Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 727-728; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Cornelius B. Butler, a brief sketch of whose life now claims
attention from the reader, is a son of Abel Butler, one of Farmington’s
earliest and best known pioneers, who came to this place as early as
1842, while yet the surrounding country was in reality “a forest
primeval.” His coming was prior to the time of any railroads; in
fact, everything was in a thoroughly uncultivated state, but he
followed teaming as an occupation and succeeded admirably from a
financial point of view. He was born and reared in New York and
married Miss Eliza Loomis from the same State, and brought his wife and
two children West with him even at that early day. After the
steam horse ran through this section of the country he commenced to
farm, and became the owner of one hundred and seventy acres of valuable
land. At the age of seventy-eight he is still living at
Farmington, and his wife is in her seventy-fifth year. To them
were born four children, viz: Mary, who died when fifteen years
old; Charles C., Cornelius Brown, and Frederick A., all of whom reside
in Farmington.
The subject of this sketch was born September 21, 1846, at
Farmington, where he spent his youth and attended the High
School. Upon reaching his sixteenth year he commenced teaming,
hauling many ties and other material for the building of the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy Railroad. He was married in the year 1872
to Miss Frances Leeper, daughter of Charles and Rachel Ann (Williams)
Leeper, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively, and married in
the latter named State, both having been previously married. Of
this union there were born four children, viz: Thomas J., Mary
M., John and Fannie Z. Mrs. Butler’s father was first married in
Pennsylvania, and by that wife had six children, two of whom are now
living, viz: Allen, a resident of Kansas; and William, who makes
his home in Missouri. His mother was first married to Robert
Laurence, of Ohio, and to them were born four children, three of whom
are living: Thomas, who lives in Ohio; Benjamin, a resident of
Trenton, N. J.; and Robert, who lives in England.
The father lived to be seventy-seven years old and the mother
sixty-six years. They came West, settling in Bloomington, Ill.,
where Mrs. Butler was born. Her parents removed to Iowa when she
was three years old, and in this journey she was led across the
Mississippi River, which was covered with thick ice. She grew to
maidenhood at DeWitt and Burlington, attending the High Schools at the
former place, and the Baptist University in the latter. In 1868
her parents removed to Farming ton, Ill., and for one term she taught
school there,
Mr. and Mrs. Butler became the parents of four children,
viz: Blanche, Adella A.; Charles E., who died when four years
old; and Harry E. All of these children are noted for brightness
and their parents are justly proud of them, because of their
intellectuality and musical talent. There home is indeed a
charming one, the interior being filled with books, music, works of
art, and all that pertains to culture and elegance. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Butler are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of this city,
and they delight to do deeds of charity to those less fortunate than
themselves, having won thus a warm personal regard throughout the
entire community. He is an ardent Republican, true at all times
to the interests of his party.
