USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > The biographical record of Whiteside County, Illinois.. > Part 56
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On the 10th of May, 1868, in this coun- ty, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage with Miss Celestia Herman, born in Mar- ion, Linn county, Iowa, but who was reared and educated in Peru, Illinois. When a young man her father, Moses Her- man, came to this state, and here married Betsy Underwood, a daughter of Lewis Underwood, one of the pioneers of White- side county. To our subject and wife
were born four children: Sylvia, now the wife of George E. Warner, a farmer of Prophetstown township; Graham G., who is married and engaged in farming in Portland township; Fred J. and Pearl, who are still with their mother.
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson began house- keeping on the old Thompson homestead on the Rock River bottoms in Portland town- ship. He and his brother, H. C., pur- chased the home place, which they operated together until 18So, when J. R. Thomp- son bought his brother's interest and carried on the farm alone until September, 1891, when he rented it and moved to Prophets- town. From time to time he added to his land possessions until he had seven hundred acres of fine farming land, upon which he erected a commodious and pleasant resi- dence, good barns and outbuildings and made many other improvements which added to the value and attractive appearance of the place. He was one of the most pro- gressive, enterprising and energetic agri- culturists of his community. He gave con- siderable attention to stock raising, and was the first to introduce pure blooded short horn cattle into the township; of which he afterward made a specialty. He purchased the first McCormick harvester and binder in the township. He was a hard worker and success crowned his well-directed ef- fort.
On account of ill health, Mr. Thompson spent his last years in retirement, and he died at his home in Prophetstown, January 20, 1899, being laid to rest in the cemetery at that place, his comrades of the G. A. R. post having charge of the interment. Polit- ically he was a stanch Democrat, and fraternally was an active and prominent member of John A. Parrott post, No. 543,
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G. A. R., and a member of the Masonic lodge, of Prophetstown. He was faithful to his country and to his friends, and in his home was a most exemplary husband and father. His death occasioned the deepest regret throughout the community, and Whiteside county thereby lost one of its valued citizens.
B ENJAMIN F. BOYNTON, deceased, who was for many years an honored and trusted employe of the Chicago, Burl- ington & Quincy Railroad and a highly re- spected citizen of Rock Falls, was born in Grass Lake, Michigan, September 26, 1837, and was a son of Zerah and Permelia (Buss) Boynton, both natives of Vermont. In 1834 the father removed to Michigan and settled at Grass Lake, where he became a prosperous farmer.
Our subject was reared upon his father's farm and remained there until about nine- teen years of age, when he entered the em- ploy of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, with which he was con- nected until his death, with the exception of a few years spent with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. On leav- ing their employ he moved to Aurora, Ili - nois, and again entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. After living there about two years, he came to Rock Falls in 1873, and continued to make this place his home until his death, which occurred April 25, 1899. For a short time he was in the employ of the Michigan Central and the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad Companies, but through- out his railroad career, he was mostly con- nected with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Road. He rose from a humble po-
sition to that of conductor on passenger trains, holding the latter position for a quarter of a century to the entire satisfac- tion of the company and many patrons of the road, for he was a popular, genial man who made many friends.
On the 25th of December, 1861, in Chicago, Mr. Boynton was united in mar- riage with Miss Sarah Petrie, a daughter of Charles and Lusina (Allard) Petrie, of that city, and by this union four children were born, namely: (1) Charles Z., born in Grass Lake, Michigan, was killed near Freeport, Illinois, October 8, 1893, while employed on the railroad as fireman. He married Miss Emma Palmer, who with her two children, Elsie and Franklin, reside in Grass Lake, Michigan. (2) Fannie is the wife of Amos K. Frey, of Rock Falls, who is in the employ of the government as sur- veyor on the canal. He is a son of Henry and Lizzie (Kreider) Frey, of Jordan town- ship, and is the youngest in a family of eleven children, all of whom are living. The other two children of our subject died in infancy.
Mr. Boynton was a consistent and faith- ful member of the Congregational church, and belonged to the Knights Templar, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Conductors' Relief & Aid Society. Politic- ally he was a Republican, but never took an active part in political affairs aside from voting. He was held in high regard by all who knew him and had many friends in his adopted county.
