Decatur Township (part 46 of 46)

William Jostes was educated in the common schools and remained upon the home farm where he assisted his father, later renting land from the latter, a sister keeping house for him for one year. At twenty-five years of age, he was married and settled on a farm in Pleasant View township, which he rented for fifteen years. In 1909 he purchased his present place on section 26, Pleasant View township, where he carries on general farming and stock-raising. He is. one of the large corn growers of the county. He cultivates the land according to modern ideas and his farm is known as one of the best managed places in Macon county, the annual harvests yielding abundant returns for the time and labor expended.

On the 5th of June, 1894, Mr. Jostes was united in marriage to Miss Flora Bowman, who was born in Miami county, Indiana, January 24, 1864, a daughter of Andrew and Frederica (Manecke) Bowman. Her father was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1836, and her mother in the same state in 1840. They settled in Macon county in 1868 and are now making their home in Decatur. To them were born nine children, seven of whom are now living: Flora, now Mrs. Jostes; Ida, the wife of Melville Boyer, of Macon county; Emma, now Mrs. George Fisher, of Decatur; Olive, the wife of Charles Borchers, of Decatur; Leona and William, of Decatur; and Myrtle, now the wife of Reverdy Miller, who lives in Macon county. Six of the Bowman sisters taught school,

Flora having had ten years' experience as a teacher in the schools of Macon county; Emma taught in Macon and De Witt counties for three years; Ida, in Piatt and Macon counties for five years, Myrtle, in Macon county for five years; and Leona and Alice for sixteen years in Macon county, Miss Leona Bowman is at present county superintendent of this county and is recognized as one of the most talented teachers of the state. Charles Borchers, a brotherin-law of Mrs. Jostes, is serving as mayor of Decatur. William Manecke, her uncle on the maternal side, enlisted in an Ohio regiment at the time of the Civil war. Reverdy Miller, a brother-in-law, participated in the Spanish-American war, and John Roller, an uncle of our subject, was a soldier in the Civil war and was confined in Andersonville prison. He is now living in Shelby county, this state. Two children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Jostes, Leona Helen, born April 20, 1899; and Beatrice Myrtle, born August 28, 1901. Mr. Jostes by his genial and pleasing manner has attracted many warm friends, and he and his estimable wife are prime favorites in the community. He is recognized as a wide-awake, capable, progressive and generous man who as the head of an interesting family or as a business man or citizen is always equal to any emergency and is in every respect a worthy representative of farming interests.

Mrs. Kate E. Clark

Mrs. Kate E. Clark, who is now living on the family homestead in Decatur township, this county, is a native of Macon county, born in Decatur, April 30, 1857. She is a daughter of John and Catherine Collins, who were both natives of Ireland and came to Illinois in the fall of 1856, locating in Decatur. The father entered the service of the Illinois Central Railroad and continued so faithfully that he was in the employ of the road until a few years before his death, which occurred in his eighty-third year. The mother departed this life in 1893 at the age of sixty-eight years. Their lives of industry and sincerity gained for them the unqualified respect of their friends and neighbors.

Mrs. Clark is the fourth in order of birth in a family of eleven children. She was educated in the public schools of Decatur, completing her training at the Convent of St. Theresa, her parents being devout Catholics. In 1874 she was happily united in marriage to Michael Clark, a son of Michael and Ellen Clark, of Ohio, who came to Decatur in 1861. The father enlisted in the cause of the Union during the Civil war and lost his life from disease contracted in the service, never returning home.

Michael Clark, Jr., was born in 1854 and educated in the public schools, becoming an engineer upon the Wabash Railroad. In 1886 he took up his residence on a farm in Decatur township, which he inherited from his mother, and where he engaged in general farming until his death, which occurred in June, 1903. He was a stanch advocate of the democratic party and a strong believer in the teachings of the Catholic church. Mr. Clark was a man of noble characteristics and made many friends who sincerely regretted his departure at the time when

Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Clark: Nellie, who was born October 6, 1875, and is now living at home; Laura, born August 30, 1877, who was married, April 22, 1902, to William Bowman of Oakley, a carpenter by trade and is now living at Decatur; John, born February 17, 1883, who married, June 7, 1905, Norah Schultz of Decatur, and is now a dairyman living in Macon county ; William, who was born July 6, 1885, and is living at home; Mabel, born January 26, 1888, who married Louis Garver of Decatur, February 8, 1910, and is living in Whitmore township; and Ruby, who was born December 5, 1894, and is living at home.

