USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > The biographical record of Whiteside County, Illinois.. > Part 34
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campaign and at Washington, and partici- pated in the Grand Review at Washington. He was wounded in the charge on Mission- ary Ridge by a gunshot through the left arın and was in the hospital for a few days. He remained in the service until the close of the war, when he was honorably dis- charged, July 5, 1865, and returned home.
On the 21st of January, 1866, Mr. Meek was united in marriage with Miss Catherine B. Adams, a daughter of William Adams. She was born in Indiana, but when a child was brought to this state and reared in Bureau county. They began housekeep- ing on his farm of eighty acres west of Wal- nut, and to its further improvement and cul- tivation he devoted his energies for seven years. He then sold the place and bought another of one hundred and thirty-eight acres on the north line of Bureau county, which he operated until his removal to his present farm on section 35, Tampico town- ship, Whiteside county, in 1884. He still owns both places, containing two hundred and ninety-eight acres of fine farming land, but leaves their cultivation to others while he devotes his time to raising and handling stock. Mr. Meek has been called upon to mourn the loss of his estimable wife, who died May 23, 1899, and was laid to rest in Greenville cemetery, Bureau county. To them were born four sons, as follows: Will- iam F., who is a well-educated young man and a successful teacher; Samuel, who is engaged in farming on the home place; Richard, who carries on his father's farm in Bureau county; and John, at home. All have been provided with good school privi- leges and have engaged in teaching with the exception of Richard.
In his political affiliations, Mr. Meck is a stalwart Democrat, and cast his first presi-
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dential vote for Stephen A. Douglas. He has never lost his interest in educational affairs, but has most efficiently served as a member of the school board for twenty years, and as president of the district for some years. He has also held the office of township trustee, and he has ever faithfully discharged every duty that has devolved upon him, whether public or private. In many respects his life is well worthy of emulation.
M RS. MARY R. LOCKHEART, widow of Elisha Lockheart and a well-known resident of Fulton, is a woman of excellent business ability and marked intelligence, who has distinguished herself by her straight- forward, womanly course, no less than by the tact and energy she has displayed in the management of her business affairs. She is a native of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and a daughter of Captain David and Pris- cilla Macy (Coffin) Cottle, also natives of Nantucket, the former born in 1819, the latter in 1829. At the age of sixteen the father went to sea and spent about twenty years in the whaling business, mostly on the Pacific, and became master of a vessel. He was often away on a cruise four years at a time, and Mrs. Lockheart was four years old before she ever saw him. He made five voyages around the globe. In 1856 he re- tired from a sea-faring life and came west to Whiteside county, Illinois, locating in Garden Plain township, where he engaged in farming for some years but is now living retired with his daughter, Mrs. Lockheart, in Fulton. Mrs. Cottle died January 9, 1899. In their family were four children, one son and three daughters, of whom Mrs. Lockheart is the eldest, the others being
Eunice M., wife of William H. Story, who owns a large dairy farm near Monee, Illi- nois; Elizabeth; and David, a farmer of Fulton township, this county.
Mrs. Lockheart received a good, prac- tical education in the schools of Garden Plain and Albany, and for eight years suc- cessfully engaged in teaching in the district schools of this county. Later she engaged in the dressmaking and millinery business in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for some time. On the 10th of July, 1888, she gave her hand in marriage to Elisha Lockheart, and to them were born three children, namely: Elisha C., Macy H. and Priscilla D.
