MARQUIS L. CRUM, of township 17 north, range 10, section 32, was born about two and one half miles from his present location, January 16, 1851. His parents were James and Christina (Ream) Crum. The father was born in Indiana, in 1806. His mother came from Ohio, and married in this county, in 1833. The father came to the county in 1832, the mother with her parents, who settled in this neighborhood. The father was of German descent, and was the father of twelve children. His wife died May 1, 1878, and the father has since married again, and resides on the old homestead. Marquis was educated in the public schools, and then attended the State Normal school for two years, and the Illinois Wesleyan University four years, graduating in the scientific course in 1874, receiving the degree of B. S., and three years later the degree of M. S. was conferred upon him. Being in very poor health at this time, he resumed farming, and this has proven so beneficial, under the favorable circumstances surrounding him, that he has continued to follow it.

He was married, March 30, 1875, to Fannie Stubblefield, of Funk's Grove, McLean county, born there September 17, 1853. They became acquainted while attending the university, which she attended about three years. Her family are old settlers in that county. Mr. and Mrs. Crum have four children: Edith, the eldest, now sixteen, has been attending the Illinois College at Jacksonville, and expects to complete a course in one of the higher institutes of learning; Arthur E. and Oral C. are bright boys; and Rena F., now three years old, is the pet of the family. Mr. Crum owns a farm of 700 acres, principally devoted to stock. He breeds shorthorn cattle, and uses the Percheron-Norman horses, his father-in-law being an importer of this breed of horses in Bloomington. He also owns a stock farm of 240 acres near Kirksville, Missouri, and usually buys his stock in Missouri and ships here. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Crum belongs to the A.O.U.W. He is a Democrat. He has been associated with the Farmers' Alliance, and was the State president of it for eighteen months. He declined a re-election. He was a delegate from Illinois to the national convention at Ocala, Florida, and Mr. Crum describes this trip as the finest he ever made. He has three nice tenement houses on his extensive farm where his employees reside. He hires four or five men by the year, usually married men, and furnishes them with house, fuel and garden.