Mrs. Clark and her son William are operating the home farm and are meeting with success, bringing to bear principles of industry and good judgment that result in success in any legitimate undertaking. Mrs. Clark stands high in the regard of her neighbors, who have always found her to be kind and obliging, generously assisting in any laudable undertaking to advance the permanent interests of the community.

All Decatur knows and respects John Washburn, who since 1855 has been identified with mercantile interests in this city. He came here when Decatur was a village and with its upbuilding and improvement has been closely associated, contributing at all times to its progress and advancement. His life has indeed been honorable and worthy of emulation, and although he is now eighty-one years of age he still remains a factor in the world's work, being proprietor of one of the oldest established mercantile enterprises of the city.

His birth occurred in Lyme, Grafton county, New Hampshire, June 1, 1829, his parents being John and Sarah (Tucker) Washburn, the latter a granddaughter of one of the soldiers who fought under the immediate command of General George Washington from the beginning until the close of the Revolutionary war. He was a member of a Massachusetts regiment and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill. He was also one of the famous Boston tea party and aided in throwing the tea overboard into the sea, thus showing open resistance to the tea tax. John Washburn remembers the stories which his grandfather told concerning the Revolutionary war and of hearing him sing the old song of the British soldiers, the tenor of which was : "Indian pudding and pumpkin pie ; Hurrah ! how that will make the Yankees fly."

Three brothers named Washburn were founders of the family in the new world. They left England on one of the old time sailing vessels and settled at Bridgeport, Massachusetts, near Boston, arriving soon after the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. For generations representatives of the name lived and died there. The old home place was in possession of the family for one hundred and forty years but changed ownership about a year ago.

John Washburn, the father of him whose name introduces this review, was born June 29, 1795, and died January 6, 1872. He was a New Hampshire farmer, devoting his entire life to general agricultural pursuits. His wife, who was born September 13, 1794, died January 9, 1874. The family is noted for longevity. A sister of Mr. Washburn, Mrs. Mary E. Richardson, is living in Westfield, Massachusetts, at the age of eighty-three years, and a cousin and other relatives of the family remain residents of the eastern states. A brother, Benjamin T. Washburn, was born July 6, 1832, and died June II, 1908. John Sloan, a great-uncle of Mr. Washburn, on the paternal side, died in June, 1824, at the remarkable old age of ninety-six years, while his wife, Esther, passed away in December, 1828, also ninety-six years of age. These were the first white settlers of Lyme, New Hampshire.

John Washburn pursued his education in the district schools of his native city until twenty years of age and during that period also assisted his father in the operation of the home farm. Later he removed to Newark, Ohio, where he engaged in teaching school for three terms and also spent one term as a teacher near Oberlin, Ohio, but thinking to find commercial pursuits more congenial and profitable, he became connected with mercantile interests at Newark, where' he remained until 1855, when he came to Decatur, Illinois, which at that time was little more than a cross-roads village. There were no paved streets, only a few dwellings and a very limited number of business houses. Mr. Washburn secured a stock of merchandise, opened a store and has since been connected with the city. He has occupied the same store room for forty years and this is one of the oldest established mercantile enterprises of Decatur. The store is located at No. 219 South Park street and he resides at No. 249 West William street.

In Decatur, in 1867, Mr. Washburn was united in marriage to Zarilda A. Emmons, a widow with two children, Emma Elizabeth, aged fourteen, who died in December, 1885 ; and Eddie, aged six, who died in December, 1877. Mrs. Washburn passed away in March, 1879. In politics he is independent, voting rather for men and measures than for party. He is an enthusiastic and zealous member of the Decatur Retail Grocers Association and also has the welfare and progress of the city at heart. He has been a successful merchant but is entirely free from ostentation and display. He is remarkably well preserved for one of his years and has but recently returned from a trip to the east, visiting Ohio and his old home in New Hampshire, where his ancestors were among the makers of history, leaving their impress for good upon the development and progress of that section of the country. Decatur citizens, having long known Mr. Washburn, would regard no work of this character complete without mention of his life, and he has indeed been a most prominent factor in the commercial circles of the city.

