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Stephenson County
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GILBERT MORRIS TAYLOR
- Word has been received here of the death in Santa Barbara, California on May 17, 1967 of G. Morris Taylor, 73 one of the two members of the Taylor family who gave the Oscar Taylor homestead to the Stephenson County Historical Society for use as a historical museum. (Alice Horner’s note: His full name was Gilbert Morris Taylor and his date of death was May 16, 1967, not May 17, according to the California Death Index, 1940-1967.)
According to the Santa Barbara News-Press, Mr. Taylor was known as the “photographer of the North,” having lived in the Yukon and photographed it for seven years, and then for 25 years in the Jasper Park area of Canada. He moved to Santa Barbara in 1948 and continued to spend six months of each year in Canada in the photography business.
Mr. Taylor was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 15, 1894. (Alice Horner’s note: His parents were Oscar Livingstone and Nora Tillman [West] Taylor.) He graduated from Cornell University in 1916 in forestry, and was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He attended his 50th class reunion in 1966. During World War I he was a lieutenant in the Army. He has been an active member of the Alpine Club of Canada.
The Stephenson County Historical Society was organized in 1944 after Mrs. Frank Nelson Bass, the former Miss Charissa Taylor, left $5,000 for such a society if it should be organized within five years after her death in 1939. (Alice Horner’s note: Charissa [Taylor] Bass was Gilbert Morris Taylor’s aunt.) In 1944 also her two residuary legatees, Gilbert Morris Taylor and Donald West Taylor, gave the society the 1857 family homestead, “Bohemiana” at 1440 S. Carroll Avenue, Freeport for use as a museum. It was later made a park, under a state statute for maintenance by the Freeport Park District.
Mr. Taylor is survived by his wife Helen, 2253 Las Canoas Road, Santa Barbara, California 93105 and by their two sons, R. Loring Taylor of Santa Barbara and Marshall W. Taylor of York, Pennsylvania. Private funeral services were conducted in the Santa Barbara Cemetery Chapel by the Rev. William Heimbold of Unity Church.
MRS. JOHN TAYLOR
- died at her home in Pearl City Sunday morning. She was a native of Pennsylvania. She went to Cedarville in 1850 and in 1888 went to Pearl City. She was a prominent worker in the Lutheran church and was admired by all because of her excellent qualities. She leaves a husband and two sons.
CARL N. TERPENING
- of Shannon died Thursday (25 Mar 1976) in Freeport Memorial Hospital after a short illness. Born March 17, 1911, at Chicago, he was the son of Charles H. and Jeannette (Entors) [Entorf] Terpening. He married Joanna Robb June 23, 1943, at Sparta. He was a senior technician at Micro Switch in Freeport, where he was employed since April 1943. He was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church of Shannon and Shannon Lions Club. Surviving are his widow; a daughter, Ellen Terpening of Oak Park, and two sons, Charles of Evanston and William of Rockford. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in Bethel UM Church with the Rev. Russell Coats officiating. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Cemetery, Freeport. Friends may call today after 4 p.m. at Scharman Funeral Home, Shannon. The casket will not be open at the church. A memorial has been established.
CHARLES HOLLISTER TERPENING
- Funeral Services for the late Charles H. Turpening [Terpening] will be held...Saturday from the late home with Rev. H. J. Collins, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church officiating. Burial will be made in the Brethren cemetery.
JEANETTE (ENTORF) TERPENING
, 73, of Shannon died here Tuesday about 8:30 p.m. in the home of her son Carl, with whom she had been living. The former Jeannette Entorf was born in Freeport, June 12, 1877, the daughter of K. F. and Margaret Entorf. Her marriage to Charles Terpening took place on Thanksgiving Day, 1905. Her husband, two sisters, two half-sisters and one half-brother died previously. Mrs. Terpening was [a] member of the Presbyterian church in Irving Park and belonged to the Woman's Society of Christian Service of the Methodist church here. Surviving besides the son is one granddaughter. Funeral Services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. in the Scharman funeral home, Shannon. Rev. Wallace Anderson, pastor of the Methodist church, will officiate. Interment will be in Brethren cemetery, Shannon.
