ONG, Crawford N.
Crawford N. ONG, clerk of the circuit court
of Marshall county, Illinois, is a native of Putnam county, Illinois, born in Magnolia township, March 2,
1863. His father, Nathan ONG, was a merchant tailor and a
business man in Magnolia. His life was mainly spent in Marshall
and Putnam counties, coming here in 1842 when eighteen years
old. His marriage with Miss Meriel Dorinda MYERS occurred
September 7, 1848. She is the daughter of David MYERS, who came
to this county in 1832, locating in Roberts township, two and a
half miles north of the present
village
of Varna,
where he spent the remainder of his life. For many years in
connection with farming, he engaged in the nursery business, and
many of the old orchards in Marshall and Putnam county came from
his nursery. In the family were thirteen children, of whom Mrs.
ONG is the only representative now living in the county. The old
homestead is owned by the only living son, Hiram MYERS, who
makes his home in Galesburg,
Illinois. Besides Mrs. ONG three
daughters yet survive.
Nathan ONG, the father of our subject, was
for some years engaged in the hotel business in Henry, Marshall county, being the
landlord of the Paskell house. In 1850 he started overland for California, and arrived
at his destination after six months of perils and hardships. The
company from his immediate neighborhood was comprised of four
men, his father, his two brothers-in law, Joshua and David
MYERS, and himself. The return trip was made by sea, crossing
the Isthmus of Panama, and landing at New York city, thence home by railroad.
In his family were six children, of whom
three sons are now living. Ira M., now residing in
Normal,
Illinois, was four years county superintendent
of schools in Marshall
county, a position which he was eminently qualified to fill, and
in which he gave good satisfaction to the people of the county.
From his youth up he engaged in teaching in the public schools
of his native country, but since 1894 has been engaged as
principal in one of the ward schools of Bloomington, Illinois.
Judson W., the second son, is at present engaged as a
storekeeper in the internal revenue office at
Peoria.
The subject of this sketch spent his
childhood and youth in Roberts township, and at various times
attended the country schools of the immediate vicinity in which
the family lived, and later the village schools of
Varna. When nineteen years of age for one
term he engaged as a teacher in the country school, known as
Shaw’s Point school. Possessed of some musical skill, about this
time he engaged as a musician with a comedy company then playing
“one night stands” in the vicinity, but it did not take long to
wean him of the desire to distinguish himself as a “barn stormer,”
and he retired from the company, receiving nothing for his
services but valuable experience, and for the next four years
engaged in the painting trade as a journeyman painter. This was
a more profitable employment, even if not so distinguished.
Quitting this business, however, he engaged as a clerk in the
clothing store of Messrs. Stire & Gell, at Lacon, where he
remained until March, 1889 when he was appointed deputy circuit
clerk, under John B. WRIGHT, with whom he remained until the
expiration of Mr. WRIGHT’s term. The ability displayed as deputy
secured him the nomination for the office of circuit clerk on
the democratic ticket, and he was triumphantly elected, being
duly installed the first Monday in December, 1892. He has now
served something over three years with entire satisfaction to
the court and his constituents in general.
On the 10th of May, 1894, Mr. ONG was
untied in marriage with Miss Marsa THOMPSON, a native of Lacon,
a graduate of its high school, and a daughter of Samuel H.
THOMPSON. One daughter has come to bless their union,
Florence, born September 4, 1895.
Socially Mr. ONG is a member of Lacon
lodge, No. 291, K. P., has been chancellor commander for two
terms, and has held other offices in that body, including its
representative to the grand lodge two years. He is also a member
of the Knights of Maccabees, a fraternal insurance society, in
which he is very much interested. Mr. ONG is quite fond of
outdoor sports, and has quite a reputation as a hunter and
fisherman with the line and rod. As a citizen he is held in the
highest esteem by those with whom he is acquainted, and has ever
shown himself enterprising and ready to do his share in every
good work. To such men much of the prosperity of a community is
due.
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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