JOHN J. FUNKHOUSER, farmer, P. O. Burnt Prairie, was born in this township on November 5, 1842, and is a son of Preston L. and Mary (Stewart) Funkhouser.
The grandfather of our subject was John Funkhouser, who was a native of Kentucky, but was of Old Virginia stock, and was related to the family of Gen. Lee.; He married Elizabeth Newman, also a native of that State and then (1816) came to Wayne County. He brought with him sixteen negro slaves which he afterward freed, upon the admission of Illinois into the Union as a State. He lived in this county for upward of twenty-five years, and then went to Effingham County, where both he and his wife died at a good old age.
The father of our subject was born near Bowling Green, Ky., on October 6, 1815, and was not quite a year old when he father moved to this county. He attended the old subscription schools, and in early life gave his attention to farming starting with twenty acres. He soon amassed a very large body of land, and at the time of his death owned about 1,400 acres. He also bought corn and hogs for the New Orleans market, and would ship his produce by flatboat to destination. He would supervise the matter hmself, and often made the journey himself. He, assisted by Thomas McKnight and M.M. Wheeler, made the first flat boat that ever descended the Wabash from this part of the country. He would make from three to four trips a year, and made it quite profitable.
In 1840, he commenced to sell goods at Burnt Prairie, and followed the mercantile business until 1863, when his store was burned by outlaws from Kentucky. While in business in this county, he sold more goods than any other man in it. In every way he was in his day one of the foremost men of the county. Among other thngs worthy of note concerning him was the fact that he built the first brick house in the county in 1830. Starting from but a very small farm, he was at one time said to be the largest land-owner in the county. He was a member of the Republican party, but was no office seeker or holder. He was, however, deeply esteemed by his fellow citizens, and his demise was deeply mourned by them. He breathed his last at his home in Burnt Prairie on May 22, 1877, and was at the time of his deatha member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
The mother of our subject was born in Scotland in 1816, and was a daughter of Alexander and Mary (Steward) Stewart, also natives of Scotland. She is yet living in Burnt Prairie, and is the mother of four living children, viz.;
The common schools of this county furnished our subject his means of education, adn his whole life here has been devoted to the tilling of the soil, and at present owns 540 acres of land. Mr. Funkhouser was married in Knoxville, Tenn., to Hattie McGaughey. This lady died in 1869, and he was afterward married to Miss Ella R. Skeavington, a daughter of Joseph and Eliza (Walker) Skeavington, natives of Edwards County, Ill., but of English descent. This lady was born in 1852, and is the mother of five children, viz.;
On August 9, 1862, our subject enlistd in Company A, of the Ninety-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Capt. E. P. Turner. Englisting as private, after three months' service he was promoted to Adjutant of the regiment, and at the end of six months was elected Captain. In Jun, 1863, the regiment was mounted, and he served up until January, 1865, when he was hurt by his horse falling on him, and he was honorably discharged. Among the battles in which he participated were those of Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge and Atlanta campaign, besides many smaller skirmishes.
Both Mr. and Mrs. F. are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He is a member of Burnt Prairie Lodge, No. 668, A., F. and A. M. He is at present serving as Township Supervisor. In politics, he is a Democrat.
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