FARNER, Louis
Louis FARNER, who is now practically living
a retired life at the home of his son in
Bennington
township, Marshall county, is one
of the representative German-American citizens who have borne so
important a part in the up-building and development of
Illinois, and are numbered among her
most valued and useful citizens. He was born in Wittenberg,
Germany, August 14, 1825, a son
of Jacob and Mary (FLEISCH) FARNER, who died when he was quite
young, and he was thus early thrown upon his own resources for a
livelihood. He received a good German education and continued to
work by the month in his native land until twenty-seven years of
age.
With the hope of benefiting his financial
condition, Mr. FARNE then came to
America, leaving the fatherland in April,
1852, and arriving in New York, after a long and tedious voyage of
fifty days. He proceeded at once to Buffalo,
where he worked for three months in a brick yard, and then went
to Chicago. After a few days
spent in that city he went to La Salle, Illinois, and was employed on the railroad being
constructed to Princeton, after which he was with the Rock Island railroad for a time. Subsequently
he went to Iowa, but soon
returned to Illinois, this time locating in Marshall county, where he at first worked at
anything by which he could ear an honest dollar. In 1853 he
secured employment upon a farm, where he was employed for three
years, and for the following six years operated rented land. His
first purchase consisted of eighty acres, to which he has added
from time to time as his financial resources have increased,
until he now has a valuable place of three hundred and eighteen
acres on section 14,
Bennington
township. His first home is still standing, but in 1892 he
erected a more commodious and modern residence.
Mr. FARNER was married in 1856, the lady of
his choice being Miss Anna RIEF, a native of Prussia, and they
became the parents of three children, namely: Mary is now the
wife of Richard VINECORE, by whom she has one child; John, born
May 26, 1860, was married September 11, 1895, to Laura SPANGLER,
daughter of William H. and Mary J. D. (HALL) SPANGLER; Louis,
born July 9, 1862, wedded Ella SPANGLER, and has two children.
The mother of these children was called to her final rest in
1895.
Politically, Mr. FARNER was always a
democrat until 1896, when he supported the gold standard. He was
reared in the Catholic church, but his sons are members of the
Christian church. Through his own energy, enterprise and good
management Mr. FARNER steadily worked his way upward to the goal
of success, and through his unaided exertions has secured a
competence which enables him to spend his declining years in
that ease and retirement which should always follow a useful and
well-spent life. He is highly esteemed in the community as an
honorable, upright and trustworthy man.
Extracted May 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, 1896.
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