died the same year.
On his arrival here our subject com- menced working by the month at farm labor, and was thus employed for a year and a half. He then assisted his father in the im- provement and cultivation of the place, and after the latter's death, he and his brothers, Andrew, Joseph, Jacob and Peter, continued its operation for three years. In 1881 our subject purchased eighty acres of his present farm, and to it he has since added until he now owns an excellent farm of three hun- dred and twenty acres, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation and im- proved with good and substantial buildings. Hle has made for himself an honorable record in business and by his well-directed efforts has acquired a handsome competence.
On the Ist of January, 1881, in Pike township, Mr. Vercler was united in mar- riage with Miss Emma B. Le Duc, a native of that township and a daughter of one of its most prominent old settlers. Louis Le Duc. Five children blessed this union, but Bertha died in chiklhood. Those living are, Will- iam, Alice, Rudolph and Nettie.
By his ballot Mr. Vercler usually sup- ports the men and measures of the Demo- cratic party, but at local elections votes in- dependent of party lines, supporting the men whom he believes best qualified to fill the offices. He served some years as township clerk, collector of taxes one year, highway commissioner six years, and a member of the school board and district clerk nineteen years. He is a worthy representative of that class of citizens who lead quiet, in- dustrious, honest and useful lives, and con- stitute the best portion of the community. Religiously he is a member of the Mennonite church. Mrs. Vercler is a member of the German Baptist church.
JOHN W. BRUNER.
John W. Bruner, a prominent and repre- sentative business man of Pontiac, residing on East Water street, was born in Greene county, Ohio, July 8, 1837, a son of Peter and Elizabeth ( Tytus) Bruner. The father and mother were both born in Loudoun county, Virginia, and about 1835 removed to Ohio, locating near Xenia, where he en- gaged in milling and mercantile business. Later he carried on the dry-goods business in Butler county and at Germantown, Mont- gomery county, Ohio, and from that state he moved to Wabash county, Indiana, where he purchased a large tract of land and en- gaged in farming throughout the remainder of his life, dying there in 1852. His widow continued to reside on the farm until 1855, when she went to live with her brother, F. J. Tytus a prominent merchant and pork packer of Middletown, Butler county, Ohio, and a very wealthy and benevolent man, who
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was born February 5. 1806, and died at the age of sixty years. After living with him two years, Mrs. Bruner made her home with her son-in-law, Dr. Samuel Stewart, in Han- ilton, Ohio, where she died at the age of about sixty years. The Bruner family is of German descent, the grandfather of our sub- ject having come to this country from Ger- many with three brothers and settled in the west. Peter Bruner, who was born Decem- ber 2, 1791, was a son of George Peter Bruner. His wife, Elizabeth, born Febru- ary 23, 1801, was a daughter of Tunis and Jane Tytus.
To Peter and Elizabeth (Tytus) Bruner were born five children, four of whom reached years of maturity, namely: (1) Francis J., who owned a large sugar plan- tation in Louisiana, was a Confederate sol- dier in the Civil war, and died in that state in1 1899. Three of his children are still liv- ing on the plantation. (2) Jennie E. is the widow of Dr. Samuel Stewart and is now living in Pontiac, Illinois. She has three children : Frank, a finisher in the shoe fac- tory of that place; Lizzie, wife of S. W. Strong, assistant superintendent of the Illi- nois state reformatory, and John R., who is employed in the shoe factory. (3) Will- iam H. married Elizabeth Cook, of Pontiac, and is engaged in the grocery business in that city. (4) John W., our subject, is the youngest of the family.
During his boyhood John W. Bruner at- tended the common schools of Butler county, Ohio, and completed his education at Den- nison University, Granville, that state. He remained at home until 1852, and after leav- ing college entered the dry goods business at Cincinnati and later at Middletown, in 1861, where he remained until the fall of 1864, when he sold out and came to Pon-
tiac. Illinois. For nine years he carried on farming in Pontiac township, Livingston county, where he owned two hundred and sixty acres, and also three hundred and twenty acres in Eppards Point township, and also raised, bought and sold stock. . At the end of that period he removed to the city of Pontiac, where he has since engaged in the real estate and stock business, meeting with marked success. He has also three thousand acres of land near Stuttgart, Arkansas, which is devoted to stock raising at the pres- ent time. He is an enterprising and pro- gressive business man, energetic and reliable, and easily wins the confidence and good will of all with whom he comes in contact. Po- litically, he-is a stanch Republican, but has never cared for official honors, while re- ligiously he is a member of the Baptist church, and socially affiliates with the Knights of Pythias, being one of the okler members.
On the 15th of August. 1861, Mir. Bruner married Miss Eliza J. Crane, a daughter of Stephen C. and Elizabeth- ( Simpson) Crane. Her father, a native of New York, moved to Butler county, Ohio, at an early day and there engaged in farm- ing with most gratifying success, becoming the owner of a large amount of both farmi and city property. About 1865 he brought his family to Pontiac, where he engaged in the real estate business quite extensively. Hle was a large stockholder in the first coal shaft sunk at this place, and was also con- nected with the first woolen mill established here. He seemed to prosper in all his un- dertakings and accumulated considerable wealth. He died in Pontiac, in 1880, leav- ing over two thousand acres of improved farming land in Livingston county, besides a large amount of city property and a thou-
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sand acres of land in other parts of the in 1852 that he came to Livingston county, west. Mrs. Bruner was born in Butler coun- ty, Ohio, January 25, 1843. Of the four children born to our subject and his wife only one is living. Hal C., residing at 208 Fast Water street, is engaged in the tile business in Pontiac, and is also interested in a manufacturing business in Chicago. He married Carrie S. Sims, of Pontiac, and they have three children, namely: Eva, Leonora and Crane.
JOHN BALMER, SR.
.A brilliant example of a self-made Amer- ican citizen and a grand examplification of the progress that an ambitious foreigner can make in this country of unbounded oppor- tunities, is shown in the case of John Balmer, one of the most successful and prosperous farmers and stock raisers of Livingston county. He resides on section 26, Pontiac township, within one mile of the city of Pon- tiac.
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