HEZEKIAH LEEK, M.D., has been a resident of Schuyler county, Illinois, since he was a child of seven years. He was born in Peoria county, Illinois, January 25, 1840, a son of Jacob and Adiathia (Leek) Leek. The maternal grandfather, henry Leek, was a native of Germany, but emigrated to the United States when a young man; he was married in the State of New York, and later resided in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, being one of the earliest settlers of the last-named commonwealth; he first located in Wabash county, and later removed to Peoria county, and finally came to Schuyler county, where he died at the age of ninety years; his wife lived to the same advanced age. They had a family of eleven children: Benjamin F., William, Allen, Robert, George, Wright, Levi, Adiathia, Abigail, Pernina and Mary. Jacob Leek, the father of our subject, was born in Ohio, and removed from that State to Illinois, settling in Peoria county. In 1847 he came to Schuyler county and entered land in Frederick township, which he occupied until the time of his death in 1842. He left a family of six children; Sarah, wife of Abraham Yuble; Margaret, wife of Annis Davis; Henry, deceased; Hezekiah, the subject of this sketch; Alexander, who died in the old homestead; Jacob F., a minister of the Missionary Baptist Church. The mother died in the autumn of 1891; she was a woman of rare force of character, and for forty years had been a consistent member of the Christian Church.

Dr. Leek spent his youth on the farm; and received his literary education in the common schools. Having determined to pursue the science of medicine, he began its study about 1857, in Fulton county, Illinois, under the preceptorship of Dr. Smith of Cuba; he subsequently studied at Olney, Illinois, and in Wabash county. He began the practice of his profession in McDonough county, Illinois, and remained there until 1871, when he returned to Schuyler county. In 1880 he received a certificate from the state Board of Health, having practiced fourteen years. He now resides in Rushville, but his patients are scattered over a wide territory. He has been very successful and has won a reputation as a skillful and careful physician.

Dr. Leek has been married twice: In 1859 he was united to Drusilla Tungate, who died in 1866, leaving four children; Abel; Margaret, wife of William Shriver; Amos, deceased; and Minerva, deceased. His second marriage was to Angeline M. Johnson, a daughter of Joel Johnson; she died in Aleny, Illinois, leaving four children: Joel C., Harmon J., Asa, deceased, and one child that died in early life. In politics he adheres to the principles of the Republican party. During the war he was president of the Union League. He was once a minister of the Baptist Church, and later was in the Christian Church in the same capacity; he does no ministerial work at the present time, but devotes himself wholly to his profession. He has always been deeply interested in the welfare of his county and town; in his profession he has won the highest respect of his colleagues, and as a citizen he enjoys the respect of all who know him.