History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with
Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious,
Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons
and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co.,
Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 756, Kerton Township
John W. Shields, farmer and grocer, was the son of Asa L.
Shields, whose father was born in East Tennessee in 1805, moved to
Indiana and died there, when Asa was but 12 years old. The orphan moved
to Woodland township in 1829, grew to manhood, after roughing it for
many years he accumulated considerable property, married Mary, daughter
of John and Mary Miner, and had 8 children, all yet living. During the
great war he enlisted in Co. I, 3d Cav. In about a year he was wounded
and discharged, and he returned home. In 1860 he married Rachel,
daughter of Thos. and Fanny Seehom {Seahorn}, and has had 4 more
children, - Geo. A., Marion, Mary I. and Martha A. For a year, Mr. S.
has been a grocer at Heenan, and is an enterprising and generous man.
