Residence of
Geo. M. Villars,
Secs. 7 & 12,
Danville Twp.,
Vermilion Co. |
GEORGE M. VILLARS,
one of the best known residents of this county, and
the owner of a fine property, was born in Danville
Township, Oct. 16, 1832, and is consequently but
little past the prime of his life. He is the
offspring of a good family, being the son of the
Rev. John Villars, who was born in Jefferson
County, PA., Feb. 14, 1797.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was
James Villars, who it is believed was
also a native of Jefferson County, Pa., and who was
born July 28, 1774. His father was a native of
England, and it is supposed spent his last years in
the Keystone State. Grandfather
James Villars was there reared to man’s estate
and married Miss Rebecca Davison,
April 19, 1796. In April, 1806, they removed
to Ohio by means of a flat-boat, which landed them
at Cincinnati, then but a hamlet. They settled
in what is now Clinton County, where Grandfather
Villars purchased quite a large tract of land
and improved the farm, upon which he resided until
his death. In 1812 he put up a substantial
double hewed-log house with a large stone chimney in
the center of the building and a huge fireplace on
each side. The structure stood for a great
many years and was a fitting monument to the
character and enterprise of the builder.
The father of our subject was piously inclined
from his youth and when a young man united with the
Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1823 he was
given a license to exhort and from that time labored
as a local preacher. In the fall of the 1830
he came to this county with his family, making the
journey overland with teams, camping and cooking
along the wayside and sleeping in the wagons at
night. He had, however, visited the country
prior to his removal here and had entered a tract of
land upon which he had a log house built ready for
the family upon their arrival. From that time
on, in addition to his ministerial labors, he
carried on the improvement and cultivation of his
land, living there until 1857.
In the year above mentioned the father of our
subject decided to seek another home beyond the
Mississippi, and immigrated to Nemeha County, Neb.,
where he was one of the pioneers and to which he
made the journey overland as before. He lived,
however, only until the following year, his death
taking place in March 1858. He had been twice
married, the first time, March 14, 1815 to Miss
Elizabeth McGee. This lady was born Sept.
25, 1797, and died in Vermilion County, April 22,
1848. His second wife was Elizabeth
Campbell, and they were married Oct. 19, 1849.
She was a native of Harrison County, Va., and born
Sept. 2, 1816. Of the first marriage there
were born ten children and of the second marriage
three. The father left the Methodist Episcopal
Church after a time and identified himself with the
United Brethren and was a preacher in the latter
Church at the time of his death. He was a life
member of the American Bible Society and bequeathed
to it the sum of $6,000.
Our subject still retains a vivid recollection of
the many of the incidents of pioneer life in
Illinois, when deer, wolves and other wild animals
abounded together with Indians who were often to be
seen in roving bands going across the prairie.
He acquired his education in the primitive schools,
the first of which was taught in a log house.
The seats and flour were made of puncheon, and
writing desks were manufactured from planks with
wooden pegs for legs. As soon as old enough,
young Villars began to assist his father in
the various labors of the farm and remained under
the parental roof until the time of his marriage.
He then settled on a tract of land which his father
had given him and upon which were two log cabins.
In one of these our subject and his bride commenced
their wedded life. Their home consisted of one
room sixteen feet square, and in this they lived a
number of years and until they were able to put up
their present residence. The furnishing of
this humble dwelling was in keeping with the fashion
of that day, but they probably experienced as much
happiness and content as the young people who now
commence life upon a grander scale.
Mr. Villars has been life-long farmer and
still owns the land upon which he settled at the
time of his marriage. He has now 186 acres
located five miles east of Danville on sections 7
and 12 of Danville Township. It has all been
brought to a good state of cultivation, is well
stocked, and upon it Mr. Villars has
erected a good set of frame buildings. His
marriage with Miss Amanda Srouf was
celebrated at the bride’s home in this township,
Oct. 20, 1853, and there have been born to them
eleven children, of whom the record is as follows:
John W. married Martha Mable,
and is a resident of Warren County, Ind.; George
Henry married Martha Brewer, and lives at
Fort Belknap, Mont.: Martha J. is the wife of
William P. Lynch, of this county:
Rachel, Mrs. Presley Martin, lives in Vermillion
County, Ind.; Augusta is the wife of
William Gnaden, and they live in Danville
Township; Ella married William F. Shaffer,
and resides in Warren County, Ind.; Sophia
and Janet remain with their parents.
Mrs. Villars was born near Hanover,
Hancock Co., Ind., Feb 7, 1832, and is the daughter
of Sebastian Strouf, who was born in
Kentucky, July 25, 1796. Her paternal
grandfather, John Strouf, it is
believed, was a native of North or South Carolina,
and his father, the great-grandfather of Mrs.
Villars, was a native of Germany.
John Sprouf removed from one of the
Carolinas to Kentucky, where he was an early
pioneer, then moved on into Ohio, locating in Brown
County during its early settlement. He served
in the war of 1812 and spent is last years in the
Buckeye State.
Sebastian Sprouf, father of Mrs. Villars,
was born July 25, 1796, and was a young child when
his parents settled in Ohio, where he was reared to
manhood, and was married Sept. 11, 1817, to
Vallyrier Parker. She was born in Ohio and
the date of her birth was June 25, 1796. In
1830 they removed to Indiana, settling in Hancock
County, where they lived until 1834. That year
they came to this county, making the journey
overland with teams, locating in what is now Newell
Township. The parents remained residents of
this township until their decease, the mother
passing away Oct 29, 1874, and the father less than
a year later.
There were born to the parents of Mrs.
Villars, eleven children, viz: Nancy,
Martha, George, Mary, Wilson, Sarah, Jane, Amanda,
Arie and Christiana. Four of these,
Mary,
John, Arie and Christiana, died young.
Our subject and his estimable wife are members in
good standing of the United Brethren Church, of
Pleasant Grove, in which Mr. Villars has served as
Class-Leader and labored in the Sunday-School.
In politics at large he was a sound Democrat, but in
local affairs votes independently, aiming to support
the men whom he considers best qualified for office.
We invite the attention of our numerous readers to a
fine engraving of the handsome home and surroundings
of Mr. Villars.
Source:
Portrait and Biographical Album - Chatman Brothers
1889 - pp. 398-399 - Submitted by Mary Paulius |