Joseph Austin

Illinois owes its high standing among the states very largely to its early settlers and their descendants. Among these men and women have been found some of the noblest characters of which there is any record, and the splendid work they have accomplished is an enduring monument to their worth. Joseph Austin, a well known farmer of Blue Mound township, belongs to one of the pioneer families, and may himself be classed as a pioneer. He was born in

Macon county October 31, 1837, and is a son of William A. and Ellen (Wornick) Austin. The father was a native of Amherst county, Virginia, where he was born April 28, 1806. He came to Illinois in 1828, when he was twentytwo years of age, and lived in this state sixty-four years, being called away in 1892. He became a leader in Macon county and was justice of the peace of his township for forty years. The mother was born in Tennessee in 1816, and came to Illinois with her parents in 1825, the family locating in Macon county when there were only three or four settlers in this region. Benjamin Austin, an uncle of our subject, was the first justice of the peace in Decatur, and it was from his office that Abraham Lincoln borrowed the books that developed his taste for the study of law. In another part of this work it is related that Mr. Lincoln had his feet frostbitten while visiting Miss Wornick, an aunt of our subject. Grandfather Austin was reputed to be one of the courageous men of the early times, and often declared that he could whip every Indian on the Sangamon river, while Grandfather Wornick was one of the fighters in the Black Hawk war. Unto William A. and Ellen Austin twelve children were born, four of whom are now living: Joseph, our subject; Benjamin, of Christian county; Lewis, of Missouri; and Thomas, of Blue Mound township. By his second marriage to Mrs. Sarah Augusta Dudley, William A. Austin had six children, of whom five are still living: Mrs. Thomas Stevens of Idaho; Samuel of Chicago; Wallace, of Seattle, Washington; James, of Kansas; and Mrs. Farris Rosengrant, of Kansas. Mrs. Austin passed away in 1894.

The subject of this review received his education in the early subscription schools and suffered many of the privations of pioneer life. At the age of fifteen he began breaking the prairie with an ox team, continuing upon the home farm until he was thirty years of age, when he began farming upon his own account in Blue Mound township, and for twenty-two years past has lived at his present home where he carries on general farming, also working as a carpenter and blacksmith. He has always been industrious, and in the course of many years has built up an enviable reputation as a useful and unselfish member of the community.

On the 24th day of October, 1867, Mr. Austin was united in marriage to Miss Martha Ellen Abbott, who was born in Macon county in 1847, a daughter of Henry and Martha Abbott. Her parents were born and reared in Ohio and were early settlers of Macon county. Six children of the family grew to maturity: Martha Ellen, herein mentioned; Josiah, of Arkansas; George, of Blue Mound township; Sarah Ann, the widow of Amos Walker, and now living in Missouri; Elizabeth, the wife of William Bradley, of Decatur; and Catherine, of St. Louis. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Austin was brightened by the arrival of seven children, five of whom are deceased. The others are: Elizabeth, who married Henry Bough, of Blue Mound township, and is the mother of seven children, Raleigh, William, Fred, John, Vergil, Minnie and Flossie; and Minnie, who married William Maybe, of Decatur, and became the mother of one child, who married Oliver Patterson of Decatur. Mrs. Austin having been called away in March, 1880, Mr. Austin was married September 23, 1886, to Mrs. Virginia Stevens Owen, who was born in Decatur September 22, i860, a daughter of Francis Marion and Margaret Ann (Walker) Stevens. Her father was born in Macon county in 1834 and died in 1892. The mother was also born in Macon county in 1837, and departed this life thirty-six years ago. There were nine children in their family, five of whom are living: Mary E., the wife of Rudolph Schiefer, of Chicago; Virginia, now Mrs. Austin; Lora Belle, the wife of John Wornick, living near Mount Auburn, Illinois; Emma, the. wife of Irvin Hill, of Missouri; and Hattie, now Mrs. Scott Wornick, of Boody, Illinois. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Austin, six of whom are living: Elsie Ethel, born June 30, 1889, who married Frank Russell and is the mother of two children, Laura Virginia and Robert Harold; Lelah Augusta, born December 30, 1891 ; Joseph Stephen, born July 10, 1893; Polly Ann, born March 22, 1895; Ruby Dillard, born December 28, 1897; and Thomas Everett, born January 25, 1900, all of whom are now at home except Elsie Ethel. By her first husband Mrs. Austin became the mother of one son, Francis Walter Owen, born November 26, 1879. He married Lona Ogden and lives at Galesburg, Illinois. The paternal great-grandfather of Mrs. Austin was the first settler of Macon county and Stevens Creek was named for him. Mr. and Mrs. Austin had many relatives in the Civil war, her father serving through the entire war in the Forty-first Illinois Infantry. William Henry and James Milton Stevens were also valiant soldiers and Robert Wornick wore the shoulder straps of a lieutenant.

