Herbert Young
Herbert Edward Young was born September 22, 1896 in Augusta, Hancock County, Illinois. He was the 2 nd of eight children. His early life was spent in Kewanee, Illinois where he received his education. He later moved to the Quad City area and married Gertrude Dorothy Lamansky. He loved to play baseball and he enjoyed bowling. Herbert worked as a coremaker for International Harvester for 17 years, until his death on February 4, 1945. Heart failure took his life. His brothers and sisters included: Louise, Harold, Maurice, Russell, Dorothy, Agnes, and Helen. Russell died in infancy and is his place of burial is unknown. Maurice died at the age of 15 and like his sister Dorothy he is buried with his parents at Pleasant View Cemetery in Kewanee, Illinois. At the time of Herbert's death, his son Maurice Eugene Young was serving with the army with the Quarter Master Corps driving supplies on the Burma Road. Herbert is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Rock Island, Illinois.
Frank Young and Edith West Young
Herbert's parents were Frank Maurice Young and Edith M West. Frank was born April 14, 1872 in Littleton, Hancock County, Illinois. He had 10 brothers and sisters. Many of his family remained in the Littleton area after they grew. Frank moved to Kewanee, Illinois with his wife in 1902. Frank's brother, Lee, also lived in the same city and worked at the same company as Frank…the Walworth factory. In 1920 Frank Young and Edith West Young moved to Moline. At one time Frank owned a gas station in the Quad Cities and he also worked for Moline Plow Company. Frank had his physical misfortunes and lost his left arm in an accident. Some time after 1927, Frank Young wrote down the family history of the Young Tribe. It is an interesting story.
Frank Young's parents were Samuel Allison Young and Eliza Gay. In 1834 Samuel Young, at the age of eighteen with two brothers, James and John, and two sisters, Margaret and Jane Matilda immigrated to the United States. Samuel was born in Tyrone County Ireland (according to Frank Young's account) and in Derry County according to Samuel Young's obituary. His date of birth is October 10, 1816. According to the history as written by Frank Maurice Young. Matilda kept house for her bachelor brother John. The state of Illinois does not have a record of Samuel Allison Young ever having been naturalized as a citizen of the United States. Samuel Young married Eliza Gay on November 25,1845 in Rushville Illinois. Eliza was born in Ohio (her parents being from Ireland). She with her father moved to the Rushville area in the 1830's. Eliza Gay's father died from the cholera epidemic in 1834 and was raised by her aunt, Fanny McCreery. The Samuel Young family had 11 children. Two of Samuel's children were named after heroes/friends; they were Hugh McCreery Young and Leonidas Horney Young.
Hugh McCreery was the first foreign born person to live in Schuyler County. Hugh McCreery moved to this county with his family in 1828. One of Hugh's daughters met a John Young on board a ship that sailed from Ireland to the United States. Hugh's daughter later married John Young. I believe that this John Young is somehow related to Samuel Young. Hugh McCreery Young was born on November 3,1861. The next child of Samuel Young was named Leonidas Homey Young on January 12,1865. This child went by the name Lee. Leonidas Homey was a neighbor to the Young's and was the county surveyor. Leonidas Homey fought and died at Vicksburg in 1863. Colonel Leonidas Homey was buried on the field of battle and was later brought back and buried at the Thompson Cemetery near Littleton on February 15, 1865 (a little over a month after Lee Young was born).
The earliest federal census record of the Samuel Allison Young family is found in 1850. This census lists Samuel as being 28 years old (this would make his date of birth to be 1822). Eliza Gay is listed as 22 years old. A daughter, Martha is 4 years old and a son Robert J is 1 year old. In the 1860 census of Schuyler County, Buena Vista Township, Samuel is listed as 40 years old (making his date of birth to be 1820), Eliza is 29 years old. The children listed include Martha, Robert, William, Alex, James, and Samuel. Interestingly enough is the fact that on the adjoining property is listed a John Young (35 years old), Matilda Young (30 years old), and an Alex Young (84 years old). John and Matilda may be Samuel Allison Young's brother and sister. I do not know if Alex is the father, grandfather or other relation to John and Matilda. The 1870 federal census lists the entire Young family in Schuyler County Littleton Township. The names listed are (D)amuel (60 years old), Eliza (40 years old), Martha (22 years old — listed as a teacher), Robert J (21 years old),William (17 years old), Alexander (15 years old), Samuel (11 years old), James (11 years old), Hugh (9 years old), Leonida (8 years old), Adeline (4 years old), and not named (3 months old). Frank Maurice is not yet named and is listed as being 3 months old. The census was conducted on June 22,1870. (Note Charles Samuel is not listed, having passed away in 1857).
