WilliamH. Coleman
WILLIAM H. COLEMAN, generalfarmer and stock-raiser, running the large cattle farm of 320 acres, andalso owner of nearly 600 acres in the precinct of Philadelphia, all inCass county, has lived in the county for thirty-two years, has always beenengaged as a farmer and has always been quite successful. He began hereas a poor man, and worked for $10 a month for the first four years, andafter that began to farm on the Calef farm, which he has since run as arenter, and out of his savings he has purchased the large farm of 600 acreswhich he also runs on his own account, in connection with his rented farm,making nearly 1,000 acres that are under his control. He has been a hard-workingman and has made all he has since he came to this county in 1860.He was born in Westphaliaat Menden, in Prussia, Germany, in 1840. He was reared in his native country,and after he came to this county he attended the public schools throughthe kindness of his benefactor, S. L. Calef, whose place he has workedon since 1860. He reveres this kind gentleman and his wife as he wouldhis parents, and his long residence on their farm show what their opinionis of his honesty and faithfulness.
Mr. Coleman is the son ofGotlieb Coleman (spelled in the German Kuhlmann), and the latter came tothe United States in 1870. He made his home with his son, William, untilhis death in 1886. He was then eighty-two years of age. He was a good oldman and an active member of the Lutheran Church. He had married a Germanlady who lived and died in her native country, being only thirty-two yearsof age. Her maiden name was Mary Markman. She left six children at herdeath, of which William and a brother Henry, now a married farmer in Virginiaprecinct, this county, are all that are now living. William and his brotherHenry came to the United States when young and single, coming in the springof 1860 from Bremen, Germany, to New Orleans in a sailing vessel, MaryMargaret, with 636 passengers on board. After a thirty-nine days’ voyage,they landed in New Orleans and came up the Mississippi river on a steamerto St. Louis, and from there to Beardstown, where they have both sincelived, and have become good and successful farmers and reliable Germancitizens.
William was married in thiscounty to Nancy McLin, born in Morgan county, where she was reared andeducated. She has lost her parents, the mother dying in Morgan county,at the age of forty, the father in Cass county, aged sixty years, havingalways been a farmer by occupation.
Mr. and Mrs. Coleman arethe parents of five children, yet living; four are deceased; those livingare: Ellen M., wife of Perry Davis, a farmer of Virginia; Charles E., athome helping on the farm; Edgar, John and Arthur, all at home on the farm.
Mrs. Coleman is a memberof the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Coleman is a sound Republican.He has been very active in local politics, and once ran for County Commissioner,running ahead of his ticket several hundred votes. He and his wife aregood, hard-working people and are justly entitled to the success they haveattained.
Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892, pages 270-271.
Copyright2000-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only.Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictlyprohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appearwith the information.
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