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ILLINOIS GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A part of Genealogy Express
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Welcome to
Piatt County,
Illinois
History & Genealogy |
Biographies
Source:
Past and Present of Piatt County, Illinois
together with biographical sketches of many
prominent and influential citizens.
Publ.:
Chicago - The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
1903
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Andrew C. Varner
has been a resident of Piatt County for forty years, and
though not among its earliest settlers is justly regarded as one of
its pioneers, as he has done much to promote its agricultural
advancement. He is one of the representative farmers of
Monticello Township, where he has a farm on section 11, that he
developed from the wild prairies, making it one of the most valuable
pieces of property in this locality. Mr. Varner was born in
Washington County, Md., on the 21st of October, 1819. Anthony
and Catherine (Cline) Varner were his parents. His father was
a native of Virginia, while his mother was born either in
Pennsylvania or Maryland, somewhere near the line that divides those
States. The Varners were of German origin and came to America
prior to the Revolution. The father of our subject was a
soldier in the War of 1812, in which he fought valiantly.
When our subject was about ten years old he accompanied
his parents from his native Maryland to their pioneer home in Greene
County, Ohio, making the entire journey in an old covered wagon.
That was in the year 1829, and they were among the first to settle
in that section of the country. There Mr. Varner was reared to
a stalwart manhood under the influence of pioneer surroundings.
On his father's farm he gained a good understanding of farming, and
in the early subscription schools of Ohio he received the rudiments
of his education. At the age of twenty-three years he began to
take private instruction under Prof. Thomas Steele, a Scotchman of
much learning, who was at the time conducting an independent school
of a high grade at Zenia, Ohio. Our subject was graduated from
that school with an excellent English education which he
subsequently utilized by teaching school in Ohio for a number of
years.
March 26, 1850, our subject took unto himself the cares
and responsibilities of domestic life by marrying Emily Painter.
Mrs. Varner was born in Warren County, Ohio, March 12, 1826.
Her parents were George and Sarah (Mills) Painter, natives
respectively of Virginia and New Jersey. By their union Mr.
and Mrs. Varner have eight children, seven of whom are living:
Ella, wife of Samuel Dubson, of Piatt County; Clara, John, William,
Jeremiah, Mary, Andrew C. and Richard, all of whom live in Piatt
County. Capitola is the name of the child deceased.
In the fall of 1850 our subject came to Piatt County
with his family in a prairie schooner, and subsequently settled on a
farm that he now occupies in Monticello Township. He first
purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land at $4.57 per acre,
which was in a perfectly wild condition. He turned the first
furrow and made his land what it is today, as fine a farm as can be
found in the neighborhood. He has added to his land by
subsequent purchase, and now has two hundred acres of highly
productive soil. He has carried on his work with untiring
industry, which has been seconded by sound judgment in regard to
business matters, and he has therefore been much prospered. A
part of his success he justly attributes to his devoted wife, who
has cooperated with him in every way possible, and has been to him a
wise counselor.
Mr. Varner has been much of the time since he came here
identified with educational matters in this township. He was
one of the pioneer teachers of the county, having taught for nine
months after he settled here. He has served his township as
School Treasurer for twenty-one years successively. He has
frequently been solicited to hold other offices of trust as his
fellow-citizens fully recognize the value of having a man of his
intelligence and calibre in places of trust, but he would not be
prevailed upon to accept any official positions as he prefers the
quietude of home life. His political affiliations are with the
Democrats, and we always find him favoring every movement that will
in any way benefit the township or county.
Mrs. Varner is one of the most earnest and active
members of the Presbyterian Church, at Monticello, and her name is
connected with its various good works. Her father was a
soldier in the War of 1812. He was of German origin, while her
maternal ancestors were of New England birth. Mr. Varner was
first married to Ivy Paxton, and by that marriage he has one son,
George D. |
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| James T. Vent |
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| Sebastian G. Vrooman |
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NOTES:
* Picture
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