WILLIAM H. LEE was born on a farm adjoining his present home, August, 1850. His father, William Lee was born in the State of North Carolina, October 9, 1816. In 1827 the family moved to Tennessee and the next year came to Morgan county, Illinois, where they lived until 1830, when they came to Brown county and entered Government land on which William Lee, Sr., lived until died. He was about fifteen years old when they settled on the farm and died here, January 26, 1884, after a painful and lingering illness. During his fifty years in this county he had been a most useful and influential citizen, filling places of trust and honor with fairness and discretion to all the fellow townsmen. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and his life was filled with deeds that testified that he practiced as well as preached. He was greatly missed by all who knew him, especially his wife and children. His remains were interred on the farm where he had lived and worked for so long. His wife was Mary A. Thomas of Switzerland county, Indiana. She is the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Jackson) Thomas, the former from Ohio and the latter from Maryland. They were married in Ohio and removed to Indiana, where their daughter was born. In 1830 they removed to Scott county, Illinois. They and their nine children made the journey with teams, and after their arrival in Scott county another child was born to them. Five years later they came to what is now Pea Ridge, in Brown County.
The marriage license was the first issued in Brown county. The mother of Mrs. Lee died at their farm home at the age of forty-nine years and left her husband and ten living children. He was again married, and died at the age of sixty-five years, in Iowa. Mrs. Lee, Sr., began married life on eighty acres, their first purchase, near the present home of their son. To this they added 105 acres, making 185 in all. They had five children, one of whom died.
William Lee, our subject, was reared to farm life and has followed the same ever since. He was fairly educated for the times.
Mr. William lee has been carrying on farming and stock raising, giving special attention to the breeding of some fine road stock of horses. He has some fine young stock and fillies, four good mares and has recently bought a fine young stallion of the Wilkes stock. This is a very promising two year old and he hopes to stock his farm with good roadsters. He keeps about 100 sheep of the Shropshire and Merino graded stock and turns off twenty or thirty porkers a year.
Mr. Lee had some experience in his youth in merchandising in his father's employ at Mount Sterling, and later as a clerk at the same place, but his health failing he turned his hand to what he was fitted by nature to do and has made a success of it, although he has the natural ability to fill any commercial position in any city.
He was married in Mt. Sterling, December, 1877, to Miss Jennie Hanna, daughter of F. M. and Sarah (Hobbs) Hanna, residents of Mt. Sterling. They began life on the farm on which they now reside of 150 acres. They have buried one little son, Frank, and have now four children: Mary, in her thirteenth year, a bright child with musical talent which is being cultivated; George A., a bright child of ten; Freddie, five, and William, a Christmas gift of the year 1889. Both Mr. Lee and his wife are highly esteemed by all who know them and they are very influential among their large circle of friends.