Biography - LILIAN O. HAYWARD

Lilian O. Hayward, a leading merchant and farmer of Medora, was born m Chesterfield township December 9, 1860, and has spent his entire life in Macoupin county. He is a son of Cyrus Tolman and Mary Ann (Johnson) Hayward and is a member of one of the old families of America. Thomas and Susanna Hayward came to this country from Kent county, England, in the ship Hercules, in 1635. They landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and were among the settlers of Duxbury and Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Mr. Hayward of this review is eighth in direct line of descent from this worthy couple and has just cause to be proud of his ancestry. Cyrus T. Hayward was born in Massachusetts, June 14, 1819. He came with his parents to Macoupin county, Illinois, in 1838, and the family settled on a farm in section 18, Chesterfield township. On Christmas day, 1840, Mr. Hayward was married to Elizabeth Maria Olmstead and they became the parents of eight children, namely: Cyrus W. who is now living at Parsons, Kansas; Caroline Matilda, who is the wife of Frank Silsby; Jane, who married Leonard Ketchum, record of whom appears elsewhere in this work; William Oscar, also living at Parsons; Lucinda Cornelia who became the wife of Melvin Loper, of Chesterfield township, and is now deceased; Eva Josephine, who married Emmons Loper, of Chesterfield township, and is also deceased; Eldon O., who died at the age of three years; and Eldon Augustus, who died in infancy. The mother of these children passed away on the 8th of July, 1856. On the 21st of September, 1859, Mr. Hayward was married to Mrs. Mary Ann (Perry) Johnson, who was born near Memphis Tennessee, September 22, 1832, and removed to Carrollton, Illinois, in 1844 with her parents, James and Nancy (Obenshin) Perry. She was one of a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters, namely: John, George, Andrew, Monroe and Frank, all deceased; Mary Ann; Mrs. Mary A. Sleight, a resident of Denver, Colorado; Mrs. Carrie Kelly, also of Denver; and Mrs. Sarah Bowman, of Carrollton, Illinois. By his second marriage Mr. Hayward had five children: Lilian O., of this review; Herbert M., who is now living on the old home place in Chesterfield township; Mary E., who married William Simpson, of Marion, Indiana; Horace L., who lives in Chicago, Illinois; and Ida K., who died in infancy. Mr. Hayward engaged in cabinet-making and also in farming for many years. He became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Macoupin county and was recognized as one of its substantial citizens. He died June n, 1904, his wife having passed away August 22, 1898.

In the public schools Lilian O. Hayward gained his early education and subsequently attended Blackburn University at Carlinville and Brown’s Business College of Jacksonville, Illinois. He engaged in farming on the home place for two years and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres southeast of Medora, which he cultivated for seven years, paying special attention to raising and feeding stock and dairying. At the end of the time named he took up his residence on the F. B. Simpson farm, near Medora, still retaining the place which he had purchased. In 1904 he traded for a stock of merchandise at Chesterfield but two years later moved the stock to Medora and added implements, hardware, buggies and many articles and commodities called for in a farming community. The establishment now ranks as one of the most flourishing of the kind in the county. He has not given up his interest in farming and has purchased a second farm and now owns two hundred and forty acres of valuable land in Illinois and one hundred and sixty acres in Kansas. He is a man of fine business judgment and has met with marked success in his undertakings.

On December 22, 1888, Mr. Hayward was married to Miss Kitty Lena Parker, who was born March 17, 1866, a daughter of Benjamin E. Parker. To this union one child, Reta Love has been born, who resides with her parents. Benjamin E. Parker was born in Shipman township October 9, 1839, and is a son of Joel and Miriam (Haycraft) Parker, the former of whom was born near Lynchburg, Virginia, October 10, 1805, and the latter at Stevensburg, Hardin county, Kentucky, December 22, 1809. David Parker, the grandfather on the paternal side, belonged to a family of planters and spent his life in Virginia. Joel Parker grew to manhood in his native state and in the ’20s emigrated to Kentucky. In 1835 he drove overland to Illinois with his wife and four children and entered government land in Shipman township, Macoupin county, southeast of Medora. Here he spent the remainder of his days, being called away November 28, 1843. The ancestors of Mr. Parker on the maternal side were also Virginians and the grandfather came to Illinois from Kentucky with a grown son about 1836. Seven children were born to Joel and Miriam Parker, namely: Elizabeth, of Medora; who is the widow of John L. Rhoads; Mary E., also of Medora, the widow of F. B. Simpson; Sarah, of Creston, Colorado, who is the widow of A. J. Calverd; Frances, who is the wife of Rev. J. W. Rice, of Medora; Palmyra, who lives at Pasadena, California, and is the widow of J. L. Sherman; Benjamin E.; and Luvenia M., the wife of T. B. Forwood, of Medora. The father of these children died about 1853 and later the mother was married to Henry Jolly, of Macoupin county. One child, Emma, was born to this union. She married H. W. Denny and they are now living at Medora.

Benjamin E. Parker received his education in the public schools and continued under the parental roof, three miles southeast of Medora, until after arriving at maturity. He then purchased a part of the home place, consisting of one hundred and fifty acres, which he cultivated to excellent advantage until 1901. He then retired from active labors and has since made his home at Medora. He was for sixty years actively identified with the agricultural interests of the county and engaged extensively in raising the cereals and also in raising and feeding cattle, hogs and sheep for the market. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order and the Odd Fellows and politically his sympathies are with the prohibition cause. He served as commissioner of highways in Shipman township for ten years and also as a member of the school board. On the 27th of January, 1864, he was married to Margaret A. Cain, who was born March 3, 1845, a daughter of Abraham and Nancy (Downs) Cain. Abraham Cain was born and reared in Grayson county, Kentucky, and came to Illinois with his family in 1852, locating near Kemper, in Jersey county. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cain, namely: Margaret A., who is now Mrs. Benjamin E. Parker, John, who resided in Macoupin county and is now deceased; Catharine, of Medora; Taylor, who makes his home in southern Illinois; James W., of Jerseyville, now deceased; Mary, the wife of R. A. Love, of Marion, Indiana; and Hardin, who lives near Medora. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Parker, two of whom died in infancy. The others are: Leonora, who married Rev. J. Y. Montague, a Baptist minister, of Toledo, Ohio, and is the mother of three children. Althea, Leonora and Parker, all of whom are living at home; and Kitty Lena, now Mrs. Lilian O. Hayward.

Both as a merchant and farmer Mr. Hayward has been highly successful and during the course of an unusually active and useful life has presented an example of industry and application that is indeed worthy of emulation. He is an earnest believer in progress and has ever been mindful of his obligations to his fellow men. It may truly be said that no trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed. He supports the republican party but not through any desire for personal advancement, as he has never aspired to public office, his attention being devoted mainly to his business. He is a valued member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias, but his friends are by no means limited to those organizations, as they may be found wherever the name Lilian O. Hayward is known.

Extracted 18 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 655-657.