EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
William J. Houtzel was born in Blesenbach, Germany. He came to America in the late sixties or early seventies. He settled in Ford County, Illinois. In 1841 he marreid Anna Roeder a native of Blesenbach, Germnay who had (at the time) but recenlty come from her fatherland. They began housekeeping on the farm near Roberts in the Town of Lyman....
The first I remember of him must have been in the late seventies when he farmed for J. B. Miserve a grain buyer of Roberts. My brother Robert, worked for Mr. Miserve in the elevator at the same time and used to help some on the farm. It seems to me now that it was the Fred Hertal farm. Mr. Houtzel was a good farmer and and an energetic young man. When I become acquainted with the family they lived on the Schaeffer farm, now owned by J. J. Russell and occupied by Edward Russell and wife and little Jerry. In 1886 or 1887 I taught their school. It was Louis' first school. At that time they had severn children. All except the oldest and the youngest came to school. Shortly after they moved to the Landel farm when Louise a little tot came to school. She had such a sweet disposition and kept it during her few years on earth.
They resided on the Landel farm until it was sold to Fred Roeder, when Mr. and Mrs. Houtzel and Louise moved to Roberts where they resided until they were called home. Mr. Houtzel received his naturalization papers in 1890. Mrs. Houtzel died in 1914, Mr. Houtzel in 1921 and Louise Houtzel in 1926.
Kate the oldest daughter married Charles Otto. They reside in Milwaukee, Wis. They have two adopted children, Clarence and Evelyn. Both are married. Eveyln (Otto) Doecks and husband and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Otto occupy the same house in Milwaukee.
Maggie, the second dughter, marrried Anderson Brouteon, a brother of Mrs. A. G. Clark and Mrs. D. J. Forster. He is a native of the Buckeye state. He was at one time Road Commissioner of Lyman. He and his wife were both good workers. They have six children, all married. Mr. and Mrs. Brunton live at Cassopolis, Mich.
William married Ruth McFarland of Loda. They reside at Lansing, Mich. They have three children.
Elmer married Mae Carlson of Paxton. They live in Paxton with their two children.
Della married Ralph Helmericks. They have three children and live in Urbana, Illinois.
John Brunton the fourth child, the boy, who used to bring me lunches when I was on the mail route, is married and they have one child. They reside in South Bend, Indiana.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Brunton have their home in South Bend also and have two children.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Brunton, (the youngest) live in Cassopolis, Mich.
Mary Houtzel married Fred Woodward, the son of William and Bessie (Heney) Woodward of Thawville, William Woodward was the son of Samuel Woodward, the first Supervisor of Lyman Township. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Woodward lived in Buckley for several years. They now live at Tonica, Illinois. When Fred was a boy he helped me many times in the field. When I was a boy I worked for his father quite a lot. So it is, the interests of one are often woven in the woof of the interests of a community. I always like to work for his father and he, I believe, was pleased to help me. We were schoolmates. Many times when a boy, I warmed my cold feet in this mother's oven.
John Houtzel married Myrtle Clark the daughter of A. G. and Nancy (Brunton) Clark of Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. J. Houtzel farmed for several years and then moved into Roberts, where they have since resided. John is Highway commissioner of the Town of Lyman. The weather has given him plenty of work in keeping the roads open this winter. Mr. and Mrs. John Houtzel have four children living, (their first child died in infancy), all girls: Vera, Arla, Violet, and Cleta.
Vera Houtzel married Richard Kief, the son of John and Jessie (Truesdell) Kief of Lyman. They are farmers and live two miles from Roberts. The have three children. Richard, the oldest is in school.
Arla Houtzel married Orris Allen of Thawville. He was the son of Charles and May (Coultas) Allen. Chas. Allen is the son of Henry Allen an early settler of Lyman. Mr. and Mrs. Orris Allen had two children. Mr. Orris Allen is deceased. Mrs. Arla Allen is a teacher. she teaches school at Ridgeville. I have heard good reports of her as a teacher. She and her two children make their home with her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. John Houtzel.
Violet Houtzel married Eugene Beland of Paxton. They live in Roberts. Mrs. Beland has been office girl for Dr. J. A. Colteaux for several years. She is almost a model of perfection in her work. She was always a very bright child. I remember when she was almost a tot she told me she could write her name. I have her a pencil and paper and sure enough there was her name in legible letters.
Cleta Houtzel, the youngest, is in high school here.
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
William J. Houtzel was born in Blesenbach, Germany. He came to America in the late sixties or early seventies. He settled in Ford County, Illinois. In 1841 he marreid Anna Roeder a native of Blesenbach, Germnay who had (at the time) but recenlty come from her fatherland. They began housekeeping on the farm near Roberts in the Town of Lyman....
The first I remember of him must have been in the late seventies when he farmed for J. B. Miserve a grain buyer of Roberts. My brother Robert, worked for Mr. Miserve in the elevator at the same time and used to help some on the farm. It seems to me now that it was the Fred Hertal farm. Mr. Houtzel was a good farmer and and an energetic young man. When I become acquainted with the family they lived on the Schaeffer farm, now owned by J. J. Russell and occupied by Edward Russell and wife and little Jerry. In 1886 or 1887 I taught their school. It was Louis' first school. At that time they had severn children. All except the oldest and the youngest came to school. Shortly after they moved to the Landel farm when Louise a little tot came to school. She had such a sweet disposition and kept it during her few years on earth.
They resided on the Landel farm until it was sold to Fred Roeder, when Mr. and Mrs. Houtzel and Louise moved to Roberts where they resided until they were called home. Mr. Houtzel received his naturalization papers in 1890. Mrs. Houtzel died in 1914, Mr. Houtzel in 1921 and Louise Houtzel in 1926.
Kate the oldest daughter married Charles Otto. They reside in Milwaukee, Wis. They have two adopted children, Clarence and Evelyn. Both are married. Eveyln (Otto) Doecks and husband and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Otto occupy the same house in Milwaukee.
Maggie, the second dughter, marrried Anderson Brouteon, a brother of Mrs. A. G. Clark and Mrs. D. J. Forster. He is a native of the Buckeye state. He was at one time Road Commissioner of Lyman. He and his wife were both good workers. They have six children, all married. Mr. and Mrs. Brunton live at Cassopolis, Mich.
William married Ruth McFarland of Loda. They reside at Lansing, Mich. They have three children.
Elmer married Mae Carlson of Paxton. They live in Paxton with their two children.
Della married Ralph Helmericks. They have three children and live in Urbana, Illinois.
John Brunton the fourth child, the boy, who used to bring me lunches when I was on the mail route, is married and they have one child. They reside in South Bend, Indiana.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Brunton have their home in South Bend also and have two children.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Brunton, (the youngest) live in Cassopolis, Mich.
Mary Houtzel married Fred Woodward, the son of William and Bessie (Heney) Woodward of Thawville, William Woodward was the son of Samuel Woodward, the first Supervisor of Lyman Township. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Woodward lived in Buckley for several years. They now live at Tonica, Illinois. When Fred was a boy he helped me many times in the field. When I was a boy I worked for his father quite a lot. So it is, the interests of one are often woven in the woof of the interests of a community. I always like to work for his father and he, I believe, was pleased to help me. We were schoolmates. Many times when a boy, I warmed my cold feet in this mother's oven.
John Houtzel married Myrtle Clark the daughter of A. G. and Nancy (Brunton) Clark of Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. J. Houtzel farmed for several years and then moved into Roberts, where they have since resided. John is Highway commissioner of the Town of Lyman. The weather has given him plenty of work in keeping the roads open this winter. Mr. and Mrs. John Houtzel have four children living, (their first child died in infancy), all girls: Vera, Arla, Violet, and Cleta.
Vera Houtzel married Richard Kief, the son of John and Jessie (Truesdell) Kief of Lyman. They are farmers and live two miles from Roberts. The have three children. Richard, the oldest is in school.
Arla Houtzel married Orris Allen of Thawville. He was the son of Charles and May (Coultas) Allen. Chas. Allen is the son of Henry Allen an early settler of Lyman. Mr. and Mrs. Orris Allen had two children. Mr. Orris Allen is deceased. Mrs. Arla Allen is a teacher. she teaches school at Ridgeville. I have heard good reports of her as a teacher. She and her two children make their home with her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. John Houtzel.
Violet Houtzel married Eugene Beland of Paxton. They live in Roberts. Mrs. Beland has been office girl for Dr. J. A. Colteaux for several years. She is almost a model of perfection in her work. She was always a very bright child. I remember when she was almost a tot she told me she could write her name. I have her a pencil and paper and sure enough there was her name in legible letters.
Cleta Houtzel, the youngest, is in high school here.
--Roberts Herald. 26 February 1936. Bela Foster.
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