Overton Parke Biographical Review

OVERTON PARKE, a substantial farmer and influential citizen of Woodstock township, Schuyler county, Illinois, was born in Brown county, of the same State, October 8, 1841. His parents were Perry and Mary (Logsdon) Parke. (See sketch of Perry and Joseph Logsdon for history of the Logsdons). They were both natives of Kentucky, and came to Illinois at an early day, and still reside in Woodstock township, near the home of our subject. The subject of our sketch was reared on the home farm and attended the country schools of his district during the winter. He remained at home until he was twenty years of age, assisting his father and going to school, when, on August 11, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Infantry, serving in the Civil war until its close, with the exception of a few weeks, during which he was in the hospital at Louisville, Kentucky. With the exception of these few weeks he served with his regiment through every skirmish and battle until the great conflict was over. After the war he returned to his home in Schuyler county, where he rented a farm for a year, when, in the fall of 1866, he was married to Miss Rosanna C. Reddick. She was a native of Woodstock township, Schuyler county, Illinois, where she was born April 25, 1851, her parents being pioneers and prominent people of this county, viz.: John J. and Mary (Clark) Reddick. (See sketch of John Clark for history of Clark family). John J. Reddick was a son of Johnathan Reddick, and came to this county with his parents when he was only about one or two years of age. His parents came from Kentucky about 1830 and located in Schuyler county, being among the earliest settlers of that county, where they resided until their death. They were among the most prominent and successful agriculturists of their vicinity, and highly respected by all who knew them. It is on their homestead that our subject now resides, which is one of the finest farms in the country, well improved with substantial house and large barns for grain and stock, while the land is highly cultivated, and supplied with all the modern machinery and appliances for the sowing and harvesting of their products. But, immediately after his marriage, Mr. Parke had no such splendid home, living for several years on a part of his father’s farm, which he rented. He and his wife resided here until the death of her parents, since when they have lived in the present home, which through energy and enterprise of our subject has been greatly improved, and which comprises, at the present writing, more than 300 acres of the finest agricultural land in the country. Mr. and Mrs. Parke have had eleven children, five of whom are now living, viz.: John E., Maggie A., Elizabeth, Nettie C. and Rosanna C. Politically Mr. Parke is a Republican, and ever since his first vote for General U. S. Grant he has voted the straight Republican ticket. He is a member of the G. A. R. Post at Rushville, Illinois. He and his estimable wife are members of the church, for the cause of which they are earnest workers, as, indeed, they are in every worthy cause. Both are ardently interested in the advancement and welfare of their county and the country at large, and both enjoy alike the respect and esteem of the community in which they live.