| F.A. Warden |
F. A. WARDEN, senior member of the firm of Warden& Son, proprietors of the Rushville Republican, was born in
Clermont county, Ohio, January 2, 1839.His father, Moses Warden, was a native of Pennsylvania, and in his youthwas converted to the Christian religion and became a preacher of the gospel;be learned the trade of a saddler, and followed this vocation in additionto his ministerial labors. When quite a young man he went to Ohio, andthere was married to Margaret Anderson, a native of Brown county, Ohio.Mr. Warden lived in Bethel, Clermont county, and there worked at his tradeand preached in the Methodist Episcopal Church; later he purchased a farmnear Bethel, and engaged in agriculture; there he passed the last daysof his life. His only brother, Richard Warden, settled in the same county,and there spent the remainder of his life. The mother of our subject diedin 1851. There was a family of seven children: Anderson, William, MarthaL., Salathiel L., Margaret L., Sarah E., and Francis A.Francis A. was a lad of twelve years whenhis father died, and one year later the mother passed away; he was thencared for by his older brothers and sisters, and was reared and educatedin his native county. At the age of seventeen years he began clerking ina drug store at Felicity, Ohio, and was thus employed for two years; atthe end of this period he became a partner in the business, which was continueduntil 1876. In that year he came to Shelby county, Illinois, and engagedin mercantile trade, which he conducted eight years. Ray Warden, son ofFrancis A., having learned the art of printing, engaged in the businessat Stewardson and Cowden, Shelby county, conducting a paper at each placefor a year; at the end of twelve months he went to Augusta, Hancock county,and published the Augusta Eagle for eight years; during all thistime his father was a partner in the business, and in January, 1891, they(F. A. Warden and son, S. R. Warden,) came to Schuyler county, and establishedthe RushvilleRepublican. This is a well edited sheet, newsy, anda loyal supporter of Republican principles.
Mr. Warden was married in 1863, to OliveB. Leffingwell, a native of Williamsburg, Ohio, and daughter of Sidneyand Melissa Leffingwell. Five children have been born to them: S. Ray,F. Ella, Louise, Mary E., and Jessie.
During the late civil war, Mr. Warden supportedthe Government of the Union; he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln,and has since affiliated with the Republican party; he and his wife areworthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He belongs to RushvilleLodge, No. 9, A. F. and A. M., to the Knights of Honor Lodge, No. 990,and to Augusta Camp, M. W. A.
Biographical Review of Cass, Schuylerand Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago,1892, pages 156-157.
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