C HARLES STURTZ. For almost a third of a century, Mr. Sturtz has re- sided in Whiteside county, and during this time has been actively connected with its
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agricultural and stock raising interests. He is to-day the owner of one hundred and six- ty acres of land on section 12, Montmorency township, and well-tilled fields and substan- tial improvements of the place indicate his careful supervision and enterprise. As he is widely and favorably known in this local- ity, the record of his life cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our readers, and it is therefore with pleasure that we prepare his history for publication.
Mr. Sturtz was born July 6, 1837, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of John and Rebecca (Beale) Sturtz. The father was born in Bucks county, Penn- sylvania, December 17, 1799, and there fol- lowed farming during the greater part of his life. His wife was born in Somerset coun- ty, in 1805, and both have now passed away, the former having been called to the home beyond in 1868, the latter in 1883. Both were members of the Reformed church, and the father was of German lineage. In their family were fourteen children, five of whom died in childhood. The others are Cath- erine, who resided in Pennsylvania until her death; Herman, a resident of Montmorency township, Whiteside county; Margaret, who died in Pennsylvania; Christina, wife of James Close, of Pennsylvania, by whom she has eight children; Susan, wife of J. L. Kendall, of Pennsylvania, by whom she has twelve children; Charles; Noah, a farmer of Iowa; John E., a miner and farmer of Ohio; and Louisa, wife of Enoch Long, proprie- tor of a confectionery store of Rock Falls.
Charles Sturtz acquired his education in the public schools and when about twenty years of age began teaching. In 1862 he entered the Union army as a member of Company H, One Hundred and Seventy- first Pennsylvania Infantry, in which he
served for ten months with the rank of first sergeant. He was also in several sharp skirmishes. In 1863 he returned home and worked upon a farm until 1865, when he re- enlisted, becoming a member of Company D, Third Maryland Regiment of Home Guards. At the close of the war he re- turned home and worked with his father until 1868, when he came with his family, having in the meantime married, to White- side county. Here he operated rented land for four years, when, with the capital he had acquired through his own efforts, he purchased a farm of his own. He has since carried on general farming, and has also fed cattle for the market, shipping about four carloads annually for the past eight years. This has added materially to his income and made him one of the well-to-do farmers of the community.
In 1859 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Sturtz and Miss Catherine Kendall, who was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1839, a daughter of Samuel and Eliza- beth (River) Kendall, who were also natives of Somerset county, and were the parents of six children, Mrs. Sturz being the eldest. The others are Hannah, now deceased; Jesse; Joseph; Samuel and Jonathan. Fourteen children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sturtz: Oscar L., a photographer of South Bend, Indiana, who is married and has two children, Hazel and Lucile; Charles E., an attorney of Kewaunee, Illinois, who has one daughter, Zola; Alice, wife of Her- man Baughman, an employe of the American Express Company in Dixon, Illinois, by whom she has three children, Clyde, Lula and Esther; Wilson, who is living in Dixon; Martha, wife of Arthur Emmett, of Nelson, Illinois, by whom she has twin daughters, Edith and Ethel; Grant, who was married
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in 1898 and is practicing dentistry in Marinette, Wisconsin; Louis, who is mar- ried and is a photographer of Green Bay, Wisconsin; Herman, a member of the class of 1900 in the Chicago Dental College; Lawrence, who is working for his father; Cora, Edward, LeRoy and Harry, who are under the parental roof; and one who died in infancy. The parents are members of the Lutheran church of Sterling. In politics Mr. Sturtz is an advocate of Republican principles, and has served as assessor for a number of years, also acceptably filled the positions of school director and trustee. When in Pennsylvania he was justice for the peace for some time and has in all these positions discharged his duties in a very prompt and reliable manner. Socially he is connected with the Grand Army for the Republic, with the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Royal Neighbors of Mont- morency, and is to-day as true to his duties of citizenship as when he followed the stars and stripes upon the battle fields of the south.
VORK EDDY was for many years prom- inently identified with the agricultural interests of Whiteside county, but is now living a retired life in Erie. Throughout his career of continued and far-reaching use- fulness his duties have been performed with the greatest care, and business interests have been so managed as to win him the confidence of the public and the pros- perity which should always attend honor- able effort.
