History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 447
tution. He is ever fuinul a coui'teous and obliging official and is
classed with the representative business men of the city.
On the Irtth of March, 1895, at Franklin Grove, Mr. Durkes
was married to i\liss Elizabeth Lahman, a daughter of Joshua E.
and Hannah Lalunan. The father and his parents were among the
early settlers of Franlvliu Cirove, arriving in that vicinity in 1845.
At the time of the Ci\-il war J. E. Lahman responded to the coun-
try's call and did valiant service for the Union. The children of
Mr. and Mrs. Durkes are Dorothy Jane, Luther Lahman, Clara
Esther, Marion Elizabeth, Josephine Edith and Phyllis jNlabel.
In politics Mr. Durkes is independent, yet is not remiss in the
duties of citizenship, for he is interested in all that pertains to the
general welfare and cooperates in many movements for the public
good. His entire life has been passed in the community where he
yet makes his home and that his record is an honorable and commendable
one is indicated in the fact that his warmest friends are
numbered among those who have known him from his boyhood to
the present time.
SOLOMON LUCKS BETHEA.
Judicial preferment in a federal court came to Solomon Hicks
Bethea in his appointment by President Roosevelt to the position
of United States district judge. He was one of Lee county's native
sons and one whose record reflected credit and honor upon the
community in which he lived. He was born in Palmyra township.
May 20, 1852, a son of William W. and Emily (Green) Bethea.
He attended the Dixon public schools, supplemented by study in
Rock River Seminary in Dixon, and was graduated from the Uni-
versity of Michigan in 1872. His preparation for the bar was followed
by admission to practice in 1877. He entered at once upon
the active work of the profession, and he continued to the last a
student of the principles of jurisprudence. In his law practice one
of his strong characteristics was the thoroughness with which he
prepared his cases, and he never seemed at a loss in iiresenting his
cause but was ready to meet any contingency. On the 20th of De-
cember, 1898, he was appointed Fnited States district attorney for
the northern district of Illinois by President McKinley and was
reappointed by President Roosevelt on the 9th of December, 1902.