Mr. Lockheart was born in the town of Greene, Adams county, Ohio, May 21, 1821, and at the age of twelve years was made assistant manager of a woodyard on Brush Creek Island, in the Ohio river, for the purpose of supplying steamboats with wood. He continued in that business until the fall of 1845, when he came to White- side county, Illinois, and entered two hun- dred and thirty-one acres of land, two hun- dred acres of which was on section 11, Gar- den Plain township, and the remainder was timberland on section 8. The money with which he paid for this land he had saved from his earnings while working in the wood yard. Returning to his old home in Adams county, Ohio, he was married, No- vember 16, 1852, to Miss Rebecca Rinard, who died February 20, 1885, leaving no children, and was buried in Cottonwood cemetery. After his marriage, Mr. Lock- heart remained in Ohio until 1856, when he again came to Garden Plain township, Whiteside county, Illinois, and located on section 27, where he improved and culti- vated a farm, successfully operating it for some years. Soon after the death of his
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first wife he moved to Clinton, where he made his home until 1890, and then came to Fulton. Economical, persevering and industrious, he amassed a snug fortune, and while a resident of Fulton was connected with several of the leading enterprises of the city, being at one time a stockholder in the Hellerstedt Carriage Company and pres- ident of the same; a stockholder in the Mis- sissippi Valley Stove Company; and one of the principal stockholders of the Fulton Electrie Light & Power Company. At the time of his death he also owned eighteen hundred acres of valuable land in Whiteside county. Public-spirited and progressive, he cheerfully gave his support to those enter- prises that tend to public development, and, with hardly an exception, he was connected with every interest that promoted the gen- eral welfare. He was a faithful member of the Presbyterian church, and his name was a synonym for honorable business dealing. For many years he affiliated with the Demo- cratic party, but during the last fifteen or twenty years of his life, he was an active and zealous member of the Prohibition party. He always took an active interest in educa- tional matters and most efficiently served as school director and school commissioner for many years. He died April 2, 1896, hon- ored and respected by all who knew him.
In the management of his business af- fairs since her husband's death, Mrs. Lock- heart has displayed remarkable business ability. She has personal charge of the es- tate, and has been president of the Fulton Electric Light & Power Company since 1895. She still retains her interest in schools and educational work, and from 1894 until 1897 was an influential member of the school board of Fulton, but on the expiration of her three years' term refused
to fill the office longer. She, too, is an earnest member of the Presbyterian church, and is also a member of Merton chapter, No. 356, O. E. S., of which she is past worthy matron. Her father is one of the oldest Masons in the state, having united with the order in Union lodge, Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1848.
FRANK P. TIMMERMAN, a well-known and prosperous general merchant of Spring Hill, is a business man of ability and enterprise. He was born May 3, 1853, in Cattaraugus county, New York, a son of John and Rachel M. ( Fuller) Timmerman, the latter a daughter of Levi and Betsey Fuller, natives of New York.
John Timmerman was born in Johns- town, New York, and in his native state spent his earlier days. In 1861, being am- bitious to improve his fortunes by a change of location, he came with his family to Whiteside county, and having rented land on Spring Hill was there engaged in the pursuit of agriculture until his death, in 1898, at the venerable age of eighty-eight years. He took great interest in public matters,'and while a resident of New York served as captain of the Thirty-fourth Com- pany of militia. His wife who preceded him to the better land, bore him nine chil- dren, as follows: Frank P., the special subject of this brief biographical sketch: Cordelia R., wife of Hiram Gilmore, of California; Mrs. Mary Ann McCollister, of Arkansas; J. Delos, a soldier in the late Civil war, died at Benton Barracks, Missouri; Wesley, who is engaged in business at Erie, this county; I. E., also a business man of Erie; Alice, wife of Arthur Welding, of Spring Hill; Anna, wife of C. 1. Merrill,
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of Prophetstown; and George, of Spring Hill.
Frank P. Timmerman received a com- mon-school education, and until seventeen years old assisted his father in the labors incidental to farm life. The following three years he was employed as a builder of rail- way bridges in Missouri and lowa, after which he returned to the parental home- stead, which he assisted in carrying on for two years. In 1877, soon after his mar- riage, he went to California, locating in Men- docino county, where he found employment in a paper manufactory. Having left his wife at home, he returned to Portland town- ship the next year, and here in company with his brother, L. E. Timmerman, estab- lished himself in the meat business, which he continued two years. Purchasing then seventy acres of land near Spring Hill, Mr. Timmerman carried on general farming ten years. Desrious at that time of changing his occupation he bought the Spring Hill House, which he managed for two years; then renting that hotel he moved to Erie, where for a year and a half he had charge of the St. Nicholas Hotel and restaurant. Selling out his interests there in 1893, at public sale, he returned to Spring Hill, and at once embarked in the mercantile business. Commencing on a modest scale, he bought at first a small stock of goods, and from time to time, as the trade demanded and his means allowed, he replenished his stock, and added new lines of goods, until now he has one of the largest and most complete assortments of general merchandise to be found in the county, including staple and fancy groceries, dry goods, hardware, wag- ons, buggies, farming implements, machin- ery, etc.
