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Weaver Cemetery-- Young Hickory Twp., Fulton
Co., IL
Section 35
McClelland, Robert F. Nov 19, 1859 30 years 10dhubsnda of
O. E.
McClelland, Sarah. A. Nov 05, 1859 4y 9 16d dau of Robert F.
Bio below on Robert's wife whom he left behind.
Mrs. Priscilla McClelland, relict of Robert McClelland,
was born in Jefferson Co., O., in 1814. In an early day her parents moved to
Ill. her maiden name was Marshall, and she was married June 30, 1836, to
Robert McClelland, a native of Ireland, who was born in 1801. But little of
his early life is known; his father died when he had attained his twelfth
year, and thus while young he was thrown upon his own resources. He learned
the trade of a weaver, and at 19 crossed the ocean for America. He went to N.
J., but did not long remain there; he came to Illinois prior to the Black Hawk
war, and soon afterward came to Astoria township and engaged in farming. Mr.
McClelland was a farmer of uncommon energy and set to work making a farm in
the timber, and how well he succeeded in life is well known to the business
and farming community. When his life’s labors drew to a close there were
others besides near and dear relations who missed the familiar face.
Reeve, Mary Oct 01, 1854 75 yr 6m wife of Robert
Weaver, David July 18, 1853 29y 28d husband of Elizabeth
Weaver, Elizabeth Aug 31, 1873 44y 8m wife of David
Weaver, Harriet E. Reeve Jan 27, 1879 67y 6m 17d; wife of Issac
Weaver, Henry Clay Mar 21, 1851 10m so of Isaac & Harriet E.
Weaver, Infant Sept 05, 1841 son of Isaac & Harriet
Weaver, Infant June 01, 1842 son of Isaac & Harriet E. Weaver, Mary Emily Aug
10, 1864 so of H. D. & H. A.
Weaver Mary Emily Aug 10, 1864 21y 3m dau of Isaac & Harriet E. Reven no stone
now.
Weaver, Polly Apr 19, 1855 57y 4m 4d wife of William
Weaver, William Apr 11, 1879 88y 1m 22d husband of Polly.
Not all Weaver's below are buried here but they are related to William who is
buried here.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Fulton County, 1890, page 577
William R. Weaver-- This name will be at once recognized by the
majority of our readers as that of one of the leading agriculturists of Fulton
County. In addition to general farming he makes a specialty of raising
Shropshire sheep, having some of the finest animals of this breed to be found
in the United States, many of them imported. On account of his interest in
this work he has bestowed upon his estate the name of Shropshire Lawn. It
consists of one hundred and fifty acres, which are tilled in the most thorough
manner and are adorned with a fine set of buildings, second to none in the
township. They are complete in all their appointments, and the dwelling is
surrounded with all that goes to make a home pleasant and attractive.
Our subject is a representative of a prominent and highly respected family,
whose identification with the early development of this county proved a
valuable factor in its civilization. Going back in the paternal line three
generations we come to the Hon. Isaac Weaver, of the Keystone State, whose son
William came to this county in 1835 and died at Young Hickory April 11, 1879.
He was accompanied hither by a son, Isaac, who had been born in Green County,
Pa., July 13, 1819. this Isaac Weaver was married in Peoria County, December
13, 1838, to Miss Harriet C. Reeve, whose natal day was July 10, 1811, and
birthplace, Plattsburg, Clinton County, N. Y. The young couple settled in
Deerfield Township, this county, and a few years later built just across the
line in Young Hickory Township. They remained there until 1857, then removed
to Prairie City, McDonough County, where Mrs. Weaver died January 27, 1879.
Mr. Weaver survived until January 28, 1890, breathing his last in the same
city.
Isaac Weaver was highly respected by all who knew him, being
upright and honorable in all his dealings, interested in the true welfare of
those about him, and ever ready to give counsel and advice to the many who
sought it at his hands. He was well read on all subjects, possessed of sound
judgment and Christian character. He filled various offices in Young Hickory
Township, among them being that of Supervisor, and was Justice of the Peace in
Prairie City for many years. He was also Notary Public and a successful
Pension Agent. He came very near winning the race for the office of County
Judge in McDonough County. He took an active interest in the Sunday-school
work. His wife was also identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Weaver consisted of six children, the third
of whom is the subject of this biographical notice—Eliza M., the first-born,
is the wife of George W. Beer; Mary E., the second child, died when twenty-one
years old; Harriet C. is the wife of Samuel S. King; Henry C. died when about
a year old; Isaac F. married Miss Lydia Brinkerhoff, and resides in Arkansas
County, Ark.