The marriages of the children of Samuel Young and Eliza Gay Young are as follows:
Martha Jane Young - married March 25,1875
Daniel Bovey
(children: Helen Bovey)
(2nd husband) Martin Eisterez — married November 13, 1889
Robert J Young
Mary Ellen Garwood - married 3/10/1880
(had 4 children: names of two of the children are Myremell and Guy)
William D Young
Eliza Ellen Coats - married 12/25/1877
(had six children: names of five children are Emily, Clarence, Myrtle, Bonnie, June)
(2nd wife) Emily Allen
James Nelson Young
Florence M Leach - married 1/15/1880
(lost one child in infancy)
Samuel Allison Young
Luella A Harris - married 2/24/1886
(had five children: names of four children are: Marie, Howard, Clorence, Charles)
Hugh McCreery Young
Ida Hughes - married 3/10/1 886
(had 3 children: names are: Mabel, Helen, Grace)
Leonidas (Lee Homey) Young
Martha McFeeters - married 11/26/1889
(had 2 children: names are: Winnie and Scott)
Addie Margaret Young
George F Sullivan - married 2/10/1880
(had 1 child name is: Margaret)
Frank Maurice Young
Edith West - married 8/22/1893
(had 8 children: names are: Louise, Herbert, Harold, Maurice, Russell, Dorothy, Agnes, and Helen)
EDITH WEST YOUNG WITH FIVE OF HER CHILDREN
HAROLD, LOUISE, HERBERT
DOROTHY, EDITH, AND HELEN YOUNG
Agnes Young and "Pete" Remery ( April 21, 1929)
Frank's and Edith's children: Louise, Herbert and Harold were born in Augusta Illinois. Frank and his family moved to Kewanee in 1902. Russell died in infancy and Maurice died at 15 years of age.
- Frank Young died in Rock Island, Illinois in 1941 and Edith West Young died in Silvis, Illinois in 1952. Frank, Edith, Maurice and Dorothy are all buried at Pleasant View Cemetery in Kewanee, Illinois.
- When I spoke with a caretaker at Pleasant View Cemetery, he said that there appeared to be another gravesite on this family plot that did not have a marker. Perhaps, Russell is buried with his parents; however this plot of graves was not purchased until after the death of Maurice Young. Maurice died in 1918 and Russell died in 1905)
From a 1900 Federal census of Augusta in Hancock County Illinois, Lee, Hugh, William and Samuel Jr. have adjoining land and are farmers. George Sullivan is also a farmer and James Young is listed as an implement dealer. James Young later became a janitor at a local grade school and was affectionately known as “Uncle Jim”. His wife Florence Leach Young preceded him in death and interestingly Florence Leach is a 1 st cousin to O. P. Leach, husband to Harriet West (who is a sister of Edith West).
This history of the Young family was written by Frank M. Young, the youngest child of the original family of Young's—Samuel A. Young, and Eliza Ellen Gay Young.
The father, Samuel Allison Young was born in Tyrone Co., Ireland in the year of 1810. After the death of his parents, he with his two brothers and their sisters came to America—he was at that time near the age of twenty, was the second child of the family. The names of the children in our grandparents family were, James, Samuel, Margaret, Jane Matilda and John—all were married and reared families, except Matilda and John. Matilda keeping house for her bachelor brother John. All are deceased and buried in Rushville, Schuyler County and Mt. Sterling, Brown County.
Samuel A. Young's vocation in life was farming. He farmed in the McCreery neighborhood, near Rushville, Bunevista Township. While here, he met Eliza Ellen Gay, an orphan girl, whose mother died when she was two years of age. She was born in Marietta, Ohio, October 28, 1829. After the death of her mother, her father moved “from the flooded district in which they lived in Ohio”, to Rushville, Illinois. He entered again into the mercantile business, in which he was very successful. He also founded the Masonic Order in Rushville, holding meetings for a while in the upstairs rooms of his home. He at this time cared for an orphan boy, whose name at present is unknown. But this lad was very much interested in the Masonic order, asking many questions, but when told he had to be branded on the hip with a red-hot stove lid to become a member, he decided not to be a Mason.
After a short period here, the Asiatic cholera hit this area—many dying of the fatal disease. Robert Gay among them leaving his only daughter Eliza in care of an Aunt. Aunt Fanny McCreery, who raised and educated her, sending her to Mounticela Seminary High School. When she was sixteen years old, she was married to Samuel A. Young, who then was thirty-five years old. They were married in Rushville by Robert John Sweeny on 25 th day of November 1845.
They started life on a farm in a log cabin and lived here for three years. On July 27 th , 1847 their first child was born—Martha Jane. They then moved to Doddsville prairie where they had bought 160 acres of virgin land; here Martha Jane grew to womanhood. When she was 17 years old, she had finished school and became a teacher, taught until she was twenty-two. Then married Daniel Bovey (couldn't read spelling). To this union was born one child, Helen. After a short period was divorced and married the second time to Martin Eisterz who after five years died—leaving her again a widow, living in Augusta, Illinois with her only daughter, Helen. Here she met a tragic death by burning so severely, that she died within twelve hours. Her death occurred September 9, 1912—was buried in Augusta City cemetery by the side of father and mother.
On the 160 acres of virgin land on the Doddsville prairie, father cut logs on what was known as the Hooking Quarter, government land, he built a log house chinked the cracks, dobbed them with clay, then took lime and white washed the inside, put up calico curtains at the two windows and everything was ready to move in and go to work. The lock on the door was an old fashion time lock. A stick with a hole in and a hole in the door, a string from the inside lifted the latch.
The farming was done much different from now days. The wheat and grass was cut by hand. The grass was cut with a scythe and raked with a wooden rake. The wheat was cut with a cradle, bound by hand, then taken to flaning floors and beaten out with wooden flails. After this it was put in rail pens, then in barrels made by hand, and it was ready for market. They hauled it to the river and shipped it to St. Louis by boat.
The winters here were very severe and long with heavy snows. We, with only two or three neighbors many times were snowed in for weeks. The timber wolfs would come look in at the windows. Many a prairie chicken was shot from the clothesline. Buffalo, deer, bear and wild turkey were plentiful, as well as the bobcat and lynx. A stage coach coming through Rushville, Littleton, Doddsville and on to Macomb. One very cold winter day when a blizzard had struck this vicinity drove up in front of father's log house and stopped, but when it was watched from the window and the driver did not get out as usual, father went out and found the driver so badly frozen he had to be carried to the house, here he stayed until the storm was over and he was able to finish his route.
The next event on this farm was the birth of the first son. Robert J. Young. He arrived 15 August, 1850. He was a nice healthy lad and the pride of his father and mother. Nothing of importance happened in his life until he was about 18 years of age. He had the misfortune to loose the sight of one eye, and only through careful nursing by his mother that the sight of the other eye was saved. In the year of 1880 on March 10 th, he was married to Mary Ellen Garwood of Augusta, Illinois. To this union four children were born. His occupation was farming, moving from Augusta to Littleton, living there 15 years, then bought a farm near Ely, Missouri. Moved there in 1900, in 1922 he retired from active life and moved to Monroe City, Missouri where he still lives with his daughter Myrmell and son, Guy.
William Davis Young was born in Doddsville prairie 20 May, 1853. Here he grew to manhood, attended the rural school, and worked on the farm. He was married to Eliza E. Coats 25 December, 1877, at Littleton, and began farming west of Augusta; two years later moved to Schuyler County. To this union six children were born, all living except one daughter Bonnie and one infant son. The mother passed away in 1898, he later was married to Emily Allen who is still living and caring for her husband who is at present blind. They reside on a small farm west of Augusta, Illinois.
George Alexander Young was born 24 April, 1854 on the farm near Doddsville. At the age of 18 years, 7 months and three days he died of inflammation of the bowels, was buried in Littleton, Illinois cemetery.