Mr. Austin is identified with the democratic party and has held the office of road superintendent in his district. He and his wife are valued members of the Methodist church. He is a self-made man, having worked his way up through his own energy and perseverance, and he understands the difficulties that must be overcome by one who starts at the bottom of the ladder. He and his wife are enjoying the ease and comfort that are the results of well applied effort and they have many friends, young and old, who are bound to them by the ties of sympathy which true worth attracts.

Samuel Heinle

Actively connected with the public interests of Macon county through his service as a member of the board of county supervisors, representing Friends Creek township, Samuel Heinle is also well known as a representative and progressive farmer whose time and energies are given to the cultivation and development of what is now a well improved and valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 2. It was in this township that he was born on the 23d of May, 1872, his parents being George L. and Fredricka (Ehman) Heinle, both of whom were natives of Germany.

The father was reared to the aged of nineteen years in that country and then bade adieu to friends and native land preparatory to sailing for the new world, hoping that he might have better advantages and opportunities for business success than were accorded him on the east side of the Atlantic. He settled first in Crawford county, Ohio, where he secured employment as a farm hand, and while there living he married Miss Ehman, who was one of his countrywomen. Soon after their marriage they removed westward to Illinois, settling in Macon county, where Mr. Heinle purchased a forty-acre tract of land on which a log cabin had been built although few other improvements had been made. The arduous task of converting the land into productive fields lay before him but he resolutely took up the work and as the years went by his labors brought him substantial success, so that he was able to buy more land from time to time. His investments were made most judiciously and he eventually became the owner of seven hundred and twenty-six acres. He was one of the well known and prosperous farmers of the county and made for himself a creditable position in public regard not only by reason of his success but also owing to the straightforward and honorable business methods which he ever followed. He filled the office of road commissioner for a time and was ever mindful of his duties of citizenship. Although he started out a poor man among entire strangers, he achieved both fortune and an honored name. His death occurred in this county July 18, 1899, while his wife passed away in 1895. Their family numbered five sons and three daughters: Fred, Samuel, Louis, Williams, Charlie, Kate, Paulena and Lizzie. Four of the sons are represented in this volume.

Samuel Heinle, whose name introduces this review, was reared on the old home farm, continuing with his father until the latter's death, after which he and his brothers conducted the place until the estate was divided. On December 20, 1899, he was united in marriage to Miss Addie M. Hollingsworth, a native of Warren county, Ohio, where her girlhood days were passed and whence she came to Illinois when a young lady of eighteen years. Her father, E. Hollingsworth, died in the Buckeye state. Mr. and Mrs. Heinle began housekeeping upon the farm that is now his home. It then comprised an eighty tract of land upon which slight improvements had been made. There was a small house upon the place and an old barn. He at once began to repair the buildings and to cultivate the fields and when his labors brought him substantial financial returns he erected a commodious and attractive residence, also a large barn, cribs and other outbuildings. He likewise introduced the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and continued to engage actively in farming until 1908, when he rented his land and removed to Otero county, Colorado, settling near Ordway in the beet, cantaloupe and alfalfa district. There he purchased one hundred and twenty acres and began the cultivation of the place. He remained in the west for only ten months, however, for, becoming ill, he returned to his old home in Illinois but still retains the ownership of his Colorado property. In connection with his farming interests in Macon county he raised and fed hogs. He also bought another tract of eighty acres of land and won recognition as one of the most progressive agriculturists of the community.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Heinle have been born four children who are yet living, Edith Florene, Harold Samuel, Elsie Louise and Leona Pauline. They also lost a son Ernest Lee, who was the twin brother of Elsie and died at the age of four months. Mr. Heinle exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the democratic party and has served as highway commissioner for two years, resigning that office ere his removal to the west. In the spring of 1910 he was elected supervisor of Friends Creek township on the democrat ticket by a good majority and is now taking a part in the deliberations of the board which has charge of the county affairs. He belongs to the United Brethren church at Shiloh and is a Master Mason, holding membership in Argenta lodge, A. F. & A. M. He has always been a man of progressive spirit. This was manifest in the manner in which he cultivated his farm and added to it all modern improvements. He is now the owner of a fine passenger Columbia automobile. His life work, intelligently directed, has gained him place with the substantial and representative citizens of the county and his individual worth in Friends Creek township is widely acknowledged by those among he has long lived and who can best judge of his strongest characteristics.

