Montgomery County, IL. History of Bond and Montgomery Counties Illinois 1882 - Part II, pages 200-208, Butler Grove Township, ==================================================================== Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm ==================================================================== Please direct any questions to Montgomery County Illinois web site http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmontgo/ or Bond County Illinois Web site. http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilbond/ [Page 200] George W. BROWN, Jr., grain dealer, Butler, was born in Montgomery County, Ill., May 30, 1843; son of George W. and Sarah A. (JENKINS) BROWN, he born in Ohio July 9, 1819, a farmer by occupation, and coming to Illinois in 1836; she, a native of South Carolina, born June 30, 1819. They were the parents of six children. … George W. BURRIS, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Montgomery County, Ill., February 22, 1860. He received his education in the common schools of the county, and entered upon his career in life as a farmer, and remained upon the old homestead until the death of his father, when he assumed all the cares and responsibilities of the family and farm. He was married in Montgomery County, November 3, 1881, to Miss Fannie V. HARRIS, who was born March 7, 1861, to John and Elvira HARRIS. Dewitt C. BURRIS, the father of George, was born in Jackson County, Ohio; was one of the early settlers of Montgomery County. He was an energetic and enterprising man, and a practical farmer, and, perhaps, no man has done more for public improvements and for the advancement of agricultural interests in the county than Mr. BURRIS. His death occurred January 4, 1879, at the age of fifty-three. He was a man of prominence in the township, and his loss will long be felt. His wife, Roseline MACK, was born in New Hampshire. She is still living, and is the mother of eight children - George, Emma J., wife of John WALLACE; Hattie Ellen, Carrie A., Elzina, William O., Charles D. and Wesley C., all of whom are living on the old homestead, except Emma, who, with her husband, is living in Butler [Page 201] Township. George, the subject, is identified with the Democratic party. He devotes his time to growing the usual crops and raising stock. The farm consists of about nine hundred acres of choice farm land, which he keeps in a high state of cultivation. John BURNAP, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Montgomery County, Ill., October 2, 1854, son of Joseph S. and Sarah (HUGG) BURNAP, he born in Ohio September 21, 1821, a farmer by occupation; she born in New Jersey December 25, 1833. They had five children, John being the eldest child. Our subject, … Jacob CRESS, farmer, P. O. Hillsboro, was born in Harrisburg, Washington Co., Ind., May 5, 1818, son of Jacob and Catharine (BOST) CRESS, natives of North Carolina, he born December 26, 1779, a cabinet-maker by occupation and dying November 10, 1865; she, born August 28, 1786, and dying February 1, 1859. They had ten children. Our subject, ... Mary BASSETT CLINESMITH, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Middlesex, Yates Co., N. Y., September 18, 1828, daughter of Ira and Louisa (CLEAVELAND) BASSETT, he an architect by profession, born April 10, 1788, and dying July 29, 1844; she, born August 26, 1798, and dying February 2, 1873, being a native of Massachusetts. … [Page 202] ... S. F. CRESS, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Montgomery County November 8, 1847, son of Absalom CRESS, who was a native of North Carolina, and a farmer by occupation. ... Isaac DOYLE, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Greene County, Ill., June 14, 1842; son of Thomas and Mary (COATS) DOYLE, both natives of Kentucky, who emigrated to Greene County in 1832. They were the parents of eight children, Isaac being the sixth in order of birth. Our subject received an ordinary education in the common schools of his native county, and commenced life as a farmer, in which he has continued, owning at the present time 160 acres of well-improved land, three miles northeast of Butler. September 15, 1869, he married Miss Mary MITTS, born in Sangamon County, Ill., March 15, 1845, daughter of Jesse and Zerilda (SHELTON) MITTS. Two children have been born to them - John L. and Noah E. Mr. DOYLE has served as School Trustee, is a Mason and a Democrat. John C. GRASSEL, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born January 10, 1853; son of George C. and Kathrine (ESPERT) GRASSEL, both natives of Bavaria. ... C. H. HOES, merchant, Butler, was born in Washington County, Md., September 15, 1845; son of Hartman and Elizabeth (KNOBLE) HOES, he a