History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

168 HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
6, 1860, and is a son of Charles and Martha Heibenthal, natives of
Germany. They came to America in tlie eai'ly '40s, and located in
Lee county, Illinois, where both passed away. Seven children
were born to their union of whom six are yet living.
Conrad Heibenthal was reared at home and acquired his education
in the public schools of Bradford township. He remained
upon his father's farm imtil he was twenty-three years of age and
then rented land for some years, after which he bought a farm in
Bradford township. This property he developed and improved
for nineteen years thereafter, making it one of the finest farms
in the vicinity. When he disposed of it he bought the farm in
Ashton township, upon which he now resides. This comprises one
hundred and eighty-seven acres on section 24 and under Mr. Heib-
enthal 's direction has become an attractive and valuable property.
It is equipped with si;bstantial biTildings and the fields are in a
high state of cu]tivatii>n, yielding liountiful harvests annually.
In 1884 Mr. Heibenthal was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Eliza-
beth Nniunan, a native of Bradford township and a daughter of
John and Martha (Wagner) Nauman, natives of Germany. The
parents came to America at an early date and both died in this
country. In their family were eleven children. Mr. and Mrs.
Heibenthal have two children : Charles F., a resident of Lee
county; and Cora A., at home. The parents are members of the
Evangelical chTirch and Mr. Heibenthal gives his political alle-
giance to the republican party. He has served in the office of school
director and he is at all times progressive and public-spirited in
matters of citizenship, taking an intelligent interest in community
affairs.
He has spent his entire life in Lee county and his character and
accomplishments have commended him to the respect and esteem
of all who know him.
W. F. STRONG.
W. F. Strong is the capable and popular head of Strong's
College of Music at Dixon, an institution which, though established
at a comparatively recent date, has made substantial growth and
won a well merited reputation as one of the art colleges of the
state. Mr. Strong has devoted his entire life to music, developing
the tnlent with which nature endowed him, and is as widely known