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 OHN STOKES, an aged and retired farmer,
now a resident of Oakland Village, came to
Illinois in the spring of 1840, and located in
Edgar County, where he purchased fifteen
acres of land and engaged in farming. In 1849 he
moved to near the Edgar and Coles County line,
where he engaged in brick-making and general farming one season. Mr. Stokes commenced life in a humble manner, and when setting out for himself possessed a cash capital of twenty-five cents. He labored hard, lived economically, and is now one of the prosperous property holders of Coles County, who is enabled to live comfortably upon the fruits of his early industry. Our subject is a native of Halifax County, Va.. was born Sept. 2, 1799, and is consequently advanced a long distance on the journey of life. His parents, Samuel and Mary (Gentry) Stokes, were also natives of the Old Dominion, whence they removed to North Carolina, where the death of both took place. The children of the parental household, eight in number, were named respectively, John, Richard. Elizabeth, Henry, William, Samuel, James and Mary. John Stokes remained under the home roof until reaching his majority, and was subsequently occupied in farming. When thirty years of age he was united in marriage with Miss Lutitia Allen, the wedding taking place in Wayne County, Ind., in 1829. Mrs. Stokes was born in South Carolina, June 22, 1810, and by her union with our subject became the mother of eleven children: Richard was married three times, and is now living in Edgar County; George W. died when eighteen months old; Samuel, when four weeks old; Mary A., became the wife of Benjamin Timmons, and departed this life at the home of her husband in Edgar County, in 1877; John W. married Miss Rosa E. Slater, and lives in Oakland; Susan, the wife of Ambrose Bandy, lives in Oakland; James K. P. married Miss Melinda Wright, and is living near Oakland; Levi is deceased; Ellen is the wife of Charles Gobart, of this county, and Alma married Mr. Sherman, of Moultrie County. Mr. Stokes removed from his native State to Indiana, and thence to Illinois in 1840. He meddles very little in public affairs, but usually votes the Democratic ticket. Mrs. Stokes is a worthy member of the Baptist Church, with which she became connected sixteen years ago. John W. Stokes, the second son of our subject, owns seventy acres of land in Oakland Township, where he is engaged in the breeding of tine horses. He received the advantages of a common-school education, spent a few months in teaching, and afterward engaged in farming on eighty acres of land, ten of which he afterward sold. He was married, Dec. 10, 1874, to Miss Rosa E. Slater, who was born in Loudoun County, Va., Nov. 18, .1854, and is the daughter of John G. and Ann (Rush) Slater, natives of Loudoun County, Va. They have three children: Flora M., born May 7, 1870; Bertha E., Jan. 18, 1878, and Willis V., Nov. 13, 1879. Mr. Stokes, in 1880, spent two months in Florida on a business speculation, but meeting with better results in Illinois concluded to abandon Southern enterprises and remain in the Prairie State. lie has a. line assortment of draft horses and mules, and is quite successful in his present calling. He has been School Director for several years, is a member of the United Brethren Church, and, like his father, is a stanch Democrat. |
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