NORTON, John, Sr.
John NORTON, Sr., is a retired farmer,
living at Varna,
and is numbered among the settlers of 1848. His father, Hiram
NORTON, was a native of Connecticut,
and settled in Ohio, at an early day, locating in Trumbull county, where he married. His wife
dying, he was again married and removed to Holmes county, Ohio, where he made a permanent home and
there spent the remainder of his life.
The subject of this sketch was born January
3, 1821, in Trumbull county, Ohio, but in early
childhood removed with his father to Holmes county, where he
grew to manhood. He was reared on a farm and educated in the
subscription schools of the early days. In 1844 he was united in
marriage with Miss Eleanor BERRY, also a native of
Ohio. Four years later they came to
Marshall
county, and settled in Lacon, where he remained three years. He
then located five miles east of that place on a partially
improved farm and there remained fifteen years, when he moved to
sections 31 and 32, Roberts township, where his son, John B.
NORTON, now resides. On removing to the farm in Roberts township
he remodeled the house, built the barn and made other excellent
improvements. In 1884 he turned the farm over to his sons and
removed to Varna, where he has since lived a retired
life.
To John and Eleanor NORTON were born five
children – Elizabeth, now the wife of P. H. PURCELL, lives in York, Nebraska;
George W., who married Jennie ROBERTS, now deceased, lives in
Varna, and his present wife bore the maiden name of Ella O’MARA;
Samantha Jane, now deceased, was the wife of John IMHOFF; Emily
E. is now the wife of McL. THOMSPON, of West, York county,
Nebraska; John B., who married Clara TIDMARSH, now resides in
Roberts township. Mrs. NORTON dying, May 13, 1857, our subject
was again married, March 27, 1861, to Miss Mary L. BOYS, a
native of Monroe
county, Pennsylvania,
born September 29, 1832. She died February, 4, 1873, leaving
four children – William O., residing in
Varna; Edwin S., who married Alma WINGET, and now
resides in Varna; Leonard M., who married Mollie BROADDUS, and
lives in Varna;
Letitia M., who married Clifford ROBERTS, and also makes her
home in Varna.
Mr. NORTON married his present wife,
December 31, 1879. She was Miss Ellen B. BOYS, born February 14,
1840, in
Hopewell township, Marshall
county, and a daughter of William and Letitia (MORGAN) BOYS,
both of whom were natives of
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. They came to
Marshall
county in 1832, and stopped for a short time with Colonel John
STRAWN, then located on section 27,
Hopewell
township, of which he was the first settler. At that time their
nearest neighbor was tree miles away. On that farm they resided
until their deaths, the father dying October 4, 1873, and the
mother, January 11, 1880. They were the parents of six children
– John, now deceased, married Margaret RUSSELL, and after her
death married Catherine LONG, by whom he had two children; Mary
was the deceased wife of our subject; Morgan, now deceased,
married Annie HANCOCK, who has also passed away; Charles, who
married Aurelia HALL, now resides in Washburn, Illinois; Ellen
B. is now the wife of our subject; Emily, who married Stephen
RAMSEY, resides in Hopewell township.
Politically, Mr. NORTON is a democrat, with
which party he has been identified since attaining his majority.
He has been supervisor of Roberts township, and has also held
other township offices, including that of school director, which
position he held for many years. When he came to
Marshall county he was in very limited circumstances
and for many years was required to toil early and late, but
having accumulated a competency, he is now living a retired life
in the village
of Varna. To each of his children he has
given a good education, the most of them attending higher
schools of other localities.
Extracted April 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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