JUDD, Squire Thomas
Squire Thomas JUDD, deceased, was a citizen
of Evans township, where, as a leader among men, his memory is
held in reverence and honor. He was one of the earliest pioneers
of Marshall
county, settling with his parents upon the old Judd farm on
Sandy
creek in 1831, and in this county made his home until his death,
which occurred on the 1st of February, 1892. During those years
he was very influential in public affairs, as by his strong
force of character and undoubted integrity he early gained the
confidence of the people, who saw in him a man they could trust
as a guide and well fitted to hold public office. His death has
left a vacancy hard to be filled, and was considered a severe
blow to the material and moral interests of the community.
Squire JUDD was born in Ashe county,
North Carolina, May 26, 1827, and was only four
years old when brought to
Marshall
county, where he was reared on a farm and received an ordinary
district school education. He began teaching in Evans township,
which at that time was Sandy precinct of La Salle
county. On the 31st of October, 1851, his marriage with Miss
Mary A. DILLMAN was celebrated. She was born in Brown county,
Ohio, August 16, 1830, and is a daughter of
Frederick and Mary (TURNER) DILLMAN, the former a native of
Pennsylvania, and the latter of
Maryland. With her parents she came to
La Salle county, Illinois, in 1844, locating three miles east
of Magnolia, where they made their home until 1861, when they
removed to Wenona, but both are now deceased.
After his marriage the squire lived for
three years upon the old Judd homestead, but in 1854 removed to
the northwest quarter of section 20, Evans township, which was
then all raw prairie land, and the same summer erected a good
frame dwelling. He made that place his permanent home, improving
the land himself and made the farm one of the most desirable in
this section of the county. In the early days he took his gain
to Hall’s landing on the Illinois river.
He was purely a self-made man, having no advantages except those
given him by nature, and his prominent characteristics –
honesty, economy, temperance and industry – were no doubt
important factors in his success.
Squire Judd was always an ardent democrat
in politics, took an active part in local affairs, at the early
age of twenty was elected justice of the peace, which office he
creditably filled for many years, for a number of terms was
supervisor of Evans township, also chairman of the board, was
school director for a long period, and was once a candidate for
representation, but as the district was strongly republican he
was not elected. Socially, he held membership with the Masonic
order, being a Royal Arch Mason, and was also prominently
identified with the Grange for many years. He applied himself
studiously to qualify himself for his after life, was looked up
to by every one, and his advice was often sought. His remains
now rest in the
Cumberland
cemetery.
Mrs. JUDD, who is a faithful member of the
Presbyterian church, still survives her husband, and four of
their seven children are also yet living. Francis Lee, who is
residing in San Diego, California,
married Lettie ASHLEY, of Kansas,
and they have five children – Fannie,
Pearl, John, Katie and Ashley. Mary E. is
the wife of Joseph MILLER. John T., of Wenona, married Ella
DUNLAP, and they have two children – Mabel Almeda and Roland
DeWitt. Alfred, living on section 18, Evans township, wedded
Annie L. BRENN, and they have three children – Ethel, Gertrude
and Roscoe.
The only daughter, with her family, now
resides on the old homestead on section 20, Evans township. She
was married on the 16th of May, 1877, to Joseph MILLER, who was
born in Carroll county, Ohio,
September 10, 1851, and is the son of Abraham and Ruth (MISER)
MILLER, the birth of the former occurring near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
in 1818, and the latter in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1826. His parents were married in
the buckeye state, where they located upon a farm in Carroll
county, but in 1865 became residents of
Wenona,
Illinois, where the father died in
November, 1890. The mother is still living. In their family were
four children, two of whom survive, the daughter being Mary,
wife of Oliver WINGATE of Wenona, by whom she has seven children
– C. S., Inez Dent, Willis Herbert, J. Roy, Jessie Grimes, Don
and Florence.
Joseph Miller was educated in the public
schools of Wenona, and in his younger years learned the trade of
a painter, which he followed for some time. He and his excellent
wife now have six children – Wallace M., Benjamin F., Thomas J.,
Bernard O., Frederick J. and
Lena. He is prominently connected with the
Masonic fraternity and Evans grange, No. 35, in which he has
served as master, and is president of the Farmers’ County
institute. Politically, he votes independent of party ties, and
has been called upon to act as a member of the local school
board. Mrs. MILLER is a consistent member of the Cumberland
Presbyterian church.
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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