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H. C. Shepard Residence |
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HON.
FRANK SPITLER. This well-known member of
the legal profession has made his home in Sullivan,
Moultrie County, since March 1885, and is devoting
himself to his practice in partnership with Isaac
Hudson. This firm, which was established in
August, 1888, has gained prominence throughout Moultrie
and the adjoining counties and conduct is business
successfully. Mr. Spitler has been
associated with other lawyers since he became a member
of the bar, being formerly in partnership with ex-Judge
H. M. Miner, now in the West, and prior to that
with A. C. Monser, now of California.
Mr. Spitler was born in Marion County, Ill.,
Jan. 28, 1853, and is the son of Judge T. A. and
Gilly R. (Kelley) Spitler. The father was
born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and the mother in South
Carolina, and they both arrived in Illinois in 1840.
The following year they were united in the holy bonds of
wedlock, in Marion County, where they followed the
business of farming in Alma Township. Then the
father is yet living at the advanced age of seventy
years; he has always been an active worker and is still
hale and hearty for one of his age. He was a
stanch old-line Democrat and served his party faithfully
and well on many occasions, during his younger years.
For some years he was Supervisor of the township,
discharging the duties of the office to the satisfaction
of his constituents. He was also for a time
Associate Judge of the county, and is now held in
excellent repute on account of his fine character,
general intelligence and useful life. He is a
consistent member of the Baptist Church, as was also his
wife.
On Dec. 31, 1888, the mother of our subject passed from
the busy scenes of earth, and the New Year, which
brought to all of earth's children their joys and
sorrows, brought to her a realization of the "Great
Beyond". She was at the time of her demise
sixty-six years old and had become the mother of fifteen
children, eight of whom survived her. A good
woman, her life was devoted to her husband and children,
and it was her great object to prepare her sons and
daughters for responsible positions in life. Her
eldest son Henry, was a soldier in the Civil War,
serving as a Sergeant in the One Hundred and Eleventh
Illinois Infantry, and belonging to Company K. He
died in the hospital in Kentucky.
Our subject grew to manhood upon his father's farm,
engaged in various pursuits which belong to the life of
a farmer. He received a good common-school
education, which he supplemented by a thorough course of
study at a Baptist College. He utilized his
knowledge as a teacher, following that profession for
several years and earning the money to educate himself.
He taught school at Benton, Ill., for three years and
was afterward Principal of the schools at Odin, Ill.,
for two years. When he commenced to read law, he
was a student under Judge Williams of Mt. Vernon,
Jefferson County. In 1884 he was admitted to
practice at the bar, and has since devoted his undivided
attention to his profession. In 1888 he was
nominated by the Democratic party, of which he is a
stanch supporter, to the State Legislature, and
represented the Thirty-third District in the
Thirty-sixth Session. He was a member of various
important committees, among them that of State
Institutions. He served his constituency
faithfully and advanced the interests of his community
to the best of his ability.
Mr. Spitler was married, Mar. 20, 1888, in
Sullivan, to Miss May McCaig, a native of Ohio,
whence she accompanied her parents to Illinois and was
reared to womanhood in Sullivan. She is a mother
of one child, Clarke. In his religious
views Mr. Spitler is a Baptist and adheres to
every cause calculated to advance the interests of the
city socially, morally and educationally. He gives
liberally of his earnings to the church and all
public-spirited enterprises. When it was decided
to build a Baptist Church in Sullivan, Mr. Spitler
came to the front and was an active worker in securing
means and helping materially the completing of the
structure, which is a credit to the people and the city.
As a lawyer, he pleads his cases with force and shows
his ability as a student; his daily applications,
research and practice have given him a wide reputation
as a successful counsel and reliable advocate, which
with his personal qualities have attracted to him a
large circle of friends and patrons.
Source: Portrait and
Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties,
Illinois - Published: Chicago: Biographical Publishing
Co. - 1891 - Page 717 |
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JOHN A. STEWART. The genial
Supervisor of Penn Township, and who
owns two hundred acres of fine land
located on section 36, is he whose
name is found above. He was
born in Center County, Pa., in Shore
Creek Valley, Nov. 3, 1848. He
is a son of John G. Stewart,
who was born in the same State, and
the father of John G., the
grandfather of our subject, was born
in Scotland, and came to America at
an early day, and with his parents
located in Pennsylvania, settling in
Huntington. He was there
engaged in the mercantile business
and passed the remainder of his life
in that place. Our subject's
father learned a trade but did not
follow it long, turning his
attention to farming. He
removed from Pennsylvania to
Illinois in 1867, and resided in
Moweaqua until 1884, then went to
Missouri and settled in DeKalb
County, and there made his home
until his death, which occurred in
1888.
The mother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss
Mary Ann Elder. She was
born in Pennsylvania and was a
daughter of Abram Elder.
She still survives, making her home
in DeKalb County, Mo. She is
the mother of nine children.
Our subject was reared and educated
in his native State, and coming to
Illinois when quite young with his
parents, again located on the farm
and there remained until his
marriage, after which he came to
Penn Township and bought eighty
acres of land on section 27.
Our subject did not occupy the farm that was his first
purchase, but rented other land and
worked it until 1887, when he bought
the place
TO BE CONTINUED
Source: Portrait and
Biographical Record of Shelby and
Moultrie Counties, Illinois -
Published: Chicago: Biographical
Publishing Co. - 1891 - Page 681 |
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