Mr. Eddy was born in Oneida county, New York, September 5, 1831, a son of Augustus and Olive Eddy. The father was a native of Vermont and a farmer by occu-
pation. He came to Illinois in 1835, and in 1854 took up his residence in this county, where he continued to make his home un- til called from this life, in 1889. The wife and mother died in 1863. They had six children, namely: Lousina and Philena, both deceased; Lorenzo, a resident of Col- orado; York, our subject; and Calista and Noble, both deceased.
Mr. Eddy, whose name introduces this sketch, remained under the parental roof until his marriage, which was celebrated January 27, 1853, Miss Louisa D. Newton becoming his wife. She was born in Onei- da county, New York, October 1, 1833, a daughter of Marshall Newton. To Mr. and Mrs. Eddy have been born eleven children, of whom the eldest is deceased. The oth- ers are Ai, Seth, Nellie, Clarence, Laura, Seward, Lloyd, Newell, Dana and Lottie, seven of whom are married and have fam- ilies of their own.
Mr. and Mrs. Eddy began their domes- tic life in Du Page county, Illinois, where they lived for about a year and a half and then came to Whiteside county, locating in Erie township, where he purchased four hundred and ten acres of land, which he converted into one of the most desirable farms of that region. With the exception of a year or two, he gave his entire time and attention to the cultivation and im- provement of his farm until 1891, when he removed to Erie and has since lived retired. While on the farm he made a specialty of stockraising and in that industry he met with most gratifying success.
During the dark days of the Civil war, Mr. Eddy manifested his patriotism by en- listing, in October, 1862, as a private in Company I, Seventy-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the service a lit-
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tle over a year, when he was discharged on account of ill health. He casts his ballot with the Republican party, and gives his support to those measures which he believes will prove of public benefit. Wherever known he is held in high regard, and those who know him best are numbered among his warmest friends.
W ILLIAM L. MCWHORTER. Among Whiteside county's native sons is numbered this gentleman, who owns and is successfully conducting a fine farm on sec- tion 3, Montmorency township. He was born in this township, August 23, 1860, and is a son of Hon. Tyler McWhorter, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. In the district schools of the neighborhood he acquired his preliminary education, which was supplemented by a commercial course in the Sterling Business College. In his youth he early became familiar with all the duties and labors which fall to the lot of the agriculturist, being his father's assistant until he attained his majority. After his marriage he rented the old homestead for four years and successfully engaged, not only in general farming, but also in stock raising, doing his own shipping and market- ing his cattle and hogs in Chicago. In this way he acquired the capital with which to purchase a farm of his own, and in 1892 he bought his present property, consisting of two hundred and sixty-one acres of valuable land on section 3, Montmorency township. The greater part of his land is now under a high state of cultivation, and he is also suc- cessfully engaged in stock raising. His methods are at once practical and pro- gressive, and in all trade transactions he is thoroughly reliable.
On the 12th of March, 1890, Mr. Mc- Whorter was united in marriage with Miss Margaret A. Beale, who was born in Somer- set county, Pennsylvania, December 28, 1866. Her parents were also natives of the Keystone state and never came to Illinois. The mother died when Mrs. McWhorter was thirteen years of age and when a maiden of eighteen summers she came to Whiteside county to make her home with her uncle, Herman Sturtz. Two children were born of their union: Margaret Louise, now nine years of age; and one who died in infancy. The parents have many warm friends in the community and enjoy the hospitality of many of the best homes in this locality.
Mr. McWhorter is a member of Mont- morency camp, No. 1912, M. W. A., and belongs to the Lutheran church of Sterling. In politics he is a Republican, but has never been an aspirant for political honors, pre- ferring to devote his time and energies to his farming interests. Since taking up his abode at his present home, he has erected a large barn and made many other sub- stantial improvements, including the plant- ing of an orchard of about two hundred trees. He is very industrious, and his well-directed efforts have brought to him a success which ever crowns earnest labor.
H UGH SHANNON, one of the largest land owners in Whiteside county, and one of the most progressive citizens of Gen- esee township, is a self-made man in the best sense of the word. Commencing the battle of life empty handed he gradually ac- cumulated wealth by the exercise of the talent with which nature had plentifully en- dowed him. For years he has been num-
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bered with the most enterprising of our local farmers, and by reason of the interest which he has taken in the raising of high-bred stock, his name has been a familiar one at the fairs and exhibitions of this county and the northern part of the state.
