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John HEFLER BIOGRAPHY


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Woodford County, Illinois, Portrait and

Biographical Album

Biographical Sketch of John Hefler

It is with pleasure that we trace the history of this prominent resident of Woodford County through the principle years of his past life. We cannot follow it through every changeful year, every devious path, but only as a passing wanderer follows the course of a river through a valley – sometimes approaching the bank, then far from the shore, but in the end arriving at the same point where the river reaches the sea. In like manner we follow the principle events in the history of Mr. Hefler.

At present a resident of Panola Township farming on section 11, our subject is prosperous and enjoying the comforts which money can obtain, and good health can allow. He is a native of Germany, where his birth occurred June 9, 1833. His father and mother were named respectively Adam and Catherine Hefler, also from the Fatherland. These people were of a good family, and comfortably situated, but hoping to increase their personal property they sought America taking with them their son, our subject, who had received a good common school education in his own tongue but after coming to the United States, he had no further opportunity to attend school and therefore gained his English education by mingling with the English people and studying their ways and habits. It was in the spring of 1848 that he emigrated here, taking passage at the Port of Bremen in a sail vessel, and after an ocean voyage of 40 days, during which time the weather was fair and the waters tranquil, the ship landed at Baltimore. Thence our subject moved west to Butler County, Pennsylvania and there worked on a farm as a laboorer. When he was about 18 years of age, he commenced to earn a living by his trade as a blacksmith, which he has followed more or less ever since. As a renter in Butler County, he remained several years, gradually working his way to independence. In 1859 he removed to West Virginia, which was not then a separate state, but a part of the old Dominion. He located near the city of Parkersburg, which was his home for a period of five years. He has the reputation of having fired the first Union gun in West Virginia, the gun being loaded with heavy shot. This occurred in June of the year 1861, and the shot was aimed at a Rebel horse-thief, who had been invading the vicinity and stealing horses from northern residents. Mr. Hefler was so far successsful that the bullet lodged in the sholder of the thief, who it may be presumed, occasioned no further trouble. For three years thereafter Mr. Hefler was identified with the West Virginia Home Guards, and did a great deal of good for the Union cause in his own immediate locality.

The faithful companion of Mr. Hefler and his valued co-laborer is his wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Henning. To her he was married in Pennsylvania in February 1855. They have become the parents of twelve children of whom nine have lived to maturity, namely; John, who lives in McLean County, Ill.; Adam, a resident of Panola Township, located in section 14; George, also living in Panola Township and farming on section 13; William; Charles; Lucy; Anna; Ida and Mary. Three have been taken from the home circle by death; Eliza, Catherine, and one who died in infancy.

In the winter of 1865, our subject, with his wife and family came to live in Woodford County, settling on their present farm. He first purchased 80 acres, which was in a condition similar to all other farms in that then uncultivated county, being unimproved, raw prairie, but having fertile soil, and only needing the magic wand which hard work wields over even the soil of the earth to make it bloom like a garden. Mr. Hefler has been an honored resident of this county for the past twenty-four years, and has become the owner of 260 acres of fine land, through his exertions and the assistance of his wife, who has willingly done her share of the labor, which every pioneer woman knows is everything but light. Mr. Hefler has not had the time to devote to political affairs which others have had, but has always been a devoted subject of the American Government. He votes for the Republican Ticket usually, and was for many years School Director in his district, and aided in securing good teachers for the community, and elevating the cause of education general.

He and his wife belong to the Luthern Church, and are everywhere welcomed as representing the worth and intelligence of the community. They have avoided the foolish vanities and frivolous trifles of life, which consume body and soul as the locust comsumed Egypt, and have aimed only at it’s sublimest ends, it’s worthiest ambitions, and thus are worthy of the success they enjoy.

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