Biographies

 J.S. Nicholson  J. S. NICHOLSON, editorof the Beardstown Illinoian, was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England,in 1832. The family left Liverpool on the anniversary of the Queen’s marriage,and, like so many emigrants, had a slow passage to New Orleans, thenceup the Mississippi river, settling at last, after a journey of eleven weekswith teams, at Jacksonville. In 1850 the family settled on improved landsnear Beardstown. They farmed this land. Part of the family moved to Rome,Peoria county, where the father died, aged seventy-three years, four monthsand twenty-eight days. He had been a good, quiet citizen. The war of theRebellion changed his politics … Read more

    JacobS. Pruett    JACOB S. PRUETT, who for many years hasbeen prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Schuylercounty, was born at St. Mary’s, Hancock county, Illinois, December 3, 1834,a son of Constant Pruett. His father was a native of Roane county, Tennessee,and his grandfather was a farmer of that State, and spent his entire lifewithin its borders. Constant Pruett was reared and married in Tennessee,and emigrated to Illinois in 1829, accompanied by his wife and one child;they journeyed on horse-back to Kentucky, and then secured a cart in whichthey completed the trip. They first settled in Cass … Read more

    JohnSandidge    JOHN SANDIDGE, one of themost intelligent and prosperous farmers of Oakland township, Schuyler county,was born in the State of Kentucky in 1829. His father, Daniel Sandidge,was a native of Virginia, born in 1804; there he married Pamelia Tate,born in the same place in 1803. The paternal grandfather of our subject,John Sandidge was a Virginian by  birth; he married a native of Virginia,and in an early day removed to Kentucky, settling in Lincoln county; hebecame a wealthy planter, owning a large number of slaves. They had a familyof nine sons and four daughters: Daniel, Clayton, Joshua, James, … Read more

    JohnShank    JOHN SHANK, a successful farmer, horticulturistand florist, and a prominent citizen of Mount Sterling, Illinois, was bornin Franklin, Johnson county, Indiana, July 11, 1843. His paternal grandparentswere John and Catherine (Dosing) Shank, the former a native of Pennsylvaniaand of German descent, while the latter was of French ancestry. The formerwas an early settler of Ohio, when that State was the frontier of civilization,his last days having been passed at his home in Preble county, near Eaton,that State. His son, William Shank, the father of the subject of this sketch,was born in Montgomery county, Virginia, in May, … Read more

    JohnT. Bradbury    JOHN T. BRADBURY was born in Harrison county,West Virginia, March 4, 1840. His father is James Lee Bradbury, born inVirginia in 1816. He was reared on the farm and when he was twenty-threehe went to Kentucky and engaged in teaching for some forty years. He cameto Illinois in the fall of 1847, bringing his wife and two children. Theycame across the country in a lumber wagon and a horse team. It took themabout thirty days to make the trip. Mr. Bradbury soon secured a schoolin Brown county. They soon moved into Mt. Sterling, where they … Read more

    J.Thomas Lawler    J. THOMAS LAWLER, a widely and favorablyknown citizen of Woodstock township, Schuyler county, Illinois, is a nativeof Virginia, having been born in Fauquier county, that State, May 7, 1824.His parents were Alexander and Margaret (WHITE) LAWLER, both natives ofVirginia. His father served with distinction in the war of 1812. His fatherwas a cooper, and followed his trade in his native State until the sprinof 1839, when he with his family drove from Virginia to Ohio, and thenceto Schuyler county, bringing all their wordly goods in their wagon. Arrivedin Illinois, they purchased 160 acres of wild … Read more

  FranzHenri Dierk Kruse Family Contributed by RobinWorth Petersen 1 Franz Henri Dierk Kruse    Born:6 December 1821 in East Friesland, Germany    Father:Dierk Kruse    Mother:Hiske J. Miller    Died:4 July 1899 in Rushville Twp., Schuyler Co., Illinois    Buried:6 July 1899 in Rushville City Cemetery, Rushville, Schuyler Co., Illinois     Married:3 December 1843 in Schuyler Co., Illinois    Spouse:Elizabeth C. Garrett       Born: 16 April 1825 in Georgetown, Kentucky       Father: Thomas I. Garrett       Mother: Susan Wickard or Wigert       Died: 24 May 1919 in Rushville Twp., Schuyler Co., Illinois       Buried: 26 May 1919 in Rushville City Cemetery, Rushville, Schuyler Co.,Illinois 2 James K. Polk Kruse    Born:abt. 1844 in Illinois    Died:12 June … Read more

    LouisF. Kloker    LOUIS F. KLOKER, a practicaland extensive farmer, occupying his fine farm in section 30, township 17,range 11, was born in Beardstown, May 20, 1836. Here he was reared andeducated and has always been a resident. His father was Louis Kloker, Sr.,a native of Hanover, Germany, belonging to an old German family. He hadbeen a wagon maker, the only son of his father’s family, and after growingup, about 1832, he came to the United States on a sailing vessel. Aftera voyage of thirteen weeks he landed in New Orleans, and came on to Beardstown,via the Mississippi … Read more

    LeonidasScott    LEONIDAS SCOTT, one of the prominent citizensof Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, is a native of this county, bornSeptember 7, 1855 (for family history, see sketch of Mrs. T. W. Scott).He was united in marriage March 25, 1874, to Melinda B. Demaree, a nativeof Mercer county, Kentucky, born August 9, 1855. Her parents, Holdman andMartha J. Demaree, were also natives of Mercer county, Kentucky. They emigratedto Schuyler county in 1857, and bought land on which they lived until death;they had born to them eight children, six of whom are living. Mrs. Scott’sgrandparents were Virginians by birth and … Read more

    LouisW. Carles    LOUIS W. CARLES, a well-to-do and a successfulfarmer and stock-raiser, living on section 30, township 18, range 11, wasborn in this township in 1847, and was here reared and educated. He isthe son of George H. Carles born in Germany in 1818. He was of pure Germanancestry. His wife’s name was Elizabeth Crims, and she died at the ageof sixty-one. She and her people were members of the Lutheran Church. Thefather and his children, in September, 1844, started for the United States,landed in New Orleans, and on the largest steamer then running on the Mississippithey … Read more