William HUFNAGEL is the owner of a valuable farming property comprising a tract of one hundred and nine acres and another of one hundred and nineteen acres in Whitefield township, Marshall county, while in Bureau county he owns one hundred and five acres. He is a progressive and energetic business man and is now very pleasantly located on section 6, Whitefield township. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1854, his parents being John and Mary (DRAUBERT) HUFNAGEL, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was born in Wurtemberg and on leaving the land of his nativity and crossing the Atlantic to the new world in his boyhood days he became a resident of Pennsylvania. There he was reared and in Philadelphia he wedded Miss Mary DRAUBERT. While in the east he followed the carpenter's trade and also engaged in merchandising, conducting a store for the purchase and sale of butter, eggs and other commodities. Hoping to enjoy still better opportunities in the middle west, however, and thinking that he would here obtain superior advantages whereby to provide for his family, he came to Illinois in 1860 and turned his attention to farming, settling upon a tract of land in Whitefield township. For long years thereafter he was actively and successfully connected with farming pursuits, but is now living retired in Bradford. His wife has passed away. In their family were five children: Aaron, who is a farmer living in Stark county, Illinois, not far from Bradford; Charles, who is engaged in farming and gardening in Bureau county, Illinois; William, of this review; Joseph, who is raising farm and garden produce in Bureau county; and Daniel, who is engaged in carpentering in Bradford.
In the days of his boyhood and youth William HUFNAGEL was a pupil in the district school at Whitefield Corners and when not busy with his textbooks he was occupied with the labors of the field, working on the home farm from early boyhood days. He was a lad of only six years when he accompanied his parents to Illinois and he was therefore reared upon the old family homestead in Whitefield township. He has never sought to change his occupation, being content to devote his time and energies to agricultural pursuits, finding therein ample opportunity for the exercise of his native talents and for the acquirement of success. His holdings now comprise three hundred and thirty-three acres of rich and productive land, of which one hundred and five acres is situated in Bureau county and the remainder in Whitefield township, Marshall county, although it is divided into two tracts. The home place is on section 6 and is a well improved farm, lacking in none of the accessories and conveniences of a model farm property of the twentieth century.
In 1880 Mr. HUFNAGEL was married to Miss Louisa KOPP, of Henry county, Illinois, whose father, Christopher KOPP, was a merchant there. Mr. and Mrs. HUFNAGEL now have four children: Albert, who at the age of twenty-one years is engaged in farming; Annie, seventeen years of age; Henry, fifteen years of age, now assisting in the work of the home farm; and Laura, a little maiden of four summers.
Mr. HUFNAGEL votes with the democracy, but does not consider himself bound by party ties and at local elections frequently casts an independent ballot. He has served as path master, but is not a politician in the sense of office seeking, as he prefers to give undivided attention to his business affairs, which have been carefully conducted, so that in the long years of his residence in this county he has gained .the confidence and good will of his fellowmen and won many friendships in the circle of his acquaintance.
Extracted July 2011 by Norma Hass from
Past and Present of Marshall and Putnam Counties
| Bureau | Putnam | |
| Stark |
 |
La Salle |
| Peoria | Woodford |
