Biography - John Reeder

John A. Reeder, Jr., who is one of the leading farmers in Bourbon township, was born in Darke County, Ohio, October 3, 1854, and is a son of John A. and Mary B. (Harter) Reeder, natives of the same county in Ohio. John A. Reeder removed to Douglas county and located where his son John A. now resides. After coming to the county he rented for eight years and then purchased two hundred and fifty acres of land and later became one of the influential citizens of Bourbon township. His death occured in 1892 in the seventy-seventh year of his age. He was also a very successful trader in both real estate and buying and selling live stock. (For further facts of the family see sketch of brother at Garrett.)
John A. Reeder was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Corbett in 1881. She is a daughter of Michael Corbett, of Arthur, who was born in Ireland in 1827, emigrated to this country in 1846 and was for five years employed on Mississippi river steamboats, after which he located in Sangamon county and purchased fifty acres of land, paying ten dollars per acre. After working and improving it for two years he sold it for fifty dollars per acre. He then came to Douglas county, where he purchased land for nine dollars per acre, part of which he afterward sold for one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre. In 1858 he married Miss Elizabeth York, of Sangamon county. Mr. Corbett is living a retired life at Arthur.
To Mr. and Mrs. Reeder have been born five children: Harry, aged sixteen years; Bertha, fifteen; George, thirteen; Fred, eleven; and Katie. He owns ninety acres of land, whicch is a part of the old homestead, and deservedly ranks as one of the reputable citizens of the county.

Extracted by Linda Lang from the Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois, page 191.

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