TIFFANY THAYER
- who rose from a newspaper carrier boy to the heights of literary success during the 1930s, died Sunday while vacationing with his wife at Nantucket, Mass. The former Freeporter, who wrote 19 novels in his career, eight of them considered best sellers, was 57 years old. He had been a resident of New York since 1925 and was married to Kathleen McMahon. He was employed six months a year by an advertising firm, Sullivan, Stauffer, Caldwell and Bayles, and spent the remainder of the year working on his novels. Thayer was a reporter for the United Press in 1919 and 1920. He also made an attempt in show business, starting his short-lived career in 1921 at Oak Park. Thayer wrote later that he "was forced to write for a living" after his savings were depleted. In 1930 Thayer wrote his first successful novel, "Thirteen Men," which sold over 500,000 copies. Several of his other well-known works are "Call Her Savage," "The Greek" and the "Illustrious Corpse." His novel, "Three Sheets," had much of its action laid in Freeport and the surrounding area. Thayer was the editor of a quarterly magazine, "Doubt" and was secretary of the Fourteen Society of New York. He was born in a brick house which stood at the present site of the Embury Methodist Church, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer E. Thayer. Both of his parents were actors in the days of one-night stands. His father was later in the coal business. From his early school days, Thayer possessed a literary bent. As a freshman his themes were read to the seniors as models of their kind. He earned his first money delivering papers for the Freeport Journal, before the two city papers merged. Some of Thayer's other novels include "Three Sheiks," "An American Girl," "Kings and Numbers," "One-Man Show," "Little Dog Lost," and "Rabelais for Boys and Girls."
JOHN TRAPPEN
- Funeral services for John Trappen will be held Thursday morning at 9 o'clock from the home and at 9:30 o'clock from St. Joseph's church, with Rev. A. M. Kreckel officiating. Burial will be made in St. Joseph's cemetery. Mr. Trappen, who was 84 and a well-known resident of this county, died about 2:30 Monday afternoon at his home, west of Lena, following an illness extending over a period of about three weeks. Mr. Trappen was born in Germany, Nov. 10, 1847. He acquired most of his education in Germany and at the age of 17 came to America, settling in this county, and he had lived near Lena ever since. He was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Reiland and to this union five children were born, all of whom survive. They are: Mrs. Katherine Gilbert, of Freeport; Mrs. Hollis Leckington, Nicholas Trappen, Thomas Trappen, and John Trappen, Lena. He leaves six grandchildren.
FREDRICKA H. (NITZEL) THOMAS
, 79, of 621 East Winneshiek street, died in a Freeport hospital late yesterday, after a brief illness.
Services will be held at the Walker mortuary, West Main street, at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon. Rev. Carl M. Grahl, pastor of Zion Reformed church, will conduct the services and interment will be made in City cemetery.
The daughter of Frederick and Dorothea Netzel, she was born in Freeport, Jan. 1, 1879, being one of five children. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers ad two sisters. She was united in marriage to Maurice Thomas who preceded her in death. For the past thirty-four years she resided in Freeport. One daughter survives, Mrs. Louetta Giesey, Chicago. Two grandchildren and one great-grandchild also survive.
MOSES THOMAS
- The remains of the late Moses Thomas, who expired suddenly Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock in the Passavant hospital in Chicago, will arrive here this evening at 8:20 o'clock over the Northwestern line. Up to a short time before his death he was apparently a well man. Heart failure is assigned as the cause of his untimely demise. He was ascending the front stairs leading up to the second story of his home and had succeeded in getting half way up, when he fell backward and was picked up and taken to the hospital where he succumbed a short while afterward. He conducted a large barber shop in Chicago. The deceased is survived by his wife and one daughter.
The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock from the residence of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Dora Nitzel, residing at 49 Winneshiek street. Rev. Ernst Traeger, pastor of the German Reformed church, will officiate. The remains will be interred in the city cemetery.
NORA A. THOMAS
- of Pearl City Route 2 died Saturday morning, March 27, 1976 at Freeport Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. Born September 25, 1884 in Loran Township, she was the daughter of Simon and Minnie (Bush) Plager. She was married to Harry Thomas in March 1907 at Pearl City. He died in 1918. Surviving are a son, Lloyd E. of Pearl City; a daughter, Mrs. Frank (Florence) Snook of Eleroy; eight grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Two daughters, a son, a brother, and three sisters also preceded her in death.
Funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Zion United Methodist Church. The Rev. James Engel, former pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. (Alice Horner’s note: This is Sabin Church Cemetery.) Friends may call after 4 p.m. today and untile 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Offenheiser-Schwarz Funeral Home here and then at the church until time of service. A memorial fund has been established for the church.
