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 596 & 599; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Rev. Tyra Boone Harben, a retired minister of the Methodist
faith, is an honored citizen of the city of Lewistown, where he is now
engaged with marked success in the culture of small fruits. The
Harben family came originally from England, but it is not know at what
date. Its present representative of whom we write, was born in
Habersham County, Ga., June 11, 1824. His father, Thomas Harben,
was a native of South Carolina, and died in middle life, when his son
was a mere youth. Nathaniel Harben, the paternal grandfather of
our subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He followed
the occupation of a farmer, and lived to be ninety years old. His
wife, Sarah Harben, lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and
three years. The mother of our subject, Hester (Boone) Harben,
was a native of South Carolina. She died while yet in life’
prime, when her son, Tyra, was an infant. She had five children,
two sons and three daughters, namely: Lucinda, Malinda,
Nathaniel, Nancy, and our subject.
The latter was reared on a farm in Georgia, and adopted the
calling of his forefathers, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits
until he was thirty years of age. His school advantages were very
limited, having been confined to one term of six months. He
however, improved his time, reading such books as fell in his way, and
became an intelligent, well-informed man. He was of a thoughtful,
religious nature, and early found himself in sympathy with Methodism,
and at the age of thirty years, joined the Georgia Conference of the
Southern Methodist Church, and entered the ministry. For
twenty-eight years he was very prominent in the religious work of his
native State, and did much to elevate its moral status.
During the Rebellion the Rev. Mr. Harben served four years in
the Southern army as a missionary. It was his duty to visit the
sick and dying, and minister to their spiritual wants, and many a poor
soldier found consolation in his presence and soothing words. He
was the last Georgia minister to leave the field after Lee’s
surrender. He was connected with the army of Virginia
principally, serving a part of the time in Longstreet’s corps, and he
was present at Appomattox at the time of Lee’s surrender.
After peace was declared, our subject continued in the ministry
in Georgia until he came to Illinois. Here he was first located
at Nashville, where he was pastor of a church two years, and Presiding
Elder four years. He was transferred from there to Lewistown in
October, 1875, and served three years as Presiding Elder in this
city. In that connection he did valuable work, and was of great
assistance in promoting the cause of Methodism in this State, and his
co-laborers greatly regretted his retirement from the ministry in
1878. He possesses in a full degree those earnest and lovable
qualities that win affection and confidence, and he still holds a warm
place in the hearts of the people unto whom he ministered. He is
an intelligent man of unswerving integrity and unblemished character,
and is a good citizen. Politically, he is a Democrat.
Two years after he came here, Mr. Harben purchased the land on
which Central Normal College is now located. He made his home
there until 1884, when he disposed of it and bought his present
place. Since he gave up his ministerial labors, he has been
engaged in growing small fruits for the market, and derives from that
source an excellent income.
Mr. Harben was married February 29, 1844, to Miss Clarissa
Langston, who is a native of Georgia, born April 24, 1827. They
have had twelve children, of whom the following seven are living:
Jasper L., who is teaching in Rio Janeiro, South America; William M.,
in a wholesale store at Atlanta, Ga.; Greenbury P., a lawyer at Oliver,
Dak.; Marcellus b., who is employed on a steamboat that plies along the
Pacific Coast; Thomas J., a machinist by trade, living in Lewistown;
Robert L., is at home: Hester Jane, now Mrs. Sharp, whose husband
travels.
