Reeves, John
Summary
Father:William L. ReevesMother: Amanda Cook
Birth: 29 August 1850, Schuyler county, Illinois
Birth Source: Obituary, headstone
Death: 19 February 1928, Brooklyn, Schuyler County, Illinois
Death Source: Memorial card, obituary, headstone
Spouse1: Emma Jane Ewing, m. 13 April 1871, Fulton County, Illinois
Narrative
Children of John Reeves and Emma Jane Ewing:- Lillian May Reeves, b. 12 Feb 1872, d. 6 Jan 1923, m. George Mead Chipman
- William Joseph Reeves, b. 8 April 1877, d. 8 December 1956, m. Stella Lady
- Julia Bell Reeves, b. bef 1882 , d. age 5 years
- John Franklin Reeves b. 16 June 1882, d. 22 Feb 1974, m. Ella Maud Johnson
- Violet Blanche Reeves, b. 26 Feb 1890, D. 16 May 1974, m. Ralph Swearingen
Obituary, The Augusta Eagle (Augusta, Il), 19 Feb 1928
John Reeves, son of William and Amanda Reeves, was born near Vermont, Illinois, August 29th, 1850, and passed peacefully away at his home in Brooklyn, Illinois, Sunday evening, February 29, 1928, aged 77 years, 5 months and 20 days. He was the oldest of a family of eight children, all of whom have preceded him to the beyond, except the youngest, Mrs. Serena M. Phillips, of near Ray, Illinois.
He was united in marriage with Emma Jane Ewing, on April 13, 1871, and they were permitted to enjoy almost forty-six years of happiness, before the wife was called to eternal rest. To this union was born five children, Lillian (Reeves) Chipman and Julia preceding him in death.
Mr. Reeves came to Brooklyn forty-four years ago to help in the flour/saw mill, operated at that time by John Glandon. His work was so satisfactory that when the mill was dismantled and moved to Kansas, Mr. Glandon sent him to that state to reassemble it.
His has been an active life, and one who was always ready to help with anything that was for the good of the community, finding time from his numerous duties to serve his township for several years as road commissioner.
He became a member of Schuyler Lodge I. O.O.F. No. 493 at Brooklyn at the time it was instituted, in the spring of 1905, in which order he retained his membership at the time of his death.
His last illness confined him to his home for the past several months.
He is survived by one sister, Mrs. Serena M. (Reeves) Phillips of Ray, Illinois; two sons William J, of Plymouth, Illinois and John Franklin of Brooklyn, Illinois; one daughter, Mrs. Ralph Swearingen (Violet Reeves), of Industry, Illinois; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a host of friends to mourn his passing.
Funeral services were held from the Methodist church in Brooklyn Tuesday morning at 10:30, Rev. Geo T. Carl of Plymouth, officiating. The services were largely attended by relatives, neighbors and friends, as Mr. Reeves was man of high standing in the community where he had dwelled so many years. Interment was in Brooklyn Cemetery.
The 1850 census shows that William and Amanda Reeves lived in Ashland Township, Schuyler County, Illinois. Ashland Township was also known as Flat Woods and is now renamed Oakland Township, Schuyler County. Then in 1860 the census showed the family living in Moniteau County, Missouri. In the 1870 census the William Reeves family lived in Pettis County, Missouri. However in the 1870 census John was not listed with his family nor could he be found on any other 1870 census. John was married in 1871 and 1880 census has he and Emma living in Lamoine Township, McDonough, Illinois. The 1900, 1910, and the 1920 census have John and Emma in Brooklyn, Illinois.
In 1884, according to a newspaper article, CA (Charles) King of Brooklyn, Illinois went to Plymouth, Illinois to contract John to work at the combination sawmill/flour mill in Brooklyn. This mill was located on Crooked Creek (later named the LaMoine River), and was operated by John Glandon. As a result of the new job, the family then moved to Brooklyn. In 1895 John Reeves and a Mr. Pelser owned a saw mill close to the old Brooklyn bridge on the south side. TRP member Larry Bartlett has a photo of this saw mill. In the early 1900's records indicate that John owned another flour mill upstream on Crooked Creek at Birmingham, Illinois.
John Reeves also operated a blacksmith and wood working shop. In 1900 John Reeves placed an advertisement in the "History of Brooklyn" booklet. The ad states John Reeves as "Blacksmith and Woodworkman. Horseshoeing a specialty. Wagons made to order."
Sometime after 1884 John built the house that he and Emma lived in. Now about 137 years later, his house is still currently being lived in and looks well kept. It is located north across the hard road from the driveway to the former homesite of John Franklin and Maude Reeves, grandparents of TRP member Larry Bartlett.
John Reeves died 19 February 1928. Emma had died 5 February 1917. Both are buried in the Brooklyn Cemetery.
Research Notes
John Reeves does not appear on the 1850 census as he may not have yet been born, his birth being in August of that year. The family may have moved to the southwestern part of McDonough County, Illinois for a short period of time before moving to Missouri with other members of his family. In the 1860 census the William Reeves family and the Alvin A. Reeves family are found in Moniteau County in Missouri. Moniteau County is southeast of Pettis County. By 1870 both families were on the plantation of 660 acres called "Elm Tree Farm" in Pettis County, Missouri, northwest of Sedalia, Missouri. In addition, according to the census of 1870, the Joseph Ewing Family lived at Elm Spring Farm. During the stay of the Ewing family, a friendly relationship must have developed between one of the Ewing girls named Emma Jane and John Reeves. As a result of this relationship, John came back to Illinois and married her on 13 April 1871 in Fulton County, Illinois. It is unknown if he came back by himself or came back with the Ewing family. This would have occurred before his grandfather Alvin died 9 September 1871 and his father's death in late 1871.Herschel "Sug" Reeves, uncle of TRP member Larry Bartlett, shared the following information about Sug"s grandfather John Reeves. Sug said that John was a stout, very strong man, about 230 pounds. He remembers him being able to lift a corner of a separator (a large machine for threshing grain, similar to a combine) and put in in place.
John could not read or write but he could figure in his head accurately anything he needed to regarding his sawmill work or figuring lumber board feet. John's wife Emma hired a cousin to teach John "how to write his name and to figure" in his head. This was recorded on a handwritten note and that she paid the cousin $25.
Another story that Sug told was an episode when John, being a stout man, outwitted a bull. Apparently a bull was after him and John stuck a pitchfork up the bull's nose as far as he could get it. After that he could lead the bull around with no problem.
John's first car was Model T Ford which had three pedals. Sug remembers John several times running into the end of his garage as he had trouble getting his foot onto the correct pedal. In 1926 he bought a Chevrolet car. One day he drove to his sister's Serena's home near, Ray, Illinois. He got stuck in the mud and his health was never right after that.
John's name never appears with a middle name or initial. Family history has him being named after his maternal grandfather John Cook.
Sources
1850 Census: Ashland Township, Schuyler County, Illinois1860 Census: Moniteau County, Missouri
1870 Census: Pettis County, Missouri
1880 Census: Lamoine Township, McDonough County, Illinois
1900 Census: Brooklyn Township, Schuyler County, Illinois
1910 Census: Brooklyn Township, Schuyler County, Illinois page 10A
1920 Census: Brooklyn Township, Schuyler County Illinois page 10A
The Reeves Family article, Schuyler County, Illinois History 1983, page 488
The Children of John and Emma Reeves article, Schuyler County, Illinois History 1983, Page 488
Obituary from The Augusta Illinois Eagle 29 Feb 1928
Funeral card (Funeral cards were handed out to families who attended the funeral)
Memorial Record Booklet from visitation and funeral-- J H Nichols, Funeral Director, Plymouth, Illinois
Find A Grave Brooklyn Cemetery, Brooklyn, Schuyler county, Illinois
A History of Brooklyn 1900 (Hard copy in personal collection of TRP member Larry Bartlett)
Original photograph of John Reeves, family collection of TRP member Larry Bartlett