Charles Samuel Young was born at Doddsville, 11 May, 1856. He lived a short period of eleven months and twenty-one days, passing away with an attack of croup, 2 May, 1857. He was buried in Littleton City cemetery in Illinois.
The next very important event was the birth of twin boys 10 April, 1859. James and Samuel they were the most brilliant, agreeable boys ever born, never agreeing on anything. They were born at Doddsville where they grew to manhood, attended the rural school, later moving with the family to Littleton where they finished their schooling. James Nelson Young was married to Florence M. Leach 15 January, 1880, in Augusta, Hancock County, Illinois, where they lived happily for many years. They lost one infant son shortly after birth, Samuel Allison Young Jr. Married Luella A. Harris 24 February, 1886 in Augusta, Illinois. To this union five children were born, all whom are living. His vocation of life was farming and later moved to Kewanee, Illinois. He worked in the factory until he had to give up this work on account of his health, going west to Saratoga, Wyoming, then later to Cannon City, Colorado, where he still lives with his oldest son, Howard, who operates the state chicken farm.
Hugh McCreery Young the eight child born to this family on Doddsville prairie was born 3 November 1861, was married to Ida Hughes in Augusta Township 10 March, 1886. Three daughters were born to this union, all are living at the present time. Hugh died in Augusta on Monday, 11 April, 1927, at the age of 65 years, 5 months, and 8 days and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Augusta, Illinois.
The outstanding event in this great history was the birth of 12 January, 1865 of Lee Horney Young; he was born near the midnight hour and when his mother beheld the fine baby boy, she said, “a good prospect for a future president”. Lee was reared and educated on the farm at Littleton, Illinois, and later went to West Union school near Augusta, Illinois. When near 17 years old he left the farm and worked for the railroad for a short time. He then returned to the farm, where he met and fell in love with a music teacher, Martha McFeaters. They were married in 1888. To this union two children were born, both living in Kewanee, Illinois where he has lived nearly thirty years.
In the year 1886, father sold the farm at Doddsville, and bought land one mile east of Littleton at which place Addie Margaret Young was born 28 April, 1867. After the birth of eight boys, this was glad news to all the family, to have a wee baby sister added to the family. No wonder she was a spoiled child. When near the age of three years old, one day her mother tied her sun bonnet on and let her go with father to plow corn near the house. He sat her in the shade near the fence to play while he plowed. There happened to be a poison ivy vine there, and child like she ate the pretty red berries. How many they never knew, but she was a very sick little girl for many days. The only treatment in those days was salty fish brine baths and plenty of buttermilk to drink; so to this day I venture to Addie don't care much for fish and is not crazy about buttermilk, and can stay clear of an ivy vine. After this event she began her schooling in Littleton and finished her education at West Union near Augusta, Illinois. She was married to George F. Sullivan of Augusta 10 February, 1880. One daughter was born to this union. The father and husband died in Saratoga, Wyo., leaving Addie a widow with her only daughter, Margaret.
The last but not least in this event of history, is the birth of the youngest child of this large family. Frank Maurice Young, your honorable historian, was born near Littleton 14 April, 1872. He was boy of misfortune, having numerous hurts in his life. When three years of age, was with his older brother Sam on a load of wood when the team ran away, threw him off and the wagon wheel runs over his leg, the Doctor came to amputate the leg but mother said no, so it was not done. With good nursing and patience of mother, he got well again, but one time after another he was hurt. Nose broken three times, wrist broken, hand crushed, and finally lost left arm; he also had his heal bone broken in an elevator fall while working for Moline Plow Company. Cables broke and he fell three stories with 3200 pounds of iron on the elevator. One year after this, he fell and sprained his good ankle and was laid up several weeks again but with all his misfortunes he is able to write this history of his family.
One dear old lady in Augusta after a very hot argument on scripture told him he was cut out for a minister, but the Devil run away with the pattern (maybe so). The honorable historian was married to Edith M. West of Augusta, Illinois 22 August 1893. To this union eight children were born, six living and two boys dead. His home at present is in Moline, Illinois with wife and one daughter at home.