MRS. CHARLES THURMAN
, 74, for the past twenty-five years a resident of Freeport, died at 6:05 Saturday evening at a local hospital, after an illness of more than a year's duration. Mrs. Thruman was born at Galena, Ill., on Feb. 27, 1865, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Schuler. She was united in marriage in 1908 to Charles Thruman at Galena and later the family moved to Freeport. For the past several years the Thrumans have resided at 1420 South West avenue. Mrs. Thruman was a member of the Galena Methodist church. She is survived by her husband; one son, Royce Thruman, of Freeport; a sister, Mrs. J. C. Meier, of Santa Ana, Cal., and a brother, William Schuler of Forestberg, South Dakota. Rev. William Beuscher, pastor of the Oak Avenue Evangelical church will conduct funeral services at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Walker mortuary and the body will be taken to Lena, Ill., for interment in the Lena Burial park. Friends may call at the Walker mortuary tonight or tomorrow.
SARA (CHILTON) TROTTER
- The following is a sketch of the life of Mrs. Sara Trotter, who died at Freeport several weeks ago. Mrs. Trotter was one of the first settlers of Stephenson County and had she lived till December she would have been 95 years old. The sketch was written by herself at the age of eighty years and will no doubt be read with interest by those who knew her.
"Just eighty years ago today, Dec. 19, 1896, I first saw the light of day in Madison County, Ill., the year being 1816. My father William D. Chilton was a Tennessean by birth emigrated to Illinois about 1810. About that time the Indians became troublesome and he enlisted in the defense of his country in the war of 1812, serving over three years while his family lived in a fort. Men in their fields had to be guarded. Some were killed. That was not far from St. Louis. After the war, he came north to where Springfield now stands, now the capitol of the state, and settled in what is known as Round Prairie, five miles west of Springfield. There I grew to womanhood. My educational advantages was very meager. Poor teachers poor school houses, log cabins with one log cut out for a window, slab benches for seats and desks and sometimes dirt floors.
My girlhood days was spent quite differently from the girls of today. Instead of cinch and card parties I played a pair of cotton or wool cards and a spinning wheel. We had to make our own everyday wear. About this time I met and became acquainted with George Trotter, a native of Kentucky. Quite a friendship sprung up between us being neighbors. About that time there was a great panic and craze for the lead mines known as Hamilton's diggings at Wyota, Wis. Mr. Trotter in company with another young man wended their way north and hired out to William S. Hamilton, engaging in the smelting business. While there Wolf Creek Mill was in process of erection and Mr. Hamilton sent a lot of his men to help raise that mill. Mr. Trotter being one of them. The Indians were quite numerous but committed no depredations. Mr. Trotter came home in the fall and next spring the Indians became troublesome and men was called for to protect the few settlers and he was one of the first to responded. He shouldered his old flint lock Kentucky rifle, rode his own horse, furnished his own equipment, helped to rout the Indians. He was at the battle of Bad Ax. There the poor wrenches took to the river where lots of them perished. He came home after the war, that was in 1832, and the next spring on March 24th, 1833, we were married. That was the happiest day of my life. We stayed there three years, he got dissatisfied. It was sickly. In the spring of 1836, April 10th, we started north with brother Duke Chilton and family to seek a home in what seemed to me in the wilderness. Put our worldly possessions in the wagon with myself and two babies. Our team consisted of a pair of oxen and one span of horses. Brother drove a four horse team. His family consisted of his wife, two little boys and a lady friend. Our progress was slow bad roads, swollen streams, bridges gone if there ever was any. Thus we wended out way along what was then termed the old Suken Trail, cooking our meals by the way side and sleeping in our wagons nights. Thus we
