History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 3Ui
On the 8th of May, 1873, Mr. Hillisou was married to Miss
Elizabeth Roth, who was boru in Germany, February 18, 1853,
and was brought to this country by her parents in 1858. She is
a daughter of John and Barbara Roth, who were also natives of
Germany and who spent their last days in Lee county. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Hillison have been born tive children : John 11. , Christian
E. and William C, all living in China township; Reinhart
A., of Amboy township ; and Celia Josephine, at home. The sons
are all actively engaged in farming in this county. There are
also eight grandsons and one granddaughter.
During the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, Mr. Hillison
visited the crew of Norsemen that came all the way from Norway
to Chicago in a row boat to demonstrate that such a feat was
possible and thus give additional proof to the claim that the Norsemen
visited America before Columbus. Mr. Hillison was upon
their boat a number of times—an open row boat with a canvass
over the provisions. It was thirty feet long and sixteen feet wide
in the center and no sails were used in propelling it, the motive
force being supplied by the sturdy arms of the sons of Norway
—a fact of which Mr. Hillison is proud. Owing to the fact that
his father was the first man to leave the Hardanger country in
Norway and settle in Lee comity, Mr. Hillison was invited to
attend the retmion of the people of that country at Ellsworth,
Iowa, in 1912 and at Lee county in 1913. Mr. Hillison is a Mason
and is past master of Lee Center Lodge, No. 146. He has also
initiated four of his sons in the blue lodge. His religious faith is
that of the Lutheran church and in politics he is a progressive.
He has held many township offices and is deeply and helpfully
interested in all that pertains to the progress and welfare of
coimty and state.
ADAM H. GONNERMANN.
Farming interests of Lee county are well represented by Adam
H. Gonnermann, who since 1904 has been engaged in agrieidtural
pursuits in Bradford township, where he now owns one hundred
and twentv acres of excellent land. He was born here May 10,
1878, and is a son of Henry and Katherine Gonnermann, natives
of Germanv, who came to the United States in 1866, locating in