 JAMES H. PETTY
Carroll County IL Biography
This gentleman is the second son of Robert and Jane (Patterson) Petty, the former of whom was born in Kettlewell, Yorkshire, England, and the latter was a native of Franklin County, Pa. They were married in Pittsburg, Pa., where they lived until 1843, when they came to Carroll County, Ill., settling in Mt Carroll Township, where both died, the father in 1845 and the mother in the latter part of the year 1875, having survived her husband a great many years, and being again married, her second husband being John Kinney. They were the parents of three sons and one daughter, the latter of whom, Agnes, was the second child and died in infancy.
Our subject was born July 29, 1841, at Pittsburg, Pa., and was but an infant when his parents came to Carroll County. Here he received his education in the common schools, and here he has ever since made his home. He early commenced to help his father in the labor of the farm, remaining with him until his death. When twenty-two years of age he began for himself on fifty acres of his father’s land, which had become his on the division of the estate. This he subsequently traded to his mother for her share of eighty acres, paying the heirs their interest. This land is a part of the farm on which he now lives, and to which he has been adding until now he has a splendidly improved farm of 220 acres, on which he has a fine house, good barns and other out-buildings, and all the implements and tools necessary to a successful prosecution of his business. For four or five years preceding his marriage he made his home with his brother John.
May 2, 1871, Mr. Petty was united in marriage, at Mt. Carroll, Ill., with
Susan H. Smith, a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Boyer) Smith, of Mt. Carroll. The former was a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Maryland. This couple were married at Mt. Carroll, Ill., where Mr. Smith worked at his trade of carpenter. A year before his marriage he bought a farm in Jo Daviess County, Ill., to which he removed with his family. Soon after his death they disposed of it and returned to Mt. Carroll. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were the parents of five children: Mary C. is the wife of J. S. Grove, of Mt. Carroll; Susan H. is the wife of our subject; Augustus is married to Annie Jeffres, of Carroll County; Albert has been twice married, first to Ida Grier, and, after her decease, to Emma Waney. The youngest child died in infancy, unnamed. Mrs. Petty’s mother was again married, her husband being David Kingery, of Mt. Carroll, where they are residing with their two children.
The wife of our subject was born at Mt. Carroll, Ill., Dec. 24, 1850, and in that place received a good common-school education. She lived with her parents until her marriage, after which she and Mr. Petty settled on the farm which they now own and have ever since lived. He is a progressive agriculturalist, and has been successful in farming and stock-raising, and also in his dairy operations. They now have a herd of twenty milch (sic) cows; Short-horns and Holsteins.
Mr. and Mrs. Petty are the parents of five children, still under the parental roof, and one
who died July 10, 1884, in infancy. The survivors are:
Mary Ellen, born May 27, 1872;
Irvie A., born Aug. 13, 1873;
Charles W., born Nov. 21, 1876;
Adda E., April 26, 1880, and
Ernest J., June 16, 1886.
The father of this family has ever taken a warm interest in educational matters, and has labored hard and successfully to raise the standard of education in their local school, which he has helped to foster and build up until it is ranked as one of the best, if not the very best in the county. For this improvement credit is given to him, and it is a record of which he may well be proud.
Mr. Petty has for many years been a School Director, and has been Commissioner of Highways of Mt. Carroll Township. Politically, he is a supporter of the Republican party, and he regards the casting of his vote as a duty which should be discharged by every citizen. He and his estimable wife are members of the United Brethren Church, of which he is a Trustee, and in the management of whose affairs both take an active and leading part. When the church property of Savanna, Ill., was disposed of, Mr. Petty was one of the three Trustees appointed for that purpose, and these gentlemen satisfactorily discharged the trust imposed upon them. In missionary work both he and his wife are especially active, Mrs. Petty being Treasurer of the local society of the Women’s Missionary Association of the United Brethren Church at Center Hill, Ill. A strictly upright man in all his dealing, our subject enjoys in a marked degree the confidence and respect of all who know him.
Biography transcribed & contributed by Carol Parrish from Portraits and Biographical 1889 Pg 806
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Charles W. Petty (son of James H. & Susan (Smith) Petty was born November 21, 1876 in Carroll County , Illinois
(probably Mt. Carroll Township ). He married Della Ross on March 9, 1902 in Carroll County ; she was the daughter of Joseph and Jennie (White) Ross, and was born May 14, 1883 in Illinois (probably Carroll County ).
Charles (usually called Charlie) Petty farmed on the Petty homestead until 1930, when he moved to Mt. Carroll , Illinois . He was a city policeman in Mt. Carroll for 40 years, 30 years of which he was the night policeman there. From 1942-1952, he was in charge of the Caroline Mark Home in Mt. Carroll , a home for elderly women.
He and his wife had three children:
