Edmund WEIS was an enterprising farmer who resided on section 36, Whitefield township, where he was extensively engaged in general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. In his death the community lost a worthy and prominent representative of its farming interests. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1828, spent the days of his boyhood and youth in the land of his nativity and when twenty-two years of age came to the United States to test the truth of the favorable reports which he had heard concerning opportunities and advantages in the new world. He joined an uncle in Marshall county and worked for him on a farm in Whitefield township for some time, after which he took charge of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which had been purchased by his father. He made good use of his opportunities and as the years passed was enabled to make investment in land for himself and eventually became the owner of four hundred and eighty-five acres, constituting a very valuable property. He was thus extensively engaged in general farming and he also made a specialty of the raising of cattle, which branch of his business likewise proved profitable.
Mr. WEIS was married on April 5, 1861, to Miss Johanna LINDSEY, of Prussia, Germany, and unto them were born eight children, of whom six are now living: Michael, a resident farmer of Woodford county, Illinois; Alexander, at home; Ida, the wife of Otto NOLL, a farmer residing east of Chillicothe, in Woodford county; Conrad, at home; Edmund, who also follows farming in Woodford county; and Emma, who completes the family. Alexander and Conrad still reside on the old homestead and carry on the business of the farm, giving their time and energies to the further development and improvement of the place of four hundred and eighty-five acres. They are well known cattle raisers, always keeping a good grade of stock, and in the control of their interests they display marked enterprise and keen business ability and discernment. The family are communicants of the Catholic church and the sons are supporters of the democratic party. Conrad has served as tax collector for a number of terms, but their attention is largely concentrated upon their business interests, in which they are now meeting with signal success. The father, Edmund WEIS, continued actively in farm work until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-six years of age. His was a notable and exemplary record. He came to the United States without capital and without acquaintance with the English language, but he soon mastered the latter and gained a goodly portion of the former. He worked diligently and persistently year after year and it was his earnest toil that gained him a start in life and brought him gratifying success in later years. All who knew him respected and admired him for what he accomplished and for the methods of his business life.
Extracted July 2011 by Norma Hass from Past and Present of Marshall and Putnam Counties Illinois, 1907.
| Bureau Putnam La Salle | |||
| Stark |
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| Peoria | Woodford | ||
