"Portrait and biographical album of Coles County, Illinois"
  
OHN NEFF, widely and favorably known throughout North Okaw Township, and a portrait of whom is shown on the opposite page, operates a fine body of land comprising 240 acres under cultivation, and sixty acres of timber on section 32. The improvements are first-class, and Mr. N. of late years has given considerable attention to the raising of fine stock. His early days were passed in Wythe County, Va., where his birth took place Sept. 20, 1813. He received a limited education, and when eighteen years old started out in life for himself, tracing his footsteps first to Fountain County, Ind., to which place a married sister had preceded him, and where he worked for two years following on a farm, at $100 per year. His father then coming to Indiana on a visit to his son-in-law, our subject returned with him to Virginia, and remained at home several years thereafter.
In 1838 Mr. Neff returned to Indiana, and for two years thereafter had charge of a farm near Shakertown. In the meantime he had been united in marriage with Miss Mary Bumgardner, the wedding taking place in July, 1833, in Virginia. This lady was a native of the same county as her husband, and after becoming the mother of one child, a son, William F., departed this life at the home of her husband in Virginia. Mr. Neff afterward returned to Indiana, where he was engaged as we have stated, and in 1835 went back to the Old Dominion, and was there married in 1836, to Miss Susan Nelson. He remained in his native county several years thereafter, and in the fall of 1849 came with his family to this State, locating in North Okaw Township. He had learned the blacksmith’s trade in his native State, and now rented a tract of land which he cultivated, and upon which he erected a shop, and worked at his trade as time and opportunity permitted. In 1859, he removed to Texas, of which State he was a resident one year, and then repaired to a point near Kansas City, where he farmed several years, and then purchased a tract of land in Johnson County, Kan.
The children of John and Susan Neff, eleven in number, were Mary, James, Fannie, Franklin, Caroline, Nancy, Henry, Harvey, Cora, Sarah C., and an infant who died unnamed. Cora died when about fifteen years of age; Sarah C. died in Coles County, and Mary died in Kansas. The wife and mother departed this life at their home in Kansas, in 1861, and for a time after this affliction the household was broken up. Mr. N. did not engage in anything for a time, and the children were cared for by Fannie Lewis. In February, 1863, Mr. Neff was united in marriage with Mrs. Nancy (Stineman) Osborn, daughter of Rudolph and Mary Stineman, and widow of William Osborn, who died in North Okaw Township, in 1861; he was a thrifty farmer, and left his widow a fine property. The Stineman family is of German ancestry.
The parents of Mrs. Neff had a family of five children, namely: John, Mary, Harriet, Nancy and Phoebe. Mr. and Mrs. Stineman spent their last years in Indiana, where the mother died Feb. 18, 1838, and the father in 1840. Mrs. Neff is the only one of their children living. Rudolph Stineman was born Oct. 3, 1793, and his wife, formerly Miss Mary Hawkins, Dec. 3, 1797. Their marriage took place in Ohio, Jan. 11, 1815, of which State Mrs. Neff is a native, born Jan. 5, 1825. Her parents afterward moved to Fountain County, Ind., where they spent their last 3 r ears. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Neff, who were natives of Germany, spent the latter part of their lives in Ohio, dying near the town of Oxford, where their remains were laid to rest. Mrs. Neff was carefully reared, receiving a common-school education, and remained with her sister until her first marriage. There were no children by either marriage.
The father of our subject, George Neff by name, was born in Pennsylvania, and was of German ancestry. He became a resident of Wythe County, Va., while a young man, and was there married to Miss Catherine Etter. Soon afterward he purchased a farm in Wythe County and followed farming continuously during his life. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and died on his farm not long after the late Civil War. The mother had passed to her final rest several years previously. They were conscientious people, and consistent members of the Lutheran Church. The parental household included ten children, namely: Hettie, Elizabeth and Samuel, who were married, and are now deceased; Christina, the widow of Stephen Cormany, and now a resident of Wythe County, Va.; Rachel, who died young, and Lydia, who became the wife of Joseph Flory, both now deceased; John, our subject; Martin, who occupies the old homestead in Virginia; Hiram, who died in Texas, and David, who died in Virginia two years after marriage.
Mr. Neff is now approaching the sunset of life. He has lived worthily and gained the respect of his neighbors and acquaintances, and has been content to follow the course of a quiet and unobtrusive citizen, attending strictly to his farming and stock-raising, and performing, to the best of his ability, the duties set before him. He has had but little to do with politics, aside from casting his vote at general elections, and uniformly upholding the principles of the Democratic party. Mrs. N. is a lady highly esteemed in the community, and a member in good standing of the Baptist Church at Fuller’s Point. It is with pleasure that we present her portrait beside that of her husband as a fitting accompanying picture.
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