William R. Weaver was born in Young Hickory Township, this county, January 20,
1845. He was about twelve years old when his parents removed to Prairie City,
wherein he grew to manhood and continued to live until his marriage. He
assisted his father, who operated a grain elevator, until a few months after
his majority, when he established a home of his own in Young Hickory Township.
After living there about five years he, in the fall of 1870, removed to Canton
Township, settling on section 6, where he has since remained. He possesses the
progressive ideas of the age, and makes of his agricultural pursuits both an
art and a science. He therefore proves successful in his chosen calling,
gaining from the fertile soil abundant crops of excellent quality. His flock
of sheep is one of the finest in the entire State and the source of a good
income. The other stock is of course excellent, and the machinery used upon
the place of the most approved models.
The marriage of our subject was solemnized in Canton Township February 1,
1866, his companion in the interesting even being Miss Ellen Leeper. Her
family, like that of her husband, is one of eminent respectability and has
been identified with the development of this county for more than half a
century. Mrs. Weaver received unexcelled home training and good educational
advantages, and is therefore well qualified to fill her place at the head of
the household. She joins her husband in exercising the most generous
hospitality, and all who cross their threshold depart with pleasing memories
of her grace as a hostess and devotion as a parent. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver have
two sons—Frank E. and Loran E.
The parents of Mrs. Weaver were Thomas and Eliza (Lake) Leeper. The father was
born in Ohio in 1801, and the mother in New Jersey, September 9, 1809. Their
marriage took place in Hamilton County, Ohio, January 18, 1826, and there they
made their home ten years. They then removed to this county, arriving in
September, 1836, and locating in Fairview Township. There the beloved husband
and father died, November 9, 1859, his dying hours cheered by the hope of a
blessed immortality. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with
which his widow is identified. Besides Mrs. Weaver the family of Mr. and Mrs.
Leeper included—Jane, who became the wife of David Weaver and died in Canton,
Canton Township; Mary A., wife of John Williamson; Catherine, wife of J. P.
Dean; Charlotte, wife of Thomas pool, whose home is in Union Township;
William, who married Kate Rose and lives in Ellisville Township; George, who
was killed at Vicksburg, having been a member of the Seventy-second Illinois
Infantry, known as the Board of Trade Regiment; Ann, wife of Barney Greenwell,
of Farmington Township; Sarah, wife of Andrew McBride, of Farmer’s Township;
Adeline, who lives in Canton Township.
Mr. Weaver finds time in the midst of his extensive personal interests to bear
an active part in the political affairs of his neighborhood, in educational
matters and in all movements which tend to the general welfare. He is now
School Trustee and has been Director. He votes the Republican ticket, and the
hindrances must be many and great that keep him away from the polls. He
belongs to the American Shropshire registry Association. Personally, he is one
of the most genial, companionable men, strictly honorable in h is dealings,
and therefore highly regarded by all with whom he has to do.
Joshua Weaver is a son of the late William Weaver, of Fulton
county, and was born Dec. 31, 1820, in Greene county, Pa.; came to this county
with his parents in April, 1835. His father on arriving here purchased the
land entered by Robert Reeves, who was the first settler in Deerfield
township, on the tract of land known as Reeves’ Prairie. Mr. W. has been
Pathmaster, Assessor and Supervisor; also School Director 20 years; was
married April 14, ’42, to Mary A. Dykeman, by whom he had 3 children. He was
again married Oct. 21, ’51, this time to Eliza A. Martin, by whom he has 3
children, 3 of whom are married and living in this county, viz: Mary E.,
Harmon and James A. Both Mr. and Mrs. W. are members of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. W. has been Elder 23 years, and has been
sent twice to the General Assembly: first to Memphis, Tenn., in 1857, next to
Huntsville, Ala., in ’73; has been crippled with rheumatism for 20 years and
has traveled in 15 States for the benefit of his health. His father was born
in Lancaster, Pa., and died in this county, April 11, ’79, at the age of 88
years. The father of Mrs. Weaver, John H. Martin, was Clerk and Judge of the
first election for county officers in Fulton county, and the pen with which he
wrote was made from a quill which Mrs. Totten took from a goose on the morning
of the election, and the poll-book was a fly-leaf from Mrs. Totten’s Bible.
Mr. W. is a farmer and stock-raiser. P. O., Ellisville.
