Payne, Thomas bio

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 403, picture on 402; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Thomas Payne occupies an important place in the farming community of Orion Township, and is active in advancing the agricultural interests of the county. He is a native of Indiana, Harrisonville the place of his birth, and January 1, 1831 the date thereof. His parents were pioneers of Indiana, going to that State in early times, from North Carolina. They had a family of eight children, as follows: Sarah, the oldest, married Jesse Henson and lives in Laclede County, Mo.; John, who is married and lives in Worth County, Mo.; Martha married Charles Akles and lives in Harrisonville, Ind.; Mary Ann married James Jeter, a resident of Harrisonville; Malinda married David Sheets of Mitchell, Ind.; Isaac was in the United States Navy during the Civil War, but has since died.
Thomas Payne was a member of the State militia of Missouri during the late war, and did good service as a defender of our country. He early gave his attention to farming and in 1863 came to Orion Township, attracted thither by the fine opportunities offered to the industrious and wide-awake farmer to make more than a bare living from tilling the soil. He located on his present farm on section 12, and in the years of hard labor that have since followed has made it one of the choicest farms in the neighborhood. Its one hundred and sixty acres being well cultivated, yield him bountiful harvests, and he has the place supplied with substantial improvements, including a neat and well ordered set of farm buildings and fine machinery for carrying on all his farming operations. He is engaged in mixed husbandry and devotes especial attention to raising sheep, and conducts that industry very profitably.
Mr. Payne has been twice married. The maiden name of his first wife was Emma Jane Bradley, and they were married in 1858. Their wedded life though happy, was brief, as she died in 1859. On October 24, 1860, our subject was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to his present wife, whose maiden name was Mary E. Murdagh. Mrs. Payne was born January 14, 1834 in Delaware and at the age of four years accompanied her parents to St. Louis, Mo. Her pleasant wedded life with our subject has been blessed by the birth of eight children, seven of whom are now living, and the following is the family record: Alexander G., born July 18, 1861, died at the age of fourteen; Mary I., born February 22, 1863, married Butler Henkle and lives in Orion Township; Stephen R., born February 27, 1865; Emma J. February 2, 1867; John N. August 27, 1869; Jessie E., December 18, 1871; Henry H., December 26, 1873; and Sarah May, April 20, 1877.
Mr. and Mrs. Payne are universally admired for their boundless hospitality and are greatly esteemed by their neighbors for their many excellent qualities of head and heart. Mr. Payne is a very capable man, and is endowed with strength of character and independent opinions of his own that give him influence in the community. He is the Master of Orion Grange, and to his zealous labors it owes a great deal of its present high standing as an organization. He is identified with the Union Labor party and takes an intelligent interest in politics.
The reader's attention is invited to a lithographic portrait of Mr. Payne presented in connection with this brief review.