On July 19, 1877, Mr. Timmerman
married Miss Mary Talcott, who was born, bred and educated in Henry county, where previous to her marriage, and during the time that Mr. Timmerman was in California, she was a successful teacher in the public schools. Their union has been blessed by the birth of two children, namely: Craig, a clerk in his father's store; and Bernice, at home. In politics Mr. Timmerman is an earnest supporter of the principles promul- gated by the Democratic party, and with the exception of the year that he cast his presidential ballot for Peter Cooper, has voted for the Democratic nominee. He takes a genuine interest in town and county affairs, and for two years served as township clerk, and five years on the board of edu- cation. Fraternally, he is a member of Prophetstown lodge, No. 508, I. O. O. F., and of Brooks camp, M. W. A., of Spring Hill, in which he has been clerk ten years. Both he and Mrs. Timmerman are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
H ON. TYLER MCWHORTER. There are in every community men of great force of character and exceptional ability, who by reason of their capacity for leader- ship become recognized as foremost citizens and bear a most important part in the de- velopment and progress of the locality with which they are connected. Such a man was Mr. McWhorter, who was a prominent farmer of Montmorency township.
He was born in Metamora, Franklin county, Indiana, June 11, 1825, and was a son of John and Mary (Lynn) McWhorter, the former a native of Pennsylvania, the lat- ter of West Virginia. He was a descendant of Thomas Mc Whorter, who emigrated to this country prior to the French and Indian war
HON. TYLER MCWHORTER.
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and settled in New Jersey. He has three children, Gilbert, Hugh and Mary. . Hugh McWhorter married Keziah Tyler, and to them were born six children, of whom Tyler was the grandfather of our subject. After his marriage he removed to Indiana, where he spent his last days. The father of our subject was a successful agriculturist who owned and operated a farm on the outskirts of Metamora, Franklin county, Indiana. In his family were nine children, of whom three died in childhood, the others being Tyler, Rebecca, Lynn, Keziah, John and Henry. The last named was a soldier of the Civil war and died in New Orleans.
During his boyhood Tyler Mcwhorter, of this sketch, pursued his studies in a log school house of his native county, and his father being a teacher, assisted him in ac- quiring a good practical education which well fitted him for life's responsible duties. He remained at home until his marriage, which was celebrated November 28, 1849, Miss Rhoda A. Ward becoming his wife. She was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a daughter of Elias and Rhoda (Miller) Ward, natives of New Jersey. Her maternal grandfather was Major Luke Miller, who served with distinction as an officer in the Revolutionary war. He spent his entire life in Madison, New Jersey, dying in the house where he was born. By occupation he was a farmer and blacksmith. In his family were eight children, two sons and six daughters. Mrs. McWhorter's paternal grandfather was Israel Ward, also a native of New Jersey and a farmer by occupation. In 1811, accompanied by his family, he re- moved to Hamilton county, Ohio, where he bought land for himself and sons. He, too, had a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters.
Elias Ward, the father of Mrs. Mc- Whorter, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and for his services he received a land war- rant. For a number of years he followed the carriage trimmer's trade in Cincinnati, but finally selling his farm in Ohio, he moved to Franklin county, Indiana, where he lived until a few years before his death, when he came to Whiteside county, Illinois, to make his home with Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Whorter and some of his other children. Here he died September 6, 1870. He was an active worker in the Methodist church, and secured the first circuit preacher in Franklin county, Indiana, at the same time opening his house for services. His estimable wife died October 10, 1868. To them were born twelve children, all of whom reached man and womanhood with the exception of one son, Elias, who died in infancy. The others were George, Hettie, Robert, Ellis, Luke, Mary, Israel, James, Rhoda, John and Lewis B. Of this family only two are now living, Mrs. Mc Whorter and Lewis B. Ward, a farmer of Harmon township, Lee county, Illinois.
After his marriage, Mr. McWhorter con- cluded to come west, but it was not until 1865 that he started for this county. He made the journey by team, bringing his household goods with him, and then re- turned for his wife and three little children. This time they traveled by railroad to Dixon and from there by team to Sterling. They located in Montmorency township, where Mr. McWhorter first bought two hundred acres of land, and by subsequent purchase he increased his landed possessions until at the time of his death he had three hundred and sixty acres of land in Whiteside county and a quarter section of land just across the road from his home, in Lee county. Ile
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gave his attention principally to stock raising.
