Pgs 412-686 - Illinois Ancestors

OF ELMIRA TOWNSHIP.
(Peabody) Currier (the latter raised by Gen. Putna~n's sister), natives
of Massachusetts. She marriecl Samuel Spencer about 1803, Rev.
Leonarcl Wooston officiating. To them six children were born, riz.,
Sarah, born in 1804, resicl~ng in Rock Island county; Isaac, born
March 26, 1812, diecl in Elmira, December 27, 1884; Betsy, born
January 1: ISIT, . married Dan N. Beall in 1836, resides in Rocl;
Island county, and celebrated their gnlclen wedding in 1886; Simon
B. resides here, and two iliecl in infancv. In 1842, Simon B. Spencer
set out for the west, arrived in Elunira, k1aY 19th, ancl worked for his
brother Isaac at eleven dollars per month. ' Early in 1843, he revisited
Vermont, returned in the fall with his father, m'other and elder sister,
and completecl the Spencer settle~nent here. From IS44 to 1848, his
health did not permit him to engage in anv lcinci of ~vorlc. In the
V U
of 1852, he purchased the southeast huarter of section 2, ancl
~g;$las since been an a~ricoltoralist and stock-gro~r-er. The fortv
acres which he entered inu1843, on iection 14, he ;till holcls, togeth&
with seven acres of coal land on section 16, eighty acres on the west
half of section 2, and his residence in the village of Osceola. He
belongecl to the Union League (1861-65), hi~s always been republican,
but is content with g0in.g to the polls. In religion he is a Baptist.
Speq~cer, born in Vermont in 1812, came to Peoria in 1835,
anti to the northeast quarter, section 10, Elmira, township, in 1838, and
subsequently purchasecl ]nore lands, all of wvhicll he improved, his
steam flourin~ mill being one of the early industries of the county.
9
Stzcr.na8 Ean3,iZy.-Much has been written of this family in the
sketches of Osceola and Toulon townships, as well as inu that of
this township. Again in the general history many references are
made to them. For the purposes of this part of the chapter, the
following notice of the ,family is given : Louis Sturins, who came to
LaSalle Pmirie, Ill., about the period the first settlement was made in
Essex township, came to Spoon river about 1834; in 1835, visitecl u-hat
is now Elmira township, remained some time, but returned to Ohio.
Matthias Sturms. who came in Sentember. 1834. bron~ht wit11 him his
wife ancl ten chiiclren, thus gi~-in8a popuiation 'at oncie to this part of
the wilderness. In ihe historv of the Methodist Eniscoual chorch
throughout the county, man,y Gferences are made to this iioneer, for
in his cabin were held the first Methotlist services north of I\-11at is
now Wyoming, in this county. Among his sons were Henry S. (not
Henry Stur~ns, who settled here in 1838), Nicholas, who was a juror in
1639, Samuel, Matthias ancl Simon. Of this number, there were
assessecl in 1539, Matthias, junior, Henry S., Samuel ancl Nicholas.
Henry S. was married to Miss Osborne in Ohio, and brought his wife
with him, as his sister, who marriecl John Kirlipatrick, brought her
husband with her in 1834. Another sister married the pioneer - Peter
Pratt. Matthias Sturms diecl in February, 1862, agecl seventy-six
years; but prior to this time the old people llad passed away. The
records of the cemeteries all around Elrnira and in the township
contain the names of this family, even as the marriage recorcl tells
of the be innings of other familibs of the same name.
John !b urnbull, commonly known as "Uncle John," was born in