A native of the northern part of Ireland, Mr. Shannon's birth place was only about six miles from the shores of Scotland. He was born May 28, 1835, a son of Robert Shannon, a native of the same locality. The grandfather of our subject, James Shannon, was born in Scotland. Robert Shannon, who was a wealthy man at one time, lost his property by becoming security for friends, and came to America to retrieve his fortunes. With his wife and fourteen children he landed in Canada in 1849, with but seventy-five cents. His wife, whose maiden name was Rose Young, was a native of Ireland, born about 1816, and her death occurred in July, 1881. For six years they lived on rented land in Canada, but were ably assisted by their sons and ultimately became the owner of one hundred acres of land in Whiteside county. After his wife's death the father disposed of his property and made his home with his children. His death occurred in Sterling in 1889, under the hospitable roof of his daughter, Jennie, widow of Bert Hazzard. His other children were named respectively: Ellen, Mary, wife of James Hillyer; Hugh, Thomas, Rachel, Robert, John, Annie, Glasgow, Archie, Jennie, David, George and Prudence. The only survivors of this large family are: Hugh, Thomas and Jennie. Thomas, now retired from business, resides in Sterling. He has five children.
As stated, Hugh Shannon left his native land in 1849, and after he reached Canada he found employment as a farm hand, re-
ceiving four dollars a month. The follow- ing year he worked during the summer sea- son and attended school in the winter. Strong and capable, he had little difficulty in obtaining work, and just before coming west he received seventy-five dollars for a few weeks' labor. As this was the largest sum which he had ever had in his possession at one time he considered himself rich, but the same enterprising spirit which char- acterized him as a boy has been noticeable throughout his business career. For two years he worked as a carpenter, put down wells, and did other kinds of hard labor in this county, carefully husbanding his earn - ings. For seven years after his marriage he rented land, but his economical wife was of great assistance to him in his early strug- gles, and as the Civil war was in progress and men were in great demand at the front. the young wife was forced to help her hus- band in the fields. Thus by earnest effort they laid aside some capital with which they purchased a small tract of land, this prov- ing the nucleus of their subsequent fortunes. Mr. Shannon traded his farms several times, and finally purchased a desirable tract of land to which he has kept adding, and at the present time he owns five hundred and ten acres in Genesee township and one hun- dred and sixty acres in Lyndon township. Nearly all of this property has been im- proved by him personally, modern buildings adding much to the desirability of these farms. For years he has been one of the most extensive buyers and shippers of live stock in the township. On one occasion he shipped ten car loads to the city market. He raises grain and hay for the purpose of feeding his stock, and makes a specialty of raising fine cattle and hogs. Moreover, he has been locally noted for the valuable,
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high-bred horses which he has owned, and at one time he paid forty-one hundred dol- lars for two fine animals. For many years his horses have taken premiums at fairs, and at the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, when he had over forty-five com- petitors in that special department, he was awarded the fourth premium for draft horses. At local fairs he has usually car- ried away the first or second prizes, and so fine were his exhibits that for some years no one could be found to enter into compe- tition with him, and he was consequently compelled to withdraw his horses. He has been present at every fair held in Morrison and Sterling of late years, for twenty years having been assistant marshal.
Socially, Mr. Shannon is very popular, and is one of the favorites at the old settlers' meetings and reunions. In his political faith he is a Republican, and while he has never sought public office, his fellow towns- men have prevailed upon him to hold sev- eral local positions of responsibility and trust. During a period of four years he served efficiently as township supervisor.
About six months after coming to Illinois Hugh Shannon wedded Susannah Durstine. She was born in Pennsylvania, in 1835, and consequently was twenty years of age at the time of her marriage. She had come to the west with her parents at seventeen years of age, and for six months had resided in Iowa. Her father then purchased land in Illinois, and for several years was en- gaged in general farming. Martin Durstine, for this was his name, with his wife, former- ly Mary Harvey, was a native of the Key- stone state. The union of our subject and wife was blessed by the birth of one daugh- ter, namely, Mary E., now the wife of Chauncy Brown, who resided on a portion
of her father's farm, and is engaged in the live stock business in company with Mr. Shannon. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have had seven children: May, Minnie, Hugh, Edith, Josie, Warren and Eva. Not many young couples have commenced life together with less capital than did Mr. and Mrs. Shannon. As he sometimes laughingly says, he bor- rowed ten dollars, seven of which he invested in a suit of clothes, while three dollars was given to the minister for performing the ceremony. Thus he started his new life in debt, but it was not long ere he was on the high road to success.
