separated from his wife, and is a farmer of this
county; Ahrend, who is a farmer residing on the
same section as his father, was born on the 20th
of November, 1858; Catherine, born March 23,1859,
is the wife of Dick Duisof Nebraska; Oltman, born
December 17, 1861, is a farmer of section 11, Ash
Grove Township; John, born August 29, 1863,
died in Nebraska on the 25th of September, 1891,
leaving a wife; Talka, wife of Jordan Rosendall,



LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

URBANA



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.



691



of Nebraska, was born Jul^- 24, 1865; Angeline,
born April 29, 1867, is the wife of Ben Johnson,
of Milford Township; AVilliam W., born April 23,
1869, is a farmer; Harmon, born March 17, 1871,
aids ill tlie work of the farm; George, born on
Febru.ar)- 11, 1873, and Margaret, November 24,
1874, are at home. The eliildren have all received
good educations, and with their parents are all
members of the Lutheran Cliurcli.

Mr. Buss is one of the popular men of Ash
Grove Township, and has lield tiie oftice of Road
Supervisor. He is now the owner of a fine farm of
two liundred and ten acres, which at the time of
his removal here was wild and uncultivated, but
he lias now placed it under a high state of culti-
vation. On coming to Iroquois County, Mr. Buss
began the improvement of his land, and is now
one of the well-to-do agriculturists of the localitj'.
He has made his home here since 1877. Our sub-
ject cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham
Lincoln, and the man of whom he rented his farm
at the time hearing this made him leave. He has
ever since been a stalwart advocate of the Repub-
lican part}-, and to it gives his earnest support.
He often attends the conventions f)f his partly,
and takes a deep interest in its welfare.



(^^HOMAS A. IRELAND, one of the promi-
(ff(^^. nent and inlluential farmers and stock-
^V^^' raisers of Artesia Township, residing on
section 27, where he owns and operates three hun-
dred and twenty acres of land, is a native of West
\'irginia. He was born in Harrison County, on the
23d of May, 1824, and is a son of Jonathan and
Eliza (Boring) Ireland, both of whom were natives
of iSIaryland. Of their family of five sons and
six daughters, six are yet living, as ftillows: Sarah,
Thom.as A., "William W., Elizabeth R., Juliet and
Theodore F. Those now deceased arc Theophilus,
Selina, JMary A., Jonathan G. and Eliza Jane.

The parents of this family, emigrating AV^est-
ward, took up their residence in Ohio about 1828,
locating in Clinton County, near Wilmington,
where they resided for about six j-ears. In 1834



they came to Illinois, settling in what is now
Bureau County, but was then a part of Putnam
County. Their farm of three hundred acres was
located near Princeton, and continued to be the
home of I\Ir. Ireland until 1871, with the excep-
tion of three 3-ears, from 1841 until 1844, which
he passed in Putnam County. In 1861 he was
called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, and ten
years later he went to De Kalb County to live
with his youngest son, Theodore F., where he died
on the 20tli of December, 1872, at an advanced
age.

Thomas A. Ireland, whose name heads this rec-
ord, spent the first thirteen years of his life in
West Virginia and Ohio, and then came with his
parents to Illinois. Amid the wild scenes of
pioneer life he was reared to manhood. In 1850
he removed to Lee County, where he resided for
seventeen years. In the meantime he was mar-
ried, the lady of his choice being Miss Amelia
Lyons, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth
(Darnes) Lyons, of Lamoille, 111. Their union
was celebrated on the 6th of March, 1862, and
unto them were born a family of ten children:
Claribcl, born June 30, 1864, is the wife of W. S.
Marsh, a farmer of Artesia Township; Frances
Elizabeth, born September 19, 1866, is the wife of
F. P. Temple, a carpenter of Buckley; George W.,
who was born October 18, 1867, died January
12, 1869; Theodore Leslie, born April 18, 1870;
William Bruce, horn on the 6th of May, 1«72;
Remembrance Franklin, born Julj' 15, liS7l;
Byron T., born March 10, 1878; Leonidas J., born
F'ebruary 15, 1881; Earl Walden, born August 8,
1884; and Amelia L., born on the 9tli of March,
1890. Seven of the children are at home.

