REMLEY, George

George REMLEY, a representative of that great class on whom the welfare of this nation depends, the honest farmer, resides on a beautiful homestead on section 11, Richland township, and is one of the pioneers of 1835. In his sixty years of life in this locality he has witnessed such changes as were never dreamed of by the early settlers. His grandfather, Hyeronimous REMLEY, was a native of Germany, who settled in Pennsylvania prior to the Revolutionary war, where he reared a family of six children, of whom George, the father of our subject, born in 1775, was one.

George REMLEY, the father of our subject, married Miss Ella LYTLE, a native of New Jersey, and a daughter of Henry LYTLE, who removed from New Jersey to Pennsylvania in an early day. Soon after their marriage they removed form Fayette county, Pennsylvania, to Waynesburg, that state, where they remained eight years, and then went to Ohio, locating near Wheeling, West Virginia, but on the Ohio side of the line. From that point they moved to Belmont county, Ohio, where Mr. REMLEY purchased a large farm, on which he resided for sixteen years. He then sold out and moved down on the Big Sun Fish river, in Monroe county, where he remained eight years, then selling out, came to Marshall county, Illinois, in the fall of 1835. They emigrated to this county by wagon, but spent the first winter at Walnut Grove, in Woodford county, then purchased a tract of land on section 28, Richland township. At this time there were but few settlers in the township or in the entire county. On this place he erected a hewed log house in which he resided until his death in 1840. His wife survived him about six years, dying in 1846. They were the parents of nine children, six daughters and three sons – John, deceased; Mrs. Sarah SIMS, also deceased; Lucy TAYLOR; Mrs. Fannie JOHNS, deceased; Mrs. Ella TAYLOR; Mrs. Harriet MARTIN; George; Joseph, and Mrs. Eliza TOOLE, deceased. Of the sons, John was a lieutenant in the war against the Indians in Oregon.

George REMLEY, the subject of this sketch, was born April 7, 1817, in Belmont county, Ohio, and there received his education in the pioneer subscription schools. He came to this county with his parents and on his arrival found a large open prairie country, and the various settlements made in the timber. The people in those days did not dare settle upon the prairie for fear of freezing and from the fact they thought it necessary to locate where they could obtain fuel and also water for their stock. At the time of his settlement here Marshall was then a part of Tazewell county. He remained at home, assisting his father on the farm until the latter’s death, when he married Miss Ruth BUCKINGHAM, a native of Pennsylvania, and daughter of Isaac BUCKINGHAM, a very prominent farmer in the early day, who located in Woodford county, Illinois, prior to the Black Hawk war. Mrs. REMLEY was born in 1807, and died in 1844, leaving no children.

Soon after marriage, Mr. REMLEY settled in Woodford county, and there remained sixteen years. After the death of his fist wife, on the 4th of June, 1846, he married Miss Helen RICE, a native of Onondaga county, New York, born September 24, 1827, and a daughter of Elijah and Rebecca (MARSHALL) RICE, both of whom were natives of New York, but who removed to Woodford county, Illinois, in 1844, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of four children – Mrs. REMLEY, Rosanna, Delency, became the wife of Alexander PIPER, and William, who lives on the old homestead.

Mr. and Mrs. REMLEY are the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living – Henry, who married Ella WHITE, now resides in Hopewell township, Marshall county; Minerva Ellen, now the wife of Henry DUCHESNE, lives in Bennington township; Jane, now the wife of Baron HARPER, resides at La Rose, Marshall county; Lucy Ann, now the wife of Matthew VanPATTON, resides in Belle Plain township; Elizabeth, now the wife of Martin HOOVER, lives in Woodford county, Illinois; George, who married Nannie HENRY, resides in Richland township, and Emma R. is at home.

In the spring of 1857, Mr. REMLEY moved with his family to his present farm, where they have since resided. The farm which he purchased from Robert GRAY, comprises four hundred and thirty-one acres, all of which is under improvement. He also has eighty acres adjoining the village of Washburn, Illinois. At one time he was the owner of nearly thirteen hundred acres of land, but has since given the greater part of it to his children.

Mr. REMLEY has during his entire life been a hard working man. For about fifteen years he engaged in carpenter work in connection with his farming operations. All that he has of this world’s goods he has secured by the labors of his hands, assisted of course by that of his wife, and success has crowned their efforts in a remarkable degree. Commencing life for himself under very unfavorable circumstances he has endeavored to prevent the same state of affairs from falling to his children, and so has well provided for each and has given to each good educational advantages. Politically, he is a democrat, but has steadily refused official positions. Mrs. REMLEY is what might be termed a model housekeeper, and she endeavors to make her home an inviting one to any and all who partake of her hospitality. In fact, the Remley household is noted for its hospitality far and near.

Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, 1896.

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