CHARLES M. MASON, a favorably known and successful young farmer and stock raiser of Cass County, Ill., whose post office address is Virginia, Ill., continues industriously engaged in his accustomed occupation of tilling the soil and breeding cattle on an eighty acre farm lying in township 18, range 9. Mr. Mason was born in Adams County, Ill., June 10, 1878, a son of Charles and Hanna (Koontz) Mason, the father a native of Indiana, and the mother of Pike County, Ill. The paternal grandfather was Samuel Mason, a native of Massachusetts, and on the maternal side the grandparents were George W. and Ruth (Potter) Kuntz. The father and mother of Charles M. Mason were married in Adams County, Ill., and after farming there until 1882, moved to Cass County, the father buying a farm in what was then Old Princeton, in township 17, range 9. Charles Mason died August 16, 1900, and his wife, June 26, 1901. Their children were as follows: Julie E. (Mrs. John Harwood), of Honeywell, Mo.; George, of Morgan County, Ill.; Douglas and William, both of Missouri; Ruth (Mrs. Charles Young), of Morgan County, Ill.; Leander, also of Morgan County; Thomas, of Missouri; Wallace, of Morgan County, Ill.; Warren, of Chicago; Charles M.; and Grover C.

Charles M. Mason attended the district schools in his youth and remained with his parents until their death. He then commenced working on a farm by the month and continued thus about three years. Then he farmed for himself one year on rented land in Cass County, and two years in Morgan County, returning at the end of that period to an eighty acre farm in Cass County, township 18, range 9, left by his wife's parents. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising.

On August 10, 1905, Mr. Mason was married to Gertrude A. Robinson, a native of Cass County, daughter of George W. and Mary L. (Hensted) Robinson, natives of Ohio and Illinois, respectively. Both parents died in 1913. Mr. and Mrs. Mason have one daughter, Alma Allnene, born August 13, 1906. Socially Mr. Mason is affiliated with the M. W. A., No. 1461, of Literberry.