In the spring of 1867 Mr. Ireland removed to
I""ord County, locating on a farm in Lyman Town-
ship, about ten miles from Paxton, the county
seat, where with his family he resided until the
spring of 1876. That 3'ear witnessed his arrival in
Iroquois County, and he located on a half-section
of land in Artesia Ti>wnship, adjoining the corpor-
ation limits of Buckley on the west. Here he
still makes his home, and in connection with the
development of his land, which is now under a
high state of cultivation, he engages quite exten-



692



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.



sively in stock-raising, breeding horses, cattle and
bogs, to wliich lie feeds the greater part of his
grain. He is a man of good business ability, and
an industrious and thrifty farmer. He has a beau-
tiful home, and his large barn, 50x70 feet, which
he has recently erected, is one of the best in the
county. In Ford County Mr. Ireland held vari-
ous offices of trust, and was Justice of the Peace
for four years. In politics he is a supporter of
the Republican principles, but is not a politician
in the sense of ofHce-seeking, preferring to devote
liis entire time and attention to his business inter-
ests, in which he has met with excellent success.



' SAAC L. BODY, who resides on section 25,
Crescent Township, is a wortly- representative
of one of the honored pioneer families of the
county, his father, John Body, whose sketch ap-
pears elsewhere in this volume, being one of the
early settlers of the communitj'. He was born on
the 19th of Januarj-, 1852, on the old homestead
in Belmont Township, and his boyhood days
were quietly passed upon his father's farm in the
usual manner of pioneer lads. He acquired his
education in the common schools, which he at-
tended through the winter season, while in the
summer mouths he aided in the labors of the
fields.

After attaining liis majority, Mr. Body chose as
a companion and helpmate on life's journey Miss
Sarah J.John, a daughter of William and Margaret
(Cobbler) John. She was one of fourteen children,
nine of whom are jet living, tliree sons and tliree
daughters, viz.: David; Mary Ann, wife of Patrick
Sullivan; Elizabeth, wife of John Martin; Amy,
wife of John Hurd; Kancy Ann, wife of George
Featherling; William; Francis Marion; Sarah J.,
wife of our subject; and Isabel, wife of William
JMcElhany. The father of this famil}- is a native
of Ohio. He was born in 1806, and is still living
at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Farming
has been his principal occupation through life. He
came to Iroquois County when there were only



twelve white families on Sugar Creek, but the In-
dians were far more numerous. Mrs. John was
also born in the Buckeye .State, the date of her
birth being 1812. She died in 1890, at the age of
seventy-eight years.

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Body, which was
celebrated on the 8th of December, 1874, has been
blessed with a family of four children, all daugh-
ters, as follows: Clara Belle, Minnie Jlaj-, Neva
Frances and Bertha L. J. The family circle yet
remains unbroken.

Mr. Body is t)ne of the enterprising young far-
mers of this community. He owns one hundred
and eighty acres of arable land and eighty acres of
timber. The former is under a high state of cul-
tivation and 3'ields a golden harvest in return for
the care and labor bestowed upon it. The neat
appearance of the place indicates the thrift and
enterprise of the owner, who is recognized as one
of the representative agriculturists of the com-
munity. In politics, he is a supporter of Demo-
cratic principles, having affiliated with that party
since he cast his first Presidential vote for Hon.
S. J. Tildeu. For six j'ears he has ably served as
School Director. Public-spirited and progressive,
he takes an active interest in all that pertains to
tlie welfare of the community and does all in
his power for its upbuilding.



IIRIST MUNSTERMANN, who owns and
( ^^ operates a valuable farm of two hundred
5^^ and fortj' acres on section 3, Ash Grove
Township, is one of the worthy citizens that Ger-
many has furnished to Iroquois County. He was
born in Hanover, on the 5th of August, 1838, and
is a son of Peter IMunstermann, a farmer, who died
when our subject was two and a-half years old.
The mother bore the maiden name of Dorothy
Blome. On the death of Mr. Munstermann she
became the wife of Christ Schulenburg, who was
also an agriculturist, and spent her entire life in
Germany. The members of the family were Henry, a
farmer of Ash Grove Township; John, who died in
Cook County; Marj-, who is yet living in Germany;



PORTRAIT AKD BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.



693



Dorothy, who is a resident of Cook County; and
Christ of this slcetch. Tliere was also a daughter
born of the second marriage, Sophia, who still
lives in her native land.

Mr. Munsterniann whose name iieads this record
acquired his education in the public schools, which
he attended between the ages of seven and fifteen
years. He was reared in the usual manner of
fanner lads, and after attaining his majorit}' was
united in marriage with Miss Jlina Haben, wiio
was born in the same locality as her husband.
AVishing to try his fortune in the New World, in
lf<()9 he liade good-bj'e to the Fatherland and
with his family crossed the briny deep from Ham-
burg to New York. He was eleven da3's on the
water. On reaching this country he went to Chi-
cago and made a location in Homewood, Cook
County, where he and his wife both worked on a
farm. He witnessed the famous Cliicago fire in
1871.