Joshua Weaver is one of the oldest and most honored citizens of Fulton
County. He is a retired farmer, now living in Ellisville. Although he has
suffered from rheumatism for many years, he has not lost his entertaining ways
and jovial spirits, but retains the social qualities which, added to his
upright character, make him well liked wherever he is known.
Mr. Weaver comes of a good family, his paternal
grandfather, the Hon. Isaac Weaver, having been a prominent man in the
Keystone State. He was born in Philadelphia and became a farmer in Greene
County, owning one thousand acres of land. He subsequently engaged in the sale
of general merchandise in Carmichaels, successfully pursuing that calling and
becoming wealthy. He was elected to the State Senate in 1816, served two terms
and then filled the office of Auditor of State several years. He was of
English descent and zealous in the Quaker belief, to which he had been reared.
He lived to be more than fourscore years old.
The father of our subject, William Weaver, was born in the Keystone
State, reared on a farm and engaged in agriculture in Greene County, having
land near Clarksville. He became an influential citizen of that locality. In
1835 he emigrated to Illinois, locating in Deerfield Township, this county. He
bought eighty acres of land there, began its improvement and six months later
purchased three hundred and twenty acres of Government land in Young Hickory
Township. There he built a double log house, which was finally replaced by a
better edifice. He lived there until the death of his wife, when he broke up
housekeeping and resided with his children. He possessed the quiet ways
peculiar to the Friends and retained his religious belief until death. In
politics he was originally a Whig and later a Republican. He was once a
candidate on the Whig ticket for member of the Legislature, but as his party
was in the minority he was not elected. He died in Young Hickory Township in
1877, at the age of eighty-eight years.
The wife of William Weaver and mother of our
subject was Mary Cornwell. She was born and reared in Washington County, Pa.,
and possessed many sterling qualities. Her father was engaged in boating on
the Ohio River, dying at Maysville, in Kentucky. The family of which our
subject is the third member includes also Mrs. Abigail Reed, whose home is
near Glasford, Peoria County, Ill.; Isaac, who died in Prairie City, in
February, 1890; David, who died in Canton when thirty years old and while he
was studying medicine; Nancy, who died at Yates City, Ill., twenty-five years
ago, was the wife of Dr. Burson, of that place; and Mrs. Mary Dodds, of
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Joshua Weaver was born near Carmichaels, Greene County, Pa., December 31,
1820. He was a child of five years when his father removed to Castile Run,
near Clarksville, where he was reared on a farm. He attended school in the
old-fashioned structure which has been so frequently described, doing his
writing with a quill pen and having but few text books. He early learned to
work and until fourteen years old drove cattle and horses in a hilly country.
He well remembers the journey to this State, which took place in April, 1835.
The party drove four miles to Mononaghela, embarked on a boat which conveyed
them to Pittsubrg, and by the rivers they continued their journey to St. Louis
and thence to Beardstown. Fourteen days were consumed on the route.
The family remained at Beardstown three months while
the father looked for land, traveling about on horseback. He selected a tract
and the family went thither in a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen. There were
very few settlers in the neighborhood and wild game was still plentiful in the
timber and on the unbroken prairies. A wolf hunt was a source of excitement,
and several are recalled by our subject, whose father also killed a deer.
After coming here the lad had but three months schooling, being kept busy in
helping to develop the farm. He drove a breaking team, mauled rails, and
assisted his father in various ways until his marriage in the spring of 1842.
Mr. Weaver then rented land in Deerfield Township and after a few years bought
eighty acres on section 3. There he improved and built upon the land, adding
to his acreage from time to time until he possessed two hundred acres in that
and two hundred and eighty in Young Hickory township, for which he paid from
$5 to $40 per acre. It is now improved so as to form four distinct farms,
which have been divided among his children, except a quarter section, which
Mr. Weaver retains, but since September, 1885, has rented it and lived in
Ellisville. The land has been devoted to the cultivation of grains and the
raising of stock, high grades of which were always to be seen there. Forty
acres are left in timber. Although Mr. Weaver has been a physical sufferer
since 1858, often confined to his couch, he superintended the estate until his
removal to the village.
The lady whom Mr. Weaver won for his wife, in
April, 1842, was Mary A., daughter of John Dykeman. She was born in Indiana,
but came hither with her parents in 1837. She passed away in the spring of
1850, leaving three children. The oldest, Mary E., was a student in Abingdon
College and is now the wife of D. M. Lawson, a farmer in Deerfield township;
John William, who died at the age of seven years; Harmon, who studied in
Hedding College, moved to California on account of the health of his wife, and
now operates a fruit farm there.