Jeremiah P. Nicholson

Jeremiah P. Nicholson, who is now serving as sheriff of Macon county, has made his home here for almost six decades and has long borne an enviable reputation as a prominent and respected citizen. His birth occurred in Garrard county, Kentucky, on the ioth of March, 1840, his parents being John and Julia N. (Underwood) Nicholson, who were likewise natives of that place. The paternal grandfather, James Nicholson, who was also born in the Blue Grass state, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The male representatives of the family have for generations followed farming as a life work. John Nicholson, the father of our subject, was one of four brothers who came to Macon county from Kentucky, taking up his abode in Wheatland township in 1852, and turning his attention to general agricultural pursuits. Unto him and his wife were born twelve children - six sons and six daughters. All are now deceased, with the exception of the following named: Jeremiah P., of this review; Mary Jane, the widow of James Durning, who resides in Mount Zion, this county, at the age of eighty-one years; Charles S., living in the state of Washington; John, who makes his home in Missouri; and Robert, of Indiana.

Jeremiah P. Nicholson was a youth of twelve when he came to Macon county with his parents, and in the acquirement of an education attended the country schools for a few years. His advantages in this direction were limited because of the fact that his father was in straitened financial circumstances, and early in life he was obliged to assist in the support of the family. He aided his father in the work of the fields, and was later employed as a farm hand by others, his wages helping to defray the living expenses of his father's family. The clothes that they wore were spun by the mother of wool that was obtained from sheep which the father raised.

In 1861, his patriotic spirit being aroused by the attempt of the south to overthrow the Union, Mr. Nicholson enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving for three years or until honorably discharged. He was married in 1866 and began farming on his own account, being actively and successfully identified with agricultural pursuits until 1889. In connection with the tilling of the soil, he also devoted considerable attention to the feeding of cattle and the buying and selling of horses, meeting with excellent results in both branches of his business. In 1889 he abandoned the work of the farm and took up his abode in Decatur, where he was engaged in the livery business for about two years, while during the following two years he was identified with mercantile interests as a dealer in farm implements. In 1894 he was elected sheriff and served for four years. Subsequently he acted as superintendent of streets for several years, and then once more embarked in the livery business, conducting what is now the Lindsay barn on West Wood street. In 1906 he entered the sheriff's office as deputy under B. A. McGorry, acting in that capacity until the fall of 1910, when he was again elected sheriff of Macon county. He owns a fine home at No. 430 West Decatur street, but after his election took up his residence in the county jail. He is in every way well fitted to discharge most satisfactorily the duties devolving upon him as sheriff, and also to care for the prisoners in his charge.

On the 26th of January, 1866, Mr. Nicholson was united in marriage to Miss Catherine A. Wallace, a daughter of Robert Wallace, of Long Creek township, Macon county. The record of their children is as follows : Mina, at home; William H., a resident of Decatur, of whom extended mention is made on another page of this work ; Julia A., who is yet under the parental roof ; I. C, of Decatur; Robert A., who makes his home in Texas; and C. C. and Lester B., both living in Decatur.

Mr. Nicholson is a republican in politics, and has always been an active worker in the local ranks of the party. He served as supervisor of Long Creek and Mount Zion townships for several years, and for many years held the office of road commissioner. He and his family are members of the Presbyterian church, and he also belongs to Beaumanoir Commandery, No. 21, and Dunham Post, G. A. R., of Decatur. Mr. Nicholson has passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten and receives the veneration and esteem which should ever be accorded one who has traveled thus far on life's journey, and whose career has been at all times upright and honorable.