In 1873, Mr. Munstermann came to Iroquois
Count}-, and with the capital he had acquired
tiirough his industry and perseverance he pur-
chased forty acres of land in Crescent Township.
Subsequently he sold that farm, and on section 3,
Asli Grove Township, bought eighty acres of wild
prairie, upon which not a furrow ha<l been turned
or an improvement made. His industrious effoits.
and his well-directed labors have transformed it
into one of the finest farms of the community*,
lie has paid out ¥1,500 for draining and has made
many otlier excellent improvements, both useful
and ornamental. Since liis first purchase he has
extended the boundaries of his farm until he now
h.as two hundred and forty acres.

I'nto Mr. and Mrs. ilunstermann have been
born two children: Matilda, who was born in Cook
County, .lanuary 28, 1872. is now the wife of
Henry Salmon, of Ash Grove Township. The
younger child, Henry, born November 4, 1877,
still aids hi? father in the operation of the home
farm. The parents are botii members of the Luth-
eran Church and Jlr. Munstermann has contributed
liberally to it* support and aided largel}' in its up-
building. He is now Treasurer of the Church of
St. Paul. The Republican party finds in him a
stalwart supporter, he having been identified with



that body since he cast his first Presidential vote
for R. B. Hayes. His success in life is all due to
his own efforts, and he maj- well serve to encourage
others who like himself have to begin life at the
bottom of the ladder and work their way upward.
He now has a comfortable competence and is
ranked among the highly respected and substantial
citizens of the communitv.



«^



•^^•



=^%



^ RVILLE E. DIX, a well-to-do farmer and
stock-raiser, who resides on section 32, Iro-
quois Township, owns and operates a farm
of one hundred and sixty acres, pleasantlv situated
about a half-mile from Crescent City. Upon the
place are good improvements. There are manj-
rods of tiling, and the well-drained fields have
been placed under a high state of cultivation and
yield a golden tribute to the care and labor be-
stfjwed upon them. The home is a pleasant resi-
dence, and altogether the farm is one of the valu-
able and desirable pieces of property in this lo-
cality.

Mr. Dix, who has a wide acquaintance tlirough-
out this communitv and ranks as an enterprising
farmer, certainly deserves representation in the
histoiy of his adopted country. He has the honor
of being a native of Illinois. He was born in
Grundy County, December 27, 1852, and is a sou
of Oliver Dix, who was born in Oneida County,
N. Y., on the 5th of Januaiy, 1821. The grand-
father of our subject, Richard Dix, was also born
in the Empire State and the famil}- are among the
pioneers of New York. The grandfather died
when Oliver was a small boy, after which his
mother was again married and removed with her
family to Illinois about 1833, making the journey
from New York with teams and wagons. At that
time there was not even a trading-post at Chicago.
They made a settlement in Kendall County, and
upon tliat pioneer farm Oliver Dix grew to man-
hood. He was twice married. In Kendall County,
he wedded Lydia AVing, an aunt of Judge Wing,
the prominent attorney of Chicago. She was a
native of Chautauqua County, N. Y., and her



694



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.



death occurred when our subject was only four
3'ears old. In an early day, Mr. Dix removed to
Grundj- County, becoming one of its early settlers.
He located on wild land, and from the raw prairie
developed a good farm, which he yet makes his
liome. He is now seventy-one j-ears of age. For
many j-ears he has been identified with the Repub-
lican part}', has taken quite an active part in po-
litical affairs and has held a numbei of public posi-
tions of honor and trust. He is one of the founders
of the Methodist Episcopal Church near his home
and has ever been one of its active and faithful
members. The honorable, upright life which he
has lived has won him many friends, and he lias
the confidence and esteem of all.

Orville Dix, whose name heads this record, is the
j'ounger of two sons. His brother, AsaW.,isan en-
terprising and progressive farmer of Grundy
County, residing in Nettle Township, and takes
quite an active part in local politics. Our subject
was reared to manhood upon the old homestead
and remained witli his father until after he had
attained liis majority. He acquired a good educa-
tion in the public sciiools, the academv, and in the
Newark High School. After completing his studies
he engaged in teaching for a time, and later rented
a farm, which he operated until 1882. That year
witnessed his arrival in Iroquois Countj', when he
purchased the farm upon which he now resides in
Iroquois County.