As we bring history to a close, I would like to mention a few of the ways this family was raised and the way the work was managed on the farm. The (?) the holes for the seed with a spade then covered by hand. The wheat was sowed by hand and covered with homemade harrow. Most of the farm implements were made by hand in those days, as well as, the clothing which they wore, they had no sewing or knitting machines, even boots and shoes and gloves were homemade. When Sunday came, father swept the wagon out put a few forks of hay in, (?) the seat boards with sheep pelts on them for cushions, then the wagon was ready for church. We put on our nicer shirt, gene pants, our shoes nicely polished with lampblack and tallow. Mother with her poke bonnet and gray shawl, all were ready and off to little Brown Church in the dale.
When the meeting was over, it was hurry home to milk old Brindle and (?) and feed the chickens. The hogs in these days were driven to the timber in the spring and left there to fatten off the masses of the forest until late fall. Then they were brought home fat and ready for butchering. The meat was used home and also for market. All hogs were sold to market, ready dressed. Then came a busy time for housewife to gather in all kinds of roots and herbs and different kinds of bark for the making of the winter's medicine. Father took wheat, buckwheat and corn to mill to have ground into flour and meal. Sometimes this took two or three days, because you had to wait your turn after a long journey to get there, such was the life on the farm at Doddsvilte (?) in the days of our childhood.
Now the parents of this large family, or the trunk of our family tree, is deceased; father dying in the year of 1888, leaving mother alone with her family for a period of fifteen years, then she passed away in 1903.
Frank's wife, Edith West also has a rich family history. Edith's lineage can be traced all the way back (and perhaps further) to a Francis John West born 1631 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Francis West's wife was Susanna Soule daughter of George Soule who came to America on the Mayflower. Edith West parents were Edwin B West and Alice Melvin. Edwin fought in the Civil War and was held at Andersonville prison by the Confederates. After the war, Edwin worked as a butcher and had a shop in Augusta, Illinois.
The first West family member to arrive in the United States was a Mathew West who was born about 1598 in England. He lived in Lynn, Massachusetts about 1636 through 1646. He later moved to Newport around 1646 because of religious opposition in Massachusetts. Mathew's parents are believed to be a Thomas West and an Elizabeth Sankey. Mathew's father, Thomas West was born in Hartsworth, England in 1564.
Among the children of Mathew West was a Francis West who was born in 1631 in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Francis John West married a Susanna Soule before 1690 in North Kingstown Rhode Island. Susanna Soule was the daughter of a George Soule who came over to America in the Mayflower. George was a servant to Edward Winslow. Next in the lineage was William West son of Francis and Susanna. William was born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island and lived in the general vicinity for a time. On July 27,1741, the Charletown, Rhode Island town council ordered William West, wife and children be transported to North Kingstown. Why this order occurred is unknown. At the time of this order William was married to his second wife Jane Tanner.
William later had a son from his second marriage named Benjamin. Benjamin was born in Rhode Island and was a deacon in the Baptist church of Hopkinton Rhode Island Church. Benjamin later moved to Connecticut with his family. Benjamin's wife was an Elizabeth Smith born December 14. 1733 in Bristol, Rhode Island. The couple had six children. If the historical records are correct, we have 5 of the 6 children of Benjamin West and Elizabeth Smith West marrying children of John Davis and Bethiah Rogers Davis. The relationship between the married couples would be 2nd cousin once removed.
The couples are:
Bethiah Davis - Rusemire West
Amy Davis - Michael West
Thomas Davis - Mary Polly West
Elizabeth Davis- Benjamin West
Experience Davis- Hezekiah West
Hezekiah West was born June 13, 1754 in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, After moving with his father to Connecticut, Hezekiah, became a deacon (like his father) of a local Baptist church. Hezekiah married an Experience Davis. Experience Davis has a rich family history, her pedigree chart dates all the way back to 940. The last known relative to Experience Davis is a Fredistina DeHauteville of Normandy, France.
Hazekiah was a farmer and was very suddenly killed by the falling of a tree in 1806 in Hartford County Connecticut.
The West Family line continues. From a biographical sketch made for Schuyler County, Illinois, we have Elisha West, son of Hazekiah, as the next member of the West family. Elisha married Eleanor Stillman in October 1,1803. Eleanor's father was a minister, Amos Stillman and her mother was Naomi Kenyon. Naomi's first marriage was to a John Davis who's sister was Experience Davis. John Davis and Naomi Kenyon did not have any children before John Davis's death in 1780. Naomi's 2nd marriage was to Amos Stillman who was a 1st cousin to John Davis. The Stillman's can be traced back to a George Stillman born in 1678 in London, England.