Diligence and determination as the accompaniments of strong native intelligence can always win success whether in commercial or professional lines, and it is these qualities that have gained Dr. Melton a creditable and enviable place as a member of the medical fraternity in Macon county. He is located in Warrensburg where he has built up a good practice, coming to him in recognition of his energy and ability in the field of his chosen calling. Kansas numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Burlingame on the 10th of February, 1863. His parents were W. A. and Oxiana (Beckes) Melton, the former a farmer and mechanic who at one time was a resident of Knox county, Indiana, whence he removed to Kansas and is still living at the age of seventytwo years. In 1893 he removed to Oklahoma where he took up land and still resides in that state. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the country's call for aid, joining the Second Kansas Cavalry, with which he served as a private throughout the period of hostilities, taking part in a number of important battles as well as in the long hard marches and in the dreary waiting

Dr. W. A. Melton, reared under the parental roof in Kansas, pursued his education in the common schools of that state and in a private school, after which he entered upon preparation for the practice of medicine, pursuing his professional course in the medical department of the Northwestern University of Chicago. He was graduated in 1896 and soon afterward located in Warrensburg, where for more than fourteen years he has now successfully engaged in practice, his ability being manifest in the prompt manner in which he relieves suffering and checks the ravages of disease. He is very careful in the diagnosis of a case and most conscientious in his professional service. In early manhood he taught school for seven years, this aiding him in pursuing his medical course.

In April, 1898, occurred the marriage of Dr. Melton to Miss Olive Lehem, who is now deceased. For his second wife he chose Miss Helen S. Aikman, whom he wedded in 1904, and they are now the parents of a daughter and two sons, Viola W., William D. and Robert B. Dr. and Mrs. Melton have many friends in Warrensburg but while he is appreciative of the social amenities of life his attention is chiefly given to his professional duties and he keeps in touch with the onward march of the profession and holds membership in the state medical society and the American Medical Association as well as the local society. Moreover his reading of the medical journals and the best literature of the profession adds much to his knowledge and ability and has promoted his proficiency in no uncertain manner. His practice is now extensive and of an important character.

W. L. Johns, a popular merchant of Boody, Illinois, comes of good pioneer stock and was born in Macon county, April 6, 1862. He is a son of Adolph and Charlotte (Sutman) Johns, both of whom were born in Germany in 1832. They came to America in 1853 and settled in Macon county, where the father engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1867. He was buried in Tyler cemetery. The mother departed this life in 1901. There were eight children in their family, six of whom are now living: Lottie, the wife of Otto Trummer, of Iowa; Frederick, of Kansas; Mary, the wife of Fred Pistorius, of Blue Mound township, Macon county; Elizabeth, now Mrs. William Niedermeyer, of Decatur; Adolph August, of Pekin, Illinois; and W. L., our subject.

Educated in the public schools of Macon county, W. L. Johns was reared as a farmer boy and at thirteen years of age began working by the month, so continuing for fifteen years. In the course of this time he became thoroughly familiar with all kinds of farm work and, having married at the age of twentyeight, he settled on the home place, three and one-half miles southwest of Boody, where he lived for twelve years. However, he was attracted to mercantile pursuits and in 1902 he removed to Boody, where he opened a general store, which he has conducted very successfully, carrying a well selected stock of dry goods, groceries, hardware, paints and oils, clothing, hats and caps, etc. Being a man of pleasing address, he has attracted patrons from a wide region in his part of the county and is recognized as one of its prosperous and growing business men.

On the 1 6th of December, 1890, Mr. Johns was united in marriage to Miss Lena Moss, who was born in Macon county in 1873. She is a daughter of Peter and Rosa (Schupe) Moss, the former of whom was born in Germany and the latter in Macon county. They are now living in Pleasant View township. There were two children in their family: Lena, and Lewis, of Moweaqua, Illinois. Six children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Johns: Benjamin Earl, born March 1, 1892; Ralph, April 8, 1895; Raymond, April 4, 1897; Virgie, October 11, 1899; Vera, March 14, 1901 ; and Dale, November 11, 1906.

Mr. Johns is a stanch advocate of the republican party and has served in a number of public offices, discharging his duties in such a way as to meet the approval of citizens irrespective of party. He filled the office of road commissioner for three years, tax collector for one year and is now a member of the school board. Socially he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife are both valued members of the United Brethren church, of which Mrs. Johns is one of the stewards and Mr. Johns is trustee and also treasurer of the board of trustees and of the Sunday school. The head of a promising family and also of a flourishing mercantile business, he has no reason to regret his venture eight years ago when he located in Boody. He belongs to that class of citizens who take pleasure in assisting others and who are interested in the permanent welfare of all with whom they are identified. It is such men who stand at the helm and are responsible for the progress everywhere visible in the American republic. Mr. Johns and his estimable wife by their worthy qualities have attracted many friends who are found among the best people of Macon county.

