In the list of farmers who are making a success of their business in
Macoupin county should be named Herbert Alva Lancaster, of South Otter
township, who is now in the prime of life and has given convincing
evidence of his ability in the calling with which he has been closely
identified since early manhood. He was born in Girard township May 1,
1871, a son of William and Mary (Hovey) Lancaster, the former of whom
was born in England in 1836, and the latter in Massachusetts. The
grandparents of our subject were Frank Lancaster, of England, and
Gilbert Hovey, of Massachusetts. William Lancaster came with his parents
to America in 1844, when he was eight years of age. The family located
at Bunker Hill, Illinois, and as he grew to maturity the son assisted in
a brickyard of which his father was the owner. He was married in 1855 to
Miss Mary Hovey and two years later came with his wife to Girard and
started the first brickyard at that place. He continued in the
manufacture of brick until his death, which occurred in 1898, his wife
surviving until 1907. He was actively interested in politics and gave
his support to the democratic party, serving as road commissioner and as
school director. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster were six
children: Nellie, who married O. H. Parks, of California, and has three
children; Walter, of Nebraska, who married Alice Barnes and is the
father of two children; Ray, also of Nebraska, who married Nettie Gripe
and has a family of four children; George, of Girard, who married Ada
Morse and has one child; Charles, who married Edith Morse and resides at
Girard; and Herbert Alva, of this review.
In the public schools
of Girard Herbert A. Lancaster possessed good advantages of education,
also making himself useful in his father’s brickyard during his boyhood
days. In 1889, when he was eighteen years of age, he began farming on
three hundred and twenty acres in South Otter township and has ever
since continued upon this place. He engages in general farming, but
makes a specialty of feeding and buying stock. As he is a good judge of
animals and keeps well informed as to market conditions he has met with
marked success and the years have witnessed a gratifying increase in his
income. He is also a stockholder in the Nilwood State Bank.
On
January 2, 1889, Mr. Lancaster was married at St. Louis to Miss Bessie
Dix, a native of South Otter township and a daughter of Charles and
Helen (Davidson) Dix, the former of whom was born in Connecticut and the
latter in Illinois. The grandfathers of Mrs. Lancaster were Thomas Dix,
of Connecticut, and Alexander Davidson, of Alabama. To Mr. and Mrs.
Lancaster six children have been born: Nellie E., who married C. H.
McMahan, of Nilwood township; and Mary E., Myrtle A., Alva L., Paul
Roscoe and Helen Mildred, all of whom are at home.
Mr. Lancaster
is a firm believer in the Bible and is affiliated with the Baptist
church. He also holds membership in Peach Tree Lodge, No. 633, M. W. A.,
of Girard. His study and observation of political parties led him years
ago to indorse the principles of the democratic platform and he is an
earnest supporter of its candidates. He has served to the general
satisfaction of the people as assessor of South Otter township and also
as a member of the school board. Thoroughly competent and reliable, he
is greatly respected by his neighbors and friends as a steadily growing
factor in this section.
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 667-668.
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