FRANCIS MUHLERT, now deceased, was born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, April 4, 1820. He grew up there and obtained a good German education. His father was a professor of mathematics in Hildesheim University, and as a linguist he could speak five different languages. He had three brothers and two sisters. Frederick, the eldest brother, and Ferdinand, the youngest, are professors in the University of Gothingen. Herman went to the East Indies, where he became head physician of the East India hospitals. The two sisters, Bertha and Amelia, are still in their native country, married. All are members of the Lutheran Church. His parents lived and died in their native province and he was the only one of the family to come to the United States. When twenty-eight years of age he embarked on a sailing vessel from Hamburg to New Orleans, and after the usual tedious trip arrived in Beardstown, February, 1848. In Germany Mr. Muhlert had been overseer of a large farm, but after his arrival here he became for two years a merchant in Arenzville. About this time he was married to Paulina Winhold, born in Kurhessen, Germany, January 4, 1831. She was the daughter of William and Barbara (Weber) Winhold, who were born in the same place in Germany and came to the United States after the birth of their two children. This was in 1834. They landed in Baltimore, Maryland, after a seven week's voyage and afterward settled near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Seven years later they came to Illinois, and settled on a farm in Cass county, township 17, range 11, and here they lived and died, the father aged seventy-seven, and the mother eighty-two. They were good, hard-working people, members of the Catholic Church.

Mrs. Muhlert is the eldest of a family of which seven are still living.

Mr. and Mrs. Muhlert purchased a good farm after their marriage in section 4, township 17, range 11, and there Mr. Muhlert spent the remainder of his life. He was a well respected and favorably known citizen. His widow now lives on and owns a fine property of sixty acres of land, all highly improved. She is a noble, good, kind woman and has many friends here. She attends the German Lutheran Church, as did her husband. She is the mother of eleven children, one having died young. The living children are: Sophia, wife of Jacob Heinen, now farmers in Kansas; William, living with his mother on the home place; Amelia, wife of William Meyer, farmer in this county; Edward is a farmer in Kansas and he married Matilda Heinen; Henry is a carpenter and lives with his mother; Herman is a farmer in Kansas and lives with his sister; Lena is the wife of John Parish, a railroad engineer at Jacksonville, Illinois; Charles, Frank and Ernest are at home.