Ere leaving tlie county of liis nativit}', Mr. Dix
was united in marriage in October, 1874, witli
Miss Elizabeth Riggs, a native of West Virginia,
who when a child came to Illinois with her father
and was reared and educated in Grundy County.
Three children have been born of their union,
Lettie, Ida and Eugene, all of whom are living
with their father. Tlie mother of this familj^ was
called to her final rest in 1884, and in October,
1887, Mr. Dix was joined in weillock with Mrs.
Matilda (Anderson) Harvey, a widow, who is a
native of Sweden, but was reared and educated
in this country. A son and daughter grace this
union, Oliver and Mildred Pearl.

Mr. Dix has been identified with the Republican
party since he became a voter and is a stanch ad-
vocate of its principles. He takes quite an active



part in local politics, and, as every true American
citizen should do, feels an interest in the success
of his party. The cause of education finds in him
a warm friend. He believes in good schools and
competent teachers, and while serving for six years
as a member of the School Board in this commun-
itj' he did effective service for its schools. Him-
self and wife are consistent members of the Sleth-
odist Episcopal Ciiurch, give liberally to its sup-
port and are earnest laborers in the Master's vine-
yard. Sociall}', he is a member of the Modern
Woodmen. We see in him a self-made man, whose
possessions have all been acquired through his own
efforts. By his industr}', enterprise and persever-
ance he has steadily worked his way upward until
he now ranks among the county's substantial ag-
riculturists.



T



â– jlf OHN B. TAYLOR, a worthy and respected
citizen of Oilman, now living a retired
life, was born near Macclesfield, England,
on the 27th of February, 1826. He is a son
of Robert and Frances (Bewlex) Taylor, both of
whom were natives of the same country. His
father was a carpenter and joiner by occupation,
and came to the LTnited States at about the year
1826. The following year his wife, our subject
and his twin sister, joined the father in the New
AVorld. They first settled in Mars County, N. J.,
and both parents there died, the father's death
occurring in the prime of his manhood, about the
j-ear 1838, while his wife survived him nearly a
quarter of a century, her death occurring in 1862,
at the age of sixty-six years. She was a member
of the Presbyterian Church. In their family were
four children, of whom the eldest are our subject
and his twin sister Mary, who is the wife of Ro-
bert Beaty, and resides in New Jersej'. The third
child, Sarah, married William Beaty, and died
leaving a family of eight children to mourn her
loss. The youngest of the family, Andrew, still
resides in New Jersey.

In early life our subject began to work on a
farm, which he continued until of age. His edu-



I



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.



695



cational advantages were very meagre. When
Iwentv-one yenrs old lie started to learn the car-
penter's and joiner's trade, and the first year
\vorke<l for ^i! per month. On the 7th of August,
1847, though getting but $6 per month, he mar-
ried Miss Sarah A., daughter of Robert and Sarah
(flardner) Blackwell, who were married in New
•liisey, and later moved to Newport, Pa., where

•y spent their last days. Her father was a

• per i\v trade, but for many years followed the
upation of farming. The nifither was a Presby-

i;in in faith, and died when Mrs. Taylor was
only five years old. Her father, who was born the
17th of August, 1789, died on the 18th of May,1867.
Mrs. Taylor is one of two living children, several
I'ldthers and sisters having died in their earl\^
\ I'ars. Her brother, Lewis, resides at Hazelton,
l':i. Mis. Taylor was born in Newport, Pa., August
li'.. 1828. AVhen our subject and his wife married
-111' had a few dollars, which she had earned bj-
working for a neighbor, and he borrowed ¥25
from a friend.

Unto this worthy couple have been born five
children: Almenah V., who is at home; Alvin G.
is foreman of tlie passenger yard of the Chicago A'
Alton Railroad at Bloomington, he having gone
on the road as brakenian sixteen years ago, and has
worked his way up to his present position, never
having been laid off by the company; George E. is
a fruit-grower at South Pas.adena, Cal.; Robert
W. resides at Ashkum; and Emma A. is the wife
of George F. Benedict, and resides in Chicago.