native of Germany, a failor by trade, who emigrated to America in 1837, dying in 1864; she, a native of Maryland, born January 1, 1814. ... L. Scott HOES, merchant, Butler, was born in Hancock, Ind., September 6, 1853; [Page 203] son of Hartman and Elizabeth (KNOBLE) HOES, he a native of Germany, ... Thomas F. HODGES, farmer, was born in Jersey County, Ill., September 29, 1851, son of E. M. and Nancy (DAVIS) HODGES, he born inMissouri in 1820, and died in 1875; she born in Kentucky in 1821. … Matthew McMURTRY, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Doagh, County Antrim, Ireland, December 12, 1807; son of Ezekiel Simm and Jane (McALLISTER) McMURTRY, of Thorndyke, Ballyclose, Antrim, Ireland. … [Page 204] … M. L. MOYER, physician, Butler, was born in Iredell County, N. C., March 19, 1850, son of J. M. and M. A. (KIMBALL) MOYER, … Francis PHILLIPS, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Randolph County, Ill., February 14, 1827. … Michael REMENSNIDER, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Germany in 1826, son of Andrew REMENSNIDER, he a native of Germany, and a farmer by occupation, born in 1793, and died about the year 1863. Subject, who is the youngest of a family of four [Page 205] children, received a fair education in the .... Joseph STICKEL. farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in York County, Penn., August 26, 1814; son of John and Mary (BENZLY) STICKEL, he a farmer, born about 1791, and dying in 1869; she, born about 1791, and dying in 1862; both natives of York County, Penn. ... John M. TUMES, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Hillsboro, Montgomery Co., Ill., April 27, 1848, son of Thomas and Theresa (ALLEN) TUMES, he a native of Ireland, she of Illinois. They had eight children, John M. being the second in order of birth. Our subject received his education in the Hillsboro Academy, and commenced life teaming and farming, in which latter occupation he has been engaged to the present time. October 26, 1876, he married Mrs. Fannie M. (CHAPELL) HARKEY, whose husband, Daniel Lee HARKEY, died in 1875, leaving two children - Ida Sophia and Ella Lee. Mrs. TUMES is the daughter of George and Rebecca CHAPELL, the latter having departed this life in 1862. One child, Mattie H., has been born to Mr. and Mrs. TUMES. He is an Odd Fellow and a Democrat. Justus H. WARE, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born at Ware's Grove, near Butler, Montgomery Co., Ill., July 11, 1834; son of Benjamin and Sarah (SLAYBACK) WARE, he born at Gilsum, Cheshire Co., N. H., May 27, 1796, a farmer by occupation, and dying [Page 206] July 31, 1855; she, born near Lexington, Ky., September 13, 1805, and still living. ... Dr. W. A. WESNER, druggist, Butler, was born in Indiana February 27, 1851, and emigrated to Montgomery County in 1874. His father was Jacob WESNER, born in North Carolina in 1800, and died in 1860; his mother, Elizabeth (KILLIAM) WENER, born in 1806, and dying in 1857. ... Henry WARE, farmer, P. O. Butler, was born in Butler Grove Township May 4, 1845; son of Obadiah and Electa (POST) WARE, he born in Gilsum, Cheshire Co., N. H., January 2, 1795, a farmer by occupation, and dying September 24, 1876, she born in Addison County, Vt., July 15, 1800, and dying November 15, 1859. ... William WATSON, farmer, P. O. Hillsboro. Among the prominent families of Butler Grove Township is that of him whose name heads this sketch. Mr. WATSON, whose portrait appears in this volume, was born in Machery Knappen, parish of Refo, County Donegal, Ireland, January 14, 1800; his father, James Watson, was a native of Ireland, and was born about the year 1755; he married Margaret McCLARY, a native of Ireland; they had four children, of whom the subject was the eldest; he died in 1825. ... [Page 207] on the farm where he now resides, five miles north of Hillsboro. He was married, August 4, 1834, in New York, to Miss Mary TAFT, who was born December 10, 1815, and is a daughter of William and Elizabeth (DAVIDSON) TAFT, all of Ireland; Mr. and Mrs. WATSON have had born to them the following children: William, Aaron, Margaret, John James, an infant (died without name), George W., Anna, Augusta, James, Eliza and Isabella. Mr. WATSON is one of the stanch farmers of the county, who settled in it more than forty years ago; has grown up with it, advanced in prosperity, and has grown in wealth and importance; has become identified with it in its growth and development, and is a part of its history; he has never sought office nor political preferment, but has always been an energetic friend of education, and a determined advocate of all public improvements calculated to promote the welfare of his adopted county. ... [Page 208] …