CLIFFORD, S. D.
S. D. CLIFFORD. The farm in Evans township,
owned and occupied by this gentleman, invariably attracts the
eye of the passing traveler as being under the supervision of a
thorough and skillful agriculturist, and a man otherwise of good
business qualifications. He was born December 21, 1834, in
Harrison county, Ohio,
where the marriage of his parents, Edward and Rebecca (DUNLAP)
CLIFFORD was celebrated.
His father, whose birth occurred in
Virginia, in 1806, was the son of Samuel and Nancy
(WALKER) CLIFFOR, the former a native of Ireland, but at an early day became
a resident of the Old Dominion. Accompanying his parents to
Harrison county, Ohio, in 1814, Edward
CLIFFORD was there reared. His wife was born in that county, in
1807, and was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah (DICKERSON)
DUNLAP, both of whom died in Ohio.
For a time after their marriage, Mr. and
Mrs. CLIFFORD continued to reside in Ohio, but in 1853 came to
Illinois, and located upon the old Jones farm, which was
partially improved, on section 10, Evans township, Marshall
county. There the father died August 20, 1881, but the mother
still survives him. He was exclusively a farmer and erected a
good residence and barn upon his place. Politically, an earnest
democrat, he served as a delegate to the
Greeley
convention, and in his township held the office of road
commissioner.
The parental household included seven
children, five still living, as follows: Sarah is the wife of
James PHILLIPS, by whom she has eight children – Donelson, Mrs.
Jane COLEHOWER, Mrs. Amanda BOSMAN, Edward CLIFFORD, John, Mrs.
Ida MORRIS, Mrs. Eva HOLLENBECK, and BOYD.
Nancy
lives upon the old home farm. Our subject is the next in order
of birth; Jane is the widow of William DUNLAP, of Wenona, and is
the mother of six children – Edward, Joseph, Mrs. Ella JUDD,
Retta, deceased; William Derley, and Lucy; Margaret is at home;
Susan is the wife of W. T. HAMILTON, of Galesburg, Illinois, and
they have four children – Mrs. Ettie EVANS, John, James, and
Samuel.
In 1853, our subject came with his parents
from Ohio to Illinois, walking the entire distance, and in
the high school at Wenona, completed his education, which was
begun in his native state. He remained upon the home farm until
his marriage, which important event in his life was celebrated
in 1863, Miss Sarah E. HOYT becoming his wife. A native of
Marshall county, she was born in Roberts township,
July 6, 1842, and after attending the district schools, was
later a student at both Henry and Galesburg, this state. Five children graced
this union, four still living – Leslie, who married Hattie
GETTER, by whom he has two children, Jo Sterling and Mona, and
is now living at Scotia, Nebraska; Anita M., wife of Harry DAY,
of Chillicothe, Illinois, by whom she has one son, Franklin C.;
Hoyt, and James S.
The patents of Mrs. CLIFFORD are James and
Maria (HITCHCOCK) HOYT, who were married in
New York city, and came to
Illinois
in 1837. The following year they located in Marshall county, where they rented land for
three years, and then purchased land in Roberts township. The
mother died in 1850, but the father, who was born in 1807, still
survives at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. Four of their
nine children are also still living – Julia, wife of John
BOBBITT, of Sutherland, Nebraska, by whom she has eight children: James Henry, a
farmer, of Golden City, Missouri; Mrs. CLIFFORD, and Seymour,
ex-county judge and attorney at law, living in Dade county,
Missouri. After the death of his first wife, Mr. HOYT wedded
Eliza Jane MATHIS, and they have two children – Charles E and
Jennie M., wife of Judge RICHMOND, of Lacon.
After his marriage, Mr. CLIFFORD settled
upon the old family homestead, where he remained until 1870, and
then removed to his present farm, which was then but partially
improved, but is now under a high state of cultivation.
Politically he supported the men and measures of the democratic
party, and served as school director and assessor. He provided
his children with excellent educational advantages, his oldest
son being a graduate of the Normal school at
Valparaiso, Indian. Mr. CLIFFORD was
suddenly taken sick on Sunday, May 31, 1896, and died June 12,
following. His funeral, which was one of the largest ever held
in Evans township, was from the Cumberland Presbyterian church,
on Sunday, June 14, the services being conducted by Rev.
Freeman. While not a member of the church, Mr. CLIFFORD was a
believer in the Christian religion, and his reputation for
honesty and integrity was well known throughout the community.
Extracted May 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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