WILLIAM H. McCREERY is a resident of Huntsville township, residing on section 6, having settled here in 1834. His father, William McCreery, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, March 1, 1802, being a son of John McCreery, who was also a native of Virginia and a planter. He married Sarah Rousseau, of French ancestry. William McCreery, Sr., was reared on a farm and when seven years of age, the family removed to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood in Pulaski County. Here he entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church as an itinerant preacher. His work was in Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1827 he preached in Orange County, Indiana. From there, in 1829, he went to Missouri and stayed for a few years, and an account of his work in this State may be found at length in Dr. McNally’s History of Methodism in Missouri. In 1832, in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, he married Harriet E. Long, and two years later they came to Rushville, Schuyler County, Illinois. The next year they settled on section 6, Huntsville township, where Mr. McCreery had purchased a claim August, 1834, and here he resided until his death, November 2, 1884. He was a local preacher and was assigned a circuit in 1848, the Columbus circuit, Adams County. He continued his religious work until within a few weeks of his death. His wife died two days before her husband. He died within two hours after returning from her funeral. Mr. McCreery was a good man and was greatly opposed to slavery, refusing to receive any portion of them from his father’s estate. He was an ardent Whig and Republican in politics. They had thirteen children, nine of whom grew up to manhood, namely: James N. and John F., twins: the former was drowned in the Missouri river while working on the bridge at Kansas City; the latter died in Taylor county, Iowa; William H.; Sarah married Robert Ellis and resides at Saline County, Missouri; Eliza married William Kirk and resides in Lincoln County, Washington; Benjamin B. is a merchant and resides in Augusta, Illinois; Henry C. is also a merchant and resides in Illinois; Edward M. resides in Henry County, and Mary married to Quincy Allphin and residing near Andover, Kansas. Our subject was born in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, June 1834, and was only six months old when the family settled in Illinois. He was reared on the farm and attended the country schools two or three miles distant from his home until he was twenty-one. He then attended Rode River seminary one year. He then rented a farm from his father and in 1863 settled where he now resides, and in 1868 became the owner of 160 acres of land. He now owns 333 acres of land and follows stock-raising. He is a good Republican and has always supported the straight ticket. He is interested in all matters tending to improve the welfare of the county or township. He has run for several of the local offices, but, owing to the Republican party being in the minority, he has been defeated. He is a charter member of the Huntsville Lodge, No. 465, A.F. and A.M., and has been Master of the same lodge. He was married in 1881 to Rachel Baxter, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Cooper) Baxter of Ohio. The Baxter family came to Schuyler County in June, 1857, and settled in Huntsville. Mr. and Mrs. McCreery have had ten children, six grown up, namely: William Morris, for fourteen months in the census office at Washington, is now in Augusta, Illinois; Frank M. and Fred H., twins, the former at home and the latter dealing in implements in Augusta, Illinois; Harry, Ralph and Mary are at home. Mr. and Mrs. McCreery are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which they are earnest workers.

Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago, 1892, Page 494