Ferdinand H. Pistorius

Of stanch German ancestry, Ferdinand H. Pistorius, a well known farmer of Blue Mound township, was born in the township where he now lives September 23, 1867. He is a son of John and Caroline (Miller) Pistorius, both of whom were natives of Germany, the father having been born in 1832 and the mother two years later. John Pistorius came to America when he was about eighteen years of age and settled in Macon county. He started out as a poor boy to make his way against the obstacles of the world, beginning as a farm hand and later was employed as a railroad laborer. He saved his money and bought land when it was cheap, acquiring about a thousand acres in Macon county, so that he was able to give each of his children a farm when they were ready to begin life upon their own account. He was an intelligent and clearheaded business man and became very prominent in the community, serving for many years as steward of the German Methodist church and as superintendent of the Sunday school. He also served as local preacher of that church. He departed this life June 23, 1910, and is buried in Blue Mound township. The mother died September 16, 1910. There were ten children in the family, eight of whom still survive: John, a resident of Kansas; William, of Blue Mound township; Mary, the wife of Lewis Bailey, of Blue Mound township; Charles, of Decatur; Samuel, of Blue Mound township; Bettina, the wife of Eugene Weiffenbach, president of a college at Warrenton, Missouri; David, of Blue Mound township; and Ferdinand H., our subject.

Educated in the district schools, the subject of this review grew up under the direction of his father who early taught him the various duties pertaining to the farm. He remained under the parental roof until twenty-five years of age and then, having married, he settled on one hundred and seventy acres of land on section 10, Blue Mound township, where he has since lived. This place was given to him by his father, who purchased it from John Sleeter. Mr. Pistorius and his family occupy a beautiful residence and he has made many improvements, building corn-cribs, implement sheds, etc., so that he now owns one of the desirable farms of Macon county. In addition to raising cereals he handles live-stock quite extensively and, as he is a man of good judgment, his efforts have met with a gratifying degree of success.

On the 5th day of March, 1902, Mr. Pistorius was united in marriage to Miss Edith Fieker, who was born in Shelby county, Illinois, March 5, 1883. She is a daughter of Christian and Martha (Brink) Fieker, the father having been born in Germany in 1846 and the mother in Washington county, Illinois, in 1854. They lived for a number of years upon a farm in Shelby county but are now retired and make their home at Rockville, Missouri. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Fieker, seven of whom are now living : Arthur, a resident of Rockville, Missouri ; Annie, the wife of Otto Ludwig, also of Rockville; Edith, now Mrs. Pistorius; and Bertha, Theodore, Frederick and Reuben, all of Rockville. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pistorius: Juanita Jewel, born March 17, 1904; and Donald Fieker, born September 7, 1906. Henry Miller, an uncle of our subject, served as a captain in the Civil war, and now lives at Urbana, Illinois. Frederick Miller, another uncle, lost his life in battle for the Union.

An adherent of the republican party, Mr. Pistorius stanchly supports its candidates and is at present serving as school director. He and his wife are active members of the German Methodist church and are liberal contributors toward its support. He inherited many of the noble traits of his father and has for years been known as one of the influential men of Blue Mound township. He is a good farmer, a clear-headed business man and a citizen who never hesitates to render assistance to any worthy cause. It is men of this calibre that give solidity and strength to the state and ensure the permanency of free institutions.

Charles C. Le Forgee, senior partner of the law firm of Le Forgee, Vail & Miller, has during the years of his active connection with the Macon county bar been associated with some of the most important civil and criminal law cases tried in the courts of this district. His constantly expanding powers have made him a man of pronounced ability in his chosen field of labor and he is now regarded as an able and conscientious minister in the temple of justice who, while devoted to the interests of his clients, never forgets that he owes a still higher allegiance to the majesty of the law.