Elisha farmed and sold clocks for a living. Elisha supposedly died in 1829; however I still find an Elisha West listed in the 1830 census (which was taken in June) of Hartford County, Connecticut.
One of Elisha's sons was Solomon West. Solomon was the youngest child from a family of six. One of his brothers was a James Ansel West. James Ansel West was an eccentric minister who moved to Schuyler County before Solomon.
In the spring of 1837 Solomon went to Utica. New York and was a store clerk for about 3 years. During that time he met a Harriet Bicknell, daughter of Baxter Bicknell. (Baxter lived in Wayne County Pennsylvania in Mount Pleasant and is listed in the 1820 census). Harriet Bicknell West was born January 20,1821. Solomon and Harriet married about 1840. The couple later moved to Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Solomon engaged in the manufacture of umbrella and parasol handles. In 1857, Solomon, moved to Schuyler County, Illinois where he operated a saw mill and farmed. In one historical record I see Solomon listed as a spiritualist. Is seems religion played a big role in the West family.
In the 1850 federal census of Schuyler County, Camden Township of Illinois we find 4 West families living in this district. There is a David West from Ohio, 26 years old listed as a cooper. And there are Williston (William) and Benjamin West farmers born in New York state. I believe William and Benjamin are somehow related to Solomon, but I have been unable to confirm what that relationship is. There is also a James A West age 39 years old, who is a brother to Solomon West, Born in Connecticut and listed as a wagon maker.
Solomon West had another brother named Amos Stillman West. I have located an Amos S West who lived in Rochester, New York state in 1850. His profession was listed as a furnaceman. His wife's first name was Mary and the names of their children are: James A, Helen M, Alonza A, and Cora F West.
The children of Solomon West are: Edwin Baxter West, Bostwick Hawley West, Ellen Marie West and Orsmus Stillman West.
Bostwick West was living in Broadwater County Montana in 1880 with his family. He operated a sawmill (like his father). Bostwick West went to Alaska for a 2 year period during the goldrush, but returned to Montana. He lived to be 91 years old and he died in Spokane, Washington in 1938.
Ellen Marie West died young at the age of 28. She did not marry and is buried with her parents Solomon and Harriet in Huntsville Cemetery in Schuyler County, Illinois.
Orsmus Stillman West was born February 13, 1 854. In a 1 880 census of Schuyler County, Orsmus is listed as a farmer. His wife Clarissa Cady West and son Clarence are also listed in this census. In 1920, Orsmus is living with his wife in McLean County, Bloomington, Illinois. Orsmus died June 12, 1933 in Lincoln, Illinois. I have found who I believe is the son of Orsmus in a 1920 census of Logan County, Mount Pulaski. I have found a Clarence E West married to a Dollie M. West. They have a
17 year old son named Gordon. Clarence is listed as the owner of a power plant.
Possible 4 Generation Photo of the West Family
E.B. West (?)
Edith West Young, Louise Young Willetts
Mildred Willetts
Edwin West married Alice Melvin in 1866 in Schuyler County, Illinois. Edwin served in the Civil War and was taken prisoner by the Confederate Army and held at Andersonville. Edwin was a butcher and owned a shop in Augusta, Illinois. Edwin and Alice's children were Harriet, Earl, Edith, Tobe Solomon, Clement ,Benjamin and Mabel. Two sons, Clyde and William Paul died young. Harriet was a teacher at a local grade school in Schuyler County and later moved with her husband, O.P. Leach to Kansas City, Mo. where Mr. Leach was the owner of a lumber company. Earl who was known by the name “Free” was a jeweler. Tobe and Clem took over their father's butcher's store. Clem served 2 terms as a County Supervisor of Augusta township. Benjamin West was a teacher in Plymouth, Illinois and later moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Mabel West Worman moved with her husband to Tivy Valley (near Fresno) California where the couple had an avacodo ranch.
Edwin and Alice were admitted to the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Home in Quincy, Illinois (in Adams County) on October 18,1915. Edwin's beloved wife, Allie died on June 5,1916. Edwin died on January 12th 1929.
Edith West married Frank Young in Augusta in August 22,1893.