To Mr. and Mrs. McWhorter were born seven children, namely: Mary M. is now the wife of John Jamison, of Kossuth coun- ty, Iowa, and they have three children; Ellis, a farmer of Iowa, married Emma Seely, and they have four children; Anna is the wife of Edgar Woods, of Montmo- rency township, Whiteside county, and they have seven children; John E., a resident of Kossuth county, lowa, married Carrie Golder, and they have four children; Will- iam L., of Montmorency township, married Belle Beal, and they have one child; Char- lotte L. is the wife of Fred Buell, of Proph- etstown, and they have two children; and Leroy S., a farmer of Kossuth county, Iowa, married Ethel Barrett, and they have one child.
On the 5th of May, 1889, Mr. McWhor- ter departed this life, after a lingering ill- ness of about a year, and was laid to rest in a cemetery in Montmorency township. He was a prominent and active member of the Methodist Episcopal church in that township, and aided in the erection of the house of worship there. He was a recog- nized leader in the ranks of the local Repub- lican organization, and was elected to numerous township offices of honor and trust, serving as supervisor nine years and school director fifteen years. He was in- strumental in securing one of the first schools in Montmorency township. In 1874 he was elected to the state legislature by a large majority and became a prominent member of the twenty-ninth general Assembly, where he ably represented his district. Through- out his career of continued and far-reaching usefulness his duties were performed with the greatest care, and during a long life his
personal honor and integrity were without blemish. Since 1890 Mrs. McWhorter has been a resident of Sterling. She, too, is a faithful and consistent member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and is highly re- spected by all who know her.
L LOYD H. DILLON, deceased, was for many years one of the leading business men of Sterling, Illinois, a member of the Dillon Milling Company, which still bears his name. He won success by his well-di- rected, energetic efforts, and the prosperity that came to him was certainly well deserved.
Mr. Dillon was born in Zanesville, Ohio, December 10, 1839, a son of Lloyd and Margaret (Culbertson) Dillon, also natives of Zanesville. His paternal grandparents, John and Edith Dillon, removed to that state from Maryland at an early day and took up their residence in Zanesville, where the grandfather became quite a successful manufacturer and prominent citizen. There both he and his wife died. Lloyd Dillon, Sr., was in business with his father in Zanesville for many years and he, too, be- came very prosperous and influential. His entire life was passed in Ohio. (Further mention is made of the family in the sketch of Moses Dillon on another page of the vol- ume. )
The subject of this sketch was only seven years old when his father died, after which he made his home with an aunt in Ohio for a few years, while he attended the common schools of Zanesville. At the age of fourteen he came west to make his home with his cousin, Charles Dillon, in Iowa City, Iowa, and after living with him for a short time commenced work for his cousin's father-in-law, a Mr. Foster. Here he be-
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came familiar with agricultural pursuits, and was thus employed until the breaking out of the Civil war.
Hardly had the echoes from Fort Sum- ter's guns died away before Mr. Dillon offered his services to the government, en- listing April 18, 186t, in the First lowa In- fantry, which was mustered into the United States service at Keokuk, May 14, 1861. He had previously made up his mind to enter the service, if war was declared, hop- ing in that way to abolish some of the slave laws which then existed. Once, while plowing in the field, he was interrupted by three men who were hunting a negro fugi- tive, and they tried to make him tell where the man was. This he could not or would not do, but was compelled to assist in the hunt, as they told him he was liable to ar- rest if he knew anything of the negro's whereabouts. He afterward looked up the law on the subject and, finding it to be cor- rect, he determined to be one to help to abolish it. Accordingly, he was one of the first to enlist from lowa at the outbreak of the war. He was wounded in the leg at Wilson's Creek, Missouri, August 10, 1861, and was discharged from the service on the 25th of that month. He re-enlisted at Iowa City, January 10, 1862. in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, and was made sergeant of his con)- pany, September 15, 1862; second lieuten- ant, February 1, 1863, and captain of Com- pany 1, May 15, 1865. He was quite se- verely wounded in the left breast at Gun- town, Mississippi, June 10, 1864. The war being over and his services no longer needed, he was finally mustered out at Atlanta, Georgia, August 8, 1865. On his return to civil life he resumed farming in lowa.