Our subject was married October 21, 1851, to
Eliza Ann Martin, who has lived in this county since 1830, and is therefore
one of the oldest residents now living. She was born in Muhlenberg County,
Ky., in 1826, and reared in this locality with the privileges of the common
schools. She is the mother of four children. James A. is farming in Deerfield
Township, Martin in Young Hickory Township, and Henry I. operates the
homestead; Martha J. is the wife of G. L. Fisk, an undertaker in Ellisville.
Mrs. Weaver is a granddaughter of Hugh Martin, a
Virginian, who made one of the Daniel Boone colony in Kentucky. One of his
children was the first born in that State. Like his associates, he carried on
farm work, although on account of the Indians the families lived in stockades
for several years. He died in Millersburg County. The father of Mrs. Weaver
was John H. Martin, who was born near Lexington, February 22, 1789. He was
reared in his native State and there married a young lady of an equally good
Southern family. He began school teaching when seventeen years old and
followed that occupation during a great part of his life, adding to it the
cultivation of the soil.
In the fall of 1828 Mr. Martin located in Jefferson County, Ill., teaching
there two years. He then came to this county, spending the winter of the deep
snow in Smithfield. In the spring of 1831 he bought eighty acres of land in
Farmers' Township, which he improved, teaching also for years. In the fall of
1835 he changed his location to Deerfield Township, entering eighty acres on
section 1. After a few years he removed to Fairview, where he clerked. In 1843
he returned to the farm, remaining there until his wife's death, after which
he made his home with his children. He died at the home of his eldest son, in
Lyon County, Kan., in 1871. He was the first Supervisor of Deerfield Township
and was Justice of the Peace for years. Religiously, he was a Presbyterian.
The mother of Mrs. Weaver
bore the maiden name of Martha Summers. She was a daughter of William Summers,
who, like herself, was born in North Carolina, and who is numbered among the
early settlers of Kentucky. She became the mother of five children, Mrs.
Weaver being the second in order of birth. Thomas C. died in Emporia, Kan.;
William A. was killed at the close of the war; Charles C. died in Greenwood
County, Kan.; James H. has not been heard of by his friends for some time and
his fate is uncertain. William A. enlisted, in 1862, in a Missouri cavalry
regiment and became Captain of a company. He served until the close of the war
and near Little Rock was shot from ambush, presumably for his money, as he was
robbed.
The subject of this sketch has been a
School Director nearly all his life and has aided in building several
schoolhouses. He served as Commissioner of Highways several terms, was
Assessor two years and Supervisor of Deerfield Township for three years. After
having voted with the Whig party in early life, he became a stanch Republican
and has frequently acted as delegate in county and Congressional conventions.
He has served on the grand and petit juries, and as foreman of the former. He
was identified with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which is now extinct
in this vicinity, and held the office of Elder.
1879 History of Fulton Co., IL
Joshua Weaver is a son of the late William
Weaver, of Fulton county, and was born Dec. 31, 1820, in Greene county, Pa.;
came to this county with his parents in April, 1835. His father on arriving
here purchased the land entered by Robert Reeves, who was the first settler in
Deerfield township, on the tract of land known as Reeves’ Prairie. Mr. W. has
been Pathmaster, Assessor and Supervisor; also School Director 20 years; was
married April 14, ’42, to Mary A. Dykeman, by whom he had 3 children. He was
again married Oct. 21, ’51, this time to Eliza A. Martin, by whom he has 3
children, 3 of whom are married and living in this county, viz: Mary E.,
Harmon and James A. Both Mr. and Mrs. W. are members of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. W. has been Elder 23 years, and has been
sent twice to the General Assembly: first to Memphis, Tenn., in 1857, next to
Huntsville, Ala., in ’73; has been crippled with rheumatism for 20 years and
has traveled in 15 States for the benefit of his health. His father was born
in Lancaster, Pa., and died in this county, April 11, ’79, at the age of 88
years. The father of Mrs. Weaver, John H. Martin, was Clerk and Judge of the
first election for county officers in Fulton county, and the pen with which he
wrote was made from a quill which Mrs. Totten took from a goose on the morning
of the election, and the poll-book was a fly-leaf from Mrs. Totten’s Bible.
Mr. W. is a farmer and stock-raiser. P. O., Ellisville. |