History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

270 HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
the lOtli of December, 1911, and was buried at Amboy. His entire
life, covering a period of sixty-four years, had been spent within
the borders of Lee county and he was widely recognized as one
of its representative agriculturists and esteemed citizens.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Burns were born seven children, as fol-
lows: Nellie, who was graduated from the Amboy high school
with the class of 1908 and now follows the profession of teaching
at Amboy; Edward, a traveling salesman residing at Oshkosh,
Wisconsin ; John T., who is a clerk in the employ of the Colson
Clothing Company of Amboy; Alice C, a milliner of Chicago;
Margaret F., who is employed as a bookkeeper in Amboy ; Eliza-
beth and Mary R., both of whom are high-school students in
Amboy. Mrs. Burns, who makes her home on Jones street in
Amboy, has always lived in Lee county and hei'e has a circle of
friends which is almost coextensive with the circle of her
acquaintances.
CONRAD MEISTER.
Coni'ad Meister is one of the early settlers in Lee county, Ins
residence here dating from 1846. During his entire active life
he was closely and influentially associated with agricultural interests
of this locality, winning a comfortable fortune which now
enables him to spend his declining years in l-est and retirement.
He was born in Germany, December 7, 1835. and is a son of John
and Anna K. Meister, also natives of the fathei'land. They came
to America in 1846, locating in Lee county, Illinois, where both
passed away. To their union were born five children, of whom
the subject of this review is the only one now living.
Conrad Meister was eleven years of age when he came with
his pai'ents to Lee county and he grew up amid pioneer conditions,
learning farming through practical experience in the development
of his father's homestead. When he grew to manliood he became
a landholder and for a number of years owned a fine property of
three hundred and twenty acres in Bradford township. He car-
ried forward the work of im]^roving and developing this place
along progressive and modern lines and made it a valuable property
provided with substantial barns and outbuildings and modern
equipment. He owned in addition three hundred and twenty
acres of land in South Dakota but he has now divided all of his