Grand Prairie Seminary Photo

Four girls who attended the Grand Prairie Seminary in Onarga in 1898:  Murba Greenlees, Thawville; Lottie Roberts (name or town?); Ina Koon, Roberts; Mattie Paddock, Thawville.

--Posted in Facebook by Old Courthouse Museum - Watseka.  11 July 2024.

Thank you Barbie Brutlag Dicks

Warnke, Repp, Tornowski

Standing: Ophelia Warnke, Minnie Repp, Martha Warnke

Sitting: Lillie Repp, Emilie Tornowski Warnke Repp

Repp Children: Johnny, August, Minnie, Lillie

Children of John and Emilie Repp

Tornowski Sisters

Emilie Repp, Marie Ritter, Emma Ortlepp

Repp. Four Generations.

Emilia Tornowski Warnke Repp, Martha Warnke Kietzman, Millie Kietzman Roberts, Ruby Roberts Huizenga

John (Johann) and Wilhemine (Kuehn) Tornowski

Married 4 February 1849 in Germany

With their nieces Gustie & Emma Ritter

Louis and Ernestine Kietzman Family

John, Louis, Minnie, Emma, Theodore

Tornowski

Emma and Martha

Repp

John Christ Repp and Emilia Augusta Tornowski

--All Photos from Barbie Brutlag Dicks.

2 June 1881

 

--Paxton Record.  2 June 1881.  Page 1.

Hurst

William & Mary Jane (Roberts) Hurst.

--Photo from James Lossing.  Email.  September 2018.

Front Seat: Oscar Roberts, Sela Foster, (child) Forrest Whorrall; Back Seat: Lizzie Roberts, Bell Anderson, Hattie Foster, Zillah LaRosa Whorrall, Running Board, Venice and Cleo Whorrall, Standing: Henry Whorrall. The photo was obtained from Venice Whorrall Fairley, Onarga, IL. Notes on the back of the picture from James O Talbot: Oscar Roberts is Oscar James Roberts, my grandfather and Lizzie Roberts is Mary Elizabeth Whorrall Roberts, my grandmother. Henry was my mother's (Flossie) uncle. We spent a lot of time looking for Indian relics and shooting his old guns. The three children in this picture belong to Zillah and Henry Whorrall.

--Contributed by Patricia Ellis.

Roberts & Whorrall

Oscar James Roberts and his wife Mary Elizabeth (Whorrall) Roberts.

--Photo from James Lossing.  FAG.  August 2018.

Obit for Oscar James Roberts at:
http://lymantownshipcemetery.blogspot.com/2018/08/oscar-james-roberts.html

Roberts -Talbot Wedding

Flossie Roberts Weds Walter Talbot
Submitted by James O. Talbot.

Married:   At the home of the bride’s parents on North Main Street in Roberts, yesterday, November 26, 1913, Miss Flossie Elizabeth Roberts to Mr. Walter J. Talbot of Roberts.   The ceremony was performed in the presence of an assemblage of invited guests
which consisted of near relatives and the members of the “Friday Night Club”.   At exactly three o’clock, the guests were assembled in the parlors which were handsomely decorated with bouquets and flowers, the ceremony was begun by an instrumental solo by Miss
Cesta Kennedy and two vocal duets by Misses Blanche and Oma Foster, cousins of the bride, after which the bride, handsomely attired in net over cream Mrssaline, and the groom in the conventional black, took the solemn vow that joins them to pass along life’s highway hence forth as husband and wife.  Rev. R.W. Ames, pastor of the ME Church of Roberts officiated using the approved ceremony of the church.   After the ceremony an elegant three course luncheon was served.   The guests enjoyed a social hour, viewed the handsome display of wedding gifts, and departing wished the happy couple many years of happy and useful lives.
Both bride and groom have always been residents of Lyman Township.   The bride is the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. J. Roberts, and is one of the most prominent and highly respected young ladies of our community.   She was educated in the Roberts school after which she took course in the Illinois Women’s College.   The groom is a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Talbot also of Roberts.   He also was educated in the Roberts school and in Grand Prairie Seminary of Onarga and at Sycamore, Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. Talbot left on the 6:35 train last evening for Chicago to begin a wedding tour in which they will visit several places of interest.   They will be at home to their many Roberts friends after January first.
 
--Provided by Patricia (Whorrall) Ellis by Email.  August 2018.

Left to Right:  Mrs. Pettit, Della Wakelin, Sadie Wakelin, Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Swanick, Amelia Waldschmidt, Lena Wakelin, Genevieve Wakelin.

From James Lossing: " In this picture, with the ladies sitting on the ground, can anyone tell me about Mrs. Swanick, Mrs. Roberts, and Mrs. Pettit? Della, Sadie, and Genevieve are my grandmother and two of her sisters. Lena and Amelia are Waldschmidt sisters. I don't know if that picture was taken in Roberts or California."

--Photo from James Lossing.  FAG Friend.  July 2018.

In Lyman Township Cemetery.

Wedding

--History of Ford County, Illinois.  1985.

Early Days in Lyman #13

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster

Continuing . . .

Since the beginning of this year three of the pupils of the early days in the Smith School (Dist. 37) have died. Harry Fairley, Hattie (Arnold) McNeil, and Roscoe Beighle. Harry Fairly had lived in that district the greater part of his life. He saw his family of eight children grow to womanhood and manhood here except one child that died in infancy. They all attended the same school their father did. One of his sons is now school director of that district. James Fairley died a few years ago. Ray, Harry D., and Alexander are married. Also the daughter Ella. Gordon and Leonard are at home with their mother.
Mrs. McNeil left two daughters and one son. The daughters are married. One daughter, Pearl Dillon died several years ago.
Rosco Beighle died in Montana. He was the oldest son of E. B. Beighle who came here in 1869, when Roscoe was a small boy. He leaves a wife and two sons. Roscoe taught school in Lyman several years. He was a man with rare qualities. I knew him intimately and never heard him speak a bad word or do an evil act. He leaves three sisters and one brother. His sister, Ella is the only member of the family living here.
It is sad to know that steadfast friends are taken when we need them so much.
Amos Arnold and family came here from New York in 1866. They settled on the northwest quarter of section nine.

 

--Lyman Township Plat. 1884.

He used to visit our place once in a while. He was a man of so few words that he amused us. He was a successful farmer and at the time of his death had about a section of land in Ford County.
After he came to town to live I became well acquainted with him.

--Roberts Plat.  1901.

We took long strolls together. He enjoyed flowers and trees and rocks and being of the same turn of mind I enjoyed those rambles very much.
When W. B. Flora resigned as supervisor of the town of Lyman the Board of Auditors appointed Mr. Arnold to that office. He served the remainder of that term and the next one. Three of his children, Johnson, Seward, and Mrs. Seba Linn live here and own land here. One daughter, Mary, lives in the south.
William Hurst and his mother and sisters came to Lyman in 1855. They lived on section 30. Mrs. Mary Hurst died in 1875 leaving two daughters in care of the home place. The Hursts were here when the Connecticut settlement was made.

 

--Lyman Township Plat.  1884.

The same year that the Lymans were pounding nails in section two the Hursts were putting up their home in Section 30. Though it was not so spacious as the Lyman home it provided shelter from the storms and howling wolves of that day. I can not say whether the Englanders knew that right over to the northeast the people from the New England states were coming by the dozens and settling on the railroad lands the same as they. No doubt they would have welcomed them if they know it. They would have cheered for the same flag and perhaps voted for the same president.
William Hurst was a genial man when time had streaked his hair with gray. That was when I knew him. He had married one of the nicest women in south Lyman, Miss Mary Roberts, daughter of James Roberts, who lived in section 32.

--Lyman Township Plat.  1884.

Mr. Hurst died several years ago. His widow and his daughters are living. The eldest daughter, Mrs. Cook lives in Roberts. The others in southern Illinois.
Joseph Hurst, William's older brother, settled in section 20.

 

 

--Lyman Township Plat.  1884.

 

He was active in the civic affairs in Lyman and filled many offices in the township. He was a faithful officer and when assigned work to do he always did it. He held offices nearly all the time from the organization of Lyman township until he moved away from the place. Mrs. Mary Talbot was his daughter. There are none of this family living now. He died at Harvey a few years ago

--Roberts Herald. 5 June 1935. Bela Foster.

Early Days in Lyman #4

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster

Continuing . . .
When Ford County was a part of Vermilion county it was called Prairie City Township. In 1857 it was changed to Patton. In 1858 Drummer Grove town was set off from Patton and included all the present Ford County west of Range nine. In 1859 after Ford County was organized all of the panhandle and eighteen sections to the south of it was organized from the town of Patton and known as the Town of Stocton. In 1864 the name of Stocton was changed to Brenton and embraced the present towns of Pella, Brenton and Lyman.
In 1867 the residents of township No 25 petitioned the Board of Supervisors to have a new town made from Brenton which was to coincide with Township No. 25 Range nine. The request was granted and the town was named the town of Lyman in honor of the oldest settler, Samuel Lyman of Section No. 2.

 

 

--http://genealogytrails.com/ill/1840map.html

 

 



--http://ford.illinoisgenweb.org/maps.htm

--1884 Lyman Township Plat

My notes: Not sure exactly where Samuel Lyman lived in Section 2.

The first town meeting was held in the school house in Dist. No. 2 on April 7th, 1868. At that election the following officers were elected.
Samuel Woodward, Supervisor
A. M. Haling, Town Clerk
A. V. Burcham, Asssessor
A. V. Burcham, James Roberts and P. S. Gose, Commissioners of Highways
Samuel Woodward and T. A. Ireland, Justices of the Peace
Daniel Woodward and Daniel Althen, Constables The town was divided into four road districts.
In looking over the list of offices it seems that there was not much interest manifested. So many had to go home burdened with two offices, which meant much work for them. Roads had to be laid out, bridges built, disputes settled and laws made.
In those days every spring would see many bridges washed out. This meant work for pathmasters and road commissioners. Some of the streams that are only a few feet wide used to be twenty rods wider after a heavy rain. In 1869 rains were heavy and frequent. In 1868 Samuel Birdsley put up a blacksmith shop on what is now the Iler farm.

 

 

--1884 Plat Lyman Township.

That same year, I believe, Thomas McNeish a shoe maker settled on the north west corner of Section 14.

--1884 Plat Lyman Township.

He used to go around to measure the feet. I remember his measuring mine. This was for my first pair of shoes in Illinois. In those days one could not judge the number of feet by the size of the home. Our home was 16 by 24 feet with a lean-to 12 by 16 but it contained many feet. Sometimes when I am downtown in the winter I see the boys with the tiniest pairs of pants but they all wear shoes. I wonder if they inherit their little brother's pants as I did my older brother's trousers, sixty years ago.
Many of the Connecticut settlement had "pulled stakes" and gone to other parts by 1870. Some went to Onarga and some back to their native state. Those I can remember were S. K. Marston, Pierson, E. F. Havens, Elmer Esso, and others. A few stayed and made good. During the decade of 1860-1870 the whole of the Town of Lyman was settled. The first German I remember was "Grube". He came to our school district. He had one daughter and two sons. The older son helped to build the present Catholic Church in Roberts. It was then the German Methodist.

My Notes:  A reference to Catholic Church location being where a German Methodist once was sat.

--1884 Roberts

He also helped to build the Gonwa residence (now occupied by the Pendergast family) which was the Grube home.

One of the Peck young men built the Frank Steinman house in its original; Alexander Forbes built the original house where J. H. Talbot lives; G. H. Thompson erected the Mrs. Mae Roberts house. Taylor Blakely built the Henry Onken house. It was built on the Edward Hornickel farm. It was moved many times before it reached its present resting place. Blakely married a Conger girl. They came from Indiana.
Several from Indiana came here about that time. Some went on west. Some returned in a year or two. They came from Hoop-pole township. Posy County. They traveled in covered wagons. There was much talk of a railroad going through Lyman in 1869.
Father and oldest boys put most of our family in a wagon and gave us an outing in the fall. We went to the Del Rey timber to gather nuts. Butternuts and walnuts were plentiful. We saw the first train that we had seen since leaving Wisconsin. We thought how nice it would be to see a train scooting across Lyman. To us the train looked like it was hitched to the sky and as it moved the sky pulled the smoke out of the smoke stack like the big boys at school pulled the little boys in "cracking the whip."

--Roberts Herald. 3 April 1935. 

Walter Talbot Accidental Death

 

 

--Roberts Herald.  10 August 1927.

 



 

 

Roberts High School, Class of 1906.  Top Row L to R:  Walter Talbot, Teacher? Harvey Wakelin.  Bottom Row L to R:  Bernard Wright, Hazel Kenward, Clarence Bayler, Albert Seng.

 

--"Lets' Talk About Roberts." by Larry Knilands and Jean Fox.    

--Newspaper Clipping. 1927.
Buried Lyman Township Cemetery.