History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 329
his birth having occurred in Bradford township, Januaiy 13,
1860, his parents being Jolm and Christine (llildebrandt) Kersten,
mention of wlioni is made elsewliere in tliis volume. The
country scliools afforded him his early educational privileges and
he afterward spent two winter terms in Northwestern College at
Naperville, Illinois, attending there in 1881 and 1882. He then
returned home and assisted his father through two succeeding
years. He afterward purchased seventy acres from his fathei'-
in-law, located on section 36, Bradford township, while his wife
inherited eighty acres adjoining. Upon this tract, then compris-
ing one hundred and fifty acres, he ):)egan farming and converted
the land into an arable section, readily producing good crops as
the result of his progressive methods of tilling the soil. He erected
modern buildings and made a sjiecialty of raising blooded stock,
handling largely Galloway cattle. As prosperity crowned his
labors he purchased more land from time to time, becoming the
owner of the Cleim farm of one hundred and twenty acres in
Bradford township and also another tract of one hundred and
nine acres in the same township. He likewise has other land in
Lee county situated near Dixon. He continued upon the home
farm until December, 1903, when he sold his blooded stock and
I'emoved with his family to Ashton, wlicic he now makes his
lionie, living retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest. In
1913 he erected ui)on his farm in Bradf(n'd township a grain ele-
\'ator, having a capacity of ten thousand bushels, and he also built
a private siding from the Northern Illinois l]lectric Railroad to
the elevator, thus securing excellent shipping facilities.
On the loth of January, 1885, Hartman M. Kersten was mar-
ried to Miss Mary Gross, a daughter of Reinhart and INIartha
(Reinhart) Gross, who were natives of Kcrr-Hessen, Germany.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kersten were born thi'ee children. Arthur
a., who owns and operates a farm in Ashton township, wedded
Miss Minnie Heucrt and has one son, Clarence Hartman Kersten.
Rosa C. is the wife of Edward M. Herwig, who owns and culti-
vates a tract of land in Bradford township. Alice E. Kersten is
deceased.
Mr. Kersten is a member of the United Evangelical church
and has taken an active and helpful part in the various lines of
church woi'k, serving foi' many years as Sunday-school superin-
tendent. When a youth of thirteen he had been converted throTigh
the efforts and teaching of Christian Schuster and Joetchel. He
is a progressive in politics and has been a delegate to republican