Pgs 412-686 - Illinois Ancestors

484 BIOGRAPHY AND REMINISCENCES
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AcJa~z Olivcr (deceaseel) mas born Decenlber 14,1814, in Roxbnrghshire,
Scot'land. His parents, Thomas ancl &Iamrpret (Fife) olive^,
were also natives of that country ; were ~n~zrriecl there la 1S14; moved
to the IIighlantls some vettrs later, ancl in 1837 citnie wit11 their ten
children to the TTnited States. The names of this large fa111ilg are
given as follows: Atlaln (tlece~tsetl), l\ilargzret (marr.ied), of this township
; Betsey (married) a resiclent of I-Ienrr connty ; Anclrew (nlarrietl),
ol this township; Chitrlott-e (decetised);' Ann (unmarried), resicllng
here ; William (~narried), residing in IIenrv countv ; Thomi~s (mar-
~ied), a. resident of this to\vnshi 11; Henry 11. (marr~etl), also resi(1ing
here, nncl John (married), of Auclubon county, Iu\r,z. Tlie 1ie:~d of this
fmtily in the United States pnshetl westward ~r~itllont delay, settletl :l,t
Osceola Grove, but moved in 1840 to the west side of tlie townsllip,
where he resitlecl until his death, May 8, 1855. There also his wife
died. Aclarn passed his earlier years on the lo\vl;tncl farm, and later
assisted his father in the duties of shephertl in the I-Iighlantls. 11;s
father instructecl him in writing, reacling ancl figures so well that when
of age he engged in teaching school. On coining here he tool< charge
of much of h~s father's bus~ness and remained with 111111 until 1846,
when he inarried Miss Polly Ann Parks. This lwcly cljed at the I,ir*th
of her only child who bears tlie same name. In 1849 he rnarrieci Miss
Agnes Davidson, a grand niece of James Davidson, the '& Dantly Dinrnon
t " of Scott's '' Guy Mnnnerin~," ancl cbtnghter of George and Jessie
(Robertson D:~viclson (married In 1934), who ci~~ne from Boxburghshire,
Scot 1 and, to Marshall county, Ill., with their five cllil(1ren in
1841. Her father cliecl there in October, 1865. Atlnln a,ncl Mrs. Oliver
were the parents of six children, of whorn four are living-31,zrgaret
F., of this township (married); Jessie (married), residing at I-larvarcl,
Neb.; George T. (married), resit1in.g on the !~olnestead, ant1 Ella &I.,
resicling here with her r not her. It IS said that he never lll~tl an enemy.
In polltical life he was a Republican; in religion, n member of tl~c
Unitecl Presby teriitn churcli, ~zncl in all relations strictly upright. 1 Iis
cleath tool; place Nay 8, 1855. ( Vide flitory of Elnlii~n.)
Ar~cZ>ew Oliuev, son of Tllomas and Mr~rpret (Fife) Oliver, was
born in Roxburghshire, Scotland, &Iarch 20, 1820. He is a brother of
the late Acla~n Oliver referred to above, nncl like him a pioneer of this
county, corning here with the famlly in 1537 ancl sharing all their fortunes
until 1849, when he lnarrietl Miss Ellen, daughter of William ttntl
Nary Turnbull, a native of Scotland, and like himself a pioneer of this
section. Of their six children Mary, the elclest. is the only survivor.
In I846 Andrew Oliver traveled to Dixon, Ill., ancl then entered ancl
purchasetl his first farm on section 31, Elmirn township. To this
original tract he has atlded 700 acres here, together with owning B,()00
acres in Pawnee county, Neb. In 1860 h~s first wife (lied, ancl in
Novelnber, 1861, lle ma,rrietl Miss Elizabeth, tlaugliter of James Arbinstrong,
a notice of ~vhorn appears in this chapter. They are the parents
of four children -Esther (married), resitling at Toulon ; Belle hl.,
Agnes J., and an infstnt who is deceased. Mr. Oliver has filled tlie
position of supervisor of the township for three terms, assessor for
several terms, and allnost all the minor offices. He is a stockholcler