Having lived in New Jersey until 18.56, Mr.
Taylor came to Hlinois and located at Princeton,
Bureau County, and soon afterward removed to
Dover, in the same county. On the 12th of j
August, 1802, he enlisted in Company B, Ninety- l
third Illinois Infantry. The regiment was first '
sent to Memphis, Tenn., and the first real duty I
was an expedition into Mississippi, He was en- |
gaged with his compan}' in the battle at .Tackson, j
Miss. Other important engagements in which he !
took i)art were Champion Hill, the siege of Vicks- I
burg, Mission Kidge, Dalton, Altoona Pass, Sav.aji-
nah, Columl)ia, Bentonville (the last battle of the
war), and he also went with Sherman on his raardi
to the sea. Near Dalton, Ga., June 28, 18t)4, he ]



with others was riding on toj) of a freight car,
which was loaded with shot and shell. Seeing that
the train on which thej' were riding would shortly
collide with another, he jum))cd from the car, and
in so doing fractured his ankle and also injured
his back; nevertheless, he hobbled along with his
regiment, never spending a day in tlie hospital.
His career as a soldier was marked by commend-
able bravery and fortitude, and be was alwavs
found where the battle was hottest.

Returning home from the war, he worked at his
trade in Dover until 1870, when he removed to a
farm in Danforth Township. Though he lived on
the farm, he still spent most of his time at his
trade. For some three months he worked on the
Red field House, also on the residence of D. L.
Parter and others. In 1878 he removed to Gil-
m.'in, and since then he has done considerable at
his trade, especially in Danforth, where he worked
on the fine elevator at that place, and the resi-
dences of W. W. Gilbert, Dr. Smith, R. O. Penne-
will, and others. He is now practically retired
from business, having a comfortable competency,
which he has earned by years of industry and fru-
gality. He still owns his farm of eighty acres in
Danforth Township, and four dwellings in Gil-
man.



UILLIAM HOLLINGSWORTH, who car-
ries on general farming in Onarga Town-
^^ ship, is one of the extensive land-owners
of this community and .also one of the early set-
tlci-s of the county, who for tweut3 - eight years
lias resided in this communitv. As he is widely
and favorably known, we feel assured that the
record of his life will prove of interest to manj'
of our rcadei-s. He claims Ohio as the State of his
nativit\-. Ids birth occurring near Hamilton, But-
ler County, on the 29th of A|)ril, 1817. Little is
known concerning the early history of the family.
His fatiier, Joseph Ilollingsworth, w.is a native of
South Carolina and married Hannah Hawkins. In
1810, when our subject was about nine years of
age, the parents removed with their family to Ind-



696



PORTRiVIT AND BIOGRArHICAL RECORD.



iana, locating in Tippecanoe County, where the
father purcliased land of the Government, paying
$100 for eighty acres. This he at once bca:au to
develop and improve, making his liome thereon
until his death, which occurred in 1852. His wife
survived him for about fourteen years and came
to Illinois, where her death occurred in 1866. The
family of tliis worthy couple numbered seven
children, as follows: Amos, who died in 1872;
Martha, who departed this life in 1892; William,
whose name heads this record; Benjamin, a resi-
dent of California; Joseph, who is now engaged in
farming near Witchita, Kan.; Setli, a resident
farmer of Arkansas; and James, a retiied farmer
who now makes his home in Kansas City.

The subject of this sketch spent tiie first nine
years of iiis life in the State of his nativity and
then accompanied his parents on their removal to
Indiana, where he was reared to manhood. The
days of his boyhood and youth were quietly passed
upon his father's farm! He worked in the fields
during the summer months and became inured to
the hard labor of developing new land. In the
winter, or for about three months each j'ear, he
would attend the common district schools of the
neighborhood, and thus acquired a good education.
He gave his fatiier the benefit of his labors and
remained upon the home farm until thirty years
of age, when ho began farming for himself. He
continued to reside in Indiana until the spring of
1864, when he removed to Illinois, and since that
time has been a resident of Iroquois County.
Soon after his arrival, he purchased four hundred
and twenty acres of land on section 1, Onarga
Township, and has since carried on general farm-
ing. His home is on one of the excellent farms of
the community, and the well-tilled fields and neat
appearance of the place indicate the supei'vision
of a careful manager. A marriage ceremony per-
formed on the 26th of jMarch, 1857, united the
destinies of Mr. Hollingsworth and Miss Sarah
INIeeks, a native of Chester County, Pa., and a
daugliter of Joseph and Mary (Hill) Meeks. Four
children have been born of this union, two sons
and two daughters, of whom three are yet living,
as follows: Joseph, the eldest, makes his home in
Onarga; Alice is tlio wife of Dr. M. E. Mosher, a



practicing physician now residing in Havanna,
Mason County, 111.; Harvej' aids his father in the
cultivation of the home farm; and Grace died in
1876.

The parents are both Friends in religious belief,
having been reared under the auspices of that so-
cietj'. They are people of sterling worth, highly
respected throughout the community, and in social
circles they hold an enviable position. In his polit-
ical affiliations, Mr. Hollingsworth is a Republican,