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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 253-254
RODGER HORNER. Industry and thrift are the price that honorable men pay for success, and this has been amply paid by the gentleman with whose name this article begins, and who lives in the town of Harrison, Grant county. His business life has been devoted to mining and farming, and he may be written down as one of the solid and representative men of both these callings in his part of the state.
Mr. HORNER, a son of Matthew and Jane HORNER, natives of Yorkshire, England. They were married in their native country in 1825, and some ten years later came to Canada. In 1840 they moved to Jo Daviess county, Ill., where they lived seven years. At the expiration of this time they found a location in British Hollow, Grant Co., Wis., where he followed lead mining and smelting until 1854. That year he bought the Joseph REITER farm, in the town of Harrison, Grant Co., Wis., which was afterward their home as long as they lived. Mr. HORNER died in January, 1880, and his wife in September, same year. They had a family of twelve children: Rachel was buried at sea. Margaret died when a child at British Hollow. James died in Grant county, when a young man. Matthew died at the home of his parents, in 1858. Mary died when a young woman at her parents' home. William was killed in the mines of California, leaving a wife and daughter, Emma, now Mrs. J. P. BONNETT, of Harrison. Rachel, born in Illinois, married Morris CAVANAUGH, and is now deceased. Jane is Mrs. Norman CLARK, of Harrison. Jonathan married Lizzie BRADLEY, and lives at British Hollow. Elizabeth, Mrs. J. REITER, is on the old HORNER homestead, in Harrison. Rodger died in infancy, and his name was given to the youngest child of the family, our subject.
Rodger HORNER received a common-school education. He became a soldier of the Union army during the Civil war, enlisting in Company H, 44th Wis. V.I., which regiment was attached to the Army of the Tennessee, and Mr. HORNER followed the flag until the close of the war. He was in hospital some months, and made an honorable record as a soldier and a gentleman while at the front. In 1859 Mr. HORNER crossed the Plains, and was in California until the summer of 1864, when he came back to Wisconsin, and entered the service. After the war he went to California a second time, and remained in the West until 1871. There he married Miss Marietta BUTLER, who was born in Harrison, Wis., a daughter of Daniel and Anna (COATES) BUTLER; Mr. BUTLER died at East Dubuque, Iowa; Mrs. BUTLER at Georgetown, Grant Co., Wis. Mr. BUTLER was an old-time Californian, and a soldier in the Civil war from Wisconsin. Mrs. HORNER was visiting her brother in California at the time of her marriage, and they remained in that State two years longer. Their eldest child was the first child born in Bodie, Cal. In 1873 Mr. and Mrs. HORNER settled on his present farm in the town of Harrison, where they are now living. They have put up a good home, and cleared up the farm, and he has spent many years mining in the county. In 1879 he made a third trip to California, leaving his wife and five children on the farm, and returned in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. HORNER have had nine children: Matthew D., who lives at home; William H.; Elijah R.; Sarah A., who was a student of the Platteville Normal, and has been a teacher for some six years; Nora, also a student at the Normal, who has been one of the successful teachers of the county for some years; Maud S., a student of the same Normal, who has been a teacher for five terms in the schools of the county; Minnie May, who was educated in the high school and the Normal; Rodger is the youngest living of the family; and the youngest of all, Jonathan, died when an infant. Mr. and Mrs. HORNER also took an orphan child to raise, Mrs. CHAMPION, of Hazel Green, Wis. Mr. HORNER's daughters are all bright, capable young ladies, very highly regarded in the community.
Mr. HORNER is an independent Republican, and has held the office of school treasurer and roadmaster. Mrs. HORNER and the family attend church in the neighborhood, and take lively interest in all good movements and measures. They are highly regarded, and are spoken of as among the cultured and refined people of the county.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck