Page 1096

BYERS, JACOB C. (deceased) ._ One of the representative citizens and practical agriculturists of Sangamon County, Ill., was the late Jacob C. Byers, who for a number of years carried on operations on Section 30, in Cooper Township. Mr Byers was born at Shepherdstown, W. Va., November 7,1839, a son of Jacob and Catherine (Snyder) Byers. Jacob Byers, who was a native of Germany, came to America as a child, and in West Virginia became a farmer, continuing in that occupation throughout the remainder of his life. Both he and his wife died in West Virginia. Of their nine children two are still living, Mrs. Sarah Hensel and John M. Byers, both residents of Pawnee, Ill.

Jacob C. Byers attended the public schools of West Virginia and the College of Mt. Morris, Ill., to which place he had come as a lad to live with a sister, and after completing his schooling he engaged in farming in Ogle County. On February 15, 1859, Mr. Byers was married to Mary Ann Blecker, a native of West Virginia, who was born November 20, 1833, and after their marriage they located in Ogle County, where Mr. Byers again engaged in farming. Seven children were born to this union: Anna E., the wife of Brayden Carswell of Springfield; Charles B., a farmer living in the Southwest; George E., a farmer of Macoupin County; Elmira C., the wife of Walter Whitecraft of Springfield; Lillie B., connected with the Newman Dry Goods Company, in Springfield; and one who died in infancy. Mrs. Byers died September, 2, 1889, in Christian County, Ill., whence the family had moved in 1880 to locate on a farm near Edinburg. On September 15, 1891. Mr. Byers was married (second) to Nancy M. Burchell. who was born in Burlington, Iowa, March 26, 1847, a daughter of Robert C. and Jane (Morris) Burchell, the former of Alexandria, W. Va., and the latter of New York, their marriage taking place at Jeffersonville, Ind. Mr. Burchell, who was one of the distinguished men of his day, and with whom it is related President Abraham Lincoln visited, was a well known lawyer of Burlington, Iowa, where he practiced with Judge Springer, and later at Mt. Morris, Ill., but later went to Oregon, Ill., where he established and conducted the "Ogle County Reporter," which is still being published under same name. Here he continued to live and practice law until his death, having served as State's Attorney and County Judge and as Mayor of Oregon. As a candidate for State's Attorney, his name was on the same ticket running for State's Attorney as Richard Yates. Mrs. Byers has a brother, Robert, living in Erie, Whiteside County, and a sister, Catherine Jones, the wife of Adolphus Jones, a prominent banker of Iowa. Another sister, Mrs. Virginia Wales, died at Los Angeles. Cal. Mrs. Byers is the owner of a home in Berry, Sangamon County, and has an interest in valuable property in Oregon, Ill. She is a consistent member of the Methodist Church, to which her late husband also belonged. The latter was a Republican in his political views.