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CONNECTICUT
GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A Part of Genealogy Express
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Welcome to
Hartford County, Connecticut
History & Genealogy
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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Miscellaneous
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REV. NORMAN TAYLOR ALLEN. No history of
Knox county would be complete without reference to Rev. Norman
Taylor Allen, who has been a lifelong resident of this section of
the state and is numbered among the native sons of Galesburg. Early
consecrating his life to church work, he has been an active force in
the moral development of central Illinois and his example no less
than his precepts has been a factor in the moral growth of the
community. He is a man of scholarly attainment, because of wide
reading and study, and he has ever kept in close touch with the
discussion of the themes, that have ever been regarded as of vital
interest in greater development and in the progress of civilization.
He was born in Galesburg, August 15, 1844, and is a
representative of one of the old New England families. his paternal
grandfather, Chester E. Allen, was born in Hartford or New Haven,
Connecticut, and was a tailor by trade. He removed westward in 1855,
settling in Knox county, Illinois, but was not long permitted to
enjoy his new home for his death occurred March 4, 1859, when he was
seventy-six years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name
(Source: History of Knox County, Illinois) |
JOHN C. GEER, who from the age of fourteen
years has made his home in Knox county, Illinois, where through a
considerable period he has been identified with merchandising as
proprietor of a grocery store, deserves much credit for what he has
accomplished in life, his success being attributable to his energy,
determination and successful management.
He was born in Connecticut, near Hartford, on the 17th
of October, 1846, and was the second of the three sons of Luther and
Abby (Hempstead) Geer. On the paternal side he traces his ancestry
back to George Geer, who was one of three brothers to emigrate from
England to the United States at an early day. He married Sarah
Allen, a daughter of Captain Allen, and among their children was
Isaac Geer, who was the father of Jacob Geer.
Solomon Geer, the son
of Jacob, married Anna Tiers, and to them was born a son,
Luther
Geer, Sr., February 14, 1773, in Connecticut. The last named was the
grandfather of our subject. In early life he learned the carpenter's
trade, which he followed for many years. With his family he came to
Illinois, casting in his lot with the pioneer settlers of Stark
county, where his wife died in early life, but he lived to be quite
advanced in years. She bore the maiden name of Esther Whipple and to
them were born six children, namely, Esther, Lucinda, Ophelia,
Luther, Solomon and Hiram. The maternal grandparents of our subject
were Avery and Lucy (Leeds) Hempstead, who were residents of Mystic,
Connecticut, where they died at a ripe old age. Their children were
Abby, Lucy, Nancy, Frederick and Courtland. Avery
Hempstead was a
son of Robert and Ann (Avery) Hempstead. The birth of his father
occurred February 7, 1746, and his mother was born May 8, 1745.
Robert Hempstead served as sergeant in William
Stanton's Company,
Eighth Regiment, Connecticut Militia, August 6, 1780.
Spending his youthful days in the Charter Oak state,
Luther Geer, Jr., there learned the carpenter's trade. Prior to the
Civil war he removed westward to Illinois, settling at Toulon, where
he engaged in contracting and building. He also bought a farm and
devoted considerable time to cultivating the fields which he
improved with all modern equipment. He died there about 1880 when
sixty-four years of age and was long survived by his wife, who
passed away in 1906, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years and
eleven months. Both were members of the Baptist church and were
earnest Christian people at all times loyal to their professions. Of
their children Avery, the eldest son, died at the age of fifty-five
years and Courtland, the youngest, is now living in Stark county,
Illinois.
John C. Geer, whose name introduces this record, was a
small boy when he came to this state, and was a youth of fourteen
years when he arrived in Knox county. He had obtained his education
in Stark county and had scarcely started upon his teens when he took
upon himself the task of providing for his own support. His life has
been one of earnest and persistent toil, at length crowned with a
substantial measure of success owing to his unfaltering industry and
intelligently directed energy. He was first employed as a clerk in a
grocery store in Galesburg and while working in that capacity saved
his earnings until his industry and careful expenditure had brought
him sufficient capital to enable him to engage in business on his
own account. In 1887, therefore, he opened a grocery store and has
since continued in this line of business, having for a long period
conducted a store at No. 121 East Main street. He still continues in
the grocery line, having a store at Knoxville.
Mr. Geer was married on the 1st of December, 1869, to
Miss Delia Murphy, who was born in this county, February 12, 1848.
Her parents came from Ireland and were early settlers here and
afterward removed to Topeka county, where they died in old age. They
had three sons and five daughters, Robert, John, Margaret,
Josephine, Helen, Delia, Catharine and Mary. In 1883 Mr.
Geer was
called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away when
thirty-five years of age. She was a faithful member of the Baptist
church and a woman of many remarkable traits of character. She left
three children: Cora, who is acting as her father's housekeeper;
Abbie, at home; and George. The son is a blacksmith residing at
Keokuk, Iowa. He married Blanche Ferguson and they have two
children, Charles and Daisy.
Mr. Geer holds membership with the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks and also with the Grand Army of the
Republic. His connection with the latter comes through the fact that
in 1863 he enlisted for three months' service in the One Hundred and
Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry as a member of Company D.
His political support is given to the democracy and he is somewhat
prominent and active in the party ranks, serving for twelve or
fourteen years as county supervisor from Galesburg. He is also loyal
to the best interests of the community and has long been regarded as
a worthy citizen as well as progressive merchant. What he undertakes
he accomplishes and the years of a well spent life have won him the
kindly and merited regard of all with whom he has come in contact.
(Source: History of Knox County, Illinois) |
GIDEON MORGAN was
born in Wethersfield, Conn., in 1751. He married, in 1772,
Patience Coggswell, and, later, removed to New York; then to
Virginia and to Tennessee. His children were Gideon,
who married Peggy Sevier, granddaughter of Governor John
Sevier, of Tennessee; Rufus, who married Elizabeth
Trigg; Lutyher, who married Ann Cameron Dod; William,
who married Nancy Sewall; George, who married Fanny Irby;
Polly, who married (1st), Rea Hozen; (2nd) Rufus
McPherson.
(Source D.A.R. Vol. 61 No. 1. Jan. 1927) |
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