Mr. Le Forgee was born in Decatur in 1867 and is a son of Jesse and Julia A. E. (Small wood) Le Forgee. The father was a native of Fleming county, Kentucky, born January 1, 1833. The family, as the name indicates, is of French origin and was founded in Kentucky by Abraham Le Forgee, who emigrated from France, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of the city of Blue Licks. The greatgrandfather was Abner Le Forgee, a native of Kentucky, whose son, Ayres Le Forgee, was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, in August, 1795. After arriving at years of maturity he married Dorinda Cassidy, a daughter of Michael Cassidy, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and at the age of fourteen years crossed the Atlantic to the new world, settling in Kentucky. He served with the American troops in the Revolutionary war from the battle of Lexington until the colonies had achieved their independence. He bore all of the hardships and trials which came to the soldiers during that long struggle. On one occasion he had his feet frozen and several times was wounded by the Indians. After the war he settled in Kentucky, entering three thousand acres of government land in Fleming and Nicholas counties. He became a man of notable prominence and activity in that state. He was elected to the Kentucky legislature, serving for fifteen terms, and was also a member of the state senate for two terms. He often bore active part in shaping the legislation of Kentucky, leaving the impress of his individuality for good upon the framing of the laws of that commonwealth. His death occurred in 1815. In religious belief he had always been a Presbyterian. It was his daughter, Dorinda, who became the wife of Ayres Le Forgee. The latter during the greater part of his life followed the carpenter's trade and also for a number of years operated a large mill at Poplar Plains, Kentucky. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812 and afterward drew a pension from the government in recognition of the aid which he had given in that struggle. In 1856 he became a resident of Decatur where he lived retired until called to his final rest in 1870. For more than sixty years he was a devoted member of the Methodist church and his wife, who also belonged to the same church, passed away in that faith in 1868 at the age of seventy-two years. They were the parents of ten children : Martha, the wife of D. W. Litster ; America, the wife of Dr. W. J. Chenoweth, of Decatur; Ayres ; Jesse ; Mary E., the widow of James Le Forgee ; Frank ; Robert ; and three others who are now deceased.

Of this family Jesse Le Forgee bgecame the father of Charles C. Le Forgee, whose name introduces this review. In the town of Poplar Plains Jesse Le Forgee was reared and educated and afterward learned the wood carver's trade under the direction of his father in Wyoming, Kentucky. He came with his parents to De- catur in 1856 and the following year he married Julia A. E. Smallwood, the wedding being celebrated July 20, 1857. Her parents were James M. and Iva (Powell) Smallwood, also pioneer residents of Macon county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Le Forgee were born five children, but Iva, the eldest, and James, the youngest, died in infancy. Walker L., who studied medicine and was graduated from Rush Medical College of Chicago, married Miss Jessie Drake and died a month later. Dorinda C. is the wife of John E. Patterson, a real-estate dealer of Decatur; and Charles C. is the other surviving member of the family.

In politics Jesse Le Forgee was a democrat and his religious faith was that of the Christian church, in which he served as deacon for many years and otherwise took an active and helpful part in the church work. He also belonged to Celestial Lodge, No. 86, I. O. O. F., and to the Rebekah degree of that order. For more than a half century he was a resident of Decatur, where he died December 28, 1907. His widow still survives him and is one of the honored pioneer women of the county.

Charles C. Le Forgee pursued his education in the public schools of Decatur and at the age of sixteen years entered his father's office to learn the real-estate business, but at the time he attained his majority he decided to study law and pursued his reading under the preceptorship of Judge William E. Nelson. Later he entered the law department of the Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois, and was there graduated with the class of 1889. In that year he returned to his native city where he opened an office. His recognized ability has brought him into close connection with some of the important cases, both criminal and civil, that have been tried in the courts of central Illinois. In 1890 he was admitted to the Decatur bar and in 1892 he became a partner of J. C. Lee under the firm style of Le Forgee & Lee. The present firm of Le Forgee, Vail & Miller was formed in 1910 and is still occupying a commodious office on the fourth flour of the Title & Trust building. In all the intervening years since his admission to the bar he has been actively connected with the profession which has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of any section or community. His is a natural discrimination as to legal ethics and he is so thoroughly well read in the law as to be able to base his arguments upon thorough knowledge of and familiarity with precedents and to present a case upon its merits, never failing to recognize the main point at issue and never neglecting to give a thorough preparation. His pleas have been characterized by a terse and decisive logic and a lucid presentation rather than by flights of oratory, and his power is the greater before court or jury from the fact that it is recognized that his aim is ever to secure justice and not to enshroud the cause in a sentimental garb of illusion, which will thwart the principles of right and equity involved.

Mr. Le Forgee was married to Miss Isabel Vennigerholz, a daughter of Julius H. and Isabel Vennigerholz. Their children are Isabel Vallette and Charles G. While a representative of one of the old families of the county, it has been his individual ability that has brought Mr. Le Forgee to his present creditable position in the ranks of the legal fraternity in Decatur.