Mrs. Shannon had ten brothers and sis- ters, namely: Hannah; Jacob, who died in Murphreesboro, Tennessee, while serving his country in the war of the Rebellion; Sarah, wife of John A. Boston, a Nebraska blacksmith; Harvey, making his home with our subject; Martin, deceased; John, of Rock Falls, who served as orderly to Colo- nel Kirk, during the Civil war; Henry; Wilson; Rebecca and William. During the Civil war Harvey Durstine enlisted as a pri- vate in Company A, Thirty-fourth Regiment, Illinois Infantry, and served under Captain E. B. Ward. Among the important battles in which he participated were the following: Shiloh, Corinth, La Vern, Knob Gap, Stone river, Liberty Gap, Chickamauga, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Rome, Dallas, Kene- saw mountain, Peach Tree creek, Jonesboro, being mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, September 7, 1864.
G EORRGE T. 'MARFLEET, who is at the head of the Rock Falls Ice Company and is a leading business inan of Rock Falls, Illinois, was born in Chautauqua county, New York, November 18, 1837, and is a son of
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George K. and Elizabeth (Pierson) Marfleet, both natives of England, who came to the United States in early life and were mar- ried in New York. They lived in that state until coming west in 1857, when they lo- cated in Portland township, Whiteside coun- ty, Illinois. The father died in Erie, this county, in 1873, and the mother passed away in January, 1858. Our subject is the second of their three sons: (1) Pierson K .. a prominent lawyer of Prophetstown, mar- ried Lydia Ramsey, a daughter of David Ramsey, of that place. (2) Philip T. was a farmer of Prophetstown, enlisted in 1861 in the Union army during the Civil war, and died at Springfield, Illinois, in the win- ter of 1862.
In the county of his nativity, George T. Marfleet remained until sixteen years of age and then came overland to Portland township, Whiteside county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming for three years. Re- turning to the east, he attended school for a year, and on the completion of his edu- cation again came to this county, where he taught school in Tampico township through the winter months for about five years, while he worked on farms through the sum- mer season. He continued his residence in that township until 1884, when he came to Rock Falls and was engaged in the butcher business for a time. Since then he has given his attention to the ice busi- ness, in which he is still interested with his son Kirkman under the name of the Rock Falls Ice Company. By fair and honorable dealing they have built up an extensive trade and are numbered among the repre- sentative business men of the city.
On the 13th of December, 1865, Mr. Marfleet was united in marriage with Miss Frances C. Post, a daughter of Ethan and 27
Jane (Whitcomb>) Post, of Chautauqua coun- ty, New York. Her parents came west in 1853 and located in Iowa. Her mother died in Polk county, that state, and her fa- ther's death occurred in Newton, Kansas, September 20, 1876, and there his remains were interred. In early life he followed the occupation of farming, but later engaged in mercantile business. To Mr. and Mrs. Mar- fleet were born two sons, namely: Kirk- man S., born in Tampico township, July 16, 1867, obtained a good education under the able instruction of his father and during his youth assisted in the labors of the home farm. When eighteen years of age he had a great desire to go west and finally went to Kansas, but not being pleased with the country, he returned to Illinois at the end of five months. For three years and a half he was in the employ of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railroad Company, and was with the Northwestern Railroad Com- pany from 1884 until 1893, after which he worked in the paper mill at Rock Falls for two years, and since then has engaged in the ice business with his father. They com- menced operations on a small scale but now have a plant of eight hundred tons capacity. He has been successful in his business un- dertakings and has already acquired some property. George T., Jr., our subject's younger son, was born in Tampico town- ship, September 9, 1869, and is an expert molder in the employ of the Keystone Man - ufacturing Company of Rock Falls. He married Effie M. Swarthout, of that city, and they have one child.
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