wended our way. When we came to the Illinois River it was one mile wide. We crossed on a flat boat propelled by a rope. We crossed Rock River at Dixon. Came Winnebago swamps and tried to cross, it took us two days to cross the swamp. Had to double teams pull out swamp. Finally all piled in one wagon had to double teams to pull us out. Left brother Duke's stuck in the mud. Got on higher ground and camped for the night. Went to bed supperless. Had a few biscuits that the children had to have. All slept in and under our wagon. Next morning cooked breakfast went back pulled the other wagon out on higher ground. Proceeded on our way. The next stop was a Timm's Grove. Stayed all night. Had nothing to feed our teams. Came to the Pecatonica River and crossed at what was then Brewster's Ferry. From there we went to _______'s on Honey Creek, he having proceeded us. Bought his farm second-handed. There we stayed till fall but couldn't find a place to suit him in Wisconsin crossed over the line and settled in Illinois three miles from the line. Took up a claim and went to work and built a log cabin. covered it with clapboards and made a fireplace, made chimney of mud and sticks instead of bricks. The door also was made of clapboards. The floor also our own manufacture hewed basswood p_-ch--s. Mr. Trotter was an expert with an ax, being raised in a timbered country. The were chinked and stopped with mud also. I was horror stricken to see two squaws come marching up to our door. One carried a papoose on her back and the other had a tomahawk in her belt. They camped 100 strong on the bank of Richland Creek half mile distant from our house. They were friendly Indians on their annual hunting trip. They lost a child while there. They had a wake of their own kind. Sang, danced and yelled all night. I thought we would be killed before morning, having heard my father tell of their cruelty and depredations while in the war of 1812. Trotter took his gun and walked out to see what he could see. Run on to two squaws making a coffin. cut down a tree, split it open, dug out both sides. He set his gun against a tree, took the ax helped to make the little log coffin. That pleased them much. They buried their dead there on that hill in our pasture, piled logs and stone on that little grave. My youngest sister and cousin stayed with us that night. Next morning they made a bee line cross the prairie __ miles. Wild game and bees was quite plentiful. Trotter was a good shot, loved the sport, consequently we had plenty of venison and wild honey. Also dressed the hides, made them up into mittens, sold them from 90 cents to one dollar per pair. Also made a pair of Buckskin pants for John K. Brewster for which he paid me 10 dollars. Then he conducted a store in Oneco. I carried one pail of butter there had to carry it back no sale for produce. Done all our trading at Brewster's store it being the only store this side of Galena. Later he moved to Freeport here we came to do our trading. Freeport today isn't what it was when I came here in '36. It only boasted of one log house that was built and occupied by Tutty Baker. Our claim was located one and one half miles west of Orangeville which consisted of 200 acres where 12 of our children were born also where we lived to celebrate our Golden Wedding and also where we buried half my family. My husband died in 88. Stayed on the farm til 92. Sold the old home, went to Nebraska to live with my daughter Mrs. Dr. Scott. Stayed one year, came back in 94, stopped in Freeport where I expect to make my home with my daughter Mrs. Dr. Scott the remaining days of my life.
Facilities for schooling was poor. The few neighbors were anxious for a school. So they got together built a log schoolhouse on our claim. Used our spring for school purposes. Our school was gotten up by subscription, had no county funds. My husband was a school director for many years. Our first teacher was an old man from Springfield by the name of Orr, a old crank. Our children were fraid as death of him. Teachers boarded around. It fell to my lot to board more teachers than any woman in Stephenson County. Never received one cent, thought we were well paid if we could school our children. It was uphill business. On the last day they had a very complimentary discharge. Said he, "Go it hogs and root for a living."
WILLARD FILLMORE TROTTER
- Late M. F. Trotter Resident of County More Then 70 Years
CANDACE SARAH (EMERY) TUNKS
, was born in Ohio September 28, 1925, deceased March 6, 1922. Early in life she emigrated with her parents to Stevens (Stephenson) County, Illinois.At the age of 23 years (19) she was married to John Daniels, who deceased in 1860 (1858.) To this union were born three sons and three daughters, Albert, Henry and Auserl (Omri); Candis, Fredelia (Fidelia) and Louella Daniels. She was married to William Tunks in 1870. After the death of her second husband (1888) she moved from Illinois to Merrick County, Neb. In December 1910 she came to Elwood and made her home with her son Henry, until her death.Her three sons are living; only Henry B, being able to be present at the funeral services. She was converted at the age of 14 years and at this time joining the United Brethern church. After coming to Nebraska she united with the M.E. church. After 82 years of faithful Christian life she is now called to her heavenly home. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, in charge of Rev. Thomas.” The Elwood Bulletin Elwood NE __March 1922
ELMER TUNKS
, Infant son of Albert and Belle Tunks, Sept. 4, 1877, of cholera infantum, age one year and three months. The funeral took place on Thursday last. Rev. John Gunderman officiated."
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