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Isaac M. Myers, the subject of this sketch, is the son of Conrad Myers, who was a native of York County, Pa., of German or Pennsylvania Dutch extraction, Isaac's grandfather having come from Switzerland. Conrad, Isaac's father, was married in Centre County, Pa., where he had gone when a young man, the name of his wife being Lydia Lucanbaugh, who was of the same nationality as her husband, and was born and reared in Centre County. After their marriage of the parents of our subject they settled on a farm in Centre County and there remained about fourteen years, or until 1846, when the whole family came to the State of Illinois and settled in what is now Oneco Township, Stephenson County, which remained their home for nine years thereafter, when they sold out and moved to Lancaster Township in the same county, and here purchased land on section 11, which farm they improved and resided thereon until Conrad Myers died, Jan. 21, 1880, having attained the age of about sixty-six. The mother who is now living is approaching near to threescore and ten years of age, and still resides with her daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Pentecoff, of the township of Loran, Stephenson County. The parents of the subject of this sketch were active and zealous members of the River Brethren Church, of which order the father was a minister. He was a good man, a Christian, and very much respected by all who knew him.
Isaac Myers, the subject of this sketch, was born in York County, Pa., on Oct. 15, 1844, and when he was two years old his family landed in this county. He remained at home until about eighteen years of age, when he enlisted late in the fall of 1861, in the Government service as a mechanic, being connected with the Army of the West. Having served for a considerable time as a mechanic and having become familiar with much of the territory in the Southwest, he after the first year became a spy and was thus engaged for three years in the service of his country, during which time he was once taken prisoner by the enemy. He was afterward paroled, but was left 300 miles from any federal post, and in consequence suffered greatly from hunger and fatigue, being compelled to subsist on herbs, grass, etc., for some days. He next went with the Sheridan raid through the West and was out the full three years of active service. He received a slight wound in the left leg, which came near crippling him for life. He was at length honorably discharged from the army at St. Louis, Mo., being there paid off for his invaluable services. Mr. Myers was never mustered in the service, but was paid by the Government for his services as carpenter and spy. He then came to Freeport and later went to the ship-yards at Savanna, Ill., and was there employed for some time and on the Mississippi River, following his original occupation as carpenter. He afterward purchased land on section 14 and began farming to which vocation he has since given his time and attention, and is now the owner of ninety acres of well-improved and splendid land. He was married, in Freeport, Ill., to Miss Amelia Heald, who was born and reared in Germany until she was seven years of age, when she came to the United States with her parents, and located at Freeport, where they are now living and where Mrs. Myers resided until her marriage. She is the mother of three children, of whom Oscar is living, and Harvey J. and Lydia A. are deceased.
Mr. Isaac Myers in politics is a solid Democrat and as such has considerable influence in his immediate locality. An excellent view of Mr. Myers' residence and its tasteful surroundings is shown on another page of this work.
Contributed by Carol Parrish
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