On the 28th of September, 1865, in Peoria, Illinois, Mr. Dillon was united in
marriage with Miss Ruth E. Rees, a native of Berkley county, Virginia, and a daughter of Jacob and Thamasin ( Lupton) Rees. To Mr. and Mrs. Dillon were born eight chil- dren, four of whom are now living.
After his marriage Mr. Dillon engaged in farming on rented land in lowa until 1872, when he came to Sterling, Illinois, and immediately embarked in milling with Samuel Kingery, who later sold his interest, and M. C. Bowers became a member of the firm. Subsequently J. T. Strock was a member of the company, but finally with- drew, and in 1891 Mr. Dillon had the busi- ness incorporated as the Dillon Milling Com- pany, which name it now bears. He was a large stockholder and treasurer of the company at the time of his death, which occurred June 18, 1898. He was buried with military honors by William Robinson post, G. A. R., and laid to rest in Riverside cemetery, Sterling. He was also a mem- ber of the Modern Woodmen of America and other fraternal orders, and was a sup- porter of the Republican party. He was a quiet, unassuming man, whose word was considered as good as his bond, and was a devoted Christian and faithful member of the Presbyterian church. As a citizen he was always true to every trust reposed in him, and it is safe to say that no man in the community was more respected or honored.
ISAAC FRANCIS, deceased, was an en- terprising farmer and stock raiser of Prophetstown township, who located there in 1869, at which time he was possessed of but little means, but having a; determina- tion to succeed, did succeed, becoming the owner of a well-stocked farm of two hun-
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dred and forty acres, and surrounded by such evidences of thrift as makes the heart glad. He was born in Lincolnshire, Eng- land, December 22, 1847, and a son of John Francis, also a native of the same shire.
The first seventeen years of the life of our subject were spent in his native land, where he received a common-school educa- tion. With the earnest desire to better himself in life, and hearing of the oppor- tunities afforded the enterprising person in the United States, he resolved to make this his home. Accordingly, in 1864, he crossed the Atlantic, and for five years was engaged in farm labor in Moorestown, New Jersey. He was there married March 11, 1869, to Miss Anna Thompson, who was born in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and a daughter of Pemberton Thompson, also a native of that state, who there married Margaret Dobins. He was a mason by trade, an oc- cupation that he followed during life. He never came west, but lived and died in his native state.
Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Francis came to Whiteside county, where the latter had then two sisters living-Mrs. Edward Lancaster and Mrs. Henry Clark -- both of whom had settled here a few years previously. On their arrival Mr. Francis rented a farm and engaged in farming. He continued to rent for seven years, in the meantime laying by each year a little money. He then purchased the farm where the family now resides, a tract of two hun- dred and forty acres, fairly well improved. On taking possession, he at once com- menced its further improvement, and as the years went by he erected new buildings, in- cluding a large barn and various outbuild- ings, which have added greatly to the appear- ance of the place as well as to its value.
In addition to general farming, Mr. Francis gave much attention to stock rais- ing, especially in the later years. Short horn cattle was his specialty, and he al- ways endeavored to procure stock of a high grade, blooded animals, and at the time of his death had a herd of about fifty head, Cruikshank, a full blooded animal, being at the head of the herd. His success in this branch of his business was such as to bring him into prominence as a stock raiser, and his judgment of the value and grade of stock was second to none. As a general farmer, he was also a success, his place al- ways being kept under a high state of culti- vation.
Mr. Francis had a love for his calling and gave it his undivided attention. He neither sought or desired office, and was only prevailed on to accept one official posi- tion, that of road commissioner, an office which he held for several years. In poli- tics he was originally a Republican, but of late years he affiliated with the Democratic party. Fraternally he was a Master Mason, holding his membership with the Blue lodge in Prophetstown.
To Mr. and Mrs. Francis seven children were born, of whom Laura is now the wife of Frank Lancaster, a farmer of Prophets- town township; Jennie, a young lady, re- sides at home; George is married and is residing in the city of Prophetstown; Will- iam, a young man, is at home, and is as- sisting in carrying on the home farm; John, Edward and Bertha are also at home.
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