Biographies

Henry W. Meyer – Biography

  HenryW. Meyer  HENRYW. MEYER, a successful farmer and stock raiser of section 7, township 18,range 11, was born near Arenzville, this county, in 1853, December 26.He is the younger of the children, Fred and Catherine Meyer, the latternow deceased and the former yet living (see biography). Henry is the onlyone of the family who was born in the county. He was reared and educatedin his native county. He has a farm of 133 acres, all well stocked. Hehas farmed it on his own account for thirteen years. He has spent his entirelife in this county, as a farmer on … Read more

Joseph Gifford – Biography

  JosephGifford JOSEPHGIFFORD, a well-to-do and highly esteemed farmer of Versailles township,Brown county, Illinois, where he has lived for twenty years, was born inCambria county, Pennsylvania, in December, 1833. Hisparents, Joseph and Sarah (Davis) Gifford, were both natives of the KeystoneState, where his father was born in 1802. His paternal grandfather, alsonamed Joseph, was of English parentage, and is thought to have been bornin England. He was a prosperous farmer in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania,and left, at his death, a good estate to his family, consisting of fivesons and four daughters, all of whom became heads of families, some attaininga great … Read more

Charles J. Norbury – Biography

Charles J. Norbury – Biography   CharlesJ. Norbury  CHARLES J. NORBURY, oneof the old and best known men of Cass county, was born in Philadelphia,May 22, 1812. His father, Joseph B., was a native of Northumberland, Pennsylvania,grew up and obtained his education in Philadelphia, became an attorney,and was so engaged until his death at sixty years of age. He was a wellknown citizen of that city. His mother, Rebecca Frick, was born in Northumberlandcounty, coming of German parents, and died a consistent member of the DutchReformed Church. Mr. Norbury, after obtaininghis early education, became a clerk in a wholesale house … Read more

George W. Williams – Biography

GEORGE W. WILLIAMS was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1826. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret (Young) Williams. The former was a native of New York and died in St. Louis, Missouri, when George was about four years old. Mrs. Williams was born in Pennsylvania and died in Brown County, at the home of her son, aged seventy-eight. George W. Williams was bound out to the trade of saddler at the age of eight and remained there until he was seventeen, working for his board and clothes. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, he hired out … Read more