ALVAH C. MOFFETT of section 3, North Palmyra Township is an active and energetic young man of Macoupin County.
His father the late Chauncy W. Moffett, M.D. was born in New York in 1826. His parents moved from New York to Columbiana County, Ohio when the Doctor was a little fellow of four years and in the Buckeye State he grew to manhood. he came to Illinois during the �40s and at Jacksonville, in the month of August, 1849 he was united in marriage to Miss Amelia E. Vancil who was born in North Palmyra Township, May 31, 1828. This lady is the daughter of Edmund C. and Mary (Byars) Vancil.
Mr. Vancil was born in Logan County, Ky., May 8, 1799, and there he passed the early part of his life but at the age of sixteen years came to Marion County, Ill., where he grew to manhood. he was married in Jackson County, Ill., August 15, 1824, to Miss Mary Byars, who was born in Kentucky February 7, 1804, and had removed with her parents when she was four years old to Jackson County, Ill., and who came with them in the fall of 1827 to Macoupin County. they lived north of Virden for a while and in 1828 they settled in North Palmyra Township where he has since been a resident and is one of the oldest settlers in the county. His wife died May 25, 1890, at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
After the marriage of Dr. Moffett and his wife they lived for one year in Sangamon County and then removed to Christian County where he followed his profession for a year, after which on account of ill health, they removed to Texas and remained until the close of the war, in which Dr. Moffett was an active participant. They afterward lived in Arkansas for some two years, and then returned to Illinois and settled in North Palmyra Township. While on a visit to Texas to settle up his business affairs, Dr. Moffett was stricken down and died.
Mrs. Moffett is the mother of eight children six of whom are living, namely: Chauncey W.; Portia, the wife of Hiram Gilkerson; Ocea E.; Hosea O., Alvus H. and Alvah C. One son Lot died in infancy and a daughter Aletha at the age of twenty years. The fine farm of two hundred and sixty acres with good buildings and first-class improvements is operated by our subject in company with his brother Hosea O. and their attention is devoted largely to the raising of stock in which they are remarkably successful.