MONIER, John
John MONIER, deceased, was for many years
the leading farmer in
Marshall
county, and had a very wide and extensive acquaintance. He was
born on the Isle of Man September 7, 18 26, and was the son of
William and Jane (QUAILE) MONIER, also natives of the Isle of
Man, but of French descent, the great-great-grandfather of John
being a native of France. He grew to manhood in his
native country, and in 1849 came to the
United States with the family and located
in Peoria
county, Illinois.
At that time he was twenty-three years of age, and was entitled
to all the legal rights of man, but did not choose to exercise
his rights. His parents were getting along in years and were not
well provided for as respects this world’s goods. Until such was
the case he could not think of self. With his younger brother,
William, he hired out by the month, and saving their wages they
purchased eighty acres of partially improved land, on which was
a small house, and into which the family moved and continued to
live six years. In 1857 they sold out and went to
Saratoga township, Marshall county, where they
bought a tract of land, and all continued to work together for a
few years, when the children began to leave the family home and
go out one by one to carve their own destinies. John, however,
remained upon the homestead, and there continued to make his
home until his death. Both parents died upon the place when past
eighty years of age.
After living a bachelor’s life for nearly
thirty-five years, John MONIER, in June, 1861, married Miss
Ellen FARRELL, a native of Ireland, by whom he had four
children, Jennie, now the wife of David HOSFIELD, of Whitefield
township; Anna, who died at the age of twenty-two years; John,
who married Mollie HARNEY and now resides near Geneseo, Henry
county, Illinois, and Catherine, who makes her home with her
sister Jennie. The mother of these children died in 1870.
Three years after the death of his first
wife, Mr. MONIER was united in marriage with Miss Janet BELL,
the wedding ceremony taking place at the home of the bride’s
parents, Richard and Margaret BELL, of La Prairie township,
March 12, 1873. Mrs. MONIER was born in Roxburghshire, Scotland, of which country her
parents were also natives. They are now living in Cass county, Iowa, and Mrs. MONIER is the only on e of her family
remaining in Illinois.
She is a relative of the DAVIDSONs, who were among the first of
her nationality to settle in
Marshall
county. Six children came to bless this union, Margaret, now the
wife of Charles ROBERTS, of Champaign,
Illinois; William, at home; Vivian, a student in the
State university at Champaign; Sarah, attending
the high school at Henry, and James and Harry Hammond, at home.
As already stated, Mr. MONIER made his home
upon the farm purchased on coming to Marshall county. A man of great energy and of
thrifty habits, from time to time, as his means increased, he
added to his possessions until he became one of the largest real
estate owners in Marshall county, owning the home farm, which
had been increased from eighty to eight hundred and eighty acres
in extent, with four sets of improvements, two farms of one
hundred and sixty acres each, in Steuben and Whitefield
townships, together with one thousand six hundred acres in
Texas, near the Santa Fe railroad. As a farmer he was a success
in every particular, giving his personal attention to every
detail of farm work. Not a thing about the place escaped his
watchful eye, and he knew the whereabouts of every farm
implement which he owned, and of all the numerous stock which he
owned and fed. For years he was an extensive cattle feeder, and
was very successful in his branch of business, and it is said
that he raised the best hogs in Marshall county. His various farms were all
well improved and adapted to the purposes to which they were
applied.
While by nature conservative, he did not
hesitate to adopt and make use of every labor-saving appliance
that seemed to insure success. A farmer, he was content to work
his farm and allow others to look after such interests as lay
outside of his chosen calling. A democrat in his political
belief, he respected the views and opinions of others, and never
sought nor would he accept official position. While not a member
of any church, he had great respect for the Christian religion,
and usually attended services at the Methodist Episcopal church.
Until within a few years of his death, Mr.
MONIER gave personal attention to his farm interests, but as age
advanced he mainly rented his land, only giving such time and
attention to his various farms as to see they were pro0perly
kept up and conducted. His death occurred June 16, 1890, and his
body was laid to rest in the Methodist Episcopal cemetery in
Saratoga
township. He was naturally a strong, vigorous man, fine looking,
with full brown beard and gray eyes. Few men were better known
and none more highly respected in his section of the country. A
kind, loving husband and indulgent father, his memory is
cherished by family and friends and none will ever forget the
one now gone before, whose life of ceaseless toil was spent for
the good of humanity and to give happiness to others.
In October, 1891, Mrs. MONIER left the farm
and removed to Henry, where she has a very neat and comfortable
home, and where she can enjoy life with ease, surrounded by her
family and friends. She is a woman of great natural ability, one
who thoroughly understands her business, and well posted on the
affairs of the day. With a warm heart, ever open to hear the
cries of the unfortunate ones of earth she makes her life a
blessing to many, and while unostentatious in all things, it may
be said of her as of one of old, “She hath done what she could.”
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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