James TANQUARY, “Uncle Jimmy,” as he was
familiarly called by almost every man, woman and child living in
Steuben and adjoining townships, in Marshall county, was a man
greatly loved and universally respected by all who knew him. For
nearly half a century his was a familiar face in
James TANQUARY was born in Pickaway county,
The life of a farmer is lonely enough, even
when surrounded by family and friends, but without either it is
doubly so. Mr. TANQUARY was a man of domestic tastes, and we
therefore find that on the 15th of September, 1853, he was
united in marriage with Mrs. Lucinda C. BLACKWELL, whose maiden
name was WATKINS. She is a daughter of Isaiah and Mary (DOUGLAS)
WATKINS, and a sister of David WATKINS of Steuben township. When
but fifteen years of age she married Rev. David BLACKWELL, who
died eight years afterward. He was a minister of the Methodist
Episcopal church, a member of the
On their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. TANQUARY began their domestic life on a farm in Camping Grove, where they remained some two or three years, when they removed to the farm where Mrs. TANQUARY now lives, and for nearly forty-two years their home was one of joy and happiness, with but little to detract from it. As already stated, Mr. TANQUARY was a man of domestic tastes, and there was to him “no place like home.” He cared nothing for the strife of this world, and in reality shrank from it. His farm, his home, and his church were his all in all. True, he was interested in educational matters and gave a part of his time to educational work, and, politically, he was a thorough-going republican, attending party conventions and filling different local offices. For some years he was justice of the peace, and was serving in the latter office when his death occurred, November 25, 1895.
But it was as a member of the
The Lacon Journal, whose editor was well acquainted with Mr. TANQUARY, in its notice of his death, after speaking of the warm place in his heart that he gave to his stepsons and to his foster-son, said:
“But the supreme crowning to his beautiful life was his devotion to his wife. In all the forty-two years of their singularly happy wedded life they walked hand-in-hand, a pair of grand old lovers to the last; she returning his affection measure for measure. How fondly we cherish last words and last looks when friends are gone. Only last Friday he came into the office for his mail. He and his old friend, George HOLLER, stood talking together about their ages. We joined in, saying: ‘Why, Uncle Jimmy, you are not old; you are not out of your honeymoon yet.’ ‘He is not likely to get out of it,’ rejoined his friend. This little talk pleased him greatly. He went home and told his wife of it with much delight. This was the last time we saw him. So fresh and ruddy, so happy-looking he was that day. The next Tuesday Uncle Jimmy was gone and a hush of deep sorrow fell on the whole county and town.
“Forty-three years he has lived in
Illinois, most of the time on the same farm, a few miles
northwest of Sparland – a beautiful spot, by his hand made to
blossom as a rose. ‘Twas in his own home, in the midst of his
neighbors and friends of a lifetime and in a quite sacredness of
the domestic circle where he was best known and most loved. His
hospitality was without stint, without measure. Everyone loved
to go to Uncle Jimmy TANQUARY’s, loved to linger, departed
regretfully. His home was the
“James TANQUARY was a man of positive
character, fixed principles, strong convictions. He shrank from
humbuggery, imposture and false pretenses; loved his God and his
church. Cold the day and hard the storm that did not see Uncle
Jimmy sitting in his accustomed seat in beloved old
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, 1896.
| Bureau | Putnam | |
| Stark |
 |
